Question How do you create a planetary system in orbiter?

[Graham2001]

I've always wanted to try this but have never been sure just what the steps are, how is it done?

 

[ex-orbinaut]

I've always wanted to try this but have never been sure just what the steps are, how is it done?

Start here...

http://www.eharm.net/shop/freeware/orbiter/tutorials/solar_system/solar_system.html

All the best.

 

[Graham2001]

Start here...

http://www.eharm.net/shop/freeware/orbiter/tutorials/solar_system/solar_system.html

All the best.

Thanks.

 

[jedidia]

Basically you just write config files for every planet, as shown in the Orbiter documentation. Then you'll have to do the textures for the planets, which is a different kind of dog and probably the most trouble... Getting good loocking planetary textures is a rather difficult task to do.

 

[Graham2001]

Basically you just write config files for every planet, as shown in the Orbiter documentation. Then you'll have to do the textures for the planets, which is a different kind of dog and probably the most trouble... Getting good loocking planetary textures is a rather difficult task to do.

As is figuring out the mass & size of a B3II star in Orbiter statistics.

 

[Quix0r]

Copyright

And watch out for copyright restrictions, some publisher wants you to pay a fee for using their textures. Just my cent.

 

[jedidia]

As is figuring out the mass & size of a B3II star in Orbiter statistics.

Here's a nice table:

http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/astro/HR-temp-mass-table-byhrclass.html

It's not all accurate, many properties are not empirical but mathematicaly derived instead, but it does a fine job for me in Orbiter Galaxy.

 

[Graham2001]

Here's a nice table:

http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/astro/HR-temp-mass-table-byhrclass.html

It's not all accurate, many properties are not empirical but mathematicaly derived instead, but it does a fine job for me in Orbiter Galaxy.

A really big thank you for that list, it will solve my problems completely, at least for the star.

 

[T.Neo]

How does one change the physical attributes of a star?

I understand visual attributes are rather hard to do, but physical ones?

 

[Graham2001]

How does one change the physical attributes of a star?

I understand visual attributes are rather hard to do, but physical ones?

You multiply the solar mass/radius by what ever figures you believe appropriate to the star you are simulating

For example

The radius of a B3II star is figured by multiplying 6.96e8 by 1.71+e01, or as I did it:

6.96 by 1.71 = 11.9016e8 (I think the calculation is correct, can someone check the figures?)

 

[T.Neo]

Ah, figured that one out.

I thought the "Sun.dll" would mess things up, but apparently not?

 

[Graham2001]

Does anyone know the best way of calculating a planets mass using the diameter and gravity, I know such an equation exists but cannot remember the formula.

 

[freedgabriel]

While you can measure directly the size and mass of a planet, you must determine density through calculations. The density of any object is the ratio of its mass to its volume. For planets, this means that the largest planets, the gas giants of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, are not necessarily the densest planets. The small and rocky planets like Earth are actually significantly denser than these larger planets. The densest planet is, in fact, the Earth.

 

[Graham2001]

Ah, figured that one out.

I thought the "Sun.dll" would mess things up, but apparently not?

I'm not sure but for some reason neither this config file:

; === Configuration file for star Blazon ===
Name = Blazon
Mass = 42.56287611016e+30
Size = 11.9016e8     ; mean radius

;Star is a B3II Bright Giant.
;Mass and radius parameters are derived from information from the Stellar Classification table:
;(http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/astro/HR-temp-mass-table-byhrclass.html).
;Radius determined by 6.96e8 * 1.71e+01 (Actually 6.96 * 1.71). Not sure if calculation correct.
;Texture parameters for the star require a color of R:168 G:198 B:255

or this config file:

; === Configuration file for star Shinju ===
Name = Shinju
Mass = 3.38116305548e+30
Size = 12.18e8     ; mean radius

;Star is A9V
;Mass and radius parameters are derived from information from the Stellar Classification table:
;(http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/astro/HR-temp-mass-table-byhrclass.html).
;Radius determined by 6.96e8 * 1.75e+00 (Acutally 6.96 * 1.75). Not sure if calculation correct.
;Texture parameters for the star require a color of R:219 G:224 B:255 (see enclosed color sample)

Seem to affect the size that a star is displayed at, is it something to do with the texture file?

 

[TSPenguin]

The visual representation of a star is just a texture. It can not be altered by a config file.

 

[Graham2001]

The visual representation of a star is just a texture. It can not be altered by a config file.

So in other words I'd have to resize star.dds to increase the size of a star? I've tried this a couple of times using paint.net but it keeps messing up the texture. I've attached a picture to show what happens when I try to resize a star.

 

[sascha]

Is it possible to create system with more than one star?

 

[T.Neo]

It is possible, if the second star is modeled as a planet.

This means, however, that "planets" orbiting the second star will in fact be moons, and thus will not be able to have moons of their own.

 

[sascha]

Actualy, idea is to create binary star system (or even pulsar or something). In that situation these two stars wil be relativly close to each other and mutaly orbiting. If we put planets in orbit of one star they shold be in gravitational influence of both stars or I'm wrong?

 

[T.Neo]

Well, planets and moons in Orbiter are on "paths" determined by the .cfg file (or .dll file in the case of .dll coded planets), so they can't be taken off course of said paths by interactions between them and other planets (or between them and vessels).

However, the gravitational effects from the "moon" planets should affect vessels orbiting, say, a planet around the primary.