3D Galaxy Map - Java webapp
2010-2012?
I used the HYG database of ~100k stars and imported it into my own SQL Server database. The webapp was accessible from www.3dgalaxymap.com and I had multiple star systems and even exoplanets there. I took it down sometime in 2012 I think, because of a weird java browser incompatibility, and because Wirefusion was no longer supported. You can find more images on my facebook page here.
3D Galaxy Map - mobile app
2014-2022
I remember searching for astronomy apps and installing the first 10 or so and to my surprise, none of them showed a 3D view of the solar neighbourhood. They were all night sky apps or they only showed the planets in our solar system. So I decided to make my own. I taught myself Unity and the switch from Java to C# wasn't hard. The app had a model of the Milky Way galaxy and the 100k stars from the database, split into 10 parsec sectors. You couldn't go inside systems, so no planets were available.
Galaxy Map and Star Map
2017-present
Decided to split the 3D Galaxy Map app into two separate apps, one that would focus on galactic objects (Galaxy Map) and one that would focus on systems and planets (Star Map). A bonus feature for Galaxy Map was that it had 3D views of supernova remnants, nebulae and clusters. After a few years, I discovered SIMBAD and saw the possibility to extend my current database of 100k-150k stars to millions of stars. It took me more than a year to work on this new database, and changing from Oracle to MongoDB.
Galaxy Map and Stars and Planets
2021-present
Some amazing updates in the last few years for both apps: adding Andromeda and its satellite galaxies, recreating all galactic objects (they look way better now than in 2021), adding a flight mode and various spaceships, adding satellites, landing on planets, supermassive black holes, diving into gas giants and tons of other improvements.
It has been a wonderful journey!