P3/P4 Truss Beta testing

[Russ_H]

Hi, Beta Testers

The P3/P4 Truss is ready to start Beta testing. I sent pm's to all testers with a link to the P3/P4beta1 file. Post all bugs to be addressed in this thread.

We still have some issues

1.) The P5 truss is not finished so I have placed the docking port where I think the P5 truss would end.

2.) When the P4 rotates the docking port does not rotate.

Here are the keys for functions

G key = Deploy/Retract Solar Module 1 and Solar Module 2
V key = Deploy/Retract Radiator

Left Ctrl + Number Pad 1 Key = Rotate P4 Module Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 2 Key = Rotate P4 Module Counter Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 3 Key = Stop Rotation P4 Module.

Left Ctrl + Number Pad 4 Key = Rotate Solar Module 1 Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 5 Key = Rotate Solar Module 1 Counter Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 6 Key = Stop Rotation Solar Module 1.

Left Ctrl + Number Pad 7 Key = Rotate Solar Module 2 Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 8 Key = Rotate Solar Module 2 Counter Clock wise.
Left Ctrl + Number Pad 9 Key = Stop Rotation Solar Module 2.

Left Ctrl + Number Pad 0 Key = Stop All Rotation.

Thanks
Russ

 

[xmariox]

For me no problem with animations... all working nicely....

Only one problem is extreme FPS decrease from 80 to 4 FPS.

Any other issues yet...

Maybe would be better code left wing deploy first and right after... what do you think?

 

[Russ_H]

Only one problem is extreme FPS decrease from 80 to 4 FPS.

We knew the FPS would drop under deploy/retract. Does your FPS go back up after the solar panels are finished folding or unfolding.

Russ

 

[xmariox]

We knew the FPS would drop under deploy/retract. Does your FPS go back up after the solar panels are finished folding or unfolding.

Russ

Yes FPS go back after folding or unfolding....

 

[Kyle]

Yea, for me FPS go down when Deploy, but work perfectly when fully extended. Works like a Charm.

 

[RisingFury]

You got a long lasting loop there in the code that kills the FPS?

 

[Russ_H]

You got a long lasting loop there in the code that kills the FPS?

yes 167 parts at one time. I guess I could cut that down and only process a third of the parts per loop or something like that. I have a pc that only drops to 14 FPS so we will see what everyone thinks about it before I recode them.

Also I am a new programmer so I just want to get some nice clean code under my belt and learn all I can as I do it.

Russ

 

[kuddel]

Hi Russ,

thanks a lot for the this beta! I've played around with it and here are my "results":

1. great work!
2. For all my foundings I used a clean Orbiter (060929 patched) install whith nothing else but the SDK (also patched to 060929).
3. When I try the scenario, not all keys seems to work. All combined keys (Left-CTRL + Numpad) do exactly the things they are supposed to do, as noted in the keys.txt documentation file. But the other ones (F,G,H,J,K and L) did not work at all.
4. Is it a good choice to take the 'F' key? It is used by Orbiter to show/hide the frame-rate. But that's a very small issue
5. When I compile the module from your sources, I do have working keys! So I think you've just packaged an old module (dll) into your ZIP.
6. Although the keys did work after (re-)compiling the module, some issues left (see next points)
7. Somehow the solar-arrays are not attached at the right points anymore (note, that this is from the self-compiled version. In the packaged version all things are attatched perfectly)
8. Your animation of the array retract/extract are accelerating at the end of the animation sequence. I think that you are using constant increases of angles to each solar-panel joint. That will create a sinus-like speedup near angles of 0, 180 or 360 degrees. And I think the speed should be slower in general, afterwards.
9. After I have found this forum ... I like to add one on the FPS issue: On my machine the drop is not _that_ dramatic. I have roughly 30fps when there's no rotation; and it drops to "only" about 14fps when the panes are retracting or extracting (again: this is for my self-compiled version). And afterwards the FPS goes back to "normal" 30fps.

That's my first review, hope it helps.
Is it possible to communicate direct via e-Mail? That yould give me the possibility to add attachments like images etc...

Regards, and kepp up the good work

Peter

 

[Russ_H]

When I try the scenario, not all keys seems to work. All combined keys (Left-CTRL + Numpad) do exactly the things they are supposed to do, as noted in the keys.txt documentation file. But the other ones (F,G,H,J,K and L) did not work at all.

Sorry about that I updated the Key file to have the only keys used. The Solar panels only retract when they are rotated to the closed position.

When I compile the module from your sources, I do have working keys! So I think you've just packaged an old module (dll) into your ZIP.

I packaged the correct dll everything works the way it should. I should have removed the source files from this zip. Sorry to side track you like that.

Somehow the solar-arrays are not attached at the right points anymore (note, that this is from the self-compiled version. In the packaged version all things are attatched perfectly)

This is because the code in the beta is old and the group numbers for the mesh have changed.

Your animation of the array retract/extract are accelerating at the end of the animation sequence. I think that you are using constant increases of angles to each solar-panel joint. That will create a sinus-like speedup near angles of 0, 180 or 360 degrees. And I think the speed should be slower in general, afterwards.

My math skills are poor because I am Dyslexic. I understand math and spent hours doing algebra that everyone else had finished. I have trouble just adding 2 numbers together. lol I am ok with this because I have to be.
This is the best I can do but I would gladly hand my work over to some one that has good math skills to make this add-on work better.

Russ

 

[xmariox]

It is excelent work Rush!!! Congratulations!

 

[kuddel]

Hi again,

since I'm still awake (it's 2:14 am...) I think I can do an update to my last post as well

I did a complete re-test with the original module, so no more referencing to my "self-build" one.

• The retraction ('G'-Key) now works as expected!
• I do now have a serious degration of FPS as well (to 4fps, like all others reported).

Although I don't know your code, here's my opinion on the FPS issue:
Could you try to limit the calls to SetAnimation() by using something like this threshold-using procedure:

1. Calculate the degree of change 'X'
2. Only when 'x' is grater than ..lets say 1 degree, issue the SetAnimation().

?
I think (rough guess) that the FPS issue is due to the fact that the SetAnimation() is called each timestep (much too often, I belive).

Nevertheless, I really like your work. The only thing left on your bug list seems to be the FPS issue, so you've come quite close to beeing an expert

By the way, the "side track" you got me in wasn't that harmful; I promise not to look at the code again :blush:

And my skills in adding numbers are extremely bad as well
I blame the pocket calculator for that

Kuddel

 

[ryan]

Hey guys, i was just wondering if i could be a beta tester for this? thanks.


-----Posted Added-----


Ok i've zipped it and i went into the orbiter launchpad, theres no scenario for it, which scenario?

 

[RisingFury]

yes 167 parts at one time. I guess I could cut that down and only process a third of the parts per loop or something like that. I have a pc that only drops to 14 FPS so we will see what everyone thinks about it before I recode them.

Also I am a new programmer so I just want to get some nice clean code under my belt and learn all I can as I do it.

Russ

Is it possible to post the part of the code that does the deploying?

If your loop is time related... the loop is running until the wings deploy then I'm sure there are better ways of doing so. You could call a loop every millisecond. There's a function that does that written in Windows. And that would take a huge load off the CPU

 

[Russ_H]

Ok i've zipped it and i went into the orbiter launchpad, theres no scenario for it, which scenario?

Make sure you have relative paths turn on and you are not just unzipping it all to the orbiter directory. Relative path should put the files in the right place.

Russ


-----Posted Added-----

Is it possible to post the part of the code that does the deploying?

If your loop is time related... the loop is running until the wings deploy then I'm sure there are better ways of doing so. You could call a loop every millisecond. There's a function that does that written in Windows. And that would take a huge load off the CPU

It is updated in frame update and I can limit it to what ever we need to now that I think about it. I will get you a copy of the code tomorrow.

Russ

 

[ryan]

Hey guys, i got it working and i went in it, i found no problems or errors moving the panels and i found 'G' doesnt do anything, it says it's suppose to retract something but nothing retracts but 'V' works fine. Nice textures and i found the usual FPS is 12 or 11.

 

[Kyle]

Not seeing any issue's here, also, doesn't the add on have Sun Tracking?


-----Posted Added-----


Pretty Spiffy.

 

[Russ_H]

Hey guys, i got it working and i went in it, i found no problems or errors moving the panels and i found 'G' doesnt do anything, it says it's suppose to retract something but nothing retracts but 'V' works fine. Nice textures and i found the usual FPS is 12 or 11.

The Solar panels only retract when they are rotated to the closed position.

Not seeing any issue's here, also, doesn't the add on have Sun Tracking?

Sorry no sun tracking I am looking for some one to help with this.

I am working on my wifes pc but in the am I will try some things and see if we can fix the FPS issue.

Russ

 

[kuddel]

Hi Russ,

thanks for the SVN link. Unfortunately I wasn't able to look any further into your code.
A brief look over it was all I was able to do 'till now, sorry.
The next 4 weeks I'm completely out of reach somewhere in Australia, so I don't think you could expect anything but my last suggestions from me in that time period, sorry again.
Hopefully after my return I can see a released perfectly working version of your addon. It really is great.
So I would try the "execute the whole calculus and animation only every N-th step" approach.
I mean: When the FPS drop to 4, we should have at least the same visual appearance when we execute that code only every quarter of a second

Bye, see ya,
Kuddel

 

[jgrillo2002]

can I be enlisted to the beta for this addon. this is really interesting to me and I have tested things before

 

[Mustard]

I'm sorry for this great late, but the project is always in progress. Just some problems and personal overbooking.
Release not for this month, i hope for december. It depend of Russ.