Fictional planetary maps

[Cham]

I noticed that the 4k land texture gets a much better rendering when we use the 8k specular map with it.

Just try the 4k textures with the 8k spec map. It's worth it.

[Fenerit]

this latest version (8k) is trully beautifull ! This one is fantastic !
Thanks a lot for the effort, it was really worth it !

Thanks!

My only concern is about the night map : the lands are too luminous at night, while there isn't enough city lights on the "lines" (highway roads), but this is just a matter of personal taste.

The nightmap is not easy to do, because the light's rendering is not on a transparent canvas; its background is black and therefore I must use a layering operation with GIMP. Moreover there are the polar caps beneath (of the main map's layer) which does disturbs. My reference for the nightmap's shadows tones is the John's nightmap of the Earth. In such map the mountains and lands are a tad visibles.

What'snext ? Can you make the whole texture generation process automatic ? I mean, just a single button click and you get a different map at each run without any hand retouching ? Can you generate a whole set of different earth-like planets without having to invest too much time ?

Yes and not. With a sigle button click I can get diffent land shapes/distribution/bumps/lights and polar caps' "ice lines" but colors. This latters must be set (tweaked) all the time, otherwise I will always get the same colors (this last ones). Of course the same colors upon different land's shapes and distribution does make the maps looks different. As for the time, 8k maps gets an average of 30 min. each one texture to be rendered (4x antialiasing, specmap too), even though they can be rendered in sequence.

[Cham]

Maybe it could be usefull to publish a set of polar caps only (with their bumps and specular), in 8k version, without any land textures.

A set of transparent PNG files with polar caps only could be great for textures authors. One of the major problems with most of the textures we can find anywhere is the polar pinch effect. So pasting the caps from your software could solve some of the issue.

What do you think ?

EDIT : About the other land textures you published on the previous pages, is it possible for you to generate a 8k version of their specular map only ?

Also, can you generate moon-like textures, with craters ?

[Fenerit]

Also, can you generate moon-like textures, with craters ?

Yes.

[Cham]

Moon-like textures with craters : can you publish some examples ?

And what about a 8k version of the spec maps for your previous maps ?

[Fenerit]

A set of transparent PNG files with polar caps only could be great for textures authors. One of the major problems with most of the textures we can find anywhere is the polar pinch effect. So pasting the caps from your software could solve some of the issue.

Specmaps and bumpmaps/normal for these are generated only whether some lands are below the ices, otherwise not. Now, my wonders are about how such lands could looks once pasted onto a different texture; it could be looks weird. maybe should be better that the polar caps doesn't have lands and instead let be used that of the original texture; its normalmap is indifferent whether a polar cap is added onto its texture. The same for what concern the specmap; in fact, if you mind at the specmap's behaviour when do a planet's toggling, you should see that the lands below the ices must be not "darkened" when the sunlight hits them. In the maps above, the specmap must be erased of such land's parts.

[John Van Vliet]

--- edit ---

[Fenerit]

And what about a 8k version of the spec maps for your previous maps ?

You are indeed fortunate that in this case I wrote the random seeds on a paper.

[Fenerit]

A fast moon/asteroid prototype. No color-pattern/bumps tuning and no antialiasing.

[Fenerit]

8k specmap and nightmap for p08 texture

[Cham]

Thanks Massimo,

the specular is working great. However, the night lights are ... weird.
Even for some alien civilisation, it doesn't feel convincing.
I suggest that you make the same kind of lights as for p10.

And what about p09 ?

The 8k specular map gives a very nice improvement to the 4k base texture, by the way.

[Fenerit]

Thanks Massimo,

the specular is working great. However, the night lights are ... weird.
Even for some alien civilisation, it doesn't feel convincing.
I suggest that you make the same kind of lights as for p10.

And what about p09 ?

The 8k specular map gives a very nice improvement to the 4k base texture, by the way.

Just a try to do sci-fi avenues within city lights... It is the black background the problem; a "lighten" operation upon the 2 layer does remove it, but does alters the lights. Noises/plasmas can achieve the lights density with easyness; the "manhattan" patterns looks weird, albeit a city-scape with huge avenues full of lights, should be visible from space like lines. The only improvement for the p10-alike lights is to add orange/red points for industrial plants.

P.S.
I do not reckon any change amongst 4k/8k specmaps. Maybe it is matter of graphic drivers.

[Cham]

I do not reckon any change amongst 4k/8k specmaps. Maybe it is matter of graphic drivers.

The difference is seen at a close range.

For the night lights, I strongly suggest a map similar to the one you made for p10.

[Fenerit]

8k Earth-like lights for p08...


Note that I'm working upon various kind of lights...

[Cham]

It's nice, but take note that the polar caps aren't the same for this night map as for the published land map.

Please Massimo, can you also publish a 8k version of the specular, for the p09 map ?
I'll wait, for the night map.

[Fenerit]

8k p08 with that polar caps


8k p09 specmap

[Cham]

Boy you're fast ! I'm trying them right away !

[Cham]

Both maps are working great !

I trashed the 4k specular maps, since the improvement is spectacular with the 8k version.

However, I still like very much both p08 and p09 land textures in 4k (medres folder). p08 is also beautifull in 8k (hires folder).

So we now have three splendid Earth-like worlds, in 8k ! This is really fantastic !

Now, you just need to tweak the night lights.


Any moon-like textures in the works ? The normal map test version you published is nice, but has some problems at the poles (pinch effect). This is a though problem...

[Fenerit]

8k p09 nightmap.

[Cham]

It is very nice Massimo.

However, this civilisation is timid. Maybe it isn't very advanced ?
But then there's a paradox : how can a civilisation be visible from space, while having so few large cities ?

IMHO, there isn't enough cities in the middle of the two main (vast) continents. Of course, this is just a matter of personal taste.

I suggest that you make a version of an highly technological civilisation, similar to the first night map you've done on the previous pages, with several lines and links (roads ?).