Custom Texture for a Sphere

Hi,

I've hunted through looking for posts on this, and looked over Robin Sojourner's tutorials, but didn't see an answer to my question, so I thought I'd post. My apologies if I'm repeating something that has already been covered.

I've seen a number of very nicely done globes, and was wondering if there is some sort of a template for them. I'm wanting to do some custom textures to wrap around spheres and oblate spheroids. I've been able to make my own alpha textures, so now I think I only need to know the pattern.

My research has shown some standard mapmaking patterns. One in particular I've found looks like a bunch of ovals lined up. I can see how that will wrap around a sphere when put in place.

So, firstly, is that the only/best template that I should use? And second, is there one already available anywhere, or do I have to make my own? I assume if I make one of the map shapes, with alpha textures where the world *isn't*, that it will wrap around the sphere nice and cleanly. Then I can just draw my pattern in the non-alpha part of the template and I'm ready to upload. But if anybody has some insight into this, I'd sure appreciate it.

Thanks for any and all the help.

Q

The sphere uses a square or rectangular texture map, with the top and bottom edge of the texture meeting at the poles of the sphere.

Are you using Photoshop? Is so, you might try experimenting with this filter Distort>Polar Coordinates.

Another way to think about textures on a sphere is that they're just like a mercator map - when you see a map of the world in an atlas, that's a mercator map. If you took that map and applied it to a sphere you'd have a very nice looking globe. NASA has some nice free textures here.

I was just about to write about Mercator projections! Great minds, Chip.

The way I think about Spheres is that they're basically Cylinders with rounded sides and the top and bottom set to 0. I find it helps me when I'm placing them in different builds and figgering out the rotations for texturing.

As for globes...

What they said *grin*.

Wow. Lots of good stuff, thanks. I do have Photoshop, so it looks like I've got a bit of learnign to do. Thanks for all the help.

Thanks, Abu for some fabulous links. I'll be working my way through Kai's tips for weeks or months to come. And from the polar coordinate tutorial, I can see how to apply this tool to logo design. So THAT is how they make those sexy curvy 2.0 logos. Too cool!