Project XR2 Ravenstar - Mk II

Status
Not open for further replies.

indonesianorbinaut

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
304
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Bandung
wow it doesn't looks like a spacecraft it looks like an high class airliner very good VC Coolhand! :thumbup: :11sign: i'm predict that XR-2 Mk II will be the most downloaded addon :crystalball:
 

Wishbone

Clueless developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
2,421
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Moscow
...at least until XR-5 MkII comes on-line...
 

Coolhand

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
1,150
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Website
www.scifi-meshes.com
XR5 mkII eh? I wonder who's going to work on that?

Anyway, thank you all for the comments - sorry i am very bad at using the 'thanks' system as you have all noticed, I have read all your comments and they are appreciated.

Here's a wee update of the lighting and textures dulled them down a little, also reduced the lighting a little and added some wear - not wanting to take it too far though, it should i think be pretty clean and tidy, but it is also a working spacecraft. so areas of heavy human activity naturally have some more worked-in grime and wear and tear.
 

Attachments

  • mk2_phase3_34.jpg
    mk2_phase3_34.jpg
    197.9 KB · Views: 309
Last edited:

Pyromaniac605

Toast! :D
Joined
Aug 15, 2010
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Melbourne
Honestly I'd want an XR-3 or XR-4 rather than an XR-5 MK2, seriously, any plans to fill in the gaps, ever?
 

Keatah

Active member
Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
2,218
Reaction score
2
Points
38
Is the lighting controllable? Can we turn it on or off? Or dim it?
 

Coolhand

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
1,150
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Website
www.scifi-meshes.com
Lighting, as I've said before is possible... Technically its limiting, you're looking at extra memory usage for holding at least 2 complete sets of interior maps - probably the equivalent of 2 4096*4096 pixel maps for everything with both lighting setups... But again those can be reduced if they cause problems, thats the beauty of adding detail in the form of bitmaps, its very easy for someone with a weaker machine (like for example Tommy's 64mb graphics card (i'm amazed he can even run orbiter on that))to discard a lot of the data that may be slowing a machine down - simply pushing 100k triangles around or more is not a difficult task for even pretty ancient machines, i would work on million triangle models and then some nearly a decade ago.

(and btw i dont recall anyone asking for reduced texture sets for the last one, but perhaps some people made their own?)

If anyone is interested in statistics, Currently you're looking at the equivalent of all the textures on both the upper and lower exterior surfaces, and then some, in just half of that cockpit and middeck - or 2 x 2048 maps, i have mirrored them which means that you at least in terms of memory, get the opposite side for free although it also has a few downsides.

As for other models or whatever, who knows, I have posted a number of concepts here, and i'm sure a concept that i came up with called an XR0 - which is party built is posted in here too somewhere.

It's largely a question of time, and these things take up an awful lot of it - please allow me to direct you to the donate button on page one again;)
 

Cras

Spring of Life!
Donator
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
2,215
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
Los Angeles
Website
www.youtube.com
Honestly I'd want an XR-3 or XR-4 rather than an XR-5 MK2, seriously, any plans to fill in the gaps, ever?

This would be how I feel on that myself. The XR-5 is cool in terms of a concept, this huge big space plane that can carry parts for an entire space station into orbit in just one go, but it is just too big. A bit too much suspension of disbelief I get. It is fun to fly certainly, this big flying building with wings, and a challenge to get into orbit and back home again for sure.

An XR-3 (or 4) in which the craft was a bit bigger with an emphasis on a payload bay about as functional as the Space Shuttle, where I could use it build a space station one node at a time would be an Orbiter wet dream. :bananadance:
 

Tommy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2008
Messages
2,019
Reaction score
86
Points
48
Location
Here and now
The XR series runs fine even on my antique with Orbiter 2006 P1. It's still playable on 2010 P1, but framerates can be a bit low (around 20 FPS).

Then again, I don't use virtual cockpits (my old eyes deal with 2-d panels MUCH better), so interior textures don't really affect my framerate much.
 

Ark

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
2,200
Reaction score
0
Points
0
This would be how I feel on that myself. The XR-5 is cool in terms of a concept, this huge big space plane that can carry parts for an entire space station into orbit in just one go, but it is just too big. A bit too much suspension of disbelief I get. It is fun to fly certainly, this big flying building with wings, and a challenge to get into orbit and back home again for sure.

An XR-3 (or 4) in which the craft was a bit bigger with an emphasis on a payload bay about as functional as the Space Shuttle, where I could use it build a space station one node at a time would be an Orbiter wet dream. :bananadance:

Frankly I think it's silly to be tossing out concepts right now, but if I had to design another XR vessel it would be something with roughly the payload bay size and weight capacity as the Shuttle. The XR5 is awesome, but it's extremely overpowered and could fly the entire ISS in one or two missions. The XR2, by comparison, can't lift anything but passengers and a couple of crates.
 

Keatah

Active member
Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
2,218
Reaction score
2
Points
38
I've never been a huge fan of VCs, they are impressive for a little while. Or showing something off. But when it gets serious, it's back to a 2d panel for me too!

To me it is too many layers of abstraction. You've got a 2D screen displaying a simulation of a 3D environment that contains 2D screens that are already trying to show 3D info. Just give it to me straight!
 
Last edited:

RaR76

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
New Brunswick
I get more of the feeling of being in the ship with the VC. I'm sure people with Trackir would also agree that the VC adds more immersion.

Looking awesome Coolhand!
 

Grover

Saturn V Misfire
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
1,468
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Ascension Island
if doug can code as well as coolhand can model and texture (and i doubt anyone here has doubts about him) this is going to be market material, something of this quality could sell for $60 a pop for other simulators
 

n122vu

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
3,196
Reaction score
51
Points
73
Location
KDCY
if doug can code as well as coolhand can model and texture (and i doubt anyone here has doubts about him) this is going to be market material, something of this quality could sell for $60 a pop for other simulators

I agree completely.
 

Coolhand

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
1,150
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Website
www.scifi-meshes.com
Well guys don't forget that professional payware costs a lot for a reason, it takes a long time to do and the market is small so like many hobby products its often fairly expensive - the guys who do that offer a fair price for the amount they sell. i'm not sure how many actually support themselves entirely that way, i suspect many do it as a sideline.

The XR2 I feel is essentially professional freeware... (one of several addons for orbiter which are of an excellent standard - but i have to admit, the XR2MK2 is, or will be, the best in its class, if you don't agree then:lol:) Which if you think about it, is crazy for a professional artist to attempt when he could be working for something else and selling the work, this model represents thousands of dollars worth of work. It costs me a lot to make this for you - I could be working on paying projects etc and it costs Doug a lot to code it, keep updating it and keep his site online. For me this is representing months and months of work, spread over several years.

I could simply abandon it I guess, but that's not my way, I see things through till the end, if you want to lend support then the donation system is setup, see page 1... If everyone who downloaded an XR2 donated just 1 dollar, based on the amount of downloads its had, i could actually do this full time and you'd all get a lot more professional looking addons to play with.

Of course with any system like this, you're only looking at a tiny, tiny fraction who have money in paypal or have a paypal account and will donate - Most think why bother when you can get it for free, i think that's just human nature (I would love to be proven wrong) or that they're too poor to make even a small a donation and that others would pick up the slack, as if to confirm this I've had just one small (but gratefully recieved and well appreciated from someone who if it is who i think it is, I know doesn't have a lot of money) donation so far since i began my "donation drive" a few weeks ago. It's all well and good saying that you want an XR3 or an XR4 (and presumably that means that i should design, make the models and paint them and Doug should code them) but why i should i spend months and months of solid work on it? That's why models like this come along only rarely and why many promising projects just become abandoned. Completing the mk2 has become largely tedious work, the best bits are nice comments in here and seeing a render turn out well.

It is a shame that people cannot sell addons, for all the problems that could bring it would mean that you would open up a marketplace and get more professionals in here and drive up the quality - I imagine that like for example X-plane, there would be plenty of freeware models up to a similar standard as the average freeware around here, but also more polished professional work for use in the sim.

As it is a professional modeller would have to look to indirect means of supporting the work, which I feel is basically not going to happen for the reasons mentioned above. Indeed i have seen 3rd parties merchandise the XR2s design and name - someone was selling kits or plans for a flying paper or balsa model, which was not something that i liked and i would hate to see someone else profiting from my work, my design which I own entirely, not Doug, not the orbiter community... It's dougs code but my design, I think thats also sometimes forgotten.

(btw If anyone sees XR2 merchandise thats not associated with me or Doug, please report it via PM, i do not want names named publicly etc, it just causes trouble. And if someone wanted to do that officially or had an idea for soemthing, please contact me so we can work things out - thanks)

Don't take offense i will not hold the community to ransom over project donations;) and particularly over the payware issue, i dont wish to debate it, Its not for discussion in here specifically.

I understand the philosophy, by simply choosing to make something for orbiter I am a part of it but you should all understand that it generally means that professional level people simply work on other stuff that they can then charge for.

Please remember what I give you all for free, what Doug gives you for free, and which will always be free for use in orbiter and don't forget to support your favorite developers (if they even want that, Doug is not looking for donations, afaik though i have offered to split any received with him and would likely force some on him if it really took off) and orbiter and this forum, if you want to see all these things stay around longterm and new exciting projects for you all to enjoy.

Thanks.

 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top