v0.3.0 is the first release that feels like a real application instead of a prototype. The structure is in place now: menus, overlays, consistent input handling, and enough tooling to actually use the simulation.

Release: https://github.com/alexanderberglund1/kandidat-space-cadet/releases/tag/v0.3.0

Added

  • Main menu with an updated visual style
  • Living background (star parallax + flyby events)
  • Fade-in, vignette, and small UI polish details
  • Pause / options overlay
    • Open with ESC in Sandbox and Galaxy Demo
    • Resume / Main Menu / Quit
    • Correct input blocking while the overlay is open
  • Inspector panel
    • Velocity and acceleration readouts
    • Direction + magnitude visualization
  • Sandbox-only thrusters for manual orbit adjustments
  • Orbit assist when creating bodies
  • Predicted trajectories
  • Bound vs escape classification

Sandbox

  • Stable N-body gravity simulation
  • Drag-to-create bodies with initial velocity
  • Smooth camera follow / cycle / center
  • Time scaling
  • Pause freezes physics while keeping camera + UI responsive
  • HUD avoids the inspector panel automatically

Galaxy Demo

  • Predefined, stable solar system
  • Controlled physics with a dominant central star
  • Inspector + pause menu fully supported

Technical

  • Scene structure cleanup
  • Consistent input handling across scenes
  • General stability and polish improvements

Next up is mostly iteration: better readability under extreme zoom, less clutter in vectors, and continuing to tighten the feel of the tools.