Build 0.991.50.2140

The first regular update of the year is now out on the public branch! We've been chipping away at some tricky technical issues, which will be the focus in the patch notes below. The first issue we've resolved is the "function not implemented" issue NVIDIA graphics drivers ran into while trying to record. It ended up being less of a 'fix' and more of an overhaul to our video encoders.

SpaceEngine now offers multiple codecs to cover your hardware/needs: AV1, H.264, HEVC (H.265), and SVT/AOM Software AV1. Hardware encoders are divided into NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. See the deep dive below for more.

The second under-the-hood issue resolved in this update is our file pathing. To bring SpaceEngine more in line with common industry standards (and resolve permissions issues with not doing so), we have made changes to how and where user and cache files are stored.

When you first launch SpaceEngine post-update, the program will move your user files from their previous places in the install folder to your user Documents folder ([c]%USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine)[/c], and create the cache in your Local AppData folder ([c]%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine[/c]). This migrates the data specific to your install to the same home most software uses.

If you have a niche setup, encounter errors, or otherwise need to stay in the old self-contained setup, you can enter the following argument into your Steam Launch Options to launch in Portable Mode: [c]-paths=paths-port.cfg[/c] (In rare cases, when SpaceEngine fails to write on launch, it will automatically request to try this method). The deep dive on these changes is below as well.

Thank you for your patience while we worked internally on these changes. We hope to be back to regularly scheduled updates soon™~

Video Encoding Changes:

A recent update to NVIDIA graphics drivers dropped support for older NVENC SDK versions, causing many users to see a "Function not implemented" error when trying to record. To fix this and future-proof for other hardware, we've updated the version of FFMPEG used by SpaceEngine and added more options for users:

• The Video Capture tool (F9 by default) now holds a host of codecs and formats to fit nearly all machines. Not all codecs work with all graphics hardware; you'll have to experiment to find what works best for your setup and needs.

  • AV1: High-end codec with good performance/quality, but requires modern GPUs (NVIDIA RTX 4000 series, AMD RX 7000 series, Intel ARC series or newer, respectively). Used for high-quality, high-resolution production or streaming.

  • HEVC (H.265): A high-quality native encoder, similarly ideal for production, but on a wider range of GPUs. May have compatibility issues with playback on some media players/devices.

  • H.264: Default for the average user. This should work on most manufacturer-supported GPUs.

  • SVT/AOM Software AV1: Compatible with all machines, but they use the CPU to record. SVT prioritizes performance, while AOM prioritizes quality. These are often considered a last resort for those without hardware encoding support. Users who relied on VP9 may want to switch to this codec.

  • Hardware encoders further specify NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Hardware options. If you attempt to record with an incompatible codec, SpaceEngine will output an error and fail to record.

• There are now two modes to choose from before capturing. You'll need to experiment to find what works best for your project:

  • Offline rendering (Fixed FPS): Enter a target frame rate, and SpaceEngine will throttle itself to guarantee that frame rate in the final output.

    • Added a new 'Asynchronous loading mode,' which will use the full multithreading capabilities