First off, let me give a HUGE thank you to all addon developers for donating so much time to create the amazing addons we have. Now my idea.Would it be possible to make some system code (for simulating APU, hydraulics, electrical system, oxygen ect..) plus a flight computer to control it all, that could be implemented by any spacecraft using a simple .ini file to specify how their spacecraft works? I don't know if it could be done with a dll the spacecraft links to, or code you would have to include when compiling, or an MFD (which would be kind of clunky and unrealistic).
Request Universal Computers and Flight Systems for Orbiter
- Thread starter Kyle_E
- Start date
Quick_Nick
Passed the Turing Test
DGIV and some other add-ons have detailed subsystems, but are generally closed-source.
I suppose you could make something more generic, but I don't know what sort of parameters you would want to set differently for each vessel (oxygen consumption rate?). I'm also not sure how you would make it interesting since a spacecraft with only the basic controls wouldn't have very many factors for electrical power consumption (no equipment to switch on and off).
You would also want some way to override controls in the event of e.g. random hydraulic failure. That one might be doable, but I'm not familiar enough with the Orbiter API to say for sure. Well... it's especially doable for add-ons using an API that you make for this, but I think it would be more fun to be able to use this idea on ANY vessel.
One thing I should say is that I have no programming experience at all, so I could not help with this (except for maybe visuals if needed).
The parameters would be for electrical system components and how much power they use; hydraulic system and pressures needed; and other stuff like that, possibly even failure rates. I was also thinking that maybe instead of simply having the computer report the status of the systems, we would simulate sensors for each system which would send information to the computer. This would have the advantage of being more realistic, but would probably run slower and, I imagine, would be a pain to code. The computer could also run the autopilots (which would be specified in the .ini file)
This would allow those with limited programming knowledge to make more advanced controls. It would also mean that people don't have to reinvent the wheel every time they make an addon.
The parameters would be for electrical system components and how much power they use; hydraulic system and pressures needed; and other stuff like that, possibly even failure rates. I was also thinking that maybe instead of simply having the computer report the status of the systems, we would simulate sensors for each system which would send information to the computer. This would have the advantage of being more realistic, but would probably run slower and, I imagine, would be a pain to code. The computer could also run the autopilots (which would be specified in the .ini file)
jedidia
shoemaker without legs
Yes. It would basically be a more indept version of spacecraft3. It's a ton of work, so I wouldn't hold my breath for anybody to do it. Writing detailed system simulations is difficult enough, writing them generically is a lot of added complexity. IMS2 is moving towards being kinda such a thing, but at a glacial pace. It's now almost 3/4 years since the last update, and truth be told during that time I was only working on power management and the UI framework. Writing up a more detailed and realistic electrical system that works just for one specific vessel would have been possible in one or two months.
What kind of visuals?
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I kind of figured that, but I though I would throw it out and see what people said.
Thanks for your input!
---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------
I was thinking about computer displays, keyboards, that sort of thing IF those would be handled by the plugin and not the spacecraft.
