I've just come across SpaceEngine, and well, needless to say, I'm amazed
So naturally I got to thinking what can be done with it, apart from visualizing the universe... Would it be possible to construct a game with it? that would require the engine to execute custom code... hence the question.
Is there a programming interface for the engine? I know it's not open source, but that's not what I'm asking for... An external API would allow people to program games and apps on top of the engine, making it the perfect choice for a space game.
He is intending for it to become a game / sim. If you look through the To Do list you can see just how much he is planning for SE. This includes ships, planets with topography, underwater travel, and life. So it's very open to game possibilities.
I'm not sure about the programming interface, but there is mention within the To Do list of scripting things to occur.
There is no program API for now, due to engine not complete at all. I plan to make network-based game, so engine's architecture may be reviewed many times within game coding progress. It's a good idea to create a programming API and compile the graphics engine into a library. I think that making a game based on script system is bad, because any script language interpreter is very slow compared to C++ or any other compilable language code executed directly on CPU.
Neon, btw, planets with topography is implemented in engine, just land on a planet and you can see mountains and craters. Or have I misunderstood you?