Author Topic: Alpha 6 now available - March 22, 2014 (Read 42008 times)

Chris · « **on:** March 21, 2014, 09:54:01 AM »

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.

What's new?
Alpha 6 features some major improvements to comet tails and several new simulations to show them off.
Weâ€™ve also added a new free-movement gizmo, and made many improvements and bug fixes.
A valid Steam key is now required to run Universe Sandbox Alpha.

Complete List of Updates

New simulations:

Sun Wolf Jupiter Earth
Watch the Earth and Jupiter develop large comet tails in this binary star simulation
Jupiters Fly Around Sun
Best enjoyed while listening to Flight of the Valkyries
Sphere of 1000 Planets
Earths Next To Sun
Comet Stress Tests

Fixes:

Fixed a bug that caused clouds to scroll too fast at low timesteps
Fixed a bug causing stars to age at double speed
Fixed a bug that caused star temperature to display a wrong unit type on Macs
Fixed mousewheel scrolling too far on first scroll
Fixed bug with particle color when ring inner and outer size were the same
Collision mode "combine" works again

Improvements:

Major improvements to the UX for changing stellar properties
user can only change certain properties, depending on which property is locked
if â€˜evolveâ€™ is turned off, then any value can be modified, and only mass/radius/density are intertwined (as they are for any body)
A valid Steam key is now required to run Universe Sandbox Alpha
Improved comet dust tail distribution
Added new comet ion tail visual effect
Ion tail length varies with the stellar wind acceleration
More units now show alias dropdowns
Added unit handling to Tether creation page (Add > Tethers)
Added buttons to halt and reverse velocities (Sim panel)
Added "Ring of Galaxies" preset to Galaxy panel
Removed 'y' key to reverse velocities and halt simulation
Added checkboxes to show comets and stellar flares (View panel)
Added a slider for stellar wind acceleration (View panel)
Hovering a property label now shows buttons to quickly graph or chart the property
Tutorials now show a "Finish" button on the last step
Added an option to lock the rotation of a body
Added free gizmo movement
Click the center circle to move the selected object sideways
Hold shift to move up and down
Hold ctrl to show the advanced axis gizmo

Please let us know if you run into any problems. Our preferred method for reporting a bug is the in-game feedback system. Click on the star icon in the top-right corner of the screen. And remember, the ideal bug report is a step-by-step procedure for reproducing the error.

Thanks!

blotz · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2014, 11:45:42 AM »

wow! that was really fast! nice

WitheHole18 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2014, 12:11:19 PM »

It's fantastic!

FiahOwl · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2014, 04:29:41 PM »

This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '118849'.

smjjames · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2014, 04:35:24 PM »

Cool, sounds like collissions are fixed now.

Edit: Diameter still doesn't change on collision in awesome mode.

I thought you guys were fixing that.

JAW1002 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2014, 08:11:50 AM »

fixed collisions are great! im gonna have fin with this.

JAW1002 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2014, 08:17:28 AM »

Does this also mean that the awesome collisions will be fixed soon?

WitheHole18 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2014, 12:03:20 PM »

There are the sounds?

smjjames · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2014, 03:39:43 PM »

Quote from: WitheHole18 on March 22, 2014, 12:03:20 PM

There are the sounds?

There is no sound in space......

Chris · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2014, 04:35:04 PM »

Quote from: smjjames on March 21, 2014, 04:35:24 PM

Cool, sounds like collissions are fixed now.

Edit: Diameter still doesn't change on collision in awesome mode. I thought you guys were fixing that.

We wouldn't have mentioned a huge thing like the new collision system as a little side fix.

The collision mode "combine", which was completely broken, works again.
Radius/Mass not changing correctly is known and will be fixed in the next build.

When the collision system, which is a seperate issue, enters testing,
we will let you know - and you will know that we're letting you know

smjjames · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2014, 04:49:00 PM »

Quote from: Chris on March 22, 2014, 04:35:04 PM

Quote from: smjjames on March 21, 2014, 04:35:24 PM
Cool, sounds like collissions are fixed now.

Edit: Diameter still doesn't change on collision in awesome mode. I thought you guys were fixing that.

We wouldn't have mentioned a huge thing like the new collision system as a little side fix.

The collision mode "combine", which was completely broken, works again.
Radius/Mass not changing correctly is known and will be fixed in the next build.

When the collision system, which is a seperate issue, enters testing,
we will let you know - and you will know that we're letting you know

Yeah, I misunderstood a bit and thought you had maybe fixed the radius not changing with the mass, and possibly not being able to gain mass by accretion.

Cool that it'll be fixed in the next build though.

blotz · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2014, 06:05:20 PM »

more premade simulations! those are awesome!
also, any way to view fps while in game?

Xriqxa · « **Reply #12 on:** March 23, 2014, 06:27:14 AM »

This is crazy!!!

WitheHole18 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 23, 2014, 09:50:45 AM »

how do you take screenshots?

WitheHole18 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 23, 2014, 09:52:31 AM »

to me this is

blotz · « **Reply #15 on:** March 23, 2014, 09:57:57 AM »

f12
btw that image is broken

Nutt007 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2014, 03:29:21 PM »

Feels much more stable now. My game runs smoother than before.

Also I can't thank you guys enough for fixing collisions.

smjjames · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2014, 06:36:06 PM »

Quote from: Nutt007 on March 23, 2014, 03:29:21 PM

Feels much more stable now. My game runs smoother than before. Also I can't thank you guys enough for fixing collisions.

Personally, I don't consider collisions completely fixed (or at least in a state that it can be worked with properly) untll the size changes with the mass in both combine and awesome modes, whether it's gaining mass or losing mass. But hey, progress

blotz · « **Reply #18 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:52:26 AM »

also sometimes when i'm colliding mars just goes inside earth which is unrealistic

smjjames · « **Reply #19 on:** March 24, 2014, 06:23:29 AM »

I've also seen objects just go right through each other.

Xriqxa · « **Reply #20 on:** March 24, 2014, 06:49:38 AM »

I think that's an issue with equal masses, but mars through earth? Weird.

smjjames · « **Reply #21 on:** March 24, 2014, 08:50:46 AM »

Quote from: Xriqxa on March 24, 2014, 06:49:38 AM

I think that's an issue with equal masses, but mars through earth? Weird.

If you use the collision simulation thing and smash objects at high speeds, they can pass through each other.

I've noticed that occasionally, if the collision is slow enough and the orbital trajectory is right, the collider will sort of skim right on the surface of the larger object and not really merge. The diameter not changing with the mass will have to be fixed first to see what's happening there.

Also, sometimes, if the object is big/massive enough and the trajectory is angled enough, the impactor will sort of glance off rather than shatter into a million fragments. The mars colliding with earth sim is a great example of this and could actually be used as a testing ground for more realistic collisions between two large masses.

Oh yeah, supernova remnants and planetary nebulae (sunlike mass star death) somehow broke this release.

Chris · « **Reply #22 on:** March 24, 2014, 09:13:15 AM »

"Oh yeah, supernova remnants and planetary nebulae (sunlike mass star death) somehow broke this release."

Could you elaborate what you mean? Thanks.

smjjames · « **Reply #23 on:** March 24, 2014, 09:25:04 AM »

Quote from: Chris on March 24, 2014, 09:13:15 AM

"Oh yeah, supernova remnants and planetary nebulae (sunlike mass star death) somehow broke this release."

Could you elaborate what you mean? Thanks.

The stars evolve and explode (or rather blink out of existence on the timescale you're going at) just fine, but I checked both stellar evolution sims and last time I remember, when the 10 solar mass star goes supernova, it left a supernova remnant, now it doesn't for some reason.

I noticed while running the flare grid sim to let the stars evolve (the largest one goes boom pretty quick) that they weren't leaving that placeholder image that sometimes gets left behind, so I checked the large mass stellar evolution and there wasn't a supernova remnant there either.

Maybe you guys took them out to be worked on or something, no idea.

Xriqxa · « **Reply #24 on:** March 25, 2014, 04:47:56 AM »

Quote from: smjjames on March 24, 2014, 08:50:46 AM

Quote from: Xriqxa on March 24, 2014, 06:49:38 AM
I think that's an issue with equal masses, but mars through earth? Weird.

If you use the collision simulation thing and smash objects at high speeds, they can pass through each other.

I've noticed that occasionally, if the collision is slow enough and the orbital trajectory is right, the collider will sort of skim right on the surface of the larger object and not really merge. The diameter not changing with the mass will have to be fixed first to see what's happening there.

Also, sometimes, if the object is big/massive enough and the trajectory is angled enough, the impactor will sort of glance off rather than shatter into a million fragments. The mars colliding with earth sim is a great example of this and could actually be used as a testing ground for more realistic collisions between two large masses.

Oh yeah, supernova remnants and planetary nebulae (sunlike mass star death) somehow broke this release.

umm... I don't have the game...

blotz · « **Reply #25 on:** March 25, 2014, 01:22:30 PM »

i read supernove. i let the sun explode, no colorful explosions, i didn't slow down in time. maybe change background at supernova

smjjames · « **Reply #26 on:** March 25, 2014, 10:15:42 PM »

Quote from: bong on March 25, 2014, 01:22:30 PM

i read supernove. i let the sun explode, no colorful explosions, i didn't slow down in time. maybe change background at supernova

Try the evolution test with the 10 solar mass star. The supernova remnant should last hundreds of millions of years anyway.

valentin123 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 26, 2014, 08:20:04 AM »

Im back!

Xriqxa · « **Reply #28 on:** March 27, 2014, 07:27:51 AM »

And so.... Life goes on.

Lord DC · « **Reply #29 on:** March 27, 2014, 12:41:14 PM »

I can't wait until this comes out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!