Inspiration
Our inspiration for the project was to create a 2D simulator of planets, because we thought it would be fascinating to be able to simulate different arrangements of stars and planets. We looked at websites made by NASA that used real time data which was really cool, but we imagined what it would happen if we changed positions of planets or increased mass or velocity. Our idea was to allow a user to input whatever they want and watch the physics of the planets paths and gravitational pulls play out.
What it does
Our project allows the user to select planets or the sun from our planet library. You can drag and drop them onto the universe wherever you want. From there you can change their velocity (magnitude and direction), mass, or size. Once you're done building the system you want you can hit play and watch the orbital patterns play out. Or a planet might fly by if it's going too fast, it's all based on the physics. Another option is the user gets to select from a preconfigured layout of objects. This makes it quicker for the user to jump in and watch the visual animations of the planets movement. Users can play/pause and clear objects.
How we built it
To build it we used Konva in Javascript for the frontend to display the animations. For the backend we used Python for the physics calculations. And we used Flask to connect the front and backend data.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into many challenges for example, learning to use git more efficiently because it was hard with everyone working on the same files, whenever someone needed updated code it might conflict with what the other person was working on. Also it was hard to make more integrated parts of our project since everything depended on each other, which lead to a lot of challenges to bring it all together in the end.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of completing the project and accomplishing our goals/tasks to complete for the weekend. Also we are happy how our group worked together to solve problems.
What we learned
We never had used Konva before, so our group had to learn how to use it. Also we learned a lot about physics and about how the main equations for our project worked. We learned a lot about full-stack development and how to piece all the parts of our project together.
What's next for OSS (Objects in Space Simulator)
We're excited to continue experimenting with more fun and complex simulations and maybe even adding new features.
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