Feature Request: hard coded billboard mesh

[jim]

Hi Chris,

is it possible to add to Celestia a "hard coded" billboard mesh for DSC objects with similar features that we know from planets.
- virtual textures ( for better performence and hires textures)
- altenative textures
- lowres/medres/hires texture load
- maybe locations

Now the function of specular reflection should be replaced by transparency.
I don't think that we need bumpmapping, specular reflections, night lights, clouds, haze and atmosphere for this.

Bye Jens

[kolano]

My two sugestions here...

1. Could there be a setting to auto align these billboards with some other celestia object or point in space. This way it would be easy to align things with Earth, or the position of the ship/telescope/satellite taking the image.

2. Might it be possible for DSC objects to have a "Exposure" option. Something to automatically set the appropriate transparencey for them based on the exposure time of the image used as the texture, rather than trying to guestimate the alpha for the texture. I'm probably simplifying the problem too much though, since its probably very dependent on factors like the capture device and temperature.

Also I'm of the understanding that most DSC objects are too faint to be seen by the naked eye (perhaps someone with a better night sky view than me could correct me here). It bugs me a bit that most of the DSC objects are so bright in celestia. For a more realistic view window, one needs a way to set the "exposure time" of the celestia view window as well. This, I imagine, would result in blurring and smudging of near objects but allow for much brighter stars and deep space objects. Even if the blurring effects weren't implemented, I think I'd perfer this as a more realistic way to set the star magnatude (ie longer exposure the brighter and more populated the stars), than the 1-15 scale currently used. Does the 1-15 align with any real value (there is no unit attached as there is for most real things)?

[selden]

Personally, I think the DSC file should include an object's apparent visual magnitude, the standard astronomical measure of that object's brighness, and Celestia should draw it at an appropriate brightness depending on the setting of Celestia's "limiting magnitude". Right now, "Nebula" objects are always drawn when the limiting magnitude is set greater than 2, and not drawn if it's set lower.

Of course, there are lots of things that could be done to improve how DSC objects are handled. Hopefully some of them will show up in future versions of Celestia.