"Home planet"/ground & horizon object drawing
Bill J Gray Apr 26, 2002
Hi folks,
Ben, thanks for the nudge on the "home planet" dialog... didn't
realize that was still getting any use (the only documented way
to set your viewpoint to be from another planet is in the Settings...
Location dialog.)
In the current (24 April) version, I intentionally set up the ground
and horizon objects to appear "transparent". Previously, you could
see some objects (stars, planets, etc.) through the ground/horizon
objects, but many others (isophotes, ticks/grids, ecliptic) were
blocked.
Personally, I prefer the new "transparent" system. It's not at all
realistic, but it does let you see what stars/objects are about to
rise/set. If you saw nothing but dirt in half the sky, you would get
no information (except, of course, that you are looking at the
ground... something which the different background color would
tell you anyway.)
I've just weaseled out of the decision in my usual manner, i.e.,
adding an option. By default, Guide will use the current "transparent"
horizon that blocks nothing. Edit GUIDE.DAT and add the line
GROUND_DRAWING=1
and it will revert to its previous "semitransparent" display. Use
GROUND_DRAWING=2
and the ground and horizon objects will have a realistic, but
unhelpful, "opaque" appearance (nothing except neutrino-emitting
celestial objects are shown below the horizon or behind horizon
objects.)
-- Bill