tkyler
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Posts posted by tkyler
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6 minutes ago, MANOLO said:
I suggest that plane creators include it
Thx Manolo. We'd like that too when the time is right...and we do appreciate your feedback on it, that's exactly whats needed. We want it to be in the wild a little while longer to get a broad spectrum of use cases over a variety of flights/types and are working though some logistics on getting that out eventually.
Thx again.
TK
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19 minutes ago, OneOffRegistrationUser said:
Please see below default 172, Q$XP also fine.
Doesn't really tell me everything. These objects specified for rain, are also the same ones specified for ice. The 172 has neither wiper effects or ice effects....and I can't speak to if the Q4XP does. It could be these shader for those effects, with your video card could be a strange combo. If you want to open the Q4XP....find out which object is set to "Rain Glass", then open that OBJ text file and look for the words "WIPER" and "THERMAL_source" at the top of that OBJ file....that would be a data point for debugging we would work with.
TK
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15 minutes ago, OneOffRegistrationUser said:
4B_OEM and 5B_GNS
and your 4B_GNS and 5B_OEM also? I need to know if its all variants for you, or only specific ones. That's definitnely not a rendering order bug, thats something else. All variants work fine here on my end, I can't reproduce it. May have to punt this to Laminar. I'll shoot the screenshots up the chain.
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I haven't see that myself yet. What variant are you using? and does it happen consistently (every time) and also across variants?
-tk
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45 minutes ago, Raúl Aubele said:
Would be really awesome and necessary in a turboprop
I'll definitely be putting in something for sure. Again, step 1 is get my IXEG customers in the air in V12 and then the "fun stuff" will begin...like this ice and wing flex for the MU2. Note that not all product's ice effects may be the same though. Laminar's icing effect can only be applied to four channels. The MU2, having independent heating on the left/right windshields takes up two of those channels. I elected to use the 3rd channel for the 'minor accumulation' of ice on the side window, leaving only one channel left for whatever I may use it for (if at all) The thing about Laminar's icing effect is it has a "fading animation" effect, which is great for ice accumulation / slow melting animations. I'll probably have to go the tried and true "show/hide" route for the other exterior surfaces that can ice up. This method (depending on how its implemented) cannot fade in effects, so its a bit harsher, appearing / disappearing instantly for the most part. There are ways to mitigate that, but its not the same as Laminar's smooth fading effect. So the Diamond there, probably only having one icing channel for the windshield icing, leaves the other channels for the wings, whereas I don't on the MU2. So just be aware that because one product has the icing effect implemented in 'X' way, doesn't mean that others may. As devs, we're always trying to bend X-Plane's available tech to our projects.
All that said, its important that you be able to look at the window and see ice accumulation...and I'll definitely strive to come up with something as best I can.
-tkyler
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I apologize I couldn't get to the engine stuff just yet....but there's lots of pressure to at least get these guys flying in XP12. Once that's done and folks can get a fix on some level at least....then I'm actually looking very forward to taking a breath...and start the refinement process...and indeed some fun stuffs. I'm really enjoying the work.
-tk
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Hey guys. Something came up about 10 days ago where I switched my focus to the MU2 very agressively (to the tune of multiple 12+ hour days). The result of this is the MU2 for V12 release is imminent. The time frame was aggressive enough that I could not get all of the outstanding items on my issues list into this V12 port, but did get about 80% of them done. That list of fixes and changes are now online here. These issues are in addition to the XP12 specific features like the rain and ice effects and all the new lighting.
What did not yet get addressed are the engine stuffs, the EGT and FFs yet, those are the same as now for the moment. In addition XP12.05 has mismodeled the BETA reverse IMO......it can take up to several seconds to get reverse pitch after moving the levers into reverse. Laminar has said this is fixed in 12.06, but I haven't got that version in my hands yet so I can't verify if that is the case. If not, I will work with Laminar again to rectify this.
So the plan now is to go back to the IXEG and get those customers flying in V12 asap. Going forward, I'll start looking to fine tune the engine model and performance, as well as add liveries and more fun items. If anybody is interested in making liveries, but wary of the paint kit complexity, let me know. I'm thinking about doing a video showing some advanced techniques for making liveries with Blender....but if there's no real demand, I probably won't. With the MU2 in V12...I can start to pace myself a bit more regularly and start adding more luxury features.
....and for those who are excited to see the ice effects on the windshield....good luck! I had trouble getting ice to form and spoke with Laminar about it and found its a pretty complex system. If the temp is too cold, then wet drops won't hit the window and freeze...if the wind is 'warm" that affects it also...and wind speed of course...and precip levels. X-plane, fortunately has a tool for simulating the ice for developers because getting ice to form takes just the right conditions and a fair amount of time, but the effect is in there
-tkyler
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9 hours ago, rylabics said:
could you maybe say something about approximatly when or at least where you are with the development?
I have a confession. I was approached about 10 days ago to participate in a short-notice endeavor (X-Plane related) that was tough to refuse and had me put the IXEG work on hold for this time frame....so this short delay in our original time estimate is squarely on my shoulders.....but I feel was the wiser decision for my continued work in X-Plane.
I'm back on to the IXEG tomorrow. This side endeavor will become known sometime today I suspect. The good news (hint) is that completion of this endeavor will allow me to continue on the IXEG development right after the V12 port version comes out, and not have to detour back onto any other work....and there is a bit of an 'Easter Egg' in this endeavor that reveals the two projects we plan on working on in 2024.
So we'll roll out the V12 port and I'll jump right back onto the FMS and other improvements planned for the remainder of the year. So this endeavor delays the V12 port, but moves forward the follow-on work. Those improvments (FMS, new nav data, beginnings of new 3D exterior) will take the better part of 2023 I'm sure, but we'll start that immedately after the V12 port release.
As far as time frame for the V12 port now.... I can't say exactly. we always feel "close" because all the big stuff is out of the way. My todo list largely consists of finishing the interior texturing (rear galley), putting in the wing flex and squashing Jan's list of 'mostly small' issues, that's the list.
I am dealing with 3 graduations of my kids this weekend (and family get-togethers).... and they will get my time to celebrate their achievements. I'd like to be done within 3 weeks, that's all I'll say. Will we be done in 3 weeks? I don't know. If not, I'll certainly be closer than I am today and still moving!
-tkyler
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6 hours ago, VirtualGAaviator said:
Photo avatar puts you in your 30s
yea, time for an avatar update, that's one's 14 years old....still into my early 40s at the time. Shows you how much I pay attention to that stuff...but don't want to be misleading
-tk
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10 minutes ago, Pivot said:
and I know what it stands for)
well...you know what its SUPPOSED to stand for. I'm going to let out a bit of a secret here. The whole idea of "dated" will definitely apply as I continue.....
I've mentioned wanting to do some additional projects...and no, I'm not going to spill any beans yet...not till the XP12 versions of the IXEG and MU2 are done. BUT....in doing additional projects, I'm collaborating with some other folks....and just so happens in one case, I'm collaborating with one other person....and in the other case, I'll be collaboration with TWO other people. ...and we're all over 50......SO...TOGA stands for:
in case 1: Two Old Guys Aviation (simulation)
in case 2: Three Old Guys Aviation (simulation)
So that's the back story of where TOGA came from. It just so happens (lucky for us) to be associated with aviation
TOGA, TOGA, TOGA.....
-tkyler
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51 minutes ago, sardilli said:
It sounds like the MU2 must have some kind of servo or stepper motor that physically moves the CSI needle
I believe (speculating) the CSI knob employs a "light friction clutch". See the following video: Keep on eye on the copilot HSI in the very bottom right corner of the video when he connects bus power.
You'll note both the CSI knob AND compass card move together when initially powered, but once the compass card synchronizes and stabilizes with the flux compass signal , the CSI knob then will not turn the compass card, only the CSI needle. This is the reason you use the +/- switch to adjust the HSI compass card when not operating in 'slaved' mode. There is no servo mechanism to adjust the CSI needle that I'm aware of on this HSI, it has to be moved with manual input.
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Update.....apparently the latest XP12 will have new facilites for "bus tie" modeling....but since I've already custom coded my own, I have to figure out of Laminar's default will be sufficient...and if so, I'll have to carefully cut out my own bus code without breaking anything. I'm going to wait and see what XP12 bus tie feature holds before addressing this one.
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@Graeme_77 Got this fixed! Also I noticed the manual fuel pump wasn't working either. That's been corrected also.
-tkyler
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@Graeme_77I got this mostly fixed. In the one use case where you switch the knob between ADF / VOR, then the needle won't cross the 0º to get on the newly selected bearing....so depending on the delta between the tuned ADF/VOR relative bearings at the time of knob switching, the needle may swing "the long way around", i.e. more than 180º. This specific use case constitutes a special "transition mode" that I'm not in any hurry to fix as it only rears its head for about 0.5 seconds when swapping the ADF/VOR knob position, but preserves the continuity of the animation, which I feel is important for the immersion.
-tkyler
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3 hours ago, ThorBrasil said:
Will we see cockpit improvements in the 3D model and textures in 4k PBR? Thanks!
Not for some time. The cockpit looks great in XP12, even after 13 years since its first incarnation. PBR effects are applied in several areas of the cockpit already. There is a limit to the resolution of the textures where more does not necessarily equal better and a specific balance was chosen at the onset. One thing that has not changed much over the years is monitor "dot pitch'...with a few exceptions (Apple's retina display). Having chosen a minimum distance from camera to surfaces that we consider reasonable for a good simulation experience....and also in consideration of anti-aliasing algorithms, we have found that going higher and higher resolution results in poorer detail at the nominal viewing distances and there is a 'sweet-spot' balance between resolution and anti-aliasing algorithms. Anti-aliasing gets less effective at 'too high' resolutions and you get more 'jaggies', not less. Sure, when you get the camera right up on the surfaces, they look good then, but if a real pilot had to get as equally close to a surface to see its detail, you would most certainly question his last eye exam. As such, we selected a nominal range of camera distances from surfaces for typical simming activites and developed our resolutions based on those use cases. Going any higher doesn't yield any worthwhile benefit in our experience as of yet.
I'm not saying there's not room for improvements in a few areas...but relative to other ares of the 3D, its certainly one of the better textured areas and not at the top of the list for improvement.....and we're quite proud of how good it still looks in XP12 after 13 years. Nils Danielson did an unbelievable job of texturing the cockpit, best I've ever seen to this day IMO, and those who have experienced his work and the immersion it imbues (myself included) know what I'm talking about.
We'll keep on eye on it, vs the state of the art technologically, and if there's something we feel we can do that will improve the immersion experience, we'll ceratainly put it on our wish / todo list and try and knock that out.
-tkyler
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Just reviewing all my notes for MU2 work and revisiting this thread. I've definitely gotten deeper into imgui given the IXEG work in progress (see screenshot) and will revisit these implementations you have provided to assess them for inclusion into a more feature-rich GUI. I'm keeping in the custom gyration for the near term though until I can look at the new pax/weight balance stuff and see how I might could work with that in a more refined GUI. I'm still a little bit wary of X-Plane's default rotational intertias.
-tkyler
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On 12/19/2022 at 11:54 AM, zpkarol said:
Looking forward to the fix!
I've added a new command, "xscenery/mu2b60/lift_both_power_levers_KBD"....for when using the F1/F2 keyboard throttle method. Avail next update.
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Thx @Bulva Will fix this. Looks as though (best I can tell from SPZ docs)...is the wheel is only effective when the AP is engaged also. This is somewhat in contrast to the idea of using the pitch wheel to set a pitch target without the AP engaged. (such as before takeoff, which I used to do a lot)...but engaging the AP after takeoff defaults to pitch mode anyhow so maybe this make sense as you just fly to your stable pitch desired and engage. I'll start there pending any other clarifications. At the least, I won't turn on the AP by moving the pitch wheel.
-tkyler
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On 10/3/2022 at 11:45 AM, sardilli said:
There seem to be some inconsistencies on the 4 and 5 blade GLASS versions that perhaps could be considered for the next update.
On the 4 blade GLASS version, when the #2 GNS430 CDI mode is in VOR/LOC everything works perfectly (course needle moves and digital readout changes to match). When the CDI of the #2 GNS430 is changed to GPS mode, the needle correctly slews to the DTK however the digital course readout does not update to match and the digital course readout continues to update with knob movements vs. being locked to the GPS DTK.
@sardilli hopefully I'm interpreting your concern correctly...if not I apologize for the lengthy post and we can keep working through it if need be.
First, a bit of nomenclature clarification going forward so we're on the same page.....we have the "course selector indicator/needle (I'll call it the CSI)" and the "CDI", which is the "deviation bar" that is (somewhat) slaved to the CSI mechanics. The LED window shows the numerical value of the CSI setting.
When in VOR/LOC mode, the CDI becomes active when receiving a valid terrestrial nav signal and indicates deviation from said radial. With no valid signal, it will align with the CSI. The course selector, being relevant for intercept purposes, primes the circuitry for intercept in the intended direction and the course LED value simply regurgitates the needle CSI setting.
When in GPS mode, the XTK error from the GPS path is known by the GPS and a 'proxy/emulation deviation signal' is then fed to the HSI's CDI circuit for display on the HSI. The HSI doesn't know its getting a signal from the GPS, the GPS is simply "talking the language of the HSI". This is a feature of the Garmin units...having the ability to send analog signals and 'talk to' these older nav displays, because the GNS units came out at a time when these analog instruments were ubiquitous and used as primary navigation instruments (vs Glass). When using the GPSS mode, the CSI serves no purpose for GPS DTK tracking, but is still required for intercepting a VOR/LOC while in GPSS mode (HDG mode really).. ..so you don't want it showing DTK information in GPSS mode as you need to know the CSI setting for intercepts. So the LED value never slaves to the GPS DTK value, it.....it simply provides a numerical representation of the CSI setting.
-tkyler
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On 10/6/2022 at 4:58 PM, Bulva said:
It seems to me that the "Horn Cutoff" button does not work (the animation works, you can press it, but it does not silence the beep).
@BulvaWhat were your flap settings? You can't silence the horn with flaps deflected > 5º
-tk
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On 10/3/2022 at 5:54 PM, Bulva said:
The animation of the throttle lever after starting the C&D plane remains in the back position
@BulvaDo you have the pref ("Save control positions on exit") enabled? I'm still trying to recreate this, which I'm sure is some combination of prefs/settings. Whenever I start C&D given your example condition, my "pull" dataref is already at 0.13 so it all animates fine, so I'm still trying to recreate a scenario where that dataref initializes to 0, which would cause your issue.
-tk
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On 12/27/2022 at 12:36 AM, Leviathan said:
The wheels poke ever so slightly out of the Dolly Partons when the gear is fully raised.
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1 minute ago, OneOffRegistrationUser said:
In tooks approx 2 seconds (looking on torque meters) to engage reverse and start decceleration
Thank you for the input. Yea, that reverse should be immediate....as fast as you can move the levers back, there should be no lag. I've found the pitch time to be variable...on one landing, it took over 8 seconds to reach full reverse pitch and I lost a good 900' of runway waiting for it. Hopefully we'll see an improvement in the next version of XP.
-tk
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So spoke with Laminar and as it turns out, their TPE model is off currently in this area. The 'missing piece' (for the mechanical prop-governor nerds out there) is a "recalibration of the prop governor to 105%" when in BETA mode, which guarantees that what is called an "underspeed condition" ensues. An underspeed condition then facilitates a "wide open" oil port that provides maximum oil pressure to the prop pitch control tied to the power levers. This is so you get immediate control of the prop pitch at landing for reverse...you don't want to be waiting on the delayed response of a prop governor (which is what is happening now) . X-Plane currently limits the prop governor to 100% (*cough..PT6), which keeps their code path out of the 'underspeed' state and basically "governs the prop" (with a slow response) towards reverse pitch, which isn't the way it works. In BETA, the prop governor does not influence prop pitch at all.
It worked well in XP11, but Laminar improved the TPE model in many other areas, rewriting the governor code and missed the "105% calibration" detail. So hopefull we'll see a change in the next update....but even then, unsure how well it'll perform across all regimes.
-tkyler
2.1.0. Windshield rain pixelated
in Mitsubishi Marquise MU-2 v2
Posted
This still smells of a shader issue to me. What is your graphics hardware and OS? The "reflector" object is intended to allow the rain effect to be see through transparent objects that are interior in nature, specifically the sunshades....so that is a good data point that changing that changes the output for you. I'm going to hit up Laminar to see if this has been reported elsewhere or are any known issues...but it would be nice to have your OS and graphics hardware info. Thx for reporting!
-tk