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Diamond DA42-VI updates

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Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby iamzac » Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:00 pm

I made some small updates to the existing Diamond DA42-VI from the fgmembers repository.
Here is the download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kexmdyjlzhc7d2u/Diamond-Da42.zip?dl=0
And here are screenshots with the updated version: https://imgur.com/a/xD3HK

Updates description:

1) Current version has the performance too low compared to the new VI version (http://www.diamondaircraft.com/aircraft/da42/) so I made it go faster.
Unfortunately I don't know yet how to only increase the speed at high altitude so now it goes slightly faster than it should at low altitudes and slower than it should at high cruise altitude so somewhere in between it has the perfect speed :)
In the future I (or somebody else) might try to tweak it further for example by using a supercharged engine (my first attempts where not very successful).
These updates have no connection with my previous jsbsim model for the same plane from about 2 years ago which I have unfortunately lost.

2) Current version only had 50 gal of fuel capacity but the real plane can have a maximum capacity of 79.4 gal so I increased to about 80. The real plane can not use 3 gal but it also probably uses less fuel than the simulated yasim one (because it's diesel and yasim doesn't know that) so I hope it's close to reality (I didn't test the range yet).
Also current model used Avgas and I changed to Jet fuel since that is what this diesel model uses.

3) The real plane looks white and shiny but current liveries look slightly gray and a bit matte so I increased the contrast and saturation of the blue and red liveries and made a small change to how the engines look in the green one.

4) The most obvious update for which I have posted the screenshots is that I updated its looks by adding the new ALS effects (http://wiki.flightgear.org/ALS_technical_notes):

-New rain effect for the windshield visible from inside and outside. To tweak the rain drops flow use nasal\rain.nas and try new values.

-Inside shadows and irradiance on everything including all buttons, chairs, levers and human models. To implement this and other features I have changed many files, for every tiny button so someone should check if I didn't broke something.

-Shiny fuselage with reflections and rain effects. I am not completely happy with the new effect because the real model is white and shiny but this one is slightly metallic and shiny and I don't know how to make it white. The old version was white (and if your shaders for the model are at the minimum it will still be white) but it had no shine and no reflections.

-Reflections in the windshield for the inside and the outside. Since I am not good with 3d or 2d graphical editing I used the C172 cubemaps which is very close in size and window arrangement but someone who knows how to make new cubemaps for the shadow and the reflections should make them if they want.

-I changed the interior textures because in screenshots the interior seems to be covered usually in light brown leather or leather imitation so I tried to imitate that as best as I could while keeping the current 3d models because I don't know how to change them. Maybe changing the seats with others more similar to the real model would be good but I didn't found any. Also I tried to change the passengers (because they all look like clones) by using models from the generic folder but I don't know how, I only managed to transfer a head in one of my attempts :)

I am not using Rembrandt because it doesn't work with ALS and I have understood it's no longer maintained so I have no idea how my changes affected the Rembrandt version.

I have also contacted the original author, Helijah in case he (or who is responsible) wants to merge the changes in the main repository.
I might have made mistakes so I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can fix and improve it, for me this is the first time I make so many graphical changes to a plane and I mostly made them by reading other models and lots of trial and error.
I would have liked to add fog and ice because it's easy but I don't know how this happens in a real plane so I wouldn't know if I implemented correctly or not.

It's not very likely that I will make more changes (I might try some tweaks with the supercharger but I don't know if it will work) but if I do I will post here.
I hope other people will improve this model since it's my favorite general aviation plane :)
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Johan G » Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:11 pm

Nice screenshots and good work in general. :D

iamzac wrote in Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:00 pm:I have also contacted the original author, Helijah in case he (or who is responsible) wants to merge the changes in the main repository.

A very good thing to do that some (me included :oops: ) sometimes forget.

If I know him right might have some feedback on the file structure etc. but that can be worked out, and a lot of the many, many aircraft he maintains have contributions from other as well. :D
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby iamzac » Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:26 am

New update: like I said I have added a supercharger which greatly improved the FDM.
The download link is the same.
The high speed cruise at high altitude is now very close to the actual speed (186kt at 16000ft and 92% throttle instead of 190 kt), and the speeds at low altitude have decreased but they are still more than they should be.
I have also decreased the fuel consumption but at high altitude is still a bit more than it should be.
The good part of the extra speed at low altitude is that if you target the proper speed instead of the proper throttle setting then you will probably get proper fuel consumption and range.
The stall speed seems ok.
Explanations for those who will look at the new yasim changes: the eng-power is so low in order to reduce fuel consumption, the wastegate-mp is chosen to get the right speed at high cruise altitude (16000 ft) and the turbo-mul is chosen so that after 16000 ft the speed will begin decreasing faster just like it happens with the real plane.
I don't know how to improve the FDM further, I assume that probably with a nasal script the speeds and fuel consumption could be further tweaked but for my needs it seems ok.

I have also added a new view for a rear seat passenger (he should not be on that seat when you are there :) ), I have re-enabled the ground shadow (it was already implemented but disabled, I don't know why), and in the landing light I have also put an ASL landing light... which doesn't make much difference but in case you prefer the ASL one you can disable the light cone.

I still don't know how to remove that metallic tint for the fuselage and keep it white but with reflections.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby iamzac » Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:46 pm

Helijah told me he will probably add the new FDM from this version but not the new visual ALS features.
I don't use my dropbox to host files for long period of times so make a backup somewhere in case you want this version with the ALS filters.
Remember that the shadows and reflections are actually from the Cessna 172, so they should be changed, even though it's mostly not obvious.
Helijah told me this version has some Linux bugs related to wrong capitalization of some paths but I didn't test that yet because my Linux version is 3.4 (in Linux I use the stable versions from the official Ubuntu repositories, I use the latest git version in windows) so it's not yet compatible with the new ALS filters.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Thorsten » Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:50 pm

Helijah told me he will probably add the new FDM from this version but not the new visual ALS features.


That (i.e. the aircraft maintainer rejecting a lot of work) should actually only happen with a good reason - did he explain to you why? If not, I think this ought to be discussed further on the mailing list - he doesn't 'own' the plane to the degree that he can veto all developments, especially if they can be made optional, and this isn't necessarily how we want to handle things in the project. On the other hand, it could be that there's a compelling reason for the decision. So it'd be good to know his position.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby helijah » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:44 pm

My opinion is simple. ALS removes more things than it brings. It remains a fun option for those who love the Eye Candy.
When I add something to a model that is EVERYONE benefits and not just the privileged few. I'm not here to make a FSX like.
That said, I still do not know if I would leave or not the ALS option. This increases the model for little gain.
ALS is your little pleasure and I understand that you're vexed. But it's not my problem. My Behavior is, was and will always for FlightGear and only FlightGear. Developer pleasures are no longer my problem long ago.

Well, I would come back here anymore anyway because there is no possibility of discution here. If one disagrees with the developers, the censorship work and our post disparraissent.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Thorsten » Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:28 pm

I acknowledge your dislike for my work, but I see nothing in what you write that would justify rejecting an optional development. I have therefore posted this to the mailing list for opinions on how to proceed - I'd like to give you a friendly reminder that the plane is GPL licensed, which means that anyone with FGAddon access can commit reasonable developments, not only you :-)
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby helijah » Thu Apr 14, 2016 2:00 am

Thorsten

As I said, I did not "reject" the SLA options on the DA 42 (although your answers and methods pushes me to do so).

For the rest you're right. Moreover I will become FG developer and completely edit and delete your additions because I think it's better! ...... You want isn't it ? No ! Of course.
Yet this is GPL. Everyone can do what he wants from what you say !

Ah can be a difference. Personally I respect the work of others. Even I disagree with this work, I respect him.

"FGsrc access can commit reasonable developments, not only you :-)" Caution, every sentence can turn against its author!
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Thorsten » Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:48 am

Personally I respect the work of others.


I can frankly see little of that - both in your reply to me or to iamzac.

Moreover I will become FG developer and completely edit and delete your additions because I think it's better! .


I think you don't understand the difference between an optional addition to something, an edit and a deletion. I suspect for that very reason alone, it's unlikely you'll become an FG developer. For the record, nobody has proposed to delete your work - we're talking about an addition which you even won't notice.

Caution, every sentence can turn against its author!


*yawn* If you seriously think that it never happened that anyone edited or changed any of my work, take a look into the commit logs. It's part of life in a GPL project, get used to it.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Thorsten » Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:02 am

@iamzac: I hope that there will emerge a consensus between you and helijah eventually about what gets committed, as this would be much preferable for everyone, but should this eventually turn out to be impossible, I can commit your version as a variant of the plane.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Johan G » Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:52 am

@all: Some kind of consensus is most probably always better.

@Helijah
Though I am a bit biased (since I nearly always use ALS even though I have a weak computer*), I would say that only the features needing the very highest shader settings would be available to only a few. In particular the combination of ALS and advanced weather look good. :)

As for the ALS visuals in the suggested contribution, maybe some users will not see them, but judging from the screenshots in the What/Where did you fly today? topics it seems many can. Similar to that some can not use Rembrandt but other can. On the other it would probably be preferable if they where specific to the aircraft. :wink:

* I have a rather old computer that was a bit weak already when I bought it (click my name to see my profile for specs), and thus sometimes have what some would call an unusable framerate. I consider 10 frames per second (fps) to be usable, and rarely if ever reaches 30 fps. Usually I have around 15-25 fps. However, using both ALS, advanced weather and random vegetation, probably costs me less 5 fps (though I set most shaders relatively low). What really do cost fps for me is the visual range (in particular with the new scenery), which I therefore have set to 10 kilometers. Unfortunately some areas, in particular Paris and Berlin is no-go zones due to the amount of models (and was so also with the older scenery).
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby helijah » Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:47 pm

Well, for last time I'll respond because I'm tired of seeing so many bad liver and words distorted by unscrupulous people.

The iamzac shadow system is based on images of C182 and not images of Da 42. It is therefore not suitable and I refuse to add. It's a shame isn't it, I do not want something that is not finished.

Then I sent to iamzac a modified version with its new FDM and visualization of drops of water system that does not use ALS, so that everyone can use. But that obviously nobody points out.

When ALS shadows are completed I add without problems. But when they are finished!

Well. So continue generating scandals unfounded, it's constructive as everyone know..
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Johan G » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:40 am

helijah wrote in Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:47 pm:The iamzac shadow system is based on images of C182 and not images of Da 42. It is therefore not suitable and I refuse to add. It's a shame isn't it, I do not want something that is not finished.

That would be the issue I had expected would be the problem, apart from any file and directory structure related issues. Quite fair decision that I can understand.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby iamzac » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:10 am

It seems that I missed part of one of the messages from Helijah about the water drops and that is what I understood.
Anyway I would rather keep any further changes I make related to flightgear for myself because it seems I keep getting myself in communication problems around here.
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Re: Diamond DA42-VI updates

Postby Richard » Fri Apr 15, 2016 5:02 am

helijah wrote in Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:47 pm:The iamzac shadow system is based on images of C182 and not images of Da 42. It is therefore not suitable and I refuse to add. It's a shame isn't it, I do not want something that is not finished.


I have a shadow kit that allows for easy creation of the shadow cubmaps using Blender to generate these images; http://chateau-logic.com/content/flight ... ubemap-kit
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