Project Mercury X

[Urwumpe]

ok, good luck (if your gonna do it of course) :thumbup:

I at least give it a try... will not have much time and most of it is devoted to SSU (of course), but I have also stated my motivation above... lets see.

Named the project "Project Mercury X" currently, since we are in the year MMX, will first work on the capsule and then the Redstone.

 

[Mantis]

I at least give it a try... will not have much time and most of it is devoted to SSU (of course), but I have also stated my motivation above... lets see.

Named the project "Project Mercury X" currently, since we are in the year MMX, will first work on the capsule and then the Redstone.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Based on the quality of your other addons, I have high hopes for Project Mercury!:tiphat:

 

[Urwumpe]

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Based on the quality of your other addons, I have high hopes for Project Mercury!:tiphat:

Don't hope too much, I am still at the beginning of the project, the only thing I know already is, that I will make almost all physical parameters defined in the .cfg file, and each capsule should use its own .cfg, for the sake of being historic. This way I don't need to do proper research in the beginning and code earlier...

 

[4throck]

You already have the meshes and some nice textures avaliable. I suggest reusing those and just code the spacecraft systems simulation.

The capsule would benefit from a nice high res 2D panel. I can provide the textures for that, it's something I always wanted to do.

 

[Urwumpe]

You already have the meshes and some nice textures avaliable. I suggest reusing those and just code the spacecraft systems simulation.

The capsule would benefit from a nice high res 2D panel. I can provide the textures for that, it's something I always wanted to do.

Sold! :thumbup:

I just work myself through the manuals on my HD, the subsystems will really be a tough job, but at least we have the Sketchpad feature now... much more portable.

I am more used to VCs, but making a Mercury VC could be hard.

---------- Post added 06-15-10 at 11:59 AM ---------- Previous post was 06-14-10 at 10:46 PM ----------

4throck: If you do new graphics, can you maybe make them as DDS textures, so I can use the new Panel2D functions of Orbiter? The current ones are just bitmaps, that would need rescaling for that.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Urwumpe, You should call it Mercury Ultra. It would fit well with SSU and Ares I-X Ultra naming scheme. And I think you're involved in all these projects anyway. "Ultra" could become your trademark

 

[Urwumpe]

Urwumpe, You should call it Mercury Ultra. It would fit well with SSU and Ares I-X Ultra naming scheme. And I think you're involved in all these projects anyway. "Ultra" could become your trademark

I have some problems with that idea:

1. Ultra is not my trademark, it belongs to the whole Space Shuttle Ultra team. The Ares I-X Ultra was based on Space Shuttle Ultra code, and done by two people of the SSU team, making use of MANY add-ons we developed inside SSU. So far, I have not yet found a good reason to include SSU code in this Mercury, because it is significant different. And I am not the benevolent dictator of the SSU project, I am just a minor contributor.
2. I don't do this Project Mercury add-on as real clean sheet design, but actually as some sort of illegitimate version of Rob Conleys (estar) Project Mercury. Tagging it with Ultra would be like I want to assimilate the project and despite the compatible licensing of SSU, it would be wrong. At least very unfair towards Rob Conley.
3. Out of the same reason, I found it unfair to name it Project Mercury 6.0, if it isn't even part of the original franchise. That is why I think "Project Mercury X" is the better name for this project. This way I don't slam the door behind Robert Conley, if he does a Project Mercury 6.0 himself one day in the future, this project won't prevent it or cause confusion.

I know, this is now maybe more sophisticated than writing the basic capsule code. But I don't work in a vacuum here.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Okay. Good point.

Sorry for proposing this obviously stupid idea. I just thought that "Ultra" could be some new kind of add on quality seal.

Never mind.

 

[4throck]

4throck: If you do new graphics, can you maybe make them as DDS textures, so I can use the new Panel2D functions of Orbiter?

Yes, DDS is the way to go. Just tell me what you need from the programing point of view? How many images? What maximum resolution? Separate elements for animated parts? Will you split it into several panels? Perhaps we should keep the structure used on the current version.

How many capsule versions are you planning? Perhaps we can implement also the panel used by the chimps :thumbup:.... More seriously, I think there were some instrument changes from mission to mission.

As for the name, I'd go with Project Mercury 2010.

 

[Urwumpe]

Okay. Good point.

Sorry for proposing this obviously stupid idea. I just thought that "Ultra" could be some new kind of add on quality seal.

Never mind.

Create a Quality award for Orbiter add-ons...nobody stops you from creating your own quality seal.

---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------

Yes, DDS is the way to go. Just tell me what you need from the programing point of view? How many images? What maximum resolution? Separate elements for animated parts? Will you split it into several panels? Perhaps we should keep the structure used on the current version.

Well, look at the DG in 2010, that is currently my reference for implementing such panels. I still learn about it...

What I can tell you:

• We need one image for the main panel layer.
• We need one image per instrument below the main panel layer
• We need one image per instrument above the main panel layer
• Switches, lights, etc can still handled internally.
• Alpha masking is allowed.

Theoretically, the same textures and images could be used for making a VC. Of course, you can have also layers stacked above each other in a more complex way, like having a layer above an layer above the main panel layer.

How many capsule versions are you planning? Perhaps we can implement also the panel used by the chimps :thumbup:.... More seriously, I think there were some instrument changes from mission to mission.

yes, but I can't tell you about the difference - just make the different panels, if you discover one, and I will code it.

 

[4throck]

Started to study the panel differences. Here's the best link I found:
http://www.spacecraftreplicas.com/Panels/index.html

There are at least 5 or 6 different panels (at least). Changes are related to the systems and instruments being used on each flight, like the periscope. Really not as simple as it looks, but a necessity if we want a faithful simulation.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, such big stuff like the periscope could be done as separate plane, the same with the windows, etc...

 

[4throck]

Been thinking about this a little more.
Doing 6 panels is just too much work for a hobby project (and I have other Orbiter stuff to finish at the same time).
I'll do the Friendship 7 panel because there are better photos of it. After that, if time allows and implementation goes smoothly I can move to the other panels.

 

[Urwumpe]

Is ok for me, but can you make the graphics for the periscope separate from the rest of the panel, so they can at least be replaced for Faith 7?

 

[Ricovandijk]

I don't think I can do much more then support this project mentally, but I wish you all the best and I look forward to the result!

Cheers!

 

[4throck]

Yes, I'll have all the elements as separate layers on my photo editing software. That way I can export them as needed.

Another thing, perhaps you can implement the capsule to support skins defined by a scenario parameter. That way we could have all the historical scenarios, the test flights (LittleJoe, chimps, etc.) and fictional missions.

 

[Urwumpe]

Another thing, perhaps you can implement the capsule to support skins defined by a scenario parameter. That way we could have all the historical scenarios, the test flights (LittleJoe, chimps, etc.) and fictional missions.

I wanted to do this by vessel configuration file, instead of scenario, since the parameters of such a capsule is constant through out different states.

I am not yet sure about all the options that I need, so I decided to make as many parameters read from the vessel configuration, as possible.

 

[4throck]

OK, here's a rough geometrical correction of the center panel so that the photo is now properly scaled. From this base I can recreate it element by element (place all the screws, knobs, etc.) and clean up the base elements (lettering, dials, etc.).

Looking at it like this, it looks really similar to the Gemini panel hardware.

Lot's of fun work ahead! :thumbup:

 

[Urwumpe]

Looking at it like this, it looks really similar to the Gemini panel hardware.

No surprise, since both spacecraft are by the same manufacturer.

But Gemini is a lot closer to aircraft in its design, while Mercury is more a manned can.

 

[4throck]

Well, Gemini was actually flyable... Mercury was more "turnable" to the right orbital attitude ! The good thing is that I can reuse most of the knobs, screws and switches from Gemini.