History

A lot has changed since I first posted this guide. While it has been kept up to date, there have been many recent changes that complicated the instructions:

  • Xplanet hasn’t seen a formal release in years
  • TotalMarker’s Mac binary was never updated to the Intel platform and the marker data they had been supplying is now offline
  • xplanetFX was never updated for Python 3 and has is now inactive
  • Homebrew no longer supporting compile time options and moving away from building directly from source – you know, home-brewing – to delivering pre-built binaries (bottles)
  • Apple no longer supporting 32-bit applications like wine which allowed TotalMarker to run the Windows version to generate marker files along with minor inconveniences like gating access to the Desktop and switching shells from bash to zsh

But I still enjoy the challenge of keeping Xplanet up to date and available. I originally posted this to make it easier to use Xplanet and after reviewing the many changes, I decided to rewrite the guide from scratch.


I first stumbled on Xplanet in August, 2005.  I didn’t pay too much attention at first.  Like all good things, I suppose.  It wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on August 29 that I remembered seeing a rendering of earth showing the storm’s path crossing the Atlantic.

I love all types of maps: hyper-local to universal; ancient to modern.  Maps aren’t solely a navigational tool.  They tell a story – someone’s interpretation of a place during a particular point in time based on information and data.  And if the map-maker is able to balance the art and the science of the map’s details, then the final result isn’t just a beautiful map, but a beautiful story of a place in time.

Xplanet isn’t a map.  Certainly not within any traditional definition.  It starts with an image of the Earth with the locations of the great cities of the world; combines dynamic elements like earthquakes, storms, volcanoes, and clouds; and adds a layer of depth with light and topographical imagery.

I think more importantly it highlights our technical achievements while reminding us how much more there is to learn.  Xplanet shows Earth as our ever-changing home.  Not just from the changing hues of our planet throughout the year, but also from the concentration of electric light that highlight our advancements and their, sometimes, unintended consequences.

10 Responses to History

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *