Wireframe Models?

[rustyshock]

Is there any way in Celestia to force the program to display only certain models in wireframe at all times? I'd like to do that to create, say, forcefields or to map out regions of space. Thanks!

[selden]

Sorry, no. You have to design the model itself to be a wireframe.

Celestia's proprietary model format (CMOD) lets you specify "linelist", which draws lines between the vertices. It isn't ideal, though, since the lines are always a single-pixel wide and a constant brightness. This doesn't provide appropriate distance indications.

[Cham]

To make a force field, it is ideal to have single pixel wide lines. The CMOD format is perfect for that.

[selden]

Cham,

It would be better if lines distant from the viewpoint were narrower and dimmer than lines close to the viewpoint. Celestia does not currently do this.

[Cham]

I'm not sure if it would be better, Selden. Force field lines are not "real". They aren't made of matter, they are just mathematical abstractions. Making them thicker with shorter distances may also lead to some complications in the code, since the part of the line in the foreground should appears thicker than the part of the same line which goes to the background. It may be aesthetically pleasing, however.