Introducing friend into an Orbiter world

[luki1997a]

Hello! I need help!
My friend is interesting in space(black holes etc.) I have installed Orbiter on his laptop. He hasn't num pad on his laptop, so it's very difficult to control any ship... I've to show him the thousands of possibilities in Orbiter and motivate him to use it. How to start? What to show him? HELP! I can't be alone orbinaut in my city:sos:

For me motivation is: He hasn't deleted Orbiter since a month(unlike others) and he sometimes(ehh maybe rare) plays Orbiter...

What should I do? :sos:

 

[garyw]

Get a USB number keypad.

 

[luki1997a]

Get a USB number keypad.

rlyflag::lol: I'm waiting for his brithday:lol:

 

[dbeachy1]

On some laptops you can hold down the FN key to access numpad mode (look for small numbers or symbols on a block of keys). For example:

 

[Pablo49]

On some laptops you can hold down the FN key to access numpad mode (look for small numbers or symbols on a block of keys).

I had a laptop with that functionality before, and I ran into trouble getting it to play nice with Orbiter. I'm sure that varies from laptop to laptop, but it's worth a warning.

EDIT: Also, there is [ame=http://orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4473]this.[/ame] Not ideal, but better than nothing in the meantime.

 

[diogom]

Or you can edit the keymap.cfg file, in Orbiter's main directory. I did it and it's much easier to control the spacecraft.

 

[luki1997a]

Ok ok I know about keyboard and hardware.... How I should show him Orbiter beauty? How to make Orbiter to be his passion

PLEASE, don't write about keyboards:lol:

 

[Relayer91]

How to make Orbiter to be his passion

Surely that's ultimately going to be his call, no?

Just show him some of the things that can be done, and if he's interested he'll pick it up.

 

[garyw]

Absolutely. You can 'make' something someone's passion. All you can do is show them the highlights and give them the freedom to choose for themselves.

I have often found that the worst way to introduce someone to something is to be over enthusiastic about it. That sort of attitude certainly causes me to lose my interest pretty quickly. :lol:

 

[C3PO]

PLEASE, don't write about keyboards:lol:

Well, you started it! :lol:

He hasn't num pad on his laptop, so it's very difficult to control any ship...

I used to run Orbiter on an old laptop (that can't handle 2010p1) and I found this to work quite well.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/controllers/devices/7360

The two small sticks don't have the precision of a X52, but you should have no problem landing a DG with it.

---------- Post added at 03:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:58 PM ----------

As far as convincing anyone that Orbiter indeed is the best thing since sliced bread, don't go on&on&on&on.. etc. about it. Just be prepared to answer a lot of questions about it.

(btw, what was the best thing before sliced bread?)

 

[GoForPDI]

I decided (while drunk) to introduce two friends to Orbiter (also drunk).

It was 20 minutes of ''seeing-how-badly-you-can-crash-things'' while one of my mates talked about how cool it would be to be an Astronaut.

So funny

 

[luki1997a]

Well, you started it! :lol:

:shifty:

I used to run Orbiter on an old laptop (that can't handle 2010p1) and I found this to work quite well.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/controllers/devices/7360

The two small sticks don't have the precision of a X52, but you should have no problem landing a DG with it.

Hmm :hmm: I've tried my 2- analog joystick in Orbiter. I think it's uncomfortable. If you leave right analog in his defalut position, it will enable engine in 50%. But everything else is Ok.
I've tried also one-analog joy(like in DG) and it was better. No problems with steering and throttle.

btw, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

a knife to slice it?:lol:

Do you know any Orbiter movies(except TexFilms ones) which can be cool and he will like it?

 

[kevin580]

In my school class, there are many interested friends of me.
I just told them of that and now they have all Orbiter
I helped them a little bit with flying, and now they're happy with that. Really.
They can do much things now, just go to them and make that, make that, make that, and they'll understand how to do things, is working so!

And talking about that with the Numpad: I have a Joystick, is working nice so.

To Orbiter Movies: Show them all of them. Of course the new one, too.

Anyway, Good Luck with that!
I hope it gets good.

 

[Izack]

Do you know any Orbiter movies(except TexFilms ones) which can be cool and he will like it?

Offhand I can think of this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA_tdIKu-HQ"]YouTube - ‪Manned Venus Flyby - Orbiter Space Flight Simulator‬‏[/ame]

Look at rseferino's other videos too. They might be just what you're looking for.

 

[C3PO]

"video removed because of copyright infringement"

 

[Izack]

"video removed because of copyright infringement"

Sorry, wrong link (found it in my old bookmarks and didn't check first.) Newer version edited into post. Thanks.