Mapping Polar coordinates

Gustav · Post by **Gustav** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:55 am

I have googled quite a bit in trying to find a usefull as well as clear tutorial on using photoshop polar coordinates to make my planetary texures wrap without distortion. So far I have found very obscure or half hearted attempts to make the process clear.

It seems not to be a big thing and very easy. If anyone can give it to me in simple but very specific and clear steps (if it's possible) I would appreciate it a lot. Is their something in the wiki (haven't found anything). Maybe in another post...?

I'm doing some high quality artwork for Vegastrike (Splashscreens, backgrounds etc) for the past week that needs detail and extra care. So far I've gotton away by rotating the planets' axis so they don't show the polar problems... but not now.

Hope someone can help me. (Hope I posted at the right section...)

CoffeeBot · Post by **CoffeeBot** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:10 am

Off the top of my head, I don't honestly know how you would use the polar coord function to accomplish that. I remember reading that it's possible, but, I never cared much, to be honest.

But, when I make my planetary textures (I have none here, though), I start out with something that already wraps properly. How are you making your textures? Once I understand that, I might have some ideas/insight as to how to help.

Gustav · Post by **Gustav** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:24 pm

I use a 1:2 aspect ratio and start painting, filling up etc. (basically just photoshop) the whole image. Then I use offset and clean up the seams... So I have a perfect seamless 1:2 tile. Now I need to distort the top and bottom edges to fit evenly around the sphere...

Using a already wrapped image could be quite hard I think. What if you have specific details at the polar areas? Do you have to carefully edit inside the stretched areas at the top and bottom...?

Thanks