DGIII alpha release available part 3 (CLOSED)

[Peer]

I noticed another little bug:
When pushed, those grey autopilot buttons on the upper left side of the center panel become
partly transparent.  I just tested them on old DGII:
Had the same problem, as long as pushed buttons are transparent. (I didn't notice this earlier,
because I never used them.)

The DGIII is the greatest spacecraft ever!

[DanSteph]

try in 32 bit mode, they must become solid....

Dan

[Leemon]

Congratulations on getting permission to modify the mesh!  I look forward to your
additions/modifications (until we finally wear you down with our "suggestions" that is).  

One tiny glitch -- on the custom HUD, "Altitude feets/miles" should be "Altitude feet/miles".

I like the CTRL-F option that you added for fuel dumping.  I attempted it before, but it was scary to
switch to the lower panel during final approach to toggle the button...

[Peer]

Thanks! 32bit works fine.
Hm... had an idea... maybe something for DGIV or so... Would it be possible to use multistage.dll in
long range missions to put aux-tanks for additional fuel under the DG's wings that can be dropped
when empty? Well, ... just an idea I had last night.

I'm really looking forward to see your mesh modification!

[Spets]

Since we are go for mesh modification..

How about sliding doors for the hover engines during re-entry? those hover engine bells must get
blasted off the ship in the slipstream every time the thing re-enters. Perhaps if it was possible to
recess the hover engines some more inside the body of the craft, and add sliding cover doors
(toggled by a button, or just toggled by turning on the hover engines?) to protect it during re-
entry?

just an idea.

[mgka]

If that does happen, the best place to put the control is the hover valve button. Opening the valve
also opens the doors.

If it were automatic (auto open/close on engine on/off), there would be response time issues
when starting the engines, or the exhaust would melt the doors right off.

Also, this may be good for the retros as well. Open holes on the leading edge of the wing when
flying at high speed don't seem like the best thing:)

[DanW]

Hi Dan

First, thanks MUCH for your work.  I've only got about 1 week into Orbiter but it wouldn't be the
same without your DG work.  My favorite add-on and an amazing piece of work.  Being a pilot, I
just can't stand flying without buttons to push  :-)

Minor glitch report that I didn't see mentioned yet.  Inner door animation seems inop.  Maybe a
part name issue in the model?  Saw this on the ground at KSC.

With regard to control philosphy, I'd have to say I like the idea that the ship prevents you from
doing something unhealthy.  However, most airplanes let you override the safety features in case
something the engineers didn't forsee comes up.  Guarded switches and aural warnings work
great, or better yet, direct override via a mission computer's "soft" panel.  (Modern switches
almost never control anything themselves, but just serve to tell the mission computer what the
crew wants to happen.  The computer then tells the valve, whatever, to move.)


Newbie question while I'm here:  Sometimes I get a little happy with the warp button, and wake
up when the stations and ship auger in.  IS this a known orbiter glitch, or have I just warped
years ahead into natural orbit degradation?

Thanks again!
DanW

[Spets]

Inner door operation was a fault with the original mesh, now that Dan can edit it, perhaps he can
edit the inner door to move as well.

re: warping, well if you are doing 10,000x warp next to a planet at an orbit of 150km, yea you're
gonna crash

10,000x in space is ok, but near planets it's always better to keep it around 1,000x or less. and be
sure to turn on orbit stabilization in the parameters option of the orbiter launchpad.

[DanW]

LOL.  Yeah, kinda figured, but have been too lazy to see what I did on the clock.  Hey, I haven't
taken my drivers test yet.  

I do a (very) little modeling for flight sims.  I'm getting the itch but don't know if my wee bit of grey
matter is ready for a new format.

[MattNW]

>Author: DanW
>Date:   01-29-04 02:11

>Hi Dan

>First, thanks MUCH for your work. I've only got about 1 week into Orbiter but it wouldn't be the
>same without your DG work. My favorite add-on and an amazing piece of work. Being a pilot, I
>just can't stand flying without buttons to push :-)


Me too. Give me lots and lots of buttons (don't forget a switch and knob or two either).

The canopy is perfect like it is now. Locked by default with ample warning if you want to do
something crazy. Who knows you might have to get out and fix something that's malfunctioned.
Besides, a freind's two boys come over to stay when both parents are out of town. Whenever
they come over they always want me to sign them in as crew and go for a flight in Orbiter. I've
been threatening them with the "Depressurize" switch on the old DG II for six months now
whenever they get rowdy. Can't wait to actually do it. 8o 8o

DanS

Haven't found any problems yet in the newest version but I've been a little busy today. I was
climbing down a ladder and slipped. Got my knee in ice. Dr said it's just sprained and take it easy a
few days. Looks like I'll have plenty of time on my hands to put the DG III through it's paces. Just
hope I can fly OK on these meds.

[Spets]

new bug:

gear can still be retracted even if gear hydraulic is turned off halfway through retraction.

[DanSteph]

Mhhhhhh... I see some good idea here Where is my blueprint ?

Gear hydraulic noted.

Dan

[DanSteph]

Some news things for the next DG release coming today OR tomorrow.

-New rounded main exhaust (see previous image)

-Inner door animated and saved in scenario

-Auto air intake animated: if the button is ON
it open as soon as you have some speed in lower
earth atmosphere and close when higher or no speed.
(work on DynPressure)

-crew visual mesh match the crew number in DGIIIconfig.
(safe mode will show a ship empty of any crew)


Dan

[reekchaa]

MMmmmmm!... COOOL!

Since you're in the mode for granting wishes, Dan...  
One of my favorite things about the DG was the realism in EVA potential with the double sealing
doors.  You could zoom in mid-ship (thanks to z-buffer clipping) and 'imagine' the inner door
animating, with a crewmember entering and suiting up.  Then Close the inner door, zoom out,
open the nose, open the outter door, 'imagine' my guy ejecting out and jetting around for all kinds
of beauty mini-missions.  Maybe 'dock' to the rear panel to fix some electrical or other failure.
Don't know about the potential of adding to any of this kind of realism (maybe have to mod your Z-
buffer depth) but that was something I always imagined.  May be fun doing a space-helmet panel.  
Playing around with the latest '2001_2010vessels' package just got me thinking about this again.

[MattNW]

Been exploring Ur's moons today. Everything working OK except one unexplained Orbiter crash
when coming out of Safe Mode. I haven't been able to get it to repeat so I think it's just a random
thing not DG III related.

Only thing I've noticed so far is that the radio still works when you have the radio circuit breaker
off.

[Peer]

Sounds great! Can't wait for the new version.
Just noticed that when all main and rcs fuel was dumped apu still works. I think without any fuel it
should be necessary to use emergency power!?
I like the idea of that animated air intake. The new exhaust looks great, too.

[DanSteph]

I'm late for the next version, I run in trouble with those damn passenger
adding a various number is more complicate then I was thinking due to the lack
of control that orbiter give us on mesh.

I have a workaround but that is NOT ELEGANT at all. I wrote to martin
to ask a function to disable/enable mesh group but while he is busy
I don't think he will do it.

Argh I don't like unelegant solution

Dan

[DanSteph]

Nevermind, I did find an elegant solution after all

Just tried it work, safe_mode= no one aboard can be seen
else you see exactly the number of passenger you have
defined in the dg3config.exe

Release tomorrow,

Dan

[MattNW]

Excess G bug is still working overtime. Had to use "Chicken Mode" when landed on small moons or
just a light touch on the RCS thrusters I get 5,000+ Gs.

Found a new technique for landing on a small moon or asteroid using the hover AP. Just get close
enough for the moon's gravity to start pulling you down then rotate level with the horizon and
engage the hover AP. When you get about 1 km from touchdown reduce sink rate to -10 m/s. At
200 m cut that back to -5 m/s and then just before touchdown to -2 m/s. Puts you down light as a
feather. Sure beats the nose first method. 8o

[DanSteph]

I Think I'll put a limiter "count the last G as false if its more than 15G" for example
if the "G  bug" give always huge number I think this will do the job. While still letting
normal computation.. if the bug give sometime 5-10 it will be really more difficult.


Dan

[MattNW]

So far every time I've tried using RCS thrusters on a small moon I'm getting in excess of 1,000 Gs,
usually somewhere around 4-5,000. It only happens the first time I fire them after loading the
scenario. Next time I fire them they work OK. I haven't had the sudden G bug in flight yet with this
version so I don't know about that. It happens instantly the second you fire the RCS.

[DanSteph]

could you send me the scenario where it happen ?
I'll limit to 50G (exceeding this value will be considered as false and discarded)
and we'll see.

Dan

[BPeti]

Hi Dan!

First let me congratulate on your add-ons, both OrbiterSound & DGII are fantastic. Keep up the
good work!

The other reason of my posting is that I'd like to report a bug I've just found. Maybe someone else
has already found it and I just don't know of it... Anyway: when I use fuel X-feed, the fuel flow
meter of the tank I take the fuel from shows "10.00". Either both meters should show the same
amount or nothing at all (as the fuel isn't flowing to the engines). Just a thought of mine.

Can't wait to download the next version...

Thanks again for suprising us continously...

Peter Balogh