How to set up a Binary System with Planets?

[NKato]

I'm trying to get planets to orbit two small binary stars, but even when I select "orbit", it doesn't quite show it as a proper ring around the barycenter. Any ideas?

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

The procedure is as follows:
1. Place a star.
2. Add > Binary > Balance motion ON. Then place another star. If you want a planet to orbit both stars, place them close together. If you want a planet to orbit one of the stars, which then orbits the other star, place them far apart.
3. Orbit mode doesn't work very well with binary orbits. Select "Trail" view instead and speed up the time to see if they orbit each other properly.

[TRON]

binary systems are no longer stable for me the planets either start dipping out of the system faster than tostitos or the stars fall out of each others orbits and smash into each other resulting in a supernova that blows the system to sh!t

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

binary systems are no longer stable for me the planets either start dipping out of the system faster than tostitos or the stars fall out of each others orbits and smash into each other resulting in a supernova that blows the system to sh!t

How are you designing them? The physics system has not changed since the last update. There is most definitely some problem with the way you are placing down the objects that are causing this.

A binary system isn't meant to hold a large number of planets in the real world. The more stars, the fewer planets that can achieve stable orbits. However, instability problems really only start once you add a third object to the binary system. Two stars should be able to orbit around each other without too much hassle.

[TRON]

i usually have 2 stars in semi close proximity and a binary planet system orbiting the stars(2 planets orbiting each other) it used to be fine i used to do it all the time but now it doesnt want to co-operate also the system used to be so stable that i could successfully terraform both planets to habitability

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

i usually have 2 stars in semi close proximity and a binary planet system orbiting the stars(2 planets orbiting each other) it used to be fine i used to do it all the time but now it doesnt want to co-operate also the system used to be so stable that i could successfully terraform both planets to habitability

I usually don't make double planet systems, but I have been able to create one that is fairly stable. You may download it here if you wish.[www.dropbox.com]

I say "fairly stable" because of the fact that such systems are generally quite problematic. A binary planet system orbiting a single star should be ok, but binary planets around a binary star is less likely to be stable in the long term. So congratulations for being able to make such systems and retain their stability—they're usually quite a challenge!

I don't really know why they're suddenly not working for you. Take a look at my system file and try to reproduce something of that nature.

The procedure to making binary-planet-binary-star systems is:
1. Place two stars very close to each other, binary > balance motion.
2. Place a planet a good distance from the two stars. I'm talking about >1 AU.
3. Select "Binary" again but this time, do not balance motion. Place down the second planet of similar mass to the first about 100000km from the first planet.
4. The two planets should begin to orbit each other while orbiting the two stars.

[TRON]

i dont know why making binary systems with even lone planets is impossible for me now especially because i have done way more impressive things than binary planets orbiting binary stars in the past.... like having binary solar systems two huge stars orbiting each other each with their own planets and each star has at least 10 planets and the system is stable thank god i saved it and a few planets are habitable and at least 4 of the planets have another planet orbiting them(one has a planet and a small moon orbiting it{and one of the stars has 6 thread worlds[planets that share the same orbit distance permanently]})

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

i dont know why making binary systems with even lone planets is impossible for me now especially because i have done way more impressive things than binary planets orbiting binary stars in the past.... like having binary solar systems two huge stars orbiting each other each with their own planets and each star has at least 10 planets and the system is stable thank god i saved it and a few planets are habitable and at least 4 of the planets have another planet orbiting them(one has a planet and a small moon orbiting it{and one of the stars has 6 thread worlds[planets that share the same orbit distance permanently]})

Even with lone planets? That is most strange. I can see why binary planets around binary stars would be unstable, but lone planets should be ok.

Could you send me your system file for me to take a look? I can design lone planets around binary stars with no problem so it shouldn't be a problem with the game or the physics system. The most common mistake is using "Orbit" to place the lone planet. You have to use "Binary" and put "Balance Motion" off. I don't really know why Orbit doesn't work, but it doesn't. Is this by any chance the issue?

[TRON]

Originally posted by SyzygySoldier:

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

i dont know why making binary systems with even lone planets is impossible for me now especially because i have done way more impressive things than binary planets orbiting binary stars in the past.... like having binary solar systems two huge stars orbiting each other each with their own planets and each star has at least 10 planets and the system is stable thank god i saved it and a few planets are habitable and at least 4 of the planets have another planet orbiting them(one has a planet and a small moon orbiting it{and one of the stars has 6 thread worlds[planets that share the same orbit distance permanently]})

Even with lone planets? That is most strange. I can see why binary planets around binary stars would be unstable, but lone planets should be ok.

Could you send me your system file for me to take a look? I can design lone planets around binary stars with no problem so it shouldn't be a problem with the game or the physics system. The most common mistake is using "Orbit" to place the lone planet. You have to use "Binary" and put "Balance Motion" off. I don't really know why Orbit doesn't work, but it doesn't. Is this by any chance the issue?

how do i send you the system file?

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

how do i send you the system file?

The online forum[universesandbox.com]also has a Support & Bugs section. Unlike here on Steam, it has the option to upload an attachment. Make a report on there and find the folder where the system file is kept and upload it on there. I will be able to view it and download it for testing.

[TRON]

there i uploaded it to them i hope they can do something with it in the meantime REMEMBER REALITY IS AN ILLUSION THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM BUY GOLD BYYYEEE!! bill cipher gravity falls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny59kjNfuZA

[Nick]

I setup a binary system using 2 large orange giant stars and separated them so that their zones just touched on the outer red zones in a balanced motion orbit. I was then able to put in two earthlike planets in each of the two habitable zones of each star. I even inserted a planet orbiting one of the stars in a plane perpendicular to the orbital plain of the stars. So far after several thousand years all is stable although I believe the perpendicular planet is slowly moving torwards a horizontal plain

[TRON]

huh doesnt work for me planet starts dipping or stars fall to each other i sent the us2 support page my output_log to see if that would help

[Jar]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

huh doesnt work for me planet starts dipping or stars fall to each other i sent the us2 support page my output_log to see if that would help

We received your log but there aren't any actual errors reported that would cause the binary system to fail.

It sounds like some users are successful in setting up their systems and others aren't, which suggests that this isn't necessarily a bug, but rather that we need to make it easier to set up stable binary systems. On our to-do list is improving the tools for creating and managing binary systems, but we can't say when this will happen as we currently are busy with other priorities.

[TRON]

Originally posted by Jar:

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

huh doesnt work for me planet starts dipping or stars fall to each other i sent the us2 support page my output_log to see if that would help

We received your log but there aren't any actual errors reported that would cause the binary system to fail.

It sounds like some users are successful in setting up their systems and others aren't, which suggests that this isn't necessarily a bug, but rather that we need to make it easier to set up stable binary systems. On our to-do list is improving the tools for creating and managing binary systems, but we can't say when this will happen as we currently are busy with other priorities.

idk if its how im setting up binary systems jar because i was doing it for months before alpha 20 no problem at all even having binary planets orbiting binary stars and complex binary solar systems(two stars orbiting each other each with their own planets and at least 6 planets had partners{one binary planet also had a small moon orbiting the larger planet})

[🐋 Syz°.fish 🐬]

Originally posted by mindseyeman:

Originally posted by Jar:

We received your log but there aren't any actual errors reported that would cause the binary system to fail.

It sounds like some users are successful in setting up their systems and others aren't, which suggests that this isn't necessarily a bug, but rather that we need to make it easier to set up stable binary systems. On our to-do list is improving the tools for creating and managing binary systems, but we can't say when this will happen as we currently are busy with other priorities.

idk if its how im setting up binary systems jar because i was doing it for months before alpha 20 no problem at all even having binary planets orbiting binary stars and complex binary solar systems(two stars orbiting each other each with their own planets and at least 6 planets had partners{one binary planet also had a small moon orbiting the larger planet})

Yeah, I find this bizarre because you were creating them just fine for months and all of a sudden it's not working. Did you also send your system file to the devs? They might be able to see something not placed quite right.

I also made a guide for binary system design and listed down some common problems and mistakes. I hope it is of some help.