MRO-HiRISE, interesting images Options

[JohnVV]

last Friday Phil Plait over on " Bad Astronomy "
posted a cool image

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2...dune_field.html

it took the weekend to process all 18 HiRISE red ccd images into one mapped image ( 1.3 gig )
then run a SFS on it , well a crop but still 8192x8192 image


reduced size ( 2048x2048 mesh ) test renders in Blender

[JohnVV]

higher resolution mesh and slightly recolored B&W red HiRISE image

[Sean]

Here is a selection of renders from recent HiRISE DTM's...

Software;HiVIEW/Blender/Max/Photoshop

Uzboi Vallis






Noctis Labyrinthus










Elysium Planitia

[scalbers]

Really nice renders Sean! With this I can imagine rover visits to each of these places. Would be interesting to see where you are in Noctis Labyrinthus relative to the context say from some Viking images that I recall.

[Sean]

Thanks Steve... here is the location...

and a test flight...click on the image to see the video.




*edit*...and another of the same area, click thru to see the video...

[Sean]

Possible Fissure Source For Floodwaters

[Sean]

Light-Toned Mounds in Ganges Chasma

HiRISE data parsed by HiVIEW, Blender, Max, Photoshop & After Effects

[Sean]

last two for this batch...

[charborob]

How much vertical exaggeration is there in your renderings?

[Sean]

None. This is straight from the DTM.

[scalbers]

Indeed glad you are faithful to the terrain - and besides vertical exaggeration wouldn't be needed anyway!

One thing that might be worth a try sometime is the inclusion of scattering by atmospheric dust, depending on how much in the way of the optical parameters can be included in the rendering software.

[Sean]

Its on my list Steve, this initial splurge was spent optimizing the workflow. I managed to shave a few hours off!

[HSchirmer]

last two for this batch...

Wow, amazing razerback ridges emerging from the dunes.

Anybody else reminded of a voice over from Ricardo Montalban
"these are the last indigenous residents of Ceti Alpha 5...."

[Sean]

Fissure

Click on the image to see the video...

[Habukaz]

Uzobi Vallis

It's Uzboi - I know that place.

I'm used to looking at a lot of HiRISE images, and with that perspective, the first one in colour looks spectacular (and they are all quite informative - something to keep in the back of my mind the next time I look at related 2D images).

[Sean]

It's Uzboi - I know that place.

I'm used to looking at a lot of HiRISE images, and with that perspective, the first one in colour looks spectacular (and they are all quite informative - something to keep in the back of my mind the next time I look at related 2D images).

Uzboi? Geez...so many files spelt incorrectly....thanks for the correction, post updated.

Here is a clip of the Mounds in Ganges Chasma

Click on the image to see the video...

[Sean]

Gullies





Click the image to see the video...



HiRISE data parsed by HiVIEW, Blender, Max, Photoshop & After Effects

[Sean]

Hale Crater Wall

HiRISE data parsed by HiVIEW, Blender, Max & Photoshop

No vertical exaggeration.

[nprev]

These are just spectacular. I hardly know where to begin. Thank you VERY much, Sean.

[Sean]

Thank you very much, I'm having a LOT of fun making these.

I will be introducing scale reference into the images and here is a sample from the next video I will upload soon...

[Sean]

Hale Crater with Astronaut

Here is the video with an Astronaut scaled to the model... Click thru to check it out.



As usual...no vertical exaggeration.

Still lots to improve on... atmosphere, colour, animation etc.

DTM suggestions welcome.

[scalbers]

Thanks Sean for really advancing things on how we can view Mars. As for DTM suggestions one can consider a helicopter style view following the tracks of Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity?

Another one (unless you've done this) would be in Valles Marineris, harking back to a passage from Cosmos where Carl Sagan narrates a fly through animation poetically saying "...careening through the corridors of the Valley of the Mariners"

[Sean]

Thanks Steve... I love that Carl Sagan idea!

I'm currently working on a Curiosity shot so watch this space!

[HSchirmer]

Hale Crater with Astronaut
As usual...no vertical exaggeration.

Still lots to improve on... atmosphere, colour, animation etc.

DTM suggestions welcome.

Astrid, A Princess of Mars...

ala Edgar Rice Burroughs

Burroughs’ Barsoom and Lowell’s Mars:
A Map for the Interpretation of Barsoomian Geography
by Leathem Mehaffey

[Sean]

More Mounds... these are rendered at full available fidelity in the model and texture to determine qualitative difference compared to the previous 'optimized' versions.

[jasedm]

These are just spectacular. I hardly know where to begin. Thank you VERY much, Sean.

Seconded. These are phenomenal.

I particularly like the lack of vertical exaggeration.

Thanks Sean.

[Sean]

Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying them.

If you are familiar with a nice location covered by DTM then please let me know and I will see if Astrid will pay a visit.

[dtolman]

No love for the Earth-Moon portrait by MRO?
SE Asia, Australia, and Antartica are in view. A calibration image taken November 2016.

[Sean]

Gullies

[Sean]

Here is a video from the same location as the previous post...

[Sean]

There is a to-scale astronaut in the following image...

[Ron Hobbs]

Found her!

Thanks for this challenge. Great way to inspect this incredible terrain. (Or should that Arerrain?)

[Sean]

So it turns out that this area is Domoni crater and the nice folk at PIRL let me know that HiRISE had full coverage so I was able to extend the scene in 3D to provide the following images...








using these assets...
http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=ESP_016490_2315

http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=ESP_016846_2320

http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=ESP_016213_2315

[vjkane]

Thank you for sharing these!

[Sean]

Click thru for a video tour of Domoni Crater...

[Sean]

Faulted Layers in Impact Crater in Meridiani Planum

[Sean]

Layers

Click thru for the video...

[PaulH51]

Layers....

These are great Sean, have subscribed to email alerts this sub-forum so I dont miss any

Fingers crossed there is enough data that will enable you to create a few of Gale crater. If I could be permitted to throw an idea your way, maybe one of the entire path from landing from an elevated camera position, with tags on the ground for the rovers position every 50 sols or so? (just thinking out loud) Probably a big ask

[Sean]

These are great Sean, have subscribed to email alerts this sub-forum so I dont miss any

Fingers crossed there is enough data that will enable you to create a few of Gale crater. If I could be permitted to throw an idea your way, maybe one of the entire path from landing from an elevated camera position, with tags on the ground for the rovers position every 50 sols or so? (just thinking out loud) Probably a big ask

I'm working on Gale but its a big job and I want to do it justice... I'm filing the edges off the workflow with these posts.

[Sean]

Can you spot the astronaut in this image?




( Answer is in the subsequent image on Flickr )

[Sean]

Gullies Within Central Pit of Bamberg Crater













Click thru for a video...

[scalbers]

Amazing how much detail there is in all of these DTMs that Sean is bringing to life. I'm curious about what the brighter material is near some of the higher terrain. Nice to see an atmosphere showing up in the background. I wonder if future plans might also consider the effects of the atmosphere between the observer and the terrain?

[Sean]

Its on the list Steve. Although given the limited coverage of the area I wonder how much atmos to add.

[scalbers]

Interesting question Sean. For a ballpark answer I would suggest that we can estimate an overall optical depth tau (~0.5) and dust scale height of 11km. This means the extinction coefficient at elevations near the ground would be 0.5/11km or 4.55 * 10^-5 m^-1 (tapering off exponentially as we go upward). From this both the inscatter and outscatter can be determined in the path between the observer and point on the terrain.

The impact might be subtle in the foreground, though becoming more noticeable for distant features in the background when looking near the sun.

[Sean]

Thanks for your response Steve. Horizon haze is on the to do list as a priority.

[Sean]

Hale Crater Hills

[Sean]

Here is a still from a forthcoming animated tour of Hale Crater Hills.



Added some atmospheric scattering.

[Sean]

Another one from Hale Crater Hills...

[scalbers]

Great to see this realistic atmospheric effect!

[Sean]

Thanks Steve... I figured out a way to automate/bake it into the workflow so it should help a lot with future images. More work to be done on the skybox.

[Sean]

Hale Hills

Click thru to see the animated tour in 4k...



Stitched together from 2 DTM's.

[PaulH51]

Stitched together from 2 DTM's.

Can't get enough of these....

[Sean]

Hale Hills oblique...



rendered at 20000 x 10000

[jasedm]

To re-iterate, these are simply spectacular Sean - almost Ansel-Adamesque. Thanks for sharing them.

[Sean]

Thank you, quite addictive making them! The data is amazing...these renders are optimized to run on my machine so there is room to squeeze a little more detail out. There are lots of 'improvements' on the way...sky, colour and hopefully some kind of contextual compositional solution, if I can get my head around the myriad sources!

[Art Martin]

Thank you, quite addictive making them! The data is amazing...these renders are optimized to run on my machine so there is room to squeeze a little more detail out. There are lots of 'improvements' on the way...sky, colour and hopefully some kind of contextual compositional solution, if I can get my head around the myriad sources!

I understand the addiction. Years back when I was knee deep in the Microsoft Flight Simulator I found that users could add photorealistic scenery to areas and found DEM files from NASA and aerial photography shots from my county and combined them together to make the Phoenix area I was always flying over more realistic. The results were stunning. Suddenly the mountains and riverbeds looked exactly like reality and I began creating 3d buildings and objects, taking photos of their exteriors and wrapping them over the vertices. I spent months adding more and more. It eventually ended up a side business as people convinced me others would buy my work. It never was about the profit though. Was about the creativity it unleashed. A major addiction when it all comes together. Your work is wonderful.

[Sean]

Thanks for the story Art and given that your compliment means a lot!

I suppose it has something to do with making these inaccessible places tangible in some way, there is a visceral thrill when the elevation data & satellite imagery come together. Suddenly it is a place.

Here is a best quality available video of RGB pass from the Mounds in Ganges Chasma...

[Sean]

Now able to render at full available texture resolution!

A small breakthrough which might only result in a tiny perceptible qualitative improvement given compromises on elevation data...



...shots closer to models would hold up better though.

[Sean]

Here is RGB data mapped to 3D model to show parallax...

[Sean]

Culled this animation from a 9 DTM strong swathe of Mt Sharp... too wieldy to be productive yet so the following uses only 1 DTM

click thru to see the video...



http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=PSP_009149_1750

[Sean]

Hematite Ridge portrait

5 DTM's at full texture res, 12k x 6k work in progress so please forgive the misalignment!

[Sean]

Sharp Slope

Click thru for the video...

[Sean]

Here is a link to a 450 megapixel test render of

Hematite Ridge

over at Gigapan.

Rendering at this level shows up some errors in alignment & textures ( not loading ) but is a good prep for upscaling to 65k pixel output

[climber]

Any chance you point out where's Oppy or where she'll enter the scene? Thanks

[Sean]

Here is a link to another Gigapan 450 megapixel extravaganza...

Mount Sharp Northwest Flank

And the Flickr version...



I was quite aggressive culling the DTM borders to conform to the chosen viewing angle.

Lots of work in Photoshop to balance out the jigsaw of exposures.

Each of the 5 DTM's were rendered separately, the foreground render then acted as a guide for conforming the rest to the base Mt Sharp render which is visible in the background crater rim and the upper left of the image. A depth pass was used to introduce atmosphere and soften transitions.

An amazing dataset!

[scalbers]

Any chance you point out where's Oppy or where she'll enter the scene? Thanks

I've had some luck studying these with the route maps and another site where you can zoom into HIRISE (though it is offset a bit): http://curiosityrover.com/rovermap1.html
I can surmise for Curiosity that it will enter soon at the right edge of Sean's neat Hematite Ridge rendering, about 40-45% of the way between top and bottom.

[Sean]

You mean Curi, surely?

In the most recent Gigapan you can see Murray Buttes at the bottom center right of the image, tracing the route up toward the natural break in the dune field to the left of Ireson hill you can almost discern a path leading up to Hematite Ridge. In time I will make a version with the notional route.

Any chance you point out where's Oppy or where she'll enter the scene? Thanks

In the first Gigapan rendering, Hematite Ridge, Curi's current position near Ireson Hill is just above the center stage right.

I've had some luck studying these with the route maps and another site where you can zoom into HIRISE (though it is offset a bit): http://curiosityrover.com/rovermap1.html
I can surmise for Curiosity that it will enter soon at the right edge of Sean's neat Hematite Ridge rendering, about 40-45% of the way between top and bottom.

[climber]

Thanks and haha! Yes Cury, don't ask me why? May be Oppy=hematite for the last 13 years

[vjkane]

The Gale Crater movie is perhaps the most awesome rendering of planetary image data I've seen. Thank you! It really brought the places Curiosity is exploring to life, which the overhead images don't.

If you ever have the time and inclination, it would be fascinating if the movie could retrace the Rover's journey.

[Sean]

Thanks vjkane, although to be fair there have been awesome animations using the same data over on Youtube since 2010.

I do have a nice 4k animation cooking at the moment but its going to take a while before it is ready.

In the meantime here is another take on the HiRISE coverage of Mt Sharp...



and the 450 megapixel Gigapan version...

Mount Sharp Northwest Flank 2

[nogal]

I grabbed a crop of Sean's "Mount Sharp Northwest Flank" (from Gigapan) and roughly marked Curiosity's route up to sol 1589 (green), it's current position (yellow star) and the latest "notional route" from JPL (red). Hopefully it will be helpful. Sean's work has added another dimension to my awe for this mission.
Fernando

[Sean]

Thanks Fernando. The wide field view of Curi's journey is a sight to behold!

So my plan is to image the entire mission zone along with the route so far & notional route, in as big an image as Gigapan will host, I'm not sure what their upper limit is. I think Photoshop will only go to 65k pixels square.

The trick will be to get a good angle without making the quilt-work of DTM's too obvious against the lores mesh of Gale Crater.

[Sean]

'Bob'

Here is a 4k video covering a 4 DTM swathe of Mt Sharp



Each DTM was rendered separately then combined in After Effects to blend variable exposures.

[Sean]

Layered Rock Outcrops in Southwest Candor Chasma

[Sean]

Spirit Zoom...click thru for video



Blending 3 layers of 2x HRSC sets & 1x HiRISE set

[Sean]

Inflation Features in Phlegra Dorsa







Dunes SW of Xainza Crater





Colorized texture pass based on RGB strip

[monty python]

THANK YOU for the "SPIRIT ZOOM". It really gave me context of the area, and how fortunate we were to have those interesting hills nearby to make the mission great!

[Sean]

Thanks Monty P

More colorized dunes based on HiRISE RGB strip...

[climber]

Sean, you're totally changing our view of Mars. You're a pioneer. You're a new explorer. Thank you SO much...

[scalbers]

Interesting video from HIRISE images here with a variety of quick flyovers: https://www.wired.com/2017/03/stunning-vide...-together-hand/

[Sean]

HiRISin'

Click thru for video...



Celebrating 50,000 orbits

[nprev]

...I'm gonna need a loan to make the requisite deposits in the swear jar.

Incredible work, Sean; thank you!!!

[climber]

See post #79! Thank you (Frantz-kly)

[brellis]

Majestic!

[Sean]

Thankee!

Arabia Terra

Click thru for video...



And some 4k stills...

[Sean]

Terby Crater

Click thru for video...

[Sean]

Faulted Layers in Meridiani Planum

Click thru for a video...



Re-rendered in 4k

[scalbers]

That's nice Sean - it's remarkable how regular the tilted layers are. Have you done anything around the North Polar layering, similar to these examples?

http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=PSP_001738_2670

http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=PSP_010008_2630

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21465

Elsewhere, here is an interesting cluster of mesas that you might have done? http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=ESP_026040_1880

I gather this is the Arabia Terra rendered in post #85 - pretty neat: http://www.uahirise.org/dtm/dtm.php?ID=PSP_002047_1890

[Sean]

Thanks Steve.

Thanks for the links & suggestions, I really appreciate the feedback.

I have those polar layers in the queue... I will move them up!

The mesas are also on the to-do list but I want to put them in context so its a little more work.

I have updated the Arabia Terra post with the source link.

Faulting within the Layered Deposits in Candor Chasma

Click thru for a video...

[Sean]

Lava Vent

[PaulH51]

Simply Stunning Sean

[Sean]

Thanks Paul

Lava Vent

Click thru for a 4k video...

[Sean]

Layered Rock

Click thru for 4k video...

[lyford]

Delurking to say !!!!!

[Sean]

Light-Toned Outcrops in Noctis Labyrinthus

Click thru for a 4k video...

[Sean]

Ladon Valles

[Sean]

Palikir Crater












Click thru for a 4k video...



Since uploading the video I felt it moved too quickly, so here is a longer cut...

[Sean]

Ladon Valles

Click thru for a 4k video...



*updated with much higher bitrate to accommodate detail

[Sean]

Domoni Crater

Click thru for a 4k video...



Here is Domoni in full...

[scalbers]

Interesting to see such a deep bowl shaped crater at about 0:58 time in the Ladon Valles video. Looks to be consistent with the higher depth/diameter ratios for small craters mentioned in this online reference, possibly around 0.3? Intricate terrain overall.

Nice music with Domoni too.