UCGO/Arrow and UMMU Survey, Orbiter 2016

[Jason von Jolkos]

Dear Orbiter community,

 since we were waiting for an update of Dans, UCGO and UMMU for Orbiter2016 I was thinking about doing the updates by myselfe. Therefore I would like to start a survey to know whether there are interests about those updates or not.

the biggest problem is, that I have absolutely no contact to Dan. He didn'r reply on any message I wrote. I hope that he and his family is doing well. If anyone has contact to Dan please let me know with. If I could get the source code it would save me a lot of time.

The second problem is as long as I don't have Dans source code I have to develop all the addons from the beginning. If anyone of you has the source code please let me know.

The actual status of my project:
- I worked on the Arrow for a week now. It can fly in space but has not all the features available.


So what I would need from you, the communtiy:

1.) Is there still any interest of UCGO and UMMU for Orbiter2016?

If yes:

2.) Which features are absolutely must (for each individual addon) and which are dispensable

3.) What is your priority list? Which addon should be done first?  UCGO or Arrow or UMMU

4.) Who would like to become a beta tester to find and reproduce bugs.

As said before the Arrow is finished by 75%. Till now, no UCGO and UMMU features. And the 2 autopilot modes (AUTOHOVER and AUTOLAND) are not implemented yet. Autohover will be done next.

Please reply on that message to know how important those updates would be for all of you.

Best regards
Jason

[jacquesmomo]

Hi Jason 

First of all, thank you for coming here to the French forum and site (there are not only French people, there are Quebecers, Swiss, Belgians...)
to tell us about your projects.

 
Unfortunately we don't have news from Dan... 
I have his mail personal address, but he does not answer.

I think (and hope!) everything is finefor him and his family.... 

Regarding his add-ons, I don't think he would give his sources...
So no one has source codes

He was supposed to give me c++ lessons, but radio silence.
BrianJ (you must know him) will help me. Besides, he started.

Regarding your question about UCGO and UMMu, I think it's mostly UMMu that's missing.
Thanks to Fred18 and its General_vehicle and VesselBuilder modules, you can easily make ground vehicles.
But some functions of UCGO were interesting.
But I think what is missing the most is UMmu.

Besides, I had made all the Tintin characters to make them in UMMu, but since it is not compatible with orbiter 2016, they are still in a corner of my disk, not finished...

so yes, UMMU... to begin !

As for being a beta tester, I am of course willing, but you have to know that sometimes I don't have the time so you have to be patient...

Kind regards and I hope see you soon

Jacques

[Jason von Jolkos]

Hi Jaques,

 thanks for your reply and all the information. So I will start with UMMU first and see how far I will come.

Best regards
Jason

[Milouse]

Hello,

I have difficulties to clearly answer your first question. I don't have send the Arrow for an interplanetary mission since 3 years.
I just enjoy creating skins for this vessel, for hypothetic future travel, but more for fun.

For sure, UMMU and UCGO added more things to do, so still interested, but no "hurry" for me.

There is an UCSO addon for Orbiter 2016 on Orbiter-forum, with Deepstar and G42 compatible vessels, available separatly (another ?).
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/ucso-development-thread.37374/
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/resources/ucso-universal-cargo-system-for-orbiter.1396/
Don't tested yet, on to do list.


Milouse

[Jason von Jolkos]

thanks Milouse,
 
 I will check out those links and addons. maybe an UCGO update is no longer required in that case.

thanks

[majid]

@Jason von Jolkos

If you have a Github or something where others can contribute to your project, that'd be awesome I was thinking of making my own cargo/crew management, and would love to join forces.

[Jason von Jolkos]

@Jason von Jolkos

If you have a Github or something where others can contribute to your project, that'd be awesome I was thinking of making my own cargo/crew management, and would love to join forces.

Hi majid,

 if we develop a totally new independent UCGO/UMMU version all vessels who used Danstephs UCGO/UMMU before would need to be recompiled with my/our new UMMU/UCGO addon.

To avoid this I am actually analyzing Danstephs .dll files how a new UMMU could be used without recompiling all the vessels. That depends on what Dansteph had put in the code in the past. I don't have the source code so it takes a while to run those tests.

If it can't be done this way we have to think about if the whole project makes sense anymore. But that can be discussed as soon as the tests are completed. I hope to manage this within the next week.

About your offer with Github: That sounds great, but I never used it before. What we would need to get rid of Danstephs privacy policy are completely new designed meshes AND textures for the UMMU and UCGO. So if you can do that or you know someone who is used to 3dStudio it would be great. But independently of that I have already a solution for the privacy policy.

But right now, there is nothing to do. As soon as it is clear that we can develop a UMMU/UCGO which is compatible to the old versions we can start everything.

Right now the Arrow is finished by 75%. Autohover works. But I stopped working on that to use the time for the analysis of Danstophs .dlls to know if everything could be managed.

Read you soon.

Jason

[Jason von Jolkos]

Hi to all,

 I have finished my tests and it showed, that it is possible to create a new UMMU Version which is compatible with Dans old ones. For example if Vessels have been compiled with UMMU version 3.0 it will be possible to implement a new UMMU for Orbiter2016 Version just with one update.

So if anyone has the possibility to contribute let me know. I will work now on the UMMU Orbiter 2016 version and look how far I will come within the next week.

Greetings
Jason

[jacquesmomo]

it is possible to create a new UMMU Version which is compatible with Dans old ones.
 it will be possible to implement a new UMMU for Orbiter2016 Version just with one update.

That would be perfect 

I can try to contribute if it's not too complicated for me....
how can I do ? 

[Jason von Jolkos]

I am sorry to say but actually I cant manage to bring the UMMU back into the ship. I have to find out how Dansteph did this and what function he has used. Maybe I told you too early that it will work. Sorry

[jacquesmomo]

Don't be sorry.... and

[majid]

I think the main thing about UCGO is the cargo definition files and the interactions with the MMu. Working on recreating that. It'll be available to all vessels without requiring any sort of compilation via MFD interface.

[Jason von Jolkos]

Hi to all,

 there are 2 alternative projects working already:

1. UCGO alternative as posted above:
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/ucso-development-thread.37374/

2  UMMU alternative:
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/universal-astronaut-and-cargo-system-uacs.40591/

I think developing a new version doesn't make any sence. It's better to contribute to Abdullahs projects.

I am still working on a work around to use the old UMMU. But I will check out the alternative modules to see if they are similar to Dans projects. After that I will continue and finish the Arrow.

[majid]

So far I have a Mmu that can unpack UCGO cargos.

[Jason von Jolkos]

hi majid,

 do you use danstephs library or did you design a new one?

if you use danstephs library, which command do you use?

jason

[majid]

Jason I just rewrote the UCGO DynamicCargo module and Ummu module. Haven't tried to reverse engineer his code. 

[Jason von Jolkos]

did you find a solution to get an UMMU back into a ship or transfer?

[majid]

Jason I believe Dan uses attachment point vodoo to do it. Haven't even tried to figure it out. My plan is to offer a generic interface for crew management. So you'll for example be able to have an MFD manage the crew/cargo.

The downside is that anything that relies on UMMU API to do crew management wouldn't work. But you'd still be able to manage crew/eva using the MFD. And the MMU would be able to unpack the UCGO cargo like normal.

I have also had some success in using the general vehicle module from fred in place of the UCGO cars.

[gattico]

Having done some EVA.  I think if you got near the airlock then press a key it deleted the Ummu aka entered the ship.  I asked Abdullah to do something to tell the ship a person got in then you could show a mesh.  But he has been absent for a while so no progress on it

[gattico]

I have been testing UACS.  I think it will be good.  Of course like UMMU you have to hard code it in

[Jason von Jolkos]

HI Gattic,

That's right. I implemented Abdullahs code already to some ships. UACS is a very good alternative to UCGO and UMMU in only one package (addin)

But it can only be used in future developed vessels. It can't replace Danstephs ships. For example, it can't be implemented in an existing ship. For example the DGIV or Arrow.

Have a great day.
Jason

 

[gattico]

Thanks.  I also like the MMU MFD.  For non coders.  You can add MMUs