The content explores the challenges of texturing spheres, particularly in creating a visually captivating gas giant and moon for a skybox project. The debate between using a UV sphere and a flat disk for mapping is discussed, with a pixel shader utilized for effective texture mapping on the disk. The process of recreating a 3D UV sphere in a shader for rotation, orientation, scaling, and shading is detailed, with a focus on addressing UV discontinuities and polar patches. The innovative approach of using a simplified Quake lighting technique for drawing an atmospheric halo adds a unique touch to the project.
https://emildziewanowski.com/flat-planets/