The Sun

rcallicotte · February 25, 2007, 03:02:54 PM

Does the sun in TG2 have a location? In others words, can I use it as a measuring stick as to where to put planets or space objects?

old_blaggard · February 25, 2007, 03:41:11 PM

Good question. The answer is no. The sun has an angle and can be positioned to come from any direction, but it is unreachable.

Will · February 25, 2007, 03:47:54 PM

but I wonder fi you deleted the sun and put ina light with a really really high intencity of you could do the same thing.

Regards,

Will

rcallicotte · February 25, 2007, 03:49:49 PM

So...if I want to calculate a radius from the sun to a planet or a radius to any other object in space, is this possible? It doesn't sound like it, but I'm trying to understand the possibilities.

What got my attention around this are two things - the background that can expand or shrink and the other is trying to calculate distances in TG2 space.

Thanks, old_[young]_blaggard.

Will, that seems possible. I wonder...

Will · February 25, 2007, 03:52:03 PM

distence is all in scienfic notation I think.

Regards,

Will

Arandil · February 25, 2007, 03:56:29 PM

Quote from: Will on February 25, 2007, 03:52:03 PM
distence is all in scienfic notation I think.

Regards,

Will

Will, are you referring to the Distance parameter on the Angular Position tab of the Planet object properties?

Cheers

Will · February 25, 2007, 03:58:36 PM

no, I was referring to the more genral aspect that all the large numbers are in scientfic notation, not sure whether it is in meters or kilometers at that point though.

Regards,

Will

old_blaggard · February 25, 2007, 04:15:19 PM

All distances are in meters. Calico - disabling the sun and adding a really really bright light source would be an interesting experiment. Unfortunately, you can't calculate the distance between the sun and a planet - because the sun doesn't have a position, the distance simply doesn't exist.

Will · February 25, 2007, 04:17:20 PM

it defiys the laws of physics! dododo

Regards

Will

Arandil · February 25, 2007, 04:38:25 PM

I'm actually waiting for the inevitable "can we have two suns" question ... did I miss it already?

old_blaggard · February 25, 2007, 04:39:19 PM

Arandil - yeah, you missed it

and the answer is: you can have as many suns as you want.

Oshyan · February 25, 2007, 04:59:24 PM

The sun is currently handled as a "distant" light type, which means it has an undefinable, theoretically infinite distance. Given the huge scales involved this does not pose accuracy issues and eliminates the need to calculate certain large-scale problems that might be time-consuming otherwise. I do think a sphere of proper size with very high illumination numbers might work, but the system is not exactly designed to deal with that and it might take a very long time to render properly.

- Oshyan

Angealus · February 25, 2007, 05:03:09 PM

So my question would then be how does everybody get the beautiful sunset renders with the sun positioned just so over the water?

??

Will · February 25, 2007, 05:04:49 PM

what do you mean? you can move the sun around.

Regards,

Will

Arandil · February 25, 2007, 06:13:59 PM

Quote from: old_blaggard on February 25, 2007, 04:39:19 PM
Arandil - yeah, you missed it and the answer is: you can have as many suns as you want.

REALLY!!