Interactive Resurgence Maps

[selden]

That's very puzzling, since it works fine for me under Windows and Linux. I don't have direct access to a Mac.

I'm now wondering if there's a conflict with other Addons' celxx/lua scripts that you might be using and/or their variables.

First, make sure that you've deleted all of the previous versions of the Resurgence Addon. They can't co-habitate in the same Celestia folder tree.

Please enable Celestia's hud informational displays, so the name of the selected object appears in the upper left corner of Celestia's window.

Before you click on a button, what does it say in the upper left corner?
Click on an empty area of the map. What does it say in the upper left corner?
When you click on a button, what happens in the upper left corner? Do you see it flicker?
After you click on a button, what does it say in the upper left corner?

Please enable Celestia's on-screen logging. (Type a tilde (~). If you have a keyboard with support for diacriticals, you might need to type a space then a tilde)

Scroll up in the log (use the keyboard's up-arrow key) to find out if it's showing any errors complaining that various objects don't have a parent. If so, at the top of that list the log should show the error message "no valid orbit for...', preceeded by several error messages about the Celxx Lua script itself.
What are they?

Alternatively, or in addition, please try installing the Addon all by itself, with nothing else in your Extras folder, and then do the tests again.

[Cham]

Selden,

I'm trying your addon with a minimal installation of Celestia. There's no LUA pluggins activated, and no other script running. No other addons at all, and of course I only put your latest addon into the extra folder.

Clicking a button gives its name (Button1, Button2, etc). While the script GoToHyperion.celx is working as it should, GoToMap.celx isn't. I think it's buggy.

The first thing I get after I launch Celestia, and double-click your GoToMap.celx file, is the map model with its name in the corner : Maps. Then when I click the blue Button3 for example, nothing at all happens. (but its name is shown in the corner, since I've selected that part)

The log console says nothing special except the usual textures and model loading. It says an unsupported texture format textures/lores/HyperionSystem. *, though. I don't know which one, since there's no lores folder in there.

I think that stopping time is unecessary.

Why do you put a dot "." at the end of some names, like Hyperion. ?

Also, there's a file called "resurgence.an8" inside the medres textures folder. This is not a texture and shouldn't be there and feels like a relic.

[selden]

Starting with v0.4, each of the .celx scripts contains only a Cel://URL It takes you to specific viewpoint and configures Celestia's Rendering options to make things visible. Those scripts do nothing else. If you see the map after using its Goto script, then the script is working as designed.

The Addon does nothing whatsoever which would stop time. In fact, the URLs are supposed to set the time to be "Real time". (That's what they do under Windows and Linux, anyhow.) If your Celestia's time is stopped, that would explain why the Addon is not working. Please do whatever is necessary to make time progress and see if that fixes the problem. I'll investigate other ways of taking the viewpoint to the maps besides URLs.

Celestia's complaint about not finding a lores texture is standard when there's no lores directory.

There are dots in the planet names for the "popout" system to distinguish that tiny planetary system from the "real" system. The real system is visible if you use its .celx script. It uses names without the dots.

[Cham]

All the files are in their proper place (LUA script, etc). I don't have problems with textures on my system. They load pretty quickly so this is not the source of the problem.

The LUA files aren't working. This is weird, since on my full installation, all of my LUA palettes and buttons are working great.

I'll try with another version of Celestia to see if it's related to the custom 1.7.0 built I'm using.

By the way, what triggers your LUA files ? Is there something to add to the config file ?

Added after 5 minutes 20 seconds:
EDIT : The addon now works with the old 1.6.1. So apparently there's something fishy with 1.7.0 !

[selden]

Cham,

Sorry, I updated my initial response: I think the problem is due to Celestia's clock not running on your computer.

.Celestia runs all ScriptedOrbit functions (they're specified in .SSC catalogs) once when Celestia starts and then again once every time its internal clock ticks when its window is refreshed. The ScriptedOrbit function that I wrote for the map tests the buttons, performs appropriate actions and then returns a position of 0,0,0 to place the Map object at a fixed location relative to its parent object.

If Celestia's clock is stopped, nothing can move, so ScriptedOrbits don't get called, so none of the buttons can work.

[Cham]

I confirm that the time stopped is the culprit. Your addon appears to work now with my 1.7.0, after I un-stop time !

It's a bit weird that your script stop time when I call it.

EDIT : The addon is now working perfectly, but you should make the script so it doesn't stop time.

Also, I suggest that you turn off all the labels on stars, planets, comets, etc, and that you turn off the orbits. They are "interfering" with the map aesthetics.

I suggest that you place the map board in front of the star, instead of the star in front of the board. It would be less "interfering" this way.
Or maybe the star on the upper edge of the board, with some space between both of them.

And lastly, I suggest you dim down the luminous buttons. They are too vivid, relative to the board textures.

The addon is pretty cool. It would be greater once completed.

[selden]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[selden]

V0.6 is now available at https://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/files/ResurgenceMaps_v06.zip (120 MB, expands to 160 MB, updated 5:30PM EDT, 29 Jul 17)


Changes in v0.6
===============
+ added Thartar
+ updated all Hyperion Planetary maps to their current versions
+ added Globes and planets w/o labels
+ added lores textures
+ added some hires textures
+ moved Map to be near Carina Nebula
+ added extended Carina Nebula backdrop
+ modified design of buttons slightly
+ redesigned the Hyperion "pop-out" orrery
+ added star orbits
+ fixed some bugs

Cham,

I implemented only a few of your suggestions. More will be implemented in a future release.
I did manage to remember to update the file's protections this time, though.

[selden]

Some screengrabs using Celestia v1.6.1 under Win7:

Hyperion System map with "pop-out" orrery:

Sesha Planetary map with rotating globe:

[selden]

V0.7 is now available at https://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/files/ResurgenceMaps_v07.zip (176 MB, expands to 274 MB, updated 7 pm EDT, 5 Aug '17)

Changes in v0.7
===============
+ added map (and buttons) of Neosol stellar system
+ improved presentation of orrery
+ used higher resolution image of Carina Nebula (NGC3372)
+ added maps of Milky Way
+ added drop-down menu

Added after 37 minutes 51 seconds:
I've created a Web page which briefly describes the Addon.

See https://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resurgence/

[selden]

V0.8 is now available at https://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resurgence/files/ResurgenceMaps_v08.zip (203 MB, expands to 365 MB, updated 3 pm EDT, 13 Aug '17)

Changes in v0.8
===============
+ added Neosol orrery
+ revised galaxy maps and their buttons
+ trimmed Neosol buttons
+ modified orientation of maps with respect to the image of the Carina Nebula.
+ updated HTML page

[John Van Vliet]

looking good

i thought you retired - i am guessing one of the perks is access to the Univ. Cornell servers

[selden]

I'm not retired yet: my half-time employment got extended until Jan 31st, 2018, because they couldn't do without me.

I spoke to my boss about access to the lab's web server after that, and it looks like it'll be OK.

[selden]

V1.0 is now available. Ilanthar posted that he won't be producing the next map in the series until October or so, so it seemed appropriate to tie up some loose ends and finalize this version of my adaptation. I'm hoping that it'll be possible to add future maps without people having to download this entire Addon again.

https://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resurgence/files/ResurgenceMaps_v1.zip (203 MB, expands to 365 MB).

Changes in v1.0 (August 30, 2017)
===============
+ updated Neosol stellar system map and associated buttons
+ adjusted dropdown menu buttons
+ revised display of Hyperion star system orrery
+ updated orbits of ETA Car
+ attempted to work around a "pause" bug in Celestia v1.7 for Macs

If there are any features that you think should be added in v2, please don't hesitate to let me know.

[selden]

Herewith: interactive maps of the Mundilfoeri planetary system, an Addon for Celestia.

MundilfoeriMaps_v09.zip (80 MB)

This Addon for Celestia can be used "standalone" without having the previous Resurgence Addon installed. It also will cooperate with the previous Addon if both are installed.

Unlike the Resurgence Addon, I didn't try to optimize its surface texture images (which take up most of the space) by converting them to DDS DXT format.

It's v0.9 because I suspect there are glitches that I haven't noticed. Please let me know of any problems you encounter.

[selden]

Ilanthar's maps include several elements which are just begging to be made 3D and interactive.

For example, there's an icon in the bottom border which represents the power source for the navigation system.

Here's my attempt to provide that power source:

ZeusBattery_v09.zip (1MB expands to 2MB)

The device's control panel includes some warnings which are probably best heeded....

Like the previous Addon, this is v0.9 because there probably are some glitches that I've overlooked. Please don't hesitate to let me know what could be improved. Also, like the previous Addon, it can be installed stand-alone or along with the previous Resurgence Addons.

[Chuft-Captain]

Bad link to ZIP file Selden.

This works: ZeusBattery_v09.zip

Diff: ZeusPower_v09 --> ZeusBattery_v09

BTW.

I suggest a darker background colour. This one turns out to be almost exactly the same colour as my mouse cursor in Celestia (YMMV), which means my cursor "disappears" whenever it is above the background. Makes locating the mouse over the buttons a little difficult.

Nice addon! ... although overcharging requires a restart of Celestia to restore normal function ... I guess that's intended behaviour though?
Is this your "Big Bang Theory"? ... Fridger might disagree. ;-)

CC

[selden]

Oops. Sorry about the bad link. I've corrected the link in the post above.

I'll try to improve the background color. Color settings in the display itself can affect it too.

Yes, both overcharging and undercharging are intended to cause "permanent" problems.

[selden]

I've updated the ZeusBattery Addon to improve the explosion and the contrast in the backdrop of the instructions.

ZeusBattery_v095.zip (3.5MB expands to 4.2MB)

[selden]

The preliminary Framework, Power and Mundilfoeri map Addons have all been updated. The Framework has increased dramatically in size to support additional interactions with the communication system used in the Neosol stellar system. They all work individually or in cooperation with each other and/or the original Resurgence Addon.

I consider these to be "beta" releases: I think they've ready to be officially published, but would like others to test them for bugs or problems that I might have overlooked.

1. http://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resurgence/files/MundilfoeriMaps_v097.zip -- MundilfoeriMaps_v097.zip (45 MB, expands to 68 MB, updated 16:30 EST, 19 Jan '18 )
-- Adds maps of the Mundilfoeri planetary system.

2. http://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resurgence/files/ZeusBattery_v097.zip" -- ZeusBattery_v097.zip[/url] (3.4 MB, expands to 4.2 MB, updated 16:30 EST, 19 Jan '18 )
-- Adds a battery to the Resurgence maps. v0.95 improves backdrop and explosion.

3. http://www.classe.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/resur ... s/ResurgenceFramework_v097.zip --
ResurgenceFramework_v097.zip[/url] (19 MB, expands to 37 MB, updated 16:30 EST, 19 Jan '18 )
-- Adds several control icons at the bottom of the maps, in addition to some control over the things they display.
This includes elements of the Neosol Communication network.

Below are screengrabs of some of what is included in the updated Framework Addon. See earlier posts for images from the Mundilfoeri and Power Addons.

Framework cooperating and interacting with the original Resurgence Addon and with the Zeus Battery Addon.

3D maps of the NeoSol communication network as provided in the Framework Addon.

Control pages for the Neosol communication devices: a buoy used by the network and an interface to control the local connection to it.