Solar System Project - Looking for advice
Here is what is like to do:
Generate a basic and graphically simple solar system that generates a sun, planets and moons in different colors and uses a database or array to assign names to each planetary body.
The finished product would not take into account relative distances between stellar bodies but would instead simply show how many satellites exist. Nor would it differentiate in relative size, there would be simply a larger size circle for the parent and a uniform smaller size for the child entities. Entities that have a child of their own would be clickable and would result in a smooth transition from child to parent on display and would then display the new child entities surrounding it.
So, for example, when you load the program, you would see the sun surrounded by (for example) three planets. The sun would be yellow but the three planets would each be assigned a random but unique color. The names of the planet's would be pulled from an array or database, "earth", "mars", "Venus" and displayed below or alongside the child icons.
As you click on Venus, no change would take place. Clicking on earth would zoom the display and show a single child "Luna". Clicking on mars would have two.
separately, when clicked an information window would update with relevant information about the current selection.
it is very likely that this would be used as a widget on a blog site such as WordPress. It is also important that the transitions are smooth and uniform parent to child.
So my question is, what would be the best way to program this? Php, c, java, flash? Something else?
Thanks in advance
