SpaceEngine

[SpaceEngineer]

Hi there! I am Vladimir Romanyuk aka "SpaceEngineer", here my project called SpaceEngine. It is a 3D space simulator with procedural Universe generation. It features real-scale planets with 3D landscape, physically based generation of solar systems, real-scale generation of galaxies and entire Universe structure. All transitions are seamless, you can land on any planet and explore it, then take off and fly to another galaxy. Known astronomical objects are also here, including ultra-high resolution textures for Solar system planets and moons (20+ gigs, available as separate download).

This engine is in a form of a free space exploration planetarium, but I am going to make a game based on it. It will feature realistic physics and exploration based gameplay. More info on the forum (look for a sticky threads). Space ships are already implemented, with basic physics and controls.

Website and forum: http://en.spaceengine.org/

Main program: download (960 Mb)
Hi-res Solar system textues: coming soon

Trailer:




This version should work with Oculus Rift DK1. I have only DK1, but I tried to make DK2 support by feedback from beta testers. Here is a relatively old dev video for DK1 (warning it may make you sick iw watch in Rift):




To run in Oculus, first switch it to the extended desktop mode. Then run SpaceEngine, fly there a bit using monitor 🙂 Learn controls, they are easy: WASD + left mouse drag mouse to move, mouse wheel changes speed, click to select object, G key to fly to it (double G for faster flight), and F2 key to bring up the planets list (left and right mouse click to navigate). Advanced controls including speedup and reverse the time flow: JKL and Space keys. You always can use a toolbars, but in Oculus you probably will close them. After this, configure a joystick. Needed actions are move, rotare and chage the speed (very important!).

Then go to Display settings menu (Ctrl-F8) and choose Oculus Rift mode. Moving the window to the Rift is easy: just hit Shift-Enter. Don't forget to toggle fullscreen (Alt-Enter). To move the window back, hit Shift-Enter again. Note that mouse cursor must be in the window to allow rotation and GUI navigation.

If SE crashes on attempt to enable Oculus mode. So you are have AMD graphics card, aren't you? Try to disable mipmaps generation for the framebuffer texture. Open the config/user.cfg and change these parameters to false:
EnableMipmapsGUI false
EnableMipmapsFrame false
EnableMipmapsWarp false
The last parameter could fix crashes on approaching black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. Disabling mipmaps reduces quality, but at least fixes crashes.
PS: does anybody know how to implement a CRASH FREE manual shader-based mipmaps generation on ATI on OpenGL? I had a problems with it since the beginning.

There a lot of things what should be done for perfect support of the Rift. The main task is obtaining a DK2, but this is hard because I live in Russia - the country where Oculus did not ship their devices. Other issues are bad tracking latency and lack of direct mode support. I using OpenGL in SpaceEngine and can't make it work in direct mode. Lack of good OpenGL example code is also an issue. Also this release was built with 0.4.3 SDK, because I has weird glitches with the 0.4.4. Interface should be completely reworked to use in Rift, this probably will be made in the next version.

But anyway experience in Rift is just amazing. I hope a nice feedback from this community. Enjoy!

[wooferwolf]

This sounds so amazing... I cannot wait for oculus support. I will probably be the thing I spend most of my time with in the Rift

[PIXELATED]

@SpaceEngineer
Thread bookmarked - Hope to enjoy the labours from your dedication and enthusiasm for VR v-soon. Keep up the good work B)

[SpaceEngineer]

Ok I generated few Steam keys for you guys (see PM). Are here someone with Oculus Touch and HTC Vive?

Latest update on Steam, focused mostly on HTC Vive:

Controls:

- Red controller ("Vive controller 1" in the controls settings menu):

--- point moving direction with red laser ray, press trigger to fly in that direction

--- point GUI elements with red laser ray, press trigger to activate element

--- change moving speed by slide touchpad vertically

--- drag/rotate view/object while holding grip buttons

--- toggle main menu with menu button

- Green controller ("Vive controller 2" in the controls settings menu):

--- point object with green laser ray, press trigger to select it (NOT IMPLEMENTED YET - Oculus method is used)

--- go to selected object by pressing touchpad button

--- change stereobase by bring hands together gesture while holding grip buttons

--- toggle orbits with menu button

Suggestions:

- Enable velocity pointer - it helps to see current velocity while adjusting it

- Toggle orbits when zooming (changing stereobase) at planetary system level - it helps with navigation

- Double press green touchpad for faster flight to selected object

- You may force usage of Oculus or SteamVR runtime in the main-user.cfg (VRRuntime parameter)

Known issues:

- Oculus Rift doesn't work through SteamVR (idk why, at least my DK2 with 1.6 runtime doesn't work). If you are Oculus user, force Oculus runtime in main-user.cfg (set VRRuntime to 1)

- Interface interferes sometimes, must be implemented as toolbars near the controllers
- In Oculus, interaction with interface is only possible using mouse

- To see velocity/stereobase value while adjusting them, you must look at the interface

- Velocity changes together with stereobase, but maybe too slowly

- Rotating view with mouse/joystick is occurred around zero pose point, not around headset position

- Rotating view with red controller is occurred around zero pose point, not around controller position

- Selection with green ray doesn't work. Used Oculus method (selection with view direction)

- When pressing trigger in GUI, camera start moving

- Impossible to configure controllers if SE is not in VR mode

- Labels, information billboard and other billboards are not render at correct depth

- Controller models are not render at correct depth at increased stereobase

- Lens fares have some glitches

[Anonymous]

thanks downloading now 🙂

[Anonymous]

In addition to the above issues I just wanted to add a few items which others can confirm:

1. 3D effect is not overly pronounce or am I expecting too much?
2. Space is not black there is residue colour leak, I get red or green tinge. Maybe I need to play with brightness and contrast are these options available in menu?.
3. Occasional crashes/stability issues but this my Space Engine related and not Oculus.

[SpaceEngineer]

Manav08, do you have CV1 worked with SE? There are multiple reports about incompatibility of this build with CV1.
1. 3D effect of course noticeable only on planet surface or near space ship. Or if you increase the stereobase.
2. Space is indeed not black in Vive, don't know about CV1. But it is pretty black in DK2, although there is black smearing effect visible. Maybe OpenVR and Oculus SDK have forced gray ambient to fix black smearing. I would like to know how do disable it, be SpaceEngine is a game what really needs good black color.
3. Yeah, SpaceEngine have some issues with stability.

[Anonymous]

Yes my CV1 worked with Space Engine no issues for me on Win10  🙂

1. Ok I'll try to increase Stereobase
2. Yeah could be grey smearing effect; really need contrast settings or colour settings so filters can be applied
3. No comments on stability it worked mostly fine

[SpaceEngineer]

Did someone tried to run Oculus through SteamVR by setting VRRuntime to 2 in SE config file? I have reports about weird glitches such as flipped image. I failed to test it with DK2 because of some errors in SteamVR, I need to reinstall all software. Unfortunately I can't continue VR development until October.

[Anonymous]

I'll test this out for you! I ran it via STEAM without any setting and changed it to VR mode in main and menu and then put on my CV1

[SpaceEngineer]

Manav08 said:

I'll test this out for you! I ran it via STEAM without any setting and changed it to VR mode in main and menu and then put on my CV1

In this case (default settings) SE first checks if Oculus SDK exist, and start in native Oculus mode. But I asking about testing in SteamVR mode (VRRuntime 2). Does Oculus works in SE through SteamVR, not through native Oculus driver?