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VulcanB2

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Posts posted by VulcanB2

  1. Ahh... so the MegaScenery includes buildings? Not just ground textures?

    Sounds good regarding everything else!

    Regarding perf, does it make much of a hit? I don't have traffic add-ons, and don't have any AI enabled in the sim.

    PS: Like you signature! :D

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  2. Hi,

    I'm looking at Manhatten X and MegaSceneryEarth NY area, and want to know if these two sceneries play nice together?

    What about FSDreamTeam JFK? I fly in/out of NY a lot, and want these sceneries to improve the area and enable me to properly fly some VFR approaches in the area.

    What about the performance of Manhatten X? I have Manhatten for FS2004 and I'm very pleased with it, but FSX is a bit fickle. I have the PMDG NGX and get about 40 - 50 FPS nicely with that, and don't really want FSX to become a slideshow.

    Many thanks in advance.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  3. Why not make the lights freely definable, instead of hard-coding them? I know it is hard to get out of the hard-coded mentality, but free assignment should be the way forward.

    e.g. a variable for the number of lights (e.g. max 255), then an array defining each lights characteristics (position, direction, intensity, color, cone angle of light and fade distance).

    If there is one thing I hate most as a software dev, it is artificially limited features of an SDK due to the inability of the developer to think FLEXIBLY.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  4. DO NOT USE A MENU SYSTEM!

    Make it clear with tabs or pages or something like that, BUT KEEP IT SIMPLE. Have items grouped logically.

    I write some complex systems for industry and whilst the software itself is very powerful, my users don't find it cumbersome to use (UI is my main focus when initially testing, then I get down to the detail of whether things are working right once they know how to get around).

    If you get the design of the software right, most times the UI will follow. Be sure you think very carefully before coding something - you may find it very difficult to alter it later on. It is harder to do than you think.

    Apple are the masters of the UI - it is why their products are so popular. Study them, though be aware even they goofed a few things, though it should be pretty clear where.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  5. Oldest product I run here is 6 years old (LevelD 767).

    It would be insanity to try and make it cross-compatible, forgetting the legal issues. Build a new platform from scratch, AND DO IT RIGHT! If it is done right, it will have longevity, and break this stupid cycle of a new sim every 2 years that breaks all existing add-ons. Newer is not better.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  6. Reason is very simple: A simulator like this depends a lot on the latest hardware available for desktop PCs.

    Only if you want snazzy graphics. Personally I want an accurate FLIGHT SIMULATOR with REALISTIC AIR SIMULATION MODEL AND WEATHER ENGINE, not eye-candy.

    I'm still flying Falcon 4.0 from 1997, and that has graphics that most would not tolerate, but as a simulator there is nothing on the market even now that comes close to the realism, accuracy and depth of the aircraft systems, flight model, AI and ground campaign (and it is the only sim to have a truly dynamic campaign engine - in 14 years it hasn't played the same way twice that I can recall).

    The Linux idea is not a bad one - use it as a highly customized, RTOS (Real-Time Operating System). This is something Windows isn't, and can't be made to be. It would enable the OS part to be as minimal as possible, maximizing performance and system availability for the simulator, and could be made to run LiveCD style! RTOS would be very important for being able to truly simulate things that can't properly be done under Windows because timing is everything and only on an RTOS do you have total control over timing.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  7. Been talking it over with some developers here and they all get that blank stare in there eyes and mutter "could be anything". I did check though on a few things, the DLL's we use do not access ntdll or the ui in any way, so that's out. Leaves the pure xml code. Now that simply does not function if it jumps to some location where it should not go. Besides if there was a bug like that it would be the same for everybody and the forum would be full of these kinds of posts.

    Can you give me some idea on what add-ons are installed and what OS you are using?

    Not to split hairs, but whilst your code may not directly call them, it does not mean other code you are relying on does not, either.

    I suggest a debug/trace session to see what is calling what and when.

    @mindyerbeak: Next time it crashes can you get the crash information and post it here? Just saying it crashed in ui.dll (or anything else) is useless. FSX is not exactly bug-free, so it could just be FSX screwing up.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  8. That is weird. If it is stable at 150 ft nothing will change at 100 ft. There is no protection that will arm or activate simply through passing 100 ft RA.

    At 50 ft the flare law should kick in and try to pitch down 2 degrees over 5 seconds, if that is modelled.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  9. Hi,

    The only way to keep the engine cool is to keep moving. If you want to cool it off, throttle back (but not too much...) and dive to keep up the airspeed.

    If you're slow, she'll overheat fast. If you throttle back too much and/or the conditions rae right, you'll end up with carb icing, so switch on the carb heat then throtttle back if the conditions exist (visible moisture/ice or flying through cloud).

    Don't push negative g either, otherwise you'll starve the engine of oil resulting in engine loss.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  10. Hi,

    When I removed the vario, I simply moved its DLL out of FSX and re-tested. No vario = fine. Vario = not fine.

    Both CumulusX and WinchX auto-start with FSX, but I close these completely. I presume this causes them to unload and not run anymore? They're not somehow still running in some way that I'm unaware of (e.g. purely UIs for controlling background code)?

    The problem, when it manifested itself, was both visible outside the window and on the altimeter. It would freeze, then jump, in sync with the jumping of the view out of the window. If I was very low to the ground, the instant update could cause the aircraft to crash.

    Imagine the vertical speed reading 300 ft/min rate of descent, but the altimeter constantly reading 1000 ft, then suddenly jumping to 500 ft. At the same time, it is clear the aircraft is not descending when you look out of the window, then is suddenly closer to the ground.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  11. Hi,

    I saw it particularly badly on Win 7 64-bit. CumulusX! 1.5.

    CumulusX was not running though when I saw the issue with other aircraft.

    Removing the vario fixed the issue.

    I see it to a lesser extent on XP SP3.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  12. Hi,

    The vario is upsetting FSX vertical updates. I can have a rate of descent of say 1000 ft/min, but the aircraft will only descend in steps, and be perfectly level in altitude in between.

    It also affects other add-on aircraft that don't use it, and is particularly bad when near the ground.

    If I remove the instrument from FSX, all is normal. It also causes the earth to jump around sometimes when on the ground.

    Does anyone else see this odd behavior? It seems totally independent of frame rate, but gets worse as the frame rate drops (the jumps get bigger). It jumps up to 100 ft a time. 500 ft to instantly 400 ft for example, despending on rate of descent.

    I'm running FSX SP2.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  13. I second Simons comments on the accuracy (or not) of the autopilot.

    FS aircraft are generally too accurate when it comes to autopilot function. Real-world autopilots do *NOT* hold a course, altitude or speed with an iron fist. They do however hold the above within specified limits, which are broader than you might imagine (+/- 5 to 7 kts for speed, +/- 50 ft for altitude, +/- 1 to 3 degrees in heading, depending on the system).

    If the Cheyenne is failing to hold the glide or the localizer, you simply aren't flying it correctly. I haven't flown a real Cheyenne so can't comment on a like for like basis, but it would not surprise me if the behaviour of the Cheyenne in FS is correct - I know Digital Aviation (the creators of the Cheytenne) are at the high end when it comes to simulating real-world systems accurately.

    Use smaller intercept angles for the localizer, and be sure to be in approach config with the gear down before intercepting the glide. You should be decelerating to approach speed before glide intercept. Config changes once on the glide are generally not acceptable. If you start dropping lots of flap then I do not expect the autopilot to maintain the glide, but going to landing flap from approach should be OK, even if it does baloon a bit; don't worry if the aircraft goes above the glide slightly - it is to be expected.

    Keep your speed down.

    "Don't let the aircraft fly where your mind hasn't been 5 minutes earlier". In other words, PLAN AHEAD.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  14. Ailerons? Where are they? The only way im stopping myself from flying in a left circle is to make the copilot fat ass 170 lbs too. tongue.gif

    But it still creeps to the left i guess due to torque. Default FSX autopilot and mapping aileron keys to my joystick isn't working. Cool plane but i'd like to not babysit it so much on longer flights. smile.gif

    You add right (or left, as appropriate) rudder FIRST, to counteract the torque, then a little bit of aileron to counter any roll created by the rudder (watch the ball to ensure you don't side-slip).

    If she's going left, add right rudder.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  15. Hi,

    Been a little while since I took her out for a flight but you should be able to start from cold and dark?

    It does take a little practise though - the engine modelling is a generation behind the Catalina X (if you have that) but is still fantastic. It simulates problems, so if you flood the engine for example you need to crank it to clear it out. You can also get carb icing and sooty spark plugs, but that is easily avoided by not letting the RPM drop below 1000 RPM, or periodically running the engine up to clear it (don't do this when the engine is cold though as you'll wreck it!).

    I'll have a look and let you know the start procedure.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  16. Hi,

    Great! :D

    but the payload menu is only available in the latter.

    So I can't change what is visible "in the back" from free flight? :unsure:

    This one is more modern and doesn't experience those old engines "problems".

    It can still suffer carburettor icing and shock cooling.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  17. Hi,

    I suggest you do some proper pre-flight planning with the weather you're going to be flying in and decide on an abort point. Usually the average wind along your route is what is used to determine things like this.

    Seeing as you seem to be new to this, here is a worked example (if you plan on a lot of long-distance trips, this is a must if you're flying with any wind at all):

    If you departed from Almeda Point NAS (other side of the river from San Francisco), and you had an average wind speed of 40 kts from 260:

    You're flying approx. 247°, so headwind would be approx. cos(260-247) = cos(13) = 0.97

    0.97 x 40 = 39 kts average headwind (rounded up).

    If IAS is 107 kts at max endurance, at 10,000 ft that is approx. 128 kts ground speed.

    128-39 = 89 kts ground speed with the wind factored in.

    Assuming 21 hours endurance, 89 x 21 = 1869 nm range. You need 2300 nm. You can not make it, however this computation does not allow for the fact you will be lighter as time goes by and climbing to higher altitudes where you'll burn less fuel.

    IAS figures taken from the manual. Max endurance computed from max range vs. long range cruise speed.

    Best regards,

    Robin.

  18. Hi,

    It seems the Bush Hawk is one packed aircraft. Does it include advanced engine modelling seen on the Catalina and Hughes Racer?

    Are all its features accessible without flying the missions? I know some aircraft (particularly helicopters) can only do some things in missions, such as winching.

    Is it possible to retro-fit the RealityXP GNS430 into it?

    Best regards,

    Robin.

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