Starcraft Add-on

[Xarthat Xio]

Please, no longer comment what are you thinking about Fridger or even Paris Hilton, because the discussion level is coming low.
Yes, the Development description is making misunderstandings.
I will try to post the Gantris VI texture today.

[ElChristou]

...I will try to post the Gantris VI texture today.

Cool, can wait to see that!

[Fenerit]

Please, no longer comment what are you thinking about Fridger or even Paris Hilton, because the discussion level is coming low.
Yes, the Development description is making misunderstandings.
I will try to post the Gantris VI texture today.

You are welcome!

[Xarthat Xio]

Here's my texture proposal for Gantris VI, the planet where the Exiles were supposed to be sent, but due to the computer's error they missed the planet and landed on Tarsonis, Moria and few others.



Generated using PlanetGen.

[ElChristou]

Here's my texture proposal for Gantris VI...

Xio, is this just a sketch and you will begin a highres map (complete 32 or 64k VT, with clouds, spec, night and normals) based on this one or your proposal was just for this kind of low level auto generated map?

[Cham]

Xarthat Xio,

just my opinion : that texture shown above is EXTREMELLY bad and uninteresting. The resolution is way too low. The texture is too crude, too artificial looking. And what about bumpmap (or normalmap) ? What about the specular map ?

Really, that's the kind of addon I don't want to see in Celestia. It is just pollution.

However, if you are just starting, well, don't be stopped by crittics (like mine). Continue, work hard, and one day you'll come up with some good textures which may be worth for Celestia.

[ElChristou]

Ah, BTW Xio, went posting images on any forum (not just here), avoid using any lossless format. As any posted image should be less than ~80ko, you should try a format called JPEG (.jpg). It's a compressed format, ideal for the use on the web.
(In the case of your map, instead of a painful 1,5Mo png file you may use a 80ko jpg file. Saying that, a good idea would be to edit your post changing the format of the pict as soon as possible)

Also, If you need any info about most used format, just do quick search on the net (Wiki or else)...

[t00fri]

Xarthat Xio,

just my opinion : that texture shown above is EXTREMELLY bad and uninteresting. The resolution is way too low. The texture is too crude, too artificial looking. And what about bumpmap (or normalmap) ? What about the specular map ?

Really, that's the kind of addon I don't want to see in Celestia. It is just pollution.

However, if you are just starting, well, don't be stopped by crittics (like mine). Continue, work hard, and one day you'll come up with some good textures which may be worth for Celestia.

Xarthat Xio,

I completely agree with Cham's evaluation!

I even went through the effort trying this texture out in Celestia. Given the standards we like here, it would be good to keep this texture private, as a first "homework" so to speak

Look, this forum includes quite a number of real graphics and modelling experts, and we try to generally encourage excellent texture and model quality towards the "outside world". Such a policy further underligns the high quality of Celestia itself.

Of course, since add-ons are entirely in the individual responsability of users, you can lastly do whatever you please....

Bye Fridger

[t00fri]

Ah, BTW Xio, went posting images on any forum (not just here), avoid using any lossless format. As any posted image should be less than ~80ko, you should try a format called JPEG (.jpg). It's a compressed format, ideal for the use on the web.
(In the case of your map, instead of a painful 1,5Mo png file you may use a 80ko jpg file. Saying that, a good idea would be to edit your post changing the format of the pict as soon as possible)

Also, If you need any info about most used format, just do quick search on the net (Wiki or else)...

Moreover, it is a good idea to work with texture sizes that are a power of TWO (512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384,...) or at least can be divided by 4. In that case the textures can be DXT compressed (DDS format!), which provides a hardware supported benefit in speed as well was card memory economization!

Bye Fridger

[Xarthat Xio]

It is just a VERY first render. If it was a program, I will call it with 0.0.1 version number. It's just the most basic climatic map, that will change almost unrecognizeably to the official release.

For now, I just ask if anybody here is interested with Starcraft add-on.

Finally, I know the basics of graphics formats- I will use JPG in official release version.

[t00fri]

It is just a VERY first render. If it was a program, I will call it with 0.0.1 version number. It's just the most basic climatic map, that will change almost unrecognizeably to the official release.

For now, I just ask if anybody here is interested with Starcraft add-on.

Finally, I know the basics of graphics formats- I will use JPG in official release version.

But independently of its early rendering stage, your map reveals some essential deficiencies due to the use of an automatic generator! Notably it's the repetitive (fractal) pattern structure that looks disturbing. Have a look at some of the excellent handmade fictional textures by Don.Edwards in our forum, for example!

Also the JPG quality can vary tremendously, depending on a proper choice of saving parameters! I always recommend a quality factor of 85%, a subsampling of 1x1,1x1,1x1 as well as a floating point (rather than integer) DCT method. The latter settings guarantee that even small saved text is well readable in the JPG, which is NOT lossless as you know.


Bye Fridger

[ElChristou]

It is just a VERY first render. If it was a program, I will call it with 0.0.1 version number. It's just the most basic climatic map, that will change almost unrecognizeably to the official release.

For now, I just ask if anybody here is interested with Starcraft add-on.

Finally, I know the basics of graphics formats- I will use JPG in official release version.

Happy to read that this map was just a sketch. Will look forward the evolution of this work.

Concerning the interest in a Starcraft addon, what about creating the interest in this addon? By working hard on maps (if 3D is still a problem for you) perhaps people will be inspired by your effort and join you for more maps and models. What do you think?

Concerning the files format, I was speaking about the files you want to show in the forum (previews), not an eventual release...

[Spaceman Spiff]

For now, I just ask if anybody here is interested with Starcraft add-on.

There were several add-ons in Celestia that generated support and contributions along the way: Runar Thorvaldson's "Off On A Comet" tour and Don Edward's "HD 28185 and Erebus" system. Also Runar's "Ran" series and Don Edwards "Terraformed Mars" textures are examples where their creative skills are so far ahead of the game that they just show previews and get comments, yet carry on by themselves.

So it is possible that people will join you in helping (maybe even with SSCs and/or astrophysics instead of textures) if you show 'eye candy' up front.

Finally, I know the basics of graphics formats- I will use JPG in official release version.

Concerning the files format, I was speaking about the files you want to show in the forum (previews), not an eventual release...

Indeed. Actually, the best forum manner for posting pictures is the small JPEG thumbnail pointing to the actual JPEG original.

As for final textures in the add on release:

1. They should best be PNG, or at least avoid lossy (or even proprietary!) formats.

2. Your example is typical of a fractal generated map: it has relief shading combined with albedo, even in the oceans. This is inflexible with regard to changing direction of sunlight in Celestia: mountain shadows won't move and end up facing the wrong way. For this reason, the main texture should be the flat (shadowless) RGB albedo of the planet. Seas and oceans are best left (in my opinion) for realism as a flat blue. The relief is created with a bump map, or better a normal map, with can be created from a bump map using Fridger's 'nmtools' (and read his documentation first before asking him questions about it! ).

3. The ocean specular map is best generated by getting whatever graphics app. you have to select a mask based on 'blueness' from the albedo map (texture).

4. Hmm, come to think of it... Are there screenshots of the planets in the game?

Spiff.

[TutliQ]

I've got one question about Starcraft add-on... Where are located the planets of Starcraft? There is a lot of discussions about possible position of planets of Babylon 5 or Star Terk, or Battletech. According to Starcraft baseline Tarsonis and other worlds are located somewhere in Milky Way. But in Celestia we should define the exact location. What do you think about it? Or maybe someone knows the links to other sites where this topic is discussed...

[selden]

TutiQ,

Have you visited the StarCraft Wiki?
That would be the best place to ask, I think.

http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page