There are also several dozen or so more smaller plates on the Earth than that image I referenced in my first post. It's a lot more complex than "7 big ones and 8 small ones".
I think this can get even more complicated, based on an observation of real-world plate. Many of the plates have highly irregular shapes, and those with plate-peninsulas seem to have different parts of the plates moving in somewhat different directions relative to a neighboring plates. I assume this is do to the interaction of the forces from the main part of the continent's rotational velocity (which I believe is influenced by subterranean magma currents) and the friction and pressure caused by collision with neighboring plates. In some of these scenarios, it looks like a larger plate may be torn assunder by another plate smashing through it.
There are also several dozen or so more smaller plates on the Earth than that image I referenced in my first post. It's a lot more complex than "7 big ones and 8 small ones".
Thank you thank you thank you for writing this tutorial.
This may be exactly what I need to get through those first few steps. I love this idea to death... xD
Anyway, as if I haven't said it enough already, thanks. :3
"Is Eris true?"
"Everything is true."
"Even false things?"
"Even false things are true."
"How can that be?"
"I don’t know man, I didn’t do it."
~ The Principia Discordia 5th ed., Introduction
If you like the tutorial do not forget to rate it! To rate the thread, look at the dark bar at the top of the thread - I'm guessing you might give it five stars!
Thank you for the tip, sir. I'll eventually get the hang of this place... :3
Also, I'm coming upon a couple of plate interactions you don't cover here... would you happen to know what happens when plates move perpendicular to each other? I mean, I can guess, obviously, but...
Last edited by Edward Protera; 07-30-2008 at 09:32 PM. Reason: Forgot Something
"Is Eris true?"
"Everything is true."
"Even false things?"
"Even false things are true."
"How can that be?"
"I don’t know man, I didn’t do it."
~ The Principia Discordia 5th ed., Introduction
Bad earthquakes! But seriously, I have no idea (other than what I said in jest, though it is correct) I know somewhere on the forums, there is a link to a GREAT resource about how tectonic plate movement works. There is also a resource somewhere on steve jackson games website(might be the one I reference linked to above) about world building that includes how geology/vulcanology (and perhaps some other *ology stuff) works in relationship to building worlds from scratch.
My Finished Maps
Works in Progress(or abandoned tests)
My Tutorials:
Explanation of Layer Masks in GIMP
How to create ISO Mountains in GIMP/PS using the Smudge tool
----------------------------------------------------------
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Yeah. To complicate things further, plates don't only translate and rotate, they deform to some degree. More mountains eventually, or maybe, new baby plates.
Astrographer - My blog.
Klarr
-How to Fit a Map to a Globe
-Regina, Jewel of the Spinward Main(uvmapping to apply icosahedral projection worldmaps to 3d globes)
-Building a Ridge Heightmap in PS
-Faking Morphological Dilate and Contract with PS
-Editing Noise Into Terrain the Burpwallow Way
-Wilbur is Waldronate's. I'm just a fan.
Obligatory Wikipedia references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fault_%...29#Fault_types
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
-Rob A>
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
And once again: Expeditious Retreat Press
Look for A Magical Society: Guide to Mapping about 3/4 of the way down the page.
If you enjoy the sample chapter, please consider supporting Expeditious Retreat Press by buying an entire book. It'd be a shame for such a wonderful publisher to go under from lack of sales. I can recommend any of the Magical Society books, especially Western Europe and Ecology and Culture.
Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
http://www.bryanray.name
Subscribed and watching closely. this reminded me that one of my Overlays needs to be Tectonic movement although I think I have that under (hold on)... Oh Yes! My geology and Structure Map Overlay...
"The Enemy's Gate Is Down" - Ender Wiggen, Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Software Used- ME v16, My Hands 1.0, My Brain
All Maps are either Copyright J.L.Odom and Bardic Fire Studios or under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License (Note it applies to all countries even though it's United States)