[FreeSpaceFreak]

I know, but I had already merged the shadow with the planet. Stupid, I know.

Anyway, I've been experimenting a bit:

EDIT - This one's s*** as well. http://i28.tinypic.com/15y6nnd.png

And only now I realised that I should make some other things too if I want to learn to GIMP. So planets will be on hold for a while.

[haloboy100]

Looks like a good start

Remember to use lvlshot!

[watsisname]

Made another ice planet/moon.  Didn't desire making an atmosphere or cloud for this one (was thinking along the lines of an ice moon like Europa) but if anyone wants I can try adding those in as well.




Also here's a quick and easy way to find the right places to put a shadow layer:  Take a piece of paper, and place one of the corners on the edge of the planet.  Then the points where the edges of the paper meet the edge of the planet will always define opposite sides (180 degrees aprart) of the planet.  Any portion of a circle that passes through those points is a viable terminator line for the shadow.

Picture:

[Herra Tohtori]

Draw an arc so that it crosses with the sphere of the planet. The line from the crossing points to another should divide the planet's disk into half.

Better yet, make a surface texture, map it onto a sphere and let the lighting from the light source deal with the shadow stuff; that way it's easier to get the shadow line correct and natural looking. This can be done in either GIMP or a 3D software of your choice.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

My fourth attempt at making a habitable planet, and the first one I'm actually pleased with:

[ShadowGorrath]

Can you get me that planet with no background, and in a larger size? Or is it the full sized version? I'd like to use it in my Ancient-Shivan war mod, if you don't mind, and if you can get me a large image of that planet with an alpha channel.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

YIPPEE! I did something useful!
Full size is about 1024*1024, here it is:

EDIT: pic removed - see below.

[ShadowGorrath]

People, meet the current Ancient homeworld. I'll turn it into a skybox later today.

This information has been classified level Omega, and is punishable by death if spread to unauthorised personell. Level Omega clearance is allowed only to selected people at special times.

[Snail]

People, meet the current Ancient homeworld. I'll turn it into a skybox later today.

This information has been classified level Omega, and is punishable by death if spread to unauthorised personell. Level Omega clearance is allowed only to selected people at special times.

By the time the GTVI get ahold of it, it's a mass of molten lava and glass.

[ShadowGorrath]

But it's 2008 now ( or is it 2368 now, 1 year after Capella ? )... Anyway, we see the planet as clear as... as... Whatever. We just can see that planet now.

If seriously, if the GTVA looked at the Ancient homeworld from some far away system using a telescope or something, and they'd see it clearly, the view they'd see would be from a long time ago. Depending on the distance.

EDIT:

It is my sad duty to report, that this planet will not be used on a skybox, or as the Ancient homeworld. Either I converted it badly, or something else, but it looks bad on the skybox ( low quality ). I might use it as a background bitmap for certain missions, or as a moon to the Ancient homeworld, unless FreeSpaceFreak minds. If anyone wants to see how it turned out on a skybox, I can post up a screenshot.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

  I'd like to have one last look at it... In a skybox, that is. I'd like to know what exactly I've done wrong.

[ShadowGorrath]

You haven't done ANYTHING wrong. I wanted to use it as the homeworld for Ancients as a skybox, but it'll be a planet from Ragnarok system. I'll post a pic a bit later, as a teaser of the Ancient-Shivan War mod. 

The planet is still awesome ! 

The thing that made it look bad on the skybox was the size - it was 1024x1024. Though a 512x512 Pluto looked well, this planet is more detailed, and got blurred 

[ShadowGorrath]

Sorry for doublepost, but here they are ( lvlshoted ) :




I excuse everyone in advance- my PC is old, so I have to use the lowest mediavp graphics. Don't worry about the mod graphics though- I will make sure they look awesome on normal PCs.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

@SG: Wow, you made it REALLY big. My computer can't handle that high res, AFAIK. Pity. EDIT: turns out it can (see Vasuda on next page)

@everyone: I'm working a desert planet now (VPrime?). Should there be an ocean? It looks odd on a desert planet, but on the other hand, life does require water...

[ShadowGorrath]

The planet Clouto from HomePlanet is a desert planet with an ocean in Capella.

[Snail]

@everyone: I'm working a desert planet now (VPrime?). Should there be an ocean? It looks odd on a desert planet, but on the other hand, life does require water...

The surface water on VPrime is undrinkable even by Vasudan standards, water's most likely found underground, or possibly synthetically manufactured/filtered.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

Hey SG, I tried some tricks on my planet. It's over twice as big and it's  not too blurred. Perhaps it works better now...

[ShadowGorrath]

I'll try

[FreeSpaceFreak]

How's this for Vasuda Prime?

[ShadowGorrath]

The water could/should be a bit darker, or different colour... And the atmosphere glow should be either more golden, or cyan. But other than that- it looks awesome ^^