Stars, planets and point sprites

[selden]

I'm guessing that, as with many sophisticated modelling methods, relatively few people on the forum feel they have an adequate background to be able to comment, although I'm sure they're enjoying the pictures.

Anim8or can't do point sprites at all. I don't know about Blender. In other words, one must use some other utility program (similar to how Cham uses Mathematica) to generate an object which uses them.

Also, some older graphics cards can only draw tiny sprites (e.g. 16x16 pixels), so large billboard sprites won't work on systems which have them.

[Cham]

Don't forget that spreadsheet apps (Excel, OpenOffice, NeoOffice, ...) can also be used to build sprite based models.

We simply need to define 3D cartesian coordinates for each sprite, plus a column for sprite size, and maybe more columns for color and transparency information. Spreadsheets apps usually have several mathematical functions (MIN, MAX, AVERAGE, ..., RANDOM ?) and the user could define sprite based objects (at least some simple models).

I'm pretty sure we could build shell and disk shaped models this way. Of course, the user need to know some maths in this case. It's not like using a 3D modeler...

[Fenerit]

Even my CMODtracer can do that, with few modifications. At least for distributing point sprites on the object's surface, eventually to mark something like airports, industries, wells, etc. Albeit for LOTS of point's distribution can be tedious (too many clicks! ). Maybe a Perl function to randomly distribute points around a point. For doing what, I do not know...

[Celestial234]

There's something weird with mine:
look


[

for 51 pegasi hotted atmosphere and xo-3 hotted atmosphere.

why they're squares? i'm so depress when i see them

[Fenerit]

for 51 pegasi hotted atmosphere and xo-3 hotted atmosphere.

why they're squares? i'm so depress when i see them

Hi Michael; what's happen? Do you speak about my example of hotted 51 Pegasi? It work fine for me; no squares at all.

[MiR]

Massimo...? Good mornin'

I'm still here, but I didn't have problems with the appearance of point sprites 'round pegasi51/b.

Or... with which "Michael" do you talk to...?

At the moment I'm working on some other projects. I'm still interested in point-sprites, but... too few spare time.


(one of those) Michael ('s)

[Celestial234]

i'm so depress massimo,
your point sprites is look like rectangles.
what happen with?

please note because i am not michael, i am celest

[Fenerit]

Gulp! I apologize with both. I didn't mind at the avatar; thus my bad brain did accomplished the equation: 51 Pegasi = Michael (MiR). The causes for the "square" sprites can be several:
1) obsolete graphic drivers; in this case you must update them.
2) you are not in OpenGL 2.0 mode; in this case do cycle through the render paths by pressing Ctrl+v keys until the advertisement on screen;
3) the textures have been replaced with a new one which is not completely transparent at the canvas' borders;

[Celestial234]

1) obsolete graphic drivers; in this case you must update them.

K... i already do the Ctr+v four times and it was the same, i not change the map.
nah! the problem!
how to update the graphic drivers?
i am serious! i dont know how!

i am so depress.

[Celestial234]

I dont know because:

i use device manager



right click on the intel(r)HD graphic 3000



then i click "Update driver software"


i picked search automaticaly, then it's say because the best driver for my hardware is the same of it!

Very suprising! then... how... o.e

[John Van Vliet]

--- edit ---