[tjustleft]

Cool idea. I combined it with a couple of tuts for gold text and got this. I know the axis is wrong but I gave up on being an astronomer long ago.



Hope I post image correctly. I haven't done it before and just set up photobucket account to try it.

Thanks for the great ideas Ali.

[bloodredvoodoo]

I ended up making a bump image for my other site. Thanks for the tut!

[TakeMeToTheStars]

I know this thread is old, just wanted to post. =)

[Nimmzo]

Transparent globe of the Earth [GIMP 2.6.4]



Face, a film by Tsai Ming-liang starring the French actress Laetitia Casta as Salome in the Louvre.

Simple tutorial: opaque Earth



1. Load the Gall-Peters flat map projection of the Earth in GIMP 2.6.4
2. The crop tool allows removing black edge areas from the map.

3. Menu "Filter" | "Map" | "Map Object..." | Map to: "Sphere"
[x] Transparent background
[x] Create new image
In the last 3rd tab "Orientation," increase Position Z to zoom the globe. Click "Preview!"
If you wish to turn the globe, adjust Rotation X, Y, Z.

4. Reduce the width with the Scale tool from 1608 to 1024 = Height.
5. Menu "Image" | "Fit Canvas to layer"
then optionally move the right edge of the window.
You obtained the non transparent globe of the Earth, you can delete.

Fully transparent globe of the Earth

Same previous steps 1 & 2 about the flat map
or menu "Image" | "Duplicate" if it is already loaded.

a. Menu "Layer" | "Transparency" | "Add Alpha Channel."
b. With Select by Color tool, click inside the dark blue ocean in an empty cell of the matrix.
c. Menu "Edit" | "Cut" or Ctrl+X makes transparent the oceans and seas.
d. Menu "Select" | "None" cancels the selection.

e. Apply previous steps 3 to 5 to render the transparent globe of the Earth.
Keep it. It will be useful later for the hidden lands of the globe according to the orientation and the light.
Do not close GIMP.

CAUTION: if you absolutely need to quit GIMP,
you must manually record the parameters of orientation and light of the sphere.

Half-transparent globe of the Earth

Repeat previous steps 1, 2, then steps a, b.

B1. Menu "Colors" | "Curves..."
You get a matrix with the line x = y with by default Channel: "Value."

B2. Drag the initial point x:0, y:0 and drop it in x: 0, y:62 two squares above.
The dark blue of the ocean should be lighter.

B3. Menu "Select" | "None" cancels the selection
Apply previous steps 3 to 5 to render the half-transparent globe of the Earth.
You must keep the same previous orientation and light for the Map to Sphere.

Final transparent globe of the Earth

Save and close all flat map(s). You could need them if you wish later to add some texts over the lands.
Save but do not close the half-transparent globe and the fully transparent globe.
Save also the parameters of orientation and light if you wish to rebuild the globes later.

0. Menu "File" | "New" creates a new empty image Width: 1024. Height: 1024. Color: White
1. For the Foreground Color, choose a purple blue light: for example 8b73eb.
2. With the Blend Tool, fill the white background with this purple blue light color gradient
drawing a line from around 1,1 to around 800,800.

3. Menu "Edit" | "Copy" the half-transparent globe.
4. Menu "Edit" | "Paste as" | "New Layer" in the purple blue light gradient empty background image.
5. In the Layer window, right-click this new layer, contextual menu "Edit Layer Attributes",
replace the default name "Clipboard" with "Half".

6. Ditto for the fully transparent globe. Name it for example "Transparent".

7. In the layer window, move if necessary the "Half" layer above the "Transparent" layer.
The "Half" layer must be the first layer.
"Transparent" the second layer.
And finally the blue gradient "Background".
8. Always in the layer window, select the "Half" layer.
9. Above the list of layers, adjust from the right to the left the cursor of Opacity
to the wished level (for example 70.2) of half transparency.

Hidden lands on the other side of the Earth should appear!

Source: How to make "cool" globes with the GIMP by Simon.

[powerdemon]

EDIT