Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!spool.mu.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!keith
From: keith@actrix.gen.nz (Keith Stewart)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: Distant Suns 4.0. Features from the flyer
Summary: List of features
Message-ID: <1991Jun21.102749.15491@actrix.gen.nz>
Date: 21 Jun 91 10:27:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: actrix.1991Jun21.102749.15491
References: <1991Jun20.022608.21438@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange, Wellington, New Zealand
Lines: 68
Comment-To: s902173@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

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!!!