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Erickson S-64 Aircrane anyone?

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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:16 am

Demonstration of the "wildfire" implementation.


Eventually we need to create some better visuals of the retardant on the ground. I think a shader would be well suited for this.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby abassign » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:19 am

The effects are really beautiful, but does anyone want to reproduce the inside of the helicopter?

Image
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby StuartC » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:34 am

I could give the main panel a go when I have time.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:26 pm

@StuartC, that would be awesome if you can find any time to work on it.

I just happened to take a shot of the panel from a video that looked identical to the one @abassign posted. It is on my TODO list, but low on my priority (only because of the amount of work).

I just noticed the GPS sitting on top of the dash. Anyone know if that model is available in FG, it looks like the 295? If not I'll add the 196 used in the c172p.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:52 am

Here is a demonstration of the final version of the "flexhose".

Many thanks to Thorsten for taking the time to work out the code that drives the animation.

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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby Johan G » Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:31 pm

That hose animation is quite impressive.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby abassign » Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:05 pm

Very beautifull!

I think that with this technique it is possible to have a proper animation of the cables for the gliders towing.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:12 pm

That hose animation is quite impressive.

Isn't it though!

Once again thanks to Thorsten's math skills.

I'll try to do a write up in the next newsletter highlighting a few of the details. The hose is 31 segments counting the end sniffer and they are ball and socket joints so you don't have to worry about protrusions with the more extreme angles.

I finally figured out a decent way to hack Thorsten's flexhose code to allow for a really nice, plausible swing on the initial remote drop of the sniffer head from an AGL where the head won't hit the ground.

I'm still trying to figure out how to drop it directly on the ground, but it is a little tricky because I am trying to use two entirely different animation routines to do it.

Next up is the hard docked cargo. It needs some automation setup to make it easier to deploy cargo at any position.

Then the hopefully on to the hanging cargo.

with this technique it is possible to have a proper animation of the cables for the gliders towing.

Good point. That would be nice.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:16 pm

I finally figured out a decent way to hack Thorsten's flexhose code to allow for a really nice, plausible swing on the initial remote drop of the sniffer head from an AGL where the head won't hit the ground.


In fact, the drop in this video is before I figured out a better way to tackle this. It's currently much better than what's in this video.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby abassign » Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:04 pm

wlbragg wrote in Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:16 pm:
I finally figured out a decent way to hack Thorsten's flexhose code to allow for a really nice, plausible swing on the initial remote drop of the sniffer head from an AGL where the head won't hit the ground.


Congratulations on the movie I put in the blog: https://www.facebook.com/flightgearitalia/

I promised blog readers to give the link as soon as possible to download the current version of the helicopter. I would like to please you to be able to publish the link with the current effects. I then wanted to know what the coordinates of the place where you make the flight test with the helicopter.

Thanks for collaboration :)
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:33 am

Thank you abassign,

I would like to please you to be able to publish the link with the current effects.

Keep your eyes on fgaddon, that is where it will be published as soon as some final touches are finished.

what the coordinates of the place where you make the flight test with the helicopter

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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am

Next...

This video depicts a concept I am working on that will allow virtually any type of cargo to be placed as an AI entity like you would for any AI aircraft. It will automatically index all the different types of AI you supply and bring them along to whatever airport you choose to start up in.

I'm considering a menu choice that will allow you to move the cargo's to any location you choose, the positions could be made to be persistent between sessions. Maybe I can leverage the Phi map or something like it for relocating the cargo.

Right now it is hard docked only, next I want to add suspended versions.

When finished it should be relatively easy to add a new type of cargo.

Currently this is all you have to supply for the cargo definitions. This is 3 shipping containers and a Piper Cub AI model. Note: the shipping containers code, (identical cargo), can be pared down to one submodel definition. I still have some code to work out to catch duplicate identical cargo and process handling functions.

In a submodel.xml
Code: Select all
   <submodel>
       <name>Shipping Container 1</name>
       <model>Models/shipping-container-big.xml</model>
       <trigger>controls/release-cargo1</trigger> 
       <speed>0</speed>
       <repeat>false</repeat>
       <delay>0</delay>
       <count>1000</count>
      <x-offset>-2.5</x-offset>
      <y-offset>0</y-offset>
      <z-offset>-11</z-offset>
       <yaw-offset>0</yaw-offset>
       <pitch-offset>0</pitch-offset>
      <buoyancy>0</buoyancy>
       <cd>0.6</cd>
       <eda>160</eda>
      <weight>2000</weight>
       <life>100</life>
      <!--wind>true</wind-->
      <impact>true</impact>
       <impact-reports>/ai/models/ballistic/impact</impact-reports>
   </submodel>

   <submodel>
       <name>Shipping Container 2</name>
       <model>Models/shipping-container-big.xml</model>
       <trigger>controls/release-cargo2</trigger> 
       <speed>0</speed>
       <repeat>false</repeat>
       <delay>0</delay>
       <count>1000</count>
      <x-offset>-2.5</x-offset>
      <y-offset>0</y-offset>
      <z-offset>-11</z-offset>
       <yaw-offset>0</yaw-offset>
       <pitch-offset>0</pitch-offset>
      <buoyancy>0</buoyancy>
       <cd>0.6</cd>
       <eda>160</eda>
      <weight>2000</weight>
       <life>100</life>
      <!--wind>true</wind-->
      <impact>true</impact>
       <impact-reports>/ai/models/ballistic/impact</impact-reports>
   </submodel>

   <submodel>
       <name>Shipping Container 3</name>
       <model>Models/shipping-container-big.xml</model>
       <trigger>controls/release-cargo3</trigger> 
       <speed>0</speed>
       <repeat>false</repeat>
       <delay>0</delay>
       <count>1000</count>
      <x-offset>-2.5</x-offset>
      <y-offset>0</y-offset>
      <z-offset>-11</z-offset>
       <yaw-offset>0</yaw-offset>
       <pitch-offset>0</pitch-offset>
      <buoyancy>0</buoyancy>
       <cd>0.6</cd>
       <eda>160</eda>
      <weight>2000</weight>
       <life>100</life>
      <!--wind>true</wind-->
      <impact>true</impact>
       <impact-reports>/ai/models/ballistic/impact</impact-reports>
   </submodel>

   <submodel>
       <name>Cub</name>
       <model>Models/cub.xml</model>
       <trigger>controls/release-cargo4</trigger> 
       <speed>0</speed>
       <repeat>false</repeat>
       <delay>0</delay>
       <count>1000</count>
      <x-offset>-2.5</x-offset>
      <y-offset>0</y-offset>
      <z-offset>-11</z-offset>
       <yaw-offset>0</yaw-offset>
       <pitch-offset>0</pitch-offset>
      <buoyancy>0</buoyancy>
       <cd>0.6</cd>
       <eda>160</eda>
      <weight>2000</weight>
       <life>100</life>
      <!--wind>true</wind-->
      <impact>true</impact>
       <impact-reports>/ai/models/ballistic/impact</impact-reports>
   </submodel>


In the model.xml
Code: Select all
   <model>
      <path>Models/shipping-container-big.xml</path>
      <name>shipping-container-big</name>
        <condition>
             <or>
               <property>sim/model/cargo1-onhook</property>
            <property>sim/model/cargo2-onhook</property>
            <property>sim/model/cargo3-onhook</property>
         </or>
        </condition>
        <offsets>
         <x-m>-2.5</x-m>
         <y-m>0</y-m>
         <z-m>-3.85</z-m>
            <pitch-deg>0</pitch-deg>
        </offsets>
    </model>

    <animation>
      <type>noshadow</type>
      <object-name>shipping-container-big</object-name>
      <condition>
        <not>
         <or>
               <property>sim/model/cargo1-onhook</property>
            <property>sim/model/cargo2-onhook</property>
            <property>sim/model/cargo3-onhook</property>
         </or>
        </not>
      </condition>
    </animation>

   <model>
      <path>Models/cub.xml</path>
      <name>cub</name>
        <condition>
          <property>sim/model/cargo4-onhook</property>
        </condition>
        <offsets>
         <x-m>-2.5</x-m>
         <y-m>0</y-m>
         <z-m>-3.85</z-m>
            <pitch-deg>0</pitch-deg>
        </offsets>
    </model>

    <animation>
      <type>noshadow</type>
      <object-name>cub</object-name>
      <condition>
        <not>
          <property>sim/model/cargo4-onhook</property>
        </not>
      </condition>
    </animation>


In a standard AI scenario.xml in fgdata
Code: Select all
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<PropertyList>
   <scenario>
      <description>
         "Thanks to Moyes Dragonfly, Flug's Bombable and Vivian's Ballistic for inspiration and code base."
          Haul cargo with the AirCrane.
      </description>
      <entry>
         <!-- callsigns need to be distinct if multiple cargos are used, but always cargo[#]-->
         <callsign>cargo1</callsign>
         <type>aircraft</type>
         <model>Aircraft/AirCrane/Models/shipping-container-big.ac</model>
         <flightplan>cargo1.xml</flightplan>
         <repeat>1</repeat>
      </entry>
      <entry>
         <callsign>cargo2</callsign>
         <type>aircraft</type>
         <model>Aircraft/AirCrane/Models/shipping-container-big.ac</model>
         <flightplan>cargo2.xml</flightplan>
         <repeat>1</repeat>
      </entry>
      <entry>
         <callsign>cargo3</callsign>
         <type>aircraft</type>
         <model>Aircraft/AirCrane/Models/shipping-container-big.ac</model>
         <flightplan>cargo3.xml</flightplan>
         <repeat>1</repeat>
      </entry>
      <entry>
         <callsign>cargo4</callsign>
         <type>aircraft</type>
         <model>Aircraft/AirCrane/Models/cub.ac</model>
         <flightplan>cargo4.xml</flightplan>
         <repeat>1</repeat>
      </entry>
   </scenario>
</PropertyList>


And last, a standard flightplan.xml also in fgdata. I think you could get away with just one flightplan as it really is only used to position the cargo on startup. It gets moved immediately anyway so the starting location is also irrelevant.
Code: Select all
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<PropertyList>
   <flightplan>
      <wpt>
         <name>END</name>
         <lat>37.771</lat>
         <lon>-96.823</lon>
         <alt>-9999.000000</alt>
         <ktas>0</ktas>
         <on-ground>1</on-ground>
      </wpt>
        <wpt>
            <name>END</name>
        </wpt>
   </flightplan>
</PropertyList>


I posted the concept in order to have more brainpower looking at this. Maybe there is a better way to do this. I settled on this method though because it utilized existing features such as the AI system and the ballistics code, it's simple to set up cargos and the cargo hauling is frame rate friendly.

I considered piggybacking on the glider tow system but there would be considerable modification and additions to it tho make this work.

With a little more effort (more code) this actually could transport any "real time" AI aircraft in real time. It would require some code optimization to allow for "real time" transportation of AI aircraft as my first attempt produced teleporting. As written now it uses a combination of AI scenario models and ballistic submodels. Actually it is the same model for both.

Anyway, here is a proof of concept.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby J Maverick 16 » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:38 am

Wow that's dark magic ;)
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:16 pm

For those interested, the "Pumping and Dropping System" (PDS), otherwise referred to as the "Fire Suppression System" (FSS) is now available in fgaddon. It seems I am not the only one struggling with a good name for this equipment. It is multipurpose so for now it makes sense to call it the PDS system. That seems to cover its purpose.

Next up is the cargo hauling, I'm pretty happy with the hard docked cargo towing capability as of now, but still have some code refinement.
I'm also still contemplating a completely different approach to the mechanics of how the payload is represented while being towed. Currently it is as a submodel with ballistic capability which isn't really necessary as most cargo transport isn't dropped but more gently set down. If I make this real-time towing. as in updating the AI object position in real-time VS using a submodel, then if I want to keep ballistic effects then that will have to be added back into the code. However that make other aspects much easier as far as the payload needing to be only one AI model introduced into the scenario framework and not having to also add the submodel portion.

By the way, my house is positioned at the 93% totality area of the solar eclipse happening right now here in North America. I'm trying to get some photos using a jury rigged sun filter. If any turn out worth posting, I'll provide a link.
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Re: Erickson S-64 Aircrance anyone?

Postby wlbragg » Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:14 am

Here is a preview of the progress in the cargo hauling capability of the AirCrane. I spent a bit of time on it over the last few days refactoring and cleaning up the code. I managed to eliminate the need for ballistic submodels. I still can't move the AI model in real-time, it is just too slow. However eliminating the need for a ballistic submodel streamlined the code quit a bit.

An added feature is the ability to position cargo with the mouse or using the AirCrane. All cargo can be flagged to be persistent so when moved by either the mouse or the helicopter it will stay positioned where you left it, even upon a restart. With a click of the mouse you can move cargo from any location in the world to your immediate location.

Next up, implementing hanging cargo.

Note: When the video goes black because I exit the sim, wait until the sim re-starts. This is the demonstration of the persistence of the cargo after being moved by the helicopter.

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