Idea Mercury and Gemini add-on improvements

[4throck]

Same here, there's no point in doing it unless its accurate.
Of course, it can be accurate without being detailed, for technical or time reasons.

One interesting thing is the appearance of "3D from photos" applications that will sooner or latter make us all very happy . Imagine dropping all the good historical photos of a pad and then having an explorable 3D model as the result. Software like Sketchup already allows you to get dimensions and position from photos.

More on topic, I've made some progress with the ground mesh/texture for pad 19 .

 

[4throck]

Here's something fun ! I compiled a cross-eye stereo view of Pad 19 from 2 online mapping services. For those who can see such a thing, vertical relief is small, but lot's of details become apparent.
I went to this trouble after spending some time trying to match 60's photos to the meshes and surface tiles and getting completely confused. :lol:
As I did photointerpretation for a living in the past, I can use the stereo pair and hopefully do a nice and simple ground mesh...

 

[Graham2001]

Your work is looking very good, just hope I can run it on my older machine.

I made an unexpected discovery while searching for documentation on the LM guidance system.

A 1958 proposal for a Mercury/Thor series of test flights. This one does not seem to have made the history books to my knowledge. Might be including as a what-if after everything else is completed.

See: Design Feasability Report: Thor Test Booster for the NASA Manned Space Capsule

 

[Columbia42]

I think another good improvement to Project Gemini would be a panel like Project Mercury with a complete working set of switches. Also, I noticed that the pilot in Project Gemini has a solid blue faceplate. Fixing that would be another (minor) improvement.

 

[Saturn V]

Well, speaking only for myself, the focus of these updates has been, and will continue to be visual enhancements to the overall experience that were not addressed in the core addon.

I will not tamper with the coding of the Gemini addon itself, so the operation and performance of Gemini will remain unchanged.

There is also the Gemini EVA Upgrade which includes new meshes for the pilots as well as the EVA astronaut.

 

[4throck]

I've recently released an addon that provides a more realistic panel to Gemini.
A working panel would require coding skills beyond my knowledge. Someone would have to change the code itself and add the new functionality. Probably more complicated that start from scratch.
Of course, the existing meshes and textures, specially the updated ones, could be used.

What we need (from my perspective) a general 2D panel & systems simulation module that you could adapt to existing vessels. Something like spacecraft.dll where you would define specific buttons, graphics and functions, and connect those to systems (propulsion, life support, communication, etc.).

 

[unnamedkid]

they really works! i am looking for addons for 2009 beta...

 

[4throck]

Some progress on the ground mesh:

Still working out how to implement it in Orbiter (surface base or spacecraft) and with Saturn V future upgrades !

 

[Saturn V]

Check your PMs. Did an initial test of the pad structures integrated with your ground meshes.

With a few revisions, it will be incredible!

 

[Columbia42]

Problem with Patches

For convenience, I have located patches to improve Mercury and Gemini.

1. This patch fixes the "pancake chute" in Mercury:

http://www.ibiblio.org/mscorbit/beta/project_mercury_061203.zip

2. This patch fixes the CTD when the Gemini capsule deploys its chutes:

http://www.ibiblio.org/mscorbit/beta/project_gemini_060615.zip

They work but the Mercury patch turns the inside windows to an opaque purple that I can't see out of.

 

[Saturn V]

This is from the first test of 4throck's ground mesh/texture and my pad...

Still some minor corrections to be made, but overall, looking good...

I think the groundwork really improves the realism at the pad...

As you can see,the pipes & conduits along the pad are being improved as well.

 

[4throck]

Having already tested the ground mesh/texture I'm nevertheless completely surprised by the combination with the improved detailed pad mesh.

It looks like photos taken with a time machine !

Now all we need is to have a "rocket scientist in lab coat" addon so that it would be possible to walk all the way from the blockhouse to the launch pad !

 

[Saturn V]

I'll get right on that! Though, if he's anything like me, he'll be a "mad" scientist!!! :lol:

 

[autopilotman]

They work but the Mercury patch turns the inside windows to an opaque purple that I can't see out of.

You must set your colour depth in the video tab to 32 that should fix the purple problem

 

[the.punk]

Hey saturnV and 4throck. This is looks really nice. Keep up the work.

 

[Columbia42]

You must set your colour depth in the video tab to 32 that should fix the purple problem

Thanks

 

[Columbia42]

BTW, could someone who knows this project well post a list of links to all of the uploaded addons to Mercury and Gemini? I'd really apriciate that.

 

[Star Voyager]

Nothing but the best!

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4319"]Project Gemini updated realistic textures[/ame]

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4131"]Gemini EVA Upgrade[/ame]

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4091"]MERCURY LAUNCH COMPLEX 14[/ame]

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4000"]Project Mercury updated realistic textures[/ame]

 

[Columbia42]

Thanks

 

[Saturn V]

The final integration of the pad and 4throck's ground mesh is complete (support buildings are complete but not installed yet and still have ground fueling pipes to add).

At 4throck's suggestion, the launch basin and conduit to the pad were modeled as well...

I think the sense of actually being at the launch complex is greatly enhanced by these kind of details (thanks for all the input Ricardo! . BTW: "14 could still stand a "make-over"!!! - hint-hint - ).