Creating a 3d model of a planet for a game

Question

How would I go about creating a model of a planet for use in a game I'm building? I'm an experienced programmer but don't have much experience in 3D modeling so a detailed explanation would be nice please. The game will be played on the planet surface so it needs to be of good quality and not just an image from space like all the tutorials on the internet. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Blender is a powerful open source 3d modeling suite: http://www.blender.org/

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/free-sof...

Good luck.

Answer 2

Youtube

Enter..3D Modeling...into the search

Answer 3

More information is needed to give you a truly detailed explanation, but in general terms:

You'll need (at least) two image maps. The first will be the texture representing the surface of the planet (dirt, grassm sand, snow).

The second will be a displacement map. A displacement map is a greyscale image that can be used to distort  a mesh (3D model). When applied to a mesh the displacement map will push and pull vertices based on the light and dark areas of the map. Your displacement map will be used to create mountains and valleys on the surface of your planet. You can use your texture map as a guide.

Now all you need to do is simply create a sphere within your favorite 3D content creation program, apply the displacement map, then apply the texture map. Viola!

Export the model in whatever format you're working with.