Idea Mercury and Gemini add-on improvements

[MJR]

That must be a lot of work. Or a skateboard. Or you can use the DGIV hover thrust. Anyway, good luck tomorrow.

 

[Saturn V]

Thanks

 

[MJR]

The umbilicals might take longer than I think. It keeps acting up. It is fine from a distance, but you can see the parts where it rotates and doesn't look all too perfect.

 

[4throck]

MJR, perhaps it might be better to use few umbilical segments (I'd go with 3) and get those to animate correctly. You mentioned 12 segments and that must be a nightmare to get moving right.
Try it with 3: one end connected to the pad, another end that comes loose from the rocket, a middle part that connects the two.
It's just a suggestion but it might help.

---------- Post added at 08:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 AM ----------

While searching for some plans for the Gemini AMU I found out that someone already has build and modeled it ! Not for Orbiter but for real. Actually, all the capsule is real ;-)
Take a look at this gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36891182@N05/

 

[MJR]

Those are some good pictures.

 

[Star Voyager]

Good news: my Vista is fixed! Bad news: no Virus protection or anything else (I also had VIP tickets for the STS-127 launch and it was scrubbed for the 5th time!). Anyway, I was just wondering how the Atlas-Agena was coming along. I'm really anxious to fly her!

 

[Saturn V]

The Atlas/Agena has been done for several years. I just never released it because I figured if I could reconfigure some old files, anybody could do it. It's simply a reconfiguration of the Atlas D from Mercury 5.0 and the Agena from Gemini 4.5 (with a purpose built launch shroud I made). There is no guidance (I tried basing one on the guidance file in Jim Williams' Ranger add-on, but it seems to have no effect). If you want to fly it into orbit, you'll have to do so manually. It's a bit dicey at first, but once I got the hang of it, I've done it several times fairly easily. The orbits tend to be lopsided, but I've been able to circularize them. I needed to make quite a few more burns than were done in reality, but it is possible. IIRC, the launch model of the Agena is somewhat simplified, and the launch shroud does not jettison once orbit is achieved. Seems to be a lot of effort for such a small return but I'm including it for the "completists" out there (the guys who want to fly missions in real-time) and want some eye candy at launch. I have an ATDA here somewhere that I'll be trying to set up in launch configuration when I have time (did it once a few years ago, so hopefully it won't be too difficult), but it's not likely to be any more functional than the Agena. Of course, you'll have the operational versions to dock with via the scenarios in the Gemini add-on.

This is all stuff I've had in my Orbiter installations for years. I'm just trying to clean-up some of them and share them with the community as I don't see any others out there. You're free to build fully operational versions if you so desire, but these are offered "as is." I just want to get the stuff off my drive and give a little something back in the bargain.

My primary aim is to offer higher detail launch pads. The Atlas/Agena is just something I'm including as an afterthought.

If you can use them and have a little fun with them, that's great. If not, that's cool too.

 

[4throck]

Yes, putting together the Atlas/Agena is straightforward, but anyway please share your version, as it looks to be a good starting point for further development (guidance, smoke and eye candy, etc etc).

I'll do some dedicated Atlas/Agena textures (I'm thinking I might have a go at Mariner 2 some time in the future, so I need the rocket ), but no point in waiting, release it and then I'll add them. It will require to duplicate meshes, so that they point to different texture files, but it's no big deal.

 

[kino_astroboy]

There is no guidance (I tried basing one on the guidance file in Jim Williams' Ranger add-on, but it seems to have no effect). If you want to fly it into orbit, you'll have to do so manually.

Is the Atlas-Agena a multistage2 rocket? If so, I can provide a guidance if you give me the ini file.

 

[Saturn V]

Is the Atlas-Agena a multistage2 rocket? If so, I can provide a guidance if you give me the ini file.

multistage, not multistage2.

---------- Post added at 07:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM ----------

MJR,

Any progress with the umbilical retraction? I'm tempted to move on & finish LC 19, but I don't want to lose track of what I was doing with these 2 in the meantime. I think I have CRAFT (Can't Remember A Frigging Thing)...

If it's getting to be an unrealistic expectation, let me know. I don't object to leaving them unanimated, or losing them altogether. I just figured it'd be cool if it were possible.

 

[MJR]

You just keep on working on something else. When I finish it I'll send you it and see if it is passable for you.

 

[Saturn V]

I'll begin finishing up the new LC19 and release that and the Agena LC14 together. Not much sense in uploading a launch pad for the Agena that doesn't have any practical application by itself.

MJR - if you're interested, I could use a hand with the gantry retraction for the Agena pad and also the gantry lowering for LC19...

Of course, if you've figured out the umbilical animations, they'd be pretty sharp too, but I'm begining to think they may be more trouble than they're worth. IDK, you'd have to tell me the answer to that one!

 

[Saturn V]

IF ANYONE OUT THERE IS WILLING AND ABLE TO ANIMATE THESE PADS, PLEASE PM ME ASAP.

Due to a lack of time (which I fully understand), MJR is unable to continue with his work on this project.

Otherwise, the pad project is likely to just wither away as in the coming weeks, my time for Orbiter will be severely curtailed due to commitments at work and if at all possible, I'd like to finish these up before then.

Thanks...

 

[kino_astroboy]

Saturn V, here are the meshes and the sounds. Enjoy! :speakcool:

 

[Saturn V]

Slight diversion from the "Pad Project" while I regroup and try to learn to animate them myself and to relieve "burn-out."

He's about 95% done. Still need to rework the reflectivity of the visor and a few small details, but...

He'll be a direct replacement for the eva mesh in the Gemini add-on.

 

[kino_astroboy]

Slight diversion from the "Pad Project" while I regroup and try to learn to animate them myself and to relieve "burn-out."

He's about 95% done. Still need to rework the reflectivity of the visor and a few small details, but...

He'll be a direct replacement for the eva mesh in the Gemini add-on.

Once again, BRAVO! :thumbup: Beautiful and accurate astronaut! Now all we need is an AMU, a tether, and a UMMU-like interface (oxygen, HUD, etc.), and we can have a realistic Gemini EVA.

 

[Sideshow]

Slight diversion from the "Pad Project" while I regroup and try to learn to animate them myself and to relieve "burn-out."

He's about 95% done. Still need to rework the reflectivity of the visor and a few small details, but...

He'll be a direct replacement for the eva mesh in the Gemini add-on.

That looks great Saturn V! I'm huge fan of Gemini and its great to see it getting some much deserved attention in Orbiter.

Just out of interest I noticed that your capsule door stayed open for the EVA. Is there a patch to fix the door closing bug when you EVA?

 

[Saturn V]

Not that I know of. My wife called me for dinner so I exited Orbiter. When I came back to it, I launched the CURRENT STATE scenario, and lo & behold, the hatch was open. I sent "Ed" out from that point.

 

[kino_astroboy]

Just out of interest I noticed that your capsule door stayed open for the EVA. Is there a patch to fix the door closing bug when you EVA?

I recently found out that the only way to fix the bug is to exit Orbiter and reload the scenario.

 

[4throck]

Cool mesh! I like the idea of replacing the astronaut meshes.

Actually, there are 2 versions already on the Gemini addon, one is very rought and the other is nicer, with the astronaut's face visible inside the helmet.
The better version is visible when on the VC. Exterior views use the basic version.
I think that with some adjustments to scale the better version could be used for both interior and exterior views.