What's the best shuttle/ISS experience?

[Wally]

I've been a fan of the Shuttle Fleet back in the days. After a long Orbiter pause (we all do this, right?), I've missed orbiting the shuttle and starring at the ISS, and I'm back. Unfortunately, the OrbitHangar seems like a ghost town now: some dead links, Shuttle Fleet pulled, DLL dependency hell.

On my hard drive, I did find some archives of old Shuttle Fleet packages, but apparently they are not complete. I'm missing the Columbus module, the link from OrbiterHangar it's an external one and leads to a website that doesn't have the Columbus module anymore. I just love the Shuttle Fleet packs, for every recent mission, even having scenarios per mission days, I would like to re-run those, but at this point, I really don't think it's possible. Before that, I used Thorton's packages and they were awesome, but I would like a complete ISS.

So, my question is, what's the best ISS/Shuttle experience I could get nowadays from Orbiter? UMmu support would be nice (v4.8 of SF provided that), also being able to run it on Orbiter 2010 with DX9 and at least one scenario should contain a complete version of the ISS. Is it still possible? If so, under which implementation? And does anyone have that pesky Columbus module?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Shuttle Fleet is still around. and can be found here http://simviation.com// do a search for it and all Davids stuff should be there.

Columbus. You may be looking for this? http://mustard02.free.fr/addons.htm

 

[Cras]

ISS 3.2 + Shuttle Fleet and the expansion mission packs is what I used for a full Shuttle/ISS scenario.

ISS A to Z is also a beautiful ISS, you will need 3.2 installed for the Russian segment.

 

[Kyle]

Why don't you give SSU a try? With all due respect to Fleet, SSU features many of the real systems on the actual space shuttle.

 

[Wally]

Columbus. You may be looking for this? http://mustard02.free.fr/addons.htm

I guess so. But I still get the "ERROR: Could not load vessel module: Colombus" message while trying to run STS-131 FD3 Approach and Docking scenario.

ISS 3.2 + Shuttle Fleet and the expansion mission packs is what I used for a full Shuttle/ISS scenario.

I get the same error as described above. And what's the reason for using ISS 3.2 instead of ISS Fleet?

Why don't you give SSU a try? With all due respect to Fleet, SSU features many of the real systems on the actual space shuttle.

I intend to. I'm still a little intimidated by its complexity, but it's on my list.

 

[Cras]

ISS 3.2 is a very good sim of the ISS, simulates a lot of function to it, but it is incomplete, you need the other expansion packs to complete the build out. ISS Fleet is ok, dont get me wrong, and ISS 3.2 does take some computing power since the models are fairly detailed, but there are additional bonus' that ISS 3.2 adds onto Shuttle Fleet via this payload bay addon vessel that really improves SF imo. It integrates with the Launch pad for the final 9 minutes of the countdown so you get the automatic retraction of the access arm, the lox cap, all that goodness. You get launch effects for the main engines and booster ignitions, you get max q effects, you have a better OBSS and MPM, as well as some cool vapor effects during landing.

As for SSU......try if you want. I wont recommend it, as I do not enjoy using it. But that could also be because I have used Shuttle Fleet soooooo much that I know how to add the payloads to it the way I want, what MFDs to use to simulate the various flight systems and fly the various procedures for rendezvous and things like that. And SF has some solid documentation as well.

 

[Wally]

Still no luck with the Columbus module (though I've installed the one linked by PhantomCruiser):

---------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ERROR: Could not load vessel module: Colombus
>>> [Vessel::LoadModule | .\Vessel.cpp | 5442]
---------------------------------------------------------------

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Regarding the one I linked to you...

Open the scenario "Columbus left in orbit" with a text editor, and delete the line

  DOCKINFO 0:0,pma

Now check the scenario (run it), you should find the Columbus module in LEO all by it's lonesome. It should work fine (just checked, it worked for me).

Launch Columbus doesn't work, because there isn't a vessel class named "Endeavour", that would need to be fixed, to either stock Atlantis or Shuttle Fleet.

Now you've got a section in your "current state" scenario that looks like this...

Colombus:Colombus
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6198743.08 1525454.19 -2225074.09
  RVEL 2996.611 -2484.535 6616.674
  AROT 169.92 21.84 99.52
  VROT 0.06 -0.08 -0.01
  AFCMODE 7
  NAVFREQ 0 0
  XPDR 466
END

Drop that text into whatever scenario you've got ISS wise, and use the scenario editor to dock it where you want it.

 

[Cras]

from what I remember i needed to use UCD to attach Columbus module to the ISS. ISS 3.2 does not use docking ports...it uses attachments, and this integrated attachment manager system for opening and activating ports for berthing.

 

[Wally]

The Columbus module from "Columbus left in orbit" scenario is invisible, either for stock Orbiter or DX9. I think something else is wrong...

Also, deleting Columbus from the line "DOCKINFO 1:0,ATV-2 2:0,ProgressM-10M 3:0,MRM1bay 4:0,Tranquility 6:0,KUboom 7:0,JEM 10:0,PMM 12:0,Soyuz-TMA21" in STS-134 scenario would launch Orbiter, but it would fail to do so for the DX9 client.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Try this as a test scenario. It works for me in both vanilla and D3D9.

BEGIN_DESC
Colombus orbiting alone.
END_DESC

BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
  System Sol
  Date MJD 54536
END_ENVIRONMENT

BEGIN_FOCUS
  Ship Colombus
END_FOCUS

BEGIN_CAMERA
  TARGET Colombus
  MODE Extern
  POS 1.53 150.62 -24.26
  TRACKMODE TargetRelative
  FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA

BEGIN_HUD
  TYPE Orbit
END_HUD

BEGIN_MFD Left
  TYPE Orbit
  PROJ Ship
  FRAME Ecliptic
  ALT
  REF Earth
END_MFD

BEGIN_MFD Right
  TYPE Map
  REF Earth
  BTARGET Kourou
  TRACK 0.00 0.00
END_MFD


BEGIN_SHIPS
Colombus:Colombus
  STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS 6142263.37 1570827.21 -2346310.03
  RVEL 3143.079 -2447.787 6562.419
  AROT 171.69 22.67 100.38
  VROT 0.06 -0.08 -0.01
  NAVFREQ 0 0
END
END_SHIPS

 

[Wally]

It works in both vanilla and D3D9, but I have no textures. The error must by at my side, I'll reinstall everything and check it out again.

---------- Post added at 18:47 ---------- Previous post was at 13:19 ----------

After a complete reinstall of various things, I got the 'STS-131 FD3 Approach and Docking' scenario working, but only on vanilla. It crashes on D3D9, complaining about... Columbus.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I hate to state the obvious (but it's bitten me on occasion), but did you make a symbolic link for the graphics client?

 

[Wally]

I hate to state the obvious (but it's bitten me on occasion), but did you make a symbolic link for the graphics client?

What? Running orbiter_ng.exe isn't enough?...

 

[DaveS]

What? Running orbiter_ng.exe isn't enough?...

No. You need to create symbolic links. If you're using D3D9Client, then go to Video tab, then click on the Advanced button and then on the Create symbolic links button.

 

[Wally]

No. You need to create symbolic links. If you're using D3D9Client, then go to Video tab, then click on the Advanced button and then on the Create symbolic links button.

Thanks, that solved the problem!