Short: SolarOne : Virtual solar system model (JAVA src included)
Author: Gareth Murfin <gaz_murfin@lineone.net>
Version: 2.0 BETA
Type: gfx/misc



 SolarOne : Virtual Solar System model developed for AmigaNG
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 By Alpha Software / Gareth Murfin (Oct 1st 2000)

 
 This is a little Applet which I created in JAVA for the new Amiga. I don`t yet have the SDK 
 so I was restricted by my choice of languages, but I like JAVA anyway so it was fun creating 
 this. 

 Some people might remember my proposed educational package `SolarOne` for the 68k Amiga which
 was semi complete in Blitz Basic. Part of it was a `virtual` Solar system model like this. 
 However as is so often the case, I got bored and stopped making it. So I decided to pick up 
 where I had left off. 

 In many ways this incarnation is far better than the blitz version since I have used `advanced`
 JAVA techniques such as threads to ensure the system doesn`t loose any more CPU time than it 
 should. This also means that you can run multiple instances of the model over the top of each 
 other to see how your machine copes :-).. Altho the `die` routine only works on the first 
 thread - hmm.. 
 
 Anyway the source code is included so have a mess round if you want. Also I have had to restrict
 the `real` values otherwise it would look silly (ie, 1 pixel to represent pluto and 19 million  to represent the Sun! :). But the real values are commented out in the source if you want to add
 them for a bit of realism.
 
 The buttons on the top of the window work as a key & an `on-off` switch for their coressponding
 planets and the scrollers etc on the bottom control the speed of the whole system - nifty eh? :)

 There are some adequate notes in the source so I won`t continue this doc any further. Just in 
 case anyone wonders what I`ve been up to these days I`m now in my 3rd year of a Computing 
 Science degree and you can expect plenty of JAVA programs from me to be created for the AmigaNG.

 Notes on running SolarOne :

 Even though S1 is an applet, it wont run on either of the current PC browsers, since their cut
 down virtual machine doesn`t support one of the methods I`ve used (methodToRadians - a method 
 to convert degrees to radians, needed for the orbit path). To get it to run you will either 
 need to view the existing class files in an applet viewer, or simply re-compile it the way 
 you would your own s/w. Hopefully the AmigaDE will come with a very easy to find/use applet
 viewer, and then i`ll make a little script to do it.

 disclaimer : 

 "I, Gaz Murfin , give permission for SolarOne to be included on any Amiga Active
  cover CD. I have the right to grant this permission. No other copyrights would be
  infringed by such inclusion - so there!" 

 PS. Amiga Active rocks my world!

 ----

 Gaz Murfin
 gm064@students.stir.ac.uk 
 http://www.alpha-software.co.uk
 
