Sorting the add-on directory-a few queries

[ziggy]

Hi all,
Firstly,thanks and appreciation for the latest pre-release to Chris and any others involved. I was surprised to see Earth in the opener, as that was always my first edit! Am I right about IO being there because of its binary connotations? I really like the alternate surface option.I did a relatively painless upgrade using the "total add-on directory" method which I would strongly recommend, even though it seems like a lot of folders to create at first.This worked fine for all added-on vehicles,nebulae etc. I also used the new alternate surface option to add the bathymetry ssc/texture to Earth. I hadn't previously grasped that the alternate resolution mode using the "r" key only worked with files of the same name and type in the different folders (hires etc) so it didn't work with a dds file, a jpeg, and a png for example (aren't I thick). So I edit the ssc and change textures that way, this being more to remember to do, when changing to a newer version.What has eluded me so far,(and is probably/hopefully obvious), is how to do this with alternative textures such as night lights, aurorae, and clouds, in the same way as the bathymetry texture. My graphics card will only cope with so much, so switching to different combinations of textures would be handy. Can you have more than one alternative texture in the right click menu? Can this be done without editing the solar ssc? Ideally I would like not to have to edit any "original" files, and use only the add-on directory for all customisations, so it will be even easier to upgrade. I am also still hoping someone can solve the 1752 clock problem-any hope?
Thanks again,especially to the genius contingent ,but also those whose contributions make this such an entertaining forum,
regards ziggy :D

[selden]

Ziggy,

Celestia v1.3.1pre3 and later now support "wildcard filetypes". This means that if you specify a texture filetype of * as in "earth.*" then r and R will switch between textures\lores\earth.jpg, medres\earth.png and hires\earth.dds so long as those are the only files with that name.

The filetype search order is .PNG, .JPG and finally .DDS, so if you have earth.jpg in the same directory with earth.dds, you'll see the jpg texture, not the dds.

You can define as many alternate textures as you want in a separate .SSC file, and they'll all be listed in the context manu.

Does this help?

[ElPelado]

and what about 1752??

[selden]

Someday

Chris will have to write (or someone will have to provide) a replacement for the Microsoft date input routine. He's been working on more interesting things.

Don't forget that you can create Cel:// URLs for dates that interest you.

[selden]

Ziggy,

Sorry, I should have quoted your message. I overlooked your question about textures. You can specify alternates for any of the surface texture maps. Clouds aren't surface textures.

In other words, this works:

Code: Select all

AltSurface "Lowell's Canals" "Sol/Mars"
   {
      Texture "plmars-texture-v3.*"
      NightTexture "plmars2-night-v3.*"
      BumpMap "marsbump.*"
      BumpHeight 2.5
   }

(Except that the nighttexture I made is really ugly, so you'll have to provide your own.)

[ziggy]

Seldon-thanks for your advice, I hadn't understood the wildcard thing,as applied here(although I've used it for searches etc), It's now gripped.I had done a fair bit of unnecessary work making ssc files to include alternative textures to display in the right click menu, when I just had to re-name the front part of them and put them in hires etc. You live and learn. I thought that cloud-maps and the like were textures because they go in the textures folder.....
regards ziggy

[selden]

I thought that cloud-maps and the like were textures because they go in the textures folder.....
regards ziggy

They are textures. They're just not planet surface textures.
The new alternates are only for surface textures.

[ziggy]

oh! now I see, please don't be on my account, I'm easily baffled but I'm quite used to it.... be
ziggy

[selden]

Ziggy,

I'm on my own account!

Personally, I'd like to see alternate texture support both for clouds and for Nebula textures. Maybe someday in a future major release....