While my previous posting (http://www.shatters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27330#27330) was full of praise, it wouldn't be me if I didn't also have a list of shortcomings of Celestia, as well as a wishlist.
Being a newbie here, I may have missed some obvious stuff. If so, I apologize, and ask you kindly to point me to relevant sources. If not: is there an official address for feature requests? Is it Paolo Angeli's site?
Shortcomings
1. One of the things most bothering me when using Celestia is that there is no 'find object' command. You have to exactly know the name of an object if you want to go there. Even spelling matters. It would be nice if Celestia would present you a list of objects matching the entered term to select from. But also see item 2.
2. Celestia has a 'star browser' and a 'solar system browser' but no 'deep space browser'. Thus I find it very hard to find back installed add-ons. I do not know all deep space objects by their official name (e.g. Rosetta is NCG 2237?) and it would be nice to browse deep space objects from within Celestia.
Even better: why not one object browser, with all stars, deep space objects, solar systems and other objects integrated? Of course it would have to be dynamic, in the sense that the solar system part would reflect your current position. But most important is that it would hold all standard objects + installed add-ons.
3. Using the star browser I find I cannot sort the stars by name. Clicking the column header does not result in an alphabetical order of the star names.
4. The add-on manual of Selden Ball is indispensable. Which is not a good sign. It has taken me quite some time to get a number of add-ons installed correctly, and I am no computer-illiterate. So, a way to easily add add-ons from within Celestia would greatly improve the user experience.
Wishlist
1. Celestia has all the needed data to serve as plantery software, meaning that it could offer to let you watch the sky as seen from Earth, for your particulat location, and with realistic positions and magnitudes of space objects, including constellations.
However, there is no mode to position yourself on a planet and then watch the sky (right?)
2. I sometimes manage to get exactly the view I want in Celestia. At that moment I'd like to save the current data, as startoff for a script. Even better, I would like to record script 'on the fly', while navigating. Is any such feature in the make?
3. Celestia objects have three dimensions: X,Y and Z. But you can also travel in time, so in fact objects would need a fourth dimension: time. This way you could store evolutionary data of an object, and visit as it was ages or million years ago, or as it will be in the future.
Imagine what possibilities this would open: star forming, planet formning, red giants evolving to neutron stars, creation of black holes,....
4. Random events and objects
To enhance the idea of travelling though space, it would be great to allow for random events and objects in Celestia, with adjustable parameters for density (in space) and amount (in time). I can imagine a few 'virtual objects' to be present in Celestia that manifest themselves every now and then in a random location. Simulated supernova outbursts, pulsars speeding up, gamma-ray outbursts, suns blowing up to gigantic portions. While travelling space your attention would then be attracted by some phenomenon where you can go to (if you are fast enough..)
I agree that this is avery 'game-like' wish, but it would make it even more exciting to start travelling in Celestia.
Paul
Shortcomings and wishes
Alot of what you mentioned is already in Celestia if you are using the Windows version...I think even the Linux version but Im not sure...
When you want to find an object I use this method...
Hit enter and start typing the first few letters of the object in question...Below the console where you are typing you should see a list of approximations to your entry...To page through the selections hit the TAB key...When the one you want is highlighted...hit enter then G to go there...
Newer addons of mine for windows users should be extracted using winzip or winRAR directly to the extras folder...Older versions will not function correctly in the extras folder...so for all addons it is best to extract to the desktop and view the structure of the addons...Are they all in one folder...If so place ssc, stc and dsc files in the extras folder...place 3ds or cms files in the models folder and place all other files: png, jpg, dds in the textures/medres folder...Otherwise if this directory structure is included in the zip file, extract all to the extras folder and it should work fine...
To get a flat view of a planets surface, rotate and find the location where you would like to land, place it dead center in the viewscreen then hit CTRL and G at the same time. Once movement stops hit CTRL and F at the same time. Then use the arrow keys to navigate. To keep your view horizontal you must stop all movement of one axis before attempting a movement of another. To completely stop acceleration hit S, to completely stop axial movement hit 5 on the number pad...If you try to pan up or down then left to right to quickly your view will slant as if you need a V8!
Time placement of objects can be programmed using Julian dates. There is a command in ssc files which gives a beginning time stamp and an ending time stamp...Things like red giants and protostars can be created in a single start system using these methods...Unfortunately it requires an addon to view them...Frank has a educational addon for Celestia that displays the birth and death of stars...
http://celestiaproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3756
Thats a good start but the addons are rather large and Im not sure if its completed yet or not...
When you want to find an object I use this method...
Hit enter and start typing the first few letters of the object in question...Below the console where you are typing you should see a list of approximations to your entry...To page through the selections hit the TAB key...When the one you want is highlighted...hit enter then G to go there...
Newer addons of mine for windows users should be extracted using winzip or winRAR directly to the extras folder...Older versions will not function correctly in the extras folder...so for all addons it is best to extract to the desktop and view the structure of the addons...Are they all in one folder...If so place ssc, stc and dsc files in the extras folder...place 3ds or cms files in the models folder and place all other files: png, jpg, dds in the textures/medres folder...Otherwise if this directory structure is included in the zip file, extract all to the extras folder and it should work fine...
To get a flat view of a planets surface, rotate and find the location where you would like to land, place it dead center in the viewscreen then hit CTRL and G at the same time. Once movement stops hit CTRL and F at the same time. Then use the arrow keys to navigate. To keep your view horizontal you must stop all movement of one axis before attempting a movement of another. To completely stop acceleration hit S, to completely stop axial movement hit 5 on the number pad...If you try to pan up or down then left to right to quickly your view will slant as if you need a V8!
Time placement of objects can be programmed using Julian dates. There is a command in ssc files which gives a beginning time stamp and an ending time stamp...Things like red giants and protostars can be created in a single start system using these methods...Unfortunately it requires an addon to view them...Frank has a educational addon for Celestia that displays the birth and death of stars...
http://celestiaproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3756
Thats a good start but the addons are rather large and Im not sure if its completed yet or not...
I'm trying to teach the cavemen how to play scrabble, its uphill work. The only word they know is Uhh and they dont know how to spell it!
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Topic authorAuReality
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- Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
Rassilon wrote:When you want to find an object I use this method...
Hit enter and start typing the first few letters of the object in question...Below the console where you are typing you should see a list of approximations to your entry...To page through the selections hit the TAB key...When the one you want is highlighted...hit enter then G to go there...
For which Windows version does this apply? It does not work in mine (1.3.0), or at least I don't see it.
If I need another version, where can I download versions newer than 1.3.0?
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Einar
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JackHiggins
- Posts: 1034
- Joined: 16.12.2002
- With us: 21 years 11 months
- Location: People's Republic Of Cork, Ireland
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HS
Shortcomings Number 2
I too had some difficulty handling the add-ons I had installed. I handled them in the following way. I downloaded a "sticky notes" program called ATnotes. It's free and can be found using Google. After some experimentation I use it to keep track of my add-ons. ATnotes allows you to alter the colors of the note text and background. Therefore I have my text in white and the background in black. You can minimize the note to a size of about 1/8th of an inch square. When you place the cursor on that small square the entire note rolls down. Thus you can keep the sticky on the top of Celestia in a small black button and when you want to see the list of your add-ons, you merely place the cursor on the "button" and you get your entire list. As you increase the number of add-ons, you can refresh the sticky as necessary.
Hope this suggestion helps.
Hope this suggestion helps.
JackHiggins wrote:That's actually in development! I think theres a thread about it in the development forum..."Add-On and Update manager"
Jack is correct (thank you for mentioning it). The beginning thread: http://ennui.shatters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3668 was moved to a newsgroup because of expected volume. For more info on how to get to the newsgroup, see http://ennui.shatters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3808.
Everyone who is interested in an Add-On Manager for Celestia is invited to join in the discussion. Now is a great time to offer your ideas and suggestions -- before anything is cast into concrete.
Cheers,
-Don G.