0.991.50.2125 Public Beta

The first regular update of the year is now available on the beta branch. In this update are two major changes: file paths and video encoding. Each is outlined below, and all of this information will be permanently housed on the #guides channel on our Discord.

Also in this update are all the fixes and catalog additions/changes since our last update in December, as well as tutorial fixes and new Featured Locations from the 0.991 Locations Contest.

Opting into the beta branch looks slightly different now. You still right-click SpaceEngine in your Steam library and hit Properties, but "Betas" is now "Game Versions & Betas", with a more descriptive list of branches rather than a dropdown. "Public" is now "Default Public Version." The "beta" option is still used to join the beta.

File Path Changes:

To bring SpaceEngine more in line with common industry standards, we have made changes to how and where SpaceEngine stores user and cache files.

If you are a casual user and don't want to move files manually, it is recommended that you either remain on the Beta branch during the testing phase or wait for the full release. If you plan to swap branches or play with files during the Beta, it is recommended that you back up your user files (places-user.cfg, main-user.cfg, keys.cfg, etc.) to a separate location so you don't lose anything.

When you first launch post-update, SpaceEngine will detect and move/create files as follows:

• The cache (models, shaders, filesys) will be created at %APPDATA%\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine. The existing cache in your install folder will be deleted.

  • If you swap to a pre-0.991.50 version, the cache will be rebuilt in its old location, then deleted again when you return.

• Save data is now stored at %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine. The save-user.cfg and places-user.cfg files go into a 'save' folder, while all other personal .cfg files (i.e., keybinds) go into the 'config' folder. On boot, if no save data is found in this file path, SpaceEngine will first search the Steam install for existing save data, moving any it finds to the new location. For any file it can't find, new files will be generated.

  • Thumbnails for your custom Locations will need to be regenerated by visiting them again once each. These thumbnails are stored in the 'save' folder alongside your places-user.cfg and save-user.cfg.

  • Default .cfg files, such as graphical presets, will stay in the Steam install folder. These are not meant to be edited by the user and are now restored anytime SpaceEngine updates.

  • When you swap to a build older than 0.991.50 (i.e., visiting your old 990 locations), your save will appear to have been wiped, as it is reading from the Steam install config folder again. To restore it, you can either copy or move the .cfg files from the config/save folder in the new file path back to the config folder in the Steam install, overwriting the blank save. Per the new boot logic, if you move the files, they will be moved back when you return to 0.991.50. If you copy them instead, you will effectively now have separate saves for either side of that breakpoint that do not interact. It is recommended that you make a backup of all files you plan to move/copy before you do this.

• All future exports, logs, screenshots, and videos will appear in the %USERPROFILE% file path in corresponding subfolders. Existing media files (or any generated in older versions) will remain in their original places.

  • Logs, such as your se.log, now generate in their own 'logs' folder.

  • All forms of