Bugging out for a while!

[Don. Edwards]

Just to let everyone know that I will basically be leaving the forum for a few months at the most. I have been neglecting other projects and other obligations too long and its starting to create problems for me. I also have been requested to make many of my past textures available. Unfortunately I can't do that for a while. I have 8 separate installs of Celestia on 4 hard drives. Each of these containing various parts of projects that I have worked on in the past and future projects as well as well as many separate folders with many textures and texture projects as well. We are talking about "Gigabytes" of data here and I have to get this stuff organized and backed up before I have a hardware failure and loose it all. I am also looking at doing a total reinstall of my operating system on a new larger hard disk. I have to this because I have started to notice some conflicts between a few programs and this is the easiest way to repair the problem. So all in all I think everyone can see what I am up against here. Every time I download a texture package or start a new project it goes into a new folder. You can’t imagine the stuff I have on these drives. Not counting a massive collection of MP3s. I also have been out looking for work witch has been taking time away from any further Celestia work.

So as of now I have put all present and future Celestia projects on hold until further notice. This includes the update to the 16k texture as well as the new cloudmaps. My Celestia hub websites will remain online but there will not be any updates there either for a time. I don't want everyone to freak out here. No one said anything to me that made me mad or anything. This is just something that has to be done. If everyone here could see what my hard disks looked like you would understand in a second. I am also looking at the possibility of loosing my high speed internet access. This would bring most if not all uploads to a screeching halt. I will pop in from time to time to check my account for PM and to get an update as to what is going on. But I will not be participating a great deal in any conversations or threads. If anyone needs to ask me anything simply send me PM and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

See you all later.

Don.

P.S.
Also the Mars project I was working on really took a toll an me creatively. I love making textures but this little project grew into a monster and gained a life of its own. I had never worked on something like this and with its time requirements I had to make a number of shortcuts and a few shoty textures. Nothing against Frank but this thing just got out my hands and I think it almost got out of his as well.
I am happy it’s over and hope the project is well received by its users and NASA. I am not sure if I will ever do something like this again. I had to back out of the Early Earth Project due to data loss. As I go through my files who knows what I will find. I am thinking that before I loose my high speed connection I will try and create a depository of these past project textures and that way anyone who wants can download them. I will just have to see what I have and I can do with it.

[HB]

I'm sorry to hear this. Certainly now when I have at this moment a post for you with a problem regarding your beautifull Realistic Earth textures.
Perhaps you still have time to take a short look to it. If not, it's a pitty but not a big problem. You find my post by the textures-forum.

Anyway, I'll hope you'll get your well deserved time for other, perhaps more relaxing things. Talk too later in a few months.

[Psykotik]

Too bad. We will miss you so much.

I'm hoping your choice is only busy related, and we will see you back...

[JackHiggins]

Sorry to hear that don... Hope you can get everything sorted out & be back soon though!

[don]

Howdy Don,

Hope you are able to get everything cleaned up and organized on your system just the way you want, and then have some fun working on non-Celestia projects.

Hope to see you back soon

-Don G.

[Darkmiss]

Take all the time you need to get yourself Sorted Don.
just make sure its not permanent.
It wouldnt be tha same without you around.

Good luck with finding work
And i hope you get your new Internet connection sorted out in this time too.

See you soon.

[bh]

Don...try and make it a short absence...you will be missed. Thanks for leaving your downloads available. And thanks for all your hard work of late. I just love the 16k Earth (beta)! Even with the blocky water artifacts it blows me away. I will update my shallow water page with your excellent texture...many thanks.

Come back soon.

bh.

[John Van Vliet]

Hi don take a break and have some fun
your HD's arn't backed up thats a no no ,

1) turn off the computer
2) have fun
3) do what neads dooing
4) have some more fun

[bh]

Fun is the key word, good luck Don.

Best regards...bh.

[Don. Edwards]

Well I thought I would update everyone on what is going on.
First off my hiatus for the most part will continue.
I have managed to finally get all my Celestia files together in one folder on one hard drive. The grand total is a folder containing just under 60gigs of textures and Celestia installs. These textures are various stages of completion and some are duplicates that I need to go through and delete.
The bad news is I will not be releasing the updated 16k Realistic Earth texture for quite a while. From what I have seen from the new Virtual texture project from Walton Comer I just can’t see the need any longer. But I might release it if there is enough of a demand. The good news is a found a complete set of the 8k Terraformed Mars textures from the NASA project that I thought were lost when a hard drive bit the dust. I haven’t decided if I will release these or not. I know I won’t be releasing all of them but I think I can store about half of them if Chris doesn’t kill me first. On the work front still no luck finding a new full time job. But my part time job at the computer shop as a repair tech has stepped up some due to some local power outages and of course those lovely viruses and worms traveling the internet.
I find myself in a rather upbeat and philosophical mood the last few weeks and I think I will be ready to start tackling my Celestia projects again shortly. Staying away from my computer has given me the opportunity to fix my car and get in touch with a few friends I let fall by the wayside. I even got in touch with my long lost high school sweetheart. I hadn’t spoken with her for over 14 years. I know I am probably sounding kind of weird but sometimes stepping away from certain parts of your life gives you a whole new outlook on things. I have had the opportunity to examine were things were going in my life and were I want them to go. Maybe it is because I am closing in on the big 40. Who knows but I certainly haven’t felt this good in years and I hope when I make my official comeback to the forum I can drag some of you along for the ride.

Don. Edwards

[don]

Well I thought I would update everyone on what is going on.

Thanks for the update Don. E.

The grand total is a folder containing just under 60gigs of textures and Celestia installs.

YOWZER! And I thought my last VIDEO project (not still images) came in big, at 128 GB! You win!

From what I have seen from the new Virtual texture project from Walton Comer I just can’t see the need any longer.

You just never know.

On the work front still no luck finding a new full time job.

That's too bad. Sure hope a good one comes along soon!

I find myself in a rather upbeat and philosophical mood the last few weeks ...

Stay there for a while, as it sounds like you are enjoying it! It is a good place to be.

Staying away from my computer has given me the opportunity to fix my car and get in touch with a few friends I let fall by the wayside. I even got in touch with my long lost high school sweetheart.

There is life after sitting in front of your computer day and night? I didn't know that

Maybe it is because I am closing in on the big 40.

Ooooooooooooo, you're OLD!

But I'm older (by 9 years) ha, ha!

You get over the "0" birthday thing at 40, I think. At least I did. I could care less how many years I've been here anymore. For me, it's more mental (how old you feel) than physical (number of years) anyway. Some days I feel like I'm about 120 (when it's time for manual labor), while other days I feel like I'm a kid in a toy store (like with Celestia).

Enjoy your hiatus for as long as you can stand it Don. I don't think the universe, solar system, Earth, or us devoted Celestia users are going anywhere anytime soon.

-Don G.

[Darkmiss]

The bad news is I will not be releasing the updated 16k Realistic Earth texture for quite a while. From what I have seen from the new Virtual texture project from Walton Comer I just can’t see the need any longer. But I might release it if there is enough of a demand.

Hey Don Don't ever give up on single textures. not everyone loves the virtual stuff.

Personally, i would like virtual textures more if it would alow me to use a single texture, (like your 16k earth) for all other viewing distances.
and then tile the 32k virtual earth when you get close enough to the surface.
Rather than have whole sets of virtual textures up to 32k or beyond

Enjoy your hiatus for as long as you can stand it Don. I don't think the universe, solar system, Earth, or us devoted Celestia users are going anywhere anytime soon.

And Don G, it's really great to have you hear on the Celestia Forums, you have done a lot of good, in the short time you have been here, and come across as a very happy positive person.

[don]

And Don G, it's really great to have you hear on the Celestia Forums, ...

Wow, I've really got you fooled, huh?

Thanks Paul, you're very kind.

[fsgregs]

Don, it is late and I have to get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow to teach those high school kids some Astronomy, but I just dropped in on the forum after about a week off and found your post about taking a break.

First, I am honored and delighted to have worked with you on the NASA project and others. As everyone in the forum knows, you are a gifted computer graphics artist. Due to you, the Celestia universe is far richer in color, texture and accuracy that ever before. Your design imagination in the Mars project and your beginning effort in the primitive Earth and moon activity are nothing short of astounding. Your Earth and Mars textures on your website are .... well .... great!

As Chris can obviously attest, Celestia is addictive. Even though we can launch it every night, there is always something new to pull us into its universe. I find myself thinking up new activities and lessons to take Celestia users through. I know you are thinking up new textures, even if you wished you weren't. The program just does that to us all.

I want to sincerely and gratefully thank you for all your past efforts. If you have to take a breather for a bit, so be it ..... but please don't stay away. The Universe is full of wonderous worlds and to see them in Celestia at a quality and vitality that they deserve, we need you and your generous talent.

I may be off base here, but the capabilities you have demonstrated in Celestia have to be translatable to a good job for you in the computer graphics community. There are so many companies out there who should be clamoring for your skills. They just need to be introduced to you. Perhaps a good Executive recruiter ....

Anyway, thank you for all you have done and I look forward to our continued collaboration and friendship.

Frank