Can you tell me if I am on the right path?

[Hawkes]

I'm hoping I can get some feedback on my plans here before I start journeying down the wrong path. My goal is to start off with an object similiar to a spacecraft. I want to then follow that object switching views from the object rotating to the journey ahead, back to the object and continue to follow it like this on a path through the solar system down around the sun and end up at earth. A huge plus would be to be able to fly down into the atmosphere towards my home similiar to what I could do with Google Earth.

I believe that once I have decided on the object or spacecraft, that I need to create and xyz file for it that gives the object its' path? Assuming that is correct, are there any utilities to help create such a file/path?

Lastly, if there is the ability to zoom down through the atmosphere towards my house, how close can I get before having to fade in video from something like Google earth?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

[selden]

I'm hoping I can get some feedback on my plans here before I start journeying down the wrong path. My goal is to start off with an object similiar to a spacecraft. I want to then follow that object switching views from the object rotating to the journey ahead, back to the object and continue to follow it like this on a path through the solar system down around the sun and end up at earth. A huge plus would be to be able to fly down into the atmosphere towards my home similiar to what I could do with Google Earth.

I believe that once I have decided on the object or spacecraft, that I need to create and xyz file for it that gives the object its' path? Assuming that is correct, are there any utilities to help create such a file/path?

One utility which can produce trajectory files that only have to be modified slightly for use with Celestia is SwingBy by JAQAR.
http://www.jaqar.com/swingby.html
It produces realistic trajectories, but the end points are in space near the targets, so some other method needs to be used to create takeoff and landing trajectories.

Lastly, if there is the ability to zoom down through the atmosphere towards my house, how close can I get before having to fade in video from something like Google earth?

That depends on the quality of the Virtual Texture you're using and where you live. There are collections of VTs on the MotherLode.
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/earth.php
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catal ... loseup.php

or you can learn to make your own

http://www.celestialmatters.org/?p=66