May/June 2011 Lite Challenge Entry - Compound Interest

[Master TMO]

Finally got the file upload issue resolved - IE9 doesn't like the script for some reason. Changing to FF allowed me to upload.

As I mentioned in the main thread, I had an interesting idea while looking at all the great maps for this challenge. I don't know if I am capable of pulling it off, but it can't hurt to try. I'm not out anything but some time if I fail, and I will probably learn something along the way. Already have, in fact - it took me about a day to figure out how to do the eyescreen properly so I can repeat it as necessary.

What would a planetary survey look like as seen through compound eyes?

### Latest WIP ###
Compound_Eyes-2.jpg

[tilt]

sounds interesting - but there is something that bugs me *lol*

[Ascension]

Ya know, I ask myself that same question at least once a day. Kidding. Great idea, man.

[Master TMO]

Well, if I can get it working right the way I'm picturing in my head, it will be genius. If I fail and don't change it, it will be brain-bendy and eye-splody. Odds are I'll have to change it slightly, but I'm aiming for Genius first.

[Master TMO]

The concept I am aiming for is to have 4 different maps all being shown in overlapping facets, each with a different primary color. For us 2-eyed (or maybe 4-eyed) folks, focusing on a single color might allow us to view the map by ignoring the facets with different colors in between. I honestly don't know if this will work or not.

I haven't picked all 4 layers yet. I know I'm going to use a false-color infrared map for the reds, and probably an elevation map for the white. That leaves green and blue, and I've got temperature, rainfall, climate, and visible-light (really just a pretty version of the climate) layers immediately available to me. I could also theoretically change the primary color for each, maybe using CMYK scales vs RGB.

I'm attaching the template I've created for laying out the facets, but I'm not going to inline attach it due to exceedingly strong levels of eye-splodyness. Although if my preview of this post is anything to go by, it still shows. If so, my apologies in advance for any injuries.

EDIT: Yup, it shows a thumbnail. Just count yourself fortunate that you're not working with a 4096x4096 version of it like I am.

[Master TMO]

Foof. Real life really cuts into the time I can spend mapping.

Since there's no real way of automatically converting a planetary image into the compound vision short of manually copying and pasting everything one hex at a time, it's not something I want to do more than once, so I have to make sure I have all my planetary views completed first. For the moment I think what I've got is good enough, although I'll think about it some more. Past midnight like this I might not be using my best judgement.

I still need to build the background starfield, which I also have to have finished before I convert.

I have 5 planet views - visible light, elevation (white), temperature (red), rainfall/humidity (blue), and vegetation (green). The concept is that the Giant Voracious Space Dragonfly (From Space!) is looking for planets with plenty of plant biomass to consume. It has eye cells that sees 3 different wavelengths (white, red, blue), which it combines to make the green, which points out where the most plantmass to consume is. And yes, the green layer is calculated from the other 3, although I probably could have used the Image Climate function from FT to do the same thing.

Oh, and it is intentional that none of the views but Visible has the shadow, clouds or sunlight. Those views don't use the visible light spectrum and therefore can't see any of that.

There are going to be a few eye cells that see the visible light spectrum though, which is why I went ahead and made one.

Elevation.jpgRainfall.jpgTemperature.jpgVegetation.jpgVisible.jpg

[tilt]

still cool - but you sure got your work cut out for you

[Master TMO]

I'll be honest, I'm not even really sure if a Giant Voracious Space Dragonfly (From Space!) looking at a planet searching for food really qualifies as a 'planetary survey', but we'll just say I'm doing this one for my Muse and some experience, and folks are welcome to not vote for it if they think it doesn't meet the criteria of the challenge. It's definitely got me thinking outside the box, and I've learned quite a few new tricks along the way. And I haven't thrown my laptop across the room yet...

(Although it did just occur to me that I don't have to have the starfield done to work on the 4 non-visible views - starlight won't be visible on them any more than sunlight will)

[tilt]

if the Giant Voracious Space Dragonfly (From Space!) is surveying - then its a survey

[Master TMO]

Man, starfields just are NOT my forte. I've never tried one before, concentrating solely on planetary mapping to this point.