Using Orbiter for Real-Time Visualization

[jgkatz]

Hello all,

I am a long-time fan of Orbiter, but I am just starting with the SDK. I am interested in using Orbiter as a real-time mission visualization using an external data stream, most likely via UDP. Assuming I can set up the connection, I can see how to set visual details like animations/etc, but I have no idea how to directly set the position and orientation of the vehicle with API calls. I do not need to use the simulation engine for propagating the vehicle state, just a simple call to set the state. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[dbeachy1]

Take a look at section 11.3 on page 36 of API_Reference.pdf. The methods you want are GetStatus/GetStatusEx and DefSetState/DefSetStateEx. Also, take a look at the VESSELSTATUS and VESSELSTATUS2 structures in OrbiterAPI.h; those are the stuctures you send to DefSetState or DefSetStateEx to directly set a vessel's state and position. For example, you can warp it from Earth to Pluto instantly or do whatever else you want to it.

Note that if all you want to do is move or rotate the vessel it is simplest to just work with GetStatus/DefSetState and the VESSELSTATUS structure.

 

[jgkatz]

That's very helpful, thanks. I noticed that DefStateEx is generally used as an instantiation function. Do you know if there going to be any problem using it for a relatively high frequency state update?

 

[reverend]

An implementation of a client/server to replicate vessel states is here:

http://purinton.us/OrbiterOnline/

Key files:
http://purinton.us/OrbiterOnline/Server/Server.h
http://purinton.us/OrbiterOnline/Server/Server.cpp
http://purinton.us/OrbiterOnline/Client/Client.h
http://purinton.us/OrbiterOnline/Client/Client.cpp

It would be better to implement this via UDP RTP (Real Time Protocol) rather than the Tcp client/server shown here...