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Author Topic: DGIII FAQ (frequently asked question)  (Read 37340 times)

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Offline DanSteph

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01 May 2004, 01:00:27
May 2007: DGIII is no longer supported, a new version is out the DGIV that you can find here:
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=dgIV






DGIII FAQ (frequently asked question)





Questions:

1- Where is the documentation ?
2- Ascent autopilot fail to put me in orbit ?
3- I keep burning on reentry / temperature readout and limitation ?
4- How can I EVA a crew member/ reenter in the ship / exchange members beetween ship ?
5- How can I change the skin / engine / crew / payload ?
6- What's new on the DGIII  that the DGII don't have ?
7- Where I can download DGIII or the old DGII ?
8- How to install the DGIII ?
9- Is it full of bug ?
10- When the next version will be ready ? (DGIV)  New!
11- Where can I download new skin or make new skin ?  
12- What can I customize in the DGIII ?
13- how to use the two new hover autopilot of the DGIII ?
14- New visual stuff / animation of the DGIII ?
15- The new "self-check" display, how to use it ?
16- How to use the EVA spacesuit ?
17- I can't read the mini-hud or somes transparent part are white ? New!
18- What's new on the DeltaGliderIII 2005 ver.2 ?  New!


Reply:




1- Where is the documentation ?

You can download the old DGII's documentation (previous version)
that will answer most of your questions here: http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=dgIII
look under "documentation" title.
A check list MFD is available on the lower panel to help you make your first step.

There is no documentation specificaly for the DGIII yet. we are working on it and it should be out
during this month.

Anyway here are some indications:

key N open/close the cockpit.
key B open/close the airbrake
key CTL-F open/close the main fuel dump
to use the calculator click DISP button. (Or D key on your keyboard)
you can customise wich data the new hud display (middle panel on the right) click on: sound/deltagliderII/customhud.exe
to load the new hover autopilot load the PRO200SPEC7 or
PRO200SPEC8 autopilot. (key 8-2 numpad to change autopilot's setting setting)
the button to switch beetween surface control and rcs is on the middle panel on the left.


Other reply can be found in this FAQ or in my add-ons forum where most question
where already answered, the search of the forum work well, use it.





2-ascent autopilot fail to put me in orbit ?

DGIII’s ascent autopilot is called PRO903SPEC** (where ** is heading)
for iss you must then load/execute PRO903SPEC42 for MIR
it would be PRO903SPEC90.

You must have those parameters set in Orbiter’s launchpad
Under tab "parameters" :
- Complex flight model  CHECKED
- Limited fuel CHECKED
- You must have at least the MARK-IV engines, go to orbiter/sound/DGIIIConfig.exe and set MARK-IV engine or more.
  save the config, load orbiter go into lower panel and press "load configuration" button.

- You must execute the autopilot at low altitude with a speed of almost 220 m/s.
- You must engage turbopump when the autopilot order to do so. (BACKSPACE key to engage)
- Don't touch anything until autopilot finish it's job at around 200-240km high.
- The autopilot will cut the engine and disengage himself with a "BEEP BEEP BEEP" sound when in orbit.




3- I keep burning on reentry / temperature readout and limitation ?

We will see here the temperature limitation and readout , then see the wrong configuration
then give the procedure for a good reentry.

Temperature readout explaination:

Temperature are showed on this display in ° CELSIUS:  (D3 display)



-The top number is the nosecone temperature
-the middle number is the external cockpit temperature
-the lower number is the top hull temperature
-left and right number are left wing and right wing temperature

Your vessel will be destroyed if you exceed those number:
nose max temp = 2620C° (4748°F)
cockpit max temp = 1380C° (2516°F)
wing max temp= 2510C° (4550°F)
top hull max temp=1520C° (2768°F)

if you approache those limit the temp will be showed in yellow and  a warning sound will play.

Also if a door is open or the antenna deployed the hull is weakened.
In this case your ship will be destroyed if:
nose max temp WITH NOSECONE OPEN=350C° (662°F)
cockpit max temp with COCKPIT OPEN = 150C° (302°F)
top hull max temp with ANTENNA DOOR OPEN=532C° (990°F)

Conclusion MAKE SURE ALL DOOR ARE CLOSED !!!

Wrong configuration

-Reentry will be impossible if you weight exceed 19 tons (see the small hud "3" it will show your weight)
-You will burn if a door is open.

if the DGIII burn at 500°C only , something is open somewhere
(cockpit, nosecone, antenna deployed, gear deployed)
A good way to know if all is closed before reentry is to go
to check-system display type on your keyboard:
D
7 (check system display)
5 (Before reentry check)

This display will warn you with a sound and a text in red to show you that a door is open
or something is wrong.

procedure for a good reentry

See this post from michelle megan that explain how to reenter without burning:
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?topic=11498.msg177896#msg177896

Of course you may align before, or start from iss the things to retain here is :
- Watch the check display to see if your configuration is right (DISP 7 5 )
- Take an angle of 0.70° (DISP 2)
- Weight must be less than 19 tons (small hud display tab 3)
- use the autopilot PRO104SPEC40
- don't touch nothing until your speed is low (mach 2-3)




4- How can I EVA a crew member/ reenter in the ship / exchange members beetween ship ?

The button to EVA a member is in the lower panel under the life support display,
choose a member with >>> <<< key then press the big button EVA.
Of course the door must be open, if it's not the case a warning will sound
and a text will tell you what is wrong.

To reenter a ship you must be near the airlock door then press the "E" key
if the ship's nosecone is closed and/or  the outer door closed nothing will happen.
If nothing happen and the door are open your perhaps too far.

NOTICE: "Capt" member control the ship, if there is none aboard you can't control
the ship anymore, anyway you can exchange "capt" member beetween ship
If there is two CAPT aboard and you EVA one, the second will take the command.

How can I exchange crew member beetween ship

The same way as before, EVA one member than go close to the airlock entry of the
other ship then press "E" key, notice you cannot put more than 5 members
aboard one ship...
Try the ART of EVA DGIII's Scenary, it's an amazing scenario where you must rescue
the member of one ship that orbit moon. This ship is totally disabled and turn without controls
around himself, the crew will be ejected by the centrifuge force...  stop their move then board
the rescue ship that you must put in orbit near the damaged ship.  

Good luck !  
[notice: if you experience CTD on this scenario it's because you run Orbiter 050116 only
this problem was resolved with the new patch of Orbiter the 050126]




5- How can I change the skin / engine / crew / payload ?

You must use the DGIIIconfig program:



The program can be found in this directory : Orbiter/sound/DeltagliderIII/DgIIIconfig.exe

Once you have changed the config, you must be docked or landed with nosecone
open, airlock door open then you must go to the lower panel and press the big
button on the lower right "LOAD CONFIGURATION"
A warning will sound if something is wrong and a text will tell you what is wrong
(door closed etc etc)




6- What's new on the DGIII that the DGII don't have ?

The DGIII have this feature added:

- 3 new skins included with the download (medical, minning company, transport company, 1024 size textures)
- New hover autopilot PRO200SPEC7 ( or SPEC8: full auto descent)
- Mesh model reworked (New engine exhaust more round, antenna, various things)
- Cockpit can open close (button on lower panel or key N)
- An AE35 animated antenna can be deployed and pointed in any object's direction (see lower middle panel)
- Noseweel animated, you can taxi on ground.
- fully fonctionnal calculator to help you make flight calculus (lower panel, press D and choose "calculator")
- Correct number of crew is showed in the model (if your loaded three, three will be showed)
- A payload can be loaded (2.5 tons) and will be showed in the cabin crew (various box )
- Skin support you can have 3 or 4 DGIII wich a different paint in one scenario (see scenario)
- Jettison fuel smoke can be seen in atmosphere (coming from both wings, CTL-F to jettison on/off or lower panel)
- Smoke on ground when engine powered, fuel ventile smoke also, (cryogenic smoke)
- Fire Smoke if you crash on ground.
- Improved damage model, antenna, cockpit, nosecone , computer, gear and few others things will fail
  in limit condition (crash, G , Temperature etc etc)
- You have the choice of three main engine in the DGIIIconfig: MARK-II MARK-IV and MARK-V (more powerful)
- I forget perhaps some others things, a lot of code was changed.




7- Where I can download DGIII or the old DGII ?

New DGIII here: http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=dgIII

Where I can download the OLD DGII version without all the new add described ?
here http://perso.wanadoo.fr/dansteph/orbiter/download/DeltagliderII_Setup.exe





8- How to install the DGIII ?

Just download and click on the DGIII_Setup.exe program in the DGIII download page.

Take care for older graphic card that won't support 1024x1024 skin textures that you must download
the lower res texture (512x512) available also on the DGIII download page and unzip them to replace
the high res one.




9- is it full of bug ?

The DGIII's code contain about 26'000 lines but with the latest Orbiter patch (050126)
and the latest release (DGIII 2005 v2) I think the latest annoying bugs are gone
and this add-on is now fully mature.

So if you find one bug don't forget to write to me. My list is empty yet.




10- When the next version will be ready ? (DGIV)

I'm now freelancer programmer and I work on my own project for Fs: http://www.fspassengers.com
this mean that I have no income currently. Once this project completed and if it sell well
I will work on a DGIV probably on another bigger model with more possibilities.
Conclusion: buy FsPassengers to have a DGIV :)




11- Where can I download new skin or make new skin ?

See this post: http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?topic=11551.msg178686#msg178686





12- What can I customize in the DGIII ? ?

You can customize what info are displayed on the small hud on the middle
right panel using the utility "customhud.exe" located in
sound/DeltaGliderIII/Customhud.exe
click on it it's pretty simple to use. (WISIWYG program, it show a small hud
with your changes)

You can also customize the check-list displayed on the lower panel MFD
edit the file "sound/DeltagliderIII/Check-list.txt"  this text file use keyword
to make color and title (it's pretty self explanatory, read the file)
Once done don't forget to use the small utility that will convert it
to html page so you can print it also. (listed on the download page
see check2html.zip)




13- how to use the two new hover autopilot of the DGIII ?

First I recall to you that there is an ascent and a reentry autopilot but those two
are listed in the old DGII doc.

There is two new hover autopilot in the DGIII:

PRO200SPEC7 :
This one can maintain an ascent or descent rate, once engaged
it take your current vertical level of descent/ascent and maintain it.
You can change this level with the '8' and '2' key on the numpad.
To make a vertical take-off , engage PRO200SPEC7 and click
sometime on the '2' key to engage vertical ascent. (level shown in D 3 display or D 1 display)
(Fun stuff : launch one DGIII level it a zero at 500 meter for example
using this autopilot and try to doc another DGIII on it)

-you can use in PRO200SPEC7 the numpad key '0' to switch to PRO200SPEC8 autopilot.

PRO200SPEC8:
this is an automatic hover descent autopilot, far of ground it maintain a maximum
level of descent and slow down this rate as you reach the ground, it than land you
at -1m/s... smooth landing garanted.

My best advise is to use the PRO200SPEC7 to aproach the landing pad and switch
to SPEC8 to make the landing. (don't forget your gear)

Don't underestimate those two autopilot, it make a landing on the moon for example
very much easier because you don't have to control always your vertical
rate of descent. Playing with the '2' and '8' key with the PRO7 pilot and watching
where is your trajectory designator it make a landing "right on the money"
a piece of cake.





14- New visual stuff / animation of the DGIII ?

-Air intake: (animation)
If you click on the "auto air intake" (lower panel) there air intake
under the ship close and open automatically with the air pressure.
You can see it closing/opening and you can hear a sound and see a message
when it happen. (typically it open at take-off on earth and close at high altitude)

-Correct number of crew:
if you watch thru the windows and cockpit you will always see the correct
number of passengers. You can even choose a 3.5ton payload with the Dg3config
program, you will then see some package in the cabin instead of a crew.

-"Ae35" antenna
This antenna deploy on the top of the hull and can smoothly point on any
ship/planet/base in orbiter, to use it go on the lower pannel "long range
antenna" and click on the big button.  
Watch door opening and antenna slowly deploying the anim is smooth.

Keep small button on "trck"  (constantly following object)
Select a target with the lower button <<< >>> and click on "set target"
the antenna will smoothly turn until it point on the selected object, a sound
is heard when the target is acquired or lost.
You have also a computer diplay ( D 8 ) that show more antenna indication.

-Dumping fuel:
It's very dangerous now to reenter or land with a weight more than 19ton
(gear collapse) you can dump fuel over board to lower you weight using lower
panel engine "fuel dump" button or click on CTL-F key. when the fuel is
dumped in atmosphere you can see fuel smoke on the wings.
Control your weight with the small hud (middle panel) tab 3

-Inner door:
now the inner door close and open when you hit the upper panel's
airlock inner door, with both door open (on earth otherwise it's forbidden
to open both door)  you can see what's behind the inner door.

-Cockpit (canopy)
You can close it or open it with the "n" key, in space a security lock
it but you can override the security: (if you want to commit a suicide)
click on "force unlock" on the lower pannel you can then hit
the "canopy" button and hear the explosion as your crew die instantly.






15- The new "self-check" display, how to use it ?

This new computer display is made so you don't forget something at crucial
moment of the flight, it's a good habit to use it before each flight sequence
so you don't forget an essential stuff.



hit key "D" "7" or click "DISP" "7" on the lower panel's keyboard choose
then the sequence you want to test (take-off, reentry, docking etc.etc)
the computer will perform a check of all the system and tell you
if something is wrong (door open etc etc)

correct what's wrong and it again the test.




16- How to use the EVA spacesuit ?

The spacesuit can be controled as an Orbiter ship
(without main engine)  hit / on numpad to switch beetween
linear and rotationnal RCS.

How to navigate near a ship ?

The hud will help you to see your relative speed
with any object:

Hit key "M" (mode) to switch the hud until "vessel
ref mode" is showed. Select the target vessel with the "N"
key.
This display will show your X (YOUR left right) Y (YOUR up down)
and Z (YOUR forward backward) RELATIVE SPEED.

My best advise is to try to NULL all those speeds using
the joystick in rotational and linear mode until the three number
are near zero.  (pressing S key put you in "fine" rcs mode
with much lower thrust)

Then point your nose on your target and use linear RCS thruster
(numpad 6 9) to reach your target.

I recall that to reenter a ship you must be very near a DGIII airlock
door and hit the "E" key. if nothing happen either the ship is already full
(5 member) the external door is closed or your too far from the airlock
door (try external view and engage your head in the airlock)

You can walk on ground and EVA reenter a ship on ground.




17- I can't read the mini-hud or somes transparent part are white ?

Make sure the "panel scale" in the launchpad is at 1.0, streching the panel cause
color to goes wrong and thus transparency is messed. Also the DGIII panel are made to
run at 1152x864 resolution.




18- What's new on the DeltaGliderIII 2005 ver.2 ?

Not much but I think compared to DGIII for older Orbiter this add-on is now fully mature.
Install free of trouble, run free of trouble, friendly for the FPS even with it's 26000 lines of code.
Here features added since old DGIII:

DGIII 2005:
-Updated for orbiterSound 3.0 no more problem with multivessel in scenary and use latest sound features.
-Somes ambient sound changed, two more warning sound for the mmu.

DGIII 2005 V2:
-Cleared bug in the "check vessel state" display (D7) that wrongly reported door open.
-Now strobe light also on ground when button is on. (was disabled because Orbiter bug)
-No more CTD sometime with EVA, latest Orbiter patch (050126) have resolved this issue.








Have fun and happy flying

Dan



Message modifié ( 16-05-2007 04:37 )


Offline DanSteph

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Reply #1 - 27 January 2005, 15:51:10
Just added the question 17 about mini hud not working.
and updated "10- When the next version will be ready ? (DGIV)"
and question "18- What's new on the DeltaGliderIII 2005 ver.2 ?

Dan



Post Edited ( 01-29-05 02:26 )

« Last Edit: 27 January 2005, 15:51:10 by DanSteph »