Mars in True Colours - Creation of a True Color Map and some Renderings

[Stormlord]

Creating a true color mars map
After the great moon tutorial, I decided to render planet Mars as well because I created in 2009 a very good true color map of Mars.
Here I provide some links for you, which you can as a reference for own maps and pictures to create your own true color map of Mars if you like.

Flat Bumpmap in 46K
https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/details/Mars/GlobalSurveyor/MOLA/Mars_MGS_MOLA_DEM_mosaic_global_463m/cub

Mars colored m46 for a basic coloration of my mars map by former space-graphics.com site
http://web.archive.org/web/20060315101648/http://www.space-graphics.com/m46_shaded.htm

True Color References
https://esahubble.org/images/opo0745g/
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2009/11/Der_Mars_von_Rosetta_beim_Vorbeiflug_2007
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/news/hst_pr_19990630.html

I created my own mars map in 23K with Photoshop in 2009 and here are some screenshots to give you an impression of my final result...


Screenshot 1 to compare the map colors with true color images of HST


Screenshot 2 to compare the map colors with true color image from Rosetta


23K True Color Mars Map

Mars in True Colors
After creating the final mars maps, it was time to use these high resolution maps to render planet Mars.
Here are some renderings in HDMI, the original renders are in 4K.


Planet mars in true colors


Planet mars in true colors (Surface)


Mars in true colors (Olympus Mons)


Mars in true colors (Hellas Planitia with Displacement 8180m)

I hope you like what you see and grasp some new ideas to create your own map.
It's impressive, what kind of result one can achive with a cool map and Terragen.

STORMLORD

[DocCharly65]

Oh wow! That looks great!
I played around with a mars surface a long time ago but I was too new to TG at that time and didn't invest such a accuate diligence.

[Ariel DK]

Love it! I was also playing with this dataset one year ago, really cool results 

[Stormlord]

I have now rendered the surface of mars with another special map.
This true color map of mars has been lit in the same way as the TG scene and the improvement is really astounding.

But watch yourself... we start with a nice 4K Rendering of the surface of mars...


Surface of Mars


Surface of Mars / Rendered SFx Map vs. Displacement Map


Surface of Mars colored after a picture from Pic du Midi

Reference Picture for coloration from Pic du Midi
https://petapixel.com/2020/11/14/the-best-global-map-of-mars-ever-shot-from-earths-surface/

Hope you like it and learned something new.

STORMLORD

[WAS]

That's what I noticed right away was the shadows. Unfortunately, this sort of texture map is incredibly hard to delight and requires so much masking and manual work that I gave up. Better to just match the lighting of the texture like you did and I ended up doing after giving up.

I like the true colour images better than the more muddled one. I mean, I like it's colours but the scan lines from different lighting conditions of the satellite is unfortunate.

[Stormlord]

Exactly!
That's why I ended up in just creating in Photoshop a map, which is lit like the lightning in the TG scene.
The results are promising and very delightfull. It just looks so much better!

Currently I am working on a cloud map of Mars which is the next step towards realism.

STORMLORD

[WAS]

How did you relit the map? I can't even delight it. xD

[Stormlord]

How did you relit the map? I can't even delight it. xD

It is not lit, it is shadow!
Think about it...

STORMLORD

[WAS]

I still don't understand. The texture is only lit in one angle, so all you can do is match the sun in TG. You mention relighting it in Photoshop? I tried several methods of delighting, including Substance 3D Sampler AI driven delighting with a trial. They all fail cause the image is very mono tone with the reds, and shadow/lighting applied to that. So delighting takes other features with it. Other methods that leave detail, literally leave the shadows/highlights and effects everything else cause of the resolution and samplers thinking those lighting ques are detail (edges and such).

[Stormlord]

You think so complicated...
I'll try to make a video and explain how I made this map. But please give me some time...

... to be continued.

STORMLORD

[Stormlord]

Fx Tutorial - How to transform a flat map into a 3D Map...

Link to my Tutorial
http://www.dirkkipper.de/FTP_PUBLIC/TG_Lightning_Maps_by_Dirk_Kipper.mp4

This Tutorial is stored on my own server. It will NOT remain for all eternity.
So if you're interested, download it and store it on your computer.

STORMLORD
(Warning: The video can be deleted any time!)

[WAS]

I think we just lost focus. I was referring to the true color map which isn't flat and has lighting ques, I thought you were changing it's lighting when I, and AI are having trouble delighting it cause of the sharp contrast lighting which shares color with highlands and lowlands. I thought you had discovered a method to delight it without loosing detail and color.

[Stormlord]

I've send you my flat map from Mars as well!
Didn't I? Well, if not, I just send you this map again...

This time via WE Transfer (https://wetransfer.com/).
WE Transfer ist the best solution for sending up to 2GB Data, just give it a try. Simple, easy, very good transmission.

STORMLORD

[WAS]

Oh, no I see it. I overlooked it. Also I have so many huge maps in this directory that it actually slows down WDM cause of the thumbnail system. But for some reason in Windows 10, folders don't remember your thumbnail settings apparently cause every time I turn it off, it's on next time I go back. Makes it a pain to scroll or even just select a map. So been using recently open selections in Photoshop and Terragen, including even copying image maps. It took literally over 30 minutes to load 2 maps into Materialize cause it uses it's own OpenGL file browsing. Thought Windows WDM was bad.  >.<

[Stormlord]

Now I have created another Mars, this time with clouds and a simple stratosphere and just 8K maps.
The stratosphere isn't realistic, but it's a nice start compared with the naked version which I made in the beginning of this thread.

So here we go, hope you like it?


Mars in True Colors

As usual, constructive critic and comments are truly welcome.

STORMLORD