handling *extreme* texture resolution

[super gnu]

I have used this plugin for Lightwave ages ago and could load huge earth textures without problems. Isn't something like this not available for Max?

https://www.db-w.com/products/infinimap/

that appears to be just a loader that works with tiled EXR... i dont see what it does that vraybitmap does not already do, unless i missed something.

[vlado]

but the 16 tile patch covers a small arbitrary area within the current overall earth texture

Ok, I thought you wanted to cover the entire globe. An image to explain what you need to do will help - then maybe I can think of another solution.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Schellicon]

i use global mapper for earth map jobs , also Downloaded my textures with it... took some time to finish this download xD i`m not shure how the import of your files work there position based... , but i`m shure there is a way (never did it).
You can use your files and don`t need to download anything ..also you can setup your wanted projection/ reprojection!!
With this dataset i exported a tile set of 50* 50 tiles (got 10k*5k resolution per tile- a 76m per pixel dataset) , converted them to tx files and loaded them in vraybitmap
For earth i used a plane with 2 bend modifier to get the sphere (180°, 360°). i had to prepare the correct uvw-plane mapping size (uvw fit / 50, alligned to the lower left corner)
I could render it with my machine (128gb ram)
to improve workspeed i switched between 1 small earthmap and udim large 1 ( used 2 mapchannels )

hope this helps

[trick]

that appears to be just a loader that works with tiled EXR... i dont see what it does that vraybitmap does not already do, unless i missed something.

Then I don't understand why you are having a problem with huge textures, because that's what I used Infinimap (Pro) for on a machine with 16G RAM! I haven't used VRay for such jobs yet, so wouldn't exactly know how VRaybitmap compares.

[Joelaff]

Then I don't understand why you are having a problem with huge textures, because that's what I used Infinimap (Pro) for on a machine with 16G RAM! I haven't used VRay for such jobs yet, so wouldn't exactly know how VRaybitmap compares.

I have used both, and Inifini-Map is indeed similar to who VRayBitmap handles the tiled EXRs. The main difference being it was doing it about decade or so earlier; that's really about it. LightWave didn't have any method for doing that, hence the plugin.

I might make a grid of 9 squares, and make the center map very high resolution as a tiled EXR (or .tx if you don't need float), then make the outer 8 square lower resolution, but also big, and tiled EXR or tiles .tx files.Use a mask to blend those two.

It's a big pain in the butt, no doubt.

[trick]

I have used both,...

Ah OK. But if you convert some imagestiles into a tiled EXR with the img2tiledexr-tool, why would you need to make a 9-square-grid then?

[Joelaff]

Ah OK. But if you convert some tiled images into a tiled EXR with the img2tiledexr-tool, why would you need to make a 9-square-grid then?

Just to reduce the resolution of the biggest image you need.

If you can open and modify everything in PS or similar and make your tiled textures (and nothing crashes or chokes) then a single giant texture definitely works, and is likely the easiest thing to do from a manpower standpoint. If it makes things slow to work with then that's a different problem.

[Schellicon]

in global mapper you draw an retange (or input cordinates) what to export , in what resolution and what tile setup. of cause it can`t be bigger than your base map you imported or it will be interpolated / blurry
in 3dsmax use composite map with a mask to stack everything together
all you have to do is the mapping that everything is in correct position
(you can also build the high res tiles , take the outer ones and resize them in photoshop to mix them, should work i think)
to do the tiles in photoshop is real pain and slow as hell
(the software is not free, but it`s one of the best for these cases)

[super gnu]

ive just seen all these replies! ive been on holiday, then neck deep in an unrelated job... thanks for all the suggestions.

i will revisit this once ive got some free time and see if something suggested here might help... most appreciated