Quote from: TheBlackHole on May 10, 2010, 10:44:37 PM
Offset the displacement image map in Photoshop is what I meant to say. Do I have to spell it out for you? 
Thanks for the clarification. At the time my mind was on animating the planet's orbit and rotation in time-lapse fashion. The method you describe could work well for static scenes. Won't be so easy to tilt the Earth's axis by 23.5 degrees that way, though. It will probably take more than photoshop if I want to orient our planet properly with respect to its plane of orbit. Recently I wrote a library module to load and store BMP files for special processing of rectangular maps that are projected onto spheres. If I need to I will write a program that will do a simultaneous longitudinal and latitudinal rotation (even to fractions of a pixel) with minimal distortion of the image with respect to its projection onto a sphere. Of course, sub-pixel as well as latitudinal rotation will involved some loss of information.
Quote from: TheBlackHole on April 10, 2010, 03:35:12 PM
cyphyr's right. But I have an idea: Instead of a map that defines the continents as plateaus, download a bump map from one of these sources:
http://planetpixelemporium.com/planets.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/BlueMarble/BlueMarble_monthlies.php
If you want, you could use a color map from the latter site and perhaps a cloud map from:
http://xplanet.sourceforge.net/clouds/clouds_4096.jpg
I was aware of some of these, but not all. The nice thing about cloud maps is that you can use the same file for both color and alpha. This works better for looking down on them than looking up at them because the alpha for a black cloud (usually only seen from below) still needs to be white
(I am sure you know all this)
You are a source of inspiration. Thanks again...
Quote from: Oshyan on May 11, 2010, 02:34:36 AM
Unfortunately you cannot currently rotate planets or change orientation in texture projections (besides flipping). As TheBlackHole said, you have to offset in an image editor. Definitely non-ideal.
I look forward to the day when you can. I have faith in the Planetside staff.
