What you want to see in the Next release of Orbiter

[jedidia]

I think care would need to be taken to ensure that this is the case. Ship lights would need to be dimmed over the course of the mission so as to avoid spoiling the night vision adaptation, etc...

You'll have everyone depressed and suicidal by the time you get there...

I'd like to see support for systems with multiple major bodies.

 

[Brycesv1]

really all i want is meshland... and proper water... i feel like jesus when i land ON the atlantic ocean

 

[greyrogue715]

I would like to see Dan Steph maybe put a type of Spock-like tricorder for the Ummu. So when exploring the planet, it will tell you basic things about atmospheric composition, air pressure, humidity, orbit informations, things like that which could be referenced from the Objects info dialog box and then put into audio. Expanding on the breathable atmosphere check feature to maybe tell you the air contains hydrogen sulfide 22%, 71% CO2, temperature, things of that nature.

 

[Keatah]

Things I want to see: either through add-ons or core integration.
This is a short brief list. I could expand upon each in detail. But I won't waste time doing that right now.

Easier way to manage manage & select MFD's while in-flight.
Better 3d modeled terrain, procedural in nature perhaps.
A good fly-by camera, not MFD based. Something like from X-Plane.
Ability to use RCS at 10x and up, smoothly as if you were at 1x.
A little bit more scenery.
Clouds and more particles.
Multiple solar systems and the ability to go from one to the other.
Collision detection.
Multiplayer, perhaps several different styles for different missions.
Multi-monitor support for MFD's, or rather the ability to save external MFD positions.
Sufficient capability to do Larry Niven's Ringworld.
Integrated hyperdrive.
Sensor instrumentation and remote probes

 

[C3PO]

Angry birds.

 

[mojoey]

Angry birds.

Angry Birds MFD...

 

[Artlav]

Angry Birds MFD...

Be careful what you wish for... It's a small step from Linux MFD to Android MFD.

 

[Urwumpe]

a possibility to choose the aerodynamics solver on a spacecraft base might be nice, like being able to use a solver for agile but instable vehicles when defined in a module or a CFG, or a differently tuned solver for stable gliders, or one for capsules...

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

I have an idea for something like this, but first I need to know, are scenario files basically just glorified text files? If they are I think there might be a way to completely expand the orbiter universe :hmm:

 

[csanders]

I have an idea for something like this, but first I need to know, are scenario files basically just glorified text files? If they are I think there might be a way to completely expand the orbiter universe :hmm:

Yep, scenario files are text files. Go ahead and open one up with wordpad or notepad. The OrbiterConfig.pdf in the "Docs" directory gives documentation on their format.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Yep, scenario files are text files. Go ahead and open one up with wordpad or notepad. The OrbiterConfig.pdf in the "Docs" directory gives documentation on their format.

Thank you. Ok, here goes nothing. Orbiter is an incredible simulator for space flight, but there are some aspects related to life in space that are requested and never get completed. I remember hearing somebody complain that orbiter isnt really designed for simulating things like moonbase alpha, but other programs are. So, maybe a way to replace this could be to create applications that run in the orbiter directory, simulating the spaceflight portion as simple number crunching, (like Orbiter ng does without a graphics client) and simulates a first person view, underwater travel, or almost anything else.

I was thinking that an application to simulate this

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPPnPcPBNQg

(If the link is wrong just search Mission to Europa on youtube)

could be the first proof of concept on how this works, with a first person simulator coming later.

In Orbiter, the transition for the example would go as follows,

land spacecraft on Europa, save scenario
Open OrbiterOcean (or whatever the application would be called) and load the scenario file you just saved, exploring Europas ocean while your orbiter simulation continues, then go back to the surface when finished, save the scenario and reload in orbiter.

Okay What do you think?

 

[Chunkboi]

Angry birds.

Think the XR2 can handle a giant slingshot?

Actually I'd like to see one bug fixed...namely the one that prevents ships from being docked with the Arrow freighter while it is landed. I manage to put an XR1 in the docking bay under lunar gravity, and as soon as I have capture, the thing falls out and crashes.

Hmmm...

Maybe a quick instruction manual MFD so you can call up information on specific maneuvers, like orbital plane adjustment, transfer orbits, and how to get back from the moon without burning too much fuel!

 

[Mojave]

Think the XR2 can handle a giant slingshot?

Actually I'd like to see one bug fixed...namely the one that prevents ships from being docked with the Arrow freighter while it is landed. I manage to put an XR1 in the docking bay under lunar gravity, and as soon as I have capture, the thing falls out and crashes.

Hmmm...

Maybe a quick instruction manual MFD so you can call up information on specific maneuvers, like orbital plane adjustment, transfer orbits, and how to get back from the moon without burning too much fuel!

That happens with all vessels. It is an Orbiter bug. You cannot have vessels docked while on the ground. You however can use the Universal CArgo Deck to "attach" the vessel to the Arrow and land on the ground. It's more or less a cheat to get around Orbiter's bug.



SE

 

[Spacethingy]

Thank you. Ok, here goes nothing. Orbiter is an incredible simulator for space flight, but there are some aspects related to life in space that are requested and never get completed. I remember hearing somebody complain that orbiter isnt really designed for simulating things like moonbase alpha, but other programs are. So, maybe a way to replace this could be to create applications that run in the orbiter directory, simulating the spaceflight portion as simple number crunching, (like Orbiter ng does without a graphics client) and simulates a first person view, underwater travel, or almost anything else.

I was thinking that an application to simulate this

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPPnPcPBNQg

(If the link is wrong just search Mission to Europa on youtube)

could be the first proof of concept on how this works, with a first person simulator coming later.

In Orbiter, the transition for the example would go as follows,

land spacecraft on Europa, save scenario
Open OrbiterOcean (or whatever the application would be called) and load the scenario file you just saved, exploring Europas ocean while your orbiter simulation continues, then go back to the surface when finished, save the scenario and reload in orbiter.

Okay What do you think?

Sounds like my first thread when I were jus' a wee Orbinaut...
http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=19021

But interesting idea though.

 

[Blacklight]

This is my wish list. These things may or may not be implementable, but these are my dreams :
1. Integrated multiplayer for the option of doing tandem missions or mission control. Also allowing multiple people to be in control of a single ship (if the ship is designed to allow it). It would also help with training as two people could do "teaching" missions" together.
2. Integrated collision detection and damage system
3. LOTS of tutorials for interplanetary journeys
4. planet topography generation so it doesn't look like you've landed on a flat surface nomatter where you land (also, collision detection with this topography so if you land on the side of a mountain, you don't go through it and to the flat actual surface underneath the mountain mesh)
5. Liquid surfaces on bodies. So if you land in an ocean, it doesn't look like you landed on a flat piece of land. Make it so ships can float or sink. This way, you could really do recovery ships right.

 

[Keatah]

new direction for Orbiter programming philosophy

For many of these things, including my list here,

Easier way (less tedious) to manage & select MFD's while in-flight.
Better 3d modeled terrain, procedural in nature perhaps.
A good fly-by camera, not MFD based. Something like from X-Plane.
Ability to use RCS at 10x and up, smoothly as if you were at 1x.
A little bit more scenery.
Clouds and more particles.
DX12 / openGL 4 rendering.
Multiple solar systems and the ability to go from one to the other.
Working collision detection.
Multiplayer, perhaps several different styles for different missions.
Several grades and modes for multi-player.
Multi-monitor support for MFD's, or rather the ability to save external MFD positions.
Sufficient capability to do Larry Niven's Ringworld.
Integrated hyperdrive.
Sensor instrumentation and remote probes.
Built-in ability to translate and support older add-ons.
(example: how do I make Celestium-3 work with 2010?)

...Orbiter will need a lot more man hours poured into it. A lot. So much that it would become a huge multiple person coding marathon. Some of these features are available in add-ons. Some work as expected, some don't.

For Orbiter to sport these features and more (definitely possible) - I believe Orbiter will eventually need to become like open-source with Martin in charge of directing the general development and direction. Perhaps with him focusing on a few key aspects while the team members focus on each of the above features.

We need a more expandable architecture for the sim, with the ability to add in features that enable even more expandability. Expansion within expansion if you will. The Orbiter client would be like a super-complex front end that controls all these "add-on modules".

Till that happens we will continue to have half-baked implementations that have a tacked-on feeling and only work in certain situations. Of all the add-ons available, there are about 200 or so that do not feel as just described.

BTW: I report all these strictly from the point of view of an end-user. How this all comes together is entirely up to the developers.

 

[icedown]

I guess my two would be better lighting interface for addons, specifically the ones in the visualization projects. That way we can have runway lighting and spotlights on ships.

The other would be an integrated fueling system. That way it can be made more of a challenge. For example, right now the ISS has an unlimited amount of fuel and oxygen for fueling up anything. Have a system, so that you actually have to dock a fuel and O2 pod on the ISS and it's a finite amount of fuel. This could make for some more complex and interesting missions.

 

[jedidia]

It is an Orbiter bug.

A bug is something that doesn't work as intended. Not being able to dock in landed state isn't a bug, as it works exactly as intended. If anything, it's a missing feature.

Angry Birds MFD...

Seriously, after having learned all the tricks with panels these days while writing two panels for IMS I felt a bit tempted to grab the latest NetHack source and write an orbiter panel client for it... :shifty:

So, maybe a way to replace this could be to create applications that run in the orbiter directory, simulating the spaceflight portion as simple number crunching, (like Orbiter ng does without a graphics client) and simulates a first person view, underwater travel, or almost anything else.

Why would you do that when you can plug applications directly into orbiter by dlls? Orbiter Galaxy even uses a third party graphics engine inside an Orbiter dialog box. I could make a counter strike clone in there, for all it matters. Or get DosBox into it and play the final X-COM mission after flying to mars. Though getting DosBox to run in an Orbiter Dialog Box might just be a bit above my paygrade... :lol:

 

[Frogisis]

Since they're both about sending units with various capabilities on a trajectory towards a destination and thinking in terms of Newtonian mechanics, isn't Orbiter already like a really complicated version of Angry Birds? No wonder it's so addictive...

Anyway, if I rubbed a helmet-mounted lamp and a Space Sim Genie came out, Like other people I'd probably wish for better clouds and actual water, but also radiation zones that could harm your crew or systems, relativistic effects, and maybe some other space hazards like micrometeorite strikes, or ablation if you're travelling at crazy sci-fi speeds.
Of course this'd also make addon building a lot harder since you'd have to program in things like erosion shields or damage models, but if collision detection were also in there I think those could be done in that step of design without too much extra hassle ("these bounding boxes inside the mesh are the engines!" etc.). Orbiter Shipyard would be pretty solid for putting things like that together, I think...
Basically I guess I'd wish for more ways you could be in danger.

 

[Eccentrus]

BTW: I report all these strictly from the point of view of an end-user. How this all comes together is entirely up to the developers.

No Developers, only a single person, only Martins, so don't get your hopes up, since he's developing this in his free time between lectures, family, and whatnots.

And no, Hyperdrive will never be a default feature, it will always need an addon.