AsteroidSeeker Ver 1.1.0.1 for X2 X3:R & X3:TC - SPOILER. UPDATED 25th June 2010

[exogenesis]

AsteroidSeeker Utility Ver 1.1.0.1 for X2, X3:Reunion & X3:Terran Conflict (and most mods)

Updated 25th June 2010
(Superbox version)


If you are starting the game & are an ardent explorer,
you may find this lays the universe open a bit too early, hence the word spoiler in the title.




This updated utility program to help locating places to build factory complexes:

download 867 KBytes at :
http://www.Exogenesis.co.uk/AsteroidSeekerInstaller.exe

At first glance this might look like just another sector-map or asteroid-list,
but it's an interactive 'asteroid set' finder, with simple graphic animated asteroid visualisation.


Main reason I made this was:
1 difficult to remember where all those juicy big asteroids are.
2 need to spread factories around (I've had too many sectors in X3 each with only a few complexes,
that are 'no go' due to low framerate with high memory/cpu use).
3 needed to visually gauge the relative positions of silicon & ore asteroids, this is difficult with just top & side view in-game.
4 wanted to sneak view the maps for some mods.

Screenshots:
Click on the below thumbnails to get the larger images

The main universe screen:
[ external image ]


After selecting and zooming a sector:
[ external image ] [ external image ]

Also there's a complete asteroid list, this is sortable by asteroid size, type etc :
[ external image ]

The instructions are on the screen, so there's no help document needed.

The main point (for me) is to find eg a size 20-30 silicon roid, within connecting range of a size 20-30 ore roid,
this would allow me to put up a medium sized complex, then move on to the next combination in another sector.
(I could never be bothered to tractor mines about).

The main screen lets you overview the Universe asteroid clustering (if you look closely, while tilting the sectors),
then you zoom in to a sector, and select a particular asteroid, which then highlights other roids within a definable distance.
This distance is initially set to 20.5km, which is the max dist between 2 roids such that they can be connected
with one hub. (Not that I'm suggesting you build your complexes that way, but it gives an indication of proximity).

You can also see the exact sector coords of each object, in the bottom status bar when, you put the mouse over it
(including gates), which is helpful.

The program also should show sector/asteroid maps for any mods you may have in your mod directory
(some mods currently may cause a crash - e.g. XTM 0.75)


You can change your X-game directory on-the-fly.



This util helps my game-play a lot, so I thought update it for TC.


There are only a few options at the moment, any ideas welcome.


(original thread was Old AsteroidSeeker thread)

.

[sndle9]

Nice utility exogenesis, looks very useful and it arrived with great timing as I'm just setting up major supply complexes...

Unfortunately the download link is returning 404 just now.

Dave.

[exogenesis]

Looks like I got everything right except the link name - now fixed.

Thanks for pointing this out sndle9
I guess it was just a bit too 'early in the morning'.

[sndle9]

Thanks for sorting the link exogenesis.

Just pulled and installed. Works without issue (Vista x64 for reference).

Excellent tool, especially like the visual presentation for a 'likely spot' eyeball of the universe and the handy in-sector totals.

Thanks a lot,

Dave.

[redminer9999]

It says

Cannot open file (Directory stuff) \downloads\X2 The Threat\x2 the threat\01.cat, aborting

[Alan Phipps]

@ redminer9999: Try a PM to the author as this thread has been dormant for about 2 years.

[exogenesis]

Still here...just about

Does the file actually exist at the full path displayed ?

Is it actually an installation of the game?, not that it matters,
the util only needs the cat & dat files & some files in the /t directory.

[Coruskane]

really under-rated utility. Very useful - been using it for years.

Reinstalled X3 recently and this stills works perfectly, both on modded and unmodded versions.

Thanks

[TTD]

I'd nearly forgotten about this.
Just re-installed.
Only had to redirected the path to the TC parent directory, and all works fine