Maximum world size in layout?

[StevenDS]

I want to build a model of our solar system (well, in my case, from the Sun to Neptune), and I want to build it to scale.

Yep, to scale.

So, I'm taking the largest distance I'm going to need, (Neptunes orbit, 2,794,400,000 miles avg distance to the sun) and for managability, I would divide this, and all other objects sizes/distances by either 1,000,000 or 100,000.

This would make the smallest object I'll model, Deimos (which is approx. 3.5 miles across) 0.0000035 miles or 0.000035 miles in modeler and layout.

The question is, is there a maximum limit to layout's world space size?

Can i tell modeler to build a sphere 0.0000035 miles in size? (I'm at work, and will try this when I get home, but I'm guessing 'no, not that small')

Basically, I want to be able to model the largest distance, and the smallest object, together.

I did a search through the manual, searched keywords in this forum, and googled for Lightwave world space limits, and didn't find quite what I needed. (My employer has google 'groups' BLOCKED! by WEBSENSE!)

Any replies are appreciated!

Thanks,
-Steven:)

[Extent]

While I don't know what the upper limits for world coordinates are I do know that building space scenes to scale isn't the best idea. The problem is that I belive that world space is a floating point number, so the farther from the world origin you get the less precision coordinates have. It will distort objects that get very far away from the world origin. The best thing to do really is scale the scene down alot, but I dont know exactly how much would be ideal. If you're going to do everything to perfect scale I dont think you'll be able to model the smallest of the moons, you might be able to get away using SPPs for them just as placeholders, but you'll have to create subscenes for each planet and transition between your full solar system and the smaller scenes, to get you enough resolution for the small objects.

[StevenDS]

Originally posted by Extent
::SNIP::The problem is that I belive that world space is a floating point number, so the farther from the world origin you get the less precision coordinates have. It will distort objects that get very far away from the world origin.::SNIP::

Yep, you are right. I get distortion on my Neptune object mainly when it is placed away from the sun at the proper scaled distance. (which in the Lightwave world is a mere 2,788 miles from the sun at 0,0,0)

Well, at least Modeler let me enter 0.0000035mi for a sphere size, no problem. It converted to 0.2218".

Steven:)

[WizCraker]

I know that you can go down to the micron size and up to something like Mega Meters or something along that line, can't remember the exact phrase. If you zoom out all the way it will tell you the max size.

[Unwanted]

This isn't in the manual, is it? I'm lucky I found this dusty old thread because I thought I was losing my mind last night.
I scaled down my models and space by 1000 but also was trying to create a "realistic" solar system for an animation. I noticed distortion first at Titan, then Uranus and by Neptune (at distance 4.456 Mn from center) it was ridiculously deformed.

I guess I'll try parenting everything to a null and scale the null down.

Well this is a classic example of "the search tool is your friend".

[BeeVee]

There's another problem in that the maximum number of frames is 32,768, which means that you can't do an Earth day per frame since Pluto's year is 90 thousand of them...

B