Mac OS X | Home / Education | Math / Science | Solar System Sim

Solar System Sim - 2.1

Simulates gravitational N-body problem in interactive 3D

Download v 2.2

(File Size: 1.3M)

Free Product Alerts!

All Time:	(4.0)
Version 2.1:	(4.0)
Selected Version:	2.1
Release Date:	2003-05-02
License:	Beta
Downloads (version 2.1):	3,605
Downloads (all versions):	4,891
Price:	$20.00

Information Related to Version:

Broken Link? Newer Version? Tell us!

Product Description:

Solar System Sim simulates N-body problems in three dimensions and visualizes the solution in a compelling display. The simulation uses an attractive force between bodies which varies by the distance between them raised to a power of your choosing. The simulation also allows for a craft with thrusters, which you can use interactively or can set up with programmed delta v's, allowing design of gravitational assists and transfer orbits. The display can draw those bodies as mapped spheres and display them in real-time. The idea is to give a sense of "being there" within the constraints of the computing hardware. In addition, it can show the objects in red-cyan 3D, plot trails, give status information about the objects, and draw a star-filled background based on real data. This package also contains example files, including example gravitational assists and a "Voyager 2 Grand Tour".

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

Mac OS X 10.2
Mac OS X 10.1
Mac OS X 10.0
Mac OS Classic

Additional Requirements:

Mac OS 9 or higher

Mac OS X 10.0 or higher

Feedback Summary:

Version 2.1:
Overall Rating:	(4.0)	Features:	(5.0)	Support:	(4.0)
Ease of Use:	(2.0)	Quality / Stability:	(5.0)	Price:	(5.0)

Key to Types of Feedback:

Reviews Reviews Troubleshooting Usage Tips Developer Notes Commentary Featured Reviews

Solar System Sim; Very educational! - Version: 2.1, 9/6/2003 03:10AM PST

(2 of 2 users found this comment useful)

Shooshie_

This reminds me of a pre-PPC app for Mac I used to LOVE. It was simpler and (if I remember correctly) had a friendlier GUI, but the current Solar System Sim by Dean Dauger is amazing for its completeness. It even has 3-D views, like another Dauger app, Atom in a Box! I found it entertaining and educational. I think Dean could improve the interface a little, by providing us with some onscreen control panels with buttons and sliders with interesting defaults. Nevertheless, if you put even a little time into this, you'll be rewarded with a greater appreciation for the universe we live in and the physics that runs it. The example universes are great. A rich little app... Encourage the author to make it more usable by high-school age kids. (Paying the shareware fee might help!) Dean, if you're reading, get PayPal! It's so much easier than sending you a check! And keep writing great stuff for the Mac. I really appreciate it!
---Shooshie