Update [Glideslope 2] Final Beta (12-01-01 version)

[ADSWNJ]

Announcing an updated Beta for Glideslope 2, replacing the version from Nov 20th with this Dec 1st version.

Updates since last time:

1. Four separate HAC geometries now: left-open, left-closed, right-open and right-closed to give you lots of options for the HAC turn. (I was inspired by F-Sim for iPhone / iPad, and wanted to make the turns more able to emulate what I saw there).

2. Cleaned up the energy calculation code and display, so we now have Joules or Foot-Pound Force measurements of PE + KE from first principles.

3. Added documentation in the Docs\GS2 directory for the MFD and a landing tutorial.

4. The MFD now preserves screen mode through F8-view changes and resizing. (Technically quite tricky, as your master C++ MFD class gets blown away!!)

5. General code tidy-up, documentation and split out across several files for readability.

6. Buttons moved around to put all the HAC controls on the right in logical order.

7. Miscellaneous tweaks, bug-fixes and some updates to the config file formats for readability.


She's hopefully fully ready to fly. Looking for feedback, bugs, install issues, comments please.

 

[Cras]

I am gonna give this a try tonight for sure. Has anyone tried the G42 with this? Well, I am going to.

also what are the plans for the de-orbit burn calculator? The original Glideslopes was somewhat useful....would love to see that built upon in terms of guides on target Perigee.

 

[ADSWNJ]

I am gonna give this a try tonight for sure. Has anyone tried the G42 with this? Well, I am going to.

also what are the plans for the de-orbit burn calculator? The original Glideslopes was somewhat useful....would love to see that built upon in terms of guides on target Perigee.

I've done all the testing on XR-2 and XR-5. Let me know how it works on the G42.

The de-orbit screen and the diags are still there, but hidden. To enable, on the line above the PREFS line in the GS2.cfg file, put in INTERNAL DIAG. (Two words, by themselves, nothing else on the line). Doing this bumps the max screen count to 6 instead of 4 to enable them.

I was going to remove that deorbit code as I think BaseSync does an optimal job in that space already. I could probably figure out the math to pre-calculate the reentry angle, and anticipation to hit the entry interface on track for the nominal glideslope, so the burn was more or less automatic. What you really want is a merge of the BaseSync and Glideslope code to make a whole BaseLand package!

 

[Cras]

Working with the G42 right now...

Does the Autopilot work at the moment? When I press the button nothing happens....the G42 doesnt have an AoA hold AP, so I was gonna try that out.

Also, is there anyway to cycle between the 3 glideslopes within the MFD? or is that only possible in the .cfg file?

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 PM ----------

Well never mind to that, this last try the AUT button activated just fine....

---------- Post added at 03:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:02 PM ----------

As the G42 has that quirk that most MFDs do not work with its OMS (they dont know the engine is actually there) it took a bit of guess work to figure out the deorbit burn, but I used from what I remember with the old Glideslope and Shuttle Fleet, and burned 180 degrees from Edwards AFB and then burned to a perigee of like...4km

And the Auto pilot worked very nicely helping me keep the AoA in check (along with some CG shift) and I was easily able to follow the Glideslope information and get the ship into a position where I could fire up the air breathing turbines and fly an ILS approach.

So I think it is safe to say that G42 works with this new version.

And I am very impressed with this, thanks for updating the addon. I love the way you use the .cfg file for the bases and runways. I am going to do an XR-2 one next and follow your flow and how you meant it to be used and I will report back after that flight.

One thing I should point out is maybe have the RST button clear out the tracks on the vertical situation display as well, like in the old Glideslope....since if you have had it open on the previous orbit you see the lines of that pass...not a big deal but being able to de-clutter the displays are always nice.

Well done again....and I will post again after the XR-2 flight.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Working with the G42 right now... {snip}

Also, is there anyway to cycle between the 3 glideslopes within the MFD? or is that only possible in the .cfg file?

The Glideslope select is only in the GS2.cfg right now, really for lack of button-slots on the MFD. However, looking at Enjo's most excellent multi-button framework (http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=29239 I can do a better utility / config mode to allow this kind of configuration. I could then have a series of GLIDESLOPE lines in GS2.cfg and allow you to cycle them as you say.

As the G42 has that quirk that most MFDs do not work with its OMS (they dont know the engine is actually there) it took a bit of guess work to figure out the deorbit burn, but I used from what I remember with the old Glideslope and Shuttle Fleet, and burned 180 degrees from Edwards AFB and then burned to a perigee of like...4km

Do you use BaseSync? If not, I highly recommend that. It'll calculate the dV and burn point, and you can do the burn manually, so no issues with OMS burn. Pick numbers like 120km Alt for the EI, 0.7 degrees glideslope and 75 degrees anticipation, and you'll hit the top of the Glideslope 2 reference glide slope very close.

(If I reenabled the deorbit code, I could pre-set these values according to the angle of the glideslope, etc).

And the Auto pilot worked very nicely helping me keep the AoA in check (along with some CG shift) and I was easily able to follow the Glideslope information and get the ship into a position where I could fire up the air breathing turbines and fly an ILS approach.

So I think it is safe to say that G42 works with this new version.

Great news on it working on the G42. On the autopilot - I have not done much work on it, so thank Kwan3217 for most of that. As I usually fly the awesome XR-ships, I use their autopilots nearly all the time. Good to know it works though. In a future version, I was toying with writing a S-turn control to bank the spacecraft radically down the upper glide slope all under autopilot control.

And I am very impressed with this, thanks for updating the addon. I love the way you use the .cfg file for the bases and runways. I am going to do an XR-2 one next and follow your flow and how you meant it to be used and I will report back after that flight.

I'd love to see DBEACHY1's and Coolhand's thoughts on flattening out the AoA pre-HAC turn for the Altea XR fleet! It felt natural to me, but I would defer to them for the optimal profile.

One thing I should point out is maybe have the RST button clear out the tracks on the vertical situation display as well, like in the old Glideslope....since if you have had it open on the previous orbit you see the lines of that pass...not a big deal but being able to de-clutter the displays are always nice.

Well done again....and I will post again after the XR-2 flight.

I like the idea of a declutter button. One for the config mode. I like the fact that having the GS2 up in orbit puts up the horizontal yellow and green lines. The scaling of the green line is around the Entry Interface, so you get a visual reference of the spaceship coming down from orbital altitude to the EI, projected out onto the reference glideslope. The ranging then drops those other lines off as you hit the main slope.

*However* ... if you select a different HAC, or change runway mid descent, then expect to see the tracks jag all over the place. So a declutter here would be good. (The original RST code also killed the track history, which we need now for the SAV file, so I needed to reinterpret the command).

 

[Cras]

Do you use BaseSync? If not, I highly recommend that. It'll calculate the dV and burn point, and you can do the burn manually, so no issues with OMS burn. Pick numbers like 120km Alt for the EI, 0.7 degrees glideslope and 75 degrees anticipation, and you'll hit the top of the Glideslope 2 reference glide slope very close.

The thing with the G42 is that the OMS engines are not recognized by MFDs, Base Sync being one of them. I got a dV number but it did not give a time, and it was a crude indicator that suggested starting the burn 3/4s of an orbit away...and the dV supplies left a very high perigee that was not at all helpful. Its just a quirk of the G42, makes flying it a bit more interesting...

This is the main reason I want to try flying it with the XR-2 so I can use BaseSync and see how it well it works, especially compared to the other ways I have come up with on how to de-orbit the XR-2.

 

[ADSWNJ]

That G42 sounds like an interesting ship. Have to give it a try.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Mods please close this thread. Code now shipped (on a Tuesday, of course, Zulu timezone).