Hello from Geoff!

[RobA]

There is an example of the blurring method here:
http://holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputi...htfields.shtml

The problem with it is that you will either end up with smooth steps, or loose detail in areas that change rapidly. The worst case example would be for smooth slope on one side of a hill with a drop-off on the other.

-Rob A>

[ravells]

Hi Geoff! Welcome to the Guild!


Have a look at Fractal Terrains, which generates climate / temp / altitude maps automatically. Here is an example which took about about 10 seconds to create because the map is randomly generated. If you want to create your own continents it'll take longer, but the rainfall / climate conversions are still done by the software. (I have no idea how accurate they are, but there are lots of settings you can play with - axial tilt etc, so I guess they are based on some sort of science).

[RPMiller]

It is very loose science. The creator, Joe Slayton, has dealt with this very question umpteen times. The basic science calculations are all there, but it should always be considered a suggestion. It does not take things like wind and water currents into consideration since it can't calculate those, and a vast amount of climate conditions are based of wind and water currents. Instead it uses, temperature, altitude and rainfall to calculate the climates which is only half of the calculations for a true biosphere.

[krinnen]

Hello Geoff!!! Nice to see you here!!

Regarding climates, you well know how hard it is to calculate what you want. I remember reading a paper about the winds of Argentina (the pampero, the sudestada and another one I can't remember its name...), which gave some figures about speed and humidity change while crossing the Andes. I'll have to go to the library to check it out, though...

However, it would be extremely hard to code...

Idea: How about using a FEA software, like abaqus (which is GNU iirc) or CFD like OpenFOAM (Which is GPL, but I have to say I haven't used -not my field...), although I'm not sure about the last one... I just heard about it from my buddies at uni.

relevant links:

CFD

FEA


Of course, we end up where we always do: yet another thing to learn to aid our secret vice of conworlding

[The Cartographist]

RPMiller hit the nail on the head with his post. Wind and water currents are EXTREMELY important to climate.

Perfect example is the Gulf Stream (travelling from eastern coast of S. America, up over the equator, past the east coast of north america, then crossing the atlantic, and continuing up past the west coast of the united kingdom).

The UK has year-round weather that is more moderate than New York state (I'm here in London, and I'm told that they go whole years without any snow.).

Big deal, you might say--until you compare how far north New York state and the UK are. The Gulf Stream has a HUGE impact on the weather of western Europe.

[krinnen]

Just so you know, and hopefully find it useful (as I did), and because he's very modest, let me pimp Geoff's Creating an Earthlike Planet and, perhaps more importantly, his Climate cookbook

Enjoy!

PS: I hope I haven't done something wrong here Geoff, if I have, please let me know

[jaerdaph]

Hello Geoff and welcome!

I gave the links krinnen posted a quick look and I look forward to reading them in more detail. Good to have you here (both of you!)

[bricka]

PS: I hope I haven't done something wrong here Geoff, if I have, please let me know

Don't worry; at least I won't come across as being totally clueless :-)

And I should point out in return that this krinnen and the one who drew the maps are the same person.