Hey folks!
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 (%USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine), and create the cache in your Local AppData folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine). 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: -paths=paths-port.cfg (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 of the engine to improve performance, but may show the loading/generation process in the final video.
Streaming (Real-Time): Captures the raw, real-time output of the SpaceEngine window. You can set a framerate limit with or without Vsync if desired. Output quality is heavily influenced by your bitrate preset and will ignore custom values.
File Path Changes:
To bring SpaceEngine in line with industry standards, we have made changes to how and where SpaceEngine stores user and cache files. This is a more technical deep dive; the quick-and-dirty of what you need to know is in the foreword above.
When you first launch post-update, SpaceEngine will detect and move or create files as follows. In the unlikely event SpaceEngine fails to write during this process, it will abort launch and request to launch with the old file paths (Portable mode).
The cache (models, shaders, filesys) will be created at %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine. The existing cache in your install folder will be deleted.
If you swap to a pre-0.991.50 version or launch in Portable mode, 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 filepath, SpaceEngine will 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.
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 restored anytime SpaceEngine updates.
When you swap to a build older than 0.991.50 or launch in Portable mode, your save will appear to have been wiped, as it is reading from the Steam install config folder again. To restore it, copy or move the .cfg files from the config and save folders in the new filepath back to the config folder in the Steam install. This will overwrite the blank save. Per the new boot logic, if you move the files, they will be moved back when you return to the new file pathing. 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 your SpaceEngine data before doing this.
All future exports, logs, screenshots, and videos will appear in the %USERPROFILE% filepath in corresponding subfolders. Existing media files (or any media files 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 screenshots, videos, and exports populate to similarly named folders.
For PRO users, the Camera Path Editor now opens %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine\\addons\\scripts by default when you try to Save or Load a spline path. For old path files, you will need to manually navigate to the old folder in the SpaceEngine Steam folder each time, or move old content to the new location.
Scripts, catalogs, textures, pak files, and other addon files can now be searched for at three locations: The original locations of SpaceEngine\\data and SpaceEngine\\addons in the SpaceEngine Steam folder, as well as %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine\\addons. It is recommended to use the third location for ease of use.
If you are a mod/addon maker, you must manually move SpaceEngine\\workshop\\projects to %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine\\workshop\\projects for your projects to appear in the Workshop Config tool after this update. Content paths can stay as-is, but if you change them to accommodate the modified workflow (i.e., you store your content in the workshop folder), remember to update the filepath in the tool as well.
If you choose to operate in Portable mode, the tool will read from the original projects location.
To facilitate both the new file paths and the Portable mode failsafe, SE now has two sets of ‘folders.cfg’, called paths-def.cfg and paths-port.cfg.These live in the same location of the system folder in your install.
The paths-def config holds all the file paths defined above, while paths-port holds the old ones that kept everything in the install folder, identical to previous versions of SpaceEngine.
When SE launches, it will always try to write according to paths-def first. If it encounters issues at any point in the launch process (fails to create a folder/file), it will abort the process, post an error, and then request to re-launch itself using paths-port.cfg.
If you have a strong preference for the old file format (or low space in your default user location), you can opt to use paths-port.cfg first by inserting the following argument into your Steam launch options: -paths=paths-port.cfg.
Access this by right-clicking SpaceEngine in your Steam library, clicking 'Properties', and entering the argument in the text field under 'Selected Launch Option'.
If you already have save/config data moved to the default user location, it may not migrate back on its own. You will need to visit %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\Cosmographic\\SpaceEngine and move your config/save files back to your Steam install’s config folder (you can open a Support ticket if you need help; we will be happy to assist!).
For advanced users, you can make your own file path config by copying either config file, giving it a new name, and using the above launch argument with that new file name in place of ‘paths-port.cfg’.
While you can edit either default config directly, it is not recommended, as they may be overwritten and returned to default in a future patch
By using a custom file path config, there is a risk of errors and instability. Only do this if you are confident in working with Windows file paths. A separate guide will be made to cover the nuances of file pathing.
Changelog:
Pressing the Screenshot button on the magnitudes toolbar no longer opens the screenshot folder. You must now shift + click to do so (the tutorial has been updated to reflect this)
Disabled the normal functions of edit mode keys while in edit mode, so you can focus on editing
Added new splash screen images and quotes
Added new Featured Locations from the 0.991 Featured Locations Contest
Note: Due to catalog updates, some Locations were altered or removed during implementation. All original submissions can be found in the contest-07-archive channel in our Discord
Added Tarantula Nebula with custom model
Added VFTS 234 (binary system with quiet black hole)
Added 16 new LMC globular clusters
Added LMC open clusters NGC 1850A and H88 301
Added globular cluster NGC 1049
Added Wolf-Rayet binary R145
Added 42 new ultra-cool dwarfs with rotation periods, added another 24 rotation periods to existing ultra-cool dwarfs
Updated the exoplanet catalogs with 66 new host stars and 93 new planets, six brown dwarf candidates
Added one new small moon of Uranus (S|2025 U 1)
Added 11 new moons of Saturn
Added triple quasar system LBQS 1429-0053A/B/C
Added 25 new binary asteroids and one satellite of Quaoar
Added Betelgeuse companion star, Siwarha (While Siwarha is still somewhat contested, recent evidence heavily favors its existence)
Added RR Lyrae name to HIP 95497 and updated its spectral type
Added Gaia designations for 107,567 stars
Fixed dozens of galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax clusters
Improved orientation of all Messier galaxies
Improved several Local Group galaxies
Improved rendering of elliptical galaxies
Fixed parent galaxy of Fornax A*
Updated the distance and spectral type of x Carinae
Updated orbital information for asteroids Salacia and Actaea
Updated the spectral type and other parameters of WOH G64
Improved position/size/orientation of LMC
Improved the HIP 81208 system
Removed refuted planets Fomalhaut b and 42 Dra b
Removed duplicate of planet CFHTWIR-Oph 98 A b
Fixed an issue where planets 55 Cancri B b and 55 Cancri B c orbited the planet 55 Cancri A b instead of the star 55 Cancri B
Fixed a bug where planet temperatures displayed in the Solar System Browser changed when entering Chart Mode
Fixed Location thumbnail fitting method on ultra-wide displays (shown on-screen during pre-loading)
Unlinked scrollbars in the Locations menu; this fixes an issue where one tab could appear empty after scrolling too far on the other
Improved the Planetarium Tutorials with updated language and fixed multiple progression stops
Wireframe in the nebula editor now works outside of debug mode
Replaced ‘folders.cfg’ with two file path configs: paths-def.cfg for the new file paths and paths-port.cfg for the old ones
In rare cases, when SE fails to launch with the new file paths, it will request to use the old ones (paths-port.cfg) as a failsafe
Added a new launch argument, ‘-paths=’ to support opting in to paths-port.cfg if desired
Catalog Additions:
Exoplanets:
NGTS-34 b
NGTS-35 b
TOI-1422 c
TOI-1472 c
TOI-1648 b
TOI-3288 b
TOI-333 b
TOI-4507 b
TOI-4666 b
TOI-4940 b
TOI-521 b
TOI-5349 b
TOI-5489 b
TOI-5489 c
TOI-5716 b
TOI-5728 b
TOI-5736 b
TOI-6041 b
TOI-6041 c
TOI-6448 b
TOI-7166 b
TOI-7510 b
TOI-7510 c
TOI-7510 d
TOI-912
Gliese 3090 c
Gliese 4274 b
Gliese 4274 c
HD 176986 d
TOI-1774 c/HD 85426 c
KMT-2022-BLG-1818L b
KMT-2022-BLG-1818L c
KMT-2025-BLG-1616L b
TOI-1054.01
TOI-1230.01
TOI-1243 b
TOI-1774.01
TOI-261.02
TOI-4495 b
TOI-4495 c
TOI-4529 b
TOI-5788 b
TOI-5788 c
TOI-5789 b
TOI-5789 c
TOI-5789 d
TOI-5789 e
TOI-6692 b
TOI-6716 b
TOI-682.01
TOI-7384 b
KOINTREAU-1 b
DMPP-2 c
DMPP-2 d
DMPP-6 b
DMPP-6 c
DMPP-7 b
DMPP-8 b
DMPP-9 b
Gliese 887 d
Gliese 887 e
HD 100508 b
HD 164604 c
HD 48265 c
HD 68475 b
KMT-2016-BLG-1337L b
KMT-2020-BLG-0202L b
KMT-2022-BLG-1551L b
KMT-2023-BLG-0466L b
KMT-2024-BLG-0176L b
KMT-2024-BLG-0349L b
KMT-2024-BLG-1870L b
KMT-2024-BLG-2087L b
KMT-2025-BLG-0121L b
ISO-Oph 96 b/KOINTREAU-3 b
LHS 1903 b
LHS 1903 c
LHS 1903 d
LHS 1903 e
TOI-1080 b
TOI-2094 b
TOI-2133 b
TOI-2267 b
TOI-2267 c
TOI-2267 d
TOI-375 b
TOI-375 c
TOI-375 d
TOI-3862 b
TOI-4336 A c
TOI-5734 b
TOI-5938 b
TOI-7009 b
Brown Dwarf Candidates:
HD 128717 b
HIP 54515 b
KMT-2024-BLG-1005L b
V2376 Ori
TOI-5422 b
Binary Asteroids:
2001 QS4 system
(60050) 1999 TJ106
(48489) 1992 EZ28
(33956) 2000 NN3
(4350) Shibecha
(11361) Orbinskij
(50142) 2000 AY129
(7563) 1988 BC
1999 KP4 system
(108968) 2001 PE40
(720) Bohlinia
(13234) Natashaowen
(13166) 1995 WU1
(2607) Yakutia
(3918) Brel
(14708) Slaven
(60186) Las Cruces
(8930) Kubota
(6690) Messick
(4373) Crespo
(8895) Nha
(67426) 2000 QA98
2024 XW49 system
(849935) 2006 RA55
(44168) 1998 JJ4
Saturn Moons:
S|2020 S 45
S|2020 S 46
S|2020 S 47
S|2020 S 48
S|2023 S 51
S|2023 S 52
S|2023 S 53
S|2023 S 54
S|2023 S 55
S|2023 S 56
S|2023 S 57
Ultra-Cool Dwarfs:
Note: Some objects have multiple names. These are separated by a forward slash (/)
LSPM J1025+0512/CNS5 2553/2MASS J10252645+0512391
2MASS J13365044+4751321/SDSS J133650.50+475132.1
LSPM J0036+1821/2MASS J00361617+1821104/CNS5 175
2MASS J08490052+0220155
WT 887/2MASS J22135048-6342100/DENIS J221350.4-634210
LP 944-20/CNS5 931/2MASS J03393521-3525440
2MASS J12322390+2528259/CNS5 3088
J0805+0417/CNS5 1997/2MASS J08055713+0417035
2MASS J14121476+3053316
LSPM J1450+4723/2MASS J14503658+4723574
LP 427-38/2MASS J09253485+1704415
LP 295-444/2MASS J01341928+2919571
2MASS J16224204+3252252
LP 828-75/2MASS J01514778-2305333
2MASS J00140580-3245599
2MASS J07465323+3945098
LP 849-69/2MASS J10593133-2409548
2MASS J04393407-3235516/CNS5 1161
LP 549-39/2MASS J10172680+0719260
LP 675-7/CNS5 3045/2MASS J12235208-0858432
LP 134-7/CNS5 3557/2MASS J14230252+5146303
LSPM J1050+4907/2MASS J10503222+4907423
LP 588-61/2MASS J01484747+0014290
LSPM J0137+0036/2MASS J01371937+0036128
2MASS J11221075+4228366
LSPM J1049+2538/2MASS J10494146+2538535
LSPM J1252+2528/2MASS J12522354+2528469
LP 413-28/2MASS J03405493+1929474
LP 399-274/2MASS J22244238+2230425/CNS5 5528
2MASS J10120649-3049263/CNS5 2506
LSPM J0449+5138/2MASS J04490464+5138412/CNS5 1206
LP 369-27/CNS5 2319/2MASS J09192021+2154324
LEHPM 1188/2MASS J01031199-5351433
SDSS J092554.83+300755.8/2MASS J09255469+3007571
LP 266-16/2MASS J12080810+3520281/LHS 2514
LP 94-310/2MASS J11442261+5821595
LP 555-25/CNS5 3073/2MASS J12294530+0752379
2MASS J01581572+1807128/CNS5 502
LP 649-72/2MASS J02141251-0357434/CNS5 568/LHS 1363
LP 93-438/2MASS J11115476+5657296/LHS 2371
LSPM J1231+5130/2MASS J12315462+5130389
LP 484-38/2MASS J08134347+1329384/NLTT 19149
Star Clusters (not already named above):
NGC 1846
NGC 1850
NGC 1854
NGC 1856
NGC 1866
NGC 1868
NGC 1872
NGC 1898
NGC 1903
NGC 2003
NGC 2005
NGC 2019
NGC 2041
NGC 2108
NGC 2210
NGC 2257
Miscellaneous:
New Quaroar satellite: S/2025 (50000) 1
