Project Alpaca and FLEX

[gattispilot]

I wanted to start a new thread for the Dynetics Alpaca and FLEX

This is what we have so far.
Keys for Alpaca:
1,2,3,4 deploy the EVA.
Shift 5 detaches EVA guy
Shift 3 opens exterior hatch
Shift 4 opens interior hatch
G operates the Gear
Control 5 changes the state of the crew From flight suit with helmets to blue suits
7 lights
8 Extend solar panels
6 front cover on/off
Ctrl 3 solar panel controls
CTRL and space HGA antenna controls
CTRL 2 opens lower cargo areas
ALT 1 stows chair
ALT 2 stows chair
ALT 3 galley table
5 window covers
W changes views
Shift 1 ladder
To eva. deploy ladder (shift 1) and Open the door SHift 3 and select which eva guy to deploy 1-solid red, 2 broke red 3 candy red 4 no stripe.
and then when they deploy press shift 5 to dettach. Switch to the eva person and move around. To enter the vehicle get near the ladder and press E

In the eva person use S/W to raise lower shields 1/2 visor 3/4 visor flap L Lights E to get into things. Movement is thru the keypad

 

[gattispilot]

Here is the FLEX. Attachments: It has 3 front middle aft. in the front only the arm and tool caddy and the aft the eva module. They have IDs also on the HUD is the distance for attachments. You need to be less than .5 You may need to raise/lower the body.

The cargo box is just a mesh. Technically it should hold smaller containers for the arm to pick up.

 

[gattispilot]

Thanks to @Max-Q and @BrianJ the flex has glowing lights.

So the reason the eva exit and are attached is because at the poles things get weird. This way I can exit by the door,.....

 

[gattispilot]

Working on the solar panel unit. I know there was a unit that had cable but building that as the cable would be very difficult. due to bends,....

 

[barrygolden]

gattis there is a drill package as well as a wench system to lower a wheeled robot down onto a deep crater.Also a grader blade to smooth out a LZ or a road

A cable would be way hard so might have to skip that.

 

[gattispilot]

gattis there is a drill package as well as a wench system to lower a wheeled robot down onto a deep crater.Also a grader blade to smooth out a LZ or a road

A cable would be way hard so might have to skip that.

I saw the wheeled robot. I looked like a 2 wheels that just rolled down . Not sure if that is build-able.
Drill I haven't seen. or grader blade?
2 types of cable holder.
I suppose in Starship which this is built for it will have 1 rover and all the modules?

Any issues so far?

Any images of the drill,....

 

[gattispilot]

Now you get the solar panel.
I wonder if the yellow foil and panels should be reflective?

 

[gattispilot]

Add a little more detail to the solar panel and add dust to the rover. On 360 turn it not perfect but good.

So after watching this video:

https://astrolab.space/flex
You get the other things the FLEX can do.

But for orbiter how practical is this? Sure I can build a blade to scrape the ground. But the ground would remain unchanged.

Another thing I question is the ARM. there are 2 styles. There is one with a larger head and lights and then a smaller one. BUT they seem to a separate unit. So how could they mount/dismount off the flex. The eva and solar panel with dismounted are high enough that the flex can drive under and attach.

The solution is to make the cargo box a part of them. There seems to be 2 style boxes. On a orbiter practical note. Not sure if we need all the boxes to be attachable. I think maybe just 1 or 2 ?

I think I am going to try to make the camera view the eyes of the rover. The problem is right now they are 2 different vessels. (rover and camera/arm)

 

[gattispilot]

The tool caddy will look like this. The front opens up . I think in real life the shelves may move out with the bins. In orbiter though Sure the bin/shelf could be animated. And maybe 1 bin attached to an eva guy and reattach to the caddy?

 

[gattispilot]

I redid the tool box. Also now the Alpaca can deploy a rover.

I redid the rover so the arm and camera are now on the rover. I would like to make the camera view a part of the rover view.

But coding it is difficult

 

[gattispilot]

And now a blade

 

[gattispilot]

Everything seems to be working except for the Camera view. I have the cockpit view set to the haz camera left front,.... and then I am trying to get the camera view to follow the animation of the camera.

I have a attachment so the tip follows the animation. That works. But trying to get the camera to follow the animation is NOT.
void FLEXARM::SelectCockpitView(int CAMVIEW) { switch (CAMVIEW) { case 0: //LEFT SetCameraOffset(_V(0, 1.0, -1.4)); // Set camera position (x,y,z) SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, 1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; case 1: //CAMMAST SetCameraOffset(CAM_tip[0]); // Set camera position (x,y,z) SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, 1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; case 2: //BACK SetCameraOffset(_V(-.901, -.082, 1.5)); SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, 1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; case 3: //BACK SetCameraOffset(_V(.901, -.082, 1.5)); SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, 1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; case 4: //BACK SetCameraOffset(_V(-.901, -.082, -1.5)); SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, -1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; case 5: //BACK SetCameraOffset(_V(.901, -.082, -1.5)); SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 0, -1)); oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; } }
here:CAM_tip[0] is the where the camera view should be. It does move with the animation. But when I switch to that view it does not change
added this. the point moves but not the view

case 1: //CAMMAST SetCameraOffset(CAM_tip[0]); // Set camera position (x,y,z) sprintf(oapiDebugString(), "camx %lf camy %lf camz %lf", CAM_tip[0].x, CAM_tip[0].y, CAM_tip[0].z); SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(0, 1, 0)); //oapiCameraSetCockpitDir(0, 0); break; if (key == OAPI_KEY_W) { SelectCockpitView(CAMVIEW); CAMVIEW = CAMVIEW + 1; if (CAMVIEW > 5) CAMVIEW = -1; return 1; }
void FLEXARM::clbkPostStep(double simt, double simdt, double mjd) { SelectCockpitView(CAMVIEW);

 

[N_Molson]

Nice lunar camping site

 

[gattispilot]

I don't understand. Here the arm can pick up the circled box SMBOX1. I made another box vessel and it will not pick it up. It says it is 2 meters away.
SMBOX1:FLEXROVERSMBOX STATUS Landed Moon POS -0.0507413 -85.9762965 HEADING 99.51 ALT 0.278 AROT -0.673 9.436 175.921 AFCMODE 7 NAVFREQ 0 0 XPDR 0 END SMBOX2:FLEXROVERSMBOX STATUS Landed Moon POS -0.0511268 -85.9763497 HEADING 198.01 ALT 0.278 AROT -167.786 71.614 12.854 AFCMODE 7 NAVFREQ 0 0 XPDR 0 END

 

[gattispilot]

Camp and camera view

 

[gattispilot]

Updated the Alpaca Faring

 

[Gargantua2024]

Nice! Looking like a real rocket launch with its customized fairings!

 

[barrygolden]

Just had a chance to fly this and can''t wait for you guys to have a chance to see this, it super

 

[gattispilot]

I combined the Flex and Alpaca together. Because the landing sites are near the poles. We had to do EVA different. So the guy is created and attached. So that the correct EVA location is correct. Then press shift 5 that detaches the guy and focus on the guy and move around.

In the real world FLEX is supposed to go on Starship. As far as getting cargo there there seems this lander.

 

[gattispilot]

Updated the zip. Fixed the HGA. When upright key 3 now the HGA aims at the Earth. CTRL 3 stows the HGA.