It was a difficult task that really pushed my limited programming skills and while I started the journey alone, like Mal, I managed to pick up a motley crew along the way to help with the mission and I can't thank them enough. I feel their name in the credits just doesn't compensate them enough for the efforts and support they contributed but that's the best I can offer. Make no mistake, this project was a team effort and it turned out far better than it would have if I had gone it alone. My sincere thanks to all those folks that patiently waited for its release and my special thanks to the team, Shawn Beard, Aaron Moore, David R. Organ, Christopher Tarana and Marc Wubbema.
I hope you like and enjoy our Firefly "Jumbo" add-on.

Jon Marcure

• There are two fully functional shuttle bays that can be used to store, launched and retrieved compatible shuttles or other compatible equipment.
• Custom Attachment Control panel used to attach and detach the shuttles and cargo.
• Holographic approach guides that can only be seen from the proper approach angle to help guide you to the shuttle cradles.
• Rotating engine nacelles with preset positions for Main, Retro and Hover thrust, synchronized rotation and independent rotation.
• Airbrakes to slowdown those fast approaches and reentries.
• Landing gear.
• Operating cargo door.
• Powerful Firefly drive to quickly get you to where you want to go.
• Super Firefly drive to get you to where you want to go even more quickly.
• Reduced thrust mode for easier take-offs and landings in low gravity environments or when you have no cargo.
• Standard docking port under the cockpit.
• Custom flight model for atmospheric and space flight.
• Hover and Retro thrusters for inexperienced pilots who are not yet up to the challenge of vectored thrust.
• User configured drag via a parameter to add more drag for more realistic flight.
• Automatic detection of the cargo mass to make flights with cargo a challenge.

Shuttle
Features

• Fully functional Orbiter add-on ship in and of itself.
• Wings that extend for improved flight performance in atmosphere or retract if you like flying a brick.
• Airbrakes to slowdown those fast approaches and reentries.
• Landing gear.
• Standard docking port under the cockpit.
• Custom flight model for atmospheric and space flight.

Mule
Features

• Fully functional Orbiter add-on ship in and of itself.
• Custom Attachment Control Panel for attaching and detaching the cargo skids.
• Automatic detection of the cargo mass.
• Ability to attach to and be transported by the Firefly.
• Custom flight model that simulates a hovercraft type drive.

Cargo skids
Features

• Fully functional Orbiter add-on ships.
• Cargo 1, QJFFSC1 can carry user defined cargo via custom user configured attachment point.
• Cargo 2 - 6 predefined cargo skids with user configured cargo mass.
• Two Fuel skids with docking ports so that they can be used to refuel ships.
• Custom flight models that simulate a hovercraft type drive.

Uninstall
Why would you want to?
Remove the following files and folders.
In the Config\Vessels folder; all QJFF*.cfg files.
In the Modules Folder; all QJFF*.dll files.
In the Plugin folder; FFSControl.dll and FFMControl.dll
In the Texture folder; FFPlasma.dds, FFPlasma2.dds, FFYel.dds and FireFly.dds.
In the Meshes Folder; all QJFF*.msh files.
In the Scenarios; FireFly Jumbo folder.

All anyone needs to remember is the number of FFD activations, or "jumps" they made in the direction of their target (maximum of 8 jumps, since you can only do 8 more to slow down once you get there....only 16 jumps per trip before a complete refuel is needed, and even that's cutting it close. Who wants to land with less than 4% of fuel? I do! I do!). Take that number-of-jumps, multiply it by 83 (the FFD cycle duration), then divide the answer by 2.4. (2.4 was determined to be the rough ratio-factor which would roughly include the variables mentioned above) Add to THAT another 5.2 seconds (the FFD spool-up/pretty-colors duration). Now save that number for a second.

Check out the particulars of the planet/moon you're going to: what is it's diameter? You can get this with CTRL-I, or in TransX. Divide that value by the kms/sec velocity in your orbit MFD (with your destination set to the target, of course), and add THAT to the number you saved a minute ago.

The resulting value will be the number of seconds from the target (again, TPeriapsis from the Orbit MFD) that you MUST activate the FF Drive by, while approaching ass-end first, in order to decelerate to a stop a safe distance above the surface ~ not too close, but not so far as to risk operating at bingo-fuel-levels. Making multiple jumps? Then make them in rapid succession, right after one another, and only when the previous jump is completed and the tank is at 100% again. When you get to a reasonable approach velocity (say, < 10km/sec) shut down the Drive, turn prograde and thank your friendly neighborhood programmer and designer that you have rotation engine pods to help you re-enter with style

Example? I'm returning to earth, after having made 5 jumps from the moon, so I'm zipping along at about 300 km/sec. 5 jumps x 83 seconds = 415. And 415 / 2.4 = 172.9. And 172.9 + 5.2 seconds spool up time = 178.1 I'll remember that for a second.

Now, the diameter of the earth (which has to be considered, since all periapsis times displayed in the Orbit MFD count as time remaining to the CENTER of the target planet/moon, NOT the surface) is 6371. And 6371 / 300 km/sec = 21.2. Add THAT to your previous answer ~ 178.1 + 21.2 = 199.3

That's the periapsis time at which you must activate your FFD. You can round up to give you a better margin for error (coming to a relative crawl perhaps between 1000 and 4000 km above the surface) or you can live dangerously, round down to 199 or 198, and see how close to atmo you can get without burning, crashing, or otherwise unpleasantly dying. Let us know how you make out, or if any of you brainiacs out there can come up with a better mathematical model that doesn't require an $80 purchase of a TI-86 calculator, feel free to add your distinctiveness to the collective.

Here an interesting table representing the range and velocities we're talking about here with this fine craft (please note that these are estimates ~ your actual mileage may vary due to system and graphics performance):

• Spool-Up time after FFD Engage: 5.6 seconds
• Actual FFD acceleration duration: 48.0 seconds
• Full FF jump/recharge cycle time: 83.0 seconds

Super Firefly Drive

Firefly:QJFF
STATUS Orbiting Earth
RPOS 3462305.73 4541348.50 -2824625.33
RVEL 320.382 -100.955 231.916
AROT -115.52 -39.77 135.01
PRPLEVEL 0:1.000 1:1.000 2:1.000 3:1.000
IDS 0:98 100
NAVFREQ 0 0 0 0
XPDR 0
GEAR 0 0.0000
FFDS 0 0.0000
PODANGLE 0.0000 0.0000
CARGO 0 0.0000
AIRBRAKE 0 0.0000
SHR 0 0.0000
SHL 0 0.0000
DRAG 0.0 This is the value you are going to add or change for drag. It should be 0.0 to 1.0
END

Opening and Closing the Cargo Bay Door

Please note that there is an optional Firefly DLL which disables this feature for users that do not like to be restricted to only closing the door with the CBAA retracted.

How to pre-attach a skid to the Mule attach point.
Cargo:QJFFC1 File name of skid QJFFSC1 - QJFFSC6 and QJFFSF1 and F2
ATTACHED 0:0,Mule 0 is skid's child attach point. 0 is the Mule parent attach point used buy cargo
PRPLEVEL 0:1.000
CMASS n.n Only valid for skids C2-C6
END

How to pre-attach a skid to the Firefly Cargo Bay attach point.
Cargo:QJFFC1 File name of skid QJFFSC1 - QJFFSC6 and QJFFSF1 and F2
ATTACHED 0:2,Firefly 0 is skid's child attach point. 2 is the Firefly's Cargo BAy Arm attach point
PRPLEVEL 0:1.000
CMASS n.n Only valid for skids C2-C6
END
Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Name that Skid!
You can easily change the texture used for the skid name by replacing the following textures with one of your own design. For more information on how to change naming textures refer to the Naming your Firefly section.
All the textures can be found in the Orbiter\Textures\JTM\QJSkid\ folder.
You may want to backup the existing files in case you want to go back
QJFFSC1.dds
QJFFSC2.dds
QJFFSC3.dds
QJFFSC4.dds
QJFFSC5.dds
QJFFSC6.dds
QJFFSF1.dds
QJFFSF2.dds

Before we start lets go over a few cautions.
I strongly suggest that you work only with copies of the master bit map files. That way if you don't like your results or want to rename your Firefly you will have an easier time doing so.
The master bit map files are 256 pixels wide and 128 pixels tall. This is important to know because they should stay that size or maintain that ratio for best results. In other words a new bit map of 128 by 64, 512 by 256 or even 16 by 8 is usable but 100 by 100 or 128 by 256 will not work properly if at all.
Is there a reason I shouldn't name my Firefly? Yes there is. The way Orbiter works is by using multiples of the same object. If you name your Firefly and want more than one Firefly in a scenario they will all have the same nameplate. The only way around this is if you have a different spaceship object for each name you want. Which brings us to the Shuttles. The Firefly carries two shuttles and the only way to allow you to name each one was to create two shuttles objects which I have done. All shuttle nameplate textures can be found in the same folders as the Firefly nameplates.

The textures in question are:

• NamePlateL.bmp is the name texture on the Left side of the Firefly
• NamePlateR.bmp is the name texture on the Right side of the Firefly
• SRNameL.bmp is the name texture on the Left side of shuttle QJFFSR
• SRNameR.bmp is the name texture on the Right side of shuttle QJFFSR
• SLNameL.bmp is the name texture on the Left side of shuttle QJFFSL
• SLNameR.bmp is the name texture on the Right side of shuttle QJFFSL

• NamePlateL_MASTER.bmp
• NamePlateR_MASTER.bmp
• SRNameL_Master.bmp
• SRNameR_Master.bmp
• SLNameL_Master.bmp
• SLNameR_Master.bmp

Lets get started
First let's take a look at one of the master nameplate files.

This one is for the left side of the Firefly. Notice that there is darker gray line that is in the same shape as the nameplate area on the ship. The line will be your guide for customizing your nameplate. Anything you draw outside of the line will not appear. The reason for this is that the nameplate area is not a rectangle and the bit map you are working with is. In the "Name Plates" folder you will find two master bit maps.
NamePlateR_MASTER.bmp for the right side.
NamePlateL_MASTER.bmp for the left side.
As I suggested before, I would only work with copies of these so as not to damage the masters. As an aside, I have provided the masters as a baseline referance but you can use any picture or graphic you want. Just remember that results will vary and that the nameplate area was texture mapped for a texture twice as wide as high.

Enough small talk, lets do it!
Step One:
Copy the master bit map you want to alter and load the copy into you paint package.
Step Two:
Paint away.
Step Three:
When you are happy with your artistic efforts save it as a BMP file.
Step Four:
Now lets get it into Orbiter.
In the folder with the masters you will fine Microsoft's texture tool, DXTEX, for converting the BMP files to DDS format for use in Orbiter.
Launch this now.

1. Go to File and select Open and load your BMP file. An important thing to note if you are running XP. The loaded file may appear as just a black box. This is a bug in the tool and does not affect its conversion capabilities.
2. Go to Format and select Change Image Format and then select DXT1. The end of the file name should now read (DXT1, 100%) to reflect the format change.
3. Go to File and select Save As. The file save dialog will automatically assign it the DDS extension. If you are changing the right side nameplate, save it as NamePlateR.dds or NamePlateL.dds if you are changing the LEFT side and make sure you maintain the case of the letters.
4. Copy or move you new nameplate graphic to the following folder. Orbiter\Textures\JTM\QJFF and overwrite the older file.
5. Load up Orbiter and check out you handy work.

Have fun naming your "Shiny" new Firefly "Jumbo".

Attachments
I used attachment points for the shuttles and cargo rather than docking ports because Orbiter does not allow docked ships to land. This presented a number of problems because there is no easy way to dock, undock or approach an attachment point. To overcome this I created the Attachment Control Panel that allows you to extend and retract the shuttles and attach and detach them. I based the panel on the Remote Control plug-in and as a result it can be used at any time from any ship. The user should be aware that you can inadvertently release a shuttle or cargo on a ship other than the one you have focused. It's a real bummer to fly a long trip only to discover you accidentally released something while focused on a different ship.

There is a strange bug in the attachment panel that I have been unable to solve. If you release a shuttle and then attach it to a cradle that is occupied you will have a problem. For some reason the two shuttles will attach themselves together and you cannot detach them from each other. I really don't know if this is a bug in my code or the Orbiter attachment handling. The work around is just be careful and don't do it. Some folks using Windows 98 have also reported that it doesn't work with 98. I don't know why this is and there are many others using 98 without any problem. The only work around to this is to use the keyboard controls which are limited to extend/retract and detach only. You will need one of the Attachment management MFDs to attach the shuttles and cargo.

Other musings
I'm a modeler and not a programmer. I did the best I could to get the features I wanted but it could have been a lot better. As a modeler I also find it really hard to create a low polygon model with limited textures. I have about 150 hours invested in this model and well over 200 in the whole project. Most of this time was in trying to create smaller textures and models so that they could be used in Orbiter and still satisfy my desires. Is it perfect? Hell no! It's got tons of mistakes and lacks in so many ways but I feel it is an adequate attempt to create a detailed model that is usable in Orbiter. Make no mistake this is a High End add-on designed for use with fast systems and advanced graphic cards. I have run it on a PIII 450mhz, 256meg ram PC with an 8 meg video card and while performance was lacking, it did run. In a word I ignored the function over looks suggested in the Orbiter add-on guide.

Flight Model.
I only build them and couldn't get into a stable orbit if my life depended on it. I have never used Orbiter other then to do a quick test of the DLL or get screen shots. This add-on would be nothing more than a pretty, (my opinion), model if it were not for the efforts of Shawn Beard. Shawn spent a lot of time working on the flight model of both the firefly and shuttle. Thank you Shawn for making this a better add-on.

Jon

This add-on or any parts of it CANNOT be distributed separately or as part of a package that is sold for any money or compensation of any kind. It cannot be redistributed without permission.

Contact me via email at: jtmarcure@hotmail.com or I can be found hanging around the Orbiter forums.