New Lift Program from Eric Carden

[wbomball 0]

Eric Carden has released for FS 2004 a program that

"dynamically and randomly creates thermals (w/o using BGL scenery) throughout a flight anywhere on Earth. The thermals lean automatically with the wind, vary in strength and size, smoothly "expire", and smoothly taper off in strength at their tops. They are surrounded by sink, and the thermal vertical velocity profile is a smooth, sinusoidal one, making thermal entry and exit more realistic than the abrupt jolts caused in BGL thermals. The program allows you to customize thermal strength, size, and height."

It can be downloaded at Cross-Country Soaring

It has been under test for the last week in the Beta Testers Forum.

Bill

[Chris Gordan 0]

Congratulations to Eric...the first person to release an FS soaring program that actually generates SINK!!

Yes folks, it's here. It's a completely new and different way to control FS lift that leaves many future possiblities as well.

I'll add the link to the SOAR Utilities page shortly.

WTG Eric!

[Mike_merged 0]

I downloaded this prog last night and tried it out, it works a treat, don't wait, do it now !!

Mike

[Heron 0]

Is it working also for FS2002 ?

[Eric Carden 0]

Is it working also for FS2002 ?

I don't know yet. I don't have a copy of FS2002 with which to test. I'd love to know... If you give it a try, let me know how it goes, please.

Thanks,

Eric

[wbomball 0]

Eric,

I don't believe it works with FS2002. I installed the FSUIPC.dll included with the latest beta version in the FS2002 Modules folder. Everything works normally until I start Cross-Country Soaring. Then, all the views outside the cockpit go BLACK. I also get the message that not all the programs are happy with this version of FSUIPC. If I replace the FSUIPC version back to the original, everything works again.

Bill

[Eric Carden 0]

I did a little research and found that, due to an FSUIPC limitation, CCS 2004 will NOT work with FS2002. Here's an excerpt from the "FSUIPC History" document included with the latest release version (3.30):

For FS2004 only, the Ambient Wind Y (i.e. vertical) value at offset 3478 can now be written...

This is the offset CCS uses to make the air go up (and down). Thus, the core function (making air go up or down) of CCS won't work with any FS version other than 2004.

Sorry,

Eric

[-JP- 0]

I downloaded it, but it doesn' work!

In the Log file of FSUIPC is a line with "51390 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded"

I've no idea how to fix this problem.

Mfg

JP

[Eric Carden 0]

I've sent JP an e-mail to help get it working (offline from the forum).

I've already helped a couple of users with what turned out to be FSUIPC installation problems. If you already have FSUIPC, then...

1. Make sure to REMOVE or OVERWRITE (don't just RENAME) your existing fsuipc.dll in the Modules folder.

2. You may have to remove/delete your fsuipc.ini file in the Modules folder, too.

See the FSUIPC User Guide for more details, as it explains both of these things and so far has fixed the only setup problems about which I've received e-mails.

Eric

[-JP- 0]

Perhaps there is a problem with winxp sp2

jp

[-JP- 0]

The Problem is solved. I just read the user manual wrong.

JP

[FredPlatt 0]

What spectacular timing for my computer to die!

I'm on a laptop at the moment - only just got web working, so I'll download the prog AS SOON as I get FS back again!

grrrr.... damn micro$oft windows

[FredPlatt 0]

In other words, don’t count on diving into a thermal in which you see another plane circling.  The lift probably won’t exist for you.

I've been reading the user guide and this caught my attention.....

Wouldn't you love it if you had just tricked your competition opponent into a non-existant thermal like that?!

[-JP- 0]

CCS2004 is working fine but when I play a few minutes the screen freeze for about 5 sec. and it goes on.

Once it didn't go on then an error message was on screen "FSUIPC - Access Error".

JP

[Eric Carden 0]

Hi JP,

This is a new one for me, but it's possible it's an application (CCS) auto-registration (with FSUIPC) problem. I remember reading some FSUIPC documentation that said that FSUIPC didn't always properly handle auto-registration (like that in CCS). Are you using a registered copy of FSUIPC? If not, then try manually registering CCS with FSUIPC (see the FSUIPC User Guide, as I've never done this myself). The CCS application registration key is...

XA6X3EAI40Y7

Let me know if this solves the problem. If so, I'll change the setup instructions to provide this key and recommend manual registration with FSUIPC.

Eric

[tonyfendall 0]

Sorry if I have missed something but does Eric's program work with FS2002.

It would be a shame if us FS2002 users miss out on this innovation.

Regards

Tony

[wbomball 0]

Tony,

Apparently not. Check Eric's explanation on page 1 of this thread.

Bill

[-JP- 0]

@ Eric

When I use this key, there is no problem any more.

JP

[Eric Carden 0]

Thanks. I'll add manual registration with FSUIPC to the setup instructions to keep others from running into the same problem.

Eric

[skyguy95 0]

Great Job Eric!!!

However, I think that there is WAY TOO much sink. I flew Maxs Grob (another favorite) and got 2kts down the whole time from a 400 ft tow. And the lift is harder to stay in that real life but very realistic with disapation and core strengths. But on my last flight I set my controls and every thing seemed normal but no lift and plenty of sink. the TAB+W/E was saying thermals were around and I went to where on was supposed to be and it wasent there as was the case many other thermals I tried. Is there something I could be doing wrong? I checked all of my parameters in the ccs file and everything was right (and yes I was in the altitude window MSL I selected) Could it have something to do with my location. I ws flying on the island of St.Maarten from TNCM Princess Juliana (very nice, worth a flightsim visit land 9 and see/ almost hit the beach!) and it is surronded by a LOT of water (Atlatic Ocean). Please help. And it has worked fine before and I absolutly LOVE it your a genious Eric! We have been working on this issue for YEARS!!!

Thanks!

[Eric Carden 0]

Hi Trace,

Thanks for the kind words.

I've made the lift about as hard to stay in as I experience in my local area in real life, but I fly in Alabama, where it's green and the thermals are weak. That's why ccs.ini lets you make the thermals larger, though, so just tweak it to suit yourself.

As for TAB-W/E misleading you, maybe I'll learn something from your ccs.ini. Could you send me a copy, please? The flight location shouldn't have anything to do with it, but just in case, what's the approximate lat/lon where you were flying? I haven't tested CCS near the poles, the equator, or 0 deg. longitude. What was the time of day? Were there any cloud layers? If so, at what altitude was the lowest cloud layer, and what type of cloud was it? Did you have weather dynamics on? I've seen FS drop the cloudbase as I flew, and CCS moved thermal tops down with cloudbase till the thermal tops were BELOW me. In this case, CCS will point you to where the thermal WOULD be if it climbed to your current altitude, but you'd fly right over the top of it. Maybe I should have CCS give you some sort of clue that you're above the thermal top when this is the case.

Thanks,

Eric

[Eric Carden 0]

Hi Trace,

I forgot to address your comment about sink...

...there is WAY TOO much sink. I flew Maxs Grob (another favorite) and got 2kts down the whole time from a 400 ft tow

The current release version of CCS 2004 (Ver. 1.0) only creates sink at the edges of thermals. The net volumetric flow of CCS thermals is positive (upward). The next release will probably create light sink outside thermals in proportion to thermal size, strength, and coverage. My only theory to explain your experience is that you may have had the chance occurrence of spending a lot of time (2 min. max, given 400' AGL and 2 kts down) in the edge of a nearby thermal. Try a flight of more than two minutes, and let me know if you have the same experience.

Thanks,

Eric

[skyguy95 0]

Sorry my bad, ment to say 4,000 ft AGL

Also I probably have about the same consitions as you. Im fly from the Windy City Soaring Association at Hinckley (0C2) IL near Chicago and probably have similar conditons. Usually 2-6kts up to 6000ft AGL max.