Mer Sfx Images, A Long Time Ago ... Options

[SigurRosFan]

First, there's a landing site overview (full version 152 KB).

Spirit on Sol 6:

[dilo]

Beautiful, bluescape.
Results could be even better in terms of lighting/shadows, but realism is already good.

[Astro0]

Shadowing is really important for these sort of images.
It 'attaches' the Rover to the ground/environment.
Little details help as well... for instance, the IDD shouldn't be extended at this stage.
For realism, it could be deleted from the original image or redrawn in stow position.

For some of the SFX images that I've played with I've had to rely on various images of the Rover taken from a variety of sources. What we really need to do all this properly is a high quality 3-D mesh (wireframe) of the MERs with realistic colours and textures available.

If anyone knows of such that can be downloaded for FREE, then let me know.
There are a few meshes available for purchase online, but I'm not solvent enough to spare a few hundred dollars on them.

It would be really nice to produce a coffee table book or online gallery for all of these SFX images.
I think Aldo12xu has suggested an online repository...how about it?

Can I suggest too that if UMSF'ers want to post these SFX images (and I'm all for it) that from now on we post only thumbnails (following jamescanvin's lead) and host the images elsewhere and that way we don't take up too much of Doug's server/bandwidth.

Just a few thoughts.
Astro0

[Astro0]

Thought I better put my money where my mouth is and produce a version of this image.

Full size image on my blog
I hope that there are some other MER SFX'ers out there who would like to contribute.
SigurRosFan and I are having fun and, at least from my point of view, it fills the void while we wait for Exploratorium to catch up.

Enjoy
Astro0

[Tesheiner]

SigurRosFan and I are having fun

Me too!

OT: This image of Spirit reminds me of the MER Team concerns with "getting down from the lander on this or that size" due to the airbags. Now, with all those 750 sols on the back, compare this manouver with the almost "rock climb" she did to go to the top of HP.

What a difference.

[aldo12xu]

Awesome work, Astro & Nico! Including the rover really brings the photos to life. And, yeah, I have tons of bandwidth (which I thought I'd need for all my videos) so I'd be more than happy to host a Special FX page, with proper credit given to each artist, of course

[Guest_Oersted_*]

Thought I better put my money where my mouth is and produce a version of this image.

Full size image on my website

I hope that there are some other MER SFX'ers out there who would like to contribute.
SigurRosFan and I are having fun and, at least from my point of view, it fills the void while we wait for Exploratorium to catch up.

Enjoy
Astro0

Ok, a few small points of criticism. I think you should have made the shadows darker and sharper. Just behind the rear wheel of the rover you see a shadow on the lander. I know the distance is a bit longer from the rover top deck to the lander, but I'd expect basically a shadow that sharp and that dark. Another thing: I think the solar panels are far too blue, compared to the sky above them. I think you should reflect the sky colour more on the solar arrays.

Great work, hope you don't mind my constructive criticism!

[Astro0]

Ok, a few small points of criticism. I think you should have made the shadows darker and sharper. Just behind the rear wheel of the rover you see a shadow on the lander. I know the distance is a bit longer from the rover top deck to the lander, but I'd expect basically a shadow that sharp and that dark. Another thing: I think the solar panels are far too blue, compared to the sky above them. I think you should reflect the sky colour more on the solar arrays.

Great work, hope you don't mind my constructive criticism!

Love the criticism!
These things can always be done better. The shadows are the hardest to get right.
I think I was basically reflecting the look of the shadows you can see on the surface from the egress ramps.
I debated the look for a while in Photoshop and that's what came out.

I got a tip on another thread about a 3DS model of the Rover that I think I can adapt and use in some nifty software that I've puchased and that way I will be able to incorporate the MERs into scenes with much better shadowing, etc.

Thanks for the ideas.
Astro0

[SigurRosFan]

I know these details, but ... somewhen. Now, I would try to cover the tracks.

Small critical: Your rover is slightly to small. Spirit's size in my SFX image is more accurate.

Btw: Special thanks to Tman!

[Astro0]

I know these details, but ... somewhen. Now, I would try to cover the tracks.
Small critical: Your rover is slightly to small. Spirit's size in my SFX image is more accurate.
Btw: Special thanks to Tman!

Actually, looking back at images of the Rover while still in the lab and later images before rolling off the lander, I think the truth lays somewhere in between our two images. Also, the model we are using has too much perspective for this image and means that the position of the wheels is out of alignment.

Looking at the full-scale replica of the Rover from JPL that we have at our Deep Space Complex, I think there are a few scale issues with the 3D model as well, eg: camera mast a little too thin, camera head not high enough, and front wheel supports a bit short - only small variations, but enough to make producing an accurate image difficult.

I'm going to have another go at this particular shot and make a few improvements as suggested by others above. Now that I have the 3D mesh model and some other image references on file I think I can look forward to producing even better composite images.

I think however that the bottom line on all this discussion is very simple...
"We are having fun as artists and enjoying the journey of these two incredible vehicles and their proud 'parents' back here on Earth."

Astro0

[climber]

Actually, looking back at images of the Rover while still in the lab and later images before rolling off the lander, I think the truth lays somewhere in between our two images. Also, the model we are using has too much perspective for this image and means that the position of the wheels is out of alignment.

Looking at the full-scale replica of the Rover from JPL that we have at our Deep Space Complex, I think there are a few scale issues with the 3D model as well, eg: camera mast a little too thin, camera head not high enough, and front wheel supports a bit short - only small variations, but enough to make producing an accurate image difficult.

I'm going to have another go at this particular shot and make a few improvements as suggested by others above. Now that I have the 3D mesh model and some other image references on file I think I can look forward to producing even better composite images.

I think however that the bottom line on all this discussion is very simple...
"We are having fun as artists and enjoying the journey of these two incredible vehicles and their proud 'parents' back here on Earth."

Astro0

Yeah, very nice job but perfectible : as compared to the lander, she still looks like she comes .... from another planet

[SigurRosFan]

Yeah, without tracks ...

Opportunity on Sol 17 (144 KB):

[djellison]

Needs shadows - but they're cool

If you do a drop shadow in photoshop, then make a layer from it, you can then warp / perspective / distort to make the shadow appear to cast in the right direction as based on other shadows in the scene

Doug

[climber]

Needs shadows - but they're cool

If you do a drop shadow in photoshop, then make a layer from it, you can then warp / perspective / distort to make the shadow appear to cast in the right direction as based on other shadows in the scene

Doug

I'm still struggling to create decent picture myself. I was wondering if anybody has thought to create pictures were NIGHT will ne simulated by reducing light in the scenary, the rover, the sky, and putting REAL night sky (we could use pictures of Earth's night sky) and we could even show the Earth in the sky. Will be cool eh?

[Bill Harris]

Looking at the full-scale replica of the Rover from JPL ...

I'm building a 1/4 scale Rover and the more I look closely at photos of it, the more fine details keep popping out at me. And the more familiar I become with the Rovers the more discrepancies I see in the 3-D models. This is not to be critical, this is FWIW. You can't take a 3-D object, make a 2-D representation of it and make that 2-D look 3-D.

--Bill