DGII vs DGIII

[McBrain]

An update would be great!

[AphelionHellion]

Doc: That's a great idea, actually (collaborating on the project from a single online source)  
I'd be worried that it sounds an awful lot like work but for the fact that I've never done any telecommuting or any of the
other sorts of stuff you see in IBM commercials, so it's still new and interesting to me  
When I get back from work I'll start taking some notes - perhaps today we can start going over what areas we need to cover
and how to divide up the documents?

Personally I was going to try making mouseover diagram of the control panels (so that hovering the cursor over a given
instrument brings up an image describing it) but for two problems - one, the panels are bigger than the average Orbinaut's
resolution allows, if these were full-size images, and two, if we want to make this like a realistic pilot's operating
handbook, well, interactivity wouldn't make sense

[DocHoliday]

AH: We will really try not to spread the work so that one depends on another. That creates pressure, kills the fun.
This way we just login whenever we get inspired, change or add stuff we said we would and the document slowly
grows... Plus you don't have to worry about design, because it's centra.

One area that needs to be covered and I'm hoping either you are Gene can help is the english proofreading. A lot has
already been noted, but there are still things like dg3config, that has a few and possibly some others. Another major
area is to TEST every single function of the DG3 so we can make an accurate manual

The panel diagram sounds great! You can always split the panel into subparts and make them hotzoned. As far as
realism, that's what I mean when I said the manual itself shoule be easy to use and convenient - interactive IS the
key word here, not too official-like, but the tutorials and the rest can be as serious/official/professiona/commercial
plane like as we want

But take it easy you might get too big of an idea, and too little offtime to do it

[AphelionHellion]

Doc: Indeed, we don't want to make it too much like a job

I'd like to volunteer for proofreading duty.  Goofy though the syntax and spelling of some of my posts may be, English
(writing) has always been my best subject (yeah, that's not saying much I suppose, but still)

I think what I might do is have a slightly reduced "map" of the panel that's only 1000 pixels across so it fits on a 1024x768
window. Also I could cut some areas into chunks like you suggested.

Another major area is to TEST every single function of the DG3 so we can make an accurate manual

This makes a lot of sense. The DGIII has quirks that may not be apparent to a newcomer at first glance. For instance, just
the other day I found that the battery can only start the APU 3 or so times in close succession.  That "charging" light isn't
for show.
Also I was a bit surprised to learn that emergency power can't be turned off, and that even a fully charged battery doesn't
work as an alternative to generators or the emergency fuel cells
It'd be cool if there were a way to force this, in a really nasty Apollo 13 sort of emergency, but then that battery would
probably only provide enough power for a few systems for a matter of minutes anyway.

*makes a note to ask Dan about an emergency deployable solar panel to recharge the battery and power basic life support...
but not 'till he's not as busy anymore and the new Orbiter version is out*  

[DocHoliday]

*makes a note to ask Dan about an emergency deployable solar panel to recharge the battery and power
basic life support...
but not 'till he's not as busy anymore and the new Orbiter version is out*

Hm.. I sorta assumed that's what the radiator does, since it looks like it's covred by a solar panel.. Maybe it's a plan
for the future, but recharging the batter would really be nice

Also we need to test or ask Dan about the limits of the craft. Some are noted in the FAQ, regarding temperature at
reentry but certain data is missing, like max temp of the hull if the gear is lowered during reentry and the data for the
maximum dynamic pressure various "out-sticking" components can take

[Wilko]

As for the gear deploying during re-entry... the drag effects would flip and spin the craft so uncontrollably that it
wouldn't matter how much it heated up, the sudden shift of the craft at those speeds and that type of resistance
would probably rip it apart anyway.

Thats why you turn off the hydraulics when not below about 10km, so they don't get 'accidentally' deployed

[DocHoliday]

I know, but assuming you reentered at a high AoA, the gear probably would just melt, not actually disrupt the craft in
any other way. Of course the hull would be damaged hence would take less temp. I think the same logic goes for the
panel, antenna and canopy (those ARE described in the FAQ thread)

Although it beats me, why you would open a canopy at 120km anyway But I guess as a programmer you must
always predict the weirdest behaviour of users

[Shmi]

One area that needs to be covered and I'm hoping either you or Gene can help is the english proofreading.

If it is just english proofreading, and nothing technical, I could help.   Although, you would then get english spelling
instead of american eg colour instead of color etc.

[DanSteph]

AphelionHellion wrote:
Also I was a bit surprised to learn that emergency power can't be turned off, and that even a fully charged battery
doesn't work as an alternative to generators or the emergency fuel cells

It's a fuel cell, once the reaction started (litle door broken) you cannot stop it until
empty... it's an emergency power, just to come back in a safe place.

Dan

[freespace2dotcom]

DanSteph wrote:

AphelionHellion wrote:
Also I was a bit surprised to learn that emergency power can't be turned off, and that even a fully charged battery
doesn't work as an alternative to generators or the emergency fuel cells

It's a fuel cell, once the reaction started (litle door broken) you cannot stop it until
empty... it's an emergency power, just to come back in a safe place.

Dan

And what's the excuse as to why we can't use the batteries?

[AphelionHellion]

Shmi: You say colour, I say color
You say aluminium, I say aluminum
Let's call the whole thing off


Seriously, I'm possibly the most obsessive/compulsive non-Academic person you're ever likely to meet when it comes
to using correct spelling, and yet I very seldom (if ever) even notice when someone uses English(British?)
verbiage, even in American documents. So I really wouldn't worry

[AphelionHellion]

I'm with Freespace, what's the excuse?  
And don't say there isn't enough room. Those passengers look entirely too complacent in those cushy seats, anyway -
they can just sit on stacks of batteries for all I care

[DanSteph]

AphelionHellion wrote:
I'm with Freespace, what's the excuse?  
And don't say there isn't enough room. Those passengers look entirely too complacent in those cushy seats, anyway -
they can just sit on stacks of batteries for all I care

Because the battery are just enough powerful to start the apu only.
they aren't mean for powering the whole vessel (weight consideration)

A good excuse ?


(the real excuse is: just to annoy user so they create new thread about that in the forum

Dan

[DocHoliday]

(the real excuse is: just to annoy user so they create new thread about that in the forum

And not to make the Dg3 TOO easy to fly. It already is so user-friendly

[AphelionHellion]

Doc: Hehe, I know, I know

I'm just a longtime Trekkie, so I'm accustomed to circuitous (some would say ridiculous) emergency procedures.

"Wait a minute... If I can route power from the phaser banks through the secondary ODN conduit...through the primary
lateral relays - It'll overload them, but we only need to do this once - and then vent the plasma through the aft
manifolds...it should be just enough to shove us out of the way of that [scary space obstacle here]! Ok, hang on!"




Post Edited ( 07-18-04 12:03 )

[DocHoliday]

Hehe, I was gonna answer with a LaForge type of statement, but am too tired to think of enough trekkish  to be
worth it

I'll just go out an push instead

Cheers,
Janez (off to bed)

[Shmi]

DocHoliday wrote:
And not to make the Dg3 TOO easy to fly. It already is so user-friendly

Oh don't make it any less user-friendly! Some people don't find it easy to fly.
Perhaps you could have an easy to select setting that makes everything simple, especially for female drivers!

[DocHoliday]

Oh come now. Females are proven to be more careful drivers but not in the least less skilled People just mix
up the two concepts

[AphelionHellion]

Personally I think the skill of a driver is inversely proportional to the size of the driver's vehicle. I've never been run off
the road by someone in a Honda Civic
Yes, women are just as skilled drivers as men - unless they're in a big SUV and talking on a cell phone. Agh!!

*wishes for the power to cause spontaneous combustion of tires (or drivers) from a distance*

Don't mind me, I think California just has a lot of ****ty drivers

[Shmi]

I agree with Aphi about the effect of large vehicles! Especially using SUV's intended for off-road driving in the country
but used in crowded urban streets - bad for the environment and worse for pedestrians!

But I would still like to defend my poor skills at Orbiter (and parking!) on the grounds of biology.  A large body of
research has shown that, in general, males have better spatial skills (using the right side of the brain). Whilst
females have better verbal ones (left-brain).

[DocHoliday]

Well if you say so Although I strongly believe that species specialization doesn't limit us as much as primary
gender socialization. I try to keep an open mind and like to believe we are equally capable.. of course in some areas I
obviously cannot support this sort of argument at all

Sheesh, I see a lot of women driving HUGE monospace cars here. I mean I drove a van in the alternative army service
and it was exhausting. Although you get quite an advantage driving a huge vehicle with the cockpit higher than the
rest, like "Aphi" said, hehehehe. Can't imagine side parking that AND having to listen to like 2-3 kids in the back
though

to all women in that respect.

[Travis Reed]

Shmi wrote:
I agree with Aphi about the effect of large vehicles! Especially using SUV's intended for off-road driving in the country
but used in crowded urban streets - bad for the environment and worse for pedestrians!

*(insert Canyonaro song here)*
Sorry, I just watch too much of The Simpsons...but not enough to remember the entire song offhand...

[freespace2dotcom]

*wishes for a steel car so any SUV can feel free to ram into him and get their vehicle ruined*