Project Orbiter Shipyard: Alpha testing

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
Orbiter Shipyard Project, alpha release 090927:
http://orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/osh-090927-win32-alpha.php
A bug fix up-front, unzip over:
http://orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/osh-090927-win32-alpha-fix_2.zip

What is Orbiter Shipyard?
Orbiter Shipyard project aims at creating a graphical Orbiter vessel editor and creator.

One make the mesh in whatever mesh making program he likes, then fire up the Orbiter Shipyard program, that allows him to define vessel interactions in graphical drag&drop way.
Define animations, define docking ports and gears, define VC surfaces and panel structures, define UMMU ports and parameters, engine locations and exhausts, etc.
Then, the output from the program will be a vessel dll that makes it all work in Orbiter, no ini's or cfg's like spacecraft3, and no coding involved.
Hopefully, it will allow all the graphic artists that make great meshes but can't code a calculator to make add-ons with interactivity as good as the ones made by programmers who can't make a mesh of a cube.

Older discussion thread: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=5378

Relationships:
-Includes Kulch's Payload manager add-on, and uses it for payload manager in the generated vessels, if one is specified.
-Requires UMMU, if you define a crew for the vessel.

Install into Orbiter directory!

Controls:
-Mouse like in Orbiter
-Middle button pans the view
-F11 - OGLA keys menu
-The rest is click and drag interface

So far, the documentation is quite lacking, so the obviousness of the GUI will be put to the test.
Best way to find how something is done is to ask here or figure it out.


The project is still very much in development, so be prepared to grind your expectations with some reality.

The purpose of this alpha release is to show the progress so far to the public view and gather productive feedback.
Simply speaking, ideas and bug reports are welcome.
The flagship feature of the program is animation definition, which is obtrusively patchy (translation: unusable) in this release, ideas on how to do it best (or better) are most welcome.

The draft of the To-Do list:
Code:
###### Major done features list:
-Many vessel systems definitions in GUI
-Exporting to DLL, Add-on ZIP, txt file
-Importing from DLL (made by shipyard)
-Importing Spacecraft3.dll vessels

###### Beta plans:
-lights editor
-Help page
-Documentation

-Animations editor
--Animations tied into some functions.
--option to merge different animations into one
--all the visual controls for scaling, rotating and moving groups, combined with a "keyframe capture"
--a speed modifier where you can define how long it should take for the keyframe to be reached.
Editing may happen in two ways:
-direct manipulation, you move the time slider, move the objects and animation keys appear on the time line 
-indirect manipulation, separate lines for each axis (x,y,z) translation and rotation, keys can be manually inserted and moved
In both cases keys can be linear or bezier, with tangential angle, and indipenent derivative amplitude.
Also in modern 3d software, object bonding is widely used in order to esabilish kinetic limits and hierarchies.
I think the best way to customize animations would be to give people two points.

###### Release plans:
-Adding reentry effects
-deleting meshes (with confirm)
-locations menu and some locations
-Panels editor
-VC editor
-A set of pre-made templates to start working from. 

-exhausts editor
--customizable exhaust texture

-3D editor tools
--multiselect
--"snap the direction to axes" for preventing tiny mouse movement skill requirements
--"align RCS thrusters on opposing sides of action"

-Generate menu
--C++ code output
--more things to export to txt file

###### Future plans:
-A set of autopilots
-be able to jump into simulation with the ship within seconds directly from the shipyard.
-.obj and .3ds 
-Anim8or format .an8
-Attachment points
-life support or consumables like O2, CO2
-heating and cooling of the ship
-random failure generator
-better crew control
-Better touchdown points controls

A small FAQ:
-3D controls menu allows to directly input the position of the element moved
-To convert from SC3 vessel select spacecraft3 in the file type drop-down of load menu.
-To drag the objects press and drag the axes lines
-Changing the type in generate menu type drop-down does not change the extension of the file written, you should change it yourself

Screenshots:
osh-090927-1.jpg

osh-090927-2.jpg

osh-090927-3.jpg

osh-090927-4.jpg

osh-090927-5.jpg

osh-090927-6.jpg


---------- Post added at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------

A bug fix up-front:
http://orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/osh-090927-win32-alpha-fix_2.zip
Unzip into Orbiter directory, over the shipyard alpha.

-Fixed mesh loading on acient GPU's
-Fixed negative number input
-Fixed some SC3 animations import
 
Last edited:

Dig Gil

LearninProgram,Slackin DigTech
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
463
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Between Azores and New Zealand
Website
dig-orbiter.blogspot.com
First quick view:
No problem found yet.

Suggestions/Critics
-Missing copy/paste (or "clone" instead) for ease when there are editable properties that may need to be equal for certain elements.

-The menus where there are many selectable elements may get one lost because of different groups having different colours: a different selection of that element will only change it's colour leaving one to think it's just part of another group. I suggest that selected elements in a list have some symbol instead of just changing colour.

-How does one exit the VC view?

-Vertical Panning is too slow.

-Handles (at least for docking ports) are obstructing view of the centre of the (in this case; docking) port.

-Why two cubes for Docking Port handles?

-Manual should have 'in-Orbiter Performance Tips' Section (or something like that) to avoid people who had multiple airfoils for each wing idiotically, for example, as I admit being think about.

-When minimizing Orbiter Shipyard, then maximizing it back, all menus jump to the top left of the window being then unable to drag it back.

Questions
Does the Size in Main Data shows the in-Orbiter size? After opening one of my projects (a SC spacecraft) and opened Main Data menu it shows that the vessel has the Size of 1 meter. That's what's written in the INI file, but the real length (supposing that the height of UMMU's astronauts is 2 meters) is about 0.85 meters.
 
Last edited:

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
-Missing copy/paste (or "clone" instead)
To be added. It should work for input boxes now.

-The menus where there are many selectable elements may get one lost because of different groups having different colours
Blinking color? Shift of the line in the menu? I'll think of something.

-How does one exit the VC view?
Same as in Orbiter - F1.

-Vertical Panning is too slow.
Vertical panning is not implemented. How did you do that?

-Handles (at least for docking ports) are obstructing view of the centre of the (in this case; docking) port.
Hm. To be somehow fixed.

-Why two cubes for Docking Port handles?
Direction and rotation.

-Manual should have 'in-Orbiter Performance Tips' Section (or something like that) to avoid people who had multiple airfoils for each wing idiotically, for example, as I admit being think about.
To be added along the development.

EDIT:
-When minimizing Orbiter Shipyard, then maximizing it back, all menus jump to the top left of the window being then unable to drag it back.
To be fixed... Maybe,

Does the Size in Main Data shows the in-Orbiter size? After opening one of my projects (a SC spacecraft) and opened Main Data menu it shows that the vessel has the Size of 1 meter. That's what's written in the INI file, but the real length (supposing that the height of UMMU's astronauts is 2 meters) is about 0.85 meters.
When loaded, the size, same as in Orbiter, is what was written in whatever was loaded. When adding a mesh, it's size is calculated and is put as Size if bigger than current.
 
Last edited:

Dambuster

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
789
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
UK
Looking great so far!

Few little things:
- When I try and enter values into textboxes, it usually works well, however when I use my numberpad (or the "-" key on the main bit of my keyboard), it doesn't give the correct characters - e.g. the minus key on the keypad gives an 'm', the '9' gives an 'i' etc. Could this be because you're on a Russian keyboard (I guess :p) whereas I'm on a British one?

-Is it possible for you to add a feature which allows you to click on an object and drag it to a new location, perhaps like the systems in 3ds max and Blender? (I may not have looked for this well enough though!)

-An undo button would be extremely useful as well.

I haven't gotten very far into this yet, but so far it's amazing!
 

n72.75

Move slow and try not to break too much.
Orbiter Contributor
Addon Developer
Tutorial Publisher
Donator
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
2,687
Reaction score
1,337
Points
128
Location
Saco, ME
Website
mwhume.space
Preferred Pronouns
he/him
What made Xplane great from a deveompement point of view was the editor. it's nice to see in orbiter now.

Artlav is a god.
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
when I use my numberpad (or the "-" key on the main bit of my keyboard), it doesn't give the correct characters
No, i just do not use it to the point of not even considering to implement support for it. On the list now.

-Is it possible for you to add a feature which allows you to click on an object and drag it to a new location, perhaps like the systems in 3ds max and Blender? (I may not have looked for this well enough though!)
You can drag them with the axes, so it's not too big a step. Will try.

-An undo button would be extremely useful as well.
On the list.
 

Arthur Dent

Absolutely Mental
Donator
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
336
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Dresden
Website
wasa.pottyland.de
Sounds like a potential favourite orbiter tool. I'm glad to see that you have finally released an Alpha :)

Does/will it allow creating of rockets/vessels with multiple stages?
 

Donamy

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Donator
Beta Tester
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
6,904
Reaction score
196
Points
138
Location
Cape
Sounds like a potential favourite orbiter tool. I'm glad to see that you have finally released an Alpha :)

Does/will it allow creating of rockets/vessels with multiple stages?

...and rotating attachment points that add the attachments mass and thrust ?
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
Does/will it allow creating of rockets/vessels with multiple stages?
It uses Kulch's payload manager, so what this can do, an OSH-generated vessel can do. And, KPM does support staging.
 

gattispilot

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
2,613
Points
203
Location
Dallas, TX
Getting started

Didn't see a read-me on how to get started. I have unzipped both files and run but when I try to load a vessel I get a CTD
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
Didn't see a read-me on how to get started. I have unzipped both files and run but when I try to load a vessel I get a CTD
Well, documentation is yet to be written.
First, make sure you installed into Orbiter's root directory.
Then, there are many things potentially to do.

A small FAQ:
-To convert from SC3 vessel select spacecraft3 in the file type drop-down of load menu.
-To drag the objects press and drag the axes lines
-3D controls menu allows to directly input the position of the element moved
-Changing the type in generate menu type drop-down does not change the extension of the file written, you should change it yourself
 

n72.75

Move slow and try not to break too much.
Orbiter Contributor
Addon Developer
Tutorial Publisher
Donator
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
2,687
Reaction score
1,337
Points
128
Location
Saco, ME
Website
mwhume.space
Preferred Pronouns
he/him

Dambuster

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
789
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
UK
Would it be possible to have some sort of elementary texturing system? I'm thinking along the lines of dragging and dropping colours onto the vessel mesh etc.
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
Would it be possible to have some sort of elementary texturing system? I'm thinking along the lines of dragging and dropping colours onto the vessel mesh etc.
Most likely no. Mesh editing is way beyond the scope of this program.
 

gattispilot

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
2,613
Points
203
Location
Dallas, TX
is there/will there be a way that if figures the pmi and cross section? Also a way to view on the axis. Like view from the side/or top rather than panning?

Will it also allow attachment points?
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her

gattispilot

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
2,613
Points
203
Location
Dallas, TX
Thanks. On Attachment point. I use them to attach Ummus to a other vessels. or in the case on my forklift I am working on. it is used to attach a pallet or otherthing to the fork.
forkpalletext.jpg
 

jtiberius

Donator
Donator
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Hattingen
Thank you very much for this useful tool. It puts addon-making in a new dimension.
Will use it as soon as i have my meshes ready.

Artlav, you are one of the best contributors to Orbiter and its community.
I am very excited about your work.
 
Top