Simulation Saves and Enhanced Custom-mapping tool

[davtk8]

Simulation Saves

Is there going to be a save feature when the next alpha version update comes out?

Enhanced Custom-mapping tool

What custom-tools will there be when we can add our own surface maps?

Would really like (for starters) to see the ability to customize color of atmosphere by composition of gases, ice caps that can be turned on/off and ability to add cloud layer that can be customized to have cloud vortexes of varying magnitude and frequency (as an example).

Screeshots from SpaceEngine

First image showing a planet with cloud coverage (some vortexes)and ice caps.

Second image shows a planet with ice caps and a yellow-haze color corresponding to the composition of the gases that make up its relatively thin atmosphere.

[Chris]

There's no ETA on saving, but i predict it's gonna be out in a few weeks.

Space Engine looks amazing, but keep in mind that it does not compute gravity, climate or any other significant realtime data beyond these beautiful graphics.

We carefully have to decide how to spend processing time, and while excellent surface detail is desirable, it is extremely costly.
Keep in mind that UBox must be able to simulate and render a dozen or even hundreds of planets. This is simply not achievable with unique procedural surface detail at the level that space engine provides.
That said, you will see improvements to surface details, but there are no plans to become the next Space Engine

Yes, you'll be able tweak parameters for atmosphere, climate, clouds and general surface detail and composition. All of these things are planned or already being worked on in some form or another.

[davtk8]

Maybe surface terrain (when wanting to land on object) could be a advanced-graphics option for those who have beefed up computers.

Also, bring back some of the default-maps I don't get why Io (when you open the Solar System with Major Moons simulation) by default has an ocean visible with a blue atmosphere?

SpaceEngine provides you these properties that allow you to change its value - SAMPLE


Planet    "Achird 1"    // Type of object ant it's name
{
     ParentBody      "Achird"    // The body, around wich this planet orbits
     Class           "Terra"     // Class of a planet

     Radius          5098.3      // Radius in km
     Mass            0.76        // Mass in Earth's masses
     Oblateness      0.0         // Oblataness

     Albedo          0.32                   // Albedo
     Color          (0.768, 0.898, 1.000 )  // Color of a particle

     RotationPeriod  27.8        // Rotation period in hours
     RotationOffset  18.6        // Rotation phase in degrees
     RotationEpoch   2451545.0   // Epoch of rotatoin elements, Julian date
     Obliquity       16.58       // Obliquity of rotation axis in degrees
     EqAscendNode    28.16       // Longitude of ascenging node of rotation axis in degrees
     Precession      12500       // Precession period in years
     
     Surface         // Surface tag
     {
         // These parameters describes a texture pack stored on the disk.
         // I comment it out because this planet uses a procedural generation of surface.
         //DiffMap        "Icarus/Surface"   // Surface (color) texture
         //DiffTileSize    512               // Surface texture tile resolution
         //DiffTileBorder  1                 // Surface texture tile border width
         //BumpMap        "Icarus/Bump"      // Bump (heightmap) texture
         //BumpTileSize    512               // Bump texture tile resolution
         //BumpTileBorder  1                 // Bump texture tile border width

         BumpHeight      9.3     // Max height of landscape in km
         BumpOffset      0.3     // Offset of zero height level
         DiffMapAlpha   "Water"  // Mode of specular effect (flecks of sunlight)
         SpecularBright  20.0    // Brightness of specular spot
         SpecularPower   150.0   // Size of specular spot
         DayAmbient      0.1     // Brightness of fake daytime ambient light
         Lommel          0.0     // Lambert to Lommel-Seeliger lighting model ratio
         Exposure        2.0     // Global surface brighness
         Life            true    // true, if there is life on the planet

         // Next are parameters for procedural surface generation
   Style           0.1600855            // Default color scheme
   Randomize      (0.911, 0.373, 0.204) // Randomize vector
   colorDistMagn   0.09464233  // Magnitude of detail textures distortion
   colorDistFreq   945.9523    // Frequency of detail textures distortion
   detailScale     42684.58    // Scale of detail textures
   colorConversion true        // Perform textures color conversion
   seaLevel        0.3133697   // Sea level height (0...1)
   snowLevel       0.9892518   // Snow line level (0...1)
   tropicLatitude  0.8670503   // Latitude of tropics
   icecapLatitude  1.0000000   // Latitude of ice caps boundaries
   icecapHeight    0.3133697   // Height of ice caps
   climatePole     1.000       // Climate of poles   - index to color table (0...1)
   climateTropic   0.450       // Climate of tropics - index to color table (0...1)
   climateEquator  0.625       // Climate of equator - index to color table (0...1)
   tropicWidth     0.07        // Width of tropics
   mainFreq        0.8642751   // Main noise frequency (oceans/continents)
   venusFreq       0.6955331   // Venus-like global structures frequency
   venusMagn       0.3008256   // Venus-like global structures magnitude
   mareFreq        0.9387382   // Lunar mare frequency
   mareDensity     0.06008458  // Lunar mare density
   montesMagn      0.2209584   // Mountains magnitude (0...1)
   montesFreq      412.9121    // Mountains frequency
   montesDensity   0.108095    // Mountains density
   dunesMagn       0.04444444  // Dunes magnitude (0...1)
   dunesFreq       57.8876     // Dunes frequency
   dunesDensity    0.5669919   // Dunes density
   hillsMagn       0.1289276   // Hills magnitude (0...1)
   hillsFreq       503.3618    // Hills frequency
   hillsDensity    0.8554457   // Hills density
   canyonMagn      0.0341905   // Canyons magnitude (0...1)
   canyonFreq      163.7023    // Canyons frequency
   canyonDensity   0.4370083   // Canyons density
   cracksMagn      0.07983515  // Ice cracks magnitude (0...1)
   cracksFreq      0.6574386   // Ice cracks frequency
   cracksOctaves   0           // Number of ice cracks octaves
   craterMagn      0.9358109   // Craters magnitude
   craterFreq      24.14884    // Craters frequency
   craterDensity   0.05892152  // Craters density
   craterOctaves   4.606928    // Number of craters octaves
   craterRayedFactor 0           // Number of rayed craters relative to usual craters
   cycloneMagn     1.905298    // Cyclones magnitude (0...1)
   cycloneFreq     0.7607107   // Cyclones frequency
   cycloneDensity  0.04127789  // Cyclones density
   colorSea       (0.040, 0.100, 0.200, 1.000) // Color of seas
   colorShelf     (0.150, 0.480, 0.460, 1.000) // Color of shelf areas
   colorBeach     (0.850, 0.740, 0.550, 0.000) // Color of beach lines
   colorDesert    (0.770, 0.670, 0.470, 0.000) // Color of deserts
   colorLowland   (0.440, 0.290, 0.170, 0.000) // Color of lower lands
   colorUpland    (0.640, 0.570, 0.470, 0.000) // Color of upper lands
   colorRock      (0.220, 0.200, 0.200, 0.000) // Color of rocks
   colorSnow      (1.000, 1.000, 1.000, 0.016) // Color of snow
   colorLowPlants (0.100, 0.160, 0.070, 0.000) // Color of lower vegetation
   colorUpPlants  (0.090, 0.110, 0.040, 0.000) // Color of upper vegetation
  }

     Clouds      // Clouds layer tag
     {
         // These parameters describes a texture pack stored on the disk.
         // I comment it out because this planet uses a procedural generation of surface.
         //DiffMap        "Icarus/Clouds"    // Color texture
         //DiffTileSize    512               // Color texture tile resolution
         //DiffTileBorder  1                 // Color texture tile border width
         //BumpMap        "Icarus/CloudsBump"// Bump (heightmap) texture
         //BumpTileSize    512               // Bump texture tile resolution
         //BumpTileBorder  1                 // Bump texture tile border width

         BumpHeight      0.5     // Max height of "cloud landscape" in km
         BumpOffset      0.0     // Offset of zero height level
         DayAmbient      2.0     // Brightness of fake daytime ambient light
         Lommel          0.2     // Lambert to Lommel-Seeliger lighting model ratio
         Exposure        2.0     // Global clouds brighness
         Height          6.3     // Height of cloud layer in km
         Velocity        75.0    // Velosity of clouds layer
         Color          (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)  // Global color of clouds layer

         // Next are parameters for procedural surface generation
         mainFreq        0.9     // Main noise frequency
         mainOctaves     10      // Number of octaves of main noise
         Coverage        0.1     // Clouds coverage (0...1)
         twistZones      2.68    // Number of Jupiter-like zones or strips
         twistMagn       2.53    // Strength of twist
  }

  Ocean
  {
   Height          6.009521
   DayAmbient      2.0
   Lommel          0.0
   Exposure        2.0
   Color          (1.000, 1.000, 1.000, 1.000)
  }

     Atmosphere      // Atmosphere tag
     {
         Model          "Earth"  // Model of the atmosphere
         Height          80.0    // Height of the top boundary in km
         Pressure        1.2     // Surface pressure in bars
         Density         1.83    // Surface density in kg/m^3
         Greenhouse      18.0    // Greenhouse effect in degrees
         Bright          10.0    // Brightness (rendering parameter)
         Opacity         1.0     // Opacity (rendering parameter)
         SkyLight        1.0     // Brightness of skylight on terrain
         EclipseBright   250.0               // Brightness of solar eclipse shadow
         EclipseColor   (1.000 0.600 0.200)  // Color of solar eclipse shadow
     }

     Rings       // Rings tag
     {
         // Texture parameter is commented out, becuase
         // this planet use procrdural generation of texture
         //Texture         "Icarus-rings.*"  // Rings texture
         InnerRadius      8318.5  // Inner raduis of rings system in km
         OuterRadius      12438.3 // Outer radius of rings system in km
         RotationPeriod   43.3    // Rings rotation period in hours
         RotationOffset   60.0    // Rings rotation phase in degrees
         FrontBright      1.0     // Direct lighting brightness
         BackBright       5.0     // Back lighting brightness (scattering)
         Density          1.0     // Density (opacity)
         Exposure         2.0     // Global brightness
     }

     Orbit       // Orbit tag
     {
         //Type            "Static"  // This is for non-moving bodies like suns
         RefPlane        "Ecliptic"  // Orbit reference plane
         Epoch           2451545.0   // Orbital parameters epoch, Julian date
         Period          0.91458     // Orbital period in years
         Eccentricity    0.01265     // Eccentricity
         Inclination     0.51346     // Inclination in degrees
         AscendingNode   39.31601    // Longitude of ascending node in degrees

         // Next two are interchangeable: SemiMajorAxis = PericenterDist / (1.0 - Eccentricity)
         SemiMajorAxis   0.958       // Semimajor axis in astronomical units
         PericenterDist  0.9458813   // Pericentric distanse in astronomical units

         // Next two are interchangeable: ArgOfPericen = LongOfPericen - AscendingNode
         ArgOfPericen    268.7741    // (or ArgOfPericenter) Argument of pericenter in degrees
         LongOfPericen   308.09011   // (or LongOfPericenter) Longitude of pericenter in degrees

         // Next two are interchangeable: MeanAnomaly = MeanLongitude - LongOfPericen
         MeanAnomaly     348.84963   // Mean anomaly in degrees
         MeanLongitude   296.93974   // Mean longitude in degrees

         AscNodePreces   131795.3    // Ascending node precession period in years
         ArgOfPeriPreces 26799.51    // Argument of pericenter precession period in years
     }
}

[crashman1390]

... And this big chunk of code from Space Engine is for?