Just an OXP idea: 3D "scenery" when docked

[pleiadian]

I have seen rotating models when entering a station.

So I am wondering if it is possible to show some kind of dock area with your current ship in the background? Of course, the normal UI for interfaces and so on would still be there and usable as normal. I guess this would be a pure ambience feature, which adds nothing to game mechanics, but would just look amazingly cool.

Can this be done at all? If not, well then one could still create some funky images when docked.... but dynamic 3D would be interesting.

[phkb]

Norby's  HDBG does something like this, showing a different background image whenever you dock at a station.

[pleiadian]

Norby's  HDBG does something like this, showing a different background image whenever you dock at a station.

I have the Xenon UI, which does a good job. But I'm wondering if one can implement actual 3D models which can be rotated or something into the background. The model would be composed of the appropriate station hangar, and your ship.

[phkb]

Mission screens can have ship models applied to them, so yes, you could put a single ship model on it. But getting two models (dock and current player ship) is not possible. The effect you're aiming for, however, could be achieved with a cleverly designed background and overlay images to represent the dock, combined with careful positioning of the player ship model.

[another_commander]

But I'm wondering if one can implement actual 3D models which can be rotated or something into the background.

Not 100% what you are looking for, but you can already set your player ship to be visible and rotating on the F5 screen. Just add the line

Code: Select all

"show-ship-model-in-status-screen" = YES;

to your .GNUstepDefaults file and you should be set. For something closer to your request, it's basically what phkb has already mentioned.