Question Multiple stars and double planets

[EternalFrustration]

Can the scenario editor handle multiple stars (binary, trinary, etc) and double planets? Can you create a barycenter and then have multiple objects orbiting around it?
Thanks everyone!

 

[jedidia]

You can, but you'll have to write a dll for it (in other words, you can't do it with the scenario editor or with a simple config file). In case of multiple stars, you still have the problem that you can only define one star, so you have to define the other star as a planet, and there's only one global lightsource, so your planets still won't get light from two stars.

 

[EternalFrustration]

You can, but you'll have to write a dll for it (in other words, you can't do it with the scenario editor or with a simple config file). In case of multiple stars, you still have the problem that you can only define one star, so you have to define the other star as a planet, and there's only one global lightsource, so your planets still won't get light from two stars.

Well that just stinks...
My dream would have been to put together the system of the Colonies from BSG. But maybe I'll just wait for someone who knows what they're doing to do it! :lol:
This won't be the first or last time I wish for a way to import data from Celestia to Orbiter!

 

[walsjona]

You can, but you'll have to write a dll for it (in other words, you can't do it with the scenario editor or with a simple config file). In case of multiple stars, you still have the problem that you can only define one star, so you have to define the other star as a planet, and there's only one global lightsource, so your planets still won't get light from two stars.

The Primary light source (so the light that comes from the sun in the normal solar system) will alwasy come from the centre, so if you don't display a texture in the centre but place to sun meshes in orbit around the light source (so effectivly the Bary centre) then you can have a stable binary pair and it dosn't look stupid from the planets surface (especialy during sunrise and sunset) as the light will effectivly be comeing from there "common source of ilumination" (well this will only work if they are close binary pairs like on Tatooine but it still works :lol

I think this can still be achieved in the system config file and the Planet config files

Hope this helps :tiphat:

 

[jedidia]

That trick will only work decently for *very* close binaries, where all planets orbits are outside the orbit of the further star. Not very probable, I'm afraid. Also, having two fake stars orbiting an invisible star in the center is not quite the same as having them orbit their barrycenter, since a barrycenter isn't really fixed. Still, it might be possible to do an aproximation with carefull planning and positioning.

It would still be weird to navigate, though, as the gravitational influences on your vessel would be totally different than in reality.

 

[walsjona]

That trick will only work decently for *very* close binaries, where all planets orbits are outside the orbit of the further star. Not very probable, I'm afraid.

it may not be probable but dosn't mean those type of systems won't exist, it probably un likly that they could support a stable solar system though :lol:.

Also, having two fake stars orbiting an invisible star in the center is not quite the same as having them orbit their barrycenter, since a barrycenter isn't really fixed. Still, it might be possible to do an aproximation with carefull planning and positioning.

True, although I think that all the planets in the system do orbit around the centre as if it were the barycentre. At the end of the day though it would be very difficult to simulate accuratly what a close binary pair would be like in orbiter so any attempt is probably going to scifi.