Update Arrow Freighter version 2012 updated (screenshots)

[dansteph]

Dan. Hows it coming?

Very nicely, last shots yet but as we said "the last 1% take 99% of the time)

Todo:
Scenarios.
Docs.
Beta test.

 

[SolarLiner]

Yeah, a Public Beta ! ...
Sorry.

 

[Fisherman]

Sure, for those that don't like the ambiance you can edit the 40 sounds or set "security" sound to off in config. Imho the ambiance will be more evident when running sim, if those real seat belt sound make you still feel you're in toilet with a guy wearing off his pant, well... better to edit. As for the "10" guy it's a bit the case in this big cockpit. Anyway as it's randomly chosen (but don't repeat) you may have 1 belt sound, 3 or none as well. The sound are already tiny versus average volume so I can't reduce more unless you want to destroy your woofer at engine ignition.


NEW FEATURE : COUNTDOWN TIMER - sound and time acceleration

While doing scenarios I messed a huge count of burn and trajectories due to time acceleration. So I had the idea of a simple countdown timer utility that smoothly reduce time acceleration as you reach the burn time. I made it so it add also to the ambiance and tension of pre-burn.

It do only that : count to zero, play countdown sound and reduce acceleration time as you reach the reduction trigger. Delay for reduction to 1X can be set (and will be remember permanently) from 600 seconds (10mn) to 20 seconds before it reach zero.

Click "set" type "54720" (example in seconds) on keyboard

Press return:

Click start or press space key (so you can watch an MFD and start at the right time) and enjoy wild acceleration time without fear and cool countdown announce.

There are voice announce that play at 10mn, 5mn, 2mn, 1mn, 30 seconds and also the final countdown (10, 9, etc. etc.). Setting is very simple, click "set" and enter delay on real keyboard in form "hh:mm:ss" or "mm:ss" or "sssss", it's very flexible. For example "1000:60:60" would give 1001 hours 1 minute, "53670" will give 14h54m30 seconds and "1540000" (imfd "1.54M") will give 427h46m40 seconds.

Oh I like ambiance and it's all very good. Just making a comment that it sounds like someone is buckling up right in my ear rather than over in their own station. Kinda gettin' in my personal space. LOL But like someone else said, when it's all playing, the sounds will probably blend better and it'll sound right.

Thanks!

 

[Keatah]

I wanna make a comment but I'm not sure what to say?

 

[KuatYards]

Cool, can't wait, and if you need a beta tester, I'll be glad to help

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Id also like to be in on beta testing if possible

 

[Frogisis]

Me also Arrow want.

Though considering the care with which the supplementary material like scenarios and docs are being prepared I'm guessing it'll be an open beta. At least I hope so.

 

[Yoda]

Would be honored to Beta test for you.
Please consider me.

 

[dansteph]

Yet thanks, I'll need a lot of testers. (or a few good )

Serious, mature, having time to make complete and extensive tests and able to listen carefully and give good and complete feedback. A good tester is an invaluable value.

Also I'll need someone to correct scenarios texts and helps. Again serious, having time and able to make straight text in "international" English. (not Shakespeare)

Please register on my forum and send me a pm with somewhere in your text the words "Bis repetita non placent"

Much thanks in advance.

Dan

 

[Nexiss]

Yet thanks, I'll need a lot of testers. (or a few good )

I've would love to volunteer my services as a beta tester on the new arrow dan its looking fantastic and alot of fun, however I have comitments to the IMS development and just simply don't have the time for both, So unfortunatly will have to wait for final release to have a play with the new arrow, unless of course its going to be a public beta release.
I watch this thread with anticipation daily

 

[ky]

I would like to beta test if possible

 

[indonesianorbinaut]

i would like to involve in beta testing (if possible )

 

[Napalm42]

I would be honored to correct your grammar if you'd like

 

[Alfastar]

I interested to test the beta test of the Arrow-2012.

 

[Logifech]

I interested to test the beta test of the Arrow-2012.

I'll too!

 

[dansteph]

for participating to the beta please read previous post: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=365419&postcount=349

Thanks

Dan

---------- Post added 06-22-12 at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was 06-21-12 at 11:25 PM ----------

I've redone enterely the external VC and windows because crew size was to small by almost 50%. Look strange when compared to an UMmu and in anyway that was odd because the ship looked much more bigger than it is.

This allowed me to redo better windows with nice specular

 

[Marvin42]

Just some thoughts :hmm:
:uhh: Shouldn't those windows be in a real frame not a texture frame? Something like this: http://www.infinity-universe.com/Infinity/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=75&topic=8606.20
Also ship's eges are kind of rough. Should the ship have real curves?
Dirt map on the back of the ship? Front texture looks stretched?
Also ship looks symmetrical. You can save 50% of the texture space ( or increase the virtual resolution by 100%, depending on your point of view ) by sharing the texture coordinates of one half with the other half (imagine a car with 4 wheels. You could allocate space for only one wheel in the UV map, and have the 4 of them share the same space).

 

[Urwumpe]

Also ship's eges are kind of rough. Should the ship have real curves?

Thats an engine limitation, not really a problem with the mesh. dansteph could increase the number of vertices of the model at the expense of performance, but that isn't the solution you use in most current games for the same problem: There you create finer meshes on the fly, by using normals and vertice coordinates for filling a triangle in the mesh recursively with finer subtriangles.

This is done in the GPU by geometry shaders (Supported since DX10 and OpenGL 3.2), but no Orbiter graphics engine currently supports this feature, also you would need additional information in the mesh to make proper use of it.

 

[dansteph]

by sharing the texture coordinates of one half with the other half (imagine a car with 4 wheels. You could allocate space for only one wheel in the UV map, and have the 4 of them share the same space).

Then you destroy the skin possibility (text/logo would be inverted on one half)

Thrust me there is 20 years that I program 3d engine and make meshes, I know how to optimize and get the most with few. For example there is only 10 material on which only 4 are textured and all polygons that share a material are merged in one group (and all unseen poly are removed).

Usually I optimize to the death and use so few resources that my models suck. Now I decided that I've already paid enough attention to whose want to make simulation but don't want to use the right computer for this. So I relaxed a bit my standard with 2x2048 textures, local light, VC and a lot of details.

Of course I can make the hull perfectly round but then I would not been allowed to add so much details because the hull would take all of the poly for no real add at usual distance. It's a design choice, a balance. As it is now it have only 25'000 vertice which is still acceptable by the 6 years old standard. This leave CPU room for the big textures, again a choice. Currently the Arrow run at 400 FPS on my computer. (it's not the top most but it run current game at a decent framerate)

 

[dansteph]

DEV NEWS - MEET JAZON ASTEROID


While doing scenario I thought the goal was a bit boring : trow base, inflate, get crew etc. etc.

Here come a new kind of mission that allow UCGO & cargo feature:

So say hello to Jazon, an Apollos ECA asteroid that you'll encounter in some missions. (Vessel can be spawned by scenario editor)

In the mission above you must go close to surface with an UMmu and collect rock:

By pressing "enter" key near the surface, rocks appear and you have a radio confirmation (rock appear at random position, turn and move slowly)

Now you can pack them, 7 rock give one cargo:

Of course one may not exagerate, I'm not sure the scientist need so much sample:

It might give also some good "get sample" from planet mission, I'll probably do a "gold" cargo type and maybe some others.