Project Universal Car for Orbiter (UCO)

[dansteph]

Nice legs for a lady.

Was a real challenge, all my try ended in the Arrow looking like a big uggly insect. Those one are the less uggly. But there will be no gears doors and no complex animation, they only translate in/out. (spell "demonstrator" )

Yes the arrow have hover engine. And yes it's custom exhaust (made for the DGIV RCS and reworked)

Quote from the actual "in game help" (4 page included key listing)

UCGO Arrow Freighter Help - Page 1
----------------------------------

INTRODUCTION:

This mother ship is a demonstrator of cargo possibility of
"Universal Cars & Cargo for Orbiter" (UCGO) a C++ class is
available in "doc/Universal Cars" so your ship can also
load cargo that cars,rover,DGIV and this ship can exchange.

FEATURES:

-Support UMMU (up to 20 crews)
-Support Universal Cars cargo (up to 40 cargo)
-Basic life support managment (oxygen)
-Can release an exploration Rover (azure Rover of UCGO)
-Anim of bay door, gravity wheel, gears,rover and crew lift.
-Can dock a vessel in bay (DGIV or XR2 like)
-OrbiterSound with custom sound
-By defaut can take off from moon but not from heavier planet.
(see page 4 for configuration)


NOTE: No panel or VC yet and very simple systems, it's only a demonstrator. But I always wanted to make a nice VC and a "DGIV" like mother ship, so maybe later ?

--->PRESS 'D' FOR NEXT HELP PAGE<---

Working on Arrow code yet, it come nicely (I have a load of utility and code snippet from my past experience that help me doing things fast)


Cheers

Dan

 

[PriestLizard]

Seems like Dan is on a "coding and creativity" rampage!

Oh happy us :] Keep up that awesome work!

 

[Arrowstar]

Dan,

Looking awesome! Have you tried the Cars code out with Orulux and Meshland? That is, if you attempt to drive a vehicle over a meshed surface with some form of collision detection, does it work? I can imagine some great canyon races on Mars if so...

Additionally, will you be updating your Prelude base code to accommodate UCGO as well? Being able to store A at base X and pick up B on your next run could be interesting. Thanks for the great work!

 

[sunshine135]

Freakin' cool Dan. Just awesome work. When you get a creative spark, it explodes like a hydrogen bomb!!!!!

 

[dansteph]

Dan,

Looking awesome! Have you tried the Cars code out with Orulux and Meshland? That is, if you attempt to drive a vehicle over a meshed surface with some form of collision detection, does it work? I can imagine some great canyon races on Mars if so...

Sorry no and never as long as ground mesh is not in the core of orbiter.
First it take a lot of ressources, second cars are already a sensitive "hack" (Obiter is not done for cars) adding both may be catastrophic for too many users (FPS, bugs) this it would not be "universal" at all. My goal is "KISS".

Additionally, will you be updating your Prelude base code to accommodate UCGO as well? Being able to store A at base X and pick up B on your next run could be interesting. Thanks for the great work!

Maybe but later (money rules)

I don't lack projects or idea, I lack time (and essentially money)

Cheers

Dan

 

[dansteph]

LATEST NEWS:

I'm not posting but I still work hard on it.

-I finished the Arrow model
-It's now almost fully functionnal with some cool stuff (lights sound, code)
-I reworked the "wheel", I do not want to texture it for performance concern as it's high poly mesh (about 1/4 of total) but in comparison with the well textured center area the previous mesh looked uggly.
-While working on arrow's code I found an essential stuff for Cars code that will solve a big problem.

Cheers

Dan

 

[Arrowstar]

Looking fantastic, Dan! Say, will this vessel have the means to lower cargo to the surface and up into internal holds or will it only carry space-based cargo?

 

[dansteph]

Cargo made "plop" and "plop" as you grapple/release it from ground, in space it make "plop" at grapple and release gently with a 0.005 m/s speed. A lowering system would not fit with the "universal part", author would have to do the visual part of the crane adapted to their vessel with special config for each slot and this complexity and modelising is out of range of too much peoples. Providing a generic crane would not fit with too much vessel shape.

Well, somes images with Arrow almost finished. "A mysterious place"

 

[Arrowstar]

Cargo made "plop" and "plop" as you grapple/release it from ground, in space it make "plop" at grapple and release gently with a 0.005 m/s speed. A lowering system would not fit with the "universal part", author would have to do the visual part of the crane adapted to their vessel with special config for each slot and this complexity and modelising is out of range of too much peoples. Providing a generic crane would not fit with too much vessel shape.

Dan,

Thanks for the info. I'm sorry, I should have been more precise when asking. I was indeed referring to the Arrow, not the UCGO code. In any event, you appear to have answered my question, thanks! Can't wait to take the Arrow out for a spin.

 

[Interceptor]

Hey Dan.Are Pictos moon and mars base's going to be released eventualy for Universal Car for Orbiter (UCO) or are they canceled? thanks,and keep up the great work.

 

[dansteph]

Hello,

Well, Picto have disappeared since one month (real life probably) before I start reworking on UCGO. I know he would be okay and proud that I release his work but the problem is that I'm not very confident in bases (this is why I made test with europa's texture) and I have different version of his town everywhere on my disk.

In brief: for mars impossible, it was not finished, for the town it would be cool but I'll see when my part is finished if I can get something out of the puzzle I have.

Cheers

Dan

 

[the.punk]

This looks fantastic.
Can't wait to drive these cars and fly this mothership.

 

[Arrowstar]

Hello,

Well, Picto have disappeared since one month (real life probably) before I start reworking on UCGO. I know he would be okay and proud that I release his work but the problem is that I'm not very confident in bases (this is why I made test with europa's texture) and I have different version of his town everywhere on my disk.

In brief: for mars impossible, it was not finished, for the town it would be cool but I'll see when my part is finished if I can get something out of the puzzle I have.

Cheers

Dan

I'm wondering if Interceptor was talking about this feature from way back? http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/read.php?f=2&i=11951&t=11934#reply_11957

 

[dansteph]

Fun Stuff:

Adding cargo in scenario with Orbiter's scenary editor is a pain when you want to add more than a few. Therefore the Cargo SDK contain 2 utility functions that allow to list/select any cargo on disk and add it to the vessel's slot with one key press.

Here I typed like a mad to add/release cargo, functions seem to work (for now there is only two type of cargo but more to come, also the cars will also have this feature)

Dan

---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:00 PM ----------

I'm wondering if Interceptor was talking about this feature from way back? http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/read.php?f=2&i=11951&t=11934#reply_11957

That COOOL stuff is still in my mind. But I'll not do it for UCGO, too much work an not relevant. There is already a huge count of features.

Dan

 

[Dig Gil]

DanSteph, I'll want to ask you something: Why is the name "Azure" for that van? and will cars be able to transport DGIV's containers?

 

[dansteph]

DanSteph, I'll want to ask you something: Why is the name "Azure" for that van? and will cars be able to transport DGIV's containers?

For base I often choose music name (Symphony Prelude) for vessel I often choose insect name (ie: "Frelon" wich is a "bee") "Azure" is a butterfly:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25643797@N03/3871978101/

For "Arrow"... well (the shape probably)

Cars will not be able to carry DGIV cargo because they are not "normalised" but in a later upgrade I might discard actual container and make DGIV also UCGO compatible with probably 4 containers possible.

Notice DGIV is without any upgrade able to carry one UCGO cargo.

Dan

 

[lennartsmit]

Is there going to be some kind of atmospheric descent stage for thicker atmospheres?
Something like a heatshield with a parachute?

 

[sunshine135]

Dan,

Your Cargo release reminds me of the escape pods being released in Star Trek.

 

[dansteph]

LATEST NEWS:

Now a new feature:

You can define a different mesh for Cargo grappled and Cargo Released, this open a can of worm: A container carried by cars DGIV or a ship can be transformed in whatewer once released. So a carried box may show scientific instrument, inflatable "house", minning device, etc. Again the possibilities are endless an doesn't require a great modelising ability. We speak about 15-500 polygon here and a config file with 10 lines.

Example:
Here a box carried by DGIV, cars or UGGO vessel (one can read "Flag kit" on the box)

Once released it transform in ... flags (that UMMU can carry and displace)

(I'm not that much nationalist but I thought some would love that feature. Now UCGO will be released with also french and spanish and "UCGO company flag", doing more flags would be easy. Just copying the mesh changing the texture and copying a config file.

BTW: Cars DGIV and UCGO vessel can also load "spirit" like rover as cargo that you can drive. Well, the author will do "stowed" version. (you can see it in the second image)

Cheers

Dan

 

[sunshine135]

That looks like such a blast Dan! A quick question- Does the Cargo Transform the moment that it is released, or is there some type of "switch" that is activated on the container that changes the container into the new mesh (deploys the container)?