{"id":3889,"date":"2019-10-19T09:41:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-19T16:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/universesandbox.com\/blog\/?p=3889"},"modified":"2021-05-20T11:28:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T18:28:27","slug":"surface-grids-status-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/universesandbox.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/surface-grids-status-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Surface Grids & Lasers | DevLog #11"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Surface Grids & Lasers are not yet available in any official<\/em> Universe Sandbox releases. But they are now available in the experimental version<\/strong> of Universe Sandbox! Continue reading to learn more about how to try this version.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t seen them yet, check out the previous Surface Grids DevLogs <\/span>#1<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#2<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#3<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#4<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#5<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#6<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#7<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#8<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>#9<\/span><\/a>, and #10<\/a>. Keep in mind these DevLogs document a work-in-progress feature. Anything discussed or shown may not be representative of future versions of Surface Grids. <\/span>
\n <\/p>\n

What is Surface Grids?<\/h2>\n

Surface Grids is a big, complex feature still in development. It simulates the surfaces of planets, moons, and other objects, adding much more detailed, dynamic, and accurate visuals.<\/p>\n

How? It uses a grid of data to keep track of thousands of points across an object\u2019s surface. Each point stores local data, like temperature, elevation, and composition, for that spot.<\/p>\n

It also simulates how this data changes and moves from one point to the next across the surface. This allows us to simulate water levels, water and vapor flow, heat diffusion, material states, and more. These are complex phenomena that we simulate with simplified models based on geophysical and climate science.<\/p>\n

And as a bonus, it makes it possible to add tools like lasers, which are essentially just a fun way of heating up localized areas of a surface.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Time to Experiment<\/h2>\n

Surface Grids & Lasers are not yet available in official releases of Universe Sandbox. But you can now try them out in the experimental build! This experimental build has an incomplete version of Surface Grids & Lasers. You\u2019ll see areas of the simulation and interface that are works in progress. And you\u2019ll see plenty of bugs. Part of trying out the experimental build now is helping us make these features better as we continue development.<\/p>\n

To opt into the experimental build:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Right-click \u2018Universe Sandbox\u2019 in your Steam Library<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Click \u2018Properties\u2019<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Select \u2018Betas\u2019 tab<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Set dropdown menu to \u2018experimental\u2019<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Close Properties <\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Once updated, launch Universe Sandbox<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Check out What\u2019s New | Experimental Builds<\/a> for an overview of changes, tips, known issues, works-in-progress, and other notes.<\/p>\n

    Recommended sims:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Earths Around Sun x10 Tidally Locked<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Bombardment of Moon<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Earth & 50 Colliding Moons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Recommended experiments:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Laser the Earth! (Tools > Laser)<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Throw water at a cold planet (Tools > Material)<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Terraform a Random Rocky Planet<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Tidally lock planets close to a star<\/span><\/li>\n
      5. Dock Temperature and Displacement maps during a collision<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        We shared this experimental build recently on our Discord<\/a> and we\u2019ve had great responses so far, with plenty of feedback on what\u2019s good, what\u2019s broken, and what could be improved. Now we\u2019d love for you try it out and give us feedback. The best place for feedback? Discord<\/a>! Just keep in mind this isn\u2019t the final version and there\u2019s still work to do.
        \n <\/p>\n

        Keep an Eye on the Data<\/h2>\n

         
        \n