Celestia v1.3 feature request: config "render:basic"

[selden]

It'd help with debugging problems if one could tell Celestia to start with minimum shading functionality. Currently the default is to start with all of the vertex shading enabled that the system's OpenGL claims to support. Unfortunately, many OpenGL libraries have bugs, and, occasionally, Celestia's use of them has bugs.

Suggestion:
If Celestia encounters in celestia.cfg the line

Code: Select all

RenderPath "Basic"

it should start up using that graphics mode.
As now, when no RenderPath is specified, Celestia should use the most sophisticated path supported by the OpenGL library.

It'd be nice if other RenderPath modes were recognized, too, but I think being able to select "Basic" is adequate.

Apparently one can explicitly disable particular GL_ARB routines, but that seems a little too fine-grained for most cases.

[chris]

This is a good idea, though I'll probably turn it into a script command instead of a config file parameter.

As you mentioned, the IgnoreGLExtensions config file parameter can be used to change the modes available, but it's not an easy thing to figure out. I added the feature primarily for my own benefit when testing the different render paths.

--Chris

[selden]

Chris,

If it's certain that a script command (presumably the first statement in start.cel) will be executed before Celestia even tries to open a window, that'd be fine.