MMA Solar system documentation.
Authors: Tom Bestebreurtje, Maarten van Meersbergen

Tested with Blaxxun Contact 5.1 (www.blaxxun.com). Hardware accelerated graphics and 2.5 GHz or faster CPU recommended. 


--
Amethyst Solar System.
--
A VRML world implemented using PHP to generate an accurate display of objects in our solar system. Raw data was collected from www.nineplanets.org. This data was entered into an SQL database.
Using PHP functions VRML is generated from the data, producing a VRML world of about 5500 LOC

What is implemented:
-relative distance for all objects
-relative ecuatorial radius for all objects (except the sun)
-rotational times
-orbital times
-textures for as many planets and moons as possible

What is not implemented:
-orbital inclination
-orbital eccentricity
-axial inclination
-rings on Saturn, Uranus and Neptune



--
File descriptions:
--
  solar.php           Main PHP file that generates VRML.

  satellite.wrl       VRML proto for planets/moons.
  sun_new.wrl         VRML proto for the Sun.
  donut.wrl           VMRL proto torus generator script that was found on the web. Augmented for use here as orbit indicator.

  tomhud_new.wrl      VMRL Proto with HUD elements except the planet display.
  hud_sphere          VRML proto containing the HUD planet display.
  decent_sphere.wrl   VMRL Shape proto used for the HUD planet display. Looks nicer than the standard sphere geometry.


--
Code overview of solar.php
--
function print_touchscript_scriptheaders      eventIn SFTime Sun_Earth_TOUCHED
function print_touchscript_java
function print_touchscript_routes             ROUTE	Sun_Earth.time_touched TO TouchScript.Sun_Earth_TOUCHED
function print_script_headers                 fields & eventOut's
function print_scripts                        DATA_... = ...
function print_sensors                        ORB_TIM & ORB_INT
function print_code_planet_start
function print_code_moon
function print_code_planet_end
function print_routes                         ORB_TIM etc.

<VRML CODE START>
EXTERNPROTO  definitions of: satellite, sun, donut_proto, hud_sphere, tomhud_new

DEF solarsystem_data Script {
  print_script_headers
  print_scripts
  print_sensors
}

DEF solarsystem Transform {
  print_code_planet_start
  print_code_planet_moon
  print_code_planet_end
}
  print_routes

DEF TextDisplay Transform {
  print_touchscript_scriptheaders
  print_touchscript_java
  print_touchscript_routes
}

DEF Clock TimeSensor { (HUD rotation time sensor)
DEF DisplayText Script { (Script used to update the hud)
DEF Huddle hud { (Tom's Hud stuff)