Using new Source Engine?

[SuperNova]

I don' t know on what enigne Universe Sandbox is running, but maybe taking one with a better particle system can increase the 3D of Universe Sandbox.

[deoxy99]

But maybe it doesn't support complex gravity or doesn't allow orbits.
Ever think about that? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.

[Dan Dixon]

The calculations for gravity and orbits are all custom code that would work in any engine (including Source).

At this point, changing the engine would be a big undertaking and the engine I'm using (Truevision 3D http://www.truevision3d.com/) is capable of more impressive 3D graphics than what I'm throwing at it.

I plan to improve the quality of the graphics in the future (including getting the new lighting system to work properly).