That's fine. I also found out that Delphi, the Wolf-Rayet system that I intended it to be, is actually a blue subdwarf with a large blue gas giant. So it looks like I will be sticking with that template. I'll see what I can do with the unknown system; do any of you all have any requests?
I stumbled across some more programs, and I have to say that I still have much to learn. This is my attempt to recreate that green planet in the SCP splash image, along with a more detailed star that I learned to make:
SCP Splash PlanetThe star is basically the same, only that it is a slight combination of the stars that I made at the very beginning of the thread. The larger "spikes" are those wide solar flare-looking rays, only this time I made them much thinner. I still have the corona effect, but I also added a rainbow-like halo just to experiment. If you all like this star better that the previous images of Antares and the Sun, it looks like I will have to redo all of the previously sent stars. I am going to be very busy within the next few weeks so I cannot guarantee daily updates like last week (which was my spring break). So tell me what you all think.
I also need to know if I need to make a glow image. I really don't know what to say about your situation Herra, but hopefully it can be corrected.
EDIT: About the star size. I like to see large stars in the background, because you can get detailed images like the one I just provided. But then of course if it's too large then the star might become a distraction/annoyance. In any case, Admiral Nelson I believe you posted an image of the Sun in-game after I had released my first version of it. I think the size of the star that you chose for the screenshot is perfect, but let's see what everyone else thinks.
EDIT 2: I have had some time to think, and for a moment I would like to review my progress. The main reason why I thought it was necessary to redo the stars was to liven up and add uniqueness, realism, but most importantly eye candy for all systems in the FS universe. My first attempt was a failure: the lens flare effect was very exaggerated (giving people the idea that it was actually a part of the star like a solar flare), and while it looked cool, it wouldn't look right if it was just a stationary image. The star's surface was also visible, and while it was my intention to give the stars a new bright appearance, this only made it seem like the blinding light was coming from behind the star.
My second version is the one that everyone seems happy with. First brought up by S-99, the spherical glows are simple yet look convincing. I really like them myself, but I think they are missing something. My other reason for wanting to redo the stars was to make each one different from the other. So far that has been going well, but I would like to see what else can be done that will look good, but differentiate the stars in a different manner.
So I made a third version, and this star is visible in my SCP Splash Planet image. I believe this is what I was going for all along, yet there are a few problems. All of these stationary effects contribute to how a user, or in this case a pilot, would perceive blinding light through his or her own eyes. The supernova effect (what I have been using as a "corona"), the lens flare circles, and now the thin spikes are not a physical part of the star. So any of these effects IMO wouldn't seem right if they were stationary. The lens flare circles would move according to where the light is coming from in the pilot's field of vision, and the same would apply to the supernova effect. The spikes or rays radiating from the star would shrink and increase in size as objects eclipse the star. Take a look at this orbital sunrise taken from Discovery:
Orbital SunriseNot only that, but once the rays become visible, they cannot be obstructed. Take a look at my Freelancer image I posted a while ago to see an illustration of what I mean.
While I would like the stars to have these effects, I think it's best to wait when we finally have the support for it. For now, I'll just continue with the second version of the stars unless you all think the third version would look better as a stationary image. Since the stars of Freelancer were pretty much my inspiration, what to you all think about how they look compared to the original retail stars of FS2 Open?