Update

Run Steam to download Update 20.3, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Update 20.3 features two new simulations for the recently discovered exoplanet, Ross 128 b, and the first observed interstellar visitor, ‘Oumuamua. This update also includes a number of smaller improvements and bug fixes.
 

Ross 128 b

On November 15, 2017 astronomers with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) discovered Ross 128 b, a potentially habitable, Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star 11 light years away.

Though Ross 128 b is farther than the closest temperate planet, Proxima b, it orbits a “quieter” red dwarf that emits far less deadly ultraviolet and X-ray radiation. This makes it a much better candidate for habitability.

Learn more on ESO’s website.

See Ross 128 b in Universe Sandbox ²:
Home > Open > Ross 128 with Earth-sized Planet
 

‘Oumuamua

On October 19, 2017, astronomers in Hawaii observed an asteroid soaring past Earth. Analysis of its trajectory revealed that it is the first interstellar object ever observed in our solar system. Nicknamed ‘Oumuamua, meaning “a messenger from afar arriving first,” the asteroid carries the story of a distant star system born a long time ago.

Learn more about ‘Oumuamua on NASA’s website.

See ‘Oumuamua in Universe Sandbox ²:
Home > Open > Oumuamua in 2017

Check out the full list of What’s New in Update 20.3.

Follow @universesandbox

August 28: Update 20.1.3 is a small update that adds a number of bug fixes and small improvements. 

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and partially or fully blocks the disk of the Sun. When it completely blocks the Sun, it is a total solar eclipse.

Total solar eclipses are rare events, happening about once every 18 months. But the opportunity to view them is even more rare; there is only a very narrow path across Earth from which they can be viewed.

On August 21, 2017, the continental United States will witness its first total solar eclipse in 38 years. Parts of 14 different states, from Lincoln City, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina, will go dark as the Moon’s shadow passes over them.

View the solar eclipse in Universe Sandbox ²:

Home > Open > Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017
Home > Open > Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017 – Close Up
Main Menu > August Eclipse (VR)

This update also includes a number of smaller improvements and bug fixes.

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Run Steam to get Update 20, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

This is an update for both the desktop and VR versions of Universe Sandbox ².

August 04: Update 20.0.16 is a small update with minor improvements and bug fixes. 

A New Foundation

Imagine Universe Sandbox ² is a house that we’re building, and each update adds something new. Many of our updates so far have made fancy, noticeable additions to the house — a garage, a balcony, a new roof with some nice solar panels, etc. But with Update 20, we’ve completely lifted the house and made some major renovations to the foundation.

This means that there may not be many obviously big changes (unless you’re in VR! see below), but we’ve done considerable behind-the-scenes work. How much is “considerable,” you ask? In our task management system, we’ve closed over 560 tasks. That’s a lot. And for most of this work, the best sign that we’ve done our job well is if you can’t tell much of a difference.

But like a new foundation, these are very important changes which set us up for future features, improvements, and optimizations that would have been difficult or even impossible to implement with the old Universe Sandbox ² groundwork. (Or using another established metaphor: We have now paid off much of our technical debt which has accrued as our project continually evolves and heads further down roads no one has been down before.)

1. Rewritten User Interface

The rewritten interface in Update 20 is a big chunk of the new foundation for Universe Sandbox ².  Currently, this is largely a behind-the-scenes change in the tech we’re using, but if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice some small changes to the design aesthetic as well.

There’s also a big change for users: You now have the ability to scale the interface. This was not possible with our old system. So if you’re running at a high resolution, like 4k, then no more squinting your eyes to see what exactly your exoplanet’s radius is! Our upcoming mobile version of Universe Sandbox ² also would not be possible without this scalable interface. And if that’s not enough, this new interface makes possible our plans to support on-the-fly switching between multiple languages.

Scalable Interface

Home > Settings > Set User Interface Scale

2. New Code Architecture

Our new code architecture in Update 20 is the other chunk of the replaced foundation. With this update, we’ve moved to a proper entity-component system, or ECS. Without getting too technical, this change is effectively a major reorganization that will make it easier for us to maintain our code, track down bugs, and develop and iterate on features.

Let’s compare our previous architecture to a tangled bundle of threads, where a system like temperature-control might twist and turn throughout and prove impossible to adjust or remove individually without messing with the rest of the bundle. With ECS, we’ve untangled and separated all the major systems which make Universe Sandbox ² run. Now we can take out a system, add a system, move a system around, whatever we like — the rest will remain intact.

The image above, taken in Unity, our development tool, shows a full list on the far right of our systems in place with ECS.

3. Disintegration, Teleportation, and a Lot More in VR

Update 20 VR is our first major VR update since we released it last year, and it’s a huge step up.  First, it adds all the new simulation features, improvements, and fixes from the Disintegration desktop updates, including tidal forces, improved explosions, and the new fragment and particle system. There’s also a completely rewritten locomotion system for more responsive and smoother panning, scaling, and the all new rotation.  To go along with this, there’s a new HUD interface that displays information automatically while scaling and rotating.

Make sure you check out the new Experience as well. The Experience will take you through a cinematic “What if…?” demonstration of Universe Sandbox ² VR.

Update 20 VR also marks the beginning of a unified Desktop/VR build, which will allow simulation improvements in the desktop version to be immediately available in the VR version as well. There is now also Save and Load support across Desktop and VR.

Teleportation

Tools > Teleport > Point at an object and pull trigger to instantly teleport to it

Rotation

Hold both grip buttons and move controllers around the center point between controllers

Experience

Menu (Vive) or B/Y (Rift) > Experience

4. Oculus Rift+Touch Support

No need to explain this one. Unless you’re someone who owns an Oculus Rift+Touch and doesn’t yet own Universe Sandbox ². Then you’ll need to explain that one to your friends.

5. Dozens of Smaller Improvements and Fixes

It wouldn’t be a big Universe Sandbox ² update without a pages-long list of improvements and bug fixes. Most notably, there’s a new Mercury texture, more cinematic control with camera smoothing and overlay settings, internal analytics, which will help us focus our efforts on making the best possible improvements to the user interface and user experience (these are anonymous; you may opt-out via Home > Settings > General > Allow Usage Statistics), a new Volume (quantity of space) property for objects, simulation stats for Mass Lost and Momentum Lost, and much more.

Camera Smoothing

Home > Settings > General > Camera Smoothing Multiplier

What’s coming next?

While these changes and new possibilities are exciting, we’re even more excited to move on to some big, new features again (it’s time for that indoor pool!). During our work on Update 20, we’ve made considerable progress on both planet-melting lasers and our rewritten stellar evolution model. They’re not ready for the spotlight just yet, but we’re now giving them our undivided attention. Also coming soon are some contributions to the improved foundation from Thomas, our physics programmer. His new physics system should introduce some substantial performance improvements as well as set the stage for rigid body collisions. Stay tuned!

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Update 20 Patches

July 30: Updates 20.0.5-20.0.13 have fixed additional bugs with the user interface and simulation and added a warning message when the Time Step can no longer be increased. 

June 26: Updates 20.0.1-20.0.4 have fixed the reported issues with the magnetic axis and magnetosphere, impact marks, clouds, database search in Add panel, and material cutaway

Alpha 19.7 is the last minor release before our next major planned update, Alpha 20, which has been in development since the beginning of the year.

Run Steam to update to Alpha 19.7, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

In 1977, NASA launched the twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and 2 with the primary mission of exploring Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecraft sent back data and images that led to many discoveries about the two gas giants and their moons, rings, and magnetic fields. Then Voyager 2 went on to study Uranus and Neptune as Voyager 1 headed toward interstellar space. Today, the spacecraft continue to relay important scientific data as Voyager 2 explores the heliosheath and Voyager 1 heads farther than any human-made object in history.

Both Voyager 1 and 2 carry a copy of the famous “Golden Record.” These phonograph records contain a selection of images, sounds, and music meant to represent the breadth of life on Earth. As one of the curators for the record’s content, Carl Sagan noted, “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this bottle into the cosmic ocean says something very hopeful about life on this planet.”

Check out the new Voyager model and sims in Universe Sandbox ²:
Add > Objects > Voyager 1
Add > Objects > Voyager 2
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 1 & Jupiter in 1979
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 2 & Jupiter in 1979
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 1 & Saturn in 1980
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 2 & Saturn in 1981
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 2 & Uranus in 1986
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 2 & Neptune in 1989
Home > Open > Historical > Voyager 1 & 2 + Solar System in 2017

Another spacecraft, Cassini, entered Saturn’s orbit in 2004 to continue studying the planet and its moons. And on April 13, 2017, NASA announced that they found evidence in Cassini’s data for some of the ingredients for life on Saturn’s icy, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus. NASA will continue to study Enceladus and other “ocean worlds” in the ongoing search for signs of life beyond Earth.

Check out the new high-res texture for Enceladus:
Home > Open > Saturn & Moons
Add > Moons > Enceladus

Also included in 19.7 is a new high-res texture for Jupiter’s moon Callisto, along with a few small improvements and fixes.

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Run Steam to update to Alpha 19.6, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Welcome, TRAPPIST-1 system! NASA announced yesterday the discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the ultra-cool dwarf star, TRAPPIST-1.

Check out the new simulation of the TRAPPIST-1 system in Universe Sandbox ²:
Home > Open > Core tab > TRAPPIST-1

Three of the seven planets are within the star’s habitable zone, which means that they are in an area where rocky planets have the highest likelihood of having liquid water. This also means that they have a chance of supporting life as we know it.

The TRAPPIST-1 system is relatively close to us at about 40 light-years from Earth. It is named after The Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) in Chile, which discovered three of the planets announced in May 2016. Then in the fall of 2016, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope observed TRAPPIST-1 for 500 continuous hours, confirming the original discovery and uncovering the rest of the seven planets. This is the greatest number of potentially habitable planets ever discovered around a single star.

All seven of the planets have orbits closer to their star than Mercury is to the Sun. Scientists suspect that, because of these tight orbits, they are all likely tidally-locked, as well. This means that the same side of the planet always faces the star, just as one side of the Moon always faces the Earth. But despite this proximity and being tidally-locked, they all have a chance of harboring liquid water due to the parent star’s very low temperature. Scientists say this system is a promising place to search for life, and they will continue to observe the system and its planets.

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Updated textures and coloring for Ganymede, Sedna, the Moon, and Earth’s city lights

Run Steam to update to Alpha 19.5, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Alpha 19.5 is a small update which introduces a few graphics improvements, including updated coloring for Sedna and better textures for Ganymede, the Moon, and Earth’s city lights. It also includes a bunch of minor bug fixes, like correcting the scale for the new Juno model, fixing the appearance of rocky planets affected by supernovae, and addressing some smaller issues with volatiles and Roche fragmentation.

We are also happy to welcome our new team members, Mat and Jacob. As our new QA Lead, Mat has dived right into the project and has been busy finding and documenting bugs, which has already helped us for this update. Jacob is our new developer who will be working full-time on building and improving the VR experience.

And a warm, belated welcome to our new producer, David, who helped us get on track for Alpha 19 and continues to push us in the right direction as we move into 2017. We’re very excited for all of the new features and improvements coming to Universe Sandbox ² this year.

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Run Steam to update to Alpha 19.4, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Alpha 19.4 introduces a brand new model for the Juno spacecraft, which you can find in Add > Objects > Juno. Juno entered into orbit around Jupiter this past July. Its goal is to understand the gas giant’s origin and evolution.

This update also fixes two of the bigger issues introduced in Alpha 19: displacement mapping (3D craters) works again, and city lights once again turn off after collisions and high temperatures.

Check out the full list of What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Run Steam to update to Alpha 19, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Please note, this is an update for the desktop mode only. We will now be focusing on an Alpha 19 VR update. In the future, these two modes will be merged and won’t require separate updates.

In Alpha 19, simulations are more dynamic, realistic, and exciting. Why? 

1. Tidal Forces Now Tear Apart Planets

When one body gets too close to another body of higher mass, tidal friction will begin to heat it up. And if it’s close enough, Roche limit fragmentation will tear it apart, leaving a trail of fragments. 

A major theory for the formation of Saturn’s rings is that the rings were once a moon orbiting Saturn, before its orbit took it within the Roche limit and it was torn apart.

Home → Open → Physics tab

Home → Tutorials → 11- Tidal Forces

2. Planets Are Now Vaporized by High Temperatures & Supernovae

Whether by a supernova or extreme tidal heating, bodies now lose volatile material as their temperatures rise. The required temperature and type of volatile loss factors in the body’s material composition and mass. 

There are also new visuals for supernovae, and their appearance varies based on the type of the star.

3. Improved Performance, Appearance, & User Control for Particles & Fragments

A new performance budgeting system knows when to let particles and fragments stick around, and when to get rid of them to keep everything running smoothly and accurately. 

Particles and fragments are now much more varied in appearance, from hot to cold, rocky to gaseous. They can also now be individually- or group-selected, to easily watch, move, or delete them, or even convert them into bodies. 

4. Explosions Look More Epic & Cause “Shockwaves”

Combined with the improvements made to the particle & fragment system, explosions look a whole lot better in Alpha 19.

Also, explosions now simulate an expanding bubble of exploded material, which can collide with other planets, heating and ripping them apart.

Home → Open → Explosions tab

5. You Can Record Animated GIFs

Easily & instantly create animated GIFs like the ones above of planetary movement & destruction.

Press F9 to Start/Stop Video Capture

Or click the Video button in the bottom right for Start/Stop Video Capture and Video Capture Settings. These settings can also be found through Home → Settings → Video.

6. “New” Labels, Stats, & Sorting Options for Sims

All sims new to Alpha 19 have a “New” label which is replaced with a check mark once the sim has been opened.

You can hover over the sim tile to see sim stats, like when you last opened it, and you can now sort the sim list using the options next to the search bar.

7. New Object Models

We’ve improved the models for the Saturn V 3rd Stage rocket and New Horizons probe, and added The Great Pyramid of Giza and a new police box object.

Home → Open → Human Scale tab → Human Sized Objects

Add  → Objects tab

8. New Music

Two new, original tracks by our composer, Macoubre.

9. And Hundreds More Improvements & Bug Fixes

With nearly an 8-page list of new features, improvements, and fixes, this is our biggest update by far. We’re very excited with all of the changes and would love to hear what everyone thinks!

Check out the full list of new features, improvements, & bug fixes in What’s New.

For the latest Universe Sandbox ² news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.