Ultimate space simulation software

 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.2 SE 0.99

28 Mar 2019 12:36

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Sci Fi System Generator V1.2 SE 0.99.zip
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As a fan of science fiction, I was a little underwhelmed with the number of online tools for generating sci-fi things. If you google "solar system generator", there are some good ones but all are text-based and to me, they leave a lot to be desired. And if I wanted to port these online generators to SE, I would have to create .sc files from scratch and copy all the values over manually, which is boring, and would take a lot of time to visualize just one system.
 
So I decided to make a program that could not only generate sophisticated solar systems, but is also fully customizable. I'm still a long way off, but this is a work in progress tool that has become pretty powerful already for anyone looking to create custom systems for stories, roleplaying games, or just for inspiration. Here is a list of the main features included so far:
 
  • Create detailed and semi-realistic solar systems supporting various types of stars. 
  • Every system generated comes with planets, major moons, and minor moons to explore. 
  • Every object has a unique name generated by using a set of existing words, all of which is fully editable! Want futuristic-style names, or even medieval-style names? Use a custom dataset for the generator to pull from!
  • Find some not-so-realistic special objects and properties, such as retrograde orbits and debris rings. And if you don't like them, you can switch them off completely.
  • Find spaceships orbiting around the star, planets, and moons! Don't like the ships that come with the generator? Add your own custom ships to the folders for the generator to choose from! Don't like the ships at all? Turn them off as well. 
  • Set up an output folder for the generator to place files in so you never have to drag and drop files! And once you've done that, generate 100 systems at once and hopefully the generator won't crash!
 
I still have plans for many features in the future, such as support for more star classes, multiple star systems, planets with life, Dyson Spheres, and maybe some more special objects I haven't thought of yet. I'll be setting up a GitHub page in the near future for anyone that might want to track my progress and planned features.
 
For details on how to edit all the files and how to run the program, just take a look at the readme file after you've extracted the .zip folder. Your computer will probably block the program at first, but it is safe to allow it.
 
If you find any issues with it, anything that doesn't look right, or any errors when the program is run, please feel free to let me know here or in private messages. There are bound to be bugs I haven't come across yet.
 
And as I said, I really want to make this user-oriented and very customizable, so if you have any suggestions of things that you want to see added or improved on, just let me know and I'll take it into consideration. Enjoy!
 
- Seth Fusion
 
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Last edited by SFGameZ64 on 14 Sep 2019 13:18, edited 8 times in total.
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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Arturo100
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

29 Mar 2019 00:10

This is really cool! I nice idea for the future could be assigning textures based on size, temp, and type, though that might never happen.
With the amount of bizarre creatures on Earth, I doubt aliens would look like humans with skull deformations or skin conditions.
 
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

29 Mar 2019 06:11

I like your idea, I'm definitely going to try it and eventually post some screenshots on Image Dump  :)
The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.

CPU: Intel Core i7 4770 GPU: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 RAM: 8 GBs
 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

29 Mar 2019 08:27

This is really cool! I nice idea for the future could be assigning textures based on size, temp, and type, though that might never happen.
That would be cool, but very tricky to do. Right now I just output text files that SE can read, and everything is self-contained. Without being able to access pre-made textures, I would have to create or generate my own, which is a whole other world of programming that I can't do. I think Space Engine's built-in texture system is great for now and will be even better when SE .99 comes out.
I like your idea, I'm definitely going to try it and eventually post some screenshots on Image Dump  :)
Thank you! Maybe I will take some screenshots as well for example
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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Arturo100
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

29 Mar 2019 20:11

Yes, I am aware of the difficulties of it, but you can actually just get some textures of our solar system planets and change them a bit, though as you said, it will be tricky to do.
With the amount of bizarre creatures on Earth, I doubt aliens would look like humans with skull deformations or skin conditions.
 
zhar22
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

30 Mar 2019 13:10

Amazing!!!
 
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Arturo100
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

30 Mar 2019 22:49

Someone actually has done something like this for Celestia, look: http://web.archive.org/web/20120612133204/http://home.arcor.de/christianlenz/ssc.html
With the amount of bizarre creatures on Earth, I doubt aliens would look like humans with skull deformations or skin conditions.
 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

31 Mar 2019 10:50

Someone actually has done something like this for Celestia, look: http://web.archive.org/web/20120612133204/http://home.arcor.de/christianlenz/ssc.html
An interesting generator and you are welcome to use that one if you use Celestia. But Celestia has a lot more bells and whistles you have to worry about, such as texture directories, that give it a learning curve, especially if you want to make something that looks good. This is why I rely on Space Engine's built-in terrain generation. I'm aiming for simplicity, so anyone can run the program and get a full solar system that looks stunning in the engine without having to edit texture directories or anything else in the file (unless they want to).
It may not be the best at this yet, but I am working on making it better.  :)
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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Arturo100
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

31 Mar 2019 11:11

I know.
With the amount of bizarre creatures on Earth, I doubt aliens would look like humans with skull deformations or skin conditions.
 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator SE 0.98

31 Mar 2019 15:13

Update 1.1.0
Sci Fi System Generator V1.1.0 SE 0.98.zip
(473.12 KiB) Downloaded 541 times
I'm working on a new system right now called "exotic" which will allow the program to generate exotic planets with special orbits and such. This is based on a percentage chance and can be changed or turned off. 

Right now it is very simple. You can now find some planets with retro or highly inclined orbits. You can also find planets with retro spins or highly inclined axial tilts. These planets make the system much more interesting, even if they are not so realistic. I have some ideas for other exotic planet types, but they will need a better framework in place before I can implement them, which will have to wait until after SE 0.99 is released. 

Feel free to tell me if you like the change and also report any bugs you might have come across. 
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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JackDole
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.1 SE 0.98e

02 Apr 2019 05:59

Does your program produce no life? Or is it just rare? I think every "science-fiction" system should contain at least one planet that has life. Even if it is perhaps just a mining colony!
JackDole's Universe 0.990: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=546
JackDole's Archive: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=419
JackDole: Mega structures ... http://old.spaceengine.org/forum/17-3252-1 (Old forum)
 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.1 SE 0.98e

02 Apr 2019 09:26

Does your program produce no life? Or is it just rare? I think every "science-fiction" system should contain at least one planet that has life. Even if it is perhaps just a mining colony!
Actually, I have not put that in yet. I always thought that Space Engine would sometimes decide if a planet has life or not in the same way that it will put rings around a planet even if you don't declare that in the .sc file. But I have never seen it happen so I think I may be wrong about that.
I will put that in sometime soon (hopefully) as a random chance, and maybe even have a configuration option to force every system to have at least one planet with life.
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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JackDole
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.1 SE 0.98e

02 Apr 2019 13:47

I will put that in sometime soon (hopefully) as a random chance, and maybe even have a configuration option to force every system to have at least one planet with life.
That would be good.
Honestly, I would love a program where you can specify some parameters yourself. Similar to my 'Asteroid Belt Creator'.
I had already thought of writing such a program (Phython script), but I have not found the time yet. (Better said, I've been too lazy for that.)
JackDole's Universe 0.990: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=546
JackDole's Archive: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=419
JackDole: Mega structures ... http://old.spaceengine.org/forum/17-3252-1 (Old forum)
 
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SFGameZ64
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.1 SE 0.98e

02 Apr 2019 15:17

Honestly, I would love a program where you can specify some parameters yourself. Similar to my 'Asteroid Belt Creator'.
I had already thought of writing such a program (Phython script), but I have not found the time yet. (Better said, I've been too lazy for that.)
Actually your Asteroid Belt Creator was a big influence when I decided to sit down and start this project. It is one of the only tools (I have found) that makes filling in empty systems very easy, so thank you for making it! I have used it a lot! 
But I wanted a few more tools for SE and just didn't see any being made, probably because SE already generates things so well. So between this project and another I've got sitting on the shelf, I'll be busy for a while. 
There are a few parameters you can modify right now, such as the number of planets, inclination, and eccentricity, and I want to add more control in the future, but it will probably have to wait until after SE .99 is released. 
Better known as Seth Fusion
A little generator I made - http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=27881#p27881
 
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LBV 2012-26
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Sci-Fi System Generator V1.1 SE 0.98e

06 Apr 2019 07:48

Someone actually has done something like this for Celestia, look: http://web.archive.org/web/20120612133204/http://home.arcor.de/christianlenz/ssc.html
An interesting generator and you are welcome to use that one if you use Celestia. But Celestia has a lot more bells and whistles you have to worry about, such as texture directories, that give it a learning curve, especially if you want to make something that looks good. This is why I rely on Space Engine's built-in terrain generation. I'm aiming for simplicity, so anyone can run the program and get a full solar system that looks stunning in the engine without having to edit texture directories or anything else in the file (unless they want to).
It may not be the best at this yet, but I am working on making it better.  :)
Yes, making Celestia's textures is indeed a big job.

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