Mobile Celestia for Android

[Markerz]

For iOS/macOS, see Celestia for iOS/macOS

Permanent link for Celestia for Android

Please report any bug/crash that you encounter on Github issues

Github repo for Android: https://github.com/levinli303/AndroidCelestia

1.0 download
You can also get it on Google Play to stay updated.

What's new in RC

1. Better RTL support
2. Support time reversing
3. Support marker, reference vector display
4. Added subsystem option in info view
5. Added eclipse finder
6. Added Japanese localization
7. Added Noto fonts as default fonts

What's new in beta 7

1. Display info button in the toolbar, allow hiding toolbar
2. Add controls for faintest visible, ambient light, minimum labelled feature size, galaxy brightness
3. Switch between object mode and camera mode in toolbar
4. Debug actions (toggle display FPS, console)
5. Better support for modern phone screens
6. TTF and system font support
7. HiDPI & MSAA support
8. Native GLES support

What's new in beta 6

1. Tap anywhere in search field to start searching and hide keyboard when clicking "Search" on keyboard
2. Load scripts from extra folder in Favorites
3. Add localization for Simplified Chinese (Mainland China), Russian and Portuguese (Brazil)
4. Fix a bug where search stops functioning after clicking "Search" on keyboard
5. Fix displaying km as m in object info view
6. Fix crash after staying in background for long

What's new in beta 5

1. Buttons to toggle rotate/move around, to zoom in/out
2. Do nothing when return is pressed
3. Support loading Celestia configuration and data from another location

What's new in beta 4

1. Use content from CelestiaContent repo
2. Fix some crash

The atmosphere rendering should have been restored in this version

What's new in beta 3

1. Load library asynchronously on start up
2. Use system search view and limit search result number (Fix crash in search)
3. Load star browser item on start up, fix crash in star browser

This is the first beta version built on CI

What's new in beta 2

1. Fix a potential crash in Search
2. Update the interaction in Favorite-Bookmarks
3. Load Celestia library asynchronously on start up
4. Display tutorial message on first start up
5. Support reading extras directory (for add-ons), it should be located in Android/data/space.celestia.mobilecelestia/files/CelestiaResources/extras
6. In APK, a crash reporting system (App Center) is incorporated

Here's a screenshot running Vision's add-on

One probably unnoticed feature in Beta 1, you should be able to open cel:// url and run .cel/.celx script using Mobile Celestia

What's in beta 1

it should run on any Android 5.0+ device, no idea if emulators will work
the interactions and UI are very much like it on iOS

gestures (you can click help in action menu to view it):
1. one finger drag/pan, to rotate around a body (right click(or control click) drag on desktop)
2. two finger drag/pan, to move around (left click drag on desktop)
3. two finger pinch, to zoom in/out (mousewheel on desktop)
4. one finger tap (left click on desktop)

All source code is available on Github, if you have the corresponding third party libraries ready (which is a hell to get), it should compile.

[onetwothree]

Great work!

Added after 1 hour 48 minutes:
Could you publish apk file?

[Lafuente_Astronomy]

Nice! And in time too! Some new members of the Discord Server are wondering if there would be such a release, and we've assured them that there is. As always, keep up the good work! Can't wait to download this in both my phone and emulator once it's done

[Markerz]

Released the first beta, the APK is available for download, check the thread for link

[onetwothree]

Great! On my phone it's quite laggy, especially when new textures are being loaded or higher LOD for spheres is calculated. I suppose the latter can be fixed with precomputed spheres. It also misbehaves when I try to search for ISS (goes into background).
I'll continue to test it.

[Markerz]

It also misbehaves when I try to search for ISS (goes into background).

How did it happen, did it crash? or present as a wrong gesture to go back to home screen?

on Android studio, there is a perf tool, it looks really great, cool visualization for the how long each method takes during a period of time, I think it can be used to help optimize Celestia's performance too.

here's the draw method

[onetwothree]

or present as a wrong gesture to go back to home screen?

This. I suppose. At least looks like this.

here's the draw method

Galaxy rendering is too slow. As expected. And octree has to be optimized.

[pirogronian]

And octree has to be optimized.

Even more than currently? I will be impressed, if anyone make it so...

[Markerz]

This. I suppose. At least looks like this.

a crash actually sounds more reasonable to me. if it crashes too many times, it should trigger a system dialog informing you that. I discovered some UI code that might lead to a crash in search.

in the next beta, I'll integrate some crash reporting system, so as to find out the cause for crashes more easily.

[SevenSpheres]

I have Android Celestia working on my phone now; for some reason the APK file wouldn't download with Chrome so I had to use Firefox (at Anthony's suggestion). I'll list some thoughts on it.

The Sun looks a bit too yellow, I'm not sure what's going on there (it may just be this bug). Also, is it possible to use addons with Android Celestia? If so, how?

Appearance of the Sun in Android Celestia

Added after 11 minutes 55 seconds:

51 Pegasi and its planet in Android Celestia

Added after 15 minutes 14 seconds:
Another thing: where are the data files actually located in the repository? I can't find them.

Added after 3 hours 52 minutes:
I just noticed that the author list on the Android version hasn't been updated.

[Lafuente_Astronomy]

I can attest that while I have downloaded the app, it crashes even before I can see stuff in there. This is probably what onetwothree encountered so until that is fixed, I am unable to continue further

[Markerz]

The Sun looks a bit too yellow, I'm not sure what's going on there (it may just be this bug)

Yes I think so, sources for celestia is based on the master branch of Celestia

Also, is it possible to use addons with Android Celestia? If so, how?

Not in this beta. But I should bring it in the next beta. My idea is that , Celestia will set up a specific folder as the “extra” folder for addons, one would just put in files in that folder to make it load.

Another thing: where are the data files actually located in the repository? I can't find them.

To compile it, you need to have the original Celestia repo side by side with this Android repo. The building process will compiles source files from Celestia repo and copy content file from Celestia repo too.

I just noticed that the author list on the Android version hasn't been updated.

Yep, it is read from the AUTHORS and TRANSLATORS file in celestia repo

Added after 4 minutes 19 seconds:

I can attest that while I have downloaded the app, it crashes even before I can see stuff in there. This is probably what onetwothree encountered so until that is fixed, I am unable to continue further

This is weird, cause onetwothree got it to load and the “crash” happened while in use.

Again I should have included the crash reporting system in. I’ll post an updated version as early as on Monday. It might not fix the crash, but at least I could see what went wrong in the process when I can view the crash log. Meanwhile if you know where to find the crash log on your device you can post it here too or share some more details

[SevenSpheres]

To compile it, you need to have the original Celestia repo side by side with this Android repo. The building process will compiles source files from Celestia repo and copy content file from Celestia repo too.

Since onetwothree is going ahead with CelestiaContent regardless of objections from me and others, shouldn't it use the files from there?

Yep, it is read from the AUTHORS and TRANSLATORS file in celestia repo

So it is. It seems these files have been updated on the 1.6.2 branch but not on the master branch!

[Markerz]

Seems like I replied twice

Added after 8 minutes 32 seconds:

Since onetwothree is going ahead with CelestiaContent regardless of objections from me and others, shouldn't it use the files from there?

Yeah that’s the plan, the use of celestia content on master branch of celestia repo was just merged. For this Android repo it will follow too

[Lafuente_Astronomy]

This is weird, cause onetwothree got it to load and the “crash” happened while in use.

Well, I am using an emulator called BlueStacks, so it may operate a bit differently then from using an actual Android Phone. But whether the crashed happen before usage or during usage, that has to be fixed. In fact, that is probably the priority

[Markerz]

Well, I am using an emulator called BlueStacks, so it may operate a bit differently then from using an actual Android Phone. But whether the crashed happen before usage or during usage, that has to be fixed. In fact, that is probably the priority

gotta say i do not know how emulators work. I’d still advise using a real device. maybe it can be the related to gl. I’ll look into it though

[Lafuente_Astronomy]

gotta say i do not know how emulators work

Maybe I can show you the website for BlueStacks. There's probably some info there: https://www.bluestacks.com

Of course it's primarily focused on high-quality android games. But of course, the essentials apply

Added after 29 seconds:

I’d still advise using a real device. maybe it can be the related to gl. I’ll look into it though

Alright. I'll do that tomorrow though

[abramson]

I downloaded it and it run very well on a Moto G7. Thanks!
Guillermo

[Markerz]

Beta 2 released, check the original post for changes and download

[SevenSpheres]

I have beta 2 installed (I checked Settings -> About -> Version to be sure) and I'm seeing the same crash in search from beta 1 (specifically when I type certain letters, such as "m"). I also installed Vision's Milky Way center addon to "Android/data/space.celestia.mobilecelestia/files/CelestiaResources/extras" as Markerz said, and I'm unable to find any of the objects from that addon in the search.