OHM Project-Outposts: Wet Workshops

[OrbitHangar]

Author: steve


Welcome to Project-Outposts: Wet Workshops

This is this first in a new series of add-ons for Orbiter that focus on building wet workshops style space stations in orbit from various modules. It provides a modified Atlantis Space Shuttle which can be flown into orbit and take its external tank (ET) with it. Once in a stable orbit you can deploy the ET and assemble various components to it over a number of scenarios. This add-on is built for Orbiter 2010-P1. I shall be releasing versions of this add-on for Orbiter 2010 soon.

The pack provides a collection of beautifully detailed models, 14 space station modules and 7 scenic components:

    x1 Cupola
    x1 Quest Airlock
    x4 Habitation External Tanks
    x4 Bridging Modules
    x2 Condutit Modules
    x2 PMAs
    x1 Solar Array
    x1 High Gain Antenna
    x1 COMs Antenna
    x1 Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF)
    x1 O2/N2 Tank
    x1 Solar Array shuttle cradle
    x1 Quest airlock shuttle cradle

All Modules support virtual cockpits which you can move freely about, look through windows and take in some amazing sights. Control docking and attachment functions, manipulate solar arrays, open and close window shutters, perform EVAs from airlock modules and more!

All modules and components support atmospheric burn-up and break up, yes you can dispose of damaged or old hardware in orbit and put it on and trajectory so it burns up in the atmosphere. All modules and components glow when buring up too!

This is the first add-on pack in the series and it brings to you a wide range of game play where you can design and construct your very own space stations.


DOWNLOAD

 

[Loru]

That's a massive amount of work - congratulations.

 

[Interceptor]

Awesome steve,Thank you.:thumbup:

 

[Steve]

Loru, thank you very much for your comment. That is most appreciated.

Enjoy

---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 PM ----------

Interceptor, again thank you very much for you kind comment. You are most welcome.

Enjoy

 

[Frogisis]

*squeal* Downloading it right now.
This looks amazing, and thanks for setting such a high bar for what can be accomplished.

 

[Keatah]

It's add-ons like these that make Orbiter what it is. Truly epic in scope.

 

[Donamy]

Very nice, and complete. I get a crash trying to load the Cluster station.

BTW, is Sarah still your fiance ?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'm not getting a CTD with the cluster station, but I can report on another oddity... Most of the meshes (for me) are invisible. Makes for a really freaky looking shuttle launch to not see the external tank.

Anyway, here is what I see with the station...

I'll be printing the manual tonight while nobody is watching...:shifty:

edit---
Just got the manual bindered up, that is some first rate documentation!

 

[Ark]

Question about the Atlantis: Once you've completed a manual ascent to orbit, is there a way to bleed the remaining ET fuel and switch to OMS for the transfer to the rest of your station?

 

[Steve]

I'm not getting a CTD with the cluster station, but I can report on another oddity... Most of the meshes (for me) are invisible. Makes for a really freaky looking shuttle launch to not see the external tank.

Anyway, here is what I see with the station...

I'll be printing the manual tonight while nobody is watching...:shifty:

edit---
Just got the manual bindered up, that is some first rate documentation!

I think you have found a bug there! What spec machine, graphics card and drivers are you using? I have seen this before in an earlier version. Are the shuttles grapple markers turned on?

---------- Post added at 06:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:21 AM ----------

Question about the Atlantis: Once you've completed a manual ascent to orbit, is there a way to bleed the remaining ET fuel and switch to OMS for the transfer to the rest of your station?

Ah, I think you have found a bug mate. I'll get a patch out for you ASAP.

---------- Post added at 06:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 AM ----------

Very nice, and complete. I get a crash trying to load the Cluster station.

BTW, is Sarah still your fiance ?

Yes she is.

Right are you getting crashes with any of the other scenarios? What is your spec machine, graphics card and drivers. Is it just that the cluster station does not appear? If it is just move your view with the mouse and it should appear. I've seen this as a bug in the past.

---------- Post added at 06:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:27 AM ----------

It's add-ons like these that make Orbiter what it is. Truly epic in scope.

Why thank you, that is a very kind comment. You are most welcome.

Enjoy

---------- Post added at 06:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 AM ----------

*squeal* Downloading it right now.
This looks amazing, and thanks for setting such a high bar for what can be accomplished.

You are most welcome my friend. I hope you enjoy this add-on.

Thank you

 

[Wolf]

Simply....GREAT :thumbup:
thank you so much Steve for sharing this great addon and for the effort you put into such a massive work!!!
I'll be going through the manual and launch Atlantis ASAP

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Running on a pretty old machine... Intel dual core 2.8 GHz
WindowsXP Media Center edition (SP3)
Radeon X600 Graphics card (w/ current drivers)

I'll play around with it still and see if any settings will get it working. In addition I'll see if it'll work on my daughters machine and report back.

It works A-OK on my daughters computer, so it's something up with my rig. All I can say is "Oh... wow". This is so freakin' cool. This ranks up there with UCGO, Orbiter sound and Thorton's ISS. A 5 DG vote from me.

 

[Steve]

Running on a pretty old machine... Intel dual core 2.8 GHz
WindowsXP Media Center edition (SP3)
Radeon X600 Graphics card (w/ current drivers)

I'll play around with it still and see if any settings will get it working. In addition I'll see if it'll work on my daughters machine and report back.

That machine is not that bad, i'm using a radeon card myself. Thanks for the info and i'll look into this for you.

 

[astrosammy]

Everything works with my Radeon HD 5600 on my laptop. 30 FPS with all that debris in the burnup scenario. I'll try it with a GeForce 2 later today.

Finally I have something to do, I got bored with orbiter in the last months. It looks beautiful!

Is it possible or will it be possible to open the hatches of the modules? It would be great to move throug a whole station.

 

[Steve]

Everything works with my Radeon HD 5600 on my laptop. 30 FPS with all that debris in the burnup scenario. I'll try it with a GeForce 2 later today.

Finally I have something to do, I got bored with orbiter in the last months. It looks beautiful!

Is it possible or will it be possible to open the hatches of the modules? It would be great to move throug a whole station.

Yes it would and I am looking into this still. The problem is that each module is a separate vessel so the virtual cockpits don't all render. This is due to the other vessels not having focus. I am working to find a solution, but I can't promise anything.

I shall be supporting this add-on and working on futher upgrades as and when time allows. You are all more than welcome to submit your requests to me. I shall review all of them I promise.

---------- Post added at 05:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------

Running on a pretty old machine... Intel dual core 2.8 GHz
WindowsXP Media Center edition (SP3)
Radeon X600 Graphics card (w/ current drivers)

I'll play around with it still and see if any settings will get it working. In addition I'll see if it'll work on my daughters machine and report back.

It works A-OK on my daughters computer, so it's something up with my rig. All I can say is "Oh... wow". This is so freakin' cool. This ranks up there with UCGO, Orbiter sound and Thorton's ISS. A 5 DG vote from me.

I have now tested the add-on with GeForce 8800, GeForce 9600 GT, a GeForce GTX 450/460, and a ATI Radeon HD 5570 and these all work just fine. I'm afraid I can't get my hands on a Radeon x600 for testing though .

 

[Screamer7]

From time to time there come an add-on for Orbiter that really stand out of the rest.
Well, this is one for sure.
Congratulations, Steve. This is an outstanding piece of work. I imaging all the work you put in it.
I've tried the mission scenario with my "most use Orbiter" and have same crashes.
I tried it on a clean install and everything work.:thumbup:
I try to understand the various attachments options, since it is very complex.

Thanks Steve

 

[Steve]

From time to time there come an add-on for Orbiter that really stand out to the rest.
Well, this is one for sure.
Congratulations, Steve. This is an outstanding piece of work. I imaging all the work you put in it.
I've tried the mission scenario with my "most use Orbiter" and have same crashes.
I tried it on a clean install and everything work.:thumbup:
I try to understand the various attachments options, since it is very complex.

Thanks Steve

Thank you very much for such kind commets, this is much appreciated. I am glad you like this add-on.

It is always best to install on a clean version of Orbiter to start with, this is how I test the software. I cannot ensure the software works any other way as there are so many add-ons for this product; eventually there will be one that conflicts. I am here to help out so please don't hesitate to send me an email with your queries. If you do find add-ons that cause problems please inform me of them so I can test them against the Project-Outposts series.

 

[liber]

I'm not getting a CTD with the cluster station, but I can report on another oddity... Most of the meshes (for me) are invisible. Makes for a really freaky looking shuttle launch to not see the external tank.

Anyway, here is what I see with the station...

Same problem,Radeon too,probably low on memory,I resized all texture and now station is visible,maybe you should do the same.

 

[Steve]

Same problem,Radeon too,probably low on memory,I resized all texture and now station is visible,maybe you should do the same.

Well done!

I can confirm this is a potential outcome of low video RAM. The High Res images are sizable for some older cards. You have ~133MB just to load the High Res textures for the cluster station, this does not include the memory required for the vertex buffers and screen double buffers, or tripple buffers if you have this setting on your graphics card. The screen buffers will depend on the video resolution and colour depth; for example 1400x900@32bit colour = ~4.81MB for a single buffer, so 9.62MB for a double screen buffer, and 14.43MB for a tripple screen buffer. Let's say there is ~170MB of possible mesh data so all of this together comes to = 317.43MB of video RAM required. You will require 512MB of video RAM to comfortably run some of the larger scenarios like the cluster station at High Resolution. Running at the Low Texture Res will greatly reduce your memory consumption.

To access the Project-Outposts settings open the Orbiter launch window and go to Extras. You will see the Vessel Configuration item in the tree view. Expand it and double click on the Project-Outposts Configuration option. This will launch the add-ons settings tool where you can change the texture settings.

I also have a Low Res version of the add-on which I am currently preparing for release. This may help some of you with lower RAM spec graphics crads run the add-on. This version contains all the same modules but at a slightly lower lever of detail.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I remember reading about the "reduced textures" in your development thread. I work third shift so my memory gets foggy on a regular basis (my wife and kid love it though "Don't you remember us talking about my new wardrobe dear?").

Anyway, that did the trick! Even at the lowest setting (I get 120 FPS or better) it looks amazing. In the "Station burns up!" scenario I get around 15-20 FPS during the break-up, so it is still quite watch-able. The fireworks show as the station breaks apart is really cool, and the 'finale' is incredible!

I can't wait to see the wheeled stations and the elevator. Wet Workshops is a masterpiece!