Pictures of Mars - An Introduction

Adrian · 2003-04-11 05:38:23

With the success of New Mars' first World Space Week event, First Words - almost 100,000 website hits, 4000 entries and international media coverage - it was among one of the most prominent WSW events last year. Consequently, it makes complete sense that we should try and beat this target this year!

Why was First Words so successful? I think it was because it was such a simple yet powerful and universal concept. Everyone knows about the first words on the Moon; it makes sense that we should think about the first words on Mars. It was also something that everyone could take part in.

We should try and emulate this with our second event. Once again, Clark has come up with an excellent idea - 'Pictures of Mars, on Earth'. In this competition, we'd ask people to send in pictures that make them think of Mars; that's all. They could be photos, paintings, drawings, computer graphics, sculpture, whatever. They wouldn't have to be of a Martian landscape - they could be astronomical, abstract, humorous, fictional, whatever. And of course, we'd be open to all age ranges and have a special 'Kids' category.

Let me stress now that this *isn't* necessarily the event we'll be doing for WSW 2003, but I did think it was a good idea. If you have other ideas, *please* let us know them.

One thing that I've changed my mind about with Picture of Mars is that we should have different types of entry categories. I don't want to divide things up artificially, by saying 'Computer graphics', 'paintings', 'photos'. Too predictable. Instead, we could try categories such as 'Future', 'Real', 'Abstract' and 'Down to Earth'.

Future - Mars as you would see it in the future.

Real - Mars as it is now

Abstract - Abstract representations of Mars

Down to Earth - Mars on Earth, and things that remind of Mars.

What do you think?

clark · 2003-04-11 08:36:33

I may be biased, but I like the idea!

Adrian, you have done an excellent job of bringing this idea to life.

The only suggestion I can make is the addition of extra catagories for submission. Perhaps there can be a seperate catagory having to do with MOLA pictures that NASA keeps releasing.

I'm not sure what people would do with these pictures, but there is a wealth of matieral that could be used, at least i imagine so.

Just a thought.

Thanks again.

dickbill · 2003-07-18 07:44:47

We should try and emulate this with our second event. Once again, Clark has come up with an excellent idea - 'Pictures of Mars, on Earth'. In this competition, we'd ask people to send in pictures that make them think of Mars;
Future - Mars as you would see it in the future.

I'd like to participate to the picture contest. Is it still running ?
Where do I have to submit my pictures ?

That will be about "Mars in the near future"

clark · 2003-07-18 10:51:00

I haven't heard what the status of this was. In fact, I don't think I have seen Adrian post in a while.

Adrian, you get through finals okay? ???

dickbill · 2003-08-30 20:36:30

I have stopped flagellate,

here is my new pic:

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

Josh Cryer · 2003-08-30 20:42:38

Ahh, I didn't notice this thread when it was posted. Adrian, this sounds like a pretty good idea.

dickbill, hmm, I'll have a look at your picture later, right now I don't have access to that site (though I could've swore I did, checking for my username now).

dickbill · 2003-08-30 21:14:51

dickbill, hmm, I'll have a look at your picture later, right now I don't have access to that site (though I could've swore I did, checking for my username now).

It's the new policy of Renderosity, that now, to see the full size pictures, you need to register.

Palomar · 2003-08-30 21:46:39

I have stopped flagellate,
here is my new pic:
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

*And here I thought we'd be looking at a picture of YOU.

Nice gizmo anyway.

Hey dickbill, are you into hot candle wax too?

--Cindy

dickbill · 2003-08-31 06:32:12

Hey dickbill, are you into hot candle wax too?

No really Cindy. It was my post millenial end of the world crisis. After the freemasons and the Saracens, I needed to do something more fun.

So you like the glider ?

Palomar · 2003-08-31 11:34:33

dickbill: "No really Cindy. It was my post millenial end of the world crisis. After the freemasons and the Saracens, I needed to do something more fun."

*"Post-" crisis? Hmmmm. I think I'm still in my crisis. It must be that pesky Mark of Chthulhu I took on my soul in 1999....

dickbill: "So you like the glider ?"

*Yes. Very nice, including the backdrop.

--Cindy

Josh Cryer · 2003-08-31 11:52:40

Very good dickbill! I love your gallery, I'm quite impressed.

Two questions about that particular image, first, are you using real MOLA (topographic) data or are you just making that from scratch? Second, how long did it take to render?

dickbill · 2003-08-31 21:14:38

*"Post-" crisis? Hmmmm. I think I'm still in my crisis. It must be that pesky Mark of Chthulhu I took on my soul in 1999....

I read the Lovecraft and al. (who was the other guy?) novels, and I have to say that they are the best of the genre that I can remember.

What is that mark of Cthulhu by the way ?

dickbill · 2003-08-31 21:51:45

Very good dickbill! I love your gallery, I'm quite impressed.
Two questions about that particular image, first, are you using real MOLA (topographic) data or are you just making that from scratch? Second, how long did it take to render?

thank you Josh,

about the MOLA: in that particular picture I havn't use the MOLA, even the latest .IMG, with the highest resolution, don't give me enough spatial resolution to render a picture where a stone just several centimeters has to be visible for the picture to be realistic.

I have used the MOLA actually to generate landscape. First use 3DEM, a free software, to read the MOLA, then export the mesh in lightwave mesh for example. The MOLA are great for high altitude, large vistas scenery. If you look at the Gallery of Michael Eaton for example (search by artist name in Renderosity), you'll see some MOLA generated pictures of Mars very impressive, but his scenes are in a much bigger scale than mine.
So, to be more reallistic, I could use the MOLA files to generate a gross range of elevation in my scenes, and I would have to add a higher resolution elevation to be reallistic, but then, you would probably even not notice the MOLA elevation, so I don't bother to do that. Instead I just get straight to generate an elevation file via Terragen or Bryce, from scratch, at the resolution that I need. But I tried to stay inspired by the Odyssey or MGS pictures.

The rendering time are usually very fast IF I render the background separatly in Terragen or Bryce, like from several minutes to a couple of hours, often much less. The Hebes Mensa was rendered in about 1 minute. However, if everything is pure 3d virtual objects, including the montains in the background and the sky and clouds and volumetrics, like "dust devil in Kasei Valles", it can takes several days (on Athlon XP2400+).

dickbill · 2003-09-01 10:50:03

Correction, for the guy who use MOLA regularly, search for MichaelEaton (case sensitive and no space), or just go to:
http://www.renderosity.com/gallery....elEaton

another guy who produced great pictures of Mars, more scifi and with Bryce, it was Bambam131 :
http://www.renderosity.com/gallery....mbam131

Josh Cryer · 2003-09-01 12:20:45

Wow, Michael's stuff is realyl great! Thanks for sharing dickbill.

dickbill · 2003-09-03 08:36:43

I wonder if my glider has large enough wings and what maximal altitude it could actually flight on the thin air:
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

clark · 2003-09-03 11:10:47

Your picture is beautiful Dickbill. Was there a source for inspiration?

dickbill · 2003-09-03 12:23:58

Your picture is beautiful Dickbill. Was there a source for inspiration?

Thanks Clark.
I try to make story with the pictures, but my storyline is pretty loose, it doesn't matter. Yes, multiple sources. The KSR trilogy, "the Case" of Zubrin, the JPL and NASA sites (I remember a plane with adaptative wings in the NASA web site, but I think that it is technologicaly too complex in the martian dusty conditions, meaning too fragile on the long term) and this forum of course, are sources of inspiration .

I remember a post here, somebody had calculated that in the thin air, 55 times more wing surface than on earth was needed for an airplane to flight !
That means a wingspan too large for a robust glider with practical purpose to carry people or fret on MArs. The glider could not bank easily or just land safely.
On my picture, I han't calculated numerically, but you can see that the wing span looks like a B52: obviously not enough to flight reallistically on Mars. Or maybe just above Hellas Planitia where the air pressure is higher, but certainly not above Olympus Mons.
So, if somebody confirm here than my glider definitively lacks too much lifting surface, I will add more wing surface, maybe in the form of a second or third wing...will see.
It's a rocket propulsed glider, so it's made of the lightest (but strong) materials. Total weight (on earth) is about 800 kg empty, 1.4 tons full (with 200 kg of methane/oxygene), lifting surface about 70 square meters, wing span 40 meters. Can carry two passangers plus 100 kg fret, not much.

dickbill · 2003-09-09 21:25:20

This is it, a new pic with my new glider:
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

I have completely reshaped the glider, it is less esthetic and elegant that the one you've seen before, maybe, but I am confident that it could flight almost in the vacuum (just kidding). It is a triplan, you don't see it very well because of the perspective but it will show up later.

I checked about "porous wing" and find too little to elaborate further on that concept, I prefer to increase the wing surface by simply using "more wings" on a very simple design.

alokmohan · 2003-09-17 03:45:48

I like to know the first words.Please help newcomer.

dickbill · 2003-09-29 07:08:26

I like to know the first words.Please help newcomer.

first words ? : Fasten your seat belt, it's gonna shake !

The adventure continues, second rendez vous in orbit over Mars, and approach for docking....

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

dickbill · 2003-10-05 11:24:40

A little update on the story:
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

I really wonder what's the explorers are going to find in the deepest of Olympus Mons. They have a full equipment to explore caves and lava tunnels...will see. But first, after landing, they must spot the tank full of fuel that the shuttle is supposed to drop to them. It contains oxygen, methane, food etc, enough to refuel the glider's rocket.

...
While the glider is still 300 km away from Olympus, the Shuttle is now safely at dock with the main space ship and the passangers are in transfer through the tunnel.
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

dickbill · 2003-10-06 12:46:51

Things are subjectives: I guy commented one of my pictures where the glider is approaching Olympus Mons, as with a "nice ocean" view. Well, a sea of sand for me might look like a sea of water in someone with a predisposed mind to see water instead of sand. But it's always nice to comment anyway.

However I realize that my pictures are very confusing because the 3D models change a lot, indeed the glider such it is now is very different than in the first published pictures. Same for the main spaceship, initially called USS Independance, it is now ISS Explorer. In addition my gallery is spread between the Lightwave gallery and the Imagine gallery.
So without visual repair, it's difficult to follow the thread. But the storyline, how loose it is (sorry I am not a writer) is simple. For those interested to understand it better, here it is:

We are in 2057, 20 years after the first US manned mission and 10 years after the first installation of an international permanent base on Mars. There are 2 rovers presently. After a first quick mission to the polar region, the rovers have received mandate from the UN to install a fluorocarbon factory (some small chemical reactors) in a fluoride, carbon rich crater, as an initial demonstrator experiment to the terraforming capabilities. The rovers are now on their way home to the main base camp. That was the topic of my previous pictures posted in the Imagine gallery.
There is also a glider, which crew is in mission to Olympus mons, which is the topic of the pictures I have posted most recently, and one Mars shuttle, which shuttles between mars low orbit and the main base. It is now currently taking additional personal and fret from an incoming terran space ship in low Mars orbit.
Before it comes back home, the shuttle has to drop a tank of fuel and oxygen for the glider.

Next pictures will describe the launch of this "survival kit" for the glider (from space then), the landing of the glider on Olympus, and I hope, If I have time, the transfer of passangers from the ISS spaceship to the MArs shuttle, the landing of this shuttle on MArs and also the exploration of the Olympus region by the glider's crew.

I hope it is more clear now. Thanks for those who visit my gallery.

alokmohan · 2003-10-13 04:41:56

Excellent.It is too backdated.I a in 2100

dickbill · 2003-10-26 23:04:55

Latest version of my space ship and shuttle, now all done in Lightwave:
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.....New=Yes

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Re: Pictures of Mars - An Introduction

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