[% title = "Nightshade® Simulation and Visualization Software" %]
[% keywords = "astronomy, planetarium software, planetarium, astronomy, education, night sky, universe" %]
[% description = "Nightshade simulation software features." %]

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<section class="top-section">
  <div class="content">

    <h2 id=head>Nightshade<sup>&reg;</sup> Simulation Software</h2>

    <a class="bigphoto" href=images/back/ng/earth-clouds.jpg title="Earth simulation, Nightshade NG."><img class='right' alt="Earth simulation." src=images/back/ng/earth-clouds.thumb.jpg></a>

    <p>
      Nightshade is simulation and visualization software for teaching and exploring astronomy, Earth science, and related topics.
    </p>

    <p>
      Our emphasis is on usability, realism, feature stability, and performance.  Nightshade is largely backward compatible with 
      scripts for Stellarium 0.8.2 and earlier using the <b>StratoScript&trade;</b>
      language developed and maintained by Digitalis Education Solutions, Inc.        Our project site is:    
      <a target="_blank"  href=http://www.nightshadesoftware.org>http://www.NightshadeSoftware.org</a>.
    </p>

    <h3 id='NG'>Nightshade NG</h3>

    <p>
      Digitalis develops Nightshade NG (next generation), which is run under an open model where any user can submit a bug report, feature request, and otherwise get involved.

    Digitarium systems ship with Nightshade NG.  Check out some <a href=products-nightshade-ng.html>feature highlights</a>.</p>

    <ul>
      <li>Nightshade NG was a complete rewrite from the ground up which threw out the limitations inherited from earlier projects in favor of advanced features supported by cutting-edge simulation techniques.</li>
      <li>Commercially licensed editions for dome use are exclusive to Digitarium hardware:
	<ul>
	  <li><b>Nightshade NG Professional</b></li>
	  <li><b>Nightshade NG Basic</b></li>
	</ul>
      </li>
    </ul>

    <p>Nightshade NG Basic is a budget version with more limited features, as shown below.</p> 

    <table class="table">
      <tr valign="top">
	<th class="center">Feature</th>
	<th class="center">Basic</th>
	<th class="center">Professional</th>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Supports add-on terrain data sets
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  3D model support
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  Built-in models only.
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Travel within the Solar System
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Fly to stars
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Fly to volumetric nebulae models
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Travel outside the Milky Way Galaxy
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Scientifically acurate volumetric Milky Way Galaxy model
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>

            <tr valign="top">
	      <td>
		Scientifically accurate volumetric Local Group Galaxy models (M31, M33, SMC, LMC)
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>

      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy 3D dataset
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Data Console tab in the Universal Console with curated planetary, sky survey, and point cloud datasets.
	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Soundscape adaptive soundtracks

	</td>
	<td>
	  <br/>

	  
	</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
      <tr valign="top">
	<td>
	  Required for digital audio support
	</td>
	<td>&nbsp;</td>
	<td class="center">
	  ★
	</td>
      </tr>
    </table>


    <p>
      <center>

	<a class="bigphoto" href=images/ns12-preview/sunset.jpg title="Test screenshot of Earth sunset, Nightshade NG development."><img  alt="Test screenshot of Earth sunset, Nightshade NG development." src=images/ns12-preview/sunset.thumb.jpg></a>

	<a class="bigphoto" href=images/ns12-preview/europa.jpg title="Test screenshot of Europa, Nightshade NG development."><img  alt="Test screenshot of Europa, Nightshade NG development." src=images/ns12-preview/europa.thumb.jpg></a>

      </center>
    </p>

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