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SpaceEngine

SpaceEngineer
Explorer


Hi there! I am Vladimir Romanyuk aka "SpaceEngineer", here my project called SpaceEngine. It is a 3D space simulator with procedural Universe generation. It features real-scale planets with 3D landscape, physically based generation of solar systems, real-scale generation of galaxies and entire Universe structure. All transitions are seamless, you can land on any planet and explore it, then take off and fly to another galaxy. Known astronomical objects are also here, including ultra-high resolution textures for Solar system planets and moons (20+ gigs, available as separate download).

This engine is in a form of a free space exploration planetarium, but I am going to make a game based on it. It will feature realistic physics and exploration based gameplay. More info on the forum (look for a sticky threads). Space ships are already implemented, with basic physics and controls.

Website and forum: http://en.spaceengine.org/

Main program: download (960 Mb)
Hi-res Solar system textues: coming soon

Trailer:




This version should work with Oculus Rift DK1. I have only DK1, but I tried to make DK2 support by feedback from beta testers. Here is a relatively old dev video for DK1 (warning it may make you sick iw watch in Rift):




To run in Oculus, first switch it to the extended desktop mode. Then run SpaceEngine, fly there a bit using monitor 🙂 Learn controls, they are easy: WASD + left mouse drag mouse to move, mouse wheel changes speed, click to select object, G key to fly to it (double G for faster flight), and F2 key to bring up the planets list (left and right mouse click to navigate). Advanced controls including speedup and reverse the time flow: JKL and Space keys. You always can use a toolbars, but in Oculus you probably will close them. After this, configure a joystick. Needed actions are move, rotare and chage the speed (very important!).

Then go to Display settings menu (Ctrl-F8) and choose Oculus Rift mode. Moving the window to the Rift is easy: just hit Shift-Enter. Don't forget to toggle fullscreen (Alt-Enter). To move the window back, hit Shift-Enter again. Note that mouse cursor must be in the window to allow rotation and GUI navigation.

If SE crashes on attempt to enable Oculus mode. So you are have AMD graphics card, aren't you? Try to disable mipmaps generation for the framebuffer texture. Open the config/user.cfg and change these parameters to false:
EnableMipmapsGUI false
EnableMipmapsFrame false
EnableMipmapsWarp false
The last parameter could fix crashes on approaching black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. Disabling mipmaps reduces quality, but at least fixes crashes.
PS: does anybody know how to implement a CRASH FREE manual shader-based mipmaps generation on ATI on OpenGL? I had a problems with it since the beginning.

There a lot of things what should be done for perfect support of the Rift. The main task is obtaining a DK2, but this is hard because I live in Russia - the country where Oculus did not ship their devices. Other issues are bad tracking latency and lack of direct mode support. I using OpenGL in SpaceEngine and can't make it work in direct mode. Lack of good OpenGL example code is also an issue. Also this release was built with 0.4.3 SDK, because I has weird glitches with the 0.4.4. Interface should be completely reworked to use in Rift, this probably will be made in the next version.

But anyway experience in Rift is just amazing. I hope a nice feedback from this community. Enjoy!
115 REPLIES 115

SpaceEngineer
Explorer
"AAAAAA" wrote:
Wish I could hide the menu frame around the edge -is there any way?? Ctrl-~ only gets rid of the gui text not the actual menu, it kinda ruins the view to have it on all the time, otherwise looks amazingg

Press the pin button (small circle near the edge).

NEO_RACER
Honored Guest
Thank u sir! It truly boggles my mind how you were able to create this its truly a masterpiece of coding & vision!

LV426
Protege
"AAAAAA" wrote:
Thank u sir! It truly boggles my mind how you were able to create this its truly a masterpiece of coding & vision!


I echo user AAAAAA ...

I am blown away with this. Im using the DK2 and wow, just wow 😮 The flag icon with its many locations are truly beautiful! :shock: To the developer: You Sir are truly gifted. Thank you for sharing your work with the rest of us. Amazing coding and vision as the above poster also points out!

Everyone should try this.

Thank you thank you...!
Intel Core I7-3770K OC 4.2ghz Intel® High Performance Liquid Cooling MSI Z77A-GD65 Crucial DDR3 BallistiX 16GB Kingston HyperX SSD MSI GTX 980 Twin Frozr. DK2

AnotherAtreyu
Protege
I really want to try this, but the game won't start at all even with a re-install.
I've tried running in extended, Rift as primary, and everything else I can think of but nada.

I'm running Nvidia GTX 780 so it's not the AMD issue obv...

Looks so awesome, I want to see it work lol!!!

😄

Edit: NVM figured it out, running as admin in win 8.1 did the trick.
This is amazing. Simply amazing. All it needs is a de-coupled GUI that we can look around at, and the ability to disable it altogether for immersion purposes and we would be golden.
Excellent work OP! 🙂
“If you are willing to look at another person’s behavior toward you as a reflection of the state of their relationship with themselves rather than a statement about your value as a person, then you will, over a period of time cease to react at all.” (~I really gotta remember this shiz~) ― Yogi Bhajan

SpaceEngineer
Explorer
HappyHimitsu, press pin buttons on the GUI toolbars to hide them.
Why no one understand how to do this? Is it counter-intuitive?

PS: how to force this forum to remember my login? I bothered to enter email and password each time I trying to write a reply.

sjblake83
Honored Guest
"SpaceEngineer" wrote:
HappyHimitsu, press pin buttons on the GUI toolbars to hide them.
Why no one understand how to do this? Is it counter-intuitive?

PS: how to force this forum to remember my login? I bothered to enter email and password each time I trying to write a reply.


I wasn't able to see the pin buttons very well, since A: the GUI toolbars are locked to the user's view and it can be difficult or straining to move my eyes to those corners of the screen, and B: the screen-door effect, specifically in that it makes smaller icons difficult to see or figure out what they are.

In regards to the forum password thing, I share your frustration. I wish they would fix that.

And I do have to say, I've been a Space Engine fan for many years now. It's simply incredible to experience your creation in VR!

SpaceEngineer
Explorer
"sjblake83" wrote:
I wasn't able to see the pin buttons very well, since A: the GUI toolbars are locked to the user's view and it can be difficult or straining to move my eyes to those corners of the screen, and B: the screen-door effect, specifically in that it makes smaller icons difficult to see or figure out what they are.


Just hide them in usual (not Rift) mode.

"sjblake83" wrote:
And I do have to say, I've been a Space Engine fan for many years now. It's simply incredible to experience your creation in VR!


Thank you! 🙂

FengShuiEngine
Honored Guest
I love Space Engine, I can't wait to try it on the Rift!

SpaceEngineer
Explorer
Oculus SDK bug report

I am using Visual Studio 2013 and found that libovr made SpaceEngine incompatible with Windows XP. SpaceEngine simple won't run with the error message like this:

Can not find entry point "InitializeCriticalSectionEx" procedure in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

Unfortunately I detected what causes the issue only today, almost a month after SE release (I will made a patch soon).

I installed Windows XP and installed the latest Visual Studio available on it (2010). Compiled using the lib files provided with SDK, and it works. So I decided to check compatibility of all new libraries (static and dynamic) what I am using in this SE version. They are SDL, libbpg and libovr, and the last was the cause.

So, libovr developers, please make the next SDK version compatible with Windows XP! Just compile VS2013 lib files (and maybe VS2012 ones - don't know about that) with the configuration v120_xp (Project properties -> General -> Platform Toolset). And probably you can remove usage of the old DirectX SDK headers, because it won't compile without them in this configuration (I was forced to install a 4.5 years old July 2010 DirectX SDK). I am using OpenGL, so it is badly that I can't compile the library without DX. Maybe it is possible to create a profiles/build options/defines that can switch libovr to clear OpenGL? I saw that libovr already used defines for DX versions, so why not adding the OpenGL one.

Edit: fixed typos.

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi
wanted to ask community following question.

I had a small issue with my first dk2, so bought another one.

When I contacted support they said there was a work around to get my first dk2 unit working, by just connecting a standard USB cable to it

Here is the situation, the very thin SYNC link cable between the tracker and that little box on the cable near the PC, the end bit snapped off.

Well I just checked with my second Dk2 kit by disconnecting at the display (slid plastic down) and connected it with the first Dk2 and it is fully working.Oculus have said they are going to send me a replacement cable.

What I might do is go to maplin on the way home and get this macro usb cable and see if possible to connect straight from PC to DK2 (first one) , obviously HDMI cable is fine to device from back of 980.

Space Engineer, I have a main body Dk2 fully working here let me know your address or place I can send it and Ill send it any place globally shipping totally free, also if you need any train fair to go collect it ill try to help that.


[I did some pictures so can see what I am talking about]
I will send every thing in the picture.