Update XR1 1.9 / XR2 1.4 / XR5 1.7 D3D9-Ready Versions Released

[dbeachy1]

Hi all,

The main purpose of this release is to improve performance under Jarmonik's excellent D3D9 Orbiter graphics client (be sure to get D3D9 RC26 or newer here if you want to use it). These XR versions do not require the "GDI Compatibility" box to be checked in the D3D9 client, so it is recommended to leave that unchecked since it improves D3D9 performance to leave that mode disabled. Be sure to check (enable) the Disable vertical sync box as well in the D3D9 video mode dialog even if you are running in windowed mode since higher framerates improve the accuracy of the simulation, particularly under time acceleration. Because of the excellent performance of the D3D9 client under Vista and Windows 7 use of the D3D9 client with the XRs is recommended.

Beyond improved performance with the D3D9 client, the other significant change with this XR release group is support for overriding any or all XR configuration file settings on a scenario-by-scenario basis; take a look at page 17 of the XR Flight Operations Manual in the section titled Configuring Your XR Vessel for details.

The XR2 also includes a challenging new payload retrieval scenario starting at Olympus Base on Mars that I had a lot of fun testing.

BTW I want to send a big thank-you to Jarmonik for his excellent D3D9 client and for his advice via PM on how to make the XRs run as fast as they possibly can under it! :tiphat:

Here is the list of changes in this release:

• Ported the XR custom HUD fields to use the Orbiter Sketchpad interface so the HUD works with Orbiter graphics clients (D3D7 & D3D9) [The XR Data HUD works now as well.]

• Added support for overriding any or all XR configuration file settings on a scenario-by-scenario basis; the tertiary HUD and the XR log file will show a message if any scenario-specific override configuration data is found. [Refer to page 17 of the XR Flight Operations Manual for details.]

• Fixed bug with the slope indicator not refreshing if the simulation date was moved forward.

• Fixed Altea Aerospace logos on some XR instrument panels from appearing transparent using the D3D9 client.

• Increased the size of the Data HUD font to make it easier to read.

• Added support for two new preferences in the XR configuration files to increase efficiency & framerate, particularly under high-framerate clients such as D3D9 (new preferences shown in red below):
  
  

  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # Set MDA (Multi-Display Area), secondary HUD, tertiary HUD, payload,
  # artificial horizon and [all other panel areas] refresh intervals in seconds.
  # The smaller the value, the more often the data is rendered. However, setting
  # a value too low can impact the frame rate, particularly if the frame rate is high.
  # Valid range is 0 - 2.0. If 0, data is updated every frame. Note that you will
  # very likely not be able to perceive anything higher than 60 updates-per-second
  # in any case (i.e., an interval below 0.0167).
  #
  # Default is 0.05 (20 updates-per-second) for all except PanelUpdateInterval and
  # ArtificialHorizonUpdateInterval, which default to 0.016 (60 updates-per-second).
  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  MDAUpdateInterval=0.05
  SecondaryHUDUpdateInterval=0.05
  TertiaryHUDUpdateInterval=0.05
  PayloadScreensUpdateInterval=0.05
  ArtificialHorizonUpdateInterval=0.0167
  PanelUpdateInterval=0.0167

• Improved performance under accelerated time; activating accelerated time mode no longer incurs a framerate penalty.

• Moved the XR5 Vanguard's payload camera one meter higher along the Y axis to fix a visual clipping problem under the D3D9 client (this was not a D3D9 bug).

• Fixed bug with APU not starting up if the system date was moved into the past (reported by Archabacteria).

• Fixed several 2D panel update bugs when the simulation date was moved into the past (simt < 0).

• Tweaked the XR turning assist code to operate correctly when taxiing in reverse (reported by Tommy).

• Added On final approach to KSC scenarios for all three vessels: each approach starts from an identical point and airspeed.

• Added the XR vessel build version string to Data Hud header.

• Improved the accuracy and increased the refresh rate of the slope indicator (on the main panel).

• Improved the accuracy and increased the refresh rate of the payload grapple screen (on the payload panel).

• Fixed bug where attaching an XR payload module into the bay that does not specify a payload thumbnail showed a blank screen; the default Altea Aerospace thumbnail is now displayed instead.

• Added XR Flight Operations Manual note about the computer auto-throttling-down the SCRAM engines as the diffuser approaches 8000 K. [See page 23 of the manual.]

• Added new XR1 and XR5 exhaust textures, including intensity modulation. Tweaked XR1 & XR5 main and hover engine exhaust sizes as well.

• Fixed bug with bright white (i.e., over-temp) text showing as transparent on the XR temperature screen under the D3D9 client.

• The XR log files now prepend the XR vessel name before each line (useful for when there is more than one XR vessel in the simulation).

• Added "Nosecone" / "Docking Port" indicator to the HUD.

• Added new Mars - Retrieve Payload from Phobos and Deimos (hard) scenario in the XR2 Ravenstar scenario directory. [This scenario also uses a configuration override file to set custom configuration settings for that scenario.] If you fly it correctly you should be able to retrieve both payloads and land back at Olympus base with 25% fuel remaining.

• Added new XR2PayloadEmptyLox XR2 payload module.

• Fixed bug where LOX resupply was allowed when landed even if that was disabled in the preference file.

• Tweaked the XR docking callout code to only check for tuned IDS frequencies (it ignores XPDR frequencies now). If you still have issues with vessels attached to Universal Cargo Deck tripping the nosecone warning, you can either 1) retune your radios away from the matching IDS frequency of your payload module(s) attached to UCD, 2) delete/rename the Sound\<vessel>\Warning Nosecone is Closed.wav file, or 3) edit the vessel configuration file and set EnableDockingDistanceCallouts=0.

• Added a new surface base distance field to the surface HUD. By default it is displayed only when your vessel's altitude is <= 200 km. [This is useful when you are on approach to a surface base.] Here is the new preference setting:
  
  

  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # Set distance-to-closest-surface-base indicator on the surface mode HUD altitude threshold.
  #
  # NOTE: by design, the distance shown is the *surface distance* only: it does not include
  # distance due to altitude.
  #
  # < 0 = disabled (e.g., -1)
  # 0 = always enabled regardless of vessel altitude
  # > 0 = altitude threshold below which distance to closest surface base will be shown
  #
  # The default is 200 (surface base distance shown only when ship is <= 200 km in altitude)
  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  DistanceToBaseOnHUDAltitudeThreshold = 200

• XR2: Fixed several bugs with fuel readout & refueling behavior when RequirePayloadBayFuelTanks is enabled in the XR2 config file. (Thanks to Nemoricus for reporting this and helping me beta-test an earlier build with the fixes.)

• Added new CheatcodesEnabled preference to the configuration file. This is useful if you create a configuration override (.xrcfg) file and want to temporarily disable any cheatcodes that may be set in the default configuration file. [The Mars - Retrieve Payload from Phobos and Deimos (hard) scenario does this.]

• Added seven new recording/playback events:
  
  

  * NAV lights on/off
  * Beacon lights on/off
  * Strobe lights on/off
  * MET reset
  * Cross-feed to/from Main/RCS fuel on/off
  * Fuel dump from main, rcs, scram, and apu on/off
  * LOX dump on/off

EDIT:
The new XR versions have been publicly released; see this post for more information.

 

[communist]

this is great,cant wait for release

 

[Columbia42]

I only recently discovered the XR vessels and I must say I am thoroughly impressed by every aspect of them and I'm looking forward to the release.

 

[jarmonik]

Everything seems to be working well here. I made a test run of the new Retrieve Payload from Phobos and Deimos (hard) scenario and it's great. The reentry is the most challenging part. I failed it during the first attempt but managed to get on a pad during a second attempt.

 

[dbeachy1]

Yeah, tell me about it -- reentry is tricky! :lol: Thanks for helping test these builds, mate! :tiphat:

New builds with a few tweaks are scheduled to go public tomorrow.

 

[dbeachy1]

Public XR versions released

Hi all,

The new XR versions have been released. Here is the list of changes since the Release Candidate builds:

• Tweaked the base distance precision on the surface HUD depending on distance in order to make it easier to read:
  

    < 1 km:    n.# meters
    < 10 km:   n meters
    < 100 km:  n.## km
    < 1000 km: n.# km
    else:      n km

• Added a few minor flight manual tweaks.

• Fixed SCRAM diffuser temperature readout becoming transparent when overheated (bright white text) under the D3D9 client.

• Disabled SCRAM engine damage during replays (reported by Quintuss).

Note: for reasons of its vastly-improved performance under Windows 7 and Vista use of the D3D9 Graphics Client is highly recommended. Be sure to uncheck the "GDI Compatibility" box in video options as well since that option is unnecessary and decreases performance and visual quality (GDI compatibility mode is incompatible with 4x multisampling [anti-aliasing]).

As always, you can get the latest XR releases from my Web page. Happy flying!

 

[kwan3217]

You only criticize what you care about, so please take this in the spirit in which it is intended.

Please oh please oh please turn off the "safety" feature for attitude hold bank. While I can and have successfully entered and landed using attitude hold as-is, I had to raise the nose a lot more than I wanted at parts, where I would have rather banked more. For instance, let's say I am coming in to Cape Canaveral and I have a large cross-range to overcome. The way things are set up now, I have to decide between using less lift to keep from skipping off the atmosphere and back into space, or more lift to get the cross-range capability I need. If I could bank to 80deg or more, I wouldn't have to choose. I could take high-lift, but direct more of it sideways. Preferably there would be no limit. I know that the space shuttle for instance often banks to 80deg during its reentry, even on the nominal trajectory.

As far as I can tell, it looks like you have to disable attitude hold to get from 60deg to 120deg, but doing this during an entry is downright dangerous, and even then, there is no way to get 80deg. Am I doing something wrong?

Also, something weird is going on in the transition through about mach 5, but I don't have any details yet, so I can't report a bug yet. It might even be my own fault. Can you publish your tables of drag and lift coefficients vs mach number and angle of attack?

 

[dbeachy1]

You can decrease (i.e., effectively disable) the safety feature by editing the MaxAttitudeHoldNormal cheatcode setting in your XR configuration file:

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
# ATTITUDE HOLD: Maximum AOA/pitch and bank that can be held when the other 
# axis is set to a non-zero target; the default is 60 degrees.
# This must be evenly divisible by 5!
#
# WARNING: increasing this value could cause the autopilot to get confused
# under certain conditions.
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[COLOR="Red"]MaxAttitudeHoldNormal=90[/COLOR]

If you set MaxAttitudeHoldNormal to 90 you should be able to roll right through the safety zone. [Note, however, that the attitude hold autopilot may have trouble holding a bank outside normal limits (between +/- 60 degrees and +/- 120 degrees) depending on the pitch.]

As far as flipping the ship while staying inside the safety limits, all you need to do is disable attitude hold momentarily while increasing bank from +/-60 to +/-120 degrees and vice-versa.

 

[Robsoie]

Note: for reasons of its vastly-improved performance under Windows 7 and Vista use of the D3D9 Graphics Client is highly recommended. Be sure to uncheck the "GDI Compatibility" box in video options as well since that option is unnecessary and decreases performance and visual quality (GDI compatibility mode is incompatible with 4x multisampling [anti-aliasing]).

I have a question about as i use the DX7 version of Orbiter and not the DX9 client because i use some addons that are not compatible with it.

Am i going to run into troubles with the new XR "D3D9-Ready" releases while playing with DX7 and should i just keep using the XR version i have instead ?

 

[dbeachy1]

Don't worry, the new XR versions run just fine under the default DX7 version of Orbiter.

 

[Robsoie]

Thank you, running to the download button then

 

[communist]

are your servers running well because i cannot achieve a 50Kb/s download
other downloads work fine,so im confused

 

[jarmonik]

I had a similar problem in download. It took almost 2 hours to download.

 

[dbeachy1]

Hmm, odd: sometimes international downloads run slowly from my site for some reason. FWIW, it's hosted by godaddy.com. I just did a test download and it ran at 15-20 megabits-per-second, so it seems fine now, at least from here. [I've never had a problem here, but I'm in the US. Godaddy.com's servers are in Phoenix, AZ I believe.]

 

[jarmonik]

I just attempted to download it again and I still got about 15Kb/s. It's been like that since the release of release candidates. But I don't recall having a download problems like this from your site before.

 

[orb]

I noticed when I downloaded them yesterday that they were downloading longer than usually, but only about twice as long as I had for previous release.

I tested it just now, and the zip packaged XR vessels have been downloading for me with 260 KB/s average speed. What's more, either single or all 3 vessels downloaded in parallel have had around 260 KB/s each (so not limited by server bandwidth, but limited per connection).

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Possible bug, In the XR1 virtual cotpit, the fuel gages are missing the fuel level needle for me. im running the Version 1.9 and D3D9Client RC26 I've tested it under RC27 as well, still not there.

Ive attached a screenshot of it, if it helps.

 

[dbeachy1]

Yeah, that's a known issue, no fix is scheduled. That gauge texture is still the default DG gauge background texture, and the XRs use custom fuel gauges which won't fit in the texture space there. Good catch, though. :tiphat:

 

[Scav]

Oh WOW!

I am TOTALLY digging the new exhaust textures!

:thumbup:

 

[ProAuroraX]

Hi Dbeachy1, Coolhand, I have a problem with the new XR-2. The VC is in grayscale and there is an Altea logo on the right rudder and nothing on the left rudder. i did another installation with a fresh copy of orbiter and a fresh copy of the XR-2. Still Same thing. any ideas?