The space simulation I have been working on for the capstone project is the largest collaborative project I’ve done so far. There have been challenges along the way and there are some things that I would have done differently. But overall it has been a huge learning experience.

The largest challenge has been gathering and managing the data for the star feature. This feature required me to automate the process of querying an online database for star positions and formatting the code that went along with it. By doing that I gained some experience with Pandas, a Python library made for data analysis and manipulation.

Another challenge I’ve faced was underestimating how long some things would take me. As a result, I haven’t had as much time to spend doing everything that I planned on doing, like the transfer orbit feature. At this point in the term, there isn’t enough time for me to implement this feature to the extent that I had originally planned. Instead, I’ve had to scale the feature down to ensure that it is working for the beta release.

Finally, working with Rust and the Bevy game engine has been a huge learning experience. Before starting the project, I had some brief experience with Rust in the class I took on operating systems. I also had some experience playing around with other game engines. After having worked with Bevy, I’ve come to appreciate Rust more because the game engine doesn’t come with any sort of built-in visual scripting like Unreal Engine’s blueprint system. I plan to continue working with Bevy and look for ways that I can make a contribution to it of my own.