Useful Helpers Repository (Programs/Spreadsheets etc.)

[Guckytos]

Hi everyone,

I thought it is about time someone started a sticky thread where all the little useful helpers for Celestia can be centrally linked.

The reason for this effort is that I just found that I accidentally killed the usefull program from Abramson for extraction of asteroids from the big database on my harddrive.
Then I had to remember what possible words would lead the search to find what I wanted.
Okay, I managed it, but it took some time and I know for sure that there are a lot more useful programs, spreadsheets and other stuff deep in the bowls of the forum.

Things that the old foxes have downloaded a long time ago, but things that would also be handy for newcomers. But those newcomers don't normally know that such tools already exist.

So this thread should be used to post links together with descriptions for useful helpers with Celestia. Please refrain from extensivly discussion the helpers here, otherwise the thread will get clogged, I fear.

Guckytos

EDIT: Since I don't know if people would or wouldn't like it if someone links directly to the downloads of the programs, I will will refrain from it and only link to the posts of the programs.

[Guckytos]

Okay, then let's directly start with the above mentioned program:

Asteroids scripted extraction from MPCORB.DAT This is the link to the corresponding thread.

This is a perl script from abramson, that is capable of reading MPCORB.DAT (the offcial table of asteroids orbital elements published by the Minor Planet Center of the IAU) and converting its data to .ssc format, to be used in Celestia.
The asteroids can be filtered and extracted by several criteria.

MPCORB.DAT contains nowadays nearly 350 thousand asteroids orbital elements (be careful with your extraction, you may end up with a catalog that clogs Celestia).

Regards,

Guckytos

[Guckytos]

Okay, this time I am linking to post where you can find a spreadsheet for calculation of habitable zones around stars.

Or so I understood the post.

For fictional / semi-fictional system creators

If any of you has other programs/helpers that should be added here, don't hesitate.

[Guckytos]

Here are some links to an alltime favorite: Coordinate transformations.

A nice usefull programm, that can convert nearly everything. It is called "Coordinate Conversions in Astronomy" or "CooC". That programm is also able to batch convert, by giving it a preformatted CSV file for input, there is also a WWW version of it.

But I don't know how accurate it really is.

Here is a link to a download location of the offline version of CooC: http://www.astro.utu.fi/EGal/Tools.html

Then there is a converter to be found at the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) website http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/forms/calculator.html

And then a link to the Chandra X-Ray center with a coordinate converter: http://cxc.harvard.edu/toolkit/precess.jsp

And then, last but not least the Object Position Finder, Coordinate Converter, and Separation Calculator
It has different output options and is also able to batch process an input file with a lot of coordinates.

[chris]

Circular orbit calculator:

http://home.att.net/~ntdoug/UCM2.html

Calculates orbital period, orbital velocity, and escape velocities for objects orbiting the planets of the Solar System (and Sun and Moon.) Useful for getting ballpark estimates for orbits within the Solar System.

--Chris

[revent]

Here are some links to an alltime favorite: Coordinate transformations.

A nice usefull programm, that can convert nearly everything. It is called "Coordinate Conversions in Astronomy" or "CooC". That programm is also able to batch convert, by giving it a preformatted CSV file for input, there is also a WWW version of it.

But I don't know how accurate it really is.

Here is a link to a download location of the offline version of CooC: http://www.astro.utu.fi/EGal/Tools.html

Accuracy of CooC is discussed here: http://www.astro.utu.fi/EGal/CooC/CooCaccuracy.html

Given their comments I'd suspect CooC uses an angle rotation method to transform coords, hence the errors near the poles. High accuracy requires using matrix methods.

[Guckytos]

Okay, I am digging deeper and deeper in the Addon-Threads.

Today some links to a Star Cluster Generator. No guarantees if it is working with the actual releases of Celestia, but a starting point anyways.

Rassilon's cluster generator http://www.shatters.net/~rassilon/

And also a Starsystem Generator:
Brons' StarGen

[Guckytos]

Since I am already in the mood of finding useful stuff, here is the next one.

SystemMaker is a program that helps in scripting Solar Sytem Catalog files by Monolyth. It is a GUI for editing the SSC files.

The latest version is 1.4 and from December 31, 2006 and can be found here. That means it won't be able to use the latest Celestia SSC features.

[Guckytos]

Well, I dug deep down into the forum, back until somewhere in 2005, before I thought about stopping.

There are still a few good helpers mentioned in the threads, and ones that I even remember, the only problem is that the website is gone.

So, if someone has good ideas/programs, feel free to add here.

Regards,

Guckytos

[Fenerit]

I'm not sure if this is the place for this, but in the case one were to be interested in modelling, Caligari, house of the 3d modeller trueSpace has turned free the last trueSpace version (7.6 Win only).

http://www.caligari.com/

[Guckytos]

Since Rassilon is (halfway) back I thought I'd ask him about his good tools that were available at his "Celestial Visions", mainly the SSC Generator and the online atmosphere creator called "Atmosphere Gauge 3.0", I think.

Bottom line is I got his permission to use/host/modify his tools. The only problem is that the website is since long gone and I can't find the online atmosphere creator (Atmosphere Gauge 3.0) anymore. Rassilon himself is trying to taking a look at his stuff, if he finds it somewhere.
So if any of you happen to have a working copy of this program, please send them to me, so that I can put it back online.

But the good news is that I had downloaded his SSC generator, that works also offline as an HTML. This page has been uploaded to my place here.
You can use it normally online I think, based on quick test from myself.
The junk that gets filled in (don't know from what) can get cleared out by hitting the "Reset" Button. And then fill in what is necessary.

As you can see from the year, this good program has some time on its back. So when someone wants to develop it further or to adapt it to the new Celestia features, the permission has been granted by Rassilon.
It would nonetheless nice in this case to give Rassilon a note of that.

Best regards,

Guckytos

EDIT: Changed the URL to the SSC generator, as PlutonianEmpire was so kind to provide me a copy with the full generator with all descriptions of planet classes.

[BobHegwood]

I'm not sure if this is the place for this, but in the case one were to be interested in modelling, Caligari, house of the 3d modeller trueSpace has turned free the last trueSpace version (7.6 Win only).

http://www.caligari.com/

I used to own a purchased version of this program, but I simply cannot remember if it allowed one to
export the Caligari format(s) out to 3ds... When I look at the site, I see NO options for import or
export to 3ds. Any idea whether this can be done or not?

Don't wish to register for another program if I can't use it for 3ds models. Any information about this?

Thanks, Bob

[Fenerit]

I'm not sure if this is the place for this, but in the case one were to be interested in modelling, Caligari, house of the 3d modeller trueSpace has turned free the last trueSpace version (7.6 Win only).

http://www.caligari.com/

I used to own a purchased version of this program, but I simply cannot remember if it allowed one to
export the Caligari format(s) out to 3ds... When I look at the site, I see NO options for import or
export to 3ds. Any idea whether this can be done or not?

Don't wish to register for another program if I can't use it for 3ds models. Any information about this?

Thanks, Bob

Yes, Bob; both ASCII and binary format. Here there some features:

http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSp ... isonTables

[BobHegwood]

Yes, Bob; both ASCII and binary format.

Okay, thanks a lot for that bit of information.

[nromanek]

I just need to express my thanks for the HTML SSC Code Generator 1.0. You know when you're looking for just one very specific thing. And then you find it. And then you're really happy. I just had that experience and it was good.

Neal


http://www.cyclopediaofworlds.com

[rthorvald]

Bottom line is I got his permission to use/host/modify his tools. The only problem is that the website is since long gone and I can't find the online atmosphere creator (Atmosphere Gauge 3.0) anymore.

Have you looked in his shatters dir?
http://www.celestiaproject.net/~rassilon/

There are two objects named "atmosphere" there, at least one of them is an executable (i checked, but obviously cannot run it on OSX).

- rthorvald

[Guckytos]

Bottom line is I got his permission to use/host/modify his tools. The only problem is that the website is since long gone and I can't find the online atmosphere creator (Atmosphere Gauge 3.0) anymore.

Have you looked in his shatters dir?
http://www.celestiaproject.net/~rassilon/

There are two objects named "atmosphere" there, at least one of them is an executable (i checked, but obviously cannot run it on OSX).

- rthorvald

Those are older versions of what I am looking for. I think they are written in BASIC, if I remember correct.

What I seek is a newer version that ran on his website.

Best regards,

Guckytos

[Rassilon]

I was able to find the old online guage but not the new windows executable...

http://belzorath.com/atmosphere.php

[Guckytos]

I was able to find the old online guage but not the new windows executable...

http://belzorath.com/atmosphere.php

Hi Rassilon,

that's good news. Is that your website? I think there never was a new windows executable. There was only the online atmosphere gauge and the very old (if not to say ancient ) executables from your shatters directory.

Should I try to mirror it? Hmm, if it runs on php this could be a problem as I only have webspace, but not php running.

Best regards,

Guckytos

[Rassilon]

Dont bother mirroring it... That domain will expire on Nov 11th and make that link useless... Until I purchase a new domain I will need to host it elsewhere...