New Spacecraft Models Coming in Alpha 19
New models in Alpha 19. Left to right: New Horizons, Saturn V 3rd Stage, Police Box
Alpha 19 is not yet officially available. You can try an opt-in preview version of Alpha 19 via Steam:
- Right-click on the game title in your Steam Library
- Click on ‘Properties’
- Select the ‘Betas’ tab
- Set the dropdown menu to ‘alpha19preview‘
- Close the Properties window
- Steam will now update Universe Sandbox ² to the preview version
- Once updated, launch Universe Sandbox ²
In Alpha 19 we’ve added in new models for 3 different kinds of spacecraft: the New Horizons Probe, the Third Stage of the Saturn V rocket, and a police box.
These models were made by Toby Halter for Universe Sandbox ². Older alpha versions of Universe Sandbox ² had models for both the New Horizons Probe and the Saturn V 3rd Stage, but Toby completely remade these, adding a lot more detail and texture to make them much truer to the real spacecraft. And thanks to Georg, our shader wizard, for working his magic on these models and implementing them in Universe Sandbox ².
1. Third Stage of the Saturn V Rocket
This model is based on the third stage of the Saturn V rocket which was used in the 1969 Apollo 12 mission, the second to land astronauts on the moon.
The simulation in Universe Sandbox ² refers to the discovery of what was suspected to be an asteroid orbiting Earth in 2002. After more observation, however, astronomers concluded the most likely explanation was that this object was not an asteroid, but rather the third stage of the Saturn V rocket used in Apollo 12. It was likely flung out of Earth’s orbit in 2003, but there’s a good chance it’ll show up again in a few decades.
Check it out in the included sim: Home > Open > Third Stage of the Apollo 12 in Orbit of Earth in 2003.
Or you place it in any simulation: Add > Objects tab > Third Stage of the Apollo 12.
2. New Horizons Probe
The New Horizons probe is most famous for giving us our first close look at Pluto, which it approached in July, 2015. Now that it’s sent us detailed pictures of Pluto and its moons, it continues on its way toward the very distant Kuiper Belt.
The most notable change between this model and the old one is the shiny, gold foil wrapped around it, which serves as a insulating blanket for the grand piano-sized probe.
Check it out in the included sim: Home > Open > New Horizons Pluto Encounter in 2015.
Or you place it in any simulation: Add > Objects tab > New Horizons.
3. Police Box
As everyone knows, there’s nothing like a police box for traveling through space… or time.
You can add the police box to any simulation: Add > Objects tab > Police Box.
4. What’s Coming
Toby is going to continue making models for Universe Sandbox ², but we’ve decided to take a break from spacecraft for our next model. Wouldn’t it be pretty cool to have a gigantic pyramid floating through space? The image above is a selection of work-in-progress bricks which will lay the groundwork for an Egyptian-style pyramid.
And while you may not have the urge to pilot a pyramid, you’re probably wondering if you’ll ever be able to control the other nice looking spacecraft in Universe Sandbox ². Well… we’re talking about it.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Universe Sandbox ² news.
You can buy Universe Sandbox ² on our website or on the Steam Store.
about 8 years ago
The sports balls should be rounder, and so should the planets and moons, they’re not quite round enough, even the planets and moons aren’t quite round enough and don’t quite meet the “spherical” standards, each face on the planet takes up 1.4 degrees of their surface volume, the poly resolution should be at least twice as much for the planets and moons, and 16 to 32 for the Pool Balls, and 32 to 64 for the other sports balls, all are not quite round enough, and at twice the poly resolution, each face would be only 0.7 degrees of the surface volume, which would be within the margin of “sphericity”, as any face smaller than 1 degree would meet up and no longer be distinguished from a sphere.
Also, the Pool balls have the lowest resolution, and should be improved by a factor of at least 16 x, who would want to play Pool with chunky Pool Balls?
And the Police Box should also be known as TARDIS from Dr. Who, as that is a good representation of it.
Also, the planets should have an oblateness, the degree of which a planet is flattened at the poles and bulged at their equators, 0 (0%) for Mercury, 0 (0%) for Venus, 0.0033528 (0.33528%) for Earth, 0.0012 (0.12%) for the Moon, 0.006 (0.6%) for Mars, 0.068 (6.8%) for Ceres, 0.06487 (6.487%) for Jupiter, 0.098 (9.8%) for Saturn, 0.0229 (2.29%) for Uranus, 0.017 (1.7%) for Neptune, and 0.12 (12%) for Quaoar, yet Haumea, while not oblate, should have its shape changed, it’s bean shaped, with a dimension of 980 x 760 x 500 km, which would give it its odd shape that we know of.
Also, the Gas Giants should have their textures improved, they look nothing like they do in real life, and Venus should have its own cloud texture, yet the moons such as Ganymede, Callisto, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Iapetus, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, and Triton should have original textures based on NASA and have their unimaged spots filled with imaginary imagery just like with Pluto.
This should be done in the next upgrade.
about 8 years ago
Also, there should be Death Star models, of both the first, second, and third used in Star Wars – The Force Awakens, called the Starkiller Base, Turbosquid has made an excellent model of it, and you should consider making a model that good.
about 8 years ago
Yet another thing, there should also be flat polygons and simple shapes as well as 3d Geometric Solids, on a new box called “Shapes”, which would show you the models of just the simple shapes, with no texture, this would include both the flat 2D shapes, as well as the 2D polygons, and the 3D shapes and polyhedrons.
about 8 years ago
Give these guys a break, it is their game to make the way they want, not yours. The more triangles you add the more graphical needs this game has. Cranking this up may increase the aesthetics of the game but it will run like crud.
about 8 years ago
hello,i have universesandbox alpha 19 i have one problem when i place the planets near the sun it flings away whilst i put it on orbit
even with the milkyway
about 8 years ago
Sorry for the issue. Does anything orbit in the solar system simulation which loads after startup?