AstroSynthesis 3.0 - What's New in v3.0

Whether you are mapping local space, or an extensive interstellar empire, AstroSynthesis 3.0 will give you the tools you need to create your sci-fi universe!

Check out some of AstroSynthesis 3.0's new features:

New Integrated Orbital Display

The orbital display is now seamlessly integrated into the main window, allowing you to quickly switch back and forth between the 3D star map display and orbital views.

Multiple Star System Display

Perhaps the most requested feature to date - the orbital view now displays 3D renditions of multiple star systems! This includes both 'simple' multiple star systems, and complex Far Multiple systems that themselves contain one or more Close Multiple systems.

Flexible System Generator

The star system generator now lets you select the relative frequencies of occurrence for each type of stellar body. So you can, for example, tell the generator to generate more gas giants, or fewer multiple star systems.

Terraforming

The amount of 'terraforming' - alterations to a planet to make it hospitable - can now be controlled during system generation. You can opt to have the generator perform no terraforming, making hospitable worlds rare, or you can have it perform a lot of terraforming, placing hospitable worlds in nearly any system that can feasibly sustain them. Or select any of the levels of terraforming in between.

Fixed-Number Star System Generation

In addition to being able to generate a map of a specific size, you can now select a specific number of star systems to generate, and let the program automatically size the sector.

On the Fly Surface Map Generation

As soon as a terrestrial or gas giant planet is selected in the system data display, a surface map for the planet is immediately generated. You no longer need to right click and request the surface map be generated. In addition, the speed of surface map generation has been greatly increased, and the processing can now take full advantage of multi-core processors.

3D Models

Ships, Fleets, Space Stations, and other bodies are now displayed as 3D models, rather than simple images. You can pan and rotate around them, and zoom closer for a better look at any angle! And its easy to add your own 3D models. (several formats supported)

Background Images

Place background images on your map to produce visually gripping 3D displays!

Anti-Aliased Graphics

AstroSynthesis 3.0 supports hardware based anti-aliasing, and will enable it if your graphics card supports such functionality (most do). This allows the program to generate higher quality and smoother graphics and effects.

Natural Language Search

AstroSynthesis 3.0 supports an enhanced searching system called Natural Language Search. This new feature allows you to search your sector map by querying virtually any attribute - such as name, population, body type, atmosphere, political affiliation, gravity, and even custom fields - using simple English-like terms.

Sector Date and Time Tracking

AstroSynthesis now tracks a sector-wide date and time. This is great for keeping track of your party's travel times, and integrates directly with the updated Travel Calculator

Travel Calculator

You can now use the travel calculator to calculate travel times for interstellar travel. In addition, the scripting API has been updated to allow plugins to work with the travel calculator for game/milieu specific interstellar travel modes.

Video Recording / Movie Making

Movie creation has been completely re-written for version 3. Rather than simply being able to create movie files from certain pre-defined animations, you can now record all your actions within the program to a .WMV movie file. Thus you can record directly to a video file as you zoom and pan around your map, select systems, and even as you switch back and forth between the sector and orbital views!

New Storage Engine

AstroSynthesis now uses a fully featured, extensively tested SQL database engine for storing its data. This allows for very large sector maps and increased reliability when storing your map. In addition, since the files are a common database format, its easy to access your sector map's data in external scripts or programs.

Automatic Updater

There is a new, built-in software updater which will notify you whenever updates to AstroSynthesis are available, and can also automatically download and apply program updates.

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