Space Engine

[Dwarden 1124]

http://en.spaceengine.org/

SpaceEngine - is a free space simulation software that

lets you explore the universe in three dimensions, starting from planet Earth to

the most distant galaxies. Areas of the known universe are represented using

actual astronomical data, while regions uncharted by human astronomy are

generated procedurally. Millions of galaxies, trillions of stars, countless

planets!

Capabilities

• All types of celestial objects are represented: planets, moons, asteroids,
  stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.
  
• The observer is free to move around the universe. Transition between any
  celestial body and any scale occurs continuously.
  
• The observer can move around in space using the WASD keys, like in First
  Person Shooters. Movement with inertia is made possible in Spacecraft mode or
  Aircraft mode.
  
• "Select and fly" autopilot: just click on any object with the mouse and hit
  the 'G' key to automatically go directly to the object.
  
• Search for celestial objects by name. View planetary system maps. Save
  locations and an autopilot's journal.
  
• The orbital motion of planets and stars is calculated in real time, with the
  ability to accelerate, decelerate, or reverse the flow of time.
  
• The orbital paths of celestial objects can be shown, along with their labels
  and grids.
  
• Automatic binding of the observer to the moving object and automatic
  selection of optimum flight speed.
  
• Known celestial objects are represented using data from the catalogs:
  galaxies (NGC/IC), stars (HIPPARCOS), star clusters, nebulae, planets (our Solar
  system data and known extrasolar planets).
  
• Uncharted regions of space feature procedurally generated objects: stars,
  star clusters, nebulae and planetary systems.
  
• 3D landscapes of planets and stars: for many solar system bodies actual data
  from space probes is used. For uncharted exo-planets the surface is generated
  procedurally.
  
• Volumetric 3D sprite models of galaxies and nebulae including
  light-absorbing dust clouds, optimized render to a skybox and impostors.
  
• Lighting effects: lens flares, solar eclipses, shadows of planetary rings.
  Celestial objects cast light and shadow on to each other.
  
• The exact model of the Earth's atmosphere (code by Eric Bruneton), adapted
  for the other planets.
  
• Ability to import users addons: models, catalogs, and textures.
  

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there is another engine which offers fantastic voyage to fully procedural Universe (let say local supercluster of galaxies size to any planet surface)

each dot is usually star system, which has own system with stellar bodies and you visit each of them ...

all screens above was taken while rendering real-time on my archaic computer

Edited March 3, 2012 by Dwarden

[onlyrazor 11]

So... The entirety of space is explorable?

Dear Bohemia Interactive Developers... :p Kidding there, it looks really amazing. Here's to space battles! :811:

[Dwarden 1124]

well atm. just one local super cluster (i think once i managed to set another one but then the engine crashed into BSOD and it was many builds ago, since then it's just one)

there is possibility on modding already but it's hard w/o full documentation and while the settings do look similar to e.g. Celestia simulator, it's not true

there are certain differences and additional settings

i spoken with the author and he will work on it, he is active on his forums a lot too, his TODO plan is definitely impressive

i would like to tell everyone this is not game engine yet at all, it's more techdemo like Outerra

but if You can't wait for I-novae engine (Infinity: The quest For Earth) then now You can explore space ;) indefinitely

[blu3sman 11]

Does it have 'real' physics involved? Or its purely visuals?

[katipo66 94]

Looks cool, downloading

[gammadust 12]

Ty for this dwarden, the scale transitions really awe... the black hole representation also appears accurate, i wonder if star clusters also originate gravitational lens effect...

I will soon download this and explore it. How "sterile" can be so seductive?

Does it have 'real' physics involved? Or its purely visuals?

It appeared to me that the universe was "frozen", suns had no fusion animation, planet atmospheres on the other hand appeared animated.

but...

The orbital motion of planets and stars is calculated in real time, with the

ability to accelerate, decelerate, or reverse the flow of time.

I think it is difficult to detect movement because of the scale of all of it, depending on the speed and time constraints one is...

Edited March 3, 2012 by gammadust

[Dwarden 1124]

Does it have 'real' physics involved? Or its purely visuals?

there is some physics involved inside the star systems (stellar body mechanics) and orbiting stars (systems orbiting neutron stars and black holes)

also there is some weather system, ocean system is still plain

yet there is no depth/advanced fluid/gas physics, no jet streams of matter on black holes, massive stars not stealing matter from theirs neightbor,

yet no tail for comets (Celestia already has it, including calculation for multiple stars to adjust it by correct stellar wind)

time will tell if he manages some of it, i wish this was open-source and modular engine supporting various I/O APIs... then it would be possible do wonders

[[aps]gnat 28]

Looks awesome.

FTL is now reality ! ;)

[Dwarden 1124]

nah not just FTL but also time travels as You may just run the time and watch things orbit :)

unfortunately there is no physics in terms of space bodies collisions etc.

like in that Space Universe Sandbox game on STEAM, which btw. has totally weird physics ;)

[Dwarden 1124]

there is also dev entry about new mapmode

http://en.spaceengine.org/forum/21-475-1

it looks very promising (dozen of screenshots of various zoom levels)

also developer now works on new procedurally generated galaxies and mass distribution in universe

(not from 2D pictures used for calculation of 3D shape and then particles generation then turned into stellar-objects, which was imo already quite clever)

http://en.spaceengine.org/forum/21-497-1

Edited March 11, 2012 by Dwarden

[[aps]gnat 28]

lol .... reminds me of Elite .... but about 3 decades on :D

[Dwarden 1124]

Gnat;2118365']lol .... reminds me of Elite .... but about 3 decades on :D

the map shares similarity, but it's not, i can assure You, Pioneer Space Sim (see the other thread) has better map than Frontier 2 (Elite 3) had

but this is better, when You look on the thread on the Space Engine author's forum

[opteryx 1562]

BUMP!

SE has gotten an update,

Also, check out the crazy goals for this game/sim:

Long-Term Goals

$120 000 - Online space exploration game

Module-based ships with a 3D constructor

Players can name planets that they have discovered

Server database for worlds discovered by players

A database search function for finding a planet by certain parameters

$150 000 - SpaceEngine SDK

SpaceEngine as a graphics library for third party companies

WYSIWYG editor for all types of objects

$250 000 - MMORPG Sandbox Game

Space combat system with realistic physics

Unlimited capabilities for players: research, building, trading, fighting

Colonizing and terraforming planets, building cities

Destruction of enemy ships, cities, and even entire planets

[Rydygier 1302]

My favourite kind of stuff. As for the goals, nothing less I expected from this. :) Especially, if combined somehow with some procedural landscape generator (like actually taking outTerra out of the Terra...). It may become the most UNIVERSAL sandbox game ever. Literally - whole universe mapped (just not at once), from galaxy clusters to the some grass blade on the some planet.