Mapping Concept

[Johnnymuffintop]

Ok, lets start by informing you at the moment, I'm stuck with a computer that can hardly do anything, I don't even have a 3D imaging card (can't render ANYTHING, which means no BC) I do have a laptop, which I can't put anything on, that can render 3D, but it's not mine, my mother takes it to work with her. (Yes, I live with my mother, had to move back in for school)
Secondly, I did have the game not to long ago, and anticipate getting a better computer soon to be able to again.

Now that that's out of the way.
Here's the idea, would it be possible to make a map, or series of maps, using this program?
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/index.html

It's free software that gives you the solar system, as well as asteroids, comets, and other stars, all in a completely 3D environment.
So, at long last, you can have a full 3D galaxy to explore...

Am I crazy, or is this an idea that I may see come to fruition?

[MLeo]

You would have to write an utility class/function for translating Celestia maps into something BC can understand. This can be done from ingame as well, just make sure you put the Celestia maps somewhere they can be read from within game (such as a subdirectory of the Custom directory).

Now, as for resources, that might pose a bit of a problem, the only model format BC understands is NIF and the only texture format is TGA. If it needs to move on it's own (as a model) then it needs to be a "ship", meaning it needs a hardpoint. But I suppose even that can be done from within the game using a generic utility class/function.

So the only real problem that remains are the resources, the models and textures would need to be converted.

Assuming the description formats (describing the locations and such) are well defined then even that should not pose a great problem to parse them.

[Johnnymuffintop]

Thanks a lot MLeo, very insightful.

Your comment on making the planets into ships is a great idea, it would not only allow them to move in an orbit, but could also, in theory, could make for some interesting missions involving asteroids.

I'd probably have to take a class to write anything since I'm kinda inexperience and this computer is no where near ok to test anything.
In the meantime, if any modellers/textures want to start making some planets to be used, go right ahead.

Idk about you guys, but luring a ship into the asteriod belt could be fun. :p

[MLeo]

While ships as planets have been used in the past for this, it wasn't (directly) why I mentioned ships, I remember the Cassini "map" for Celestia, which moved.

But yes, you are right in thinking that you need planets as ships for this.
Of course, the hardpoints for all those planets can be shared.
And there are other tricks to use to limit the number of work.

[Rob Archer]

Having planets move is a nice concept, one which has been explored before in KM i believe and also, by me on occasion, while it is possible to have a solar system in Bridge Commander which moves and all, the scale of the planets and the distance between them is terrible because at a certain point the camera starts shaking, (The Camera Shake Bug) and additionally if you place an object even further out Distance between Sun and Jupiter, you will never be able to reach it. you ship will appear to move but will in fact stay perfectly still, if you fire torpedoes they will also appear to freeze, that's why we have stationary planets and the solar systems divided into sections, Sol 1, Sol 2, Sol 3 etc

Ships as planets does however have additional benefits in that you can make locations on the surface targetable, Have surface lights, better atmospheres and Rotation.

as with any game its a case of balancing the game play with the realism. and full working solar systems would ruin the game play, because it would take to long to reach a location within the system and you have to deal with planets colliding with either one another and other ships/stations. you can make stations orbit the planets but the docking system would need to be modified to deal with the motion of the planet.

Although Ships as planets does give you some brilliant results for example:

[MLeo]

Of course, I would have meant making it scalable. ;)
Meaning not have one system with everything in it.

And you would have to scale things to BC size.