Animation with Blender

Adding a Texture Map

Everything for this project is taken from NASA’s Blue Marble Projecthttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_cat.php?categ

oryID=1484

The BMNG Raw Bathymetry provides the depths of the Oceans to the maphttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=73963

The BMNG Raw Topography provides the topography of the Earth’s Surface (ie Mountains, Plains, etc)http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=73934

Sources & Resources

Below are the links to the March 2013 maps of the Earth’s surface:March, Blue Marble Next Generation

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=73992 March, Blue Marble Next Generation w/

Topographyhttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=74293

March, Blue Marble Next Generation w/ Topography and Bathymetryhttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=73630

And don’t forget the cloudshttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=74293

Also see http://planetpixelemporium.com/planets.html

Sources & Resources

Add a material1. Select the object

1. A UV shpere

2. In the Toolshelf1. Click smooth

3. Add a new Material1. No changes need to be

made to this material as it is just a holder for this activity.

4. Switch to Textures and add a new Texture

1. This creates a texture in slot one

Adding the Earth’s colouringName the Texture

Earth_coloursChange the Texture

Type to Image or Movie

In the Image sub-sectionOpen imageFind the image you

want to use

Matching the map to the objectUnder Image Mapping

change;Extension to Extend

This describes how the 2D map is extended to cover the 3D object.

NB: I used Clip initially, but that left a line, so I swapped to extend

Under Mapping change;Projection to Sphere

This maps the 2D image to the 3d object.

This is an

example of the

Earth with just

the surface

colouring.

Test Render 1

Adding TopologyIn the Second

texture slot;Create a new

textureName it TopologySet the type to

Image or Movie

Map the topology to the objectUnder Image

Mapping change;Extension to

ExtendUnder Mapping

change;Projection to

Sphere

Making it bumpyUnder the Influence

sub-section;Untick colorTick Normal

This is an

example of the

Earth with the

surface colouring

and a topology

normal map for

the surface.

Test Render 2

Adding the Bath mapThe procedure to

add the Bath map is the same as the Topology map, butUse Texture slot 3Change the value in

the Normal map to -1

This is an

example of the

Earth with the

surface

colouring, a

topology normal

map for the

surface, and a

bath map for the

oceans.

Test Render 3

Add the cloud textureAdding the cloud

texture is the same as the Topology map, butUse Texture slot 4Tick Emit and

change the value to 0.5

Set Color to .4

Tweak the World settingsChange the Horizon

Color to blackTick the

Environment Lighting

Tick the StarsAdjust the Star

setting as you choose

Extend the length of the animation to 360 frames

Add keyframes for rotation atFrame 1Frame 360

Set Z-Rotation to 360

Adjust the length of the animation

This is a single

image, with

clouds, normal

maps and

surface colours.

Test Render 4

Smoothing the AnimationSwitch the 3D View

to Graph Editor.

Smoothing the AnimationHovering over the

Graph Editor windowPress A to select allPress V to open the

vector context menuAnd select Vector.

This will smooth the Revolving of the Earth Animation

Don’t forget to

save the output!

You should have

a 360 frame

animation of the

Earth revolving.

Final Render