Celestia startup idea- "splash screen"

JackHiggins · Post #1by **JackHiggins** » 15.08.2003, 21:54

I've always thought there was something "missing" when I started up celestia. Recently, i've realised what it was. Celestia should have some sort of "splash screen" during startup, while you're waiting for all the files to load! At least it'd give you something to look at, instead of just a blank frame... (for those of us without incredibly fast machines anyway!)

The splash screen would be similar to something you'd see in any other program while loading, but then I thought it'd be good if there was a small text display down at the bottom saying something like:

Code: Select all

Currently loading file: earth_super_hi-res.dds (12.7MB) : 57.32%

(Or something similar to the above...) Even without the % loaded, you'd know if something new you'd made or installed was taking ages, and it wasn't just that your PC had frozen etc...

I realise the "Currently loading" bit might be a bit complex to implement, but the splash screen in itself whouldn't be that hard...? (They had it in the old OpenUniverse after all...)

What does everyone else think of this idea?

Darkmiss · Post #2by **Darkmiss** » 15.08.2003, 22:18

Great idea,
how about some kind of animated or avi launch sequence :?:

maybe with a wav file of the Saturn 5 countdown.
then as it ends you are left floating in space ready to use Celestia

Brendan · Post #3by **Brendan** » 16.08.2003, 03:31

The OpenUniverse program has like 3 splash screens and chose one to display at startup and displayed the filenames of what it was loading.

Brendan

don · Post #4by **don** » 17.08.2003, 05:39

I would go along with the idea, as long as there was a way to turn it off somewhere in Celestia's settings. Even with a whole bunch of add-ons and big textures, my system only takes a couple of seconds to load Celestia. And I am very happy about that too <big smile>!

-Don G.

JackHiggins · Post #5by **JackHiggins** » 17.08.2003, 14:59

don wrote:I would go along with the idea, as long as there was a way to turn it off somewhere in Celestia's settings

But of course!

A tick box in Render> display options or maybe something like -nosplash after a shortcut link... That'd be ok wouldn't it?

don · Post #6by **don** » 17.08.2003, 20:14

Yep, either of those would work.

Darkmiss · Post #7by **Darkmiss** » 18.08.2003, 02:31

I really don't think that a splash screen will ever happen.

don · Post #8by **don** » 18.08.2003, 05:02

Darkmiss wrote:I really don't think that a splash screen will ever happen.

Well, if someone wrote the code and submitted it, it might have a better chance of getting into Celestia.

JackHiggins · Post #9by **JackHiggins** » 18.08.2003, 18:59

Well, what do any of the developers think...?

(ahem)

Anyone?

Post #10by **chris** » 18.08.2003, 19:30

I'm all for adding some sort of status while loading . . . Right now, I'm working on a log feature that shows errors and notification of file loading. It's likely that some of this work will be useful when showing loading status on a splash screen.

--Chris

JackHiggins · Post #11by **JackHiggins** » 18.08.2003, 20:11

Great! Thanks! Whatever you decide to do, the most important thing (for me) is a percentage thing telling you how much of a particular file (or the total files) has loaded.

Darkmiss · Post #12by **Darkmiss** » 18.08.2003, 20:17

Now logging of errors is really what im looking forward to right now.

God knows DanielJ could use it right now. :roll:

John Van Vliet · Post #13by **John Van Vliet** » 24.08.2003, 08:22

for me a splash screen isnt neaded by the time the start cel runs (i change it between Earth and Mars )celestia has loaded the tex from medres or the .ctx

I'm all for adding some sort of status while loading

i like the loading bar GIMP uses that would be nice , something on the bottom of the screen maby