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Universe Sandbox Roadmap: 2024 & BeyondMar 18, 2024 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/AiXButx.gif Our new graphics renderer will make hot spots, like those lasered into this planet. This graphics overhaul is a work in progress. This year's plans include a major graphics overhaul, more realistic collisions & craters, and putting Universe Sandbox on mobile devices so you can create and destroy on the go. Before getting into the details, here’s a brief recap of last year. Highlights from 2023 https://i.imgur.com/XmUNE7W.gif Demonstrating highlights from 2023, including a spherical cow and adding materials like methane and nitrogen to planets. In 2023, we put out 4 feature-packed updates. Some of our favorite new additions include Massive improvements to our gravity simulation's accuracy, stability, and performance. Adding 8 new materials, including oxygen & carbon dioxide, to realistically simulate, construct, and terraform planets and atmospheres. Rolling a Spherical Cow into Universe Sandbox. This refers to a joke that physicists sometimes oversimplify real-world problems to make them easier to solve. The gravity simulation improvements and additional materials were major milestones from our 2023 Roadmap post. Check out our 2023 Retrospective post for more on what we did last year. What’s the Plan for 2024? Using a new graphics renderer to immerse you further in the universe with bright glows, smoothly drifting dust clouds, and more. Optimizing our simulation performance with Unity’s Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS). Doubling down on our efforts to bring Universe Sandbox to phones and tablets (iOS & Android). Begin adding basic plant-based life simulation. Continue improving our development tools to find and fix issues quickly. We plan to work on all of these projects in 2024, but some, like our new graphics renderer, have been in the works for a while. Additional challenges may arise that delay features, and our priorities may change. New Graphics: A Visual Glow-Up https://i.imgur.com/75hca8h.gif Work in Progress: Earth and 100 colliding moons after some of our graphics renderer changes. It’s time for a glow-up, literally. We’re rebuilding our graphics rendering from the ground up. After our overhaul, only the hot parts of the objects will glow instead of the entire object, dust clouds will blend smoothly with other objects, and more. New Graphics Renderer Last year, we started transitioning our graphics rendering to Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline (URP). This system allows us to use more true-to-life light properties and easily add and maintain new graphical elements. We’re expecting a performance boost too. Dust clouds passing through planets currently show sharp lines at their intersection. URP will let us render transparent clouds that blend smoothly with planets, called soft particles. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8eb3ab2be9d8bb477019cd93cf365db5f034f331.png Current: Dust clouds passing through a planet show sharp lines where they intersect. Our graphics overhaul hopes to remove these lines. Planets w...Eclipsed Improvements | Update 34.1Mar 5, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/9d57a5d2813c918a202e0aa67d6d84ca0430abaa.gif 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Watch the Moon completely block out the Sun across parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada in our simulation of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Check it out under: Home > Open > Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 Learn more about this eclipse. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/6cf09f666416ef2125a50a32a9fef712cc4bbbe8.gif Chaotic Collisional Aftermath Immerse yourself in chaos as gas clouds expand and rock fragments collide in the aftermath of collisions. We've updated our particle system to preserve performance while simulating fuller, more realistic collisions. https://i.imgur.com/f6pdUZt.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/On9cSa1.gif After Custom Habitable Range Customize the habitable temperature and atmospheric pressure of your planets for more unique vegetation and city lights coverage. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/f8560caf544ff37ffae56d64f0054017ebcaf0ee.png More Highlights Explore the chaos of the fictional planetary system of Trisolaris from The Three-Body Problem. The number of objects gravitationally interacting makes it impossible to predict the planet's orbits, called the three-body problem. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/929f3ea663d3d20c7e2e7731e246e4b9b9e98dbe.gif All gasses in a planet's atmosphere now contribute to its color and opacity instead of just the 4 gasses with the most mass. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/3c658b62db32984efc33054a96392dbcce9b4b62.png Before - Additional sulfur dioxide does not make the atmosphere more opaque or tint it orange. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2269574931861c00f43f58906c48cbc3158cc7a3.png After - Additional sulfur dioxide makes the atmosphere more opaque and tints it orange. An object's material composition now just shows the list of materials currently in the object by default. We’ve also added an Add New Materials button. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/fe3684f5381c3085cb38b1abad2e29ff800af8db.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/7ba57d58de37aaa6c7fb24196f3fbfbd54ea8f22.png After Use the new Hide Dust Clouds toggle to look at planet surfaces and see collisions through thick clouds of dust. https://i.imgur.com/3yc57kR.gif The object properties panel has been greatly optimized, making it faster to open and switch objects. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8933ab59955bfdffddc52c223b4986f82b93ffcb.gif Completely swap one material on a planet for another with one tap. What would Earth look like if you switched out all the water for methane? https://i.imgur.com/S6460f6.gif This update is brought to you by our completely new build system, which automatically creates different versions of Universe Sandbox whenever one of our team members updates the code it’s built on, allowing us to test and release new features even faster. Listen to your favorite Universe Sandbox track over and over again by looping them under Settings > Audio > Music Controls > Loop Track Check out the full list of What's New in Update 34.1 Please repo...Universe Sandbox 2023 RetrospectiveJan 24, 2024 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/9dsML53.gif We’ve got a lot planned for 2024, including a massive graphics upgrade, collision and cratering improvements, getting Universe Sandbox on mobile devices (iOS & Android), and more! We’ll go into more exciting details in our upcoming 2024 Roadmap post, but first, let’s reflect on some achievements from 2023. 1 Spherical cow We added one new human-scale object last year - a spherical cow. A spherical cow refers to a joke that when physicists want to make a problem easier to handle, they sometimes simplify it so much it’s no longer realistic. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/10ede9fa98063d84e05bcfc30811661de6713b17.png 4 Significant updates to Universe Sandbox A Comet, an Asteroid, and a Planet Walk into the Solar System | Update 32.2 | March 2023 Added a spherical cow and many simulations including the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) passing by Earth. Grand Collision Unification | Update 32.3 | June 2023 Combined our two previous collision models for more realistic shockwaves, heating, and overall destruction. Gravity Simulation Upgrade | Update 33 | August 2023 Overhauled our gravity simulation to increase accuracy, stability, and performance to run simulations even faster. Terraforming | Update 34 | December 2023 Added 8 new materials (for a total of 12), including oxygen and carbon dioxide, to realistically simulate, construct, and terraform planets and atmospheres. Finally simulating the lakes of liquid methane on Titan. The Gravity Simulation Upgrade and Terraforming were major milestones from our 2023 Roadmap post. https://i.imgur.com/gommnk3.gif 8 New materials We added Helium Carbon dioxide Oxygen Sulfur dioxide Methane Nitrogen Argon Ammonia Alongside the existing materials, silicate, iron, hydrogen, and water to Universe Sandbox. Now you can terraform planets and simulate atmospheres more realistically than ever. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/b34eff24fe77048b5d2dfb12b71a814542b36d99.png https://i.imgur.com/fnthYLS.gif 36 New simulations and guides added to Universe Sandbox Check out the 31 new simulations, including the Bombard Moon with Materials (below), and 5 new guides, including Terraforming Mars and Searching for Supermassive Black Holes, under Home > Open and Home > Guides https://i.imgur.com/BOy3EZT.gif 727 Highest number of concurrent users in Universe Sandbox Easily surpassing the previous highest number of 648 on December 24, 2021. January 30, 2023 must have been a great day to cause celestial havoc. 2,336 Positive Steam reviews in 2023 We’re truly amazed and humbled that we are rated “Overwhelmingly Positive,” both recently and all-time on Steam. Over 96% of all reviews we’ve received are positive. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/718b37cea20394e9bf31039df712155a73091c98.png 2,405 New code commits, or changes, made to Universe Sandbox through GitHub, the platform we use to maintain and manage our code The most code commits occurred during the week of December 3, right before Terraforming | Update 34 was released, w...Universe Sandbox on GeForce NOWJan 11, 2024 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/AwwfQ0H.gif Universe Sandbox is now available to play on GeForce NOW, NVIDIA’s cloud-based game streaming service! GeForce NOW connects to digital PC game stores like Steam and Epic Games so you can play games you already own in the cloud and stream them to any compatible device in real time. Bend the laws of gravity, collide planets, boil away oceans, fire epic space lasers, and customize your universe in real time with cloud-based gaming streamed directly to any supported device. And check out our newest update to simulate, construct, and terraform planets and atmospheres more realistically than ever with new materials including oxygen and methane! If you own Universe Sandbox on Steam, you can play Universe Sandbox on GeForce NOW by Launching GeForce NOW in your browser or downloading the GeForce NOW application Creating a free account (free accounts may have multi-hour waits before you are able to play. You can skip the queue with a paid account) https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/memberships/ Linking your Steam account Going to your Games library Playing Universe Sandbox Learn more on NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW page. Any saved simulations and objects you have will be accessible in GeForce NOW, and any saved simulations you create while playing through the service will be available after your session. If you don't own Universe Sandbox, you can buy it on Steam.Terraforming | Update 34Dec 14, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/gommnk3.gif Simulate, construct, and terraform planets and atmospheres more realistically than ever before with new materials! Planet sizes, atmospheric heating, gas and liquid colors, and more are now simulated based on the mass and phase of each material in a planet’s composition. Learn more about how we simulate materials in two new guides Home > Guides > Tutorials > Playing with Materials Home > Guides > Science > Terraforming Mars {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/e2efe590c42f55aeed6de5542a587277ece82ea3.png New Materials Terraform planets, rain down oceans, and expand atmospheres with 8 new materials (for a total of 12) using the Material or Planetscaping tools, or adjust the materials directly under Properties > Composition In addition to silicate, iron, hydrogen, and water, we are now simulating helium, carbon dioxide, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, methane, nitrogen, argon, and ammonia. https://i.imgur.com/bXUUqTN.gif Planet Atmospheres Create pleasant Earth-like or oppressive Venus-like atmospheres by adjusting the mix of materials in the atmosphere. Atmosphere colors are based on the amount of gas in a specific area, with thicker atmospheres being harder to see through. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2f378a07557a126cca4e7e4d18dff630f36633d2.gif {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/f942b925aa8ba9e839b86c96a1d17f902a534730.gif Material Collisions Bombard planets with materials to see their atmospheres and oceans indefinitely altered. Watch oceans boil, creating vapor-filled atmospheres. Impacts create shockwaves that push gases and punch holes in the atmosphere. https://i.imgur.com/8qMsvO4.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/PyHAw5u.gif After Object Size from Composition We’re using complex models of materials under the intense heat and pressure inside planets to compute realistic planet sizes. https://i.imgur.com/jHsu423.gif More Highlights Material colors are based on their real-life properties. Materials blend on the surface of planets and moons so you can watch oceans and gas clouds mix in real time. You can also customize material colors under View > Advanced View Settings > Materials https://i.imgur.com/WPrc9in.gif https://i.imgur.com/jzdLH9V.gif Adding materials beyond water allows us to simulate Titan’s methane lakes. In the future, these new materials will also be the foundation for simulating life. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/51f736caeb84a687dd52e9d9f179252b0eb7d9db.png The 4 materials with the most mass will automatically be simulated across an object's surface, indicated by a dot, similar to how water was simulated. You can also override this and choose any 4 materials to simulate across an object’s surface. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/a4476200fa85269d690b05a87dfe3a2ad791ad95.png We’ve added a collection of material simulations so you can compare how they change phase between solid, liquid, and gas Home > Open > Materials {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/4609c6febb1e589ab5711db04965f09f0da1760b.png The simulation below shows Earth with different ...Terraforming Preview | Adding More Materials to Universe SandboxOct 24, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/BOy3EZT.gif The Moon is bombarded with asteroids made of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, and water. These materials are transferred to the Moon's surface, forming lakes that flow together and eventually evaporate to create an atmosphere. Our new composition system, including eight new materials, like oxygen and methane, is still in active development and has not been released, but you can opt-in to a preview version now on Steam. Every planet in Universe Sandbox is simulated with a combination of materials, like iron and water, that are used to compute properties like planet radius and water flow. However, our current composition system is too simple to simulate phenomena like lakes of liquid methane on Saturn’s moon Titan. Our new system will allow you to realistically simulate planet surfaces and atmospheres, accurately terraform planets, and more. Try the Terraforming | Update 34 preview right now! Eight new materials and our new composition system are now available for testing and feedback. Learn how to opt-in to a preview version on Steam: https://universesandbox.com/support/previewversion Material Properties in Universe Sandbox {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/6dec00e327d7cb5f571ea9dcc48193f8670b3509.png The Composition tab shows material properties, including total mass, the percentage and mass in each phase (solid, liquid, and gas), and more. This feature and interface are a work in progress. Current Composition System Universe Sandbox’s current composition system uses four materials (iron, silicate, water, and hydrogen) each with a set of physical properties including Density - to compute an object’s mass and radius and determine where materials are within a planet (for example, iron is the densest so it's at the core). Thermal capacity - energy required to increase the material’s temperature by one degree. Used to determine the Surface Heat Capacity of a planet. Molecular weight - average mass of a molecule of the material. Used to create clouds of evaporating gas called volatiles. Water, the only material currently simulated across an object’s surface, has some additional properties Boiling point - temperature where a material changes from a liquid to a gas Melting point - temperature where a material changes from a solid to a liquid Mass of the material in each phase (solid, liquid, or gas) Liquid and solid density, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization - to determine how fast water flows, evaporates, and freezes on planet surfaces Realistic (and customizable) colors New Composition System Our new composition system has 12 materials: iron, silicate, water, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, methane, nitrogen, argon, and ammonia. These are the materials necessary to simulate the most interesting internal, liquid, and atmospheric properties of most objects in our Solar System. Many, like oxygen and carbon dioxide, will also be necessary for life simulation. Each material has all the prope...Universe Sandbox for Mobile | Update 2 | Challenges of Mobile DevelopmentAug 23, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsCollisions and surface simulation already run smoothly in Universe Sandbox on mobile devices. Bringing the complete Universe Sandbox experience to mobile is an exciting and challenging project, and while development was stalled while hiring a new user interface engineer, we are back on track! While we still don’t have a release date for Universe Sandbox on mobile, we want to share our recent progress and current obstacles. For an overview of our plans for Universe Sandbox on mobile devices, you can read our first Mobile DevLog. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/ab680f3ab2f66f4da4288f44659e2a41df851812.png Making our user interface work in portrait mode is an added challenge when adapting it for small screens. Pocket-Sized Complexities We’ve been thinking about Universe Sandbox mobile for a long time and have been developing our panels and buttons to be easy to view and use on small screens for years. In fact, Universe Sandbox mobile is built from the exact same code as the version you already know and love, so it will have the same features and user interface as the desktop experience. This shared codebase means you can enjoy any new features or improvements we add to Universe Sandbox on any device, whether you’re on a desktop, laptop, VR headset, phone, or tablet. While these are seemingly simple goals, they create complex design challenges, including How to automatically arrange panels and adjust your view so you can focus on controlling the simulation, not having to manage the user interface Switching between multiple panels, like an object's properties, data views, and guide instructions, on small screens in landscape and portrait modes Overhauling our simulation tools (like explode, laser, and planetscaping), to adapt to all screen sizes {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/9efd0faf02a7b0affa608901e17207631845477c.png Dynamically resizing panels (this tool panel is cut off) and automatically moving the center of your view so you can always see what you're looking at (moving the Sun hidden behind the tool panel to the empty space on the left) is just one example of the user interface work we still need to do. This is a work in progress. Under New (Layout) Management While most other simulators and games have a different user interface for their mobile and desktop versions, we want ours to use the exact same interface for all platforms. We think we’re among the first to do this, but if you know of another or have done this with your game, please let us know! You can see what Universe Sandbox mobile might look like right now (including why we haven’t released it yet) by resizing the Universe Sandbox window on your computer to the size of your phone (since our user interface dynamically responds to your window size). Showing multiple panels simultaneously in both landscape and portrait orientations while still seeing the simulation on a small screen is one of the biggest challenges of mobile development. This is a work in progress. While we are still making perf...Gravity Simulation Upgrade | Update 33Aug 16, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/ygNpP8f.gif Gravity Simulation We've completely overhauled our gravity simulation to increase accuracy, stability, and overall performance. Run simulations at higher speeds than ever before while maintaining gravitational accuracy. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/cc46d070f7a2d86031b8757691bf2ff8a675a071.png Many simulations can now be run at noticeably higher simulation speeds. Try increasing the simulation speed of the Solar System simulation or your own custom simulation. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/13b3eaad8fe8f027fe95090e796a4c32c33db533.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/76dca808e2a601b2383e5926254c672ca3354229.gif After The Hubble Space Telescope used to crash into or fly away from Earth at simulation speeds greater than a couple days per second. Now it maintains a stable orbit at much higher simulation speeds. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c6fab44bdb16dcd3b3767e12d4306f400b09f4e5.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/3c992fde81ea0b1ded9f31931f3f71d73943f621.gif After Choreography simulations, where moons are distributed evenly over a pre-computed path creating a unique design, are much more stable and create the desired patterns, like this fish, before becoming gravitationally unstable and falling apart, as expected. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/59dc1dacddc6c70bac00384a18a50da99b776478.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c15ece4e72e91945a96d9267400f54f499c252c0.gif After We've also added more controls so you can fine-tune the balance between maximum simulation speed and gravitational accuracy. Learn more in our updated guide Guides > Tutorials > Advanced Simulation Speed Controls {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/07513757fa671202a6d8c6135f76be70ca46d4ee.png More Highlights Small objects colliding with gas giants now create more realistic impacts with smaller, gradually growing impact areas https://i.imgur.com/kAhKkKm.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/b2af097a8702e27ca8f46f30370ec3c8e6497119.gif After Object selection has been completely rewritten. It’s now much easier to select objects in crowded simulations with lots of dust clouds and fragments. https://i.imgur.com/mrz4icb.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/Woc39KY.gif After Check out the full list of What's New in Update 33 Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.Grand Collision Unification | Update 32.3Jun 29, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/JD0q2My.gif We’ve combined our two previously separate collision methods improving collisions so shockwaves now realistically eject fragments as they spread across gas giants during collisions. Interface panels, such as graphs, data maps, and object properties, are now remembered when you open saved simulations. We’ve also added new astronomical discoveries to explore, like the galaxy-sized detector used to find new evidence of supermassive black holes. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2ef2c1124930704015679e1ae12efb6bde9bb839.png Unified Collisions Collisions are more realistic, with shockwaves propagating across gas giant surfaces and fragment ejection direction based on impact angle with our new unified collision system. This new collision solution combines our two previous separate collision methods. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/59182bdbbdc89d8b856d8c70f77fdcd65ad6ddf4.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/HOAAY8j.gif After https://i.imgur.com/PQpRiu6.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/GHXKaan.gif After Saving Your Interface Pick up right where you left off with the properties panel open, or include a temperature graph in a shared simulation to show a planet heating up from a close encounter with a star. Saved simulations now remember the state of the interface panels. See it in action in Open > Core > A Tidally Heated Habitable Moon or Tidally Locked Earth https://i.imgur.com/TNIbUij.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/Yd1qMA1.gif After Searching for Supermassive Black Holes On June 28, 2023, evidence for a signal generated from all supermassive black hole pairs from across the universe was announced by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves. Explore the galaxy-sized detector they used and learn how they found this evidence in our new guide Guides > Discoveries > Searching for Supermassive Black Holes https://i.imgur.com/4MGnlVT.gif More Highlights See the dwarf planet Quaoar’s newly discovered rings in the new simulation Open > Solar System > Quaoar with Rings {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c8de162fed0118751291ac434c59834252b0895f.png We’ve also added a simulation of the dwarf planet Haumea’s rings, which were discovered back in 2017, in the simulation Open > Solar System > Haumea with Rings {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c4913e7ad96659c8b81a2d0a37bad92dbc931e19.png Manipulate the temperature of the universe and learn about the cosmic microwave background, a type of faint radiation spread across space, in our new guide Guides > Science > Cosmic Microwave Background {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/07a5958408f82e441e19e7650eb691e00a06c0a3.png Display settings have been updated to include more options for exclusive fullscreen, fullscreen borderless, and windowed resolutions {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2117bcb6ecf7406329505ed8b5905a46c1246c8f.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/99e8f65478370adaa77e6585a126cd4dd791b0f6.png After Additional Actions have been added to the Properties panel of objects so you can easily Fly To, Follow, or La...Universe Sandbox Roadmap: 2023 & BeyondMar 31, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/7tZyrxU.gif The Milky Way galaxy with a trail for every nebula in the galaxy using our upcoming physics architecture improvements. Currently, trails are only shown for some nebulae due to performance limitations. The colors show how many times the orbit of a nebula must be computed to maintain physical accuracy. Blue means fewer computations, while red means more. We're working to give you more power to understand and control the complex phenomena of the universe. Our roadmap for 2023 includes simulating the lakes of liquid methane on Titan, hot planets emitting light, and realistically colliding spacecraft and bananas. But before we dive in, let's recap some accomplishments from last year. Highlights From 2022 https://i.imgur.com/UsPleOK.gif Demonstrating highlights from 2022, including the Force Spin tool, Settle Water button, and Auto Simulation Speed. In 2022, we put out 9 updates for Universe Sandbox. These included many new features, but some of our favorites are Spinning up planets so fast they break apart using the new Force Spin tool Exploring constellations for 10 different cultures Customizing the look and topography of planets and moons with a library of realistic color and height maps Fundamental improvements to our planetary collision system Check out our 2022 Retrospective for more on what we did last year. So What’s the Plan for 2023? Add more materials for constructing & simulating planets & atmospheres Overhaul our under-the-hood physics architecture to improve accuracy and performance Simulate light emission from hot planets Continue work on bringing Universe Sandbox to phones and tablets Improve our development tools to identify issues quickly and provide a more bug-free experience Many of our projects, like bringing Universe Sandbox to phones and tablets, have been in development for months or years. While we plan to work on everything we discuss here in 2023, complications may cause features to be delayed, and our priorities may change. More Materials & Composition Simulation {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/43ce17a0d0e99ec48268e49dc49f104c6c5012f3.png Titan with realistic lakes of liquid methane. Titan’s properties include the amount of methane and the percentage in each phase (solid, liquid, and gas). Material colors are manually adjusted to help see the lakes. This feature and interface are a work in progress. We’re expanding the number of materials in Universe Sandbox you can use to simulate, construct, and terraform planets and atmospheres realistically. For example, new materials like methane will allow us to fully simulate lakes of liquid methane on Titan. We’re also adding advanced simulation to compute planet radii based on the pressure and temperature of each material in the planet’s composition. Ever wonder how big the Moon would be if it were made entirely of oxygen? Soon you’ll be able to find out. A (Multi) Material World Planet radii and atmospheres will be realistically simulated based on the ma...A Comet, an Asteroid, and a Planet Walk into the Solar System | Update 32.2Mar 23, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/qbE4gCW.gif Watch a green comet pass by Earth for the first time in 50,000 years, see an asteroid swing by Earth in one of the closest ever encounters, and explore a hypothetical planet from the 1800s disproven by Einstein’s theory of relativity. Speaking of comets, asteroids, and planets… A comet, an asteroid, and a hypothetical planet walk into the Solar System. The hypothetical planet says to the comet, “Why so green?” The comet says, “It’s the radiation from the Sun evaporating the carbon on my surface. You’d know that if you were as close to the Sun as people thought you were.” The hypothetical planet turns red with anger and ceases to exist. The asteroid says, “Phew, that was a close one!” {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/13729c4f87312c122a9e1b61c247e5b731ecdc50.png A Green Comet The green comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), recently passed by the Earth for the first time in 50,000 years. Explore its path and watch this once-in-a-lifetime event occur over and over with our new simulation The Green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in 2023 {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c86b78cf517a75405c6b46c1261045cc8dcbca00.gif Close Encounters of the Asteroid Kind Asteroid 2023 BU performed a close pass of Earth (though it posed no threat), only 2,200 km from the surface. That’s just under half the length of the United States! Watch one of the closest asteroid encounters ever recorded in our new simulation Asteroid 2023 BU Close Encounter in 2023 {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/50fe2cd89cb4f0d27f29d3bf2bae8ab184b68370.gif The Non-Existent Planet In the 1800s, many astronomers thought there was a planet, dubbed Vulcan, between Mercury and the Sun. Mercury’s orbit was observed to wobble slightly more than predicted, and Vulcan was hypothesized to explain this. We now know Vulcan does not exist, and general relativity causes the additional wobble, but you can see Vulcan’s proposed orbit in the new simulation Hypothetical Planet Vulcan https://i.imgur.com/LVb3vJG.gif More Highlights Landing (press "c") on the surface of a planet now always points you toward the horizon. Taking off returns you to your previous position instead of in front of the planet. https://i.imgur.com/qD74y35.gif On February 3, 2023, astronomers announced the discovery of 12 more moons orbiting Jupiter. Learn about these new moons in our new simulation Jupiter’s New Moons 2023 Or explore the history of the discovery of all of Jupiter’s 92 moons in our guide History of Jupiter’s Moons {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8a8332e8c6ae1f2a76eb93def61db80b83410eb9.png We added a Spherical Cow to Universe Sandbox! This refers to a joke that when physicists want to make a problem easier to handle, they sometimes simplify it so much it’s no longer realistic. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/10ede9fa98063d84e05bcfc30811661de6713b17.png Experience 100 spherical cows hitting Earth at lightspeed in our new sim Earth & 100 Spherical Cows at the Speed of Light Because why not? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/fe2deec55a7f1cce25c216002bc0171...Universe Sandbox 2022 RetrospectiveMar 2, 2023 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/Hj4DKOE.gif We’re excited about our plans for 2023, including adding more materials to planets as well as improvements for our physics simulation, but we’ll dive into our roadmap in an upcoming post. First, let’s reflect on some of our accomplishments from 2022. 1 New team member Last year, Conrad joined the team as our User Interface Engineer. Since then, Conrad has been adding interface controls for object customization, fixing general usability issues, and helping to make our user interface easy to use on small screens in preparation for Universe Sandbox on mobile. 8 New guides and fly-by simulations added to Universe Sandbox in 2022 We added new guides on object customization and a simulation of NASA’s DART mission. This ambitious mission tested humanity's ability to deflect asteroids away from Earth by intentionally crashing a satellite into an asteroid and accurately predicting the change in the asteroid's orbital period. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2d04a99eabfd659974c99d546c1389833de0ecba.gif 9 Significant updates to Universe Sandbox Consistent Collisions, James Webb, & Planetscaping Tweaks | Update 29.1 JWST is now in Universe Sandbox, and there’s an eyedropper for the Planetscaping tool Hit Hard, Spin Fast | Update 30 The new Force Spin tool allows you to spin apart planets with the newly implemented centrifugal force Collisions between spinning and equal-size objects are more realistic than ever before The habitable zone is now simulated using the selected planet's properties, and the Hubble Space Telescope is now in Universe Sandbox Constellations | Update 31 Explore constellations for 10 different cultures Object glows now correspond to how hot an object is A Warmer Welcome | Update 31.1 Our welcome guides have been overhauled so you can discover the infinite power to create and destroy in Universe Sandbox Upgrading Our Engine | Update 31.2 We updated Unity, the game engine we use to create Universe Sandbox, to allow us to utilize new features for future improvements Instantly see where water will flow on a planet with the new Settle Water button Planetary Defense DART | Update 31.3 Many collision improvements and a simulation of NASA’s DART mission, which intentionally collided the DART spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos, changing its orbit & testing humanity’s ability to protect Earth from future asteroids Space is Big | Update 31.4 Units of measurement have been updated to help you better understand the vastness of space Build-A-Planet | Update 32 Customize and manipulate the appearance and elevation of planets using any of the in-game visual and elevation maps Skies of Blue, Red Collisions Too | Update 32.1 Collision shockwaves are now more realistic, and we added basic Rayleigh scattering to atmospheres The simulation speed can automatically adjust itself based on various conditions, like nearby objects and collisions, by turning on Automatic Simulation Speed View our “What’s New” for a chronological list o...Skies of Blue, Red Collisions Too | Update 32.1Dec 14, 2022 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/efhWeCP.gif Collision shockwaves and atmosphere colors are more realistic, camera motion is smoother, and you can try the new Automatic Simulation Speed, which adjusts the simulation speed based on what’s happening in the simulation. Never miss a collision again! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/a42434c50254e324d352bfc79a9c19b1c56c72b1.png Improved Shockwaves Energy from collisions spreads more realistically over the surface of an object, resulting in larger shockwaves. Heating from collisions is also less concentrated and spreads over a larger area. Previously, shockwave expansion ended abruptly in a smaller area, often resulting in blue-hot impact sites. The dwarf planet Ceres colliding with Earth {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8eaaafd6add42f2b867bdd42c89809a849edf6dd.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/3Dtkq4p.gif After The Moon colliding with the Earth https://i.imgur.com/BDAAvoD.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c3511a90370ed9e53f2d0946107d915bb59979bd.gif After Automatic Simulation Speed Allow the simulation speed to adjust itself automatically based on various conditions, like nearby objects and collisions, by turning on the new Automatic Simulation Speed feature. Automatically speeding up and slowing down the simulation speed provides an improved viewing experience for collisions, orbits, explosions, and more. This feature is still in active development and is currently off by default. Turn it on under Settings > General > Experience > Auto Simulation Speed {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/5f4eae04d2cb507babe39c01c6abe4a4a0bc2ef3.png The simulation speed will slow down to show collisions that you might otherwise miss https://i.imgur.com/gOcnqLS.gif Automatic Simulation Speed Off {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/20f7069c02bad28f55b8fd41503f369b83ae0e20.gif Automatic Simulation Speed On Create a more cinematic experience while watching simulations like Earth & 100 colliding moons https://i.imgur.com/ws23q4U.gif Automatic Simulation Speed Off https://i.imgur.com/B6HVqmP.gif Automatic Simulation Speed On Rayleigh Scattering Object atmospheres now visually simulate Rayleigh scattering, which describes how light scatters in the atmosphere. Rayleigh scattering is what makes Earth’s daytime sky appear blue and the setting Sun appear red. Adjust the strength of the scattering under Visuals > Atmosphere > Rayleigh Scattering Strength Earth with realistic Rayleigh scattering {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/3ca2ca6cf2bff853d47f5698f349b7bb29887b04.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/b89b19a4d3bf6e727fbb04bdae8317a94b83b5b3.png After Custom object with Rayleigh scattering at 85% strength {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/d37cc27539ff1ca0e54f80df634a9b01aef88d37.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/e14680aed1bfcfa49dbb46d17e64f71534317c77.png After More Highlights Your view now smoothly rotates, or pans, to focus on an object instead of sliding the view left or right, like a camera on rails https://i.imgur.com/KCNJr3y.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/SzkThrZ.gif Aft...Build-A-Planet | Update 32Nov 17, 2022 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/7c36343b3863b61ccedf1507ba8e58d5c4f868ea.gif Customize the look and topography of planets and moons with a library of realistic color and height maps. Turn Earth into Mars or mix-and-match maps to create your own worlds. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/603fc220c2e49e00eb80ca367b0233e58d948033.png Elevation Maps Blend, shift, and flip any two of the elevation maps in Universe Sandbox to create your own custom surface that governs water flow, temperature simulation, and more. Learn more Guides > Tutorials > Creating Planets from Scratch & Transforming Planets https://i.imgur.com/30pObYW.gif Color Maps Change the surface map of any planet to match other planet images included in Universe Sandbox. https://i.imgur.com/fzyk6X0.gif Apparent Elevation Intensity Change the apparent difference between high and low elevation, also called the normal map, under Visuals > Elevation > Exaggerated Terrain {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/1913ef2a5231101a88646a5f3088210efbd10969.gif More Highlights Invert a planet’s elevation with the push of a button under Surface > Elevation > Elevation Map > Flip {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/a4216eacd5e9824a484f945507784e1190729334.gif View a planet's simulated surface without high-resolution corrections under Properties > Visuals > Enhance Surface Detail Turning off the enhanced view shows the map resolution we use for simulating object surfaces, including water flow and snow. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/85490e6a7f8092114c2f6121502bfd14265fc31d.gif Turn off the visual glow from high temperatures, also called blackbody radiation, under Properties > Visuals > Heat Glow {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8b95c8ade32ab2abb38fe7861a22aa3420da89b6.gif This update includes 9+ additions and 3+ fixes and improvements. Check out the full list of What's New in Update 32 Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.Space is Big | Update 31.4Oct 27, 2022 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/RDVioYq.gif “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”     - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy And now we’ve made it a bit easier to comprehend the scale of space. Scaling Space The unit of measurement selection menu now explains what each unit means to help you better understand the vastness of space. Unit names based on the properties of other objects (like Earth mass) have also been updated for clarity. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/37cb2ad91acf6327d2dfd8a378b0430232154157.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/337f202f3aa2b8daae35be0009849bb7036871c6.png After Juno Flyby of Europa On September 29, 2022, the Juno spacecraft performed a flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa, coming within 352 kilometers and taking the highest-ever resolution close-up image of the moon’s surface. Watch this close flyby in our new simulation Juno Flyby of Europa in 2022 https://i.imgur.com/EH9rK4t.gif More Highlights You can now view and monitor the data views for all objects in a simulation at once, also called the Atlas, by going to Open View Panel Settings > 2D Settings > Show All Maps Atlas. The interface for this type of view is a work in progress. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/dad43f4ce872f34fa4416c4d17b83c0c1d037f9c.png Object holograms have been updated to look the same, be more visible across different backgrounds, and clearly show their positions in front of or behind other objects {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/1596675f27135f22d587cec0f07391eb48a49f99.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/d058eb54e6e280d316f573012e45ddaa4230e289.gif After This update includes 4+ additions and 15+ fixes and improvements. Check out the full list of What's New in Update 31.4 Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback. Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, BETELGEUSE: Naming Astronomical ObjectsOct 21, 2022 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/fd6cb74a24846503602557ede0376e4b0f21e663.png Stars have different naming formats, from Altair to HR 4623, as shown in the Nearest 400 Stars simulation in Universe Sandbox. You’ve probably heard of the star Betelgeuse. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Orion and made headlines in 2019 when it dimmed very quickly (don’t worry, it’s back to normal now). But have you heard of the star HR 2061? What about HIP 27989? You may not have heard of them, but they’re just different names for Betelgeuse! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/19fe368340f1bde42a6c46c93121a9984d3d5348.png In the constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is roughly where Orion’s hand would be. Why do some astronomical objects have multiple names? Thousands of years ago, there were no rules for how to name them, and different cultures had different names for stars. Many familiar star names come from Arabic, including Betelgeuse, whose Arabic name (which was most likely Yad al-Jauzāʾ and translates to “the hand of al-Jauzā’”) references its position in the constellation Orion. https://i.imgur.com/9WppVSg.gif The Rules Nowadays, humanity has observed billions of astronomical objects, and it would be very inconvenient to give them all individual names. Instead, astronomers follow a set of rules set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), including Objects outside the Solar System are named using an acronym, which refers to the catalog name (such as “HIP” for the Hipparcos Catalog), followed by an identification number Dwarf planets beyond the orbit of Neptune are named after a deity or figure related to creation myths (like Makemake) Minor planets can be named by the person who discovered them after a formal review. If not named, minor planets are given only a sequential identification number. The ID number for the minor planet Mr. Spock (which you can find in Universe Sandbox) is 2309. Comets are named based on the type of comet (P for periodic, C for not-periodic), the year they were discovered, a letter for the half of the month they were discovered in (for example B for the second half of January), and then another number indicating the order of discovery. P/2005 S2 is a periodic comet discovered in 2005 that was the second comet discovered in the first half of October. Hello, My Name Is Gaia DR2 4152993273702130432* These rules, while complicated, make it much easier to reference objects in large catalogs, like the Yale Bright Star Catalog. This catalog, which is included in Universe Sandbox, contains 9,110 stars visible to the naked eye from Earth and uses the letters “HR” as a reference to its original name, the Harvard Revised Photometry Catalogue, which came out in 1908. Current space telescopes like Gaia have observed and cataloged over 1 billion astronomical objects, showing how valuable these naming rules are! A Multitude of Names The same objects are often part of multiple astronomical catalogs, with a different name for each catalog. Betelg...Planetary Defense DART | Update 31.3Sep 22, 2022 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/031003fcc3e10d2b9adb88d66fc6268d38d393dd.gif DART Mission NASA’s DART mission will intentionally collide the DART spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos, attempting to change its orbit & testing humanity's ability to protect Earth from future asteroids. Check out our simulation of this mission: Open > DART: Humanity's First Planetary Defense Experiment More Highlights Fragment temperature and glow from collisions are now realistically based on the collision energy. Low energy collisions, like the one shown here, don’t generate enough energy to make the particles glow. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/c8f6b4472a5155efb8e5076c8fc83d55f812f604.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/e6186888d702acc1459f602fad08b4261fabe75e.gif After Camera transitions after the target collides are smoother https://i.imgur.com/HHmkndF.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/LIZSJnR.gif After Explosions now create rock fragments and dust clouds https://i.imgur.com/xGAt92R.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/Xzr5Mqp.gif After Under-the-hood improvements to make referencing known objects more reliable This update includes 1+ additions and 20+ fixes and improvements. Check out the full list of What's New in Update 31.3 Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.Seven-Year Steam Launch AnniversaryAug 24, 2022 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/ThCmATN.gif Today, August 24, 2022, marks the seventh anniversary of Universe Sandbox’s Early Access launch on Steam! To celebrate, Universe Sandbox is on sale for another 120 hours (that’s until August 29). Pick up a copy for yourself or a friend today. Over the last seven years, we’ve added tons of new features to make Universe Sandbox better than ever, and we’re still going strong. Our current development plans include Adding more materials to simulate planetary features lakes of liquid methane on Saturn’s moon Titan New rigid body physics for more realistic interactions between objects like bowling pins and satellites More realistic planetary collisions Learn about what we’re working on in our 2022 Roadmap https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/230290/view/4963541146758964452 All of this would not be possible without the support of our community. You all use Universe Sandbox in ways we could never have imagined, and we are so grateful for all of you. Here’s to another amazing seven years. https://i.imgur.com/znPBqWz.gifUpgrading Our Engine | Update 31.2Aug 18, 2022 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/f2v3dgH.gif Unity Engine Upgrade We’ve updated Unity, the game engine we use to create Universe Sandbox. While you won’t see immediate changes, this will allow us to utilize new features for future improvements to our physics simulation. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/2f0790934dd669929c9325aed35c09a1acc776cf.png Instant Water Flow Use the Settle Water button to immediately stabilize the water level of a planet. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/8395e970bcc95d58e37bb8b845f11d766f376e22.gif More Highlights Control the lowest temperature of space with the Background Temperature. By default, this is set to 2.73 Kelvin to approximate the Cosmic Microwave Background. Adjust it under Simulation > Advanced Simulation Settings > Temperature > Background Temperature {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/73c491507e5461bc7159c2a26311c3c1e9d99779.png Random object icons in the Add tool have been updated {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/bb0d3d0bda8e09f47acbb7c92b79bdf0d1e8ac61.png Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/351a0b50886e9ee1d56c11e9abd7496bec0ffa0e.png After Learn about habitable zones and how Universe Sandbox models them in our guide Guides > Science > Habitable Zones {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/af356fc71d1e4724f1a546cc3cbc02e8e17f6f51.gif Stellar collisions now partially merge and transfer mass before going supernova https://i.imgur.com/nfLqv65.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/zpe9l02.gif After Collision shockwaves are now realistically circular {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/15847b9c21530e6312c9e18fc235f448f2e67c27.gif Before {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/4425618/5c35485d926033c325affd98943ce4dc09ebc4e9.gif After Particles now collide more consistently, and gas cloud momentum is now transferred to and from impacting objects https://i.imgur.com/fcTSMAz.gif Before https://i.imgur.com/zO7ZWpD.gif After This update includes 3+ additions and 27+ fixes and improvements. Check out the full list of What's New in Update 31.2 Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.Moving to a 4-day WorkweekJul 14, 2022 - Community Announcementshttps://i.imgur.com/ebTLT3F.gif The Moon colliding with the Earth. Made with Universe Sandbox, a product of Giant Army. In October 2021, Giant Army, the creators of Universe Sandbox, a physics-based space simulator, officially adopted a 4-day, 8 hours a day workweek at full salary. This change has positively impacted our team, so we wanted to share how we made this decision to encourage other game studios and companies to experiment with a 4-day workweek. Making the Decision We started discussing a 4-day workweek after Microsoft Japan trialed it and found that it increased their productivity. Those discussions continued as we saw other companies and organizations experiment with it. In May 2021, as part of the team’s effort to reduce burnout, we decided to take Fridays off for a month. Most of our team found that the 4-day workweek left them refreshed and just as productive, so we extended it for another month, and then another. In July 2021, we extended it through September but added one condition: you can take Friday off if you share a short daily update and screenshot summarizing what you did, Monday through Thursday. For a fully remote team spread across multiple time zones, a quick, daily team meeting is not practical. This makes the importance of communication about progress or problems even more valuable. https://i.imgur.com/7rzeb26.gif A moon being ripped apart by intense gravitational forces. Even after an extensive trial period, there was concern that a 4-day workweek would lead to reduced productivity. So why did we do it? Support from the Team The team supported it. Direct quotes from our team include: “Working a 4-day workweek for me has been a positive experience overall. I feel more organized and less stressed with both personal and work time.” “ Fewer typos, far fewer odd little mistakes… etc. The sort of mistakes that go away when you're even 10% sharper than before, or you have less brain fade.” Steady Progress While it’s difficult to quantify productivity, one would imagine that dropping a day a week would result in a drop in productivity. However, we continued to innovate and iterate on Universe Sandbox, adding new features and providing regular updates. Given the steady progress and increased happiness, switching to a 4-day workweek seemed like the right decision. Reflections on the Change https://i.imgur.com/FxqjRUJ.gif The Sun explodes in a supernova, heating up and vaporizing the Earth. We think adopting a 4-day workweek has been a net positive for Giant Army. The shorter week has: Pushed us to optimize our time, leading to shorter and more efficient meetings Improved our work environment Helped us to attract candidates for our current and future open positions There are some drawbacks to the shorter week: We have a rule not to release an update right before the weekend to avoid needing to be on-call during the weekend. Previously we did not release on Fridays. Now we don’t release on Thursdays (mostly). More emails and me...

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