keith@actrix.gen.nz (Keith Stewart) (06/21/91)
In article <1991Jun20.022608.21438@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au> s902173@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Bruce Grima) writes: > The release of Distant Suns 4.0 has arrived. Could anyone who has used the > latest version give their opions (or better still a full blown review) of > DS4.0. Also their machine configuration (ie. memory size, hard disk, floppy > etc.) > By the sounds of it, Virtual Reality has done a really great job, keep it up! I haven't got my upgrade yet. (US post is winging it over here as I type) but I have the list of features from the Virtual Reality latest newletter they send to all registered owners Arexx support - - Ability to create Anim files -- Save and restore multiple user configurations Multiple resolution support ( interlaced, overscan) Double buffered screens Toned down colors for eaiser long session viewing Ability to put your eyepoint off the earth and look back at our solar system all the way out to 400 astronomical units. This features allows display of orbits , hairline grid reporesenting the plane of the ecliptic, object and orbit variations above and below the ecliptic Comets and astroids Ability to have user objects orbit the sun. More stars Basic programme expanded from 2,200 to 4,200. Expansion disks will allow exapnsion to 255,000 stars. Ephemeris Draggable control panel scalable bit maps for sun and moon (keeps sun and moon adjusted to correct scale when field of view is changed Scanned images are now standard IFF brushes earths shadow feature Lock on a planet FPU (MAths coprocessor available) Twinkling ---- Rubber window drag zooming displays full screen images attachable to solar system and deep sky objects. A medium resolution set of 21 images in included with the 3 disk 4.0 basic programme. Version 4.0 can display the 25 disk set of Space Visions User definable horizon Over 2000 deep sky objects Expanded and rewritten manual New screen fonts Upgrade form Galileo is $45 Upgrade from Distant Suns 3.0 to 4.0 is $30 Programme is very configurable from 1 meg 2 floppies to 50 meg HD (if you add 255,000 stars and 25 megabyte space visions set. I have not yet got my copy so I cannot verify any of the above except to say yet again that VRL seem to have a winner!!!