[News] Update of OrbiterSound - UMmu - UCGO for Orbiter 2016

[NorbertOrbinaut]

It's getting harder and harder to wait for the release. Your work for Orbiter is absolutely awesome.

I already have an FsPX. Sorry 

But I wrote an article about Orbiter in issue No. 5/2020, August / September, of the FS Magazin (the only German-language specialist magazine for flight simulation). In it I also referred to the DeltaGlider, OrbiterSound and your name ... and FsPX. Maybe someone will buy FsPX because of the article? I hope so 

[Milouse]

Hello,

Great work, Dan ! Long and hard, like some missions itself.


Milouse

[DanSteph]

NEWS - Arrow Freighter's Mission system

2500 lines of codes, almost all the basis is now functional, including save/restore   
This is an ambitious and complex project... but it's coming well.

For instruments as Satellite "44" the whole process is:
1-Deploy on correct Orbital parameter with an Ummu: voice announce.
2-Sat booting (60 seconds) then voice announce and display of orbital parameter score (precision)
3-Sat sending "science data" to our vessel (take from minutes to 4 days as defined in mission config)
4-You send all accumulated "science data" to "earth".

First sat deployed on Venus, booting (never mind the "science data" at this point, I forced them for test)



Second just released:


As the Venus's objectives are completed, the display switch to next Planet with objective:



All objective completed, I'm on Saturn to check the transfer speed... looks okay.



You can expect ~2Mbs on Venus




Todo:
Other objectives/instruments/landing (docking ? other ?)
General/Detail display
Mission Recap display
Final mission Success and score display
"Hall of fame" display with all the completed mission


And one actual config file (I removed the scenario section)

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Mission configuration for the Arrow Freighter MK2 (2020) by DanSteph
// To create a new mission, copy this file, modify the filename "Mission_****.cfg" where "***" is a unique name (without space and special char)
// Once the file modified, you can distribute it or play with it.
//
// Parameters:
//------------
//
// "MissionName=" the name of the mission that will be shown on the mission's display (button and title, Max 40 chars)
// "Summary=" a short description (max 80 chars)
// "Difficulty=" self explanatory (max 40 chars)
// "<Description>" A longer description or guide, max 10 lines of max 110 chars ended by a line with "</description>".
//
// "StartPlanet=" Optional ! The name of a body were the mission should start (In orbit or landed).
// "EndPlanet=" Optional ! The name of a body were the mission should end (In orbit or landed).
//
// "Planet=" the name of a body followed by one "ScienceDataAmount=" and a number of "Objective=" (Max 14 planets sections with 5 objectives)
// "ScienceDataAmount=" In Gygabit from 1.0 to 150.0, determine how much data the instruments as Sat 44 send. 1.0 take only some minutes, 150.0 take about 4 days sim time.
//                      Defaut is a random number around 20.0 wich take some minutes. Note: the antenna take much longer to transmit the data to "earth".
//
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
MissionName=Small Tour - Venus and Mars   // max 40 chars
;StartPlanet=Earth
Difficulty=Easy // max 40 chars
Summary=Visit Venus and Mars and release three satellites. //(max 80 chars)

<Description> //(max 10 lines of 110 chars)
Take-Off from Earth's Moon, head on to Venus, launch two satellites then go to Mars and
release another one.

Have Fun Commander !
</Description>

////////////////////////////// One planet:
Planet=Venus       // name of a valid Orbiter's body followed by one "ScienceDataAmount=" and up to 5 "Objective="
ScienceDataAmount=50.0   // number of science data collected by instruments on this planet.
Objective=Sat44Launch,APA=7700km, PEA=295km,Inc=85.5° // a satellite must be deployed with this data
Objective=Sat44Launch,APA=700km, PEA=700km,Inc=25.0° // a satellite must be deployed with this data

////////////////////////////// One planet:
Planet=Mars       // name of a valid Orbiter's body followed by one "ScienceDataAmount=" and up to 5 "Objective="
ScienceDataAmount=1.0   // number of science data in megabyte that will be collected on this planet.
Objective=Sat44Launch,APA=1500km, PEA=45km,Inc=85.5° // a satellite must be deployed with this data

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Start Scenario
// 1-Copy here the start situation after "<start scenario>".
// 2-Replace all vessel's name with <VesselName> (eg: change all 'AR01' to '<VesselName>')
// 3-Don't put anything after this scenario as the whole end of the file is used!
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
<start scenario>
BEGIN_DESC
This is the start scenario for the Arrow Freighter mission 'Giant Exploration'
END_DESC

CUT !!!!!!!

[Pappy2]

     EXTRAORDINAIRE    

[Ben sisko]

  Ohh, la la!

[Djowin]

Excellent Dan, ça fait envie !!! 

[DanSteph]

Ohh, la la!

THAT's the word 

Much thanks all for your support, even if you are a few it help me not to suicide to continue

NEW - Arrow Freighter Mission

Testing and sanitizing
After a long session of creative coding (new features), one might stop and try to test all the cases and limits so you don't have CTD or strange results. It's also time to refine the code and correct a lot of details.

I'm not sure that someone will finish this mission one day... 





One must deliberately try to fool and crash the program making all user mistake possible:

[n72.75]

Testing is important. There are always a few null pointers or something like that that slip through...

[DanSteph]

Testing is important. There are always a few bull pointers os something like that that slip through...

Yep, also sometime, the error & validity checking (user or file input) make about 40%-60% of code.
And sometime it's the error checking code that make the program explode....   

Typical bad copy/paste case

Code: [Select]

NoteTextError("ERROR !!!! Scenario in '<start scenario>' section does not look like a valid Orbiter 2016 scenario in \n'%s'\nMission configuration not loaded.", cLine, cFilename);

Visual Studio 2017 detect sprintf error, but not custom va_list.

[NorbertOrbinaut]

"came back when the 70 objectives are completet... when you are still alive"

Oh crap, i'm 62 years old, how am i ever going to get back alive?
You have to include another goal: the potion of eternal life ;-)

[Ben sisko]

 Youngster, get a faster spacecraft

[Milouse]

Hello,

My mind, a Grand Tour is a travel to make once. With IMFD or TransX. By just passing by the planets, or by planting a flag on every bodies on the system, even on gas giants, if you want. There are some ways to make it.

The Arrow is fast ; just need a fuel station at arrival.


Milouse

[DanSteph]

NEWS  - Arrow Freighter mission

When you exit with a mission running, a "continue" scenario is saved.

Please, if you see any typo or bad English in any screenshot, let me know, it will save my time later at correction time, and also I'm not sure I'll catch them all, there is so much cases with text - Thanks ! 

[Owenmck]

Hi Dan, just made an account to tell you how grateful I am that you are updating your addons.  The Arrow is looking amazing!

Also, the English in the screenshot looks fine 

[jacquesmomo]

I am without voice....  ^{ma qué !}

[n72.75]

For some reason the ability to launch probes in specific locations as part of a mission, reminds me of:

http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?topic=6384.0

I've always felt the Arrow was a sort of distantly related spiritual successor.

[predattak]

Hello Dan, i made an account just to say thank you for the work you are doing for us, a true saint 
Also the Orbiter Sound 5.0 is really nice, i noticed that the XR ships aren't compatible with it. I know the creator made his own sound mod but i'm curious if you can do anything about it.

[yitianetie]

Nice work !  Can't wait to fly the arrow again...

[DanSteph]

Hello Dan, i made an account just to say thank you for the work you are doing for us, a true saint 

Much thanks for the kind word and welcome aboard... 

[Ripley]

...I don't have any donation system...

A PayPal account should be enough.

Look for "paypal.me" at this link
https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/transfer/homepage/more

BTW...amazing work!!!
 

[yitianetie]

Dan,

I have a question : how about your UMMU addons ?
Do you still have problems with levitation  ?

[DanSteph]

Do you still have problems with levitation  ?

Will see that later, I have some idea, yet they work but don't "walk" on ground.

[DanSteph]

NEWS - Arrow Freighter Mission

The core is almost done, I'm adding new objectives types. Each completed objective is confirmed with a radio voice heard from any vessel in any view. The max objective number is now 8 per planet (instead of 5)



And the config to define thoses objectives:

Code: [Select]

////////////////////////////// One Body:
Body=Mars // name of a valid Orbiter's body followed by one "ScienceDataAmount=" and up to 8 "Objective:"
ScienceDataAmount=150.0 // number of science data in Gygabit that will be collected by each instrument on this Body.
Objective:RendezVousWith=COMET01, Distance=1000m   //User must go near one Vessel at less than "Distance=" in meters (Max 50000 meters, min 10 meters)
Objective:GetUCGOCargo=CargoSampleRock.cfg, Number=5,TipsText=use an Ummu to find them on the comet    //User must get "Number=" of cargo by the way indicated by "TipsText=" (max 63 chars)
Objective:Sat44Launch,APA=1500km, PEA=45km,Inc=85.5° // a satellite must be deployed with this data
Objective:DockWith=GL-01   //User must dock with a vessel that have this name
Objective:Refuel=80%, TipsText=use the fuel cargo of the SH01 landed on Mars  // Will show "Refuel the Arrow at NN% ***" and you must complete the *** with "TipsText=" (max 63 chars, example: "using the SH01 fuel cargo")
Objective:RefillO2=80%, TipsText=use the O2 cargo of the SH02 landed on Phobos   // Will show "Refill O2 reserve at NN% ***" and you must complete the *** with "TipsText=" (max 63 chars, example: "using the SH01 O2 cargo")
Objective:LandArrow,Lon=-33.411341,Lat=41.129850,Range=1500m // You must land the Arrow at this location.
Objective:DeployUCGOCargo=CargoLandingBeacon.cfg,Number=1, TipsText=near the landing site   //User must deploy "Number=" Cargo with Ummu at "TipsText=" location (max 63 chars)

[DanSteph]

NEWS - Arrow Freighter Mission

The news mission will need some fuel & o2 station (by default UCGO contain only an "ISS fuel station")
Meet the new STF4 that one can wisely park in Orbit on some far body.
It's a rocket upper stage with 4000 tons of fuel (The arrow contain 800 tons).

It have a dock so the refueling can be more "realistic".



One main engine if you want to pilot it yourself...



Refueling operation...



Might be useful if you want to come back



No need for contact to get fuel, but a docking is much more realistic...



Model done in 5 hours... a welcome rest from code.

[n72.75]

Yet another blessing. Thank you Dan. It's going to be so fun to use this.