Project Solar system generator in progress

[Artlav]

Current version: alpha-4, info in post 23
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Solar system generator (Planeter) project:
orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/sway-planeter-090305.zip (205 Kb)

The goal of it is to generate a complete solar system for Orbiter procedurally, using either a random seed, or star definitions, or user edited input to make the planets and moons.

Current incompletenes:
-80% of planets are still blank
-no editing options
-no Orbiter exporting
-Lv4 textures only before landscape mode

What i'm interested in for the moment is whether it runs at all, and if the FPS is acceptable.
As always, ideas and comments are welcome.

Controls are listed in the program.

Some landmarks (galaxy 0):
Star 4 planet 2.

Star 4 planet 1 moon 3.

Star 4 planet 1 moon 2.

Star 4 planet 1 moon 2, close up.

Star 2 planet 3 moon 2.

 

[Hielor]

...
What i'm interested in for the moment is whether it runs at all, and if the FPS is acceptable.
As always, ideas and comments are welcome.
...

Testing on Win7 build 7047 (64-bit)
Computer is:
Intel Core2Quad Q9450, 2.66GHz
4.00GB ram
Radeon HD 2400 Pro
Was running maximized at 1680x1050.

With the default Win7 drivers (version 8.56.1.7, I think) it was pretty much unusable, said something about OVA not found and acceleration disabled.
I installed Catalyst drivers version 9.1 for Vista and it's working now. FPS is pegged at 65 the whole time now, and everything looks good.

Controls feel okay; however, zooming in/out while holding the right mouse button down (for panning simultaneously) causes the viewpoint to change unexpectedly. This is really distracting and annoying, but can be worked around.

Panning around 0-4 Una Una, it seems almost like it's see-through--a circle can be seen on the other side of the planet. It also looks like the planet surface texture is repeated in the clouds, or something.

Terrain generation was very fast, but it looked almost like I was seeing something through the terrain, like another cloud layer. Not sure.
Terrain appears to be lit on the wrong side of the planet sometimes, or like the light is shining through the planet.

Looking at 0-4 Una Una and 0-4 Una Dua, the terrain seems very exaggerated. These are fairly large objects (1/2 and 1/3 the radius of Earth, I think) and it seems odd that their features (mountains, canyons, etc) would be so large. I'm no geologic expert though, so if that's realistic, nevermind.

In the 0-7 system, the Dua planetary system looks to be far too close together, and two of the moons appear to be in the same orbit.

Overall it looks very, very good. Can't believe this is just an initial example. Keep up the good work!

 

[Hartmann]

Looking at 0-4 Una Una and 0-4 Una Dua, the terrain seems very exaggerated. These are fairly large objects (1/2 and 1/3 the radius of Earth, I think) and it seems odd that their features (mountains, canyons, etc) would be so large. I'm no geologic expert though, so if that's realistic, nevermind.

In the 0-7 system, the Dua planetary system looks to be far too close together, and two of the moons appear to be in the same orbit.

Overall it looks very, very good. Can't believe this is just an initial example. Keep up the good work!

Tested in a 2400+ with 2gb of ram and a Ati 2600 XT
works perfect , no slowdowns or problems

the good thing about this is that probably a lot of real exoplanets are a strange worlds with orbits, planets, and features very different compared with the solar system

:speakcool:

 

[Hielor]

the good thing about this is that probably a lot of real exoplanets are a strange worlds with orbits, planets, and features very different compared with the solar system

Well yes, but two moons in the same orbit (where that orbit is within 10 radii of the parent) that are both large fractions of the parent's mass, and a third large moon in an orbit no more than twice as far from the parent--those orbits would be highly unstable.

It would be an excellent setting to have in a SF game where you don't want to force players to spend ages travelling between planets/moons (like Freelancer--I believe planets in that game had an average radius of like 10km or smaller), but in terms of realism--notsomuch.

I didn't notice any other wackiness about physics, but I didn't check very closely for that kind of thing.

 

[Namahage]

I'm on 1GB RAM Nvidia 7600GT Athlon 3800+ XP SP3.

I get a solid 64 FPS.

Wasn't sure what "on surface for select" and "far on select" meant.

I do get some blending and z-buffer issues but functionality is good for me.

 

[McWgogs]

Athlon 64 X2 Dual core 5200 2.61 GHz,
1GB RAM
ATI Raden HD 2600 PRO

64 fps here, also some z-buffer problems, like seeing rings behind the planets and circles near poles. Other than that, it works great and fast.

I'd love celestia-like navigation.

Also, are the star color and galaxy textures generated or are they hard coded? I'd like to play with them.

 

[dougkeenan]

-no Orbiter exporting

Rats, I just realized what that means. Looks great though!

 

[Artlav]

Current version: alpha-4, info in post 23
----------------------------------------------
Solar system generator (Planeter) project, alpha 2:
orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/sway-planeter-090306.zip (217 Kb)

Improvements:
-Orbiter exporting support (Lv 4 textures, single-star systems only)
-Editor support proof-of-concept
-Some graphic and UI bug fixes

The focus of this release is the Orbiter exporting tool.
Press X while in a single-star solar system with planets to save this system in Orbiter format.
It should put the files in "export" directory - configs, textures and test scenario.

Another take-a-look-at-it feature is diameter/core/density editor panel template.
Select a planet (not moon) and press E to invoke.
Is that kind of editing controls acceptable?

Any ideas about making a user-friendly god interface are welcome.

Looks in Orbiter:

And the editor template:

Rats, I just realized what that means. Looks great though!

Fixed.

zooming in/out while holding the right mouse button down (for panning simultaneously) causes the viewpoint to change unexpectedly.
...
Panning around 0-4 Una Una, it seems almost like it's see-through--a circle can be seen on the other side of the planet.

Fixed and fixed. The "clouds" are pretty much a bug around a blank planet.

Looking at 0-4 Una Una and 0-4 Una Dua, the terrain seems very exaggerated.

0-4 Una Una is blank, with some kind of noise terrain, 0-4 Una Dua is supposed to look that way, and i'm not sure it's the right way for it to look, of course.

In the 0-7 system, the Dua planetary system looks to be far too close together, and two of the moons appear to be in the same orbit.

They are supposed to be in "resonating orbit", something neither mine, nor probably Orbiter's physics engine can support.

Wasn't sure what "on surface for select" and "far on select" meant.

Hold to appear on surface or far from the rock you select in F7 menu.

Also, are the star color and galaxy textures generated or are they hard coded? I'd like to play with them.

Pretty much everything in the thing is generated, fractally or procedurally.
Star colors are assigned based on their spectral class - try selecting a star in F7-planet menu to see it's parameters.

Galaxy textures are pretty much an antique star-clouds "puffs", what is there to tweak, if i'll rewrite this thing anyway soon (as i wanted to for the last 5-6 years).

 

[dougkeenan]

Fixed.

Sweet! The process could not be easier. Do you think the scenario generator could somehow install user's choice of vessels/stations? Maybe read a pre-defined file to shuffle the contents into the new system. Not that cut and pasting is all that hard. Anyway, thanks! This is really cool.

 

[Hielor]

Sweet! The process could not be easier. Do you think the scenario generator could somehow install user's choice of vessels/stations? Maybe read a pre-defined file to shuffle the contents into the new system. Not that cut and pasting is all that hard. Anyway, thanks! This is really cool.

Oh now that screenshot raises an interesting question: can you overwrite the star background/constellation data in Orbiter? That would be a subtle sort of thing, but it would definitely add to the feeling of being in an alien system.

I haven't had a chance to look at the new stuff, but I'll post here when I do. It'll be either late tonight (GMT -8) or early tomorrow.

 

[McWgogs]

Star colors are assigned based on their spectral class - try selecting a star in F7-planet menu to see it's parameters.

Yes i know there are different spectrall classes.
How does the program do it? Are there different hard coded textures for different classes or is it all re colored from one texture? I'm asking because i could make better ones

Galaxy textures are pretty much an antique star-clouds "puffs", what is there to tweak, if i'll rewrite this thing anyway soon (as i wanted to for the last 5-6 years).

The puffs should be bluish in the disc, and yellow in the core.
There should be some darker parts in the puffs as well. The milky way we see are just the closest parts.
Playing around with transparency and brightness of individual puffs could bring interesting results.

 

[dougkeenan]

Can it also generate textures for the Map MFD?

 

[Namahage]

Firstly, the version number of the exe in my "sway-planeter-090306.zip" displays "090305". However, I assume I am using the correct version because the export function is working....sort of...

The exporter "appeared" to hang on lvl 4 texture of rock 1. The program was unresponsive for 20 seconds before it unfroze.

After copying the files to their respective folders:

Graphics:

If I start on "surface" mode and zoom out, I still get z-buffer artifacts.

Suggestions for GUI:

Have text box entry for core size / density.

 

[Schimz]

Nice variety in systems and planets :speakcool:
XP SP3, C2duo 3ghz, nv gtx260, works fine obviously. Also at 64fps with some z-buffer bugs.

85 to 300fps in Orbiter, also with blank rings.

 

[Artlav]

Do you think the scenario generator could somehow install user's choice of vessels/stations? Maybe read a pre-defined file to shuffle the contents into the new system.

Quite simple to do. Any more precise details on how it's supposed to work?

can you overwrite the star background/constellation data in Orbiter?

As far as i know, there is no background in Orbiter, only star data. Latter can be overwritten, but without switching ability. There probably are tricks to put nebulaes and stuff in the sim, but not a 360/180 backdrop.

How does the program do it? Are there different hard coded textures for different classes or is it all re colored from one texture? I'm asking because i could make better ones

There is one star texture generated near the start, with color applied to it based on the target star's spectral class.
The colors are hard-coded:

  crgba(CA,D7,FF,FF); 
  crgba(FF,60,60,FF);
  crgba(FF,F4,EA,FF);
  crgba(FF,F2,A1,FF);   
  crgba(FF,C4,6F,FF);   
  crgba(CA,D7,FF,FF);  
  crgba(9A,AF,FF,FF);

(Which goes where is hard to untangle...)

The puffs should be bluish in the disc, and yellow in the core.
There should be some darker parts in the puffs as well. The milky way we see are just the closest parts.
Playing around with transparency and brightness of individual puffs could bring interesting results.

The puffs are the same for the galaxies and local galaxy dust clouds. They were not supposed to be galaxies, just happened to look approximately right.

Can it also generate textures for the Map MFD?

Done.

The exporter "appeared" to hang on lvl 4 texture of rock 1. The program was unresponsive for 20 seconds before it unfroze.

Fixed.

{IMG}

The rings are quite tricky to export, since the textures does not scale between levels. To be fixed.

If I start on "surface" mode and zoom out, I still get z-buffer artifacts.

To be fixed eventually.

Have text box entry for core size / density.

Along or in place of the sliders?

 

[T.Neo]

Brilliant, Artlav.
A lot of people here have complained about z-buffer bugs; I experianced them too, they became quite annoying at times.

I especially liked the effect when zooming in on the rings. :speakcool:

Keep up the good work!

 

[Namahage]

Along or in place of the sliders?

My personal preference would be along side the slider.

Also, the slider would scale on a percentage of total diameter.

They could also be linked so that adjusting one would change the value of the other.

Just one man's opinion.

 

[Artlav]

Current version: alpha-4, info in post 23
----------------------------------------------
Solar system generator (Planeter) project, alpha 3:
http://orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/sway-planeter-090307.zip (220 Kb)

Improvements:
-Fixed hangup-feel in converter
-Fixed planet resizing bugs
-Fixed planet textures location alignment
-Fixed rings Z-buffer problem
-Fixed (some) cloud Z-buffer problems
-Fixed cloud holes

-Added Map files export
-Added rings textures export
-Export menu with configs for Lv's and what to export
-Lv 5 textures export (takes a while)

The release is mostly about the Orbiter exporting tool again.
The scheme is the same, only now it's menu-driven, and with LV 5, maps and rings support.

Most Z-buffer bugs should be fixed this time, remains please to be reported.

EDIT: One more thing, what to do with multi-stellar solar systems?
Is there a way in Orbiter to have a system with 2-3 stars?
Or should i just limit the generator to one star per system?

Looks in Orbiter:

And in the editor:

 

[Tommy]

IIRC from previous discussions, Orbiter only supports one sun per system. I could be wrong, or this may change, so I wouldn't limit the generator to one sun. A warning if someone tries to export a multi-sun system to Orbiter may be appropriate.

 

[Artlav]

IIRC from previous discussions, Orbiter only supports one sun per system. I could be wrong, or this may change, so I wouldn't limit the generator to one sun. A warning if someone tries to export a multi-sun system to Orbiter may be appropriate.

Still, i think i saw the double-star system being made in Orbiter , back in M6. Someone posted screenshots of it.
Even if not possible, there is still an option to use planets for the star job.