For those of you who don't know, there is an incredible solar system simulator called Celestia (http://www.shatters.net/celestia/). I found this yesterday while just browsing around (good timing too since a new version 1.3.0 was just released last month), and it kept me up all night looking at planets, moons, stars. Everything is completely 3D accelerated via DirectX, and best of all it's completely free. Check out these screen shots! The giant planet Gliese 876 b illuminated by the ruddy light of the red dwarf star that it orbits. The view a few kilometers from Phobos, looking down at Mars. Celestia uses real data for the shape of Phobos and some other small moons. Earth, rendered with new visual effects including specular reflections from the oceans. Saturn, projecting it's shadow onto its rings. There's even plenty of great add-ons for Celestia here. Check out some more screen shots from one guy's gallery. I hope they update it to support DirectX 9.0+ in the future... it would be even more life-like. MidnightWatcher Update: It's OpenGL, not DirectX, and there is a Linux version too for you to try out.
No kidding. Check out more galleries HERE. If anybody uses this or knows where and how to add on some higher-res textures, please post it here. New Moon map and normal map (all 4K) compared with a real picture. Primitive Earth and moon3 The Arabic peninsula, Somalia and Turkey. Note the water reflections on the Black and Caspian seas. New Europa texture featuring ice reflections.
That is really cool- just spent 2 hours flying around the galaxy- So there are bumpmap add-ons and high-res texture add-ons somewhere? It looked like it from the pics I just saw- but I didn't see them at the website- I'll have to go look harder I guess. Ps- go check out the ISS- it's really cool.
If anyone would like to have a bit of "background noise" for Celestia, try downloading this .MP3 file and play it in the background using Winamp (looping) while exploring with Celestia. It adds a nice "celestial atmosphere". Grab it here at: http://bruckner.homelinux.net/files/celestia_sounds.mp3
Yea thats very cool, which reminds me. Does anyone know of a program similiar to Keyholes Earthviewer but a free?
wow totally cool! im gonna find out if we work with those guys at all. sure would be nice to get a dx9 version of that app dont ya think?
Best post I've read in ages... Besides, this simulator is totally awesome. Gotta have to dig into the add-ons now.
CATALYST maker, damn right this would be the coolest proggie in the world if it supported DX9. Damn that would be schweet! If ATI worked with these guys and did a good job on a DX9 part, they should include this with their video cards... would be another nice incentive to get an ATI card! "See the universe like you've never seen it before!"
