[Thaeris]

I'm wondering if there would be an interest in using Celestia to create a virtural Node Map for FS...

There are several possible uses for such a mod to the program, which is very much open source:

(1.) If desirable, new, high-definition CB anis could be created. Furthermore, as various planets and orbits can be plotted within the program, Celestia could be a one-stop solution for creating a visual environment for new campaigns or restoring old ones.

(2.) If an accurate map can be produced, then there should hopefully be reduced confusion over which nodes go where and what have you. 2D maps also don't produce terribly accurate senses of scale, either. A 3D environment might help allieviate that...

I personally don't have any skill in editing this given program, but I am curious if anyone on the HLP would be interested in using this application for this purpose...

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[Droid803]

There exists the inherent problem that subspace distances does not correlate with realspace distances and the nodemap would probably look a lot more confusing.

[Thaeris]

That's not untrue, but keep in mind that several CBanis have a 3D nodemap. If someone wants a 3D nodemap for a campaign that can be manipulated in any reasonable sense, this is probably a good way of doing it. Heck, the only thing you might need to do is draw in a few wireframe models around a the given celestial bodies... which conveniantly already exist. 

[Spoon]

Is might actually just be what I need.
Is it a hard program to work with?

[Thaeris]

It's certianly an easy program to use, and you can customize most viewing options so as to render what you want to see easily enough.

Easy to mod, though? I really can't say. However, the use of the application is fairly wide-spread, I believe, so getting information on how to do something should be fairly simple... You can see that I've got constellations drawn in the window, so I assume you could make a dynamic node map.

Here's the main page, which also has links to associated sites:

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

[Snail]

I don't see why this is more useful than a 3d animation/rendering/modelling program like, say, Blenduh.

[Thaeris]

Well, here's why:

(1.) The "infrastructure" is already there: all you'd need to do is add the dynamic node paths.

(2.) The universe is dynamically modeled and everything is moving... For an awesome but completely unnecessary level of realism, you can set the date to the given date in the FS universe, and all the celestial bodies in question will theoretically be where they'd supposed to be in reality.

(3.) If the given campaign requires a new node to be generated, ideally all you'd have to do is plug in a new node path.

(4.) For CBanis, everything as already "prettily" rendered and what have you. Getting that level of realism in Blender... or some other customizable viewing setting already available in Celestia would be much, much more involved.

I think that's a reasonable argument.

Oh, and here's what Mars should look right at about this time... 

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[Galemp]

I've done it before, it's a huge mess.

[Thaeris]

Really?

If you wouldn't mind, could you lend a little more information on your project, Galemp?

[Col. Fishguts]

Someone once made a realistic nodemap with a 3d application and posted the results (was that youGalemp or somebody else?).
Basically the distances involved vary way too much and the result looks completely incomprehensible.

[Galemp]

What Fishguts said.

In Celestia, it's easy to make your own custom 'constellation' and draw lines from one star to another. I did this for the FS nodemap (ages ago) and the end result was totally useless.

Now if you actually wanted a 3D nodemap for you to animate your own command briefs... well, yes, that was me. I did it in Max 6, and posted the link a while ago. Not sure where it is now.

[Droid803]

Yeah, there's that inherent problem of subspace not correlating with realspace...as I stated.
I am slightly interested in seeing exactly how bad it is though

[Spoon]

I just had a look at it but i'm having a hard time figuring out how to turn this into a workable cbani.

Now if you actually wanted a 3D nodemap for you to animate your own command briefs... well, yes, that was me. I did it in Max 6, and posted the link a while ago. Not sure where it is now.

I'm interested but the forum search is useless.

[chief1983]

Ok, I have a ton of nodemaps, but no 3d max file.  I have a PSD version, a flash version, and a ton of jpegs.  If someone can find me the 3d one I'd love to add it to my collection.

[Galemp]

Ha, good old institutional bureaucracy. Good to know that, seven years later, the tuition of new students is going towards keeping my old files on their servers.

Here's the nodemap. When rendered, it looks like this.

[chief1983]

Heh, I don't even have access to my account anymore but my school website is still up too.

[Thaeris]

You know, with all the thousands of dollars you spend on a high-level education, the fact that they remove/disable your account to the school is pretty rediculous.

And you're right to a point about Celestia - If you're at a star greater than 20LY from Sol, things start to get a bit confusing...

[Snail]

Ha, good old institutional bureaucracy. Good to know that, seven years later, the tuition of new students is going towards keeping my old files on their servers.

Here's the nodemap. When rendered, it looks like this.

Wow, thanks for the file.

[chief1983]

I think I already had a pic of the map generated from this, but never the max file.  So yeah, thanks 

[Spoon]

nice thanks, will be useful