Post #5by Cham » 02.05.2005, 16:34
I suggest without the foil, if the details are interesting. Foils are hard to make as realistic parts. Actually, here's my perception of realistic models for Celestia :
All realistic models (as opposed to SF models) should be made as 3D schematics only, with a minimum of textures. Ideally, textures shouldn't be used on them, except for logos and solar panels.
In Celestia, there's no way we can render realistic models as the real things, because the real things tend to have a lots of complicated details on them which cannot be shown within Celestia. Celestia doesn't allow realistic rendering, anyway, like real reflections, shadows, etc.
I think all realistic models should be used as 3D representations of the real things, like some kind of "3D schematics". There's no way we can have a "photographic" like representation of the real satellites, for example. So I believe all models should be made as some "simple" but convincing representations, with the principal features clearly in evidence. Also, a model with too much details may give the impression that it is very accurate, and this may be an illusion. The user must know, just by looking at model, that it's just a nice representation of the real thing. Keep things simple.
"Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin", thought Alice; "but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!"
It has to reflect infra-red, too, otherwise it wouldn't be much good as a thermal protective layer. If the coating is really thin and the radio wavelength is long enough, then some of the radio waves will get through. The question is if the attenuation is small enough not to matter.
