Virtual Textures, maps, losing mind...

[don]

Helllllllp, I'm drowning

The screen shots I've just seen have convinced me to take a look at some of the Virtual Texture / Map stuff y'all are working on.

I've not been following the Virtual Texture stuff and just tried to get up to speed -- by reading a whole bunch of messages. As a matter of fact, I've not gotten much into textures, mipmaps, normal maps, bumpmaps, specular maps, night maps, or any other kind of maps -- since installing Celestia (with one exception - Don Edwards Earth texture). I've been focusing on scripting stuff instead.

So, I am totally LOST right now.

I would like to try the "latest and greatest" combo of Virtual Earth textures and all add-on maps. So far, I have downloaded Walton Comer's 32K Blue Marble Earth (90 MB), but have not yet installed it. I want to get *everything* before I start installing it all.

What *should* I get for all the rest of the maps?
* Normal?
* Bump?
* Specular?
* Nightside Lights?
* Other?

Is anyone keeping a link list of all the Virtual Texture / Map stuff you expert graphics folks are working on and offering for distribution I didn't see any references to "virtual textures" on Selden's page, which is usually up-to-the-minute, so I probably looked in the wrong places.

And no, I'm not interested in making my own textures -- it's plum beyond my medicated mind right now. I have a DSL connection, so I don't mind spending hours downloading 100+MB files. Much easier than trying to turn my Windows box into a Linux/Unix emulator.

Thank you ALL for your hard work on these things I barely even understand

-Don G.

[selden]

I didn't see any references to "virtual textures" on Selden's page, which is usually up-to-the-minute, so I probably looked in the wrong places.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but if you look closely on the textures page, you'll see a "To be continued..." in the last section.

Sorry: I just haven't had the time to try to write it up in an understandable format. Chris' original description is just a little confusing, I think...

At the moment I don't think virtual textures other than the surface map are publicly available, so it's a matter of finding high resolution individual textures that you like.

There's a reasonably good night texture on the NASA site, and Don Edwards includes large bumpmaps and specular maps in several of his Earth collections.

[Guest]

Don...go ahead and install Waltons texture...it will blow you away! As far as bump. normal,spec maps go...I'm just using a standard 4k spec map...my own night lights texture(see seperate thread) again 4k and no bump or normal maps...it still looks staggering.

Also i've installed Jens island group textures...just amazing...

Regards...bh.

[don]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but if you look closely on the textures page, you'll see a "To be continued..." in the last section.

Ahhhh, the fine print.

No worries Selden. I just didn't want to get "left behind".

[don]

Don...go ahead and install Waltons texture...it will blow you away!

Thanks bh -- I did, and it does

Amazing indeed!

Thank you Walton.

[jim]

Hi Don,

You are looking for some virtual textures? You can find a 8k Moon VT on my site. Further does John Van Vliet build some virtual texture but I have not tested this.

Bye Jens

[don]

Hi Jens,

Thank you for the locations. Your moon, KSC and Islands are amazing!

If I remember right, John's site is only up part-time, so I will try it tonight.

-Don G.