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

[WolfAngriff]

This is NOT a request, Dan, but i would like to know why you've never made a rocket, with its capsule, a.s.o ?

[DanSteph]

This is NOT a request, Dan, but i would like to know why you've never made a rocket, with its capsule, a.s.o ?

Do you mean UCGO ? (Cargo and such)

[n72.75]

I think they mean, why you decided on a winged space plane rather than an apollo-style capsule.

[WolfAngriff]

UMMU, UCGO, a multi stage launcher/family and its features (Launchpad, a probe, capsule, lander...). I've often thought about what could have been a "Dan's Space Program", with your designing and programming skills. Maybe i'm wrong, but it could have been more simple than complete space ships (but less fun perhaps).

[n72.75]

And just to be clear, I absolutely love the Deltaglider IV (and III, II was before my time with Orbiter).

I am so excited to take a fleet out to the Outer Planets again.

[DanSteph]

I absolutely love the Apollo program and lately love the SpaceX rockets, but in Orbiter they are already done with talent by others authors.
But I mostly love sci-fi and dream a lot about the futur of regular travel in solar system. In this aspect the actual space program and classics rockets are very, very limited. In orbiter they do as in real life a definite and definitive trajectory without any freedom. It's absolutely not what I call "travel in space".

About half of my books are SF or space opera. 

PS: the only eventual regret is that my fleet could be more "hard science" with more "realistic" spacecrafts.
I made some research lately about the gravity wheel, how should be the radiation shield and how to organize the space in it given those constraints but it's too late to make an "hard science" Arrow Freighter and it would not have this look at all.

[DanSteph]

QUESTION:

Do anyone have information about the docked vessel bug when landed in Orbiter 2016 ?
In orbiter 2010 it was almost impossible, but yet it seem to work so I must perhaps remove the warning message ?

[n72.75]

Orbiter 2016 supports landed docked vessels. https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/docking-between-vessels.34273/post-525240

The bug in 2016 (and previous Orbiter versions), related to the calculation of the Moment Of Inertia, of docked vessels. This was pointed out by indy91 of the NASSP project. Martins fixed this in Orbiter Beta.

https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/moments-of-inertia-of-two-docked-vessels.35383/

[WolfAngriff]

Thanx for the answer Dan, i was just curious about your choices. I've already done billions of km with your vessels (and crashed a lot of them) and will do the same with this future release (rilize  ).

The temptation becomes stronger for me to create "something flyable" for Orbiter. I'm still waiting because there are things in progress here and in Orbiter Forum, and i have a lot to learn before doing anything. There are tools too, now, that makes it a bit easyer. The "i would like" is becoming a "i want to".

(Downloading Blender right now...  )

[DanSteph]

Orbiter 2016 supports landed docked vessels. https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/docking-between-vessels.34273/post-525240

Great...

The bug in 2016 (and previous Orbiter versions), related to the calculation of the Moment Of Inertia, of docked vessels. This was pointed out by indy91 of the NASSP project. Martins fixed this in Orbiter Beta.

Only in the beta ?
This is annoying. I would like to support the beta but I don't want to ask the users to install the beta for my addons.
I don't have the time to read all about this, what would be you advice :

1-Leave the caution message as it is now (no landing with docked vessel) ?
2-Remove this message and let peoples land with vessel docked ?
3-Other solutions ?

Much thanks for the information 

[DanSteph]

The temptation becomes stronger for me to create "something flyable" for Orbiter.

Just DO IT NOW !!! 

Orbiter is ideal to learn anything, from C++ to 3d modeling.
I personally prefer 3dsmax which is much more professional and allow render to texture (The arrow's cockpit), but blender is good also.

I you decide to go for 3dsmax, I have a modified export script for 3dsmax 2011->Orbiter.

[WolfAngriff]

As Coussini has made some good tutos for blender, available on Pappy's Hangar, and knowing that Blender is free...  I'm just planning a funny overpowered rocket, a probe, and maybe a base, so this software shall be enough. I don't know a lot about C++ but i'm able to take an old addon and make it Multistage 2015 compatible (done for my personal use with the Trassa Launch Vehicle from Peter Cizek). I've nerver opened a .dll file, so it looks like some kind of sorcery for me . But maybe, using Vessel Buider... I'll search those things and decide later what to do. I have time 'till tuesday ! 

[n72.75]

Dan, I wouldn't worry about the issue in 2016. It's an issue if you want the vAGC DAP to be accurate and stable.

I would remove the message and let people land with it. The issue isn't specific to landing with vessels docked, it's an issue with all docked vessels in orbiter.

The only real difference will be docked vessels turning slightly slower in beta than in 2016, Probably not even a noticeable difference with the Arrow and DGIV.

[DanSteph]

I would remove the message and let people land with it. The issue isn't specific to landing with vessels docked, it's an issue with all docked vessels in orbiter.

Much thanks, message removed, it's good to be able to land with docked vessel.

[Pappy2]

I would remove the message and let people land with it. The issue isn't specific to landing with vessels docked, it's an issue with all docked vessels in orbiter.

Much thanks, message removed, it's good to be able to land with docked vessel.

Dan's, maybe I'm a little late
But landing with a DGIV just maintained by the airlock seems not to be realistic, at least on Earth and for this precise case.
It seems to me that the message was (is) important to the captain of the ship.

What do you think about it ?

[DanSteph]

What do you think about it ?

Yep, this worry me but I'm not decided if I let the users free of the level of realism they want or if I take radical action as force undocking when landed.

[n72.75]

What do you think about it ?

Yep, this worry me but I'm not decided if I let the users free of the level of realism they want or if I take radical action as force undocking when landed.

The way I see it there are a few options:

1) Let people land with no warning. (less realistic, more sci-fi like)
2) Make people undock. (more realistic, but less fun)
3) Make this an option in a configurator/config file (More work/Tuesdays for you)


Personally, I'm in favor of option 1. It's a futuristic spacecraft, and if It can handle the acceleration caused by the the engines, it can handle landing on the low-gravity locations that you'd typically land an Arrow.

[DanSteph]

Personally, I'm in favor of option 1.

Me too... and it save my time also.
A good compromise would be an orange warning or "notice" at 500 meter during descent ?
or maybe just a short note in the doc.

[yitianetie]

It is an idea indeed. I thought that the arrow freighter was not suitable for atmospheric ascent like on earth and where gravity is too heavy. But maybe it is ok for descent on earth.

Dan, when you have concepted the arrow freight, where is it should be assembled ? In the space like the ISS ?

[WolfAngriff]

Hi Dan. I don't know why i didn't speak about this earlyer, and it's surely too late, but why is the Captain alone on the bridge of the arrow ? It could have been nice to call the second officer there, or a dog, or a robot... OK, i'm just speaking about eye candy stuff.

[DanSteph]

It is an idea indeed. I thought that the arrow freighter was not suitable for atmospheric ascent like on earth and where gravity is too heavy. But maybe it is ok for descent on earth.
Dan, when you have concepted the arrow freight, where is it should be assembled ? In the space like the ISS ?

Nobody read the doc... 
There is an image of her construction in 2037
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/downloadround/tempucgo/Bin/Bin/ArrowHtmlDocumentation.html

By default the Arrow is only able to take-off from moon (earth's moon maximum) and is only certified for no or tiny atmosphere.
A welcome scenario allow the user to change the power and some other data with a configuration file, so one can take-off even from earth.

but why is the Captain alone on the bridge of the arrow ?

I was thinking about it since a long time, first reason was dev time, second the model or his behavior should be really great to not break the immersion. Seing the same guy at the same place with the same face is not very immersive and if he move it should be great.

Now, why not some model fleeing in the (zero gravity) cockpit on the far side when you engage the security maneuver mode ?
This mode is ideal, the user is in the cockpit waiting during 2mn and there is good reason why the crew move at this time.

But still: dev time.

[n72.75]

I read the manual...

[Milouse]

Hello,

1) Let people land with no warning. (less realistic, more sci-fi like)

I have more feeling about this option and n72.75's opinion. I'm thinking with a little cradle, but the XR2 fit in the hangar, and the hull is not the same.

It would be fun/tricky to undock the DGIV/XR2 (and the ShuttleA on the back) with the Arrow landed...

Orange warning ? Maybe like this : "warning: docked vessel(s) ! Are you sure to want this ?"


Milouse

[yitianetie]

It is an idea indeed. I thought that the arrow freighter was not suitable for atmospheric ascent like on earth and where gravity is too heavy. But maybe it is ok for descent on earth.
Dan, when you have concepted the arrow freight, where is it should be assembled ? In the space like the ISS ?

Nobody read the doc... 
There is an image of her construction in 2037
http://orbiter.dansteph.com/downloadround/tempucgo/Bin/Bin/ArrowHtmlDocumentation.html

By default the Arrow is only able to take-off from moon (earth's moon maximum) and is only certified for no or tiny atmosphere.

It is not because i don't read the doc (i read them with pleasure usually) but I just would want to be sure 

[WolfAngriff]

But still: dev time.

Alone is good too. The captain must stay focussed on his/her tasks.