jalexb88
Addon Developer
This guide is intended to help users install NASSP 8.0 Beta into Orbiter 2016 Beta. If you are looking for information on installing NASSP 7.0 for Orbiter 2010, please see the wiki article here: http://nassp.sourceforge.net/wiki/Installation
Requirements:
- Latest Orbiter Beta NASSP 8.0 is not compatible with Orbiter 2010 and is at this time only compatible with the latest Beta release of Orbiter 2016 which includes a crucial fix to docked spacecraft physics which is not in the release version.
- Microsoft VS C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86) Package if it's not installed already. https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads
- A recent Microsoft DirectX Runtime, for example by using the Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35
Installation:
1. Install Orbiter Beta. Follow this link http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/betainstall.html for instructions on how to install the beta version of Orbiter.
Note: As of July 2021, Orbiter has become open source and further development has moved to GitHub. The above link is to install the last SVN snapshot which is R90, but it is unknown how long this SVN repository will be maintained. An alternate way to download Orbiter Beta R90 is here: https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=4f300319-5ee2-4c48-a213-50995a480e06
IMPORTANT: At your discretion, you may follow the last step in the above link to re-use the planet textures from another Orbiter 2016 directory. In this case, you must also copy the NASSP texture files to the other directory which will be outlined further down. Please skip step 2 if you decide to do this.
2. Download high-resolution Earth & Moon textures: http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/download.html Note: Do not select "Orbiter core package download" as you have already downloaded the latest Beta version.
3. Install D3D9Client:
- Go to http://users.kymp.net/~p501474a/D3D9Client/ to get the latest version of the client. Scroll down to Additional Downloads, "Downloads for Orbiter Beta". It is important to install the correct version of D3D9 for the Orbiter beta that you are using. You must use the BETA version of the client, IE: D3D9ClientBeta28.3-forBETA r84(r1038).zip would correspond to Orbiter Beta Revison 84.
- Download and unzip the client file to your Orbiter installation folder.
- Start Orbiter_ng.exe (NOT Orbiter.exe) from your Orbiter installation folder. Go to the "Modules" tab and activate the "D3D9Client" module. The "Video" tab appears, configure the video settings as you like, they are quite similar to the usual Orbiter video settings. It is recommended to use "Full Screen Window" mode.
IMPORTANT: Click "Advanced" and add a check beside "Enable absolute animation handling" to prevent animation drift happening in certain cases in the VC. You can also configure the other options in that page to your liking. I also recommend Reflection Mode "Full Scene" to get the best out of the CM's reflective texture.
Recommended: Download the surface micro-textures here: http://users.kymp.net/p501474a/Orbiter/Orbiter.html Scroll down to "MicroTexture Pack for D3D9Client" and unzip to your Orbiter directory.
4. Install OrbiterSound 5.0 http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?page=download and activate the module in Orbiter "Modules" tab. You can also run the SoundConfig application to adjust settings to your liking.
5. And Finally, download the latest build of NASSP at this link: https://github.com/orbiternassp/NASSP/releases and unzip to your Orbiter directory.
IMPORTANT: If you are re-using a texture directory from another Orbiter installation (as outlined in step 1), copy the "Textures/ProjectApollo" folder over to the actual Texture directory that is being used by your Orbiter Beta/NASSP installation. Also note that this should be repeated every time you update to a new version of NASSP that includes a change in textures.
Configure Project Apollo:
1. Start Orbiter, go to the "Parameters" tab and make sure that at least Complex flight model, Limited fuel and Nonspherical gravity sources are enabled. Note: At this time, it is recommended to leave "Gravity-gradient torque" and "Atmospheric wind effects" disabled as in some occasions they can cause CTDs with NASSP. Go to "Visual effects" tab and configure to your liking. Make sure to have a check on surface elevation, using LINEAR interpolation in order to not have the landed LM seem sunken into/floating over the lunar terrain. You can also check "Particle streams" to see the various particle/dust effects in NASSP and "Local light sources" for the night-time launch pad lighting.
2. Go to the "Modules" tab and activate the "ProjectApolloMFD" and "ApolloRTCCMFD" modules.
3. Go to the Launchpad Configuration Options on the "Extra" tab. If you have a joystick, this is where you can configure your joystick for use in NASSP. Do not use the normal Orbiter controls page to configure your joystick, there it should be <Disabled>. In the "Miscellaneous" tab, make sure "Multi-Threading in time acceleration" is checked. It is also recommended to set a limit for time acceleration, NASSP runs best at 50x or less depending on the hardware you are using.
OPTIONAL: Download "Apollo Landing Sites for Orbiter 2016" by ggalfi here: http://absimp.org/orbitersim/apollolandingsites.html. The scenery is breathtaking but be aware there can sometimes be a mismatch between the visible terrain and the physical terrain in the Orbiter engine, so the LM can sometimes be floating above or sunken into the surface after landing. If you try and land exactly at the historical landing site, the mismatch should be minimal.
And that is it! Enjoy
How to update NASSP:
1. Right-click on your Orbiter directory and select "SVN Update" to update to the latest revision of Orbiter Beta.
2. Follow step 3 in the installation section to download & install the D3D9Client version that corresponds to the new Orbiter Beta revision.
3. Download the latest build of NASSP at this link: https://github.com/orbiternassp/NASSP/releases and unzip to your Orbiter directory. (Click yes to overwrite files)
IMPORTANT: If you are re-using a texture directory from another Orbiter installation (as outlined in step 1), and the new NASSP version includes texture changes, copy the "Textures/ProjectApollo" folder over to the actual Texture directory that is being used by your Orbiter Beta/NASSP installation. (Click yes to overwrite files)
I hope this guide helps, have fun!
Requirements:
- Latest Orbiter Beta NASSP 8.0 is not compatible with Orbiter 2010 and is at this time only compatible with the latest Beta release of Orbiter 2016 which includes a crucial fix to docked spacecraft physics which is not in the release version.
- Microsoft VS C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86) Package if it's not installed already. https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads
- A recent Microsoft DirectX Runtime, for example by using the Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35
Installation:
1. Install Orbiter Beta. Follow this link http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/betainstall.html for instructions on how to install the beta version of Orbiter.
Note: As of July 2021, Orbiter has become open source and further development has moved to GitHub. The above link is to install the last SVN snapshot which is R90, but it is unknown how long this SVN repository will be maintained. An alternate way to download Orbiter Beta R90 is here: https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=4f300319-5ee2-4c48-a213-50995a480e06
IMPORTANT: At your discretion, you may follow the last step in the above link to re-use the planet textures from another Orbiter 2016 directory. In this case, you must also copy the NASSP texture files to the other directory which will be outlined further down. Please skip step 2 if you decide to do this.
2. Download high-resolution Earth & Moon textures: http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/download.html Note: Do not select "Orbiter core package download" as you have already downloaded the latest Beta version.
3. Install D3D9Client:
- Go to http://users.kymp.net/~p501474a/D3D9Client/ to get the latest version of the client. Scroll down to Additional Downloads, "Downloads for Orbiter Beta". It is important to install the correct version of D3D9 for the Orbiter beta that you are using. You must use the BETA version of the client, IE: D3D9ClientBeta28.3-forBETA r84(r1038).zip would correspond to Orbiter Beta Revison 84.
- Download and unzip the client file to your Orbiter installation folder.
- Start Orbiter_ng.exe (NOT Orbiter.exe) from your Orbiter installation folder. Go to the "Modules" tab and activate the "D3D9Client" module. The "Video" tab appears, configure the video settings as you like, they are quite similar to the usual Orbiter video settings. It is recommended to use "Full Screen Window" mode.
IMPORTANT: Click "Advanced" and add a check beside "Enable absolute animation handling" to prevent animation drift happening in certain cases in the VC. You can also configure the other options in that page to your liking. I also recommend Reflection Mode "Full Scene" to get the best out of the CM's reflective texture.
Recommended: Download the surface micro-textures here: http://users.kymp.net/p501474a/Orbiter/Orbiter.html Scroll down to "MicroTexture Pack for D3D9Client" and unzip to your Orbiter directory.
4. Install OrbiterSound 5.0 http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?page=download and activate the module in Orbiter "Modules" tab. You can also run the SoundConfig application to adjust settings to your liking.
5. And Finally, download the latest build of NASSP at this link: https://github.com/orbiternassp/NASSP/releases and unzip to your Orbiter directory.
IMPORTANT: If you are re-using a texture directory from another Orbiter installation (as outlined in step 1), copy the "Textures/ProjectApollo" folder over to the actual Texture directory that is being used by your Orbiter Beta/NASSP installation. Also note that this should be repeated every time you update to a new version of NASSP that includes a change in textures.
Configure Project Apollo:
1. Start Orbiter, go to the "Parameters" tab and make sure that at least Complex flight model, Limited fuel and Nonspherical gravity sources are enabled. Note: At this time, it is recommended to leave "Gravity-gradient torque" and "Atmospheric wind effects" disabled as in some occasions they can cause CTDs with NASSP. Go to "Visual effects" tab and configure to your liking. Make sure to have a check on surface elevation, using LINEAR interpolation in order to not have the landed LM seem sunken into/floating over the lunar terrain. You can also check "Particle streams" to see the various particle/dust effects in NASSP and "Local light sources" for the night-time launch pad lighting.
2. Go to the "Modules" tab and activate the "ProjectApolloMFD" and "ApolloRTCCMFD" modules.
3. Go to the Launchpad Configuration Options on the "Extra" tab. If you have a joystick, this is where you can configure your joystick for use in NASSP. Do not use the normal Orbiter controls page to configure your joystick, there it should be <Disabled>. In the "Miscellaneous" tab, make sure "Multi-Threading in time acceleration" is checked. It is also recommended to set a limit for time acceleration, NASSP runs best at 50x or less depending on the hardware you are using.
OPTIONAL: Download "Apollo Landing Sites for Orbiter 2016" by ggalfi here: http://absimp.org/orbitersim/apollolandingsites.html. The scenery is breathtaking but be aware there can sometimes be a mismatch between the visible terrain and the physical terrain in the Orbiter engine, so the LM can sometimes be floating above or sunken into the surface after landing. If you try and land exactly at the historical landing site, the mismatch should be minimal.
And that is it! Enjoy
How to update NASSP:
1. Right-click on your Orbiter directory and select "SVN Update" to update to the latest revision of Orbiter Beta.
2. Follow step 3 in the installation section to download & install the D3D9Client version that corresponds to the new Orbiter Beta revision.
3. Download the latest build of NASSP at this link: https://github.com/orbiternassp/NASSP/releases and unzip to your Orbiter directory. (Click yes to overwrite files)
IMPORTANT: If you are re-using a texture directory from another Orbiter installation (as outlined in step 1), and the new NASSP version includes texture changes, copy the "Textures/ProjectApollo" folder over to the actual Texture directory that is being used by your Orbiter Beta/NASSP installation. (Click yes to overwrite files)
I hope this guide helps, have fun!
Last edited:
