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Deep-Space Objects for use with DeepSpaceTour script

Posted: 09.03.2004, 16:18
by TimMc
Below are some links to zipped uploads of a few of my favourite deep-space objects, referenced in the script DeepSpaceTour_v1.0.celx.

Each ZIP file includes the object's DSC, MODEL and TEXTURE files. Unzip them into your main Celestia directory and the files will automatically be put into the ..\EXTRAS\DEEPSPACE\OBJECT, ..\EXTRAS\DEEPSPACE\OBJECT\MODELS, and ..\EXTRAS\DEEPSPACE\OBJECT\TEXTURES\MEDRES sub-directories.

You will need to comment out any references to the same objects you might have in DSC files in your existing configuration, for example, in DEEPSKY.DSC.

Please note the work-around advice in the ReadMe file accompanying the DeepSpaceTour script, as loading too many DSC's will slow Celestia to a crawl while running this script.

I hope downloading some of these files will help you tour deep space in all the glory Celestia allows.

Regards, Tim Mc

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M1.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M16.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M17.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M57.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M81.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/M83.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/IC434.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/NGC1499.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/NGC2392.zip
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/timmcmahon/NGC7293.zip

Posted: 15.03.2004, 19:44
by Dora
Hi,

thanks a lot for these nice objects. :D

Ciao
Dora

Posted: 16.03.2004, 01:40
by TERRIER
Cheers Tim

Although I have models of all but 1 of the Nebulae and Galaxies on your list, I didn't have anything for the M1 Crab Nebula.

I've got to say that it looks mighty fine 8)

However, is there any reason for defining the nebula twice in your .dsc ?

thus;


Code: Select all

Nebula "M1 Crab Nebula"
{
   Mesh "M1.3ds"
   Radius    6.5
   RA    5.57554722
   Dec    22.01447222
   Distance 6300
   Axis [0.0915701 -0.845761 0.525645]
   Angle 181.921
}

Nebula "M1"
{
   Mesh "M1.3ds"
   Radius    6.5
   RA    5.57554722
   Dec    22.01447222
   Distance 6300
   Axis [0.0915701 -0.845761 0.525645]
   Angle 181.921
}


regards
TERRIER

PS Now I'm going to try out your deep space tour script :wink:

Posted: 16.03.2004, 06:01
by don
Hi TERRIER,

Just found this post. Haven't downloaded anything yet.

I will guess at a reply for you though ... Via script, Celestia does not recognize deep space objects with multiple names. Therefore, to use Tim's script, which requires individual names, he probably added the second definition, which uses a single name that Celestia can identify via script.

Re: Deep-Space Objects for use with DeepSpaceTour script

Posted: 16.03.2004, 07:31
by don
TimMc wrote:Below are some links to zipped uploads of a few of my favourite deep-space objects,

Thanks for sharing these DSOs Tim.

Posted: 16.03.2004, 23:17
by TERRIER
Cheers Don, I looked at this post first, before looking at the post concerning the script.

There's actually two more definitions in the .dsc that have been hashed out, so that every alternative name has just about been covered :lol:

Posted: 17.03.2004, 01:29
by don
Hi TERRIER,

Do you know if ... When there are multiple definitions like this in a DSC file, does Celestia load the same image multiple times -- once for each definition?

Posted: 17.03.2004, 11:18
by TERRIER
Don,

Apparently not..... well not on my system anyway.

I've just run Celestia again with the 2 definitions active in the .dsc, and looking at the "~" log, it appears that there is only 1 model loaded and 1 version of its textures loaded.

It is listed twice, (once as "M1" and the other as "M1 the Crab Nebula") when I try to select it via the RETURN/ENTER KEY, TAB KEY route.

Posted: 17.03.2004, 21:36
by don
Thanks TERRIER. It is good to know that we have a multi-DSO-naming work-around for the moment. :D

Multiple naming workaround for Deep Space Objects - & ot

Posted: 18.03.2004, 09:00
by TimMc
Don & Terrier

The multiple naming of DSOs by including the same details under multiple names in the DSC file seems to be a general feature of Celestia. I have done a similar thing giving asteroids multiple names in SSC files, so that they all come up when I type "Asteroid" into auto-complete target:

Code: Select all

# A few main belt asteroids . . .
"Castalia" "Sol"
{
        Class "asteroid"
        Mesh   "castalia.3ds"
         ... etc.
        Albedo 0.15
}

"Asteroid: Castalia" "Sol"   #(radar-mapped/generic)
{
        Class "asteroid"
        Mesh   "castalia.3ds"
         ... etc.
        Albedo 0.15
}


I have included the Messier object name at the beginning of all of my Deep Space Objects DSC file definitions for the same reason - so that when I type "M" all the Messier objects come up due to auto-complete. It also means that when I am viewing the universe with the "labelgalaxy" render flag set to "on" (following Sol but at a great distance from Sol), then although the Messier objects with multiple names display labels overwrite each other (because they are located at exactly the same position), nevertheless their "M???" designations are clearly visible because all the labels begin with that designation. But if I include the same object in the DSC file without the M??? designation at the head of its name, that label overwrites the "M" labels and makes the object label unreadable when viewing. (This sounds as clear as mud upon re-reading! I hope you can see what I am driving at.)

Code: Select all

Nebula "M1"
{
... etc.
}

Nebula "M1 Crab Nebula"
{
... etc.
}

#but not:
#Nebula "Crab Nebula"
#{   ...etc

Anyway, multiple identical entries (except for the object name) in DSC and SSC files is a useful workaround to provide alternative names for non-stellar objects while still allowing readability of labelled objects with multiple names.

Tim Mc

Posted: 18.03.2004, 10:16
by don
Howdy Tim,

Sure, I understood what you wrote ... but it's 3:30 am and I've been up for a loooong time <laughing>.

Re: Deep-Space Objects for use with DeepSpaceTour script

Posted: 19.03.2004, 06:30
by don

Howdy Tim,

Since you wrote this script, and shared some of the DSOs you have collected, I had to clean-up my extras directory and see what I actually had on the disk. While doing this, I uploaded the hard-to-find ones to my FTP site. Some are the ones you already list above, but some are in addition.

So, anyone who wants a few more Deep Space Objects, take a look here: ftp://www.donandcarla.com/DeepSpaceObjects/. There are four directories that contain zipped DSO files from AstroBoy, Jorge, Kileen, and Meegja.

Cheers,

Posted: 19.03.2004, 06:37
by don
If anyone out there has additional Deep Space Object Add-Ons that are not listed in Tim's list or on my FTP site, please upload (via FTP) them to: ftp://www.donandcarla.com/incomming (use anonomous for a userid). This is a one-way (UPload-only) directory so you will not be able to view it's contents.

Then I will place them in my public FTP directory for other folks to download.

:D Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for DSOs

Posted: 19.03.2004, 09:06
by TimMc
Thanks, Don, for these DSOs. You've saved me a job! I can cross another item off my "To Do" list. The only DSO I did not have was V838_MonNova. I look forward to viewing it.

I have previously had trouble with the NGC3132_EightBurstNebula model - hanging my system in fact (Celestia 1.3.1final at the time, running on Windows 98SE). I tried scaling down the texture files to 1k, but the problem persisted. Is this just something peculiar to me, or have others had the problem?

Cheers, Tim Mc

Re: Thanks for DSOs

Posted: 19.03.2004, 18:42
by don
TimMc wrote:Thanks, Don, for these DSOs.
My pleasure.

TimMc wrote:I have previously had trouble with the NGC3132_EightBurstNebula model...

Might have been a corrupt file. Try downloading and installing the one from my FTP site. It works on my Win XP Pro / ATI system in 1.3.1 final and 1.3.2 pre7.

Cheers,

Files have moved! See below

Posted: 07.05.2004, 13:57
by TimMc

Posted: 07.05.2004, 15:20
by selden
Tim,

Your /celestia/ page is protected against reading.
Do you anticipate being able to provide a viewable index page there?

Index page for my Celestia site

Posted: 08.05.2004, 10:57
by TimMc
Yes Selden, I will put a very basic index page with all the available download links on it in the next day or so. One day I'll do a pretty site.
Regards, Tim Mc

Re: Index page for my Celestia site

Posted: 27.05.2004, 01:11
by danielj
Some DSO files are not working.I unzip NGC 2237 to :
Extras>extras>Deep Space.
In this folder,I have IC 434,M57 and M51.
For a strange reason,these there weren?t working when I put inside Deep Space Objects,following the path Extras>DeepSpaceObjects.
About Rosetta Nebula,it is unzip in separate folders(textures,model and extras) and no in a unique folder,like NGC 2237.What can I do?
Other thing,I try to put the Eight Burst Nebula,but the Deep Space Tour don?t search for it.I think I have to use a bigger dsc or ssc deep space object.But which one?

Re: Index page for my Celestia site

Posted: 28.05.2004, 13:38
by TimMc
danielj wrote:Some DSO files are not working.I unzip NGC 2237 to :
Extras>extras>Deep Space.
In this folder,I have IC 434,M57 and M51.
For a strange reason,these there weren?t working when I put inside Deep Space Objects,following the path Extras>DeepSpaceObjects.
About Rosetta Nebula,it is unzip in separate folders(textures,model and extras) and no in a unique folder,like NGC 2237.What can I do?
Other thing,I try to put the Eight Burst Nebula,but the Deep Space Tour don?t search for it.I think I have to use a bigger dsc or ssc deep space object.But which one?

Hi Daniel. Probably the most helpful response I can give you is to tell you the directory structure I use which works for showing all the DSOs you have downloaded from my website. It is as follows (in Windows):

Code: Select all

..\celestia
       |_extras
           |_deepspaceobjects
               |_IC434                IC434.dsc     in top directory
                   |_models           IC434neb.3ds  in models directory
                   |_textures
                       |_medres       IC434neb.png  in medres directory
               |
               |_NGC2237              NGC2237.dsc   in top directory
                   |_models           NGC2237.3ds   in models directory
                   |_textures
                       |_medres       rosetta.png   in medres directory
               |
               |_etc.


It doesn't really matter how deeply nested the top directory for each individual DSO is situated, so long as it is under the extras directory. Celestia should find it.
You may want to check that the DSO name you call in the "Target" pane in Celestia is the same name used in each of the DSO dsc files - for example, I have renamed the Eight Burst Nebula "NGC 3132" in its dsc file to bring the name in line with other objects. "Eight Burst Nebula" will draw a blank.

Hope this helps. Tim Mc