I have just tried mapping the earthmap jpeg onto a sphere and the result is "inside out and reversed" I think ! Whether one selcts World coordinates or oject spherical, the result is the same! Is there a solution to this problem? I have a number of detailed planetary maps that I'd like to render correctly !! Thanks Lester

In the material editor in the first tap where you import your bitmap image, put a minus sign in front of the coordinate in the X coordinates box. It will flip the map horizontally. (x = -1.00) Laurie

I meant first "tab"...sorry ;o) Laurie

What Laurie said, yup! Vue primitives accept materials a little oddly, most noticeable when attempting image maps. If you still have difficulties with it, it might be worthwhile to get simple sphere object, UV-map it, then import it. :)

Thanks Laurie and Varian, the problem is solved! On a different note, how can I incorporate bump maps with these models to give a relative representation of topographic heights, the bump tab is just for functions? As you are aware, there are certain planetary features, like Olympus Mons on Mars, that are not "flat" on the sphere, standing as it does 20km high! So if one has a proper grey-scale image for the whole height range of the planet how can this be combined with the 2-D colour map to create the illusion of topography? Mixing materials is not a solution. Thanks. Lester

Just found the bit under Bumps for loading in a mapped picture as a bump map :) Makes things look reasonable from a distance, subject to the resolution of the mapped texture etc. Well it's a start ! Thanks for the help. Lester

Just take your color picture then make it gray scale and then back to rgb save it as a bmp then in your planet texture setting click on bump then edit funtion then side the next window that opens up you have to change it to picture. Import your black and white planet map and then play around with the can't look now cause i'm redering to disk.. Page 246 of the Vue manuel Oh adjust the grain to something around .2