Launch MFD releases

[Enjo]

Hi

A new Launch MFD release can be found at the following address:

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2802"]Launch MFD - v 1.2.8[/ame]

v. 1.07 20-03-2008
- added an option of targeting celestial bodies. They don't need to orbit your source body
- slightly improved direct ascent algorithm - the turning phase is not that tedious any more and saves about 5% of fuel.

The first feature is an answer to a kind of popular request. I didn't release a new version after changing the direct ascent algorithm long time ago, as I had realized that most people are interested more in the basic functionality, or eventually in direct ascent when it's 100% done but definitely not in its current state.

Please give me some feedback about the first feature. I'm not sure if targeting celestial bodies that don't orbit your source body is really a feature but I may be wrong.
Please bear in mind that targeting Moon from Cape is not possible, because the Moon's inclination is smaller than Cape's latitude. You'd need to launch from below. Kourou would do for example.

Stay tuned for more releases as I've teamed up with Agentgonzo !

BTW: Here's my newly opened SourceForge.net projects page:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/enjomitchsorbit

The relevant code is in the SVN repository rather than in the CVS one.

 

[n0mad23]

I've been looking forward to this one, Ejno. I've downloaded it, and will give it several tries when I get the family tucked into bed tonight!

Thanks!

 

[OneTinSoldier]

I just downloaded it. Thank you so much Enjo.

Launchs are critical for setting up everything that follows it. As a newb, I imagine I will find LaunchMFD to be invaluable! Prior to seeing LaunchMFD's description, the closest thing I can think of using to get a proper launch would be TransX or an Autopilot(e.g. GPCMFD). It's great to see an MFD dedicated to manually launching rather than have to rely on an autopilot or something that's really made for another purpose (e.g. interplanetary travel).

Cheers

 

[Enjo]

1.2.7 release

And here it is!
Launch MFD v. 1.2.7 with PEG and Compass on HUD
(Flight director)

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2802"]Launch MFD - v 1.2.8[/ame]

Special thanks go to Andy44 for Launch Compass idea, R. F. Jaggers for inventing PEG algorithm, Kwan for PEG Autopilot, and releasing it under LGPL, Face for help, and of course to Agentgonzo for doin' it!

Agentgonzo moved localisation data to another file, allowing more languages to be supported. If you want to make your native language version of Launch MFD, then contact me via forum or e-mail. Check the file OrbiterSDK/samples/LaunchMFD/localisation.h to measure the necessary amount of work

======================
Changelog
======================

v. 1.2.7 04-05-2008
- PEG algorithm integrated. Only for SSTO craft currently (by Agentgonzo)
- HUD display added (Flight Director) (by Agentgonzo)
- Direct ascent fixes - works for both northern and southern azimuths, and other bugfixes. Still for equatorial launches only.
- some new sounds (crappy as usual), and error notification disabled by default

v. 1.20 20-04-2008 (unreleased)
- New target input box (includes TransX semi-integration)
- New altitude input box for PEG which itself isn't integrated yet. This is NOT the old Reference Alt.
- Compass with different views (by Agentgonzo)
Minor:
- Inclination change by buttons upgraded.
- Reference Alt removed from user's interface and is fully automatic
- Localisation data moved to a separate file (by Agentgonzo)
- Code restructuring (joint effort)

 

[Enjo]

I thought that not everybody reads development threads, so posting some reference feature screenshots here would be nice:

TransX semi-integration:

This feature is documented in Usage - > Target inclination

Launch Compass:

Direct ascent: (I made some improvements but it's still quite limited)

Compass rose on HUD, and chasing the Flight Director (that cross a bit below my direction marker)

 

[DoyleChris]

How do you get the flight director to work i was sitting on the pad targeted Iss and it didnt give me the flight director only the heading.

 

[Enjo]

Did you set the target altitude ?

Shift A
a
for an automatic 220x220 orbit

 

[DoyleChris]

I thought it set it automatically ill try it.

 

[DoyleChris]

Tried doing the automactic altitude and the cross never moved. I am trying it on the CEV Orion H that is in the forum and the SRB launcher. I just cant seem to get it to work right here is a picture. Sorry about the size tried sizing without losing quality.

 

[Enjo]

I can see the flight director's arrow on top, between 80 and 70* pitch. Remember though that PEG in this form doesn't work for staged rockets. It will be enabled only for the final stage.

PS. A PNG image would look better than jpg and take less place if there are few colors on screen, and as for sizing, you can run Orbiter in a 800x600 window.

 

[tblaxland]

Enjo & Agentgonzo, thankyou very much for this latest incarnation of LaunchMFD. Great work!

 

[DoyleChris]

Well i got it to work with the Jupiter III-X by andymc and got to a 300 x 355 i was shooting for 300 x 300 and i had the flight director but with the srb launcher i didnt. the Jupiter 3 has more stages than the SRB launcher.

 

[Andy44]

The HUD compass doesn't work on Sputnik's X-20 DynaSoar, either. Is that because it's a staged vehicle?

 

[computerex]

Very nice. The launch compass is an excellent addition. Really makes all the difference in making a "professional" looking roll. I do have two issues to report:

1. When the compass HUD is activated, the top left hand corner of the screen gets distorted

2. I see a HUGE FPS drop, I drop from 60+ to 15 <

 

[Enjo]

1. When the compass HUD is activated, the top left hand corner of the screen gets distorted

2. I see a HUGE FPS drop, I drop from 60+ to 15 <

1) We know that, but don't know what to do about it yet
2) That's really huge. I get up to 15 FPS drop, so from 60 to 45. Any other addons that you're running? Does Shift H help?

The HUD compass doesn't work on Sputnik's X-20 DynaSoar, either. Is that because it's a staged vehicle?

Probably. Where can I download her?

Well i got it to work with the Jupiter III-X by andymc and got to a 300 x 355 i was shooting for 300 x 300 and i had the flight director but with the srb launcher i didnt. the Jupiter 3 has more stages than the SRB launcher.

Do you mean, that the flight director was continuous between the stages separation? I've downloaded the Jupiter and will try it later.

Andy, Chris, notice one thing - when you ascend in DG, and decrease your thrust, the flight director will go a bit higher, until it reaches +85* and disappears, and I think that this is what happens with launchers with SRBs - The MFD fails to read their thrust, only your current mains, thus fails to find the solution.

 

[computerex]

1)
2) That's really huge. I get up to 15 FPS drop, so from 60 to 45. Any other addons that you're running? Does Shift H help?

Hi. Sorry for not making myself clear, I get an FPS drop only when the HUD compass is active, otherwise everything is dandy.

 

[Face]

Hi. Sorry for not making myself clear, I get an FPS drop only when the HUD compass is active, otherwise everything is dandy.

From what I can see in the code I'd suspect it is coming from unhooking and hooking in every single call to clbkDrawHud. Maybe the original entry point of the hooked classes could be saved and used via inline-assembly code, this should help save some FPS.

Enjo, Agentgonzo, let me know if you need help with this...

regards,
Face

 

[agentgonzo]

From what I can see in the code I'd suspect it is coming from unhooking and hooking in every single call to clbkDrawHud. Maybe the original entry point of the hooked classes could be saved and used via inline-assembly code, this should help save some FPS.

Enjo, Agentgonzo, let me know if you need help with this...

regards,
Face

I can't see that the FPS issue is derived from the unhooking/hooking as it's just writing over a byte of memory which shouldn't take that many cycles. I would imagine that it is more likely to be the GDI drawing functions as it draws quite a bit on there and GDI is not the fastest drawing set of functions.

I haven't done much assembly and prefer not to in-line assembly if at all possible as it's messy and not readable.


As for the flight director not appearing. This is what happens if PEG can't get a target pitch. PEG will ONLY take into account the main engines (this will be fixed in later releases when I get around to staging algorithms etc). Wait for the final stage. If you've still not getting it, it may be because you have a silly target orbit (like trying to launch straight into a GEO).


EDIT: Yes, just done a quick test. The FPS issue definitely isn't the hooking/unhooking. It's the GDI code that causes the slowdowns. I didn't get such a dramatic drop as 60->15 though. More like 130->115

 

[agentgonzo]

The HUD compass doesn't work on Sputnik's X-20 DynaSoar, either. Is that because it's a staged vehicle?

Shouldn't be. HUD Compass should work with all craft. Can someone provide a and I'll take a look.

 

[agentgonzo]

1. When the compass HUD is activated, the top left hand corner of the screen gets distorted

Stupid-text-alignment-not-being-reset-state-based-drawing-system-mumble- mumble.
Fixed in the code Enjo.