New World Map [Untitled]

[pandahart]

So I've been exploring this forum for quite a while and learning a lot from the tutorials and other great maps. I've done some basic mapping before, but never really liked where any of them were going - until now (finally). I just though I'd post my new map idea and say 'hi' at the same time.

Oh, and thanks to all those tutorials (I can't even remember how many I've been through by now), and especially Naeddyr for G.Projector - it saved my (map's) life, or at least the lives of my polar caps!

I took some time to lay out some quick temperatures and precipitation. I roughed out some mountains (which you can't see on these maps), and the last map is the really rough work-up I did for figuring out the climate areas (using Geoff's Climate Cookbook) - but just for July in the Northern Hemisphere - it already looks confusing as it is, so I didn't try to cram in the January parts on top of everything else!

Also, on a side-note, it's a lot easier to visualize where your polar caps will be & what they'll look like on a sphere if you map your map onto a sphere (I used Maya to rough it in, and just output the sphere-UV's to figure how much room I needed for good, non-pinching polar caps). Don't know if that'll help anyone!

[Gidde]

Nice work so far!

[Steel General]

First off... Welcome Aboard!

Have some 'rep' for posting up some of your work in your very first post *bonk*

Will be interested in seeing where you take this.

[pandahart]

So thanks for the comments, first off. second ... never start a mapping project when you've got other stuff to do. My time was eaten up last night. At least I have a rough version of some climate areas done! Now if I can just remember to feed the cats today ...

Anyway, the water texture is a bit "big" looking and isn't exactly perfect - I got a horrible seam when I brought the image into maya on a sphere, but otherwise it looks fine for now.

[ravells]

This is looking really beautiful, pandahart. Can't wait to see the finished product. It has a really realistic satellite feel to it.

[altasilvapuer]

I'm also finding myself anxious to see this map's completion, but mostly because I want to see the further stages. Great work.

And though I agree with you that the water texture is too large (perhaps making it a pattern and filling, rather than just dragging/pasting the texture in and stretching would work), the thumbnail has given me ideas for where I think I will take my own ocean in my world map - something that's been plaguing me for days.

-asp

[Ascension]

I really like the color scheme. So far so good I'd say.