Orbiter 2024 Launch readiness

[n72.75]

So, this is a mostly final version (in terms of architecture) of the Orbiter User Manual (https://gofile.io/d/aGVNGd), with "only" these issues remaining https://github.com/orbitersim/orbiter/issues/440
I've split the orbital mechanics subsection into a new (full) section (and deleted a mostly duplicate section from Orbiter Developer Manual), and added small sections on the smaller vessels: Solar Sail, Carina and Leonardo. BTW, eventually the Solar Sail could benefit from some work, as the control interface is a bit clumsy, and the roll seems to be coded backwards.

Anyway, I'm now checking the parameters listed in the Orbiter Developer Manual, and probably that will be it, as I don't think there is time do a deep run thru the "how to make an addon" sections.

I have a PR to your branch for moving the gravity models credits to their own section. There are a lot of things on that TODO list... Could we prioritize it into "necessity" and "nice to have"?

 

[GLS]

I have a PR to your branch for moving the gravity models credits to their own section.

Merged, thanks!

There are a lot of things on that TODO list... Could we prioritize it into "necessity" and "nice to have"?

Yes there are.... this is pretty much what I've been doing everyday since mid September... it is what it is.
The priorities certainly are the license, credits and websites parts (both docs and Launchpad), this (one less issue of course, but also to update the image in the doc), and what is the official status of the Orbitersdk\docs folder, which IMO should be gone (that was one of the motivations behind this documentation rework) but it seems more and more like that is not going anywhere.
I'm currently checking the vessel/planets/etc config parameters listed in the ODM, so those are (mostly) updated.

 

[GLS]

I think I'm done with this documentation business... my head just can't produce much more... (yes, these many )
I've finished the checking of the cfg file parameters for vessels, planets, etc, in the ODM, so that should all be up to date with the code. I've also added a PR, removing old parameters from the scenarios.
Here are the 3 products: https://gofile.io/d/aGVNGd
The issues in the post above still remain, as well as the ones in the ticket, plus the D3D9 specifics aren't fully documented yet, there nothing on XRSound, and lua is still the special case.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be happy to make (simple) changes or merge a PR. Other than that, this whole thing can be merged.

 

[n72.75]

I think I'm done with this documentation business... my head just can't produce much more... (yes, these many )
I've finished the checking of the cfg file parameters for vessels, planets, etc, in the ODM, so that should all be up to date with the code. I've also added a PR, removing old parameters from the scenarios.
Here are the 3 products: https://gofile.io/d/aGVNGd
The issues in the post above still remain, as well as the ones in the ticket, plus the D3D9 specifics aren't fully documented yet, there nothing on XRSound, and lua is still the special case.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be happy to make (simple) changes or merge a PR. Other than that, this whole thing can be merged.

I have not reread everything yet, but once, I do, and pending any typos. I think it should be merged.

If we consider the state of bugfixes and improved documentation especially in comparison with O2016 and O2010 at the time of their release. I think we are in really good shape; comparable or improved in some cases.

 

[Cougar]

Since the last update 5 days ago i always get a CTD upon launching Orbiter 2024 (x86).
Orbiter starts and bases are beeing loaded till Xichang.cfg and then Orbiter CTD´s without even loading the spacecrafts.
I have a vanilla Orbiter 2024 rc2 installation with the latest asset of Orbiter-x86 copied over it.
Nothing else installed except for Earth, Moon and Mars HiRes textures.
Running Windows 11 with GeForce GTX 1060 (latest Nvidia driver installed) and 32 GB of RAM.
Orbiter.log is attached.
My other installation folder with Orbiter 2024 (x64) does work perfectly though.
This folder has the Orbiter 2024 rc2 files installed and then the latest asset for Orbiter-x64 copied over it.
Furthermore it has all the HiRes textures installed, too. I don´t use them from the other folder. Every folder has it´s own textures.
Any help would greatly be apprechiated.
Thank you very much!

 

[Gondos]

Since the last update 5 days ago i always get a CTD upon launching Orbiter 2024 (x86).
Orbiter starts and bases are beeing loaded till Xichang.cfg and then Orbiter CTD´s without even loading the spacecrafts.
I have a vanilla Orbiter 2024 rc2 installation with the latest asset of Orbiter-x86 copied over it.
Nothing else installed except for Earth, Moon and Mars HiRes textures.
Running Windows 11 with GeForce GTX 1060 (latest Nvidia driver installed) and 32 GB of RAM.
Orbiter.log is attached.
My other installation folder with Orbiter 2024 (x64) does work perfectly though.
This folder has the Orbiter 2024 rc2 files installed and then the latest asset for Orbiter-x64 copied over it.
Furthermore it has all the HiRes textures installed, too. I don´t use them from the other folder. Every folder has it´s own textures.
Any help would greatly be apprechiated.
Thank you very much!

Are you sure you don't have 64bit DLLs left over when launching the 32bit version ?

 

[n72.75]

If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be happy to make (simple) changes or merge a PR. Other than that, this whole thing can be merged.

I think this can be merged.

 

[n72.75]

@GLS does the API Reference currently build with ORBITER_MAKE_DOC on? I'm not finding it, but the others build just fine for me.

 

[GLS]

@GLS does the API Reference currently build with ORBITER_MAKE_DOC on? I'm not finding it, but the others build just fine for me.

I don't think I touched that.... I'll check.

 

[Lucy]

To help me when I come back to the PR list, I've added a new PR label milestone for people to add to their PRs that'll mark them out as things that need to be merged in ahead of the 2024 release; https://github.com/orbitersim/orbiter/milestone/1 - please associate your PR with this milestone (and take it out of WIP / draft if it's ready to go) so I can see what's needed and what's ready to merge in.

 

[GLS]

Looking at the CMakeLists, that API doc only gets built if doxygen is found. In there, I only removed the building of a D3D9 doc, that is now part of the new docs.

 

[GLS]

To help me when I come back to the PR list, I've added a new PR label milestone for people to add to their PRs that'll mark them out as things that need to be merged in ahead of the 2024 release; https://github.com/orbitersim/orbiter/milestone/1 - please associate your PR with this milestone (and take it out of WIP / draft if it's ready to go) so I can see what's needed and what's ready to merge in.

I can't add/update the milestone in the ticket or PR...
The doc PR should now be "Open" for merge.

 

[Lucy]

I can't add/update the milestone in the ticket or PR...
The doc PR should now be "Open" for merge.

It is merged!

 

[GLS]

It is merged!

 

[GLS]

It is merged!

Wait a minute, I don't see it in the main, it is still in a branch....

 

[n72.75]

Wait a minute, I don't see it in the main, it is still in a branch....

I think it was a PR to another branch. "orbitersim/latex_doc_update"

There is a pull request for  that branch into main.

There may be a small merge conflict with CMakelists.txt but I tested out rebasing/merging on my local branch and it was pretty easy to resolve.

 

[GLS]

I think it was a PR to another branch. "orbitersim/latex_doc_update"

There is a pull request for  that branch into main.

There may be a small merge conflict with CMakelists.txt but I tested out rebasing/merging on my local branch and it was pretty easy to resolve.

I think that branch is part 1 of the doc work (and now part 2), which for some reason was placed there instead of being merged back in the Spring.

 

[Lucy]

Damn, I didn't even think to look at the target branch. Is the whole thing ready to merge into main, or just that first part?

 

[GLS]

Damn, I didn't even think to look at the target branch. Is the whole thing ready to merge into main, or just that first part?

Aside all the asterisks I mentioned in a previous post, it is good to go on my end. I can't say why part 1 was placed in a branch (and then part 2 had to target the that same branch).

 

[Lucy]

Yeah, no idea. To recap the Things that have Happened:

• All the documentation work is now on main
• There was a tex build error that @n72.75 addressed which is now also fixed in main
• RC4 workflow is running now, this will be the final RC if successful
• Edit: RC4 was successful, awaiting final pre-launch checks from contributors