Some quick previews... [Large graphics inside]

[rthorvald]

seems that most of the left-over activities in this Forum
concern new bot logins and the various never-ending NO-GO
problems

Well, just to give you a break from the robots, then:
Here´s a quick glance at what i am doing nowadays...

First, a screenshot of a half-baked 8k Saturn texture (will release the 4k
"realistic" map soon, the 8k is probably not done until summer:
Click for full size:

Note that this is an extremely preliminary test: i am working on enhancing
existing features with generic cloud "noise" for now, and that is what
you see here. (This will not be used in the upcoming 4k map.)


Next, two shots of Himinglaeva - yes, i am again playing with Ran,
though i had not planned to - but 1.4 and my current computer setup
offers possibilities that i want to take advantage of, and an update is needed
anyway... Here it is, 8k png format, the surface texture polished
like no one has seen it before, added bump- and specular maps:
Click for full size:


I am very unsure of any release on Ran III - it might be sometime
before christmas, if it works like planned.

- rthorvald

[PlutonianEmpire]

Just out of curiousity, did you draw the planet yourself, or did you use a clone brush to copy parts of an existing world onto a blank map?

[Fightspit]

The screenshot of Saturn is very beautiful and I think it is possible to use it for the "splash" screen, no ?

[rthorvald]

did you draw the planet yourself, or did you use a clone brush to copy parts of an existing world onto a blank map?

It is several years since i made it, so i am not too sure about the details anymore.

As i remember it, the Himinglaeva map was made up from tons of tiny pieces sampled off the 32k bluemarble and puzzled together. I must have used the clone brush to smooth out details here and there... And the north polar cap is certainly blended into the continent many places that way.

- rthorvald

[PlutonianEmpire]

Wow, very nice!

[rthorvald]

Two more: one thing i never was satisfied with in Ran were the nightmaps.
These gets a total makeover this time around:

Click for full size:

... Far into Himinglaeva´s future

Click for full size:

... Not too difficult to make out where the space elevator terminates...

- rthorvald

[fsgregs]

WOW!!!!!

Frank

[rthorvald]

A little more eye candy, the same world seen from the surface of it´s largest moon (this texture also completely reworked):



-rthorvald

[t00fri]

Absolutely beautiful, Runar!!

Bye Fridger

[fsgregs]

Un...believable!!!!

Frank

[PlutonianEmpire]

Holy--

Wow, that's very stunning! Keep up the good work!

[ElChristou]

no words!!

[Dollan]

My God, Runar, you are an absolute artist!

How do you do those spectacular night textures?? My own attmepts have been remarkably pathetic (as evidenced by this example).

...John...

[cartrite]

GREAT!!!!!!!
cartrite

[rthorvald]

How do you do those spectacular night textures?

I map out the areas that is populated, then paint each bright pixel in, varying the opacity a little. After a while, i have a base that i can expand with a narrow clone brush, following the map.

-rthorvald