New Orbiter Beta Released (r.13, Mar 7, 2015)

[martins]

I have studied the lunar elevation data from LROC during a time when I was doing a bit of terrain rendering myself, and I found that the radar derived elevation data was not as good as the data derived from stereo imaging from the Wide Angle Camera (WAC). The radar derived data had frequent north to south running gaps. At these locations data was interpolated and looked a bit ugly. I think I am seeing this from a patch of terrain in Tsiolkovsky crater.

That's quite possible. I wasn't even aware of the stereo-image derived data. I'd be happy to look into it. Do you have a download reference for WAC-derived data? What resolution (in x/y and in height) does that data set support, and are there any data on error estimates?

Do you know what the baseline distance of the stereo images was? Would the data have problems where visibility from one camera position was impaired (e.g. at steep crater flanks)?

 

[Phoenix]

That's quite possible. I wasn't even aware of the stereo-image derived data. I'd be happy to look into it. Do you have a download reference for WAC-derived data? What resolution (in x/y and in height) does that data set support, and are there any data on error estimates?

Do you know what the baseline distance of the stereo images was? Would the data have problems where visibility from one camera position was impaired (e.g. at steep crater flanks)?

The WAC data is here up to 100m resolution I think:
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/data/LRO-L-LROC-5-RDR-V1.0/LROLRC_2001/DATA/SDP/WAC_GLD100/

There's lots of information about the data in the higher directories. The samples are signed 16-bit. The home page is here: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/index.html

There is a piece software called NasaView to examine the files. Here's an image from it:




I think the quality is significantly better than the radar data. I have noticed that in Orbiter, Hadley Rille is not well defined, but in the above 256 pixels per degree data, it is very clear. Of course, at the poles, radar data is included in this data set because photography at that location is difficult, but because the density of radar shots is much higher, there is less interpolation used.

There are also NAC DTMS (narrow angle camera) to be found here, which show objects as small as boulders.

One other thing: I found that Clementine orbiter reflectance maps do not line up correctly with LROC data. The only reflectance maps currently released from LROC - and match up perfectly - are severely shaded by the Sun at an angle, so they aren't much use for Orbiter. I don't think they've released the "normalised reflectance maps" as yet, but you could look for them.

I hoped I've helped.

 

[Spacethingy]

I crashed a DG into the ground. It came to rest upside-down. I nearly cried. I never thought an upside-down DG could be so awesome. :thumbup: :lol:

The textures/terrain are beautiful, even on low-res. I can't comment on performance unfortunately, installing Win8 has robbed me of 3D FPS and PrintScreen... :shrug:

 

[meson800]

Two things I noticed beta testing:
1. When a ship starts landed on the surface, no shadow appears on the ground. If you
take off, the shadow appears and stays there, even if you land again.

Before takeoff (DG started landed on scenario load):

After takeoff and upon re-landing:

2. The issue where the cursor disappears if the right mouse button is let up when over another window occurs in the latest beta. The steps to reproduce are the same as described in the link above, but instead of the F4 menu, just move the mouse over any other window.

 

[Kyle]

I have now updated the Moon and Mars Low-res packages on Xyon's orbiter-radio.co.uk mirror. The updates should propagate to the alteaaerospace.com mirror by tomorrow.



No, that's related to the fact that for now bases are blissfully unaware of elevation, and stubbornly cling to sea level (if such a thing exists on Mars).

That did the trick! Works fine now.

 

[blixel]

After Martin updated the LoRes files, I made a quick and dirty video for my YT channel to show a bit about the new Orbiter beta. For those of you following the thread who have not yet installed it, you might find the video interesting? Or not.

 

[Phoenix]

The detail of the Earth textures is incredible. This is flying over Northern England:



A quick note to MartinS: For the 256 pixels per degree and 100m resolution WAC elevation files of the Moon, you'll have to re-project the data for the poles, or just use the 128ppd for the these areas.

 

[sorindafabico]

By the way, speaking of altimeters, here is a question for addon developers: since there is now a difference between "altitude over ground" and "altitude over mean radius" (or "radar altitude" and "barometric altitude"), I will have to introduce a new VESSEL::GetAltitude method where you have to specify which type of altitude you want. The question is: what should the default behaviour of the old GetAltitude method be, to ensure maximum backward compatibility, altitude over ground or over normal-zero? I guess different addons may have different expectations, so either way there may be backwards incompatibilities.

Something I noticed in SurfaceMFD while flying around Gale Crater: static pressure (STP) on the surface of Mars is 609 Pa, no matter if you're at the bottom of the crater or at the summit of Aeolis Mons.

SurfaceMFD seems to be using "altitude over ground", and the STP value (for Mars, at least) seems to be attached to that (terrain level) value. So, it must be measuring the same STP at Hellas Planitia and Olympus Mons.

 

[Kyle]

Not entirely sure what's going on, but all my scenarios and module tabs aren't showing up on the Orbiter main screen, just the preview.

 

[Interstellar Planet]

I had the same problem. See post #21 on this thread.

 

[Interstellar Planet]

Flying off of Mount Everest. Always wanted to do that. Thanks for the terrain, Martin!

 

[jangofett287]

Did you attain a positive rate of climb before you hit the ice?

 

[fort]

Flying off of Mount Everest

I was there too, just after you:

http://www.francetvinfo.fr/image/74vu59ene-ee23/658/460/2047788.jpg

:facepalm:

GL-01eltaGlider
STATUS Landed Earth ( or what remains of... )
POS +86.932543 +27.97402
HEADING 60
RCSMODE 0
PRPLEVEL 0:0.995 1:1.000
NAVFREQ 94 524 84 114
XPDR 0
NOSECONE 0 0.0000
GEAR 1 1.0000
AIRLOCK 0 0.0000
END

 

[dumbo2007]

For external graphics clients, I am guessing there is no API function or callback. The clients need to directly read the terrain data from the *.elv files and render them ? Is that how the Dx7 client is doing it ?

 

[billeinstein]

Still get a CTD.
Just the same as this one:
http://orbiter-forum.com/project.php?issueid=1069

---------- Post added at 18:07 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------

Finally I got it. My system is Chinese. It must be run with the AppLoc...

 

[fred18]

By the way, speaking of altimeters, here is a question for addon developers: since there is now a difference between "altitude over ground" and "altitude over mean radius" (or "radar altitude" and "barometric altitude"), I will have to introduce a new VESSEL::GetAltitude method where you have to specify which type of altitude you want. The question is: what should the default behaviour of the old GetAltitude method be, to ensure maximum backward compatibility, altitude over ground or over normal-zero? I guess different addons may have different expectations, so either way there may be backwards incompatibilities.

I just read this. IMO GetAltitude() should return the original altitude from sphere level. It's also more consistent with addons philosophy : all those addons that rely on the altitude over sphere for various reasons (orbital autopilots, barometric altimeter etc) will stay the same. Other addons which implemented GetAltitude() for i.e. landing on ground purpose should have a "new orbiter version" which will exploits the new (amazing) option :tiphat:

 

[Interstellar Planet]

This is really weird, but whenever I run Orbiter, it turns off the ClearType text settings on my computer. I have Windows 8.1. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[DaveS]

This is really weird, but whenever I run Orbiter, it turns off the ClearType text settings on my computer. I have Windows 8.1. Does anyone else have this problem?

That is the default behavior to enhance performance on low-end machines.

It can be changed in the Launchpad performance options:

 

[Topper]

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It would be great if the MAP MFD and/or the map viewer in Orbiter could generate/show such a "2D heigh map" also
If this is possible, even the coastlines can be generated automaticly by the MFD, but maybe for performance it's better to have the coastlines as picture as it is today.
Or maybe a solution could be to generate such a map once, and to have the possibility to swich between different representations in MAP MFD. But this are just some ideas...

Would there be an API function to get the terrain evaluation heigh for a given latitude / longitude?

 

[blixel]

In Orbiter 2010, when you press the letter i, it toggles the Date/Time, MJD, Sim time, and FoV off and on. Is there no way to hide that information in Orbiter 2014?

Also in Orbiter 2010, when you press the letter f, it would display frames per second. In Orbiter 2014, is it going to be the case that you can only display frames per second by loading the Framerate dll in Modules?

Finally, is there a way to make it so that the F4 tool bar is off by default?