SpaceSimCentral

 1. Place this hmap in your data/heightmaps : [url]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/11319604/mars.zip[/url] 2. Replace this Mars section in data/systems/00_sol.lua : local mars = CustomSystemBody:new('Mars', 'PLANET_TERRESTRIAL'):seed(-713401765):radius(f(533,1000)):mass(f(107,1000)):temp(278):semi_major_axis(f(152,100)):eccentricity(f(933,10000)):height_map('mars.hmap',0) --:inclination(math.deg2rad(1.85)):rotation_period(f(1027,1000)):axial_tilt(fixed.deg2rad(f(2519,100))):metallicity(f(4,5)):volcanicity(f(2,10)):atmos_density(f(489,1000)):atmos_oxidizing(f(950001,1000000)):ocean_cover(f(38,100)):ice_cover(f(478,1000)) --:life(f(1,100))

With the purpose of promoting the system mod Pioneer, I took the boldness to package it in that format. This makes it easier for everyone to try. I hope you do not mind.  Download: Mars-Shadmar.zip Really worth a try.

@shadmar with the same method , can't you try to resolve the problem of the non-atmospher on Jupiter ? Not by this, but by solving [url]https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/issues/1906#issuecomment-12195666[/url] we could create really soft and fluffy gas giants which would appear clear from above and foggy gasy near surface. Then apply the shaders from [url]https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/issues/1915[/url] + some more to identify gas giants in shaders.

I installed it using walterar's mod conversion. Best. Mars. Ever! :biggrin:

Shadmar, I have a request. Is it possible to create a fairly large crater on Titan? I would like a crater on titan that I can place a spaceport called Misplaced Optimism in the middle of to replicate the set up for an old game called Hardwar. The map can be found here. [url]http://www.capsu.org/hardwar/f/titan.jpg[/url] I'm not too concerned about all the other craters, just one large enough that can fit a space port in to start with.

Titan has few visible craters, and those that are there are showing good signs of age, just like those on Earth. That's weather for you. (-:

This is a version of Quick Mars combined with the Hometowns mod for those who want to use them both at the same time. The file is named Hometowns_alpha31dev_ShadMars_mod.zip.[url]https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=e60873e0de55c3cd#cid=E60873E0DE55C3CD&id=E60873E0DE55C3CD!110[/url] 

Shadmar, I have a request. Is it possible to create a fairly large crater on Titan? I would like a crater on titan that I can place a spaceport called Misplaced Optimism in the middle of to replicate the set up for an old game called Hardwar. The map can be found here. [url]http://www.capsu.org/hardwar/f/titan.jpg[/url] I'm not too concerned about all the other craters, just one large enough that can fit a space port in to start with. I made a little Latitude / Logitude tracker that tracks the ships lat/long pos on the planet so I can carefully position objects (like a city or building), so this should now be possible to try  On Titan a city sized creater would be 1-2 pixels on a 4096 resolution heightmap. So understand the need for this. Now It should only require to fly to the point of position and write down the coordiantes to place it. Here is btw New Hope's real position : (it's always automaticly relocated becuase the original position is in the ocean) : :latitude(math.deg2rad(-32.578)) :longitude(math.deg2rad(90.12)),

I thought that something like that was already in the game somewhere, accessible by an arcane key combination I've long since forgotten. It looks awesome. Coincidentally, before logging on I was flying over Mars, autopilot going around the planet, looking at the terrain go by in the bottom view when I realized, this is the actual terrain of Mars! Wouldn't it be cool to visit Gale Crater and land where Curiosity was sitting 1187 years ago? I'd love to compare the views!

Mars is a very photogenic little planet

I just compiled Ae-2222 mars code, wow... : [url]https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/pull/1333[/url]

Looks terrific, doesn't it. Looking at the code added as part of the pull request, it seems to me that sorting out the hmap format is the smaller end of the problem. Finding some way to specify or generate terrain colours without having a big bunch of code to handle it for each different planet (or a colour map at some ridiculous resolution) is going to be a lot of work. I agree that adding an entirely new chunk of terrain code specific for Mars is a bit of a hack and it'd be better done another way. However, there's only really Earth and Mars (and possibly Io, Europa and Titan) which need body-specific code to make them look right with the current engine + hmap. The stuff already in there for the Moon is probably fine for Mercury and some other grey rocky places. Given the amount of effort it'd be to rework all this terrain code (and how long it's likely to take), I'd be tempted to merge Ae-2222's pull request so folks have a great view of Mars in the mean time.

I agree that adding an entirely new chunk of terrain code specific for Mars is a bit of a hack and it'd be better done another way. However, there's only really Earth and Mars (and possibly Io, Europa and Titan) which need body-specific code to make them look right with the current engine + hmap.Moon needs its heightmap to look anything like the moon we know. People are going to be more familiar with it than they are with Mars. So we have two heightmap formats and two generators to deal with them.If the Mars heightmap were smaller I might consider it. As it is, it will blow out the download size significantly.If I were to merge the code to support a Mars heightmap mod, then we're in the position where we have to maintain some rather complex code to support something we don't even ship. We're not resourced for that.Personally I'd prefer to do away with heightmaps entirely, and make sure our terrain generators can generate even more interesting and plausible terrains. I'd also love to remove Sol entirely so there's no expectation of things looking a particular way. These are not popular ideas however, so I don't push it  Given the amount of effort it'd be to rework all this terrain code (and how long it's likely to take), I'd be tempted to merge Ae-2222's pull request so folks have a great view of Mars in the mean time.We're not in any hurry

Fair enough  Any plan to merge Shadmar's Mars mod into Master? Players might wonder where the terrain Mars movie on [url]http://pioneerspacesim.net/[/url] came from. Blimey, I sound like a right Mars obsessive

Any plan to merge Shadmar's Mars mod into Master?Is there a pull request? I can't see one, but I may have missed it.

Doh, you're right, no pull request

I've looked at Outerra's terrain compression system before but it's way down my todo list! If we need heightmaps, then they should be one format and colour should come from a high level texture. I just need an extra 9 hours of coding time per day to get everything done

This is stunning work guys! :girlcrazy:

Moon needs its heightmap to look anything like the moon we know. People are going to be more familiar with it than they are with Mars. So we have two heightmap formats and two generators to deal with them.If the Mars heightmap were smaller I might consider it. As it is, it will blow out the download size significantly. Yes I'd also prefer one unified hmap format with one generator wich could handle several modes for different types of fractals. Is there a pull request? I can't see one, but I may have missed it. Yeah it's kind of the earths' hmap generator, it doesn't look half as nice as the one Ae-2222 did. Should stay as a mod I think until we have something better. Looks terrific, doesn't it.Yeah, mars was my first stop in Pioneer, I wish it was close to this

Shadmar, I have a request. Is it possible to create a fairly large crater on Titan? I would like a crater on titan that I can place a spaceport called Misplaced Optimism in the middle of to replicate the set up for an old game called Hardwar. The map can be found here. [url]http://www.capsu.org/hardwar/f/titan.jpg[/url] I'm not too concerned about all the other craters, just one large enough that can fit a space port in to start with. Debug info view now includes planetary coordinates.If you grab a nightly you can hit CTRL+I fly to the crater (if you can find one) on titan, write down the latitude and longitude coordinates and just place a starport at these coordinates..