Universe Sandbox ²
 | |
| File:Improved collisions.jpg Earth and Moon collision simulated | |
| Developer(s) | Dan Dixon (leader), Christian Herold, Georg Steinröhder, Thomas Grønneløv, Eric Hilton, Naomi Goldenson, Chad Jenkins |
|---|---|
| Initial release | Mid-2015 (early access) |
| Stable release | Alpha 12
/ December 2014 |
| Operating system | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Platform | PC, Mac |
| Type | Educational software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Website | universesandbox |
As of 2014, the developers are working on a new complete rewrite of Universe Sandbox. Some of the new features include atmospheres being shown on planets, dynamic and procedurally generated textures on stars and gas giants, a more realistic and graphic collision system, 3D charts in chart mode, simulation of stellar evolution, procedural detail in rings/particles, visualization of black holes, tethers to build space elevators, simulation of fluid-like objects (such as gas clouds, nebulae and protoplanetary disks, and planetary collisions) and much more.[1]
The developers demonstrated many of these features at the Unite 2012 conference (for developers using the Unity game engine).[1]
There is no planned release date for the final version of Universe Sandbox ²,[citation needed] but in late August 2014 the public alpha version was released for purchase by the public, after having been in closed alpha testing for several months. In August 2015, the game has been released on Steam Early Access. Purchase of the alpha will give access to continuous updates as well as the final version.
It was originally named Universe Sandbox 3 but it was edited as Universe Sandbox ² to reduce confusion for most users.[2]
Alpha releases
| Version[3] | Date[3] | New features / Notes[3] |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha 1 | December 4, 2013 | |
| Alpha 2 | December 13, 2013 | Improved ring particle collisions |
| Alpha 3 | December 24, 2013 | |
| Alpha 4 | January 22, 2014 | |
| Alpha 5 | March 6, 2014 | Improved stellar flares, graphing tools |
| Alpha 6 | March 22, 2014 | |
| Alpha 7 | June 20, 2014 | Overhauled collision system, improved climate modeling |
| Alpha 8 | August 6, 2014 | Save and load simulations. |
| Alpha 8.3 | August 11, 2014 | |
| Alpha 9 | August 22, 2014 | Bug fixes and minor improvements. New logo |
| Alpha 9.1 | August 23, 2014 | |
| Alpha 9.2 | August 24, 2014 | |
| Alpha 10 | August 25, 2014 | Game made available for purchase |
| Alpha 10.1 | August 28, 2014 | |
| Alpha 11 | September 18, 2014 | Shockwaves on collisions, improved supernovas |
| Alpha 12 | October 30, 2014 | UI improvements |
| Alpha 13 | February 5, 2015 | Overhauled collisions, Mars climate, planetary cutaways |
| Alpha 13.1 | February 6, 2015 | Bug fixes |
| Alpha 14 | March 1, 2015 | |
| Alpha 15 | June 19, 2015 | New UI, including screenshot preview abilities. New magnetic field, etc.[4][5] |
| Alpha 15.1 | March 1, 2015 | Reedited texture of Ceres, new random asteroid feature, etc. |
| Alpha 15.2 | July 9, 2015 | The Pluto Encounter update.[6] |
| Alpha 15.9 | August 21, 2015 | Alpha 16 Preview with rewritten rendering. |
| Alpha 16 | August 21, 2015 | The game has been released on Steam Early Access. |
Features
Key features of Universe Sandbox as of version 2.0:[7]
- Interactive n-body gravity simulator
- Simple tutorial introduction
- Several step-by-step activities included
- All physical quantities are measured in real units: kilograms, meters, seconds, etc.
- User control of the speed of time, gravity and other factors
- Simulation files are editable
- 3D Mode for use with red & cyan 3D glasses (anaglyph stereoscopic)
- Support for 3D DLP HD televisions[8]
- Multiple color modes to help visualize and differentiate speeds and accelerations
- Two collision modes, Bounce and Combine
- Scaled ring systems of Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune, and generate rings around bodies
- Particle grids can be used to create 2D computer graphics or 3D computer graphics particle grids, which warps/distort the grids and causes gravitational effects by adding in moving planets or other objects (not in version 2)
- "Line-up/chart" mode option shows a visual size comparison of the stars and planets
- Includes the full sky panoramic view of the Milky Way from Axel Mellinger's photography of the Milky Way
- Can capture high resolution screen shots
Limitations
A few limitations of Universe Sandbox prior to Universe Sandbox ² in which they have all been addressed:
- The bounce collision mode is unrealistic (but this can be turned off).
- When large bodies collide there is so much energy and heat that the bodies would melt together, but this doesn't happen.
- Ring positions relative to planets and moons are approximated.
- Planet axis orientation relative to the solar plane is approximated and often inaccurate.
- Galaxy simulations do not consider dark matter or account for the galaxy rotation problem.
- The simulation does not support dynamic change of mass, in the stars planets and comets. (It does support static change of mass)
- No Roche limits.
In the media
Universe Sandbox was used for several of the gravity simulations of galaxies colliding in a galaxy series special, "Cosmic Collisions", which first aired on January 28, 2009 on the Discovery Channel. (The second animation in this particular video was created using Universe Sandbox.[9])
Famous Youtuber PewDiePie played the game on September 2015.[10]
References
- ^ a b [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Universe Sandbox 2 FAQ". Universe Sandbox. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ a b c http://universesandbox.com/forum/index.php/board,13.0.html
- ^ "New UI Screenshot & Alpha 15 Update". Universe Sandbox. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Alpha 15 Now Available". Universe Sandbox 2. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox ² Alpha 15.2 - The Pluto Encounter Update". Universe Sandbox. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox ²". Universe Sandbox. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ http://www.dlp.com/hdtv/dlp-features/3d-hdtv.aspx
- ^ Dan Evans (2009). "Cosmic Collisions". Discovery Channel. Retrieved 2010-01-10 – via Vimeo.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhYqfLAqOlU