Changelog

1.0.0

• First public release with Dyson rendering optimizations, launch visual controls, automatic sail cleanup and detailed Starmap views.
• Document every setting and its default in the README.

0.3.20

• Remove temporary FPS comparison modes, timing capture, and Starmap capture diagnostics.

0.3.19

• Color remote deposits by their recorded resource type.

0.3.18

• Draw remote oceans through the capture camera and accept natural models from custom planet themes.

0.3.17

• Preserve remote natural objects when native material alpha has a different meaning in the Starmap shader.

0.3.16

• Diagnostic comparison of actual remote ore meshes at ground level and raised above terrain.

0.3.15

• Preserve the shader variant used to draw remote natural objects in batches and remove the diagnostic marker.

0.3.14

• Diagnostic build with a temporary remote ore marker and capture pixel check.

0.3.13

• Give remote natural objects dedicated Starmap materials and draw them independently of the active factory renderer.

0.3.12

• Draw remote natural objects with Starmap-specific visibility and detail levels.

0.3.11

• Include vegetation, rocks and ore deposits when focusing a remote planet in the Starmap.

0.3.10

• Limit detailed Starmap rendering to the selected body or the planet Icarus is standing on.

0.3.9

• Include vegetation, rocks and ore deposits in the local planet's Starmap capture. Factory machines are excluded.

0.3.8

• Capture the local planet from its live terrain, water and foundation renderers for a closer Planet View match.

0.3.7

• Render rocky planet terrain through the capture camera's native mesh and directional lighting pipeline.

0.3.6

• Move the rocky planet capture camera closer as the Starmap zooms while preserving the disc framing.

0.3.5

• Select Starmap terrain detail using map zoom and raise the planet capture sampling rate within the configured limit.

0.3.4

• Render gas giants with the native gas globe material.
• Write curved planet surface depth and give stars an opaque backing.

0.3.3

• Add a toggle for Starmap planet clouds and atmosphere.
• Keep star surface orientation independent of map camera rotation.

0.3.2

• Match planet capture size to the native map globe and draw the atmosphere as a separate rim.
• Use the native star surface with a dimmer map glow and prioritize large planet captures during camera movement.

0.3.1

• Keep Settings sections expanded and add spacing above Starmap rendering.
• Draw captured planet surfaces opaque while preserving the atmosphere blend outside the disc.

0.3.0

• Add independent controls for real planets, adaptive planet resolution, real stars and starfield in the Starmap.
• Defer Starmap visuals to CelestialMapRevamp when it is loaded.

0.2.16

• Capture game CPU profiler categories in normal view and Planet View.

0.2.15

• Let frame timing wait for Planet View and log capture transitions.

0.2.14

• Add a timed Planet View comparison with FPS and available CPU and GPU timings.

0.2.13

• Add a star-body comparison mode and log when the diagnostic reaches the local star renderer.

0.2.12

• Add a temporary comparison for the local star halo and lens flare.

0.2.11

• Upload only allocated node records during simulation ticks.
• Skip construction noise shading on completed shell cells in normal play.

0.2.10

• Cache node color conversions and skip redundant node uploads during normal-play drawing.

0.2.9

• Register the renderer patches with Harmony and verify the draw hook at startup.

0.2.8

• Add a temporary FPS comparison for shells versus frames and nodes.

0.2.7

• Skip off-screen sphere preparation and omit unbuilt cells on large, stable layers in normal play.

0.2.6

• Use a native Settings tab with collapsible groups in place of the overlay.

0.2.5

• Cull off-screen shell sections and simplify distant shell geometry in normal play.
• Add live toggles for both optimizations in Better Sphere settings.

0.2.4

• Add an in-game Settings entry for the live launch visuals and automatic cleanup controls.

0.2.3

• Reclaim solar sail memory after the last sails leave a swarm, including small batches, and log automatic cleanup.

0.2.2

• Apply rocket, orbital sail and sail trail render limits in the starmap and Dyson Sphere Editor.
• Automatically compact sail memory after enough slots empty, with a launch activity check and a cooldown.

0.2.1

• Start capped vertical silo exhaust on actual launches and return the visual to idle after cooldown.

0.2.0

• Add separate render limits for construction rockets, orbital sails and sail trails.
• Add approximate vanilla animation cadence for accelerated rail ejectors and vertical silos.

0.1.0

• Initial Better Sphere test build based on SphereOpt.
• Update renderer bindings for Dyson Sphere Program 0.10.35.29151.
• Reduce rendering work for hidden layers and reuse GPU buffers as shells grow.
• Add independent normal-play controls for solar swarm and construction rocket visibility.