New Celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.2 Version for Download

[t00fri]

Hi all,

find below the new

Celestia-FT1.2 release
by Toti and myself.

It is again mainly a bugfix release, but there are also some new features/benefits we hope:

--Please read carefully the Changelog (relative to Celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.1)
below that lists all the fixes and code modifications.

You may recall all changes and important news at the level of our previous release: Celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.1 from here :

++++++++++++++++
Celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.1
++++++++++++++++

--For people's convenience,
I have made again a complete self-extracting Windows installer
version that will NOT interfere with an installed standard Celestia
installation. The new Celestia directory is called 'Celestia FT1.2'.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
--The Windows bin version may be downloaded from here
http://www.shatters.net/~t00fri/celestia/celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.2-win32.exe
Just execute it to install everything!

-- The complete source archive for compilation under
Windows and Linux you can download from here
http://www.shatters.net/~t00fri/celestia/celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.2.tar.gz

It was tested to build under Windows (2003.Net and batch),
Linux-KDE, Linux-Gnome and Linux-Gtk
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Enjoy,

Fridger & Toti


Note: This release is NOT to be mirrored on the MOTHERLODE!

Code: Select all

 
               Changelog (relative to Celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.1)
               =============================================



* Implemented the latest CVS additions:

  => Grant Hutchison's data updates:

     extrasolar.ssc: Completely revised to use chaos syndrome's
                     Extrasolar Giant Planet (EGP) textures;
     outersys.ssc  : Addition of '2003 UB313 1'.

     Example: visit OGLE-TR-132

  => Chaos syndrome's EGP textures:

     Imaginary textures are assigned to giant planets based on their estimated
     temperatures, according to the five categories set out by Sudarsky et al.
     in 'Albedo and reflection spectra of extrasolar giant planets'
     (Astrophysical Journal 2000; 538: 885-903).

  => Chris Laurel's fix for the multiple-shadow bug present in 1.4.0pre7.

     Visualize with Selden Ball's nice "triple shadow display" add-on:
     http://www.lepp.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/files/three-shadow-bug.zip

  => For Windows: Adaptation of the command-line option for using a
     custom configuration file to the syntax used in Linux
     i.e. --config <configuration file>  => --conf <configuration file>.

* Fixed the flickering of deep-space add-ons that occurred in Windows (only).

* Fixed the visibility of the Milky Way during day-time and the abrupt
  appearance or disappearance of galaxies near the day-night border.

* Fixed the "double labels" bug, spotted by Hank Ramsey.

* Enabled "geosynchronous Follow" (key 'Y') also for selected DSO's
  (yet it does not seem to be very useful...).

* Moved render flag check in the code such that labels can be drawn even if e.g.
  renderGalaxy flag is turned off.

* Improved comet display, as discussed in the Celestia forum. Comet
  tails smoothly fade for distances between 4 and 6 AU from Sol.

   Example: Set the date to April 11th 1986, when
   comet Halley was only 0.45 AU away from Earth. Land on
   Earth, get rid of the clouds (by pushing 'I'), look towards
   the sky (pushing '*') and center Halley. Next zoom in a bit
   until you see it well. With Halley selected, push 'F' (Follow
   Halley), hit 'H' to select the sun. Then hit 'L' until the time
   increase is 1000000 and watch Halley move away from the
   sun. Watch the tail! Between 4 and 7 AU distance from the
   sun the tail should smoothly fade away...


* Introduced a neat scheme for avoiding galaxy label overlap or
  over-crowdedness. New labels appear when the field of view is decreased
  i.e. upon zooming-in.

  Example: Activate galaxy labels (key 'E'). Center display on M 91
           and perform forward/backward 'SHIFT + mouse Left' movement!

* Eliminated the default display of the selection marker as preferred
  by a number of users. Modify to your liking in start.cel.

* Suppressed apparent magnitude display for galaxy add-ons, lacking
  specification of an absolute magnitude (absMag) input value.

  Future DSO add-ons should preferrably specify an AbsMag value!

* Implemented various modifications that now should allow straight compilation
  of the code with gcc 4.x.

* Improved the galaxy brightness function, notably for distances closer
  than 10 parsecs from the galaxy border. All displayed observer distances
  for galaxies now refer to the galaxy border, rather than the galaxy center!
  At a displayed distance d <= 10 parsecs from galaxy border, the displayed
  apparent magnitude(d) = absolute magnitude.

* Modified deepsky.ssc, such as to account for the revised observer distance
  definition (border instead of center) in the absMag data. The catalog values
  of apparent magnitude are again exactly reproduced if the galaxy is viewed
  from Earth. The adapted PERL script is included in the sources.

* Improved the luminosity profile corrections of galaxies as function of the
  observer's viewing angle. The result is now less dependent on the (chosen)
  brightness level.

* Eliminated double occurrences in the three data files containing binary star
  orbits: nearstars.stc, visualbins.stc and spectbins.stc. Nearstars.stc
  remained unaffected! The required modifications wrto the published catalog
  files are documented in the human readable PERL scripts, visualbins.pl and
  spectbins.pl, attached to the sources.

* For Windows: Included a compiled version of the command-line tool
  'cmodfix.exe', such that users may readily convert .cmod models from ascii
  to binary in add-ons. Display possible options by typing 'cmodfix -h' .
  Simple usage: 'cmodfix -b <ascii.cmod> <binary.cmod>'. The 'libpng1.dll'
  must always be in the same directory as cmodfix.exe.

  In the context of the respective forum discussion, it was explicitly checked
  that ascii and /binary/ .cmod models are correctly displayed!

* Some code reorganization and cleaning.

* For Linux: Corrected version to celestia-1.4.0pre-FT1.2 in configure.in

* Explicitly checked that the FT1.2 source code builds under Windows XP,
  Linux-KDE, Linux-Gnome and Linux-Gtk.


Version Celestia-1.4.0-FT1.2 released: Nov 14, 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------


[John Van Vliet]

Implemented various modifications that now should allow straight compilation
of the code with gcc 4.x.

Thank you! saves me adding a few lines[/b]

[bdm]

Code: Select all

  => For Windows: Adaptation of the command-line option for using a
     custom configuration file to the syntax used in Linux
     i.e. --config <configuration file>  => --conf <configuration file>.


How does this work? Does this allow replacement of the configuration file "celestia.cfg" with a custom file?

If so, this is a very nice feature. I'm looking forward to having arcbuilders, orion's arm and my own fictional stuff in separate configuration files instead of separate installations. This feature will make it easy.

[t00fri]

Code: Select all

  => For Windows: Adaptation of the command-line option for using a
     custom configuration file to the syntax used in Linux
     i.e. --config <configuration file>  => --conf <configuration file>.


How does this work? Does this allow replacement of the configuration file "celestia.cfg" with a custom file?
...

Precisely...

Bye Fridger

[Malenfant]

Excellent

BTW, I'd like to update the solarsys.ssc file with the correct albedo for the bodies listed in it, taken from the latest USNO Astronomical Almanac - the existing values are mostly wildly incorrect. How would I submit this to you for inclusion in the next version of FT?

[fsgregs]

BDM:

I had asked Chris Laurel to install the command line option for an alternate cfg file back in July and he did so soon thereafter. It has been carried in one form or another since then, and as Fridger mentioned, it is in FT 1.2 as well. Its syntax has changed slightly.

I have written a short tutorial on how to use the command line option. See the Users Forum for it.

Frank

[ElChristou]

Tx F&T...

Hope to see an osX build soon!

Bye

[fsgregs]

Fridger and Toti:

Thanks for posting FT 1.2. It is great. I've noticed a bug, however. Although nebula flickering in the Windows version appears to have been fixed, there is still some problem with nebula graphics. If you load a nebula such as the Eagle nebula or Ring nebula as an extras add-on and view it from a distance, it will be visible only if it is reasonably centered in your view. If, however, you swing your view left or right using the left-mouse-drag or the arrow keys, the nebula disappears ... within I'd say ... 10 degrees left or right of center. It's as if you have moved the nebula behind an invisible cloud.

Has anyone else seen this in FT 1.2?

Frank

[Boux]

Thanks F&T for this new version!
I am on Win2k currently because I have broken my Linux
Playing too much on the bleeding edge of Cooker I guess
I will rebuild it next week-end. New low-latency kernel, KDE 3.5 and stuff...
I have noticed that the comets are pretty ugly.
The "tip" is very rough with a very limited number of points in the head.
They look very squarish.
The number of slices should also be raised to 32 (I think there are only 16 or so).
When seen from behind, one can see the slices and this does not look good at all.
I have tried several combinations and the magic number seem to be 96-32.
Well, when my Linux box is up and running again, I will have a look at the code.
I will do some bug-chasing and report here.
Good job!

[t00fri]

Fridger and Toti:

Thanks for posting FT 1.2. It is great. I've noticed a bug, however. Although nebula flickering in the Windows version appears to have been fixed, there is still some problem with nebula graphics. If you load a nebula such as the Eagle nebula or Ring nebula as an extras add-on and view it from a distance, it will be visible only if it is reasonably centered in your view. If, however, you swing your view left or right using the left-mouse-drag or the arrow keys, the nebula disappears ... within I'd say ... 10 degrees left or right of center. It's as if you have moved the nebula behind an invisible cloud.

Has anyone else seen this in FT 1.2?

Frank

Thanks Frank,

I can reproduce this under Windows. Will investigate...
The bug was already present in FT 1.1.

Bye Fridger

[t00fri]

Thanks F&T for this new version!
I am on Win2k currently because I have broken my Linux
Playing too much on the bleeding edge of Cooker I guess
I will rebuild it next week-end. New low-latency kernel, KDE 3.5 and stuff...
I have noticed that the comets are pretty ugly.
The "tip" is very rough with a very limited number of points in the head.
They look very squarish.
The number of slices should also be raised to 32 (I think there are only 16 or so).
When seen from behind, one can see the slices and this does not look good at all.
I have tried several combinations and the magic number seem to be 96-32.
Well, when my Linux box is up and running again, I will have a look at the code.
I will do some bug-chasing and report here.
Good job!

Hi Boux,

sure you are right. The present comet modifications were meant just as a first step towards an improved comet rendering. The main point was actually to incorporate the smoothly fading tail (between 4 - 6 AU from Sol). Not much else was changed except a somewhat reduced coloration intensity.

The coding happend Sunday evening while waiting for the forum to work again , since I could not release FT 1.2 as planned for Sunday evening...

Cheers,
Fridger

[ogg]

Awesome. Can I be (one of) the first to ask if there is any further todo list that you two are/willbe working on? Can we expect a FT1.3?

Loving your work,
Carl

[Kolano]

I think I'm either seeing a bug, or need to modify my add-ons for this version. Galaxies/galactic clusters add-ons appear over bright. Turning nebulae on reduces the problem for some reason, but even then things seem too bright.

Might this have to do with...
"
Suppressed apparent magnitude display for galaxy add-ons, lacking
specification of an absolute magnitude (absMag) input value.

Future DSO add-ons should preferrably specify an AbsMag value!
"
?

[PlutonianEmpire]

Looks good so far! thanks for the work done!

one thing I did notice, however, that when looking at a tiny DSC object with a radius of 170 ly from a distance (used to imitate a globular cluster), I notice that it seems to disappear gradually-- blob-by-blob.

other than that, it's all good!

[BlindedByTheLight]

FT - great job as usual! Have one question...

I tried this:

* Introduced a neat scheme for avoiding galaxy label overlap or
over-crowdedness. New labels appear when the field of view is decreased
i.e. upon zooming-in.

Example: Activate galaxy labels (key 'E'). Center display on M 91
and perform forward/backward 'SHIFT + mouse Left' movement!

And didn't really notice anything - except that the galaxy labels seemed to disappear WAY before I would have liked them to. Which brings me to a larger issue. One of the things that tickled my fancy was when I would zoom back and the labels DID overlap... and I saw hundreds and hundreds of galaxies all hunked in some giant ball... then I would rotate the ball around, viewing it from all sides - marvelling that we (well... you) were able to image this grand view from a desktop computer.

Now it seems such a thing is no longer possible (since FT1.1, actually) as the galaxies disappear when they get too far back.

Oh well...

[danielj]

It is a very nice job,but still there is a problem,although is not exactly a bug.I tried to load the Rassilon??s M4 globular cluster and Celestia didn??t recognize it.I don??t know if it is because M4 is not in the deepsky.ssc or because globular clusters ar not supported in this version.Maybe someone could clarify some things...

[Toti]

Awesome. Can I be (one of) the first to ask if there is any further todo list that you two are/willbe working on? Can we expect a FT1.3?

Next version will be 2.0. It will include customizable DSO templates, mass rendering of 10000+ (classified) nebulae and clusters and a few other goodies.

It is a very nice job,but still there is a problem,although is not exactly a bug.I tried to load the Rassilon??s M4 globular cluster and Celestia didn??t recognize it.I don??t know if it is because M4 is not in the deepsky.ssc or because globular clusters ar not supported in this version.Maybe someone could clarify some things...

Celestia doesn't draw globular clusters (never did), they are only labelled. Is this what you wrote about? If not, please give us a link to Rassilon's M4 so we can test it.

I think I'm either seeing a bug, or need to modify my add-ons for this version. Galaxies/galactic clusters add-ons appear over bright. Turning nebulae on reduces the problem for some reason, but even then things seem too bright.

Well, the contribution of addons lacking data was carefully balanced to avoid the effects you mention without the need to fiddle with addons.
I'd recommend you to disable each DSO addon you have and reenable them one by one until the overbrightness reappears. This would be very useful for us to find what's going on.

one thing I did notice, however, that when looking at a tiny DSC object with a radius of 170 ly from a distance (used to imitate a globular cluster), I notice that it seems to disappear gradually-- blob-by-blob.

This is how the LOD works, but the transition should be pretty subtle. In fact I can't see what you describe. Could you please post the .dsc ?

And didn't really notice anything - except that the galaxy labels seemed to disappear WAY before I would have liked them to. Which brings me to a larger issue. One of the things that tickled my fancy was when I would zoom back and the labels DID overlap... and I saw hundreds and hundreds of galaxies all hunked in some giant ball... then I would rotate the ball around, viewing it from all sides - marvelling that we (well... you) were able to image this grand view from a desktop computer.

Now it seems such a thing is no longer possible (since FT1.1, actually) as the galaxies disappear when they get too far back.

It's true that all those labels gave a good impression of the scale and distribution of DSOs. You can replace this with a LUA celx snippet to mark all DSOs with eg. colored squares. Probably a new render flag "CullLabels" won't be a bad idea...

[Malenfant]

I notice that nobody's answered my question yet, so I'll ask it again - if I want to provide updated albedo values for the solar system ssc, how do I submit those?

[Toti]

I notice that nobody's answered my question yet, so I'll ask it again - if I want to provide updated albedo values for the solar system ssc, how do I submit those?

You can email the corrected .ssc to the Celestia development mailing list (or PM Fridger or myself) along with a description of your modifications, data sources, etc.

Hope this helps.

[Malenfant]

You can email the corrected .ssc to the Celestia development mailing list (or PM Fridger or myself) along with a description of your modifications, data sources, etc.

Hope this helps.

OK, though I already emailed the corrected albedos for the nine planets to the developer list but nobody seemed to notice.

I think I'll PM the final corrected ssc to you or Fridger, it's more likely to be incorporated into a new version. And I'll add the moons too.