GPlates Help and Discussion Thread

[AnthropocenianAge (AnthropocenianAge Arthropleura wants to give you a hug!)]

I want to learn how to use GPlates, since I want to try and make a different continental break-up and formation scenario for Earth. However, I am not sure if the software is very intensive, or if it easy to use for creating the scenario that I want. Does anyone else here have experience with GPlates software?

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

From what I can tell Fralegend and that person which is currently making the hexaquill loading screen story should have some experience with the program.

[Poodelicus (Crazy, Curious, and Stubborn)]

@aah31415

that person which is currently making the hexaquill loading screen story

Juuzo_Lenz214

They have a Youtube account where they have posted more of that project.

https://www.youtube.com/@thegammingbolaschannel7529/videos

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

By the way, I presume GPlates does not require a strong PC to work properly, correct?

[fralegend015 (Shroudmaster)]

Gplates does not require a strong pc, but it does require a strong mind.

I’m joking, but it is slightly tedious to use, not difficult, just tedious.

If you have questions I will try to answer them to the best of my ability,

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

How long does it take for the program to simulate (process) a continental drift for you?

[fralegend015 (Shroudmaster)]

It doesn’t simulate continental drifts, it just animates them, you are the one that has to tell it where they go.

Also, it is instantaneous.

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

I presume the program has settings changing the animation’s speed, correct?

[fralegend015 (Shroudmaster)]

No, it always goes at the same speed.

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

What are the limits of GPlates?

[AnthropocenianAge (AnthropocenianAge Arthropleura wants to give you a hug!)]

I am going through the tutorials right now. Are they sufficient for me to learn what I want to do, or do I need to play around with the program more than that?

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

Maybe do both, watch tutorials and play around?

[fralegend015 (Shroudmaster)]

I think they are sufficent (It’s how I learned how to use it), you will also get used to using Gplates when actually using the program.

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

Have you opened the program itself yet by the way?

[AnthropocenianAge (AnthropocenianAge Arthropleura wants to give you a hug!)]

Yes, before trying the tutorials. I made a random shape on the world view, and made it into a mid-ocean ridge, but it did not work when starting the time intervals.

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

How many tutorial videos have you watched yet?

[AnthropocenianAge (AnthropocenianAge Arthropleura wants to give you a hug!)]

I am going through the Tutorial PDFs, not the videos. It will take time, since I have other important stuff to do for university.

[Deathwake (i nuked zenzone and will never let him forget it)]

PDFs > videos imo. In general written down documentation is more versatile and accessible while working on the problem

[aah31415 (The maker of SitF, Radiostrocity, The Lifenote and TGBing; The Second Ascended...; And just maybe a security warning come alive...?)]

Are there areas where videos prevail or do no such fields exist?