F-35 - Suggestions for further updates?

[rcbarend]

Dino,

This is a 'big ask' so please allow for my ignorance regarding the kind of work involved!

In multiplayer, it would be excellent to see the exhaust nozzle / intake doors animations of the other folks aircraft in a Peer to Peer session. I guess this would mean controlling the animations with flaps rather than tailhook / Rob's gauge systems.

Is this possible?

Regards, Dave.

No, most probably not.

The nozzle and intake door animations are calculated/controlled by contiguous, local variables.
There are no free FS axis that could be "mis-used" for this purpose, so L:vars are used; unfortunately, L:vars are not propagated in a MP-environment.
The basic intake door angle IS part of the Tailhook animation, so that should be visible in MP.

Using flaps isn't a good solution, since FS only handles 10 discrete flaps positions, so you wouldn't have a true contiguous nozzle angle control (both vertical and lateral) like now.

Regards, Rob

[airattackimages]

@richoday

That is a condensation effect I added to replicate what I saw on pictures of the real F-35 and happens at high AoA.
I believe it is legitimate, but can easily be removed (together with the high-G vapour effects) by removing the relevant .fx files, if you want to...

My vote is to keep the canopy trail effect. I've seen it in real world video.

[Dave Torkington]

Understood Rob, well... understood up to the point of L:vars not being propagated!

I wouldn't want the nozzle control compromised - it's such a beautiful control system.

Thanks and best, Dave.

[rcbarend]

Understood Rob, well... understood up to the point of L:vars not being propagated!

I wouldn't want the nozzle control compromised - it's such a beautiful control system.

Thanks and best, Dave.

Hi Dave,

I'll try to explain ...
Suppose you are flying in Multiplayer with a friend.
The aircraft you are flying on your PC is visible on your friend's PC, because your FSX sends information about the position/state/etc. of your aircraft to the FSX program on your friend's PC.
Eg: if you lower the landing gear (of which the state is maintained in your FSX in a defined FSX variable), your FSX sends this info to FSX on your friend's PC.
So the aircraft you are flying, appears visually on your friend's PC with lowered gear as well.
This works for most FSX-defined variables; but not even all.

Now, the state of local (private) variables from gauges in your aircraft, are NOT sent to your friend's PC; this is a limitation of the FSX Multiplayer environment.
Since the nozzle of your F35B on your PC is controlled and animated by a local variable (L:var) in my gauge, the FSX program on your friend's PC isn't informed about that.
So your friend sees your F35B always with the nozzle straight back (corresponding with the 0-value of that variable in FSX on your friend's PC).

Clear now ?

Best, Rob

PS. Please forgive my "English"; don't know how to explain it better
This is also the reason why many addon's with sophisticated systems won't work properly in a Multiplayer FSX environment.
In fact (but I'm not sure) it's the same reason why some animations won't work correctly in FSX Replay mode.

[Dave Torkington]

Ah! L:var's are local variables... Understood perfectly now Rob thank you.

Considering the large number of 'global' variables [if that's the correct term] used in Shared Cockpit mode, it's a real pity that more visual aircraft animations can't be communicated via. Peer to Peer too!

I'm trying to find a definitive list of these 'global' variables for a typical Peer to Peer session from the SDK.

Commonly known are:

Landing Gear
Speed Brake
Incremental Flaps
Lighting Effects
Smoke Effects
Exit Doors / Canopy Animations

There must be a more complete list somewhere I guess.

Apologies for taking this 'Off Topic' - I'm done now.. :salute:


Best regards, Dave.

[orionll]

I'm trying to find a definitive list of these 'global' variables for a typical Peer to Peer session from the SDK.

From the ESP SDK:

Event IDs: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526980.aspx
Simulation Variables: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526981.aspx

Look in the Multiplayer column.

[Dave Torkington]

Brilliant Orion - that's the ticket!

Thank you, Dave. :salute:

[ryanbatc]

When you say you removed the MFD... did you mean HMD or you really deleted the entire MFD?

[airattackimages]

He said he removed the close up view of the MFD, not the MFD itself.

[Dino Cattaneo]

@airattackimages

Correct. No changes to the cockpit layout. Just removed the specific views from the view cycle.

[familton]

@Stickshaker

Well, "no-trim" can be achieved in FSX - but requires a lot of tweaking to the .air model (or even better, rely on external code for the flight module).

As for the HMD, I believe that "true" HMD rendition is almost impossible in FSX (or very difficult...I've seen people do things in FSX which I previously considered impossible...)....
For the moment we'll probably have to live with the current implementation - that is the optional superimposed 2D "panel" which follows the viewpoint (but disappears if you switch views... not sure if it possible to do much more than this...

Thanks for a great plane. A good 2d panel would be great. I made one but it's not too good. I also added an optional little window that stays on in all views so you can go into and out of STOL and VTOL. It allows you to do that without switching windows. Bob.Attachment 75909

[ryanbatc]

He said he removed the close up view of the MFD, not the MFD itself.

Oh good! I was starting to get worried

[Dino Cattaneo]

I've just been noticed by the company I work for that I will have some days off in January... the F-35 will be released in these days.

[dharry]

I've just been noticed by the company I work for that I will have some days off in January... the F-35 will be released in these days.

Really looking forward to it Dino. Many thanks in advance

[Stickshaker]

Just thought of something – dragchutes for the Norwegian and Dutch planes would be nice.

[Dino Cattaneo]

That would be a good idea - although it would require too much modeling... by the way, I am not sure there are enough details on those chutes yet, and I believe they are still under discussion (it was an hard requirement at least for the norwegians, I believe).

I know I am saying "no" to most things... sorry for that. Maybe I will have more time in future, although it is still nice to gather ideas and suggestions.

[Stickshaker]

A pity, Dino, but I understand your position.

[Dino Cattaneo]

Well,

for the freeware release I am limited to very small changes due to time constraints...
Also, with 3 different models (plus the variations) the project is quite complex and making changes is not easy.

Still, I am keeping track of all the suggestions - may be sometime next year I will find the time do implement them.

[CG_1976]

Unconfirmed RW Notam on the RCAF CF35 Program. I have been seeing reports today declaring the F35 DOA and scrapped by the RCAF. Again this is unconfirmed, but have seen some media reports, most notably the national post in Canada http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...f-35-purchase/.

[mace]

Hi,

Thank you Dino for the wonderful addon.
I'm flying with the F-35 pretty often over Japan these days,
'cause you know, the Japanese government decided to give F-35 a roll of a legendary F-4s still used by JASDF,
but I'm having a problem here.
I can't keep speed over 300kt at high alt, even with the throttle set to MIL.
Am I doing something wrong? or is it made this way?


Thanks


Aki

[Dino Cattaneo]

@mace

Well, the flight model seems to have an issue at very high altitudes - engine performance is significantly degraded...