Orbiter 2024 Launch readiness

[Voyager_]

Is there a file available?

 

[aldarion]

Is there any changelog available somewhere for the upcoming Orbiter 2024? Or is something like that planned? Major new features list at least?

 

[Voyager_]

Is there any changelog available somewhere for the upcoming Orbiter 2024? Or is something like that planned? Major new features list at least?

I don't think so.

 

[n72.75]

A change-log could easily be created from the 2017 beta rev notes, and the merged pull requests since 2020.

 

[jarmonik]

A change-log could easily be created from the 2017 beta rev notes, and the merged pull requests since 2020.

Anyone willing to do that ?

 

[n72.75]

Anyone willing to do that ?

I would be happy to.

 

[n72.75]

A change-log could easily be created from the 2017 beta rev notes, and the merged pull requests since 2020.

I was in fact wrong about how easy this would be haha. I'm still doing it though.


Here's a first pass attempt at a change-log. It will need some cleanup and some distinction between major/minor/bugfix/etc.

Also, there are some major changes to Lua and to D3D9 Client. I still need to add those in.

Orbiter Beta Changes since O2016 Release

Bug fix: VESSEL::GetStatus and VESSEL::GetStatusEx now respect the modified meaning of the arot and vrot vessel parameters for landed vessels (arot: rotation angles relative to planet frame, vrot.x: vessel CoG altitude above elevated ground). Should fix this problem.
Bug fix: Log error message DDERR_BLTFASTCANTCLIP resolved. Should fix this problem.
D3D7client::clbkBlt now tries Blt if BltFast fails
Atlantis: AscentAP: turn off RCS thrusters on AP disengage [issue #1238]
Bug fix: config texture dir now respected by new-style planetary texture and elevation maps. Addresses this problem, although the HTexDir value is still not being used.
API: New flag recognised by oapiGetObjectParam: OBJPRM_PLANET_MINELEVATION (exposes new MinElevation config tag)
Bug fix: visual artefact with rendered horizon haze on Mars (lower edge visible from hellas plantita). Should fix this problem.
Bug fix: DG: Command dialog (Ctrl-Space) not working correctly [issue #1266]
Bug fix: time acceleration keyboard commands (R, T) are now copied to the Time acceleration dialog if open.
Bug fix: SetAttitudeRotLevel: would have no effect in some circumstances [issue #1271]
Bug fix: DGS: glass cockpit fuel mass readout used scram tank instead of main tank
Bug fix: DG: Airfoil selector dial in VC didn't react to keyboard shortcuts [issue #1263]
Bug fix: Scenario editor: editing state vectors for landed vessel caused spurious orientation and angular velocity
API: added function oapiSimulateBufferedKey and oapiSimulateImmediateKey (C++) and oapi.simulatebufferedkey and oapisimulateimmediatekey (Lua)
Lua API: proc.wait_xxx functions extended to accept an optional function argument
Fixed Atlantis autopilot demo and a few other scenarios
Elevation system: now provides support for non-unity scaling factors
Planet config files: now parse ElevationResolution tag for rescaling elevation data to a target resolution (exposed to graphicsclients via oapiGetObjectParam)
Earth and moon config: switched default elevation resolution to 0.5
API: new function oapiGetGbodyParent and oapiGetGbodyChild
DG: Thermal subsystem implemented
Bug fix: DG: landing/docking light switch anomaly in VC
Bug fix: SurfTile: rescaling bug for elevation mod tiles with scale factor != 1
Bug fix: Vessel: transient thruster level was reset erroneously on IncThrusterGroupLevel
Flight recorder: default stepsize reduced from 4 to 2s
Atlantis: modified mass and thrust parameters [issue #1300]
Atlantis: slight modification to AP launch profile to account for new specs
Atlantis: payload attachment mass is now added to orbiter mass
Atlantis: airfoil activation now separated from RCS activation. Automatic switch from RCS to airfoils at dynamic pressure > 1kPaduring entry
Surface MFD: bug fix: now uses airspeed instead of groundspeed vector for AOA calculation
meshc: now allows parameters specified on command line ("meshc /H" for help). Quoted paths should work
HST launch scenario: now uses correct launch date. AP parameters preset for correct target orbit insertion
Surface-relative parameters (including position, altitude, ground and airspeed, atmospheric parameters) for each component of aSuperVessel immediately after assembly of the SuperVessel. For docked assemblies at simulation start this means that the surfaceparameters are up to date at the first clbkPreStep [issue #1374]
DeltaGlider: Insignia: layout geometry slightly altered and smaller font for winglet markings so that lower-case charactersextending below baseline are not clipped [issue #1361]
DeltaGlider: bug fix: creating a new DeltaGlider or DG-S instance in a simulation that already contained a DeltaGlider(non-scram) instance would corrupt the fuel display, and prevent the scram throttle levers from showing. This was caused by meshedits that were not cleared before the new instance was initialised, leading to cumulative mesh modifications. [issue #1323]
DeltaGlider: bug fix: fuel level indicators and fuel readouts corrupted in 2D panel mode when switching between vessel instances[issue #1323]
DeltaGlider: bug fix: airbrake status indicator blinking together with retro door indicator when airbrake set at 1/2 position[issue #1322]
Atlantis: Launch autopilot: implemented SSME throttle-down for max dynamic pressure between MET 35s and MET 77s, andthrottle-down for 3g max acceleration at the end of the burn. Adjusted launch attitude profile to account for modified thrustvalues. [issue #1300]
Bug fix: vessels landed at simulation start did not scan for gravity sources and therefore returned a zero weight vector [issue#1318]
PanelElement::Reset2D() now has panelid parameter so that instances can decide if they need to reset.
Mesh: group is re-initialised after edit with Mesh::EditGroup so that visibility volume is updated (issue #1356)
API: oapiWriteLogV: all output now prepends timestamp (issue #1339)
API: new function oapiWriteLogError() for consistent error output to log file
Bug fix: Inconsistent save/load of vessel AF mode to/from scenario file. Default mode for both saving and loading is now"disabled" (0) [issue #268]
Local light sources: sources with VIS_COCKPIT visibility flag are now skipped in external views, and sources with VIS_EXTERNALare skipped in cockpit views to avoid filling the available slots with inactive lights [issue #1319]
Orbiter server now runs without a 2d graphics surface: Fixes usage of g_pane without testing pointer validity.

OpenOrbiter Changes:

Made some corrections to the ShuttleA meshes, so everything fits together and looks better.
Also, fixed the vessel name being overwritten in the crew module, when more than 1 instance of the vessel was present.
There are more issues "inside" of the vessel (aux pod position switch loads "pressed" in VC, propellant displays overwrite/visual bug? in 2D panel, displayed propellant flow rate from tanks doesn't match displayed usage in thrusters, change to GDI logic to Sketchpad), but I just don't have the time to fix them right now... sorry.

Command Line: Parsing is now done in a seperate singleton class
Command Line: a new Config structure (CfgCmdlinePrm) holds the command line parameters
command line options have precedence over interactive settings in case of conflicts
Command Line: additional command line parameters have been added
    Enforce loading of plugins
    Enforce specific parameters (e.g. fixed time step length)
    Terminate simulation run after a fixed time

NG version: allow proper work from interactive console
    Server version of Orbiter changed to use CONSOLE subsystem
    will now reuse existing console if launched from one
    Allows proper stdout logging for tests
    Allows running/interacting with NG version directly in Visual Studio console
    Downside: flicker of console window on launch (visual only)

Pick graphics client directly from video page.

XRSound: implemented six more sound manipulation methods for XRSound 3.0
    Added SetPan, GetPan, SetPlaybackSpeed, GetPlaybackSpeed, SetPlayPosition, GetPlayPosition functions for XRSound 3.0
    Fixed some post-build event copy commands.
    Fixed the copyright year in a few files.
    Cleaned up the code in a few places.

SetClickZone_Quadrilateral: checking for coplanar 4th point, and offsetting along plane normal if required.
Added missing normalization to vertex normals in Shipedit.
Added logic to reset scenario variables to avoid, e.g., the context value being carried over from one scenario run to the next one.

Merge D3D9Client repository with whole history
    D3D9Client with full development history added
    All D3D9-relevant items have been moved to OVP/D3D9Client except for gcCoreAPI.h and gcGUI.h
    CMake is not yet integrated (will be added to separate PR)
    D3D9Client remains licensed under LGPL, added note to README

fix ShiftCG() in out-of-focus vessel shifting the vc click areas of the in-focus vessel, as reported in https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/orbiter-beta-r90-suspected-bug-with-shiftcg-call-and-vc-click-spots.40308/

Backport fixes from TransX V2014.04.26

Orbiter now searches for graphics client plugins within an optional module subfolder

shuttlea airlock
    outer airlock hatch now opens inward, hinged on the side
    inner airlock hatch is now functional (operated with Ctrl-O)
    some mesh adjustments
    mesh is now scanned with meshc to extract labelled mesh group indices

Added User Engine (THGROUP_USER) Sound to XRSound
Corrected position of DG RCS exhausts to match the mesh.
Fixed typos in .scn files
Implement Tesseral Gravity Perturbations
    C++ version of Pine's singularity-free harmonic gravity.
    Models included for: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Vesta
    Default coefficient cutoff is 10x10, configurable in the celestial body's config file
    Added section to gravity technote

Scene: emit warnings if data files (stars, constellations) are missing
    Missing data files for celestial sphere visuals (Star.bin, Constell.bin, Constell2.bin) are currently skipped silently.
    Issue a warning in the log file to make it easier to debug.
    Also fix potential memory leaks on load failures.

Hipparcos spectral type
    added spectral type information to star database (Star.bin)
    graphics clients read spectral data and convert it into colour variations for rendering
    default star visualisation parameters adjusted for increased brightness

Shuttle-A:
    now deletes sketchpad resources on exit (omission caused log file warnings).
    replaced all remaining GDI drawing calls with Sketchpad versions and removed GDI resources.

Deltaglider: Fix for wrong visors being hidden when hiding a passenger.

constellation boundaries
    Added data file for constellation boundaries
    Added support for rendering of constellation boundaries to inline/D3D7/D3D9 clients
    Moved data files out of root directory to clean up the root

D3D9Client: apply tgt_res to the rescale and offset values of elevation mod tiles.


Update video tab dialog elements to reflect selected client.
    Rescan video devices on switch.

API: Expose force vector and object axis display options
    Allows access to the vessel force vector and object frame axis display dialog options via GetConfigParam
    Implements force vector and frame axis display in D3D7 client
    Updates D3D9Client to retrieve the display options from the default GraphicsClient interface. Removes the workaround of hooking into the visual helpers dialog message loop from OapiExtension.
    General cleanup of force vector and object axis rendering code in inline client.
    Still to do: vector labels in D3D7 client (deferred to a separate branch implementing improved text label rendering).

stellar background
    Adds the option to render background stars as a texture map in addition to pixel rendering. This has been implemented for inline and D3D7 clients. Still to do: D3D9 client.
    Celestial sphere display options can now be hot-changed during a simulation session via the Options dialog (F6). The plan is to expand the options dialog in the future to include other parameters currently set outside the simulation session in the Orbiter Launchpad dialog.

Added planetarium option for displaying local (camera) horizon grid (azimuth/elevation), effectively an artificial horizon projected onto the celestial sphere.

Provides tick labels for coordinate grids projected on the celestial sphere.
    local horizon grid: azimuth and elevation scales
    celestial grid: right ascension and declination
    ecliptic grid: ecliptic longitude and latitude
    galactic grid: galactic longitude and latitude


Additional options moved from Launchpad to Options dialog.
Launchpad "Parameters" and "Visual effects" tabs merged into "Settings".

API: Add general purpose VESSEL::CreateAirfoil4 and AirfoilCoeffFuncEx2 functions to vessel API
Implemented a use of D3D9on12 driver to address issues on some intel graphics chips such as (Iris Xe Graphics)
Bug fix: Inconsistent graphics/physics elevation above LVL 14
Bug fix: Vessel sunlight bug near sun
Bug fix: Fixed flickering "doors" in DG in planetarium mode.
Bug fix: Max mesh resolution set to 32 to avoid out of video memory
Bug fix: Fixed TerrainToolKit multi-byte text display issue.
Bug fix: Added warning for missing planetary textures. Popup window if gravity-ref is missing textures.
Bug fix: Fixed sun-glare visibility near sun.
Bug fix: Fixed sunlight occlusion by body other than the closest one
Bug fix: Fixed a problem of moon being lit in a shadow of a planet by adding (accurate) support for eclipses.
Bug fix: Made a tile name appear on red in TerrainToolKit if the tile doesn't exists.

 

[Gondos]

Orbiter Beta Changes since O2016 Release
Local light sources: sources with VIS_COCKPIT visibility flag are now skipped in external views, and sources with VIS_EXTERNALare skipped in cockpit views to avoid filling the available slots with inactive lights [issue #1319]

Maybe it explains this issue?

Regarding the Lua API documentation, there's a draft available, I'd appreciate some feedback before proceeding further.