Happy Easter! Since it’s been almost two years since the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse, there’s a good opportunity to continue the Tumult Hype videos and discuss what it was like to experience totality. WOW, it was amazing. As the title suggests, it felt like a religious experience. There are so many things that have to go right in the universe for an event like that to occur.
It reminds me of a Bible verse.
“For unseen things about him have been made conspicuous, since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that were made; likewise his everlasting virtue and divinity, so much so that they have no excuse.”
— Romans 1:20 (CPDV)
When people wonder about the existence of God, it is a matter of faith, but just look at the world. It’s so pretty. When I look at my earlier attempts at world building, not so much. 😄
After revisiting the “Eclipse” Tumult Hype Template, it was clear that more work needed to be done. Having since experienced a real total solar eclipse, it was obvious that the moon was not right. It didn’t have that Pac-Man effect. When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, sunlight is not being reflected back on Earth. Sunlight is being blocked. That makes the moon essentially invisible.
With the mistake realized, I redesigned the “Eclipse” template. Version 2 animates the color of the moon to match the color of the background. It’s a way better effect.
It looks better because the Sun looks like Pac-Man as the Moon as it travels in front of the Sun. While the animation is not a perfect representation of a true total solar eclipse, it is a lot closer to reality. Background stars were added to further improve the animation.
There’s a video on Photics.TV about this topic. It’s part of the Tumult Hype series of videos.
[Hype #13] Like A Hug From God — Animating A Total Eclipse With Tumult Hype
In the video, Alto’s Odyssey is mentioned. That’s because the game includes a total solar eclipse. It doesn’t always happen. It’s quite rare actually. I was wondering if I imagined it. But, after sandboarding through the desert long enough, the game shows its version of an eclipse. It looks pretty good, but it was even better in reality.