Space Shuttle Ultra 1.25 Revision B development

[SiameseCat]

I was just wondering if anyone actually wants the new orbiter mesh I have been working on. It seems the interest is pretty low, but maybe that's just me misgauging the interest.

I think any improvements to make the mesh more realistic are good. Are you hoping to have this done in time for the next release? I think most of the tickets for the next release have been fixed.

 

[DaveS]

I think any improvements to make the mesh more realistic are good. Are you hoping to have this done in time for the next release? I think most of the tickets for the next release have been fixed.

Yes, I'm hoping to see this included in the next release. There's still a number of things that needs to be done on it, but I'm thinking that it will be ready in about two weeks.

 

[SiameseCat]

How much work will it take to update all the animations, etc. to work with the new mesh? If changing meshes will take a long time, I think it might be better to release the new version and then change the mesh.

 

[DaveS]

How much work will it take to update all the animations, etc. to work with the new mesh? If changing meshes will take a long time, I think it might be better to release the new version and then change the mesh.

Updating the exterior animations such the PLBDs, ET doors, etc, should not take too long. The bigger question is the VC stuff. I'm not if things will still fit.

---------- Post added at 05:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 AM ----------

Yesterday evening and today has been spent on finishing up the wings and the elevons/seal panels. Except for some minor close-out work on the bottom where the elevons meet the wing trailing edge, they're done. There's also some final texture work to done with the outer edge AFRSI blankets and the inboard elevons.

 

[Urwumpe]

If we need to redo the VC mesh as well, it would be a good reason to also optimize some things for faster rendering with the new graphics clients... but it is a bit annoying to not have more resources for visible new features then.

 

[SiameseCat]

If we have to redo the VC meshes or animations, I think it might be better to release the new version first and then add the new meshes. Redoing the VC animations might take quite a bit of time, and I'd prefer not to delay the release too much.

 

[DaveS]

If we have to redo the VC meshes or animations, I think it might be better to release the new version first and then add the new meshes. Redoing the VC animations might take quite a bit of time, and I'd prefer not to delay the release too much.

Understood. I just did a rough fit check and the only things that needs adjustment is the aft flight deck. The FWD and overhead stuff are GO for use as is.

 

[Urwumpe]

Are the SSMEs going to finally stow on orbit ?

Working on the Ascent TVC stuff now. Shouldn't take very long, some definitions of the general hydraulic actuators are already there and just lacked implementation.

TODO:

1. Hydraulic servo-actuator
2. Gimbal Mount class for the engines (Calculate gimbal angle from actuator output and set engine reference vector)
3. ATVC unit (Controls the actuators)
4. FA MDM (Turns digital actuator commands to analog signals)
5. MPS TVC SOP (Distributes autopilot commands to the four ATVCs, handles stow)
6. Something magic happens here
7. Profit!

 

[STS]

How is the implementation status of the launch aborts? Can the SSME´s randomly fail during launch?

 

[Donamy]

I hope not, that would ruin my day.

 

[Urwumpe]

We have enough trouble making things work properly, don't ask us about the time when we will be able to make them fail properly. :lol:

 

[DaveS]

I thought that I would post an update on the new Orbiter mesh. So far everything is coming along good. The wings and elevons have been fully completed and closed out. The Payload Bay Doors (PLBDs) are also completed and closed out. Same goes for the Payload Bay (PLB) radiator panels.

The only things remaining PLB/midbody-wise is detailing the sills of the PLB. The good news there is that I can reuse the stuff from the old PLB and just modify it to fit the new PLB. That will save me a significant amount of time. The other thing is the addition of the Active Vent System (AVS) on the midbody.

Also underway is completing the new texture for the vertical tail and that work is coming along just fine.

I'll post new screenshots once the vertical tail texture is done.

---------- Post added at 07:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 AM ----------

As promised, here's the new screenshots showing the mostly finalized vertical tail texture.

---------- Post added at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------

I thought that I would note two issues that I have noticed with the RMS EE light now that it has been implemented. One is that the light doesn't respond to the position of the actual switch on A7U, it's always on.

The other is that the color is wrong. It should have the same color as the bulkhead lights as seen in this photo from STS-133:

 

[SiameseCat]

I've checked in a fix for the EE light switch issue. I've also changed the EE lighting settings to make it more yellowish (earlier, I was using the same settings as for the PLBD lights). If you want to tweak the lights a bit more, the EE light is defined on line 124 of RMSSystem.cpp.

 

[DaveS]

I've checked in a fix for the EE light switch issue. I've also changed the EE lighting settings to make it more yellowish (earlier, I was using the same settings as for the PLBD lights). If you want to tweak the lights a bit more, the EE light is defined on line 124 of RMSSystem.cpp.

Excellent work. I just did a successful nighttime grapple of the OBSS with no issues at all, the light is working as it should.

 

[DaveS]

Work on the new orbiter continues. This night I finished the the landing gear as well as adding the two Air Data probes and corrected a slight misalignment of the left side FRCS module texture.

 

[Urwumpe]

One question... do you think you could also make a "low"-poly mesh out of this building?

We don't have it yet in Orbiter and it looks like a pretty distinct landmark at the SLF.

 

[ky]

One question... do you think you could also make a "low"-poly mesh out of this building?

We don't have it yet in Orbiter and it looks like a pretty distinct landmark at the SLF.

Any more pics and or specs of the building?

 

[DaveS]

Any more pics and or specs of the building?

That's the ATC control tower at the Shuttle Landing Facility. If I remember correctly it was first opened in 2006, replacing the old tower which was smaller.

 

[ky]

What I have so far:

---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

 

[DaveS]

Here's two aerial photos of the SLF control tower:

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/large/06pd0389.jpg

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/large/06pd0388.jpg

Ground photo: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/large/05pd1463.jpg