I think that's about got it. One thing to keep in mind, points further north in your scene will have a shallower angle of approach the further they are from the camera and target positions, so it may still come to pass that some things at the extreme northern edge of the scene, as a whole, may end up being partially hidden by mountains and such. This, of course, depends on how much area you are rendering and how high above the land the camera is.
GW
GW
One's worth is not measured by stature, alone. By heart and honor is One's true value weighed.
Current Non-challenge WIP : Beyond Sosnasib
Current Lite Challenge WIP : None
Current Main Challenge WIP : None
Completed Maps : Various Challenges
yeah, I might have to sling the camera all the way to the earth orbitto get the whole scene area to show just the right way. I did a new scene trying to emulate longer mountain ranges.. just to see how it would look like. Will post the picture when the rendering is complete.
Naw, you won't need full orbital distance, just a low orbit.As an example, to get the full "world" render for my Hearthstone map, I have to set the camera elevation at about 130 miles above the surface for an area that is 175 by 175 miles, or roughly three quarters of the average width and height of the area in question. Of course, depending on zoom levels, this can vary to some degree, but you probably get the idea.
GW
GW
One's worth is not measured by stature, alone. By heart and honor is One's true value weighed.
Current Non-challenge WIP : Beyond Sosnasib
Current Lite Challenge WIP : None
Current Main Challenge WIP : None
Completed Maps : Various Challenges
I recommend the techniques at http://www.shadedrelief.com/ specifically http://www.shadedrelief.com/plan_obl...an_oblique.pdf for further reading. I used the project/unproject technique for my march 2009 challenge entry ( http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=4676 ) and the silly Turtellaria map ( http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=6382 ).
One of the things on my list is to add a non-photorealistic renderer to one of my projects and do 3D orthographic or perspective with suggestive contours. Or even just edge-detecting on the Z-buffer to bring out the edges of the mountains. That way mountintops don't get lost in the distance as easily. Photorealistic rendering is fun and all, but I hear lots of whining from folks who claim "that's just math, it's not Art."
Some of us are "artistically" talented.. others need proper tools to project their vision.Here's a fresh render of a projection:
There might be some 'racism' towards 3D mapping. Or atleast there is generally more interest when raster graphics is used in a map. Migh be just a hunch..Originally Posted by waldronate
There is? I, personally, enjoy a good hand-inked map just as much as a rendered beauty. It's all about atmosphere for me. Different mediums produce different feelings in a viewer.
A rendered map might not get as much nostalgic and antiquity juices going as a hand-drawn one, but it often excels in terms of detail and sheer wow-factor, so both have their applications.
Just my opinion.
It sounds like you want an oblique projection with a projection plane parallel to the ground.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_projection
Take a look here:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1046
-Rob A>
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
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Hai-Etlik, I'm not sure if the application I'm using (vue) enables me to do the type of projections etc you have mentioned. :S
RobA, there might be some problems as I don't use a single texture map on the terrain.. and I actually have some functions running that depend on the heightfield etc.. Though I might be able to render a flat looking terrain to get the "overall" texture of the scene, It still might prove to be a bit tricky to get it aligned & stretched to fit the heightfield on another program.. So I'm basically looking just a way to set the camera right, if that is possible in some way.
Tear, You may be just right about that.
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