planet engine
About Download Screenshots Links

Version 0.705

29/09/2003

This version implements bump mapping and specular highlight on the planet surface. Rayleigh scattering is added to the atmospheric haze.
Since this version relies on fragment programs, you need a DX9 card to run it (i.e: GeForceFX, Radeon9500).

About planet engine


planet engine is a 3D real-time planet renderer. It allows you to fly over the surface of planets and also to see them from space.
You can explore real planets - like Mars and Earth - or use imaginary data.

Main features:
  • height-map for large scale terrain rendering
  • fractal generated bumps
  • high-res cube map texture
  • detail texture
  • geomorphing
  • atmospheric haze and fog
  • bump-mapping
planet engine is freeware. It uses OpenGL and SDL.
Contact: dr.typo'at'free.fr

Version 0.602

11/09/2002

Version0.602 uses the ARB_vertex_program extension (though NV_vertex_program is still supported). planet engine should now work on any card shipped with this extension. This currently includes any GeForce with Detonator40 drivers and the Radeon9700.
ATI should support ARB_vertex_program on his other products (Radeon8500,9000) soon.

This version is also 15% to 20% faster than the previous one.

New Mars dataset

5/09/2002

The mars dataset provided with the program did not work properly on GeForce2 cards (texture resolution too high). I made a new dataset "Marslow", which should work correctly with GeForce2 now.