I'd like a "Show" option that allows spacecraft to be toggled.
I've got such a collection of them around Earth now that they can signifigantly effect my performance, and though I like to have them, I'd like to be able to turn them off at times. Right now I do this by decreasing visibility, but that effects star display too which is undesired.
And actually, it would be nice if you could toggle all of the various object types Celestia supports individually (Moons, Asteroids, etc).
Featue Request-Spacecraft Toggle
Dear Kolano:
I agree that a toggle for spacecraft would be very useful. I too have lots of them in orbit around Earth. However, there is a work-around. If you edit their ssc files to include either beginning or ending dates or both, then Celestia will not draw them and they will not slow down your frame rate when viewing Earth near them unless you happen to be in the time frame that the ssc file specifies. For example, although Celestia add-ons contain dozens of Earth-based spacecraft, only a few are currently in orbit (ISS, Hubble, etc.) Many of them have come down again or been destroyed (Mir, Skylab, Sputnik, etc.) By using beginning and ending dates in the ssc files, they will not be drawn by Celestia unless you are visiting that time period.
To add a beginning or ending date to an ssc file, do the following:
1. Locate and open the ssc file for that spacecraft using a plain-text editor.
It may say something like this:
"Skylab" "Sol/Earth" {
Class "spacecraft"
Mesh "skylab.3ds"
Radius 0.015
EllipticalOrbit {
Add a Beginning and Ending line to the ssc file in this format:
"Skylab" "Sol/Earth" {
Class "spacecraft"
Mesh "skylab.3ds"
Radius 0.015
Beginning "1973 05 14 01:00:00" #specifies a date of May 14, 1973 at 1 AM UTC
Ending "1979 07 11 01:00:00" #specifies a date of July 11, 1979 at 1 AM UTC.
EllipticalOrbit {
I also have a downloadable file on my website (see my link below) that defines the beginning and ending dates for a whole bunch of spacecraft.
Hope this helps.
Frank
I agree that a toggle for spacecraft would be very useful. I too have lots of them in orbit around Earth. However, there is a work-around. If you edit their ssc files to include either beginning or ending dates or both, then Celestia will not draw them and they will not slow down your frame rate when viewing Earth near them unless you happen to be in the time frame that the ssc file specifies. For example, although Celestia add-ons contain dozens of Earth-based spacecraft, only a few are currently in orbit (ISS, Hubble, etc.) Many of them have come down again or been destroyed (Mir, Skylab, Sputnik, etc.) By using beginning and ending dates in the ssc files, they will not be drawn by Celestia unless you are visiting that time period.
To add a beginning or ending date to an ssc file, do the following:
1. Locate and open the ssc file for that spacecraft using a plain-text editor.
It may say something like this:
"Skylab" "Sol/Earth" {
Class "spacecraft"
Mesh "skylab.3ds"
Radius 0.015
EllipticalOrbit {
Add a Beginning and Ending line to the ssc file in this format:
"Skylab" "Sol/Earth" {
Class "spacecraft"
Mesh "skylab.3ds"
Radius 0.015
Beginning "1973 05 14 01:00:00" #specifies a date of May 14, 1973 at 1 AM UTC
Ending "1979 07 11 01:00:00" #specifies a date of July 11, 1979 at 1 AM UTC.
EllipticalOrbit {
I also have a downloadable file on my website (see my link below) that defines the beginning and ending dates for a whole bunch of spacecraft.
Hope this helps.
Frank