new arrow and circle markers / marker alpha

Vincent · Post #1by **Vincent** » 21.10.2006, 13:13

Hi,

As it was already discussed in this thread, the new arrow and circle markers are now available in the official CVS version, along with the possibility to set the level of transparency to any (type of) marker via the alpha argument.

To try this, you can download cel/celx demo scripts here :
http://vincent.gian.club.fr/celestia/ce ... arkers.zip

In these scripts, you will also find some useful comments about how to use these new commands.

Cham · Post #2by **Cham** » 12.12.2006, 19:49

Vincent,

I already use the circle and arrows markers. They are great.

However, I think a filled circle ("disk") is also needed. Do you think you can add this easily ?

I'm already using the circle to mark many kind of nebulae, with different sizes. But a "disk" could be usefull too.

Vincent · Post #3by **Vincent** » 12.12.2006, 20:21

Cham wrote:Vincent,

I already use the circle and arrows markers. They are great.

However, I think a filled circle ("disk") is also needed. Do you think you can add this easily ?

I'm already using the circle to mark many kind of nebulae, with different sizes. But a "disk" could be usefull too.

Should this be a new type of marker ("disk"), or should I just add an optional "filled" argument to the "circle" type ?

PS : Could anybody send me back the demo scripts package I've posted above ? I've removed it accidentally from my FTP and from my HD... :roll:

Thanks.

Cham · Post #4by **Cham** » 12.12.2006, 20:27

Those blue disks are very nice, Vincent ! :-)

A filled option could be usefull for the square too.

If only there was a "markers layer" option, in Celestia : the ability to show one layer, and then activate a second layer, while desactivating the first layer, and so on.

Vincent · Post #5by **Vincent** » 12.12.2006, 21:05

Cham wrote:If only there was a "markers layer" option, in Celestia : the ability to show one layer, and then activate a second layer, while desactivating the first layer, and so on.

I think this could be done using celx scripting, by defining several functions, each one for a specific layer. Also, it would be possible to change layer from the keyboard, allocating a specific key to each layer-function... Is that what you are asking for ?

Cham · Post #6by **Cham** » 12.12.2006, 22:27

Looks like what I may need, but I was thinking about a feature of Celestia itself, and not just from a celx script.

I suggest you sends the disks markers (or the filling option) to CVS. The filled option should also work for the square marker.

Vincent · Post #7by **Vincent** » 13.12.2006, 17:25

Cham wrote:I suggest you sends the disks markers (or the filling option) to CVS. The filled option should also work for the square marker.

Chris agreed with me on simply adding the new "filledsquare" and "disk" markers, rather than a "filled" argument that could be used for only a few markers. I've commited the changes to CVS.

Cham · Post #8by **Cham** » 13.12.2006, 17:31

Cool !

Thanks a lot, Vincent. I think that the markers set is now complete ! :-)

I don't think we will ever need more :

plus
x
square
triangle
diamond
circle
disk
filledsquare
right-left-up-downarrow

Vincent · Post #9by **Vincent** » 14.12.2006, 19:26

Cham wrote:Cool !

Thanks a lot, Vincent. I think that the markers set is now complete !

I don't think we will ever need more :

plus
x
square
triangle
diamond
circle
disk
filledsquare
right-left-up-downarrow

Good !
Then, if you ever come with some other special idea for markers... like <3... well, just post it here... :wink:

Cham · Post #10by **Cham** » 14.12.2006, 19:38

Well, I was thinking about more fancy stuff, but I don't think it will really be usefull. Don't bother much about it, since the markers are scale independant :

imagine a large filled square (or circle) with borders. The filled square could be, say, green, while its borders could be red. :roll:

O my, I don't know why this could ever be usefull.

I was also thinking about complete words (with colors) as markers. But really, I don't see in what situation this could be usefull. So don't lose your time with this.

Actually, I'm thinking about other stuff, like "information layers", "grids", "arrows" and "field lines", etc... that could be turned ON and OFF on the fly. I'm obsessed with magnetic field lines, light rays, cosmic rays, etc...

Vincent · Post #11by **Vincent** » 18.05.2007, 21:57

I've checked in a change that enables line smoothing also for markers when Antialiasing is on.

Cham · Post #12by **Cham** » 18.05.2007, 22:07

Vincent wrote:I've checked in a change that enables line smoothing also for markers when Antialiasing is on.

Line smoothing ? on markers ? In what cases does a marker needs some smoothing ? Triangles ?

Post #13by **ElChristou** » 18.05.2007, 23:03

Cham wrote:
Vincent wrote:I've checked in a change that enables line smoothing also for markers when Antialiasing is on.

Line smoothing ? on markers ? In what cases does a marker needs some smoothing ? Triangles ?

Vincent patch is to smooth markers just like orbits using Celestia smoothlines when AA is off...

Cham · Post #14by **Cham** » 18.05.2007, 23:09

ElChristou wrote:
Cham wrote:
Vincent wrote:I've checked in a change that enables line smoothing also for markers when Antialiasing is on.

Line smoothing ? on markers ? In what cases does a marker needs some smoothing ? Triangles ?

Vincent patch is to smooth markers just like orbits using Celestia smoothlines when AA is off...

This doesn't respond to my question. In what aspect does a marker needs smoothing ? They are already all smooth on my system, even when my video card AA is OFF.

Post #15by **ElChristou** » 18.05.2007, 23:14

Cham wrote:
ElChristou wrote:
Cham wrote:
Vincent wrote:I've checked in a change that enables line smoothing also for markers when Antialiasing is on.

Line smoothing ? on markers ? In what cases does a marker needs some smoothing ? Triangles ?

Vincent patch is to smooth markers just like orbits using Celestia smoothlines when AA is off...

This doesn't respond to my question. In what aspect does a marker needs smoothing ? They are already all smooth on my system, even when my video card AA is OFF.

Seems you are lucky, this is not the case on all config...

Cham · Post #16by **Cham** » 18.05.2007, 23:16

ElChristou, can you show an exemple showing a marker who needs smoothing ? I'm just curious. I thought that markers would never need any smoothing.

EDIT : Also, markers really needs to be shown on the background (except for the selected objects). Foreground objects are getting lots of background markers drawn on front of them. This is very confusing.

Post #17by **ElChristou** » 18.05.2007, 23:33

Cham wrote:ElChristou, can you show an exemple showing a marker who needs smoothing ? I'm just curious. I thought that markers would never need any smoothing.

Here, before and after patch:

Cham · Post #18by **Cham** » 18.05.2007, 23:37

OUCH ! The difference is clear !

Post #19by **ElChristou** » 18.05.2007, 23:41

Cham wrote:OUCH ! The difference is clear !

Indeed

Cham wrote:Also, markers really needs to be shown on the background (except for the selected objects). Foreground objects are getting lots of background markers drawn on front of them. This is very confusing.

Yep I also agree, but here seems we are again in front of a depth sorting problem...

Post #20by **chris** » 19.05.2007, 00:21

ElChristou wrote:Yep I also agree, but here seems we are again in front of a depth sorting problem...

The problem is that I've never bothered trying to implement depth sorting for markers. It's on my development roadmap, along with text labels and reference frames for markers.

--Chris