Roadmap proposal - Orbiter development

[Ajaja]

I'd like to see CELBODY API extensions for rotation (to be able to implement IAU / ITRF frames) and for gravity fields (to implement EGM96, GRGM900C, etc.)

 

[n72.75]

I'd like to see CELBODY API extensions for rotation (to be able to implement IAU / ITRF frames) and for gravity fields (to implement EGM96, GRGM900C, etc.)

I'm currently working on integrating my tesseral perturbation model into a pull-requestable state.

 

[jameswebb]

ok ill be that guy! dump the d3d9 in favor of more up to date tech to take advantage of modern graphics cards! good modding tools not all of us are coders so everybody can get their hands dirty if they so choose! Collisions on the meshes. Good shaders that support transparent glass, reflectivity, light scattering all the eyecandy stuff. And of course the most popular topic of the decade, multiplayer. i know just the guy for that i could go on but ill end it there

 

[SpaceBoy2]

One feature I would really like to see is ambient occlusion. The Moon casting shadow on Earth during solar eclipse and the Earth ringing the Moon red for lunar eclipses

 

[clipper]

One feature I would really like to see is ambient occlusion.

You can inject SSAO using GemFX or ReShade and it improves the visuals quite a bit (especially in VC) - the downside is that it screws with 2D panels and its MFDs as it adds depth to the whole scene and doesn't distinguish between 2D and 3D elements, so you end up with a ghosting effect on former similar to chromatic aberration; native support for SSAO could probably deal with that better and would definitely be welcome.

 

[Abloheet]

One feature I would really like to see is ambient occlusion. The Moon casting shadow on Earth during solar eclipse and the Earth ringing the Moon red for lunar eclipses

IIRC, Orbiter does simulate the casting of shadows by celestial objects on other celestial objects already. So you can observe solar eclipses from Earth's surface, and from orbit, can see the Moon's penumbra and umbra moving across the earth's surface. Conversely, lunar eclipses can also be observed, and solar transits can also be observed, like the transit of Venus across the Sun's disk as seen from Earth. The shadows cast by Jupiter's moons as they orbit Jupiter can also be seen on Jupiter's clouds
You can see that Saturn's rings cast a shadow on Saturn's clouds

 

[kuddel]

...I am pretty sure Orbiter does not cast shadows of celectial bodies on other celestial bodies.

 

[Urwumpe]

...I am pretty sure Orbiter does not cast shadows of celectial bodies on other celestial bodies.

I remember an eclipse demo....

 

[Abloheet]

I remember an eclipse demo....

Yes there is a solar eclipse scenario included with orbiter by default. Atleast the MOGE client supported casting of celestial body shadows in previous Orbiter versions, have not checked with orbiter 2016 or open orbiter yet

 

[diogom]

Just gave the 1999 eclipse demo a go on O2016, DX9 and not, and don't really see anything on either. All visual effects on.

 

[Abloheet]

Just gave the 1999 eclipse demo a go on O2016, DX9 and not, and don't really see anything on either. All visual effects on.

View attachment 31990
View attachment 31991

Hmm, this means another feature is left over pending for reimplementation in OpenOrbiter, because I remember orbiter 2006 and 2010 showed the shadow of the moon moving across the earth's surface

I think something will be done about the trains and monorails and beacon arrays and solar panels and other miscellaneous stuff created for making bases come alive in a limited way in legacy orbiter

 

[SpaceBoy2]

Hmm, this means another feature is left over pending for reimplementation in OpenOrbiter, because I remember orbiter 2006 and 2010 showed the shadow of the moon moving across the earth's surface

No way! Boy, that was cool then. Would like to know what happened now...

 

[SpaceBoy2]

You can inject SSAO using GemFX or ReShade and it improves the visuals quite a bit (especially in VC) - the downside is that it screws with 2D panels and its MFDs as it adds depth to the whole scene and doesn't distinguish between 2D and 3D elements, so you end up with a ghosting effect on former similar to chromatic aberration; native support for SSAO could probably deal with that better and would definitely be welcome.

I did try using ReShade a couple of months back. Don't know what I was doing wrong, I just couldn't get ambient occlusion to work

 

[misha.physics]

I'd like to clarify if it's the best way to report bugs and other problems with OpenOrbiter right here?

 

[kuddel]

I'd like to clarify if it's the best way to report bugs and other problems with OpenOrbiter right here?

If it's a bug or a feature-request, yes
I usually first ask in some thread if anyone can confirm the issue before opening an issue on github - as often it's just a misconfiguration or lack of understanding

 

[misha.physics]

@kuddel, then can I create a thread (in Orbiter Development section, I think) where it will be possible to post such "issues" with their following confirmation (or not) by other users?

 

[Urwumpe]

@kuddel, then can I create a thread (in Orbiter Development section, I think) where it will be possible to post such "issues" with their following confirmation (or not) by other users?

You could also use the Issue feature at Github there, though it might be good to prevent some wild west chaos there by having a reporting template.

Issues · orbitersim/orbiter

Open-source repository of Orbiter Space Flight Simulator - Issues · orbitersim/orbiter

github.com

 

[kuddel]

@kuddel, then can I create a thread (in Orbiter Development section, I think) where it will be possible to post such "issues" with their following confirmation (or not) by other users?

Hey Misha,
it is not something you have to do, it's just something I usually do as my experience taught me that many times "the issue" was just an error on my side

The D3D9Client development thread might also be a good place to query whether an issue is known, new or something else.
Don't be afraid to ask. This is by all means a very friendly forum!

 

[MVA]

I would like the FyByWire module to start work in the new Orbiter

 

[misha.physics]

A few small features I'd like to proposal for the following Orbiter development:

1) Adding an option to change transparency (and colour) of DG's front glass window. For example, blue and more transparent front glass might look pretty nice.
Like here:

Update showing shadows casting on cockpit and on the ISS.

View attachment 27487

2) AIRBRK indicator doesn't blink in midlle position of air brakes in OpenOrbiter unlike Orbiter 2016. It was pretty useful.



3) Adding an option to change the size of the nose cone cross (to make it smaller):



4) Adding keyboard hotkeys/hotkeys combinations for DG's autopilot: activate/tuning, etc:



5) Adding three different hotkeys for interior views: 3D virtual cockpit, 2D panels, standard glass cockpit.

6) Add an option to turn on the mouse view (for external/3D cockpit/glass cockpit). Similar to DCS World.

7) Also the border of the ALT can be expanded to exclude this: