MSU Abrams Planetarium
Project Overview

Technical

Possibilities for Dome Games

Methods of getting images and videos on the dome:

• overlaying words on images and videos

• for the spaceship image they made the image of the ship controls, then a transparent window and then you can see space behind it that is moiving as you need (this is masked.) We can mask anything.

• they have had 15 different layers (slide shows) - layers that can move or be controlled on top of each other.

• to add to a sphere: make your image 2-1 ratio wider than tall. 4K resolution 4096 x 4096, 2K is also ok but don't go lower res than 2K.

• you could give people a rectangle to draw on, then they can project it onto a sphere.

• you could give people a circle and project that to the dome.

• Also there are a lot of 3d models in the Digistar software of rockets, mars rovers, satalites, international space station

How to engage the audience of 141 people in the planetarium

• audience can vote to go into different location - then they can do it on the spot.

• Use your voice!

• You will need to conduct the game like a gameshow host, this can be scripted.

Unity Games 

• The game should be published

• don't play it on your computer in editor mode, it gets squished horizontally.

Unreal Engine Games

• The Planetarium computer can run Version 5.3

• Get the plug in from the Planetarium Student Staff

What they can control through the system.

• • The planetarium ipad gets programmed with buttons such as flying from the earth to the moon

    • (you would build a written script first to determine your story arch)

  • we can plug in a laptop and show our program screen.

  • Bring an HDMI cable and adaptor (you can get this from DMat if you need on the 1st floor.)

Lobby Technical

• You could use world wide telescope software and then put on a touch screen

• There is one Touch Screen Computer

• You can plug in your computer into a TV and bring controllers or mice or trackpads

• There is one tv, if we need more we need to get them

• AR - See Susan for Guides on the MSU AR site

• VR - you can borrow the headsets - See Susan and or the Digital Resource Lab 4th Floor Main Library or DMat

Software and Hardware:

• Unity

• Unreal Engine

• Tabletopia: go Susan's Game Design Tabletopia guide

• Adobe Animate

• Blender

• Adobe After Effects: plug in to the dome software

• Stellarium: proprietary to the equipment used at the planetarium and not what Abrams uses

• Digistar - what Abrams uses

Hardware

• flashlight

• pen lights of different colors

• joystick

• x box controllers

• telescope feature that can be controlled by the xbox controller

• Shanon has an ipad that is programmed to the Digistar 7 system

• Shannon can help us give them buttons to put onto the ipad so that it is programmed.

Getting Help from Planetarium Staff

• Just ask Shannon if they have a particular asset.

• You can email her. schmolls@msu.edu

• Come to the planetarium when there is not a show and then you can test your prototypes.

Playtesting with Waverly HS Students

• You should have a published file to test, such as on Itch.io or Tabletopia or a web app

• Give the teachers instructions

• Provide a user testing questionairre.

• You can email the teachers directly but always copy either Amanda or Susan your MSU prof and have discussed this ahead of time if you are ready to test.

• Provide links with tiny urls and qr codes for the fasted method of access