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DC-8 50 series update

Michael2 said:
Looking back at my code now, I have a hard time deciphering what I did. Some of it has to do with moving the trim handles, which is not what would interest you. But it looks like the essence of it was to create a local variable for the trim. The default key or button presses are captured and used to increment the local variable in the desired amount which is then written to the A variable. The trim indicator in the VC shows the local value as it will move smoothly. The A value might ratchet back and forth. I can post the code if you like. I think I tinkered with the amount of increment until holding the trim key down gave 1' per second or whatever the real value was according the manual.
Click to expand...

It can't hurt to post the code, spaghetti as it may be. Can you create a thread in the "Gauges" forum?
Maybe it's less confusing as you think it is. Or it'll inspire me to create my own solution.
 
Here is a new screenshot showing the glare shield florescent lighting turned on. It can be switched off independently of the instrument and panel back lighting. Development has been slowed a little by my decision to abandon Blender internal rendering for VC texture baking. I am able to get much better results with Cycles baking and have redone many of the VC textures. I would have saved a lot of time had I done this from the start. I wasted so much time trying to get Blender internal baking to do things its not at all suited to do.

I also seem to have run out of usable visibility tags, as there are so many indicator lights. I have got the point where even just one more tagged part will cause graphics corruption. I guess I will have to replace some indicator lights with $VC type gauges or find some other way to reduce the use of visibility toggles.

32030355290_64a5fb06b0_o.jpg
 
I'm falling in love with this throttlelevers!! They are so sweet!!:mischievo

How are you doing with programming??

Edi
 
Here is a new screenshot in P3D with cockpit shadows turned off. Most materials are properly defined now and you will note the working radar. Of course it shouldn't show terrain on the runway -- more coding needed there. I have also added miscellaneous bits of detail and some wear and tear.

32926650735_4cbcf52ede_o.jpg
 
Michael - this one is more payware quality than many others. Especially the interior is reference! I will buy it for sure, even if my interest is flying military.
 
Hi Michael,

Looks superb... Is that your own INS or the one that freeware one was made years ago ?

Regards,
Scott
 
The INS is by Tom Aguiló. The functionally is essentially the same as the Simufly freeware one, and of course the real thing. The main difference is that waypoints can be entered simply by loading a standard flight plan (or manually if the user so desires). It was not possible to use the Simufly model with a 3D interface, although I gather a new version will be coming out soon that will allow developers to do that.
 
If you're using XMLTools, don't forget a script to save and load those L: vars that are used as inputs (e.g. for switches). This is one of my pet peeves with many a payware aircraft since they all want to be the most complex of the most realistic, yet hardly any developer even spends half a thought on what happens if a user receives a CTD or wants to restart the simulator for approach (to prevent OOM crashes). Please don't be one of them.
If you need help with such a script, holla.
 
There is a dll that on saving a flight will save the values of various L:vars listed in a config file. When the saved flight is loaded, so are the specified values.
 
Michael2 said:
There is a dll that on saving a flight will save the values of various L:vars listed in a config file. When the saved flight is loaded, so are the specified values.
Click to expand...

Excellent; thanks.

(Is that .dll courtesy of Tom's of Robbie's?)
 
Without getting into long explanations, I can't say at present where the dll comes from.

Tank configuration is a problem with saved panel states. Tanks are selected when the aircraft initiates and that has to be delayed a few seconds because the sim selects default tanks itself momentarily after the aircraft loads the first time. (It took me a long time to figure out why the tank selection wasn't working when the aircraft was first loaded, but would work, if I simply re-loaded it.) So if tank selection were to be saved and loaded, it would still get changed back to each engine using its main tank as part of the initiation process.

On the other hand, during normal operations each engine will always draw fuel from its main tank so unless you were simulating some kind of failure or doing something weird with the fuel system at the time you saved your flight, it shouldn't be an issue.

Aside from the saving issue, the functions of the fuel panel are close to fully modelled. Cross feeding isn't implemented yet as there is no need for it without failures, although I will probably add it anyway as it will be easy to do at this point. All the normal transfers between tanks that one would normally carry out are modelled. When adding fuel, it is automatically distributed between tanks in the required manner by the fuel loader.
 
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Hey Michael, is this aircraft a continuation of MrFaosFX's DC-8 project or is it 100% yours? I remember back in his progress thread when you guys crossed paths, but wasn't sure if you ended up cooperating on it together or not. Haven't heard from Rafael for a while, I wonder how he's doing...
 
It's 100% mine. For a while our models were at about the same state and it was always helpful for me to look at Rafael's screenshots of his progress.
 
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