Extrasolar Systems Project

[Rassilon]

Well D Chris is a busy man...He doesnt reply to some of my questions either...but I don't give up...needless to say how much I hate microdummy and most of the problems I have with computers suck...Im still plugging away....No reason to quit on the account of lack of interest...I personally do this for myself because I enjoy it...I could care less if people don't agree with some of the colors for planets I use...I do however welcome better ways of doing things!...

Don't worry about impressing people...worry about outdoing yourself! Then you succeed!

But a little impression upon the masses never hurts

[Rassilon]

Ok heres an updated Traken surface and clouds texture...
http://cybermindtraveller.freewebspace.com/files/traken-up.zip

This you will have to copy the two textures into \\textures\medres and the .ssc file into Extras folders...

Here you can see the surface has a better resolution and detail...
http://cybermindtraveller.freewebspace.com/files/traken3.jpg

Thanks to marc and his helpful link...
http://www.circuitpsyche.com/fracplan/ << I was able to generate a decent random surface texture using this program...And with a little enhancement...

[marc]

Rassilon
How do you create the alpha channel on the surface texture to give the reflective oceans? Ive got Photoshop and The Gimp, windows and linux.

[Rassilon]

Play around sometime with image > mode > compose when you right click on an image in GIMP and let me know what you come up with...If your familiar with alpha channels...you will find GIMP to be your best friend where those are concerned...

Heres a few helpful hints...The image obviously has to be a PNG...
The image obviously uses a spectural image...and the image has to be greyscale to compose...Its simple really...I'm more than sure you can figure it out since your a programmer

[Mikeydude750]

Ok, I may sound like a major newbie here, but where can I get the GIMP?

And is Photoshop 6 good enough to make reflective oceans?

[t00fri]

Ok, I may sound like a major newbie here, but where can I get the GIMP?

And is Photoshop 6 good enough to make reflective oceans?

For Unix/Linux it's http://www.gimp.org

but I think you want Windows:
http://www.gimp.org/~tml/gimp/win32/

I found that one may well ignore the stability warnings for the Windows version, despite my natural scepticism being spoiled by Linux stability.

GIMP may look a little confusing at the very beginning (depending on you previous knowledge), but then the learning curve is very steep...

Bye Fridger

[Mikeydude750]

Well, I have used the UNIX version(on my dad's SGI monster), so it shouldn't be impossible.

And Linux does spoil you =P

[Rassilon]

I found that one may well ignore the stability warnings for the Windows version, despite my natural scepticism being spoiled by Linux stability.

Might be prudent to heed the warning after all...I came across a situation where if you try loading an image with the same name as an already modified duplicate...Windows becomes quite unstable...Make sure you save the first instance into another file name...Close it then open the original image, then the modified file...

But I think its the way Win32 handles allocation units vs Unix...

[marc]

thanks Rassilon,
I think ive got the png alpha channel thing figured.
Its a pity that the png files end up so big. :(
A pain in the dialup.

Traken and Mettula Orionsis look shit hot. 8)

[marc]

. I have finshed with the HD 28185 system and am copying the custom textures that it will need into a zipped file. I will let you know when its done and ready to be sent.
I have all but given up on posting anymore gasgiant animation info due to the lack of everyones interest in it.

Id like to have a look at your HD28185 system. Is it posted anywhere?

[D.Edwards]

I have not posted this as of yet. I have posted a few pictures from it through some of my postings. Each time I feel I am ready I find something else that needs tweaking. Its going to be a fairly large add-on I think. I was originaly going to send it Rassilon only for him to add to his extra solar planet project. I still intend to do this but it has grown so large I think it might as well go out as a separate add-on. I will keep everyone posted on how things are going. I am going for as authentic a extrasolar system as posible.

[marc]

Ive been doing a bit of research on the subject myself, these links should help you out.

http://www.solstation.com/habitable.htm

http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/course ... hoose.html

Roche's Limit is of interest here as are keplers laws.

Can i ask you to assign masses to each of your bodies?, its essential in calculating the orbits of any sattelites anyway. My gravity mod for celestia makes use of planet masses in the *.ssc files like so.

Code: Select all

"Mercury" "Sol"
{
   Texture "mercury.jpg"
   BumpMap "mercurybump.jpg"
   BumpHeight 2.5

                #used by gravity mod, in kg
   Mass 3.18e23

   Radius 2440

   CustomOrbit "mercury"
   EllipticalOrbit {
   Period            0.2408
   SemiMajorAxis     0.3871


having the mass line will not effect the orignal celestia but would be really helpful for me.