Take your spacesuit and let's have a lunch (screenshot)

[DanSteph]

Captain Joe is speaking with one passenger while the other wait for boarding


I decided finally to not limit EVA while on ground and I wrote already
the code to move on ground (with joystick) for now it work well.
(I must try on low G planet but my code is based on speed
so the walking speed must be constant)

And before you ask me I think about the possibility to eject
crew in atmosphere and that they fall under a chute.

I ONLY think about it, no promise yet

(would be an eject and chute a REAL usefull feature for you,
once you tested one or two time there is no amazing things to do
and also it will be almost usefull only on earth with low speed
(otherwise you get killed due to heat)

Dan

[Leemon]

Awesome!

I agree with you.  Eject and parachute would be cool, but certainly not used often enough to
warrant the coding effort.

I see that somebody is running the new BETA! (shadows)

Lee

[Wilko]

That looks so cool For more reasons than one...

Nice shadows... 8o

[Leemon]

So, if the little guys and gals are walking around on Earth, how can they get back into the airlock?  

Do they have to fly in, or is there a button to make them quit the EVA?

Lee

[DanSteph]

I think to make a major change to the config/passenger
loading: you would need to press a buton on the lower panel
(taken that all the others condition are valid (airlock open etc etc)

Otherwise as soon as you open the airlock the config/crew load.

I'm still thinking about how to return to ship, the main concern is
code performance.

docking is the most easier and the less consuming but lead for trouble
(crew docking to each others, docking trouble while on ground (height
of docking port) etc etc)

Attachement is the more appealing and the most flexible but this would require
that each DGIII in scenario that have both nosecone and airlock open
scan each object in Orbiter and see if there is a mmu near it.
(C++ is amazingly fast but that would be from 20 to ??? line more to execute
each frame, depend of the number of MMU in space)

PRO: no unwanted docking and very flexible so ground return is not a problem.

Dan

[MrBatman]

Perhaps there should be some sort of retractable ramp coming out of the nose.

[Krytom]

This isn't on subject, but the next Orbiter version will/may have virtual cockpits.
Plus with MOON WALK ability with the DG3, the future's bright.

Krytom

P.S. Dan
Will the DG3 or DG4 be given a virtual cockpit when it is put in to Orbiter?
Will the space suits have a panel?



Post Edited (02-14-04 02:20)

[cundo]

you have out done your self . I cant wait to use the astronauts...

[ChristopherT]

  If you don't have a joystick can you still move Major Joe on the ground?  Nice
work, Dan.  It's amazing to see all this from an idea about sliding open the back
of the DG3.    It's also nice to see that Martin is already beta testing the
next version of Orbiter and you gave us a sneak peak.  :D

     Christopher

[DanSteph]

Control are the same than surface control, use the same key.

Virtual cockpit I think (at this time) would be only a visual candy,
no clickable panel and not a very sharp looking so, perhaps
as an alternate view ?

About panel here it is, as you cannot click inside your helmet there is no button
but there will be an hud display that you can change with key.

Anyway this view with the helmet promise to be stressing with your breath sound
(you can always switch to full screen with F8)



Dan

[reekchaa]

MAAAAAAAN that's nice  Looks unimaginably good with shadows and all.
 Fantastic pictures!

For walking, are you rotating segmented legs, or are their suits too stiff for that?  

[DanSteph]

sure erik

Notice there is a bug, you cannot open the right top pocket
I didn't had problem with the others but the right one is still buggy.

By any chance I'll be able to resolve that



COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
I found an elegant way to resolve the "come back into ship"
it work fine on ground also.

Place yourself near the entry of the airlock OR inside the airlock
if you want more realism and press key "E" as for entry.

Pufff you disappear and your are added to the crew.

This part of code is executed only when both door are open
and several test reject further process if it's not an mmu,
if it is not asking for return (key E) and finally if he is not
within a range around the airlock.


Dan

[Dave Grover]

DanSteph wrote:

> sure erik
>
> Notice there is a bug, you cannot open the right top pocket
> I didn't had problem with the others but the right one is still
> buggy.
>
> By any chance I'll be able to resolve that
>
>
>
> COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
> I found an elegant way to resolve the "come back into ship"
> it work fine on ground also.
>
> Place yourself near the entry of the airlock OR inside the
> airlock
> if you want more realism and press key "E" as for entry.
>
> Pufff you disappear and your are added to the crew.
>
> This part of code is executed only when both door are open
> and several test reject further process if it's not an mmu,
> if it is not asking for return (key E) and finally if he is not
> within a range around the airlock.
>
>
> Dan

Uh, Dan.  Both doors open?  Do you mean the nosecone and outer door?  In Space the inner
door has to stay closed with the outer door open, doesn't it?

Grover

[DanSteph]

Yes of course the nosecone and the outer door.

5h30 am ->:zzz:

Cya later folk.

Dan

[Benjey]

I like that cockpit (helmet view) for your asronauts.

I just had an idea about that: Wouldent it be nice if you could swich to the left or right cockpit view
and see your left or right arm with the radio or controls for oxigen or other nice things you come up
with?

and do they walk on ground (someting like a continius arfoil movement). you culd switch that off in
space just like you swich them off in the stock dg when you use the RCS.

and finally wold it be possible to change the skins on the astronaut, like put my face on him behind
the helmet?

and finally since this is my first post on youre forum dan i would like to say thank you for all youre
very nice work. itmakes orbiter the best of all tings you can do on a pc!!!

[DanSteph]

Welcome on my forum,

About more view, I don't think the helmet can move or rotate
it's fixed to the torse so this will be 'unrealistic'
(And I gently have the envy to see an end to the DGIII, 6-12 hours
per day, my life is full of it)

About skin of course you just need to modify one texture
to have your hown face.

I'm working on the custom HUD part right now, Joe have sound,
he can die from O2 , reentry, impact with ground, he can enter/leave the ship
walk on ground on any planet. and of course move in space with RCS.
(limited fuel)

The O2 reserve is filled for about 2 hours taken that he don't make too much effort.
On earth he breath from atmosphere so you can stay anytime you want here.


I have also reworked the focus sound part now the sound must be
back for other vessel than the DGIII (main thrust, etc etc)

About next release I think monday night or tuesday.

Dan

[canadave]

Not to put too fine a point on the doors, but to be realistic, the sequence would have to be like
this:

Crew going IN or OUT on GROUND:

1.  Nose cone, inner door, outer door all open.
2.  Hit "E" to exit the craft.


Crew going OUT in SPACE:
1. Nose cone and outer door closed; open inner door.
2. Once crewman is inside the airlock, close inner door.
3. Depressurize airlock.
4. Once airlock is depressurized, open nose cone and outer door.
5. Hit "E" to exit the craft.


Crew coming IN in SPACE:
1. All doors start out closed.
2. Depressurize airlock.
3. Open nose cone and outer door.
4. Hit "E" to enter airlock.
5. Close nose cone and outer door.
6. Repressurize airlock.
7. Open inner door; crewman takes his place in his seat.

Dave

[DanSteph]

My dear Dave, usually you have good idea that are impossible to realise
but here your idea is possible but... bad

I precise that even in the real world there would be no place in the airlock
for more than one guy, so you have to do the whole sequence each time.
Imagine 5 crew to transfert with the whole sequence, fun
the first time perhaps the second, after that, well....
booooooooooorrrring !

+

Z buffer min distance will cut anything that are nearest than 5 meter
(you'll see it look ugly in mmu cockpit view but there is nothing I can do here,
FPS use low range z buffer to go near wall, orbiter use big one because
the distance is big)

+

No collision detection (an even if martin do this there will never be
an "inside collide detection")

You will float around the cabin traversing polygon as butter
and with the fake inside reaveled...

Ugly I said.

Anyway not all is lost, the "detection box" surround all the airlock
from the inner door until a bit in front of the nosecone.
so for those that want to go completely inside can do so
they can even close the external door repressurise before hiting
the "E" key (in external view of course, even without the "z buffer cutting"
there would be nothing great to see inside the airlock (it's small)
The arm touch a bit the wall but we had seen worse in Orbiter.

I played a bit with all that tonight, it's a nice addition.
being able when you land to visit by foot the planet you just reached is
the "final touch" "la cerise sur le gateau"

Dan

[reekchaa]

I'm sure this is the Last thing you wanna hear, Dan, but I'm wondering if the Suits could ever have
enough boost on ground to give it 'Rocket Belt' status.
( www.nasm.si.edu/research/dsh/artifacts/RM-RocketBelt.htm )

Being able to visit the planet by foot alone sounds great... just getting a little anxious, I supppose  

[canadave]

LOL no, Dan, I wasn't suggesting you actually ANIMATE all that stuff I wrote!  I was just trying
to point out the "door sequence" for getting people in and out, mainly.  Heaven forbid you try to
animate it! :0

Dave

[MattNW]

I like that rocket belt idea or maybe more a rocket pack. The thrust you'd need to get someone off
the ground unless on a very small asteroid or moon would be too great for what you could pack
into a simple belt but if it were built into a backpack it would be within the realm of possibility. All
you'd need to do is add a hover thruster to the suited crewmembers. It would greatly extend the
range of exploration (Can't walk too far if you only have one or two hours oxy reserve). Imagine
exploring one of the add on mesh sceneries by landing the DGIII then doing an EVA and flying
around with the jetpack.

[Frying Tiger]

"If that missile hits a populated area, you'll be guilty of mass murder!"

 -Jeff King, "King of the Rocket Men"

[Thomas D.]

WOW AWESOME!!!! Great Job Dan!!! I so appreciate your efforts!!

[reekchaa]

Would it be fun to have a 2001/HALesque scenario, where we 'chase the tail' of the on-board
computer, Like fixing the antenna, repairing this and that, only to be denied entry back into
the ship as we follow the next demand and avoid our increasing possibility of doom?  The ship
might even start flying away from us... stressing our likelihood of suit exhaustion until we get
back onboard & smash that faulty HAL.   Then, we'd have to land with only manual control.

I'm Probably dreaming, thinking scripted sequencing would be possible, but Hey... that picture up
there gets me thinkin', Dan!  

[DocHoliday]

Hi reekchaa,

To a certain point your idea would be possible using Dan's sound sequencing alone. You could use
the radio frequency to play out the actual recorded sounds from the movie at various times. Of
course, you couldn't simulate the repairs directly, just moving around. And you could simulate HAL
operating the pod and whatever else with the Remote Control utility.

I'm currently working on something similar.

Cheers,