Earth - Tryout

[serverandenforcer]

Hey Cord, I did a quick render of a plant model using my approach for an atmospheric effect.  Is this the kind of effect that you're looking for (please ignore the crapiness of the clouds and the planet texture - it was a quick render using pre-existing textures that max had)?

[Bren]

Yeah that was the effect I was going for that Cord based this on.

[serverandenforcer]

The atmosphere effect uses three spherical layers.  The first layer is actually the planet map that max has under opacity.  The ocean section of the planet map will obviously be used for the sky - dark blue.  The land section of the map is used for the clouds - all white.  Opacity is set to 25%.  The second layer is just a dark blue with opacity set to 15%.  And the Third layer is another dark blue with opacity set to 10%.  However, if you want a more smoother blend from a higher opacity to a lower opacity, you would want to use more layers, especially if you're in low orbit / close proximity to the planet so it looks better.  From far away distances, you can use a model with fewer layers.

[Bren]

Yeah that's the exact effect I was using in the original thread at BCS, or close enough to it.

I had a little trouble with the transparency, and then I gave up on that method because it gave the planets involved heinous polycounts.

[Creative Inc]

Here's a site for huge textures for almost every planet in our solar system. It has speculars, bump maps, and normal maps as well. To bad BC can only use the specular though:
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/earth.php

I've got an Earth texture from there thats 16384x16384

[cordanilus]

Hey Dude, that's an awesome find.

Here's a site for huge textures for almost every planet in our solar system. It has speculars, bump maps, and normal maps as well. To bad BC can only use the specular though:
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/earth.php

I've got an Earth texture from there thats 16384x16384

You can get bigger textures from nasa for earth but for the other planets, that's cool.
I guess, the next question to all of you...

Should this be made into a new solar system for bc?
The high quality textures will be pretty high though.  It's 21 MB just for earth.

And should Pluto be included if the entire solar system is made?

[moed]

Yeah, it would be cool to have a hi-res new solar system for BC... but maybe not too hi-res. 21mb just for Earth is pretty big and I can't imagine how big the mod will be in its complete form.

I would say a decently hi res but still practical.

Yes, I would include Pluto...

[Rob Archer]

Yeah, it would be cool to have a hi-res new solar system for BC... but maybe not too hi-res. 21mb just for Earth is pretty big and I can't imagine how big the mod will be in its complete form.

I would say a decently hi res but still practical.

Yes, I would include Pluto...

Include Pluto but as part of the Kuiper Belt. (New Frontier Has it set as this)

[serverandenforcer]

Well, I would have put up a new post a lot sooner, but my modem died, and I'm running on a dial-up connection right now untill earthstink gives me a new modem (they said in about 2 weeks I'll get one from them.... which I think is bogus.... so tomorrow I'm going to Best Buy and get one for $50).  Anyways, I was able to render up some more images of how I'm doing the atmosphere effect Cord with much better planet textures (almost photo real).  But because of the dial-up connection that I have right now, I won't be able to post them.  Anyways, I need to make a correction to a statement that I made.  The middle atmosphere layer is a medium/dark blue with opacity at 10%.  The third layer is a dark dark blue with opacity at 15%.  Oh, and I have the water color set to black.  The atmoshpere layers is what's giving it the blue color.

[cordanilus]

I made some modifcations to Earth Mk 2.

You'll see in the pic below.
- I made an atmosphere that I'm still tweaking, I think I made the planet too blue.
- I'm still trying out new things in nifskope and is having promising results for future projects.

Pic 1 is Earth with the modifications.
Pic 2 is the Sphere model I added to it with a different color.  See how it looks.

Neat

[Bren]

 :shock:
Wow, Cordanilus! That is very, very groovy! It barely looks like BC at all!

How'd you manage that?!

Very sweet!

[Cpt.Draven]

 :arms: I Want one

[Jeffery_Hawkins]

Absolutly the best looking planet model so far. I really like it.

Do you think when you are done with Earth you will do some more planets like this?

Keep up the good work 

[Bren]

The Earth shot is my new desktop background, well done, it's beautiful.

I simply must know how it is done...  :arms:

[RhVaurek]

 As I have just told you, It really looks brilliant! As Hawkins said its by far the best planet for BC right now, and I can't wait for the day I will orbit my ship around it.

[Rob Archer]

I have an interesting suggestion would you like me to modify the atmosphere effects so they replace the NanoFX ones, that way all the planets in BC have improved Atmosphere textures and Light bands.

[cordanilus]

That is definately a good suggestion.
That would save a lot of time in the long run so I won't say no, lol.

Aren't the atmosphere of NanoFX planets a scripted sphere like the Nebulae?  Because I don't know how to change how that is lit in BC.  I can do this in a model sphere which will give off different looks.

If the model gets scripted in, that would be awesome and have the ability to swap textures for other planets' atmospheres...nice.

We can always chat it up on msn?

[Bren]

NanoFX atmospheres are nothing more than a sun placed in the centre of a planet. The atmosphere is actually the stock star's corona effect with a different texture.

I doubt that it would be difficult to mod NanoFX 2b to automatically place these beautiful pearls on planets instead.

[Rob Archer]

NanoFX atmospheres are nothing more than a sun placed in the centre of a planet. The atmosphere is actually the stock star's corona effect with a different texture.

I doubt that it would be difficult to mod NanoFX 2b to automatically place these beautiful pearls on planets instead.

you'd have to change the Atmosphere.py file in the Nano FX folder, its doable im not sure how much time i have to do it right now.

[uk_resistant]

might i suggest just doing two packs - high end (which still includes LOD models and textures), and alow end which has medium to high end models but lower res textures.

Otherwise youl endup just making too much work for yourself.

Also id suggest that having moving clouds on a separate layer is a waste of resources for a simple effect. It would look cool but I would just have the clouds one one layer on the texture with the earth diffuse and just have that rotating slowly.

Looks incredible, looking forward to release.