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Combining Celestia and Stellarium?
Posted: 11.09.2006, 03:23
by codrinb
Hi all,
After playing with Stellarium for a while, here is a thought:
How about merging the two?
It would be cool to travel with Celestia to Mars or a exoplanet, then look at the sky with the Stellarium technology.
I can image this would be a big task, but they are both C++ applications, hoste on sourcefourge, having the code in CVS etc. Plus joining forces could only create a better system by sharing ideas, technologies, engines, libraries etc., unless some unforseen egos stay in the way.
Thoughts anyone?
Cheers!
-Codrin
Posted: 11.09.2006, 06:25
by Malenfant
Well we can already look at the sky on alien planets using Celestia - not terribly well admittedly, but the ability is there.
It probably wouldn't be remotely easy to merge two totally different projects... and even if people were up for it then I can certainly think of one or two very large egos in this community who would get in the way of any such merger!
I'd suspect the general response would be that the developers have their hands full enough just sorting out Celestia, never mind merging it with something else.
Posted: 11.09.2006, 14:45
by chris
No, Celestia and Stellarium are not going to merge. I don't see the point--there's a overlap between the two, but they're specialized for different things. Celestia's generality--the ability to view space from any point--comes at a price. For example, Celestia is restricted to using only those star catalogs that include stellar distances, whereas Stellarium could use any of a number of much larger catalogs.
I will consider implementing features that would make Celestia better for viewing the skies of Earth or other worlds. If there's an annoying shortcoming, please suggest a fix.
--Chris
Posted: 11.09.2006, 14:54
by Malenfant
chris wrote:I will consider implementing features that would make Celestia better for viewing the skies of Earth or other worlds. If there's an annoying shortcoming, please suggest a fix.
--Chris
Well one thing I've found annoying is the lack of any reference frame on the planet. Some kind of "compass" showing which way you're looking would be nice.
Posted: 11.09.2006, 15:55
by rthorvald
chris wrote:I will consider implementing features that would make Celestia better for viewing the skies of Earth or other worlds. If there's an annoying shortcoming, please suggest a fix.
I am sure it will never happen, but collision detection would go a long way...
Anyhow, Malenfant??s compass would be very nice. Particularily if it also included a readout of the camera??s current XYZ position (at least relative to the star)...
- rthorvald
Posted: 11.09.2006, 16:28
by ElChristou
Yep, a compass would be great, but not like the Stellarium one, something available on demand and more discreet/elegant
Posted: 11.09.2006, 16:48
by chris
ElChristou wrote:Yep, a compass would be great, but not like the Stellarium one, something available on demand and more discreet/elegant
There's a crude compass in Celestia already. Turn on the equatorial grid and you'll see the compass. It would be more useful if the compass points were labeled.
--Chris
Posted: 11.09.2006, 17:07
by t00fri
chris wrote:ElChristou wrote:Yep, a compass would be great, but not like the Stellarium one, something available on demand and more discreet/elegant
There's a crude compass in Celestia already. Turn on the equatorial grid and you'll see the compass. It would be more useful if the compass points were labeled.
--Chris
Honestly, this "blue thing" I have never liked and never used
.
(sorry Chris, I know you did it..)
Along with a compass, we should at last address the long overdue readout package, including different (FOV adaptable!) grids according to popular frames of reference, cursor readout and a good graphical compass for each system. Switching among grids is a most useful feature for general orientation in Space (depending on the project).
Bye Fridger
Posted: 11.09.2006, 17:32
by ElChristou
chris wrote:...It would be more useful if the compass points were labeled.
True; I was thinking in a more classical compass, more like this:
Posted: 11.09.2006, 17:35
by ElChristou
t00fri wrote:Along with a compass, we should at last address the long overdue readout package, including different (FOV adaptable!) grids according to popular frames of reference, cursor readout and a good graphical compass for each system. Switching among grids is a most useful feature for general orientation in Space (depending on the project).
Yep, this would be excellent...
Posted: 11.09.2006, 23:03
by fsgregs
A compass readout as suggested in Chris's image above would be ideal.
I would also like to have the ability to see the latitude and longitude displayed where I am at, when positioned over a particular spot on the planet (perhaps by adding it to the verbose text readout on the screen). I know it can be accessed from the "Go to Object" screen in the navigation menu, but a screen display would be nice.
Could a command to display (print) Latitude and Longitude be added to a cel script or celx script?
Frank
Posted: 11.09.2006, 23:15
by t00fri
Oh, sorry, with my 1600x1200 resolution I was unable to see where the compass was in ElChristou's image above
. The was some kind of smudge in the bottom line, though ...
After scaling the resolution down dramatically, I think this solution is simple, intuitive and elegant!
Bye Fridger
Posted: 11.09.2006, 23:45
by Cham
Yes, I love this compass too. Simple, efficient, elegant and clean.
Also, I would like to have the coordinates shown somewhere on screen.
Posted: 12.09.2006, 00:39
by ElChristou
Yep, easy to do on a pict, but I supose it's not so easy to code...
Posted: 12.09.2006, 01:31
by codrinb
Oh boy!
I didn't realize I am going to start such a thread
Great ideas everyone!
I agree that Celestia with the addition of certain features could match Stellarium. It already is much much more.
Regards!
-Codrin
Posted: 12.09.2006, 08:46
by Sui Ota
chris wrote:I will consider implementing features that would make Celestia better for viewing the skies of Earth or other worlds. If there's an annoying shortcoming, please suggest a fix.
I've been thought about more useful alt-azimuth mode.
When I enabled alt-azimuth mode, "Alt-azimuth mode" is shown. But same message is also shown when I 'disabled' it. So sometimes I can't recognize whether the mode is enabled or disabled. There is an unintentional leaning of horizon with left or right arrow key
It would be useful to display the condition.
For example:
in celestiacore.cpp, lines 1381-1385
Code: Select all
case '\006': // Ctrl+F
if(!altAzimuthMode)
{
flash(_("Alt-azimuth mode enabled"));
}
else
{
flash(_("Alt-azimuth mode disabled"));
}
addToHistory();
altAzimuthMode = !altAzimuthMode;
break;instead of
Code: Select all
case '\006': // Ctrl+F
flash(_("Alt-azimuth mode"));
addToHistory();
altAzimuthMode = !altAzimuthMode;
break;And it would be also useful that alt-azimuth mode can be controlled with scripts. This will enable to make the mode activated at the time of Celestia launched (For instance, a script that begins on the surface of Earth...).
Posted: 14.09.2006, 16:11
by Sky Pilot
In addition to showing the lat and long of where you are, you would also have to be able to enter a specific lat and long that you type in -- define your location and Celestia would put you there.
Also, to use Celestia as a planitarium, it would have to include such things as nebula, clusters, etc. that aren't currently in the program. Stellarium will show you all of the Messier objects, etc. And it gives you the ability to find them in the sky (search for M44 and it'll point you to it).
The advantage of using Celestia as a planitarium would be immense, especially in education. I can see showing kids an object like a globular cluster or the pinwheel galaxy, or an asterism like the big dipper from the point of view of where you are on earth, and then traveling to the object to see how it changes as you approach it.
Posted: 14.09.2006, 16:35
by selden
Sky Pilot wrote:In addition to showing the lat and long of where you are, you would also have to be able to enter a specific lat and long that you type in -- define your location and Celestia would put you there.
You already can specify Lat & Long as a destination in the Navigation/GoTo menu under Windows. When you first open the GoTo menu it shows your current Lat & Long relative to the selected body. It'd be nice if those values were updated in realtime, though.
Also, to use Celestia as a planitarium, it would have to include such things as nebula, clusters, etc. that aren't currently in the program.
They're available as Addons, though.
Stellarium will show you all of the Messier objects, etc. And it gives you the ability to find them in the sky (search for M44 and it'll point you to it).
So does Celestia, but you need to include a space between the catalog abbreviation (M) and the catalog entry number (44).
The advantage of using Celestia as a planitarium would be immense, especially in education. I can see showing kids an object like a globular cluster or the pinwheel galaxy, or an asterism like the big dipper from the point of view of where you are on earth, and then traveling to the object to see how it changes as you approach it.
Celestia does that.
You might want to read the Celestia User's Guide, if you haven't already done so, and participate in the "Celestia in Education Forum"