Project Improvements to Soyuz TMA add-on

[MajorTom]

Orbinauts,

I find myself using Soyuz TMA frequently, even though it is (perhaps like its real-life counterpart) not very "sexy." But, I submit that it is an extremely important spacecraft, and might soon be one of the only manned spacecraft around. It has long seemed a pity that its Orbiter incarnation is good not great, with all the wonderful development work going into ISS, Space Shuttle, and even the R-7 rocket. Soyuz TMA is not even in the list of recommended add-ons. (However, neither are Mustard's Soyuz rocket series or Baikonur launch site...which ought to be, IMO.)

I've been in touch with David Henderson, who wrote the DLL for Soyuz TMA and published the add-on. He's cool with tweaks, provided that the new source code is included with any subsequent version published. And he believes the mesh to be gifted to the public domain by Jason Benson, provided he's given credit when his stuff is used.

Since the door is open to my "fixing up" Soyuz TMA, let me propose the following program of changes:

Phase 1: Cosmetic fixes.
Improve some the meshes and textures to add missing detail, make the untextured parts look cleaner and nicer. My list includes:

• Attachment between the modules. Currently, the top of the re-entry module is a smooth, featureless dome, rather than a metal hatchway and coaming / seal. Similarly, there is nothing on the Orbital module side...it's a sharp-edged hole and you can see daylight through it the instant you jettison it. (See pix below)
• Better-looking parachute shrouds. Today what you see is a transparent gray cone and not parachute lines.
• The top and bottom parts of the solar panels look different in reality. Here, they're the same top and bottom.
• The solar panel hardware doesn't look quite right to me, especially where it attaches to the service module. I might not be able to change this until I can work on the DLL (see below).
• Antennae and such look like "sooty styrofoam" due to the way the materials were defined. I've got a pretty good program for making meshes so I can clean that up.
• The original "skin" textures for the outside of the whole Soyuz TMA are very dark. I don't need to make the textures lighter because "moe" has already done that here: [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3347"]Soyuz TMA replacement textures[/ame] However, I might seek to tweak these further to improve realism even more, as I see later model TMA's with slightly different colors here and there. For example, orange-colored wire harness covers going from SM to the OM, past the RM.

Phase 2: Tweak the DLL.
If I can get my compiler working again over the holiday break, I will begin work on:

• More realistic re-entry charactersistics, such as "lifting" re-entry. Currently it does an approximation of "ballistic" re-entry, which some might consider a failure (although there are those here who would say it's just a fall-back mode and not a failure at all). Regardless, I want lifting reentry, since it's available on the real Soyuz.
• Animated engine covers, tweaked animation for the solar panels.
• Add some attitude thruster control to the re-entry module. Today, once the other modules are jettisoned, the RM has no control...it might as well be a helpless bucket in space.
• UMMU. UMMUFA is great, but I'd like to put in UMMU natively.
• Have heat shield fall off / landing thrusters engage just before landing.
• Replace clean and pretty RM texture with scorched and burned one, just after re-entry flames start dying down.

Some work so far:
RM.jpg
OB.jpg

Anyone interested? Comments? Requests?

 

[razgriz31m]

nice!

 

[garyw]

I use the TMA a lot and your list sounds perfect. Yes, very interested!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Maybe you could add systems like fuel transfer, etc, like in the Progress by No Matter.

And possibly an interior?

This would be great to use with the ISSU project

 

[garyw]

I didn't think the real Soyuz could do a fuel transfer?

Besides, you can already do that with FuelMFD.

 

[DaveS]

I didn't think the real Soyuz could do a fuel transfer?

It can't. The Progress has a special propellant module which replaces the Descent Module on the Progress. No such thing on the Soyuz.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aah yes - sorry - forgot Soyuz doesn't resupply

But other systems/animations like in No Matter's progress would be useful.

And I believe Unussapiens has already started work on a Soyuz DM interior:

-----Post Added-----


Some good Soyuz textures:

 

[unussapiens]

I really should post some more screenies of what I've done, most of the outside is textured now (Just a few more details to go, like the insignia on the OM).

 

[MajorTom]

I really should post some more screenies of what I've done, most of the outside is textured now (Just a few more details to go, like the insignia on the OM).

Hello unussapiens,

Are you making a complete Soyuz add-on, or just meshes/textures? Any way we can coordinate?

 

[Woo482]

if you add UMMU can you make it so you can still take UMMU's out after landing ?

 

[eveningsky339]

if you add UMMU can you make it so you can still take UMMU's out after landing ?

That's a piece of cake to do. Well, except for tweaking the airlock so that your ummu's don't fall and die... But otherwise not hard.

 

[MajorTom]

That's a piece of cake to do. Well, except for tweaking the airlock so that your ummu's don't fall and die... But otherwise not hard.

Maybe...we should have the Soyuz land on its side (as it often does) which would lower the airlock to just a meter or so off the ground...

 

[eveningsky339]

Maybe...we should have the Soyuz land on its side (as it often does) which would lower the airlock to just a meter or so off the ground...

Good idea. You would not believe how many poor ummu's have died because of my rookie airlock mistakes. Poor folks just couldn't handle the 3 meter drop...

 

[n122vu]

Glad you are doing this! I've been hoping someone would have a chance to update the Soyuz. Can't wait to see the result.

Regards,
n122vu

 

[Unstung]

That is a nice plan, to improve a good idea (the original add-on) and simply make it better.

 

[unussapiens]

At the moment I would like to continue working on the TMA on my own, but I would be more than happy to take suggestions. I plan on making all the models as accurate as possible, and I also plan on writing a dll with as much accuracy as possible (hopefully even systems simulations eventually).

Two more things:
-It will be compatble with ISSU
-It will have UMMU

 

[n122vu]

Just stumbled across a question on another thread, and it made me want to ask it as well.

What ever became of the Oktober Sky project, of which the goal was to create new Soyuz, TMA, & related addons? Is that project now dead?

 

[MajorTom]

I've no idea about October Sky, and not going to hold my breath. Might as well work on any needed Soyuz add-ons now.

Similarly, I also heard about an upcoming Salyut 6 from "No Matter" (of the Francophone community). But that one seems also be delayed. So I went ahead and developed a fairly polygon-intensive "spacecraft3" Salyut 6 model, with animations, plus a bunch of scenarios. But I haven't released it yet...wanted to add more scenarios and do some decent documentation just this once :lol:

I'm of the philosophy "life is short, work on your own add-on now, even if another (and probably better) version is already being worked on by another developer." This is mainly because I'm not out to impress or overawe anyone with my add-ons. They're mainly for my own learning experience. When they turn out decent, I release them. Heck, I've made at least half a dozen add-ons I never released for one reason or another.

So unussapiens, yes, please keep at your new SoyuzTMA. I look forward eagerly to downloading it!

Meanwhile I will in my own way attempt this clean-up of the old SoyuzTMA, mainly for my own grins.

Happy developing~~

 

[EliNaut]

Everything sounds good Major Tom - keep up the good work, I look forward to it!

 

[unussapiens]

@Major Tom: Fair enough, I hope you have fun, I know I will.

As far as I'm concerned, the more addons available the better, and people can choose whichever one they prefer.