thank you
Hey m@dcow,
Thanks to your rockinā skymaps, I was able to make this sweet SuperRocket movie! Iām going to add stuff, but Iād like to learn how to make my own skymaps so that I can make cool stuff on my own.
Thanks for the cool skies man.
http://www.micahfitch.com/media/albums/graphics/micahrocketsmall.mp4
Nice little anim there dudeā¦as for the explanation of how to create these for yourself, are you looking to create angularmaps or just regular skymaps that are designed to cover a half sphere?
I seem to recall writing a simple tute somewhereā¦but ahhm, Iāve forgotten where it is 
Well, Iām thinking that I like the angmaps best. For some reason, I canāt get skymaps to display like I want them to. There is always a gap between the ground plane and the sky, unless I am working with some sort of hilly terrain mesh. I think this is a problem with clipping but Iām not sure exactly. Itās a slippery sort of problem. I think I will experiment with fog or something to blend with the sky (but that doesnāt seem like it will work).
The only thing left to do is make an actual dome mesh and map the skymaps to itā¦
Well, Iām thinking that I like the angmaps best. For some reason, I canāt get skymaps to display like I want them to. There is always a gap between the ground plane and the sky, unless I am working with some sort of hilly terrain mesh. I think this is a problem with clipping but Iām not sure exactly. Itās a slippery sort of problem. I think I will experiment with fog or something to blend with the sky (but that doesnāt seem like it will work).
The only thing left to do is make an actual dome mesh and map the skymaps to itā¦[/quote]
Yeahā¦Iāve found an elegant solution to this problemā¦I will post a .blend file as soon as I stop being a lazy ass 
Well, Iām thinking that I like the angmaps best. For some reason, I canāt get skymaps to display like I want them to. There is always a gap between the ground plane and the sky, unless I am working with some sort of hilly terrain mesh. I think this is a problem with clipping but Iām not sure exactly. Itās a slippery sort of problem. I think I will experiment with fog or something to blend with the sky (but that doesnāt seem like it will work).
The only thing left to do is make an actual dome mesh and map the skymaps to itā¦[/quote]
Yeahā¦Iāve found an elegant solution to this problemā¦I will post a .blend file as soon as I stop being a lazy ass :D[/quote]
Awesome, thanks
Hey Madcow ,
I just learned how to use this stuff , and I tellinā ya , it is an amazing work ā¦ Thanks ,
Glikogen
Good job, looks professional!
thanks madcow 
how do I use the round images as HDRI?
take a look at http://members.charnwoodarts.com/Dave/skymaps/sky_offworld2.jpg
have a nice long and close look at the ringed planet, particularly the shadow on the ring in relation to the sun and the shadow of the actual planet
all of them are still great though, just nit pickin
Download the free version of hdr shop (version 1) from here:
http://www.ict.usc.edu/graphics/HDRShop/
open up one of the angular maps, then save it as a hdri file, itās at the top of the list when you do a āsave asā
Then load the hdr file into the worldbuttons as you would a normal texture. Donāt worry about the fact that you canāt see a preview, it doesnāt mean that it isnāt working.
Next thing is to make sure you are rendering with yafray and have Global illumination selected, it doesnāt work with the internal renderer.
TheANIMAL:
Ya, I noticed that one tooā¦and I wasnāt about to spend another 5 or so hours rendering it out
PS: people that want an example file, remember to HASSLE me
otherwise I can guarantee that Iāll be too lazy to upload it.
cheers.
hassle hassle hassle
I could definitely use an example file - cause as fitchmicah said:
As seen here - no matter what i do, the skymap has a gap to the ground.
http://blender.sixmonkeys.geek.nz/albums/album17/work.jpg
So just overcome your lazyness and please post an example for me
Fantstic resource thank you!
āRalph
has anyone ever actually created a format for images which IS a sphere.
i have been thinking about non square/planar image formats and how it could be done, AFAIK it wouldnāt be hard to make.
it would only be hard to get people to pick up the format.
a circle image for example, just say where the starting point is for the image and say how the pixels are to be shown after that.
spiral (formular to place the pixels/ work out distance apart)
circles (distance apart of rings)
lines (horizontal, different lengths each)
spheres circles, or sprial from one end to the otherā¦
other than that info, the pixels mearly need to be recorded in order, with possibility a few bits at the end of each line, or the end of each ring.
i think photoshop was adding support for non square/grid pixel distribution
i guess this is just the next step
Alltaken
Been smoking the green stuff again, eh? :o
Xla:
well, it transpires that I really am too lazy, so simply add the texture to a sphere that has been chopped in half (you know the drill) and in the texture set the min Y button to -0.333, this should get it near enough to the right proportions.
Obviously then you set your material to shadeless.
not a great explanation, but it is early morning.
Been smoking the green stuff again, eh? :o
[/quote]
lol.
bah im totally brain deadā¦ ignore this post.
Thanks!!! 
If more of you are interested in another freakin easy way to create high res panorama pictures, check my new topic here.