XR2 Public Release Candidate Testing

[dbeachy1]

I noticed than in the VC, if you switch camera positions to the right-hand pilot's view (Kara's view, CTRL+right arrow), the camera is quite a bit closer to the HUD than in the "default" pilot's seat and it's hard to see the rest of the cockpit. Was this intentional?

Yes, that is by design. If you look over at Kara from the Commander's seat you can see that Kara's seat is closer to the dash than Lee's is (she is shorter than he is). In technical terms, the eyepoint on Kara's side is exactly where her eyes are, just like the eyepoint on Lee's side is exactly where his eyes are. If you want to see more of the cockpit from Kara's side, just switch to a wider field-of-view.

 

[tl8]

I should point out, the XR's don't like UCD on a XR5 (I had 2 XR1 and an XR2)

 

[dbeachy1]

OK guys, Beta-2a is a go. XR2 beta team: please check your inboxes for the download link. This release includes a new unified XR Flight Manual that covers all three XR vessels (installed to the doc folder), plus support for the scenario editor. Other than those two items, changes to this release are minor (just polishing).

This release is very close to what will become the public RC1 release in a few weeks, so if you find anything I missed, please let me know. In particular, if you find a typo or something that is confusing in the XR Flight Operations Manual, please let me know directly via email so we don't clog up the thread here with minutia.

One more thing for each XR2 beta tester: please let me know via PM or email whether you want your a) name, b) O-F username, or c) both listed in the XR2 Beta Team credits in the XR Flight Operations Manual. Currently I have both your names and O-F usernames listed (check page 5); if you would like me to change what is shown for you, please let me know.

Thanks, and happy flying!

 

[Countdown84]

Hurray!

As of Beta 2a, the distorted audio I was hearing is GONE even with the custom sound volume at maximum!

On a separate note, is there any (easy to implement) way to indicate when the external consumables tanks go empty? I can foresee situations where I'd want to jettison them as soon as they are not needed, but right now I can't see any way to tell when they're empty other than to memorize what the main fuel tank capacity is.

 

[dbeachy1]

That's a good point. I'll add a beep and a tertiary HUD message to the next build that says, "Bay tank in slot n is empty."

Until the next build you can look at the payload panel and see what each tank's mass is: each empty consumables tank has a mass of 355.2 kg.

 

[James.Denholm]

Hang on... so there isn't any quick way of "scanning" (ie, briefly looking at) the control panel and seeing that the external fuel tank is at, say, 78% capacity?

 

[C3PO]

I don't think this is meant to happen: (See attachment)

I haven't replicated it yet, or testing on my clean install.

I've seen that black square in beta-2a once too. It looks like a bug in the scrambled mesh. It looks like it is the bottom part of the port aileron, because it moves with aileron, elevator, trim and airbrake inputs.
I haven't been able to replicate it, but I'll try to hunt it some more.

 

[Countdown84]

That's a good point. I'll add a beep and a tertiary HUD message to the next build that says, "Bay tank in slot n is empty."

That would be excellent!

Let me offer two alternate suggestions to supplement the tertiary hud callout:

1) add a small vertical line to the main fuel tank indicator showing how much of the fuel capacity is in the main tanks. Then you could tell at a glance where your fuel was coming from and how relatively full the external or main tanks are, even if you miss seeing the callout.
2) (even better) similar to the above, but instead of a small line use a different shading pattern for each tank. So, have the standard green bar indicate the onboard fuel, then the bar becomes hatched or dotted or something to indicate external tanks. Thus your main fuel bar might be 25% solid and 75% hatched or something. I'm not sure whether Orbiter will allow you to do this or not.

Those probably involve a lot more work than the simple callout, which would work fine of course.

 

[dbeachy1]

I added the tertiary HUD messages last night. It may be feasible to update the fuel and LOX gauge logic to render bay tank quantities in a darker shade of green or cyan, although that would be a fair amount of work -- I will look into it tonight.

3PO: as for the mesh problems you and Tristan have seen, I'm not sure what to think -- there is no "fuzzy logic" in the mesh initialization code. Did you see that in a compeletely clean installation? The XR2 is more sensitive to memory corruption than other vessels because of the large chunk of data that is processed during vessel initialization. [Also, are you overclocking your PC or video card?]

 

[C3PO]

3PO: as for the mesh problems you and Tristan have seen, I'm not sure what to think -- there is no "fuzzy logic" in the mesh initialization code. Did you see that in a compeletely clean installation? The XR2 is more sensitive to memory corruption than other vessels because of the large chunk of data that is processed during vessel initialization. [Also, are you overclocking your PC or video card?]

I only observed this once, and it wasn't on a clean install. Negatory on the overclocking.
It's probably some other addon that messes this up, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Countdown84]

Regarding the graphical corruption issues, I've experienced the same things in a REPEATABLE fashion. This is on a CLEAN Orbiter Install with the addition of FlybyWire. OrbiterSound and the standard Orbiter scenario editor module is the only other one active.

I have seen three types of graphical corruption:
1)the black rectangle on the left wing reported by others
2)a smaller black rectangle on the left wing similar to 1) (not pictured)
3)flickering black triangles of all shapes and sizes connecting the vessel to its shadow. This is by far the most common corruption I see. While 1) and 2) appear to be extra mesh parts, these triangles are transient and seem more like a graphical glitch in the shadow rendering.

While the flickering triangles will go away if you restart Orbiter, the extra mesh parts SEEM to persist through the "Current State" scenario. I.e. if you restart Orbiter they are still there.

I do overclock my video, but I clocked it back to factory settings and the behavior was unchanged. Note that I also disabled the Flybywire module and this did not alter the behavior.

For me, I ALWAYS get some type of corruption by doing the following:
1. Start any scenario (have tried Takeoff to ISS, Landed at Brighton, Landed at Olympus)
2. (optional) take off
3. Engage any autopilot (airspeed hold, descent hold, or attitude hold)
4. switch to outside view - no corruption
5. switch to VC
6. switch to outside view - VOILA! corruption. Usually #3, sometimes also accompanied by #2 or #1

EDIT: Method 2
1. Start the "Ready for Scram Ascent to ISS" scenario
2. check outside view (no corruption)
3. switch to VC
4. check outside view (corruption #1)

EDIT: Method 3
1. Start the "Final Approach to KSC" Scenario
2. check outside view (no corruption)
3. switch to VC
4. check outside view (corruption #3)

The common thread is definitely the VC. Somehow switching to it triggers these graphical problems. Doing so after engaging an autopilot seems to trigger the other type (the flickering shadow triangles) as well.

 

[dbeachy1]

Thanks for the detailed steps, Ryan! I was finally able to reproduce the problem -- it is definitely related to switching into/out of VC mode. I'll work on it tonight and track it down. Once I figure it out I'll release a new build, Beta-2b, for you guys to test.

EDIT:
Good news here, guys, I fixed the mesh bug. Special thanks to Tristan, Jógvan, and especially Ryan for finding the bug and helping me reproduce it. You guys definitely earned your pay for the week!

Now I'm working on updating the fuel/LOX gauges to show consumables in bay tanks in a different (i.e., darker) color, and then I'll upload Beta-2b. With any luck it should be ready tonight.

--- Edit #2 ---

OK guys, Beta-2b is a go -- please check your inboxes for the download link.

Changes are:

* Fixed mesh corruption bug when switching to VC mode. [Tristan, Jógvan, Ryan] Special thanks to Ryan for figuring out how to reproduce this!
* Updated consumables gauges to render bay tank quantities in a darker bar color. [Ryan's request]
* Added tertiary HUD messages alerting the pilot when a bay tank reaches empty or full. [Ryan's request]
* Fixed some typos in the XR Flight Operations Manual. [Ryan]

Happy flying!

 

[Countdown84]

All the fixes work perfectly for me :speakcool:

 

[dbeachy1]

OK guys, I uploaded the official RC1 candidate build -- XR2 beta team, please check your inboxes for the download link. Please give this version a once-over to be sure I didn't miss anything; if all goes as planned, this build will be released for public RC1 testing at the end of the month.

Changes since Beta-2b are:

- Minor polishing of the XR Flight Operations Manual.
- Fixed CTD with newest Orbiter beta. (Note, however, that the XR2 is not yet officially supported on Orbiter betas; it will be certified before the next Orbiter version is officially released.)

I want to thank the XR2 beta team again for all their hard work these past six weeks.

 

[Woo482]

rc1 testing ? COOOOOOOOOOL !!!!!!!! cant wait until the RC1 Release

 

[jgrillo2002]

now. is this the public RC1 or is this still the private one. cause once its at public I like to join you guys again

 

[dbeachy1]

It is private until the XR2 team gives this build a once-over; public testing is scheduled to begin around the end of the month (probably Sept. 28th), at which point I will post a download link here in this thread but not on my Web site yet.

 

[jgrillo2002]

Alright

 

[James.Denholm]

I want to thank the XR2 beta team again for all their hard work these past six weeks.

Six weeks? It's felt like six months! :huh:

 

[C3PO]

Six weeks? It's felt like six months! :huh:

Doug may inadvertently discovered a new type of torture. Too bad it only works on orbiteers.:rofl:

RC1 is running like clockwork so far.