Celestia Forums

BobHegwood wrote:

ElChristou wrote:I just propose then the dev team will have the last word for this kind of details (after all they are the boss! )

I still do not understand what all the fuss is about here. If we can use any image we like, then why does it even matter? I mean, I do understand that you might be concerned about the "official" releases, but if the user can change it to whatever they prefer, then what's the big deal?

Confused (as usual) Bob

Bob,

right you are, but nevertheless, we must deliver ONE splash as the official one, coming with the 1.6x Celestia distribution. That's the one we are discussing about. Sure enough, everyone is free to replace it by his/her favorite, once the archive has been installed.

Cheers,
Fridger

BobHegwood wrote:I still do not understand what all the fuss is about here. If we can use any image we like, then why does it even matter? I mean, I do understand that you might be concerned about the "official" releases, but if the user can change it to whatever they prefer, then what's the big deal?

Confused (as usual) Bob

I'm with you Bob.
The only reason I created these was because I was always running multiple different 1.5.0 pre-releases eg. PRE4, PRE5, PRE4 HDR, etc...which all reported themselves as 1.5.0 at startup, so this was a way to tell them apart at startup.

Personally, I don't care whether Celestia has a splash screen or not (I'm more interested in the function of Celestia, than in cosmetic features like splash screens).

Strangely, many other posts I've made in the past about Celestia functionality don't receive any attention at all , yet just put the words "Splash Screen" in the heading and look what happens.

I've never understood why so many people are so fascinated with such a trivial feature of Celestia.

It's clear however that any posts I make in the future (regardless of subject) should include the words "Splash Screen" somewhere in the title!

Chuft-Captain wrote:I'm with you Bob.
The only reason I created these was because I was always running multiple different 1.5.0 pre-releases eg. PRE4, PRE5, PRE4 HDR, etc...which all reported themselves as 1.5.0 at startup, so this was a way to tell them apart at startup.

Oh, okay...
Now I finally understand your original post. Sorry, but (as you may already know) I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. I kept seeing my 1.5.1 stating that it was loading, and I just did not understand why you'd need a version number displayed. Now I do, so thanks for the explanation.

Chuft-Captain wrote:It's clear however that any posts I make in the future (regardless of subject) should include the words "Splash Screen" somewhere in the title!

t00fri wrote:Bob,

right you are, but nevertheless, we must deliver ONE splash as the official one, coming with the 1.6x Celestia distribution. That's the one we are discussing about. Sure enough, everyone is free to replace it by his/her favorite, once the archive has been installed.

Cheers,
Fridger

Good Doctor, I completely understand the need for an "official" splash screen, but I'm simply amazed at all of the discussion here concerning something so trivial.
Hell, what do I know?

For me, the splash screen is the first and the more accessible description of what the program is or in what intention Celestia is designed. A common user has to feel that without to custom all program and knowing how to do, hasn't he?

As I say before, was a quick example but I like it too!

Surely a good shot!

I don't really understand why a version more cleared is a really problem? If we accept the idea that every stable version (like 1.5.0 and their optimizations like 1.5.1) should have a new splash each time, why building versions and their reference are not written and highlighted in red for example?Or a greyscale splash?. It avoids to redesign splash screen every time...

To my opinion a program such as celestia, paradoxaly mustn't look like a program : when we use it, we have to feel that, to forget this is a program!

The current splash screen designed for 1.5.0 was good but (this is only my opinion) :
- it feels old due to probably the font
- it feels impressive at the beginning, but after severals times, it feels boring due to the fact the image has not a lot details to discover at each time : the splash has only three big balls and that all !
- it seems that the splash forgets the space itself and focuses only on 3D objets and planets : where are stars and their light on a dark background : a dark illuminated background with stars feels good ; Is Celestia afraid of showing its capabilities to simulate dark skies? It seems that darkness image returns more difficulties to be read but it facilitates multiple interpretations and so dreams.
- I know that a splash has to show the name of its program, but for an astronomy program which don't want to be a useful tool and rather a view, a travel into space, Celestia masks all the image. What i like in last ElChristou's splash is the fact that the name is not very large and stays visible without masking the image.

chris wrote:- I much prefer the sans serif font
- I like the elegance of the type in Fridger's splash, but find that Helvetica is overused; something slightly more distinctive would be nice

Any particular sans-serif font? I rather like the one in ElChristou's version.

chris wrote:- I think the transparent band in Fridger's splash screen is a pleasing design element

How do you feel about transparent bands that fade out at the edges, such as by applying a gradient to the alpha channel mask (see image)?

chris wrote:- No pigs

I agree that the official distribution shouldn't have pigs, but post-release we can make custom splash screens with all the pigs we want.

Following ElChristou's ideas, I've done one another splash for suggestions.
I center on universe and show the shadow of planete for object rendering capabilities of Celestia.
I keep the title format suggested by ElChristou which feels for me, quite modern and show that great letter on special color is not needed in order to see easily the program title. Decentered, the title seem like the celestia label for constellations. Is Celestia would be only a little part of this large universe? I let you think that!

(Enlarge it to really see it please)

Not bad at all!
Would be nice to see so more splashs following those lines...

Thanks. It's only a draft splash, we can improve it surely, but its aim is to show only new ideas, new themes that wasn't well discussed and shown before.

[quote]How do you feel about transparent bands that fade out at the edges, such as by applying a gradient to the alpha channel mask (see image)?
[quote]

It feels like Saturn rings seen from side, doesn't it?

Imy wrote:

How do you feel about transparent bands that fade out at the edges, such as by applying a gradient to the alpha channel mask (see image)?

It feels like Saturn rings seen from side, doesn't it?

It's an alpha channel, not an image. The light bits are more opaque and the dark bits more transparent. If it was placed on a background, the light bits would make the background more subdued, and cause the alpha channel's layer to be more prominent in the image. For example, if the alpha channel encoded the text "CELESTIA", that text would be more prominent than it would be without the alpha channel masking the background.

I see.

Sorry I am late. I read this thread a few days ago. Here is my suggestion for the 1.6 splash screen



I could play with the planet sizes but the is taken from the movie 2001 space odyssey if you recall.

Don

Don, for me, no way to see your image... (probably something wrong with imageshark server..)

ElChristou wrote:Don, for me, no way to see your image... (probably something wrong with imageshark server..)

Is working now, Christophe... I had the same problem for a while. Just FYI...

It's suprising : what a empty feeling ! it's like you watch over a cliff. It makes you think about a large world just below your feet : you just have to make a step in and discover it with a new environment physics, no borders, no limit, no heaviness.
That's invite you to enter in, i like this idea. It's an original idea for a splash.

I don't really like the alignment of the three planets but it's needed to simulate the hole effect described above.

Don,

Well, if you don't mind an honest opinion here, I don't like it.
I very much like the planets and the image as a whole, but I simply do NOT like the text.

Sorry, Bob

BobHegwood wrote:Don,

Well, if you don't mind an honest opinion here, I don't like it.
I very much like the planets and the image as a whole, but I simply do NOT like the text.

Sorry, Bob

No offense taken. I just quickly hacked the text and made it look back lit. There are hundreds of fonts out there so that can be changed easily. I am thinking of making the planets more different is size but have not thought it out completely.

Don

--- edit ---

Nice try John. I don't care for the box with Celestia in it. I like the effect of the shadow on the rings with the chrome letters. However the chrome letters are reflecting a blue sky and terrestrial ground. The chrome needs to reflect its environment. That would be black and very uninteresting. Maybe if you put the lettering behind Saturn then the chrome would reflect the planet and rings but have lost the shadow. Also I think one of the things that I like about the current splash screen is the alpha key at the top of the image. I think that should be in any future screen. I will see if I can improve on you idea.

Don

--- edit ---