The application runs on HTC VIVE with the wand controllers.
The elements and features provided in this application are:
The elements and features provided in this application are:
- A semi-panoramic 2D view that can be navigated using buttons either to the left or right to bring into view more systems out of a collection of 615 unique exoplanetary systems.
- The left and right buttons have dynamic numeric indicators that show the number of 2D side view systems that are out of view on each side.
- Each system in the 2D side view has its own designated window in which a two dimensional model of the system complete with its planets are stars are contained and has a cool dark blue night sky background.
- The solar system is always in the centre in the 2D view (even if the left and right navigation buttons are clicked) and is highlighted with a purplish night sky background to distinguish it from other systems.
- These windows have a separate slab with information of their host systems like the name of the system, its distance from us, star types, planet discovery methods and other additional info with the habitable zone being highlighted in green.
- A 'X' button on the windows allows the user to delete systems in the 2D view.
- The systems in the 2D view can be simultaneously scaled, that is, the user can increase or decrease the size of stars, planets and their orbits. The uppermost slab has 'Orbit Scale' and 'Planet Scale' where you can vary discretely the scale of planets and orbits, maybe doubling or halving their sizes or just increasing or decreasing them by any random factor but with upper and lower limits for doing this.
- Due to scaling if any of the planets go out of the limit of the window then a numeric field indicates that planets have gone out of view (Out of View Planets field).
- The planets have textures that have been imported from celestiamotherlode.net and the stars have been applied textures based on their stellar temperature.
- A horizontal slab at the bottom of the 2D view contains abbreviation meanings for the discovery methods.
- A menu is always visible to the viewer that has the following options:
- Reset View Settings: Resets all the settings/ parameters for the whole system to their default values.
- Reset Viewer location: Brings the viewer to the default initial location where he was when he opened the application. This is included in case the viewer has drifted far away from the 2D and 3D displays and wishes to teleport to the default location.
- Planet Size slider: Resizes only the planets to make them appear bigger or smaller to the viewer.
- Orbit Size slider: Resizes the orbits to make planets move closer or farther apart from each other.
- Radio buttons for 3D and 2D views: These buttons allow the viewer to choose which view he wishes to apply the above features (planet and orbit size sliders) to.
- Orbit Speed slider: Varies the speed at which planets orbit their star.
- Stop orbiting Button: Freezes the planets in their paths
- Radio button to 'Show 3D View': Shows or hides the central 3D View.
- Radio button to 'Show 2D View': Shows or hides the background 2D View.
- Filter Planetary Systems panel: Dynamic filters that allow the user to display only those systems that satisfy the user-defined ranges for the following:
- Size Compared with our Sun: Displays those systems with stars ranging from 0.1 times to 50 times the size of our Sun.
- Number of Planets: Displays those systems with planets from a range of 1 to 9.
- Distance from our System: Displays those systems that have distances from us ranging from 4.2AU (Nearest) to 6846 AU (Farthest).
- 3D Button and Star Systems Button: To toggle between the 3D and 2D views and the 3D star view where the user can see all the stars around him in 3D.
- Panel (white) for displaying systems currently in the 3D view.
- The 3D view of our solar system is always in display in the centre in front of the 2D side view panel.
- The 'Star Systems' view shows all the stars in a 3D space with their name labels.
- Selecting any star in this view will draw the 3D view of that star system in the combined 2D-3D view for comparison with our solar system.
- A mesmerising ambient audio can be heard at all times while using the application.
Images for all these features are attached below:
1. Semi-panoramic 2D view
1. Semi-panoramic 2D view
2. Left and Right 2D Navigation buttons
3. 2D Windows
4. Solar System in centre
5. Orbit and Planet Scaling in 2D View
6. Out of view planets indicator
7. Discovery methods
8. Floating Menu
9. Solar System in 3D view
10. Stars in 3D space