After the "layers", now the ... "multi-layers" ! ;-)

[Cham]

Here's the latest in addons technology

The "layers" concept was introduced in 2008 for Celestia 1.6.0. Now in 2009, we have the "multi-layers". Basically, it's a generalisation of the layers concept for Celestia : a single script let the user to switch various layers, one at a time. The experience feels a bit like "PowerPoint".

Here's an example applied to the Milky Way's galactic center, using several layers of billboards (click the picture to enlarge) :

multilayer.jpg

The billboards are adjusted very precisely, using the galactic center and the Pistol star.

The Sgr A* addon I created recently can be shown in front of the billboards, to give some explanations in a classroom :

Sgr.jpg

Or the central black hole :

BH.jpg

The new multi-layers technique will introdue a new class of addons in the near future. Here's the CELX script associated to the previously shown galactic addon (sorry, the comments are in French) :

Code: Select all

-- Title: Pr?senter le centre galactique de la Voie Lact?e

    GC1 = celestia:find("Centre de la Voie Lact?e")
    GC2 = celestia:find("Centre de la Voie Lact?e (infrarouge)")
    GC3 = celestia:find("D?tail du centre de la Voie Lact?e")

if not GC1:visible() and not GC2:visible() and not GC3:visible() then
    GC1:setvisible(true)
    GC2:setvisible(false)
    GC3:setvisible(false)

    celestia:select(GC1)
    celestia:getobserver():center(GC1, 1)
    wait(1)
    celestia:setrenderflags { nebulae = true }
    celestia:print(" Le centre galactique de la Voie Lact?e.\n Photographie en lumi?re visible et infrarouge.", 5)

elseif GC1:visible() and not GC2:visible() and not GC3:visible() then
    GC1:setvisible(false)
    GC2:setvisible(true)
    GC3:setvisible(false)

    celestia:print(" Le centre galactique de la Voie Lact?e en infrarouge.\n Photographie du t?lescope spatial Spitzer.", 5)

elseif not GC1:visible() and GC2:visible() and not GC3:visible() then
    GC1:setvisible(false)
    GC2:setvisible(true)
    GC3:setvisible(true)

    celestia:print(" D?tail du centre galactique de la Voie Lact?e.\n Composition photographique des t?lescopes Hubble et Spitzer.", 5)

elseif not GC1:visible() and GC2:visible() and GC3:visible() then
    GC1:setvisible(false)
    GC2:setvisible(false)
    GC3:setvisible(false)

    celestia:print("Images effac?es", 3)
end


The addon will be published once I find some good server. The problem is that I now have a large number of new "layers" addons to be published !

[BobHegwood]

The addon will be published once I find some good server. The problem is that I now have a large number of new "layers" addons to be published !

What's wrong with the Motherlode?
Just curious...

[Cham]

What's wrong with the Motherlode?
Just curious...

Very simple :

1- Takes too much time to update. Too complicated to upload something. Not very usefull to publish something with a link on the forum.
2- There's too much scrap there.

[BobHegwood]

Very simple :

1- Takes too much time to update. Too complicated to upload something. Not very usefull to publish something with a link on the forum.
2- There's too much scrap there.

Okay, thanks very much for the honest opinion, Martin.
Appreciate the information, and I agree. Unfortunately I don't
know what to do about it at the moment. We'll see if we can
get better.

Thanks again, Brain-Dead

[Cham]

Here's a new "multi-layer" I'm working on. I'll probably add a charged particle path around the magnetic field lines.

Sol_multilayer.jpg

The script is very simple to use : launch it several times to cycle through the multi-layer until we reach the end (OFF state). It truly feels like a PowerPoint presentation in Celestia.