Requests for New Save & XML Features

[Dan Dixon]

In the next week I plan to add and release a new update with improved save and manual xml creation features.
A number of improvements have been mentioned in other forum threads, but I'd like to have a definitive list here. Feel free to add links to other threads here.

What would you like to see and/or what should they be called and/or what should the formatting be?

Here are two already on the list:

<Temperature>5000 K</Temperature>
<Luminosity>1 sun</Luminosity>

[Dan Dixon]

<RotationPeriod>n</RotationPeriod> actually works now n = hours
But do add the ability to make an object with star properties without it being a known and cataloged star - that is to say Luminosity and Temperature.
Also, the ability to add custom ring systems and multiple asteroid belts in .xml
And a gentler falloff value for the new lighting system would be great, too, or perhaps an exposure setting that can amplify the light
Even a simplified version of it would work; no falloff at all, and only the nearest star is a light source.

Any additional thoughts on how you'd like all or any of this to work?

[Bla]

It will be awesome with temperature and luminosity!
An idea could be a list of available xml commands that will work in the program, like a button you can click and check for reference. Or is the manual xml creation outside the program?

[Laura]

This list turned out to contain items not directly related to .xml support, but most of the entries are

1) As for the multiple rings/belts, allow more than one such entry per body in xml.

2) Also, it would be fantastic if the belts could have a full set of orbital parameters to set, or at a minimum just inclination

3) For the rings, it would be nice if we could specify a custom gradient to use as well as a way to set the size.

4) External model support in the form of allowing model files to be in the user media folder, and a way to specify a model without having to edit appearance.xml - much cleaner that way.

5) Re-enable the normal mapping option if possible If you do, make it specifiable directly from the system.xml

6) About the lighting, I think the easiest thing would be to set a generous radius (maybe half a light year or so) inside which there is no falloff whatsoever. It may not be realistic, but a bunch of dark outer planets aren't much to look at either We can just think of it as exposure compensation. The basic amount of light emitted should of course be directly related to <Luminosity>.

7) If possible, fix the density problems that arise when exploding objects.

[Naru523]

It would be nice if there was an axial tilt xml. (which I think there is )

[atomic7732]

Time to debunk the XML's! (Appearance and... the other ones that all the data comes from!)

[Laura]

It would be nice if there was an axial tilt xml. (which I think there is )

There is <Action>rotate=n</Action>

[Sanduleak]

Hey Dan

I'm thrilled to know you're going to add save capabilities

As you know I'm a great fan of the rotX, rotY, rotZ and color tags.

Also, if the saves could remember the status of the various settings like Background, projected path and trails it would be perfect. But for this I think we should also have a 'safe mode': just in case the settings are too demanding and cannot load up on a given CPU.

[Chuck14]

I have big questions on customizing the xml files!!

[Laura]

I have big questions on customizing the xml files!!

Start here: http://universesandbox.com/support/newsystems.htm
That should answer all but a few questions

[atomic7732]

Dan, I think you need to update that to have the other XML codes like the Color tags and some other "hidden" XML tags.

[Dan Dixon]

... and some other "hidden" XML tags.

What do you mean by hidden?

[atomic7732]

Tags not in the page above.

Like the new discovered (you definetly knew about it) from Laura <Action>rotate=n</Action>, that's not in the section about the action tag.

[Laura]

I believe that one actually is there, but yes, that page could use an update so that all options are covered, now that you're adding new ones

[Dan Dixon]

I've finally begun work on updating the save and open code (for the 2.0.9 release).

One feature that I've implemented is that the XML markup is now case insensitive. This should save some headaches for some of you in the future.

Let me know if there are any other feature or improvements you'd like to see (in addition to those shared above).

[APODman]

I think it would be interesting a function that making objects invisible.

I'm testing the function of resonance and thought it would be a useful function does not display a particular object in the simulation despite their visual absence it affects gravitationally the simulation.

For example, in my simulation of the resonance Cruithne I had to modify the color of all other objects to black so they did not interfere with visualization of the simulation. But this was not entirely successful because as we see in orbit Cruithne sometimes it is intersected by "black failures", that are the crossings of the orbit of Venus due to rotate frame:



After turn the color of Venus to black I have this:



I think that a button that you could "go away" with the image of the planet and its orbit but maintaining in the simulation its presence in gravitational terms, would be very interesting !

Other improvements that would be interesting it's an "autopilot" like the one found in the Gravity Simulator.

These options would be very useful especially a function to stops the simulation automatically after a time determined by the user, this would save us to stay in front of the computer when running long simulations, at slow timesteps, waiting for the right moment to observe certain event or made some interaction with the simulation.

I really think that all functions of the autopilot option of Gravity Simulator could be included in Universe Sandbox.

[ ]´s

[frankdepinte]

Nice work !
tried diameter Venus =1 m?

[infringement153]

You can make bodies "go away" by un-checking the "bodies" box on the right side menu.

[deoxy99]

You can make bodies "go away" by un-checking the "bodies" box on the right side menu.

No, that would make all bodies go away, not just one. He only wants one to go away.

[Dan Dixon]

After turn the color of Venus to black I have this:

So you want to be able to toggle individual trails on and off ?

tried diameter Venus =1 m?

And then hit Q to set bodies to draw at their true size. I need to add that command to the on screen interface.

[Chaotic Cow]

After turn the color of Venus to black I have this:

So you want to be able to toggle individual trails on and off ?

I believe he wants the ability to turn the planet off.  As if you made the it invisible but all the physical properties are still there and trails.

Also turning certain trails off would help him too.

[moozoo]

I'd like a full XML export option that exports all of the simulation data.
This so , after setup up and testing a simulation in universe sandbox, I can export and then import it into a faster more detailed simulator (QYMSYM or mercury6)

[Dan Dixon]

I'd like a full XML export option that exports all of the simulation data.
This so , after setup up and testing a simulation in universe sandbox, I can export and then import it into a faster more detailed simulator (QYMSYM or mercury6)

What format or units would this need to be in?

What simulation data are you most interested in?

Save is still incomplete, and while it's not obvious, I did make some changes to the save system in a recent update that laid the foundation for a 2nd round of improvements in the near future.

[moozoo]

What format or units would this need to be in?
What simulation data are you most interested in?
Save is still incomplete, and while it's not obvious, I did make some changes to the save system in a recent update that laid the foundation for a 2nd round of improvements in the near future.

Well if I set up a simulation and save it, its in ubox format. This appears to be a binary format.
I couldn't find any way to save out in xml.

The same format as http://universesandbox.com/support/newsystems.htm would be great.

Anything I can read in and spit out in a different format would be great.

[Laura]

.ubox is really just .zip
Rename it accordingly, and you can unpack it

[moozoo]

.ubox is really just .zip
Rename it accordingly, and you can unpack it

opps... thanks Laura I didn't know that.
Yes the system.xml file inside appears to have what I wanted 

[Dan Dixon]

Eventually the ubox format will be able to contain custom models, textures, dust info, and trail data. It's on the list to do.

I also need to develop some tools for more easily opening and editing ubox files. Still figuring out how to make this easy and intuitive.

[Maccara]

One thing that would be great for XML would be some form of XPath support. That would make it possible to do something like: /System/Object[contains(Name,'Centauri')] to add all the stars having the phrase "Centauri" in the name in a single Body statement without having to enter them one-by-one by hand.

(first, even a basic xpath support would be neat, but in the future proper xslts etc to get something like [Mass>1 Sun] working would be eeexcellent)

[Darvince]

Hello, Dan! I think that a Copy of Included Systems with all the simulations would be great rather than the ones coming with 1.0.something

[Dan Dixon]

I've made some progress on saving and loading dust, however it won't be in the next update, but likely the one after that.

The save feature is embarrassingly under developed; I'm working on it.

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The next version should have a built in tool to make creating and extract ubox files much easier.

Just drag an xml file or folder with xml files onto the target to instantly create a ubox file.
Or drag a ubox file onto the target to create a folder with its contents extracted.

This should ease the complexity of editing and creating ubox files in the future.