5 replies to this topic

[PAndersson]

Hi, I'm in the fairly early stages of creating a 4x space strategy game, though it will have a fair bit of ground action as well. For many of the planets, I will need to use heightmapped 3d spheres as the basic mesh. The problem is that the most straightforward method of creating these meshes results in spheres with a non-uniform vertex density with more vertices around the poles. I was wondering if there are any well known methods for generating spheres with a unifrom vertex density, where the density is customizable?

[Álvaro]

Search the web for something like `equidistant points sphere' and you'll find lots of information about this problem.

Also, if you use a 3D texture for height displacement, the variability of vertex density becomes much less of an issue.

[clb]

If geospheres might be adequate for this purpose, see e.g. this and this.

[David Neubelt]

This gives decent results for render able geometry.

http://mathproofs.blogspot.com/2005/07/mapping-cube-to-sphere.html

[billconan]

I think another approach is giving vertices some repulsion forces and adjust their locations by the forces.

[Postie]

Though I've never used the technique myself, I'm a fan of the cube to sphere mapping. It'd be the first thing I'd try if I wanted to render a globe.