General Question Virtual Cockpits, where to start?

[Odahs]

Hi all,

Newbie alert!

I'm trying to find some tutorials/discussions on VCs for orbiter. I've searched the Wiki and tried searching the forum, turfed up a few things but I'm really looking for a crash course on what is involved.

I'm aware that building a VC is a momentous challenge, but I'm up for it! I'm trying to avoid learning over several years by osmosis, I want to get to the essential stuff to get me started, so I spend several years if necessary building it rather than finding out how to do it!

I'm assuming orbiter does not support XML Gauges so we are looking at C++, but heck I don't know. Could orbiter support XML if some one did the development work?

Anything that helps me get on track will be appreciated.

Many thanks for any guidance. :thumbup:

 

[Urwumpe]

I'm assuming orbiter does not support XML Gauges so we are looking at C++, but heck I don't know. Could orbiter support XML if some one did the development work?

Anything that helps me get on track will be appreciated.

Many thanks for any guidance. :thumbup:

Repeat after me: Orbiter is not FSX or Flightgear or ... :lol:

Yes, you could define virtual cockpits by a generic module, which uses a VC mesh and an XML file as inputs - if it would exist.

But generally, you will need C++ as start today.

A VC in Orbiter is not different to animating a spacecraft mesh. You only have additionally event handling for getting mouse clicks and options for triggering redrawing actions for display surfaces.

 

[Odahs]

Orbiter is not FSX

Orbiter is not FSX

Orbiter is not FSX

OK so you figured out all my past experience is with FSX!

That's a good start though, some time working with meshes and animating meshes in Orbiter and I know I'll be working towards my final goal.

 

[Urwumpe]

Orbiter is not FSX

Orbiter is not FSX

Orbiter is not FSX

OK so you figured out all my past experience is with FSX!

That's a good start though, some time working with meshes and animating meshes in Orbiter and I know I'll be working towards my final goal.

You can even make VCs with Lua, instead of C++, AFAIR. But still... its a good choice to start small and learn in small fast iterations.

Why not make a small satellite and animate it - that's already a lot of effort for the start.

 

[dgatsoulis]

[ame="http://orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4054"]AstroMatizII[/ame] is a good place to start if you want to know how to add an MFD with functioning buttons in a VC.

I'd also look for Kev 33's addons in Orbiter Hangar. He's included the source code in almost all of them, and you'll find many examples on how to implement events that trigger animations in a VC.

As general advice, try to not make your first project too "grandiose". It's very easy to get swamped and give it up. Set up small goals and make sure you've learned how to do each step before you take on the next one.

Create a simple vessel -or use an existing one- and set up a simple VC with a working MFD, a throttle and a gauge showing the fuel. That should be more than enough for a first project.
Then perhaps add a HUD, and a couple of switches/nobs or buttons controlling the gear and/or the RCS setting.

The stuff you learn from that will be the base for almost anything else you want to do in a more complicated project.

For additional sources have a look on Hlynkacg's "Coding a Lunar Lander" tutorial and Martin's blog on creating 2D panels in a manner similar to creating a VC.

Above all, remember the KISS rule.

 

[Odahs]

Excellent help thanks! I'm feeling I can take a few small steps now, I'll certainly have my big project in mind, but first learn to walk and keep it simple!

 

[Urwumpe]

Excellent help thanks! I'm feeling I can take a few small steps now, I'll certainly have my big project in mind, but first learn to walk and keep it simple!

No problem to have a big goal in your mind. I also have pretty big projects on my HDD, but constantly do experiments in smaller projects, when I notice that I have open questions, that I can't answer yet and which I can't really research in the big project. I use Orbiters SDK rather "academic", I love solving problems and experimenting there.

Important is just never forgetting your goals... or at least changing your goals consciously.

You can for example decide to make a big project without any Orbiter knowledge and then take pen and paper and plan it. Find questions, answer them, if you have a big problem, try to split it into smaller problems that you might answer easier.

This also gives you a better idea of what you can actually achieve in a lifetime - and where you need help.