Universe Sandbox

Universe Sandbox => Universe Sandbox ² | Updates => Topic started by: Dan Dixon on August 06, 2014, 06:37:34 PM

Title: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Dan Dixon on August 06, 2014, 06:37:34 PM: This build is only available to the closed group of alpha testers.
If you're an alpha tester, run Steam to update to the latest version.

For those alpha testers that just received a confirmation but have yet to receive a Steam code... we're going to make sure this build doesn't have any fatal flaws and then we'll email you a code in the next week.

What's new?
Another huge update… Alpha 8 features our first pass at saving and loading simulations, connecting the material system with the mass and radius of the planets, and a new preview window for a close up look at the selected body.

Complete List of Updates (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TTsJL-ddM_i5RjfnQV5_R-hocRCin6hxAiCuVlytRtA/edit#heading=h.163gqkew9axy)

Let us know what you think! And please report any problems...
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cosmos on August 06, 2014, 06:45:26 PM: This is earlier than expected.

Good news, nonetheless.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Jim Jam Science Mans on August 06, 2014, 07:16:51 PM: Test swiftly, brothers! Test swiftly!
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Geers on August 06, 2014, 07:21:12 PM: I still find it weird that alpha testers are testing an alpha for alpha testers.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Estwald on August 06, 2014, 07:22:36 PM: Almost there, we can make it!
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 06, 2014, 08:37:20 PM: When i saw this My heart almost fell out of my chest....
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: wubbzy301 on August 06, 2014, 09:05:55 PM: Can you pin this post?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 12:05:03 AM: yay. i was surprised because there was an update :D
By the way. Nice new logo
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: PrimeMinisterTom on August 07, 2014, 01:07:20 AM: Quote from: Geers on August 06, 2014, 07:21:12 PM
I still find it weird that alpha testers are testing an alpha for alpha testers.

Lol yeah xD

Can't wait :3 The update sounds really exciting! Gonna check Windows + Linux compatibility! (Linux runs faster on my computers :P)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: WitheHole18 on August 07, 2014, 01:41:39 AM: fantastic thanks ;)
Cool New logo.
New Feature.
fantastic :)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DouglasSiqueira on August 07, 2014, 03:54:43 AM: Good Notice :D
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 04:34:34 AM: What is this "New Logo" everyone is talking about?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 06:08:04 AM: Quote from: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 04:34:34 AM
What is this "New Logo" everyone is talking about?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Pinkythefoxxywasp on August 07, 2014, 06:19:35 AM: Looks much better than i expected, i like it ;)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: RS Productions on August 07, 2014, 06:31:08 AM: Really? Another week? :( C'mon, I am really dying to play US2. :'( :'(
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 06:33:16 AM: Quote from: RS Productions on August 07, 2014, 06:31:08 AM
Really? Another week? :( C'mon, I am really dying to play US2. :'( :'(
be patience. cmon guys.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DouglasSiqueira on August 07, 2014, 06:36:16 AM: Hopefully come the US² Alpha 8 next week
;D
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DouglasSiqueira on August 07, 2014, 06:37:58 AM: Quote from: RS Productions on August 07, 2014, 06:31:08 AM
Really? Another week? :( C'mon, I am really dying to play US2. :'( :'(

Calm we are on Thursday, maybe on Monday we have already in the hands US² 8)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 07:00:42 AM: "Be patience" LOL XD

sorry :c

That message was from a week ago, new Alpha Testers will most likely get their keys tomorrow or the day after.
Anyway, I was looking through my system details and I was a little concerned about the decency of the performance that my computer will run with US2.

Display:

-27-inch (2560 x 1440)
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 512 MB graphics

System:

-2.9 GHz Intel Core i5
-8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Do you think that the performance would be okay?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:06:58 AM: it's fine. i think you're using iMac. then it's moving swiftly in my macbook.i think it would run on yours
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:13:07 AM: OMG THAT Logo IS MAJESTIC, So Breath takeing it brought tears to my left eye...9000/10
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:27:35 AM: i rate this version
8/10 for stability
and
9.5/10 for performance
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:31:11 AM: how's that compared to alpha 7.3???
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:32:24 AM: Alpha 7.3
6/10 for stability
und
3/10 for performance (it lags so much)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: lmgg on August 07, 2014, 07:33:56 AM: Awesome improvement in performance!!
I'm also eager to test how planets grow now when hosing particles into them :o!!!
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:37:50 AM: who are the other alpha testers (the old one's) i want there opinion on the new update.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:46:50 AM: New Features :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rd1vQjF5L4
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:47:58 AM: OMG thank you spy!
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:49:39 AM: That star it Hum's with power....it speak's to me.....
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:51:19 AM: Quote from: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:49:39 AM
That star it Hum's with power....it speak's to me.....
lol it's new sound feature.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Unnamed25 on August 07, 2014, 08:37:52 AM: Quote from: Geers on August 06, 2014, 07:21:12 PM
I still find it weird that alpha testers are testing an alpha for alpha testers.
Yo dawg
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 09:17:15 AM: Quote from: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:46:50 AM
New Features :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rd1vQjF5L4
Wow. This is truly amazing, I can't wait to test this out on my own.

One question though: How come simulations seem to be a bit limiting? Like, when objects collide, the simulation freezes? I certainly hope this won't be the case for me, I certainly want to try out US2 to it's full potential.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Josh on August 07, 2014, 09:22:49 AM: I've only been using this update for five minutes, and I'm already in love with it! I'm probably going to spend the day on this; it's an amazing update most definitely. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Bla on August 07, 2014, 09:28:25 AM: Cool, all the new features seem to work for me. No fatal flaws.

I was a bit confused when saving the simulation. It doesn't seem to appear immediately when you save it, but if you load another simulation, then it appears under "My sims". I guess it makes sense loading the sim you just saved is kind of pointless, but slightly confusing. :P

Also some screenshots of frozen Earth (with advanced climate simulation disabled I think) and Earth after transitioning into gas giant (apparently with the surface features still vaguely recognizeable) :P
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Pinkythefoxxywasp on August 07, 2014, 09:32:14 AM: :o Wow, earth looks very strange in that last screenshot, like someone went into photoshop and used the Warp plugin lol
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 09:33:27 AM: That's just the effect that US2 adds to terrestrial planets when they are becoming gas giant planets. This, I think, needs to be changed soon since it's quite unrealistic IMO.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Eras on August 07, 2014, 11:28:47 AM: awww i can't wait for the code *_*
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: WitheHole18 on August 07, 2014, 01:32:18 PM: Quote from: Xriqxa on August 07, 2014, 09:17:15 AM
Quote from: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 07:46:50 AM
New Features :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rd1vQjF5L4
Wow. This is truly amazing, I can't wait to test this out on my own.

One question though: How come simulations seem to be a bit limiting? Like, when objects collide, the simulation freezes? I certainly hope this won't be the case for me, I certainly want to try out US2 to it's full potential.
Unfortunately I also suffer from a bug that freezes the simulation during the collisions. Maybe it's a problem with the computer that can not handle the data in a uniform manner.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Breakfestbacon on August 07, 2014, 01:48:12 PM: To Dan and the team:
From what I see, The build is stable and able to use. The only thing that is different is a bit choppy fps. It is probably because I am running this on my laptop, although I remember getting slightly better FPS before. And it does not seem I am affected by the simulation freeze after collisions. That might be something to fix before releasing it to the new alpha testers, but I don't deems that quite nessesary
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: dechireur77 on August 07, 2014, 02:42:47 PM: The stars are so beautiful in "Universe Sandbox 2". ^^
Beautiful ..
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: huppy4 on August 07, 2014, 05:28:01 PM: Why the Chinese map also is uncomplete? Why water particles still floating in space？@Dan Dixon I hope you a little bit of science，ok?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 05:30:44 PM: what do you mean? incomplete?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: huppy4 on August 07, 2014, 05:48:47 PM: Yes
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 07, 2014, 10:42:57 PM: maybe it's the heightmap
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Lord DC on August 07, 2014, 11:37:52 PM: You cant come on here demanding something. that's disrespectful.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 08, 2014, 12:05:07 AM: Quote from: huppy4 on August 07, 2014, 05:28:01 PM
Why the Chinese map also is uncomplete? Why water particles still floating in space？@Dan Dixon I hope you a little bit of science，ok?
What? So what if your height map is just a little wonky? Florida is a little warped as well, but I don't give a crap.

"I hope you incorporate science."

Geography isn't the only thing in US2. This is an astronomy software (mostly) and a tiny kink in a height map is not much of a priority, don't you think?

And what do you mean, add science? Why does the elimination of one town make you so butthurt enought to say that the whole program is scientifically innacurate? Dan and Co. are working their asses off and you came here to tell them that there is a small error in the map? Not even a compliment? Okay.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 08, 2014, 01:12:21 AM: xriqxa is right. even some island is sunk. it doesn't need to be really accurate. US 2 is an astronomy software.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 08, 2014, 01:20:15 AM: hmm imma bit neutral on this.... it would be nice to have the earth 100% the same as we know it is today, but also can't you just lower the sea level? (Edit)looking back i can see how much of a noob i was)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 08, 2014, 01:21:27 AM: i think it's not the sea level. it's who made the heightmap of earth
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Xriqxa on August 08, 2014, 01:22:58 AM: Spy is right. The heightmap is a little off, so a couple islets are nonexistant, but thats no reason to start raging on the forum.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 08, 2014, 01:24:47 AM: Huppy wasnt raging, He or she was just asking to make a tiny edit even though its like the second or third time.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 08, 2014, 01:45:04 AM: heightmaps are not really accurate. it's basically just a high resolution picture consists of grayscale images to make height. it's not really accurate. i've made an earth map for minecraft from heightmap and south america is a bit sunk. so please understand this, huppy.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: huppy4 on August 08, 2014, 04:54:16 AM: Ok, I think I have been make you angry. Sorry for you.But many Chinese people don't understand except me.They asked me to talk this problem. :(
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Jim Jam Science Mans on August 08, 2014, 05:01:23 AM: It's one of those changes that can be made later on, I think. Right now the focus is on implementing big features, making sure they work, and refining mechanics and the underlying systems. Small changes like fixing the heightmap, making gas giants have a truly procedural or compositional texture, and the like are really nothing more than polishing the 99% complete thing.

Consider it like a block of stone. First you have a rock, which you have to chisel down into roughly the right shape. But then, you have to get the measurements and proportions right from there. And while you're doing that you don't worry too much about rough little spurs or edges, so long as on the whole it's getting into the right shape. Once you can check everything and find that it's all right angles and equal proportions, then you can chip off the irregularities and surface imperfections.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Geers on August 08, 2014, 06:30:56 AM: Quote from: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:49:39 AM
That star it Hum's with power....it speak's to me.....
See a doctor?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: C7 on August 08, 2014, 10:34:49 AM: "Why the Chinese map also is uncomplete? Why water particles still floating in space？@Dan Dixon I hope you a little bit of science，ok?"

The heightmap does not have enough depth resolution to perfectly model the elevations of Earth. You're essentially limited to 255 divisions from the bottom of the sea to the highest point on Earth. It's not that they're inaccurate, it's that the data has been rounded to be stored in a texture's color data, that we can then pass to a shader for rendering.

It's like this, because we allow you to dynamically change the water level on planets. If we were using static water, it would be very easy for it to be 100% accurate. Since we're trying to have US² be as interactive as possible, and run in realtime, we have to make some compromises.

(For the curious, who'd like to know why it's 255 levels) Colors in a computer are stored with a color depth, on a modern computer, this is typically 32-bit. This leaves 8bits per channel in Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha. When you convert 8 bits into an integer, you're left with an unsigned integer going from 0-255.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integer_(computer_science)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: FiahOwl on August 08, 2014, 10:41:21 AM: This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '130693'.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: C7 on August 08, 2014, 11:15:12 AM: Quote from: FiahOwl on August 08, 2014, 10:41:21 AM
Do you think you could edit the heightmap for sea level to be at sea level?

Yep, that is indeed the solution. But it's also rather time consuming to manually edit a large texture that needs pixel perfect height values. It's something we can do when we have some spare time to polish things.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: crashman1390 on August 08, 2014, 11:50:07 AM: What happened to nova remnants?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: smjjames on August 08, 2014, 12:26:47 PM: Whoo, saving and loading, awesome. :)

Anybody else having the hotspot for the cursor shift off of the cursor when you click the toggle for the displacement mapping?

Edit: It seems to have something to do with having the window resize itself while in windowed mode.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DaniheltheMage on August 08, 2014, 07:25:39 PM: Quote from: Geers on August 08, 2014, 06:30:56 AM
Quote from: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:49:39 AM
That star it Hum's with power....it speak's to me.....
See a doctor?

Did anybody call for a Doctor?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DaniheltheMage on August 08, 2014, 07:28:19 PM: Awesome update! Can't wait till we get the key so that we can break it. :D
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 08, 2014, 07:30:41 PM: alpha 8.1 is out :)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 08, 2014, 09:02:07 PM: Quote from: Geers on August 08, 2014, 06:30:56 AM
Quote from: Cryo on August 07, 2014, 07:49:39 AM
That star it Hum's with power....it speak's to me.....
See a doctor?
It's to late for the Doctor's Bro o_0
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: WitheHole18 on August 09, 2014, 01:14:11 AM: Quote from: SpyCreepers on August 08, 2014, 07:30:41 PM
alpha 8.1 is out :)
Yes good :)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Jim Jam Science Mans on August 09, 2014, 01:31:38 AM: It makes me wonder if the keys'll be out tomorrow, in time for the yank contingent to test over the weekend. It's what I'd do as a developer, I think, rather than a mid-week one.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Breakfestbacon on August 09, 2014, 08:34:22 AM: Do you guys know what the changes are in update 8.1? It's not in the Google Doc.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: SpyCreepers on August 09, 2014, 08:36:33 AM: Quote from: Breakfestbacon on August 09, 2014, 08:34:22 AM
Do you guys know what the changes are in update 8.1? It's not in the Google Doc.
Few bug fixes.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Breakfestbacon on August 09, 2014, 08:38:17 AM: Quote from: SpyCreepers on August 09, 2014, 08:36:33 AM
Quote from: Breakfestbacon on August 09, 2014, 08:34:22 AM
Do you guys know what the changes are in update 8.1? It's not in the Google Doc.
Few bug fixes.
Well yes, but I would like to know what fixes. Sometimes fixing one bug adds another. And I would like to test those.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DouglasSiqueira on August 09, 2014, 06:31:12 PM: This is a good news 8)
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Mrclimix on August 10, 2014, 06:21:59 AM: But to be sure what is the "EXACT" Date of the codes is it august 15 or august 18?
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 10, 2014, 03:16:09 PM: there is no exact date
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: DaniheltheMage on August 10, 2014, 09:05:16 PM: There's no set date, I would assume a few days. Maybe a week.
Title: Re: Alpha 8 now available - August 6, 2014
Post by: Cryo on August 10, 2014, 09:15:45 PM: well we all now know what the day is for us now tester's to officially become tester's and aid GA and MAKE THIS AMAZING! i'm sooooo honored :D