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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 02:18:12 pm

Title: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 02:18:12 pm
"So we made a 3d Map of the largest one in the solar system so you can be amazed while being amazed!"

http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/valles_3d_H.jpg - Preview
http://www.esa.int/images/valles_3d_H.jpg - Full (Save As only, it's 11020 x 5865)

I have no words, I need to invent new ones.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Rodo on October 22, 2012, 02:33:01 pm
why invent new words?

this is just awesome.
there, problem solved.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Dragon on October 22, 2012, 02:36:44 pm
I wish we could have it as an FSO terrain model...
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 02:39:24 pm
Google Earth's Jet plane mode is the closest we got right now I am afraid...  :(
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Scourge of Ages on October 22, 2012, 02:53:33 pm
I wish we could have it as an FSO terrain model...

Well if they made a 3D map of it, it probably exists somewhere as a 3D model or data that could easily be converted to one. I doubt they'd release it, but it likely exists.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Mongoose on October 22, 2012, 02:58:24 pm
I think data like that are publicly available, or at least they should be.  NASA releases a whole bunch of their raw data to the public.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 03:02:08 pm
It's from the ESA, not NASA. Though I believe they do the same.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: NGTM-1R on October 22, 2012, 03:10:56 pm
I wish we could have it as an FSO terrain model...

NASA did release a heightmap awhile back, it would have been possible to convert that into a 3D model without huge difficulties. I suggested at the time the BP team might have need/want of it.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: perihelion on October 22, 2012, 03:28:17 pm
That's a thing of beauty.   :)
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: IronBeer on October 22, 2012, 03:54:10 pm
That's a thing of beauty.   :)
Seconded. That's really all that needs to be said.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: watsisname on October 22, 2012, 04:50:07 pm
Impressive!  Wish it included Noctis Labyrinthus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctis_Labyrinthus) though.  :(

edit:  BAM! (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMWBK73R8F_1.html)
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: NGTM-1R on October 22, 2012, 05:12:33 pm
Impressive!  Wish it included Noctis Labyrinthus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctis_Labyrinthus) though.

I always knew you were secretly a Necron.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 05:17:17 pm
Do not taint this sacred thread with the vile of Warhammer "WhatTheFuggEver"

Edit, I forgot heresy is a concept in Warham, damn it.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: NGTM-1R on October 22, 2012, 05:18:59 pm
heresy

Cultural victory!
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: watsisname on October 22, 2012, 05:52:23 pm
Actually, I first knew about Noctis because of Descent 3. :nervous:
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: NGTM-1R on October 22, 2012, 05:53:03 pm
Actually, I first knew about Noctis because of Descent 3. :nervous:

...well I guess that makes you still a bot. Fair enough.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Mongoose on October 22, 2012, 06:55:59 pm
Actually, I first knew about Noctis because of Descent 3. :nervous:
Heh, that's the first thing that comes to my mind too.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: perihelion on October 22, 2012, 09:15:19 pm
I'd be more interested in Cydonia, myself.   :drevil:

[attachment deleted by a basterd]
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: An4ximandros on October 22, 2012, 10:11:32 pm
We already know the "face" was an artifact of primitive technology... Sorry, no X-Com's coming.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: SypheDMar on October 22, 2012, 10:13:47 pm
The OP links are beautiful.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: perihelion on October 23, 2012, 09:10:39 am
We already know the "face" was an artifact of primitive technology... Sorry, no X-Com's coming.
:(
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: NGTM-1R on October 23, 2012, 12:22:04 pm
That's X-COM propaganda. We took out a couple of the probes in the '90s with errant alien grenades, too. We apologize.
Title: Re: Yo dawg, I heard you like Canyons! (Astronomy)
Post by: Thaeris on October 23, 2012, 03:37:39 pm
I'm pretty sure I've flown in that canyon in X-Plane before. :D

I did ask about the MOLA data before, though I've not followed up as I should have. Using a program you can get from NASA called NASAview (fascinating name, right?), you can capture greyscale regions of very large sections of Mars, which you could use to generate heightmaps. The problem is that if you want accurate terrain, you would in fact need to write your own software to generate the 3D terrain as-is on the planet itself. Because elevations vary so much place-to-place, greyscale images as of themselves are really at a disadvantage, and terrain tends to be rather homogenous unless you can isolate the particular elevations of the specific regions you intend to model.