Gravity Engine 2 is now available.
Gravity Engine 2 is a completely new, reconceived Unity package for modelling gravitational interactions and orbital mechanics. While it “stands on the shoulders” of the long standing and well regarded Gravity Engine Unity asset I created, it is a completely new formulation and a new architecture that retains the core astrodynamics code.
A short list of the highlights:
- significantly simplified experience setting up gravitational systems with fewer components
- ability to use multiple evolution engines (no singletons!) in a scene
- optional use of the Unity job system to offload physics calculations
- clear separation between gravitational computation and the display of objects, optional multiple views (e.g. 3D + map)
- simple, focused API
- clear separation of world, physics and display scales
- support for manual maneuvers, Hohmann and Lambert transfers
- propagators for KEPLER, SGP4, ephemeris and PKEPLER motion
- support for patched conic evolution
- ability to build some/all of the solar system (planets, moons and small objects) in a sensible hierarchical model using JPL web API
The original Gravity Engine was first released in 2015. Nine years later, I know a LOT more about what features get used and what implementation decisions have caused friction in the development of space games. Gravity Engine 2 has been carefully crafted to reduce those points of friction while adding important new capabilities. It provides a solid base for further feature development.
The first release of GE2 is fully capable. Over the next months, more mini-games and demonstrations will be added to match those in the original GE (e.g. porkchop plots, atmosphere model). In addition I am keen to add a three-body integrator to allow modelling of Artemis/Gateway-style orbits (NRHO trajectories).
GE2 is available at a discount on first release.
The online documentation and video tutorials are all in place, so take a look!
What about Gravity Engine?
Gravity Engine will live on and I will continue to support it. I realize creating a game takes a long time and jumping to a new gravity engine may not be high on the list of things to do! I will continue to fix bugs and provide support. (As an example of my commitment to packages I have created, I am still supporting GRTensor, a research tool I created in 1995!).
If you bought Gravity Engine in 2024 and want to move to GE2, send your purchase code to nbodyphysics@gmail.com and I’ll send you a coupon for a free copy of GE2.