Bugatti P-110

[Travis]

I've been working on the flight dynamics for the past week or so, and have gotten a lot done, but I still can't work out a few niggles.

The main one is that while the Bugatti is sitting on the ground, it looks like this:



And I can't get it to sit correctly.  I've changed the CG point, the ref datum, the contact points and the static cg height, and none of it works.  The model center is at the 0,0,0 point, so I set the ref datum at that, and the CG is in between the two engines, which are housed in the fuselage behind the pilot.  The static cg height and contact points are taken directly from Gmax (gear contact is exact), but I still can't get it to work.

Greg Ebnit got it to look right, but for some reason, his version was about five feet long instead of the actual length?  How did that happen, Greg?  Any ideas?

I would love it if someone here would just take a look at it.  I don't expect any miracles, but it would certainly give some perspective on why it's acting like that . . .

[DonAlfonsoRoKil]

Well, I don't know a solution,
but are the wheel/tire part names named correctly?

[Travis]

Well, I don't know a solution,
but are the wheel/tire part names named correctly?

Parts are named correctly, but that doesn't affect the airfile systems.  If everything is right in the airfile, it should float over the ground regardless of the model itself.

[Hagar]

The static cg height and contact points are taken directly from Gmax (gear contact is exact), but I still can't get it to work.

Have you allowed for Static Compression of the gear legs?

I believe the static_pitch & static_cg_height entries only affect the aircraft in Slew Mode & when the aircraft first loads in the sim. The actual height above the runway is defined by the Vertical Position of the wheels measured in feet below the reference point. Try pressing Y to see the difference.

This is copied from a default Aircraft.cfg. Note that the static_cg_height is different from the Vertical Position of the gear legs.

[contact_points]
point.0=1,

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Hey Locke. Sorry about that I changed the measuring preferences from inches to Feet with Decimal inches when I was measuring for Data input. That I think Is the problem on the length difference. Try switching it back to your preference and export again.
Im actually waiting to hear back from you as far as the performance so I can further tweak say roll, pitch, and other  Dynamics.
Never fear my friend we will get theses minor bugs worked out.
I realy like the looks of this model. The quality of the detail is realy good. I love the Super shinny blue

[Travis]

Like Greg said in the post above, my parts hierarchy seems to be interfering with the export process.  I tried to create a normal model last night, but kept ending up with something similar to what you see in the picture at the top of this page (just over twice the actual size).  When I export JUST the exterior model, everything turns out dandy.  Unfortunately, I can't think of a way to reconcile the two parts so that I can export correctly.

Any ideas?

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Hey Locke did you try eliminating the Exterior and Interior nodes? Maybe try that and export everything as just a bunch of loose parts. Of course you need to have all your animated parts linked to their dependencies. Other than that there should be no need for linking.
This is the way I exported the Dashes and it worked great with no diserniable draw backs or glitches. For a long time I used a grouping method on export wich caused alot of problems with animated parts scaling on me when I would ungroup. After some scolding  ;) I finally changed my ways and began exporting as above with alot less problems.
One problem that will arise though  is the pilot will be visible from the VC. This may work in your favor if you wish to see the pilot and his arms and hands at the controls. I have some XML code that will put a switch in the VC to either show hide the pilot. Using the Visible In Range Param. This can be a neat effect to have or hide if you are thinking of linking the hands/arms to controls animations. Adds a little to the game emersion.

[Travis]

Hey Locke did you try eliminating the Exterior and Interior nodes? Maybe try that and export everything as just a bunch of loose parts. Of course you need to have all your animated parts linked to their dependencies. Other than that there should be no need for linking.
This is the way I exported the Dashes and it worked great with no diserniable draw backs or glitches. For a long time I used a grouping method on export wich caused alot of problems with animated parts scaling on me when I would ungroup. After some scolding  ;) I finally changed my ways and began exporting as above with alot less problems.
One problem that will arise though  is the pilot will be visible from the VC. This may work in your favor if you wish to see the pilot and his arms and hands at the controls. I have some XML code that will put a switch in the VC to either show hide the pilot. Using the Visible In Range Param. This can be a neat effect to have or hide if you are thinking of linking the hands/arms to controls animations. Adds a little to the game emersion.

That sounds like it would work, but it would add a helluva lot of polygons to the aircraft, and I'm running at a heavy amount already.

On every one of my other aircraft I've ever created I've never had this issue.  I can't figure out what exactly could be the issue here.  If I can't get it right, I'm just going to release without a VC.  But I think the solution will be to scale back in Gmax.  I'll just import the "Exterior" node into a blank scene, then resize it according to how much its overscaled (meters instead of feet) and then import the rest of the actual model.  That should rescale the rest of the aircraft.

[Stubbedtoe18]

Are you going to try to get a VC version out later?

[Travis]

Are you going to try to get a VC version out later?

Maybe.  If I can somehow figure out what problem I'm having with my conversion process.  I tried to do what I laid out last night, and it was all for naught.  So I guess there won't be a VC in the first version at all, which is a real bummer.  It was a spectacular VC, too.  Really added to the concept of the aircraft.

[Stubbedtoe18]

Keep it for later use then, save it as a different file for when you do fix the problem.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Actualy you should have the same amount of polys. Since you want to see the pilot and everything in the Cockpit from the outside anyway and everything on the outside from the inside with that Gorgeous glass canopy. Aside "Arent you guys so jealous that Ive had a preview" LOL just kidding. It would be a shame not to have that glider or F-16 like feel of an almost unobstructed view. Thats why I suggested that method. That way with the XML Show Hide the user can choose for the best performance to either see or save the frames that the pilot may cost. From Spot or VC view since there is no distinction between Exterior and interior models. The XML code is an easy add also as it only requires an animated switch in the VC and a naming convention that you can choose for the pilot parts. Then you just paste the code into the Model parts Doc change the names and there you go.
Have you made any progress on the Flight Charectoristics?

[Travis]

The FDs are coming along nicely.  Tweaks and fixes have replaced simple cut and paste, so I believe I'm moving along correctly.  I've managed to counteract the extreme pull to the left on takeoff by inserting the line "rotation= 1,-1" (Engine 1, 2, Rotation direction. 1 = CW, -1 = CCW) under the propeller section.  I'm currently splicing in your edits to see what they do to the general handling of the aircraft, and I'm confident that I'm nearing a beta version.

Unfortunately, I don't want to send this model out without first getting the issue I'm having fixed, just as a matter of professional need.  I don't like sending out half-finished or "Because I couldn't get it to work" aircraft, and I don't intend to start now.

Bear with me a bit longer, and let me see if I can work out this troublesome little nit.  It's most likely something so minute that I haven't even thought about it before.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Sounds great. 8-) As always let me know if there is anything I can assist with. After all the help you gave me when I was first starting out and since then Im happy to aid you anyway I can.

[Travis]

Well . . . I figured out that the problem does not lie with the INTERIOR model!  It's an issue with the exterior.  I found this out by compiling the interior/exterior models of both my Bugatti and my Moller M-505 Junglecat.

Compiling the interior of the Bugatti with the exterior of the Moller made a model that was correctly scaled in the exterior and interior, but compiling the exterior of the Bugatti with the INTERIOR of the Moller gave me a scaled-up exterior model and a regular interior.  The Bugatti exterior was also scaled differently than when I compile the entire Bugatti model.  So that means there is a glitch in the exterior model of the Bugatti!  Which is something I hadn't considered before . . .

So what could it be?  I'll be back with more info later!