We've been working on a handful of big projects, all of which have a lot of puzzle pieces with their own complexities and obstacles. It takes a while to get all these pieces to play well together, and then longer to get these projects working with everything else that's already in Universe Sandbox ². There are a lot of moving parts in this universe simulator.
Our priorities have been on adding in the new Roche limit and total body fragmentation (see video below), creating and fine-tuning the VR experience with the HTC Vive, and implementing our new tech for improved planetary details and interactions (for example, melting a planet with a laser).
Until we get these up and running, here are a few things to check out if you missed them:
- Two videos from Thomas, our physics programmer, showing off the new, work-in-progress Roche limit fragmentation. When a small celestial body approaches a larger body at a distance inside the Roche limit, it begins to disintegrate due to tidal forces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTduLQh_Hc0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hDxIiYM6s8
- Exploring Some Lesser-Known Features Check out this list of some commonly requested features which are actually already in Universe Sandbox ².
- Working Through the N-Body Problem in Universe Sandbox ² There's a bit of complexity when it comes to accurately simulating the motions of hundreds to thousands of objects interacting gravitationally.
- Gravitational Waves & Universe Sandbox ² The discovery of gravitational waves is a huge deal, and we're happy to say that Universe Sandbox ² developer Jenn Seiler played a part. But they won't be coming to Universe Sandbox ² anytime soon, for a few reasons which we explore in this post.
We don't have an announced release date for Alpha 19. But we're working hard to get it ready. Thank you for your patience as we continue to make Universe Sandbox ² better and better.
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