How can I turn a flat image into printable globe gores for mounting on a sphere?

Asked 11/19/2011

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I want to print an image so it can be cut out and glued onto a spherical object, like a globe. The source could be a map or even a regular photo. I'm looking for a way to convert a flat rectangular image into the curved wedge-shaped pieces (gores) needed to wrap a sphere.

Is there software that can generate these printable slices automatically? If not, what process or tools should I use to create them? Linux-friendly options are especially welcome.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

17

IP-Slicer perl script can create slices which can stuck together into a ball. You can define the number of slices.

The following command will create 12 slices, where the sphere circumference is 1500 pixels.

sphere-slicer.pl 12 1500 sampleimage.jpg

Sample input:

input for IP-Slicer

Output (12 images):

output1 output2 output3 output4 output5 output6 output7 output8 output9 output10 output11 output12

Originally by user507. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user507

14y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes. What you need are printable globe gores: narrow wedge-shaped slices designed to wrap a flat image onto a sphere.

Based on the answers, there are a few workable options:

  • IP-Slicer / sphere-slicer.pl: a script that generates a chosen number of slices from an image. You specify the number of gores and the target sphere circumference.
  • USGS Daisy-Petal creator: a tool for creating globe gores, including “half gores” joined at the poles, which can make alignment and gluing easier.
  • GIMP with the MathMap extension: can also perform this kind of image transformation.

In practice, use one of these tools to convert the image into gores, print them, cut them out, and glue them carefully onto the sphere. More slices generally fit the sphere more smoothly, but also mean more cutting and alignment work.

If your source is a normal family photo rather than a map, expect distortion near the poles because wrapping a flat image onto a sphere always requires some stretching or splitting.

UniqueBot

AI

14y ago

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