Project Mir station complex / UR-500 family

[N_Molson]

Also found a whole set of "Soviet fonts", most are even "free for commercial use" :

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So that the big numbers displayed on the rings will look better.

 

[MaxBuzz]

so far, a pitiful light escapes from the engine

 

[N_Molson]

Don't worry about those, I can write a simple module that will manage those effects in little time. I have "templates" from other projects so no problem ! Documentation / Meshing / Texturing takes me like 97.5% of the time I spend on add-ons ? Animations can take some time but unless it is very complex its not that bad. And I recently figured out the maths (thanks @asbjos, @Face ) on thrust vectoring, which is quite a breakthrough for me.

What could take a lot of time would be to implement "features" or subsystems management. EVAing a cosmonaut would be easy but something like UMmu that records and track its "identity" and "vitals" is much harder. I got Sun tracking-panels and basic electrical simulation working years ago, along with a couple of other systems (thermal management, life support) when I worked on the "Russian Lunar Lander" back in the days.

Something like basic crew transfer and using Progress cargo ships to "refill" Mir modules life support consumables is something I can do.

 

[N_Molson]

Done with the staircases and their handrails !

 

[N_Molson]

Got the "Soviet font" into Blender, looks better. Also mostly done with the rings, started to work on the platform.

 

[MaxBuzz]

engine light is already better

 

[N_Molson]

I'd try particle streams, I don't think such small engines emit a bright light. Also it will be better to simulate the "overexpanded" exhaust gases.

 

[MaxBuzz]

Orientation motors in action

 

[N_Molson]

Nice pic, yes looks like gases are hot enough to be ionized near the exhaust, but they quickly grow into a cloud (because in vacuum there's nothing to contain the flame shape we have on Earth). The yellow/brown tint is quite consistent with N2O4/UDMH. On the Soyuz / Progress pics its more like the Sun make the small particles that are in the exhaust stream glitter and shine. Not easy to simulate, would take a graphic client update Also a lot of overexposure, the spacecraft itself is like glowing on those pics, that's a contrast issue.

 

[N_Molson]

There's a little steel village on that platform, if it was on tires or tracks it could be some kind of Mad Max rolling town :

 

[MaxBuzz]

learned to make steam

 

[N_Molson]

Yes you're on the right way ! Now what you want to do is to boost the "growth" parameter, so that the cloud expands more like on the picture you posted. My advice is to keep the exhaust velocity relatively low, between 20 and 40 meters / second, thats the way I get the best results.

 

[4throck]

A small fast cloud would be a good approximation. It dissipates almost instantly.
This video is a good reference:

At around 3:38 you can clearly see multiple RCS jets firing

 

[N_Molson]

A small fast cloud would be a good approximation. It dissipates almost instantly.

Yes but given how the ParticleStream function works in Orbiter, I'd say :

• slow/medium exhaust velocity (else it won't work well)
• high growth rate (expansion in vacuum)
• low "lifetime" ("dissipates almost instantly")
• some randomness (but not too much)

 

[MaxBuzz]

(main engine) do not know how the orbiter will behave with two motors standing at an angle working simultaneously. so the engine is one (in the center) and two smoke
also the question remains how to make smoke at an angle

 

[GLS]

(main engine) do not know how the orbiter will behave with two motors standing at an angle working simultaneously. so the engine is one (in the center) and two smoke
also the question remains how to make smoke at an angle
View attachment 24914

If the engine setup is symmetrical (i.e., position and direction) then it should work fine.
Then just add a particle stream to each engine and that should be it.

BTW, the particle streams are IMO way too big. Initial size should match the nozzle size, and maybe a quarter of the duration should be enough. You need to balance how the eyes would see it in the daytime (little or nothing at all), and in the night (a lot), and also the graphics performance of it all (more/longer plumes = less FPS).

 

[N_Molson]

(main engine) do not know how the orbiter will behave with two motors standing at an angle working simultaneously. so the engine is one (in the center) and two smoke
also the question remains how to make smoke at an angle

If you are using Vessel Builder, you should ask in the dev thread, Fred is quite reactive and helpful. Can't help you there, I don't use that (great tool), I prefer to go with Visual Studio because I don't want critical dependancies in my addons.

 

[N_Molson]

Getting there with the tower, platform is getting done. I'll have to add one cranes or two on the top.

 

[N_Molson]

Aft section of the platform mostly done, the ugly black triangles on the lower stairs sides should hopefully show a wire mesh texture in Orbiter. Those stairs are the main access to the platform and superstructure, the bottom step is quite close from the ground. Those are much "easier" stairs, larger with a slope that seems to be only like 30°, so that older officials can climb and take a pic with the workers

 

[MaxBuzz]

I completely figured out the engine system (by the way, the main engines work as expected)