@meteorbook345 Presumably, even with the Weather set to Dynamic, it doesn't add any Wind, does it?
I've never noticed it producing any, even when it changes the weather to "Stormy". Which if that's true, that's unfortunate, as it seems like a missed opportunity :(
November 27th Changelog:
- Updated the "Limitations & Caveats" section to include that the <font="[Font name]"> code does not work. (I'm speculating, but I was unable to get any results with what I have access to.)
Update #2:
- Added a new section, "Undocumented Features / Functionality", to include things that are not included on the Official page. (Contradictions to what's on that page will go in the Limitations category, since that may be exclusive to how it's been implemented in SP.)
----- Includes info about value "Modifiers", the <rotate=[value]> I'd mentioned already, and the **<scale=[value]>&& feature... which I had mentioned in yesterday's 'Limitation' but didn't know it was an undocumented feature! lol
@meteorbook345 No no, I get that, my question isn't about what they pertain to and how they're calculated.
I'm curious if anyone has actually witnessed in Simple Planes, the GS and TAS providing different values, because they always display the same speed for me. *shrug*
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In other words, I'm trying to figure out if that's a bug (which if so, would've been present in v1.10, as well as the current v1.11).
Well, it's... a LOT more "all over the place" than I thought it'd be! lmao
This is great feedback (data) though and just solidifies my reasoning to make it switchable in the cockpit.
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A followup though, to @Noname918181, @meteorbook345, or anyone else that can answer:
Have you ever switched between GS and TAS in a vehicle (on the built-in HUD I mean), and had those two have a discrepancy in their reported speeds??
Because in my time in planes, at... basically any altitude, they have always been the same -- or within 1mph difference that I attributed to my craft's speed having changed between my clicking over. (I suppose the true test would be to have two Debugs displaying, one for each...)
November 26th Changelog:
- Added section about "Limitations & Caveats" (functionality or incompatibility between code) that I'm finding
---- I may shuffle around some of the TIPS section that fit better with this category.
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I'm toying with the idea of making this into a Google Doc, as the whole thing is more easily able to be formatted and thereby (hopefully) made more readable/easier to follow. Let me know if that'd be preferable?
(and for anyone that ever needs to reach this thread easily, I have it -- and similarly helpful posts -- linked directly at the top of my profile's Bio section, for easy access.)
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I also understand I'm... overly verbose in my... everything lol
If ANYONE has suggestions --or even wants to help by outright editing-- for how to parse this down into either a more succinct format (ie just the facts, less the explanatory-rambling), that'd be great and I'm open to it!
@V (@Featherwing too)
Are you certain that's correct?
The reason I asked about Wing-1 is because NONE of the current Wings in the Parts Menu use it...
Primary Wing = Wing-3
Vertical Stabilizer = Wing-3
Horizontal Stablizer = Wing-3
Structural Wing = Wing-2
Structural Panel = Wing-2
The differences between those are:
- Primary | Vertical | Horizontal = Just their pre-configured control surfaces and Airfoil; Primary is set to Semi-Symmetrical, Vert/Hor set to Symmetrical
- Structural Wing = controlSurfaces = false; can't add any flaps, but it still produces lift
- Structural Panel = controlSurfaces = false AND wingPhysics = false; can't add any flaps and does NOT produce any lift, but also as a consequence of no wing physics its Root and Tip thickness also goes away in the menu (which is dumb)
- Wing-3 vs Wing-2 = 3 is "flexible" and will bend in flight, which is realistic but problematic for builds since nothing else flexes WITH them; also when using multiple Wing-3 together to construct a big wing, they all flex to different degrees sadly. 2 does not flex, so makes life easier all around when building (ie "stronger than") and weighs almost twice as much (22lbs vs 12lbs); easiest is to grab whatever "3" wing you want and then XML it to "2" before placing it.
Which brings me to Wing-1.... ??? heh
Since I can't drag it from the menu, I don't know what its "defaults" should be. It simply inherits whatever the settings were of the wing I XML change to "1"...
In flight, it behaves similar to "3", in that there is flex, but beyond that I know noth.....ing..... SCRATCH THAT
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I just now had a lightbulb moment, and checked something.
Placed the Primary Wing on a build, checked it's weight. Changed to Wing-1, and... well, ok there's no change... BUT!
I noticed its control surfaces...! They all shifted, just like when changing "3" into "2"...
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So it looks like... Wing-1 has the fine-grain ability to adjust Control Surface sizes, that Wing-2 has. (Technically, I'm sure "1" existed first, and so it's really the other way around, but I digress...)
Because "3" has about half the amount of adjustability when it comes to sizing/placing the control surfaces.
@Tanker123 Aww, don't look at it that way bud...
There's nothing preventing you from still building stuff the old-school way.
This just makes it so everyone can not only make snazzy cockpits, but now more people can ENJOY those builds, since now they don't require all the parts to accomplish it!
Aah, ok, yea that makes sense! I hadn't thought of doing that :P
I did notice once that a massively underpowered (like 5HP) Prop engine makes a nice throaty sound, but unfortunately any other propulsion would've drowned it out. :(
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On that note...
they definitely need a Volume option on them, too, as I have a build with quite a few Prop engines in close proximity to the cockpit, and had to put a warning on the build to turn the system volume down :} Mainly for headphone users. (but this has been suggested a few times already)
@GenrichTitov Interesting heh
Wonder if it had a different model... Or if its model is what eventually became the Blasto J90 (Engine-Jet-4).
If there IS an 'unused' model floating around in the SP code, be it our compiled game or in the "Folder of Misfit Parts", it'd be nifty to deploy it like a "Blade T1000", where it's configurable to a degree :P
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For that matter... further banking on the hope a dev takes a peek at this thread...
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take that lovely modeled V-12 that's part of Engine-Prop-2 and give it to us as a Standalone "Engine"!!! (Just the engine, not the cowling or prop hub.) Such a waste that it's there but not being used :(
Which, if it's not much more work, the ability for it to be scalable a little (granted, we have scale), and/or have paintable valve covers (at the very least), would be equally awesome :}
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That engine model would undoubtedly look great in not only airplanes, but also Cars/Trucks, Tanks, Ships (scaled to like 10,10,10 lol)... ^_^
P.S. - I notice that around 7pm to 7:30pm (Eastern Timezone; it's 7:31pm at time of typing), is when I tend to have the most trouble with comments/posts submitting lately.
Yep, but over the last month or so, actually.
It's hard for me to tell which are site related, and which are my own horses*** internet to blame. Though I suspect any time it's a unique dialogue-box error that shows up that I have to click OK on (not a normal one created by the browser or Windows), it's the site's fault.
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I imagine there's lots of back-end work being done in prep for the VR rollout, as well as the new XML Update capability, such that new changes behind the scenes get rolled out and cause hiccups for us.
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I just click OK, or give it a half hour, and re-try to post or comment, and it usually works fine then. :P
Found another one, NO idea what it does besides being in reference to the rendering system... (if I remember correctly, "Depth Mask" are used for the Lighting on textures, via shading and reflections) renderQueue set to BeforeDepthMask
Placed right in the main "Part" section.
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So whether there are other choices, or even what. there are for other choices... *shrug*
I suppose it's plausible that there's also an AfterDepthMask option heh EDIT: Nope, After errors, and reverts it back to "Default", as per the console.
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Found it on the Propeller of the new P-51-D that came with the v1.11 update, so you know it's legitimate! (I suppose the fact the game didn't auto-remove it also make it a bit 'obviously legitimate', too lol)
@V @jamesPLANESii @2papi2Chulo @Kenneth (etc etc)
During this special time period before SPVR is launched, will builds that miss curation requirements by tiny elements, be commented on by a curator to point out said "tiny elements" that prevented it from being selected... for us to then address?
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Andrew had mentioned doing this on the previous entry. But I'm hoping that is a requirement of the Curation process, where Curators like you will be doing similar! (ie: not just him simply being kind)
Would take more work on your parts, but would ultimately -- in my opinion at least -- result in a much better/bigger selection of curated builds in the end.
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Also, is this specific to the VR Challenge, or are all submitted builds outside of that challenge also being looked at?
@AndrewGarrison Perhaps for us non-VR equipped folk, you could provide a "Textbook Example" cockpit we can load to reference?
-OR- maybe something as simple as a specific FOV setting might be able to crudely simulate the VR experience on our single-screens...?
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I don't know what the default FOV is set to, but going from 90 to 45, the fisheye being reduced can "pull-in" the center of the view so to not look as far away (referencing the "seat being too high" in your other blog entry)
The "don't change the scale of the cockpit stuff" was a good tip though, as in my 2D-opinion, they seemed WAY too large and I HAD been scaling them down! Now I know not to. So I'll also assume we shouldn't move the camera from its default location when placing Seats, or change its offset for that matter... heh
@hpgbproductions I think I follow you.
In which case, no you can't exactly do that..... with Slice alone...
However, Slice and using "Angle", will. As "Angle" can. ""add"" (though it technically may be "stretching", I dunno?)
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That's only IF I'm understanding you. I'm a hands-on learner, so this is what I've come up with after monkeying with it a bit. Let me know if this is what you were trying to achieve? fillFront = 1,2,1.1 fillBack = 1,0,1,1 inletSlant = -0.5(aka "Angle" in Part Settings menu)
November 15th Changelog:
- Added a Tip about use of Rotate.
---- That tip also happens to include a use-case for <cspacing=[em]> ... and <smallcaps> but what it does slightly self explanatory anyhow. (These both appear on the Documentation link either way, and its only Rotate that was needing mentioning.)
@hpgbproductions
Do you have an example of fill values?
Because it sounds like what you're saying is similar to what I did in my "Bonus" example at the bottom. Where I cut both Left and Right on the FrontandBack:
----------------T | B | L | R
fillFront = 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.2
fillBack = 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 0.5
@BaconEggs lol Thanks
It isn't "over-9000" but I'll still take it! :D
Now with some basic pics! Whether they help convey what's happening to any appreciable degree, I dunno :}
Having played around with this enough, I can see the difference, but to others it may be like "Uhh... Looks the same?" heh
While making that Bonus, I found out that using even a small amount of Negative on just ONE of the complimentary sides (ie Front and Back, or Left and Right), while the other side uses positives even within vanilla range, can result in the part being Sliced into oblivion (disappears), OR all that remains is a itty bitty sliver of fuselage.
Using the Bonus Example's values, all it takes to 'vanish' is changing the Back's 1.25 into -1.25, and changing it's "Angle" (Slant) to 0%.
@SnoWFLakE0s
It's allll good!
Again, it's just great to at least have a utility like that, period, even standalone!
Since that also gives you the freedom to have a menu system of your own, that's what the bulk of those suggestions were for anyways. :)
. :thinking_emoji:
Given it WILL remain to be a standalone utility... Perhaps if you gave it:
- A tickbox for "Always On Top", which in addition to doing that, sets temporary conditions that make...
- "_Minimize_" collapse the window it into a small rectangle at the bottom of the screen (instead of going to the Taskbar)
- "[X]" then would instead "Close to Task Tray" (or ideally, taskbar, if that's possible instead), to quickly/easily get it off screen, but not closed.
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For those of us who play in Fullscreen, we could still have it open and accessible, whilst still having SP in the foreground and continue doing our thang. :)
Just a thought, though. (I can appreciate I... have lots of ideas/suggestions... so if at any point I'm becoming ""too much"", by all means, do let me know! heh)
@Bobyo @Wibbley Where do each of you live, if you don't mind me asking?
I was born and raised in Minnesota most of my life, to which Tornadoes, Snowstorms, Damaging Hailstorms, and Flood-inducing Thunderstorms, were all things I grew up experiencing... enough so that MN has the classic Severe Weather Sirens ALL over the place. Although, thankfully, no damage from any of those aside from a couple lost shingles and some small dents from the hail in a car my parents had that was outside at the time.
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I'm not positive I've ever seen a legitimate Tornado though. I tell myself I have, but I'm pretty sure it was just a distant whisp of cloud that happened to be present when a big storm was brewing. lol
I HAVE seen the skys turn a deep teal colored green due to the storm clouds rolling in, and we've had plenty of Tornado Watch and actual Warnings over those years :P (I always found it weird that the "Watch" was for you to be cautious because the conditions are right, and "Warning" for when there's actually been one spotted; always felt backwards to me lol)
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Now I live in Eastern Tennessee, where all of those things are UNcommon! Sure, we have the Sirens........ but they aren't used for Severe Weather warning. Nay, it's Evacuation Sirens for if the local Nuclear Power Plant goes critical! lmao
There's been severe weather, really high winds, and even a Tornado within the last couple years, but they don't blare the sirens for that.
Speaking of wind, though. It wasn't till living here, a few years ago, that I actually got to experience the "Wind Blowing So Hard it Sounds Like a Freight Train Coming"... that was pretty cool heh
(Also, I can confirm: outside indeed becomes a free Walk-In Freezer to store stuff during the winter lol)
@SnoWFLakE0s hah Awesome :D
That'll be great, even though I only now realized my failure to convey (in my original comment) that I was thinking this was going to be accessible from in-game. :}
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Nevertheless, being able to grab variables from other downloaded builds, to build up a library, will be great for ignoramuses such as myself! lol
Some 'care' might need to be taken, though, during this record-keeping. Otherwise we may have a huge and great DB we can access... but have no idea which variables make up a "set" -- i.e. rely on each other to be present, or even noting they were from the same build (file).
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Which might also require mentioning the specific part where the Variable was used as well, plus providing the actual line containing the Variable (I say "line" instead of input due to my understanding that Variables CAN get used in various other fields, like activationGroup or designText in for a Label). As someone like me does best when there are examples of use provided, so having that info to be able to see the correlation is key; hands-on-learning in essence.
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Furthermore, while I'm keeping myself in mind and thus others who have limited understanding in all things FT/Variable, BUT also that not everyone using it would be like myself... So having a menu system with the option to display all the variables as a library without the aforementioned "where it came from and which others came with it", might be preferable for those like yourself who can most likely look at a line of code and make quick sense of what it does. :P
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Much appreciated though, whatever the final result ends up being! Thanks!
@WhyBreadSoFattning
TL;DR -
Dry weather = dry hands = touch screens are unable to detect what you're trying to do. Use lotion.
(and other speculation, if that wasn't why.)
Waaaaait a second...
I just had a Wing selected and accidentally clicked on its Variables menu -- the one in the "Rotate" menu, as this is key -- and saw that there's a Lift Force and Drag Force?? o_0
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Anyone know how to use those?
It's winter in the Northern Hemisphere... Make sure your hands aren't sapped of moisture, as that's quite necessary for the Capacitive Touchscreens to detect touch input.
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My mom, who still does lots of work around her place, has quite dry and slightly callused fingers. Pair that, with her phone having a screen protector (which even causes me the occasional hiccup on that device), makes it hard for her to get it to register her touches.
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Otherwise, my other thoughts would be a damaged Digitizer -- the part built into the screen that does the touch input, like laptop's touchpad but totally see-through -- from dropping it, or from moisture getting inside somehow.
@PlaneFlightX This was kind of what I had hoped this release was going to be: A tool that would export Variables into a single Database file, which then we'd be able to access from any build we open, to "install" them onto that plane. heh
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Nevertheless, this does sounds like it'll be quite handy still! :)
Thanks, @SnoWFLakE0s :D
OFF-TOPIC:
@PlaneFlightX If your ending sentiment reflects your own situation, I might have a solution for "doing work on PC but manipulating files on an Android device", ie copy-pasting your Variables between files and across platforms.
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The app called ES File Explorer has a handy feature where you can have your Android device (tablet/smartphone) configured as a Local FTP. Which then you could use something like FileZilla or WinSCP to connect to it, which with a tiny bit of configuring, set it to check for file-changes.
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After you've connected from your desktop machine, navigate to the directory where SP stores its files, and through either of those two programs, right-click the file in question and select either "Open" or "Edit". (You'd have to probably set that up as well, to have it execute "*.splane" with Notepad.exe or Notepad++.exe, etc)
Then, every time you make a change, CTRL+S the file in whatever you're editing it in, and FileZilla/WinSCP will ask if you want it to update the remote file. :)
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Using FileZilla/WinSCP was to edit files was how I ran my Minecraft server for years, which was hosted by a service. It had a web-accessible front end as well that was provided by the MC Server Management software I was running, but modifying config files this way was SO much faster and easier.
I use the ES File Explorer FTP method when I need to transfer large files to/from my smartphone, since it lets you set up a homescreen shortcut to one-click enable the FTP. Which in the end makes it faster than tracking down its USB-C cable lol (Caveat: I haven't updated my version of ES in a MANY years, since I only really use it for that function, I presume they still offer the function though. If not, ye olde v3.1.4 is what I use, and I'm sure the APK can easily be found on an App Archive site since it's a Free program.)
@BlinIndustry That's pretty much exactly what made me go o_0, was switching over to GS and noticing it didn't matter if I was going up, down, or horizontal, its speed didn't vary any compared to TAS. heh
@hpgbproductions So it's sort of like Doppler Shift, in that like the sound of something passing by having its pitch change (depending on whether it's coming or going), GS is more our "perception" of the speed we're traveling at? (not to say that Doppler Shift is meerly our perception, as it has a much deeper basis in physics, such as Redshift.)
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Doppler Shift happened to be what my brain drew a parallel to. That is... if I understood correctly? heh
As I was putting together a build for upload to try and get help with... As I set it up to test out... now. it decides to work as intended?!
What am I on now... hour 5? And it just decides to randomly do as it was supposed to..... :sobs:
Not funny, SimplePlanes. Not even a little bit. :(
*grumbles* I dunno, I think SP just hates me :( (naw, I know it's cuz I'm a just an idiot who can't get his brain wrapped around this...)
I'm still having a similar issue with the damn Small Rotator as well....
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I mean the system functions, that's not the issue. it's me getting the parts in the correct placements.
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These are my steps, on just ONE of my failed attempts over the last hour...
1) I start off with the Doors I made, in their "Closed" position.
2) I place the Rotators into the position where I want the Doors to pivot around.
---(NOTE: This is slightly inboard, and higher than the Door, so it's technically "hovering" over the Door, about 1/5th in from the Door's pivoting-edge.)
3) Using MultiSelect, set to "First Selected" for movement, I select the Rotator first, then the Door pieces.
4) I input a value for Z of 105deg, as that's not only what looks best, but also functions how I'd like for it to open, by extending wide enough to clear the Wheel of the Landing Gear.
5) I set up the Rotator's settings to have a Rotation of 105deg (and all the other pertinent stuff to operate; as I said, that aspect works fine).
6) I make connections from Rotator to Door, and Rotator to plane's main Fuselage.
7) Spawn in, and toggle LandingGear...
The gear part moves in and my Door rotates to its Closed position...
Except... the Closed position is somehow offset from where I originally had it before Step 3.
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Which by "offset", it isn't that the Degree of Rotation is not enough or too much, it's physically too far away from the trim piece that it's supposed to sit flush against.
And I have all the Door and related parts' disableAircraftCollisions set to true, so it's not that they're colliding with anything and it's causing displacement... :\
All my ""engineering knowledge"" tells me that if I put a hinge (or a shaft, aka 'rotator') at the location I have it, and rotate it around that pivot location, that it will close to the exact same place that I started...
However, I think it's time I make something IRL out of cardboard and coathanger wire, to determine if it's me or the game at fault! lol
. EDIT: Well, at least I have peace of mind in knowing it isn't my engineering of it! :} It functions just as intended, and how it's perceived to while in the Designer and rotating the entire thing around the Z axis, which displays it closing flush as intended.
@ZeroWithSlashedO ....... :epic_thinking_face:
I...
Suppose I could do that... couldn't I o_o ?? lol
Thank you!
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Not sure why I didn't think of that last night, as even now it took me typing a response on why it "wouldn't work" for this, before I realized that it WOULD work. So I don't think I could blame the fact it was late on me not coming up with it! :}
That being said, if anyone else happens to have a 'trick' on how to turn _('rotate') multiple parts to a new Angle which connect to a Hinge Rotator, and still have the Hinge Rotator return them back to their correct place -- and not creating a roughly 0.1 distance gap -- when actuated... I would still be interested in knowing, as that'd be handy info to have!
I mean, the fact remains that not everyone would be capable of doing it that way like they could with a simple-to-use mod, even IF someone happens to still posess this Lost Knowledge of the XML to bestow upon us again (which I would still be interested in, eitherway...) :D
Guess that makes the need for such an in-game menu method (ie this mod) all the more important!! heh
@Bobyo I got'chu don't worry: Smol Brain Explanation:
I made "ropes" from a LOT of Hinge Rotators that I had set to Floppy (which is what it says when moving their "Speed" slider all the way to the left), all connected front-to-back, with each one rotated 22.5deg from the next one.
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-If you go to this link: https://www.simpleplanes.com/a/12OUw1/DERPAs-Derpship-I-Staged-RocketSRB-with-Launch-Tower
-Then download it to load into SimplePlanes.
-Click on "Play" so it spawns on the map.
-Zoom the camera out.
-Move the camera around to the Right side, up near the top of the Tower, where the arm extends out to the Rocket.
-You'll then see the "rope" i made physically swinging around.
Smoller Brain Explanation:
I MADE A BENDY ROPE IN SP! YAY ME ^_^ lol
The amount of times I've instinctively tried -- and continue to try even now -- to move the Throttle knob, Fighter throttle, or the Levers... number enough times that it makes me perplexed as to why it wasn't like this in the first place... (at least on PC/Mac; not enough screen realestate on mobiles)
Check out the Fueling Hoses I made on this build -- as in, load it, not just look at it in the designer.
A hose is just a rope which is capable of transferring liquid internally, expediently, and without leaking :P (a rope used to transfer liquids would be a Wick, which would not be expedient at the task OR leak-free lol)
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However, I forgot to change their massScale and sure as hell wasn't about to do it after the fact, so they weigh a LOT more than a rope would (or perhaps a hose, even) <_> I considered loading it in Notepad++ and doing it via Find And Replace, but meh, I countered their imparted forces through a simple Time Delay on the Detatchers.
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In the end, the reason I made them that way was exactly the one @AWESOMENESS360 stated: the need for cable physics!
PHOTO CAPTION: "Tow, tow, tow your boat
gently through the sea...
Push a Bobyo overboard
and listen to 'em scream!"
November 11th Changelog:
- Additions and Improvements to the "Helpful Tips" section.
---- Opted to utilize sub-bullet points since we're unable to use Line Breaks in bulleted lists :( Not optimal, but, a massive mega-paragraph is even worse, so this at least breaks it up like I desired.
---- Added "EXAMPLE 2" for the use of Negative values
---- Added a blurb about how Spaces of any kind are not utilized if added at the end of lines.
---- Added a Ted Talk on the "em" unit, describing how it works and gets applied in game with our Font(s).
---- Added the mentioning of <color=> apparently not. supporting Strings like the document page indicates.
---- Updated Tip #1 based on findings while adding Color's tip.
For anyone curious, the two old original engines are Engine-Prop-2 (used here) and Engine-Prop-1.
They lack any ability to increase power despite their same-as-Jet XML entries.
As such, I cheated a bit... Since I needed to have a way to paint the engine cowl blue, I just used a second engine clipped inside, thus doubling the performance. :}
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Seriously though, they are trash lol The only reason I did this was cuz that engine block in Engine-Prop-2 is great!
Not a problem :)
I only wish I could've figured out a solution for the Prop vanishing!
Though I am still sort of working on it, as it is quite weird that it's happening. (Which in doing so, I've discovered other legitimate bugs with Props, which may be related; not certain, though.)
@zwen Indeed. FT Code requires the = for most stuff, but it also DOES use a : quite often. Such as in the IF?THEN:ELSE which using it there does not functionally break FT, on the contrary, NOT using it there will break the FT code lol
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Whereas with the Labels, use of the colon inside the < > Rich Text brackets, results in TextMesh Pro being unable to "parse" where's there, which causes it to literally be displayed on the label.
So if you wanted a label to say: Engine FIRE Warning
Where "FIRE" is also in larger in size in addition to bold, you would type in:
Engine <b><size=200>FIRE</size></b> Warning
However, typing it out like HTML formats it, using the Colon instead of Equals:
Engine <b><size:200>FIRE</size></b> Warning
Would result in the Label literally displaying: Engine <size:200>FIRE</size> Warning
SimpleCheats is rather outdated now and there's a number of things either missing or lacking a full explanation, but even so, it indeed is still incredibly helpful! (Might even be some things that are incorrect now, but I don't know enough to say that with certainty)
EXAMPLE: There's no mention of partCollisionResponse and what it accepts for values. By default it is filled in with Default, but None also works and that makes the part become invincible from taking kinetic damage (not sure about bullet or rocket/missile explosion though) -- as far as I can tell, at least. So crashing doesn't damage parts, nor do parts of your own built that can move and might make contacting other parts cause damage to themselves. The latter is the more useful aspect since that means mechanized contraptions won't harm themselves :)
ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Certain parts Input or Action Group can be XML modified to None and others with Disabled, even though it isn't a choice in the Parts Setting menu, nor mentioned on the SimpleCheats page. Though, it does produce a Warning in the console, that said part is wanting a "True/False" but had "None" or "Disabled"... and yet not only does what you made function as you want, those parts also non-functional as you want! lol
. (Granted, in that last example, it's probably more the game being like "HEY I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS! So..... I'm not going to do anything with it at all." Which, as it just so happens, that's exactly what we want it to do: nothing! heh)
@DrenasPort Ye-olde Batman DID use a bubble-canopy helicopter (aka Batcopter) in the original TV show! lol So it's not a stretch of the imagination...
Wings? Got'em
Skids? Got'em
Big derpy bubble design? Got'em
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And arguably, its involvement is just as cringy as my ROFLcopter, based on this scene clip. EDIT: Just to clarify, I only tagged it with Batman for the lawls :P
Anyways, as to your issue...
They don't disappear. They just reach the needed RPM to trigger their "fast-rotation" effect.
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From my understanding, the Propeller engines (and maybe even the internals of Turbines, though I've never looked that close), when their blades rotate fast enough the game stops rendering their 3D models, and switches to a 2D texture -- presumably to save performance by not having to calculate the location for multiple points in a 3D model anymore. (note: I'm not certain SP actually ""models"" things in the same way most games do, with skins, but I digress...)
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I think this is combined slightly with the way you set up its Variable Blade Pitch through FT, to have it zeroed out during idle (ie, no "thrust" is produced by the blades), which might impart a different 2D effect or perhaps a different contrast gets applied to it.
When you throttle-up, their pitch changes, which would actually cause drag on the blades and that's why they "show up" again for a moment after increasing throttle. Because the blades experiencing drag and aren't able to spin as fast with the amount of throttle they're given at idle.
On my PC while playing, after starting the engine I can faintly see the momentary glimpse of the blade. If you turn on Slow Motion (in the Pause menu), it shows it a bit easier. However, we know for certain that the blades ARE still there as far as the game is concerned, because their Shadow continues to be rendered. :) (also because they show up again as soon as you increase throttle heh)
@OtakuNekoToT They're talking about tags, like Bug, Teaser, WWII, Multi Role.
Not the @ mentioning a user to Notify them. :)
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Tags get used on lots of websites, such as here, news sites, and YT, as a way to categorize entries so that people can search for just that "Tag" text and turn up all related content.
@SnoWFLakE0s I might be not following you correctly here, which wouldnt't be surprising given my lack of FT knowledge, but this <rotate=[value as degrees]> that I'm talking about is specifically for the Text inside the Labels and unrelated to FT. (as far as I understand it, since it's Rich Text related)
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I imagine that with the proper know-how, that it could be, in combination with Variables -- and is probably how the 1-part HUDs -- it can have the [value in degrees] dynamically defined based on something determined by FT... However, that was beyond the scope of this post. The only reason I mentioned said 1-part HUD was to credit PlanariaLab and give a reason to link their upload heh (admittedly, I could've simply mentioned them, and left it at that)
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On its own, the <rotate=#> is useful for many things, in reference just to using it in Labels. In conjunction with other Rich Text modifiers, it would effectively allow you to use a single Text Label to suffice for labeling any number of various different parts, despite the fact they're rotated 90; i.e. a 2-person cockpit with a center console that has text oriented for the person on that side to read it and would be 180deg rotated from the other person. Furthermore, that same Label part can still tackle any controls with seat-agnostic orientation -- technically if it were me, I'd have the Text Label facing that way to begin with, then the Left and Right side-specific labels would get Rich Text rotated by -90 and 90, respectfully.
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If they had mentioned TextMesh Pro in the release notes/beta post, I must have somehow missed it. I did read both of them in full, but there was a lot of text to take in from both, which was why I had thought it mentioned HTML or CSS.
Though it also might've been added after-the-fact, as I noticed on the Beta blog post that WNP had followed up with a couple comments, and I didn't even consider until now that the post itself could been updated (as I didn't read it over again, only doing a cursory CTRL+F a few days ago when trying to find where I thought I'd seen mention of HTML)
While I have you, and am thinking about stuff I'd read but can't find details on again...
Isn't there an XML item for the Rotators (not Hinge) that we could add, similar to disableBaseMesh, which would allow the Rotator to not ""unwind"" itself when deactivated? zeroOnDisable or resetWhenDiabled or... something?? I swear I saved it in a build or a .txt file of notes, bu
Yep, that did it! Does exactly the same thing as mine now but shorter!
Thanks :D (Although, as to why adding the outer parenthesis solved that issue, is definitely beyond me! lmao)
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I've pinned the functional code and am leaving this line of text to hopefully avoid confusion, should anyone read the comments :P
Nnnnot gonna lie, I initially read this listing's title as:
DJ "Rave" ..... :}
@ReturnOfJeffChandler But... what's the conversion rate of that so I can get it in Bananas?????/
@meteorbook345 Presumably, even with the Weather set to Dynamic, it doesn't add any Wind, does it?
I've never noticed it producing any, even when it changes the weather to "Stormy". Which if that's true, that's unfortunate, as it seems like a missed opportunity :(
November 27th Changelog:
- Updated the "Limitations & Caveats" section to include that the <font="
[Font name]"> code does not work. (I'm speculating, but I was unable to get any results with what I have access to.)Update #2:
- Added a new section, "Undocumented Features / Functionality", to include things that are not included on the Official page. (Contradictions to what's on that page will go in the Limitations category, since that may be exclusive to how it's been implemented in SP.)
----- Includes info about value "Modifiers", the <rotate=
[value]> I'd mentioned already, and the **<scale=[value]>&& feature... which I had mentioned in yesterday's 'Limitation' but didn't know it was an undocumented feature! lol@meteorbook345 No no, I get that, my question isn't about what they pertain to and how they're calculated.
I'm curious if anyone has actually witnessed in Simple Planes, the GS and TAS providing different values, because they always display the same speed for me. *shrug*
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In other words, I'm trying to figure out if that's a bug (which if so, would've been present in v1.10, as well as the current v1.11).
@GenrichTitov (weird, I didn't get menu-bar notification of this reply...)
That's exactly it, thank you! :D
Well, it's... a LOT more "all over the place" than I thought it'd be! lmao
This is great feedback (data) though and just solidifies my reasoning to make it switchable in the cockpit.
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A followup though, to @Noname918181, @meteorbook345, or anyone else that can answer:
Have you ever switched between GS and TAS in a vehicle (on the built-in HUD I mean), and had those two have a discrepancy in their reported speeds??
Because in my time in planes, at... basically any altitude, they have always been the same -- or within 1mph difference that I attributed to my craft's speed having changed between my clicking over. (I suppose the true test would be to have two Debugs displaying, one for each...)
November 26th Changelog:
- Added section about "Limitations & Caveats" (functionality or incompatibility between code) that I'm finding
---- I may shuffle around some of the TIPS section that fit better with this category.
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I'm toying with the idea of making this into a Google Doc, as the whole thing is more easily able to be formatted and thereby (hopefully) made more readable/easier to follow. Let me know if that'd be preferable?
(and for anyone that ever needs to reach this thread easily, I have it -- and similarly helpful posts -- linked directly at the top of my profile's Bio section, for easy access.)
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I also understand I'm... overly verbose in my... everything lol
If ANYONE has suggestions --or even wants to help by outright editing-- for how to parse this down into either a more succinct format (ie just the facts, less the explanatory-rambling), that'd be great and I'm open to it!
@zwen hah Interesting, I'll keep an eye out for that, thanks :P
@V (@Featherwing too)
Are you certain that's correct?
The reason I asked about
Wing-1is because NONE of the current Wings in the Parts Menu use it...Wing-3Wing-3Wing-3Wing-2Wing-2The differences between those are:
- Primary | Vertical | Horizontal = Just their pre-configured control surfaces and Airfoil; Primary is set to
Semi-Symmetrical, Vert/Hor set toSymmetrical- Structural Wing =
controlSurfaces = false; can't add any flaps, but it still produces lift- Structural Panel =
controlSurfaces = falseANDwingPhysics = false; can't add any flaps and does NOT produce any lift, but also as a consequence of no wing physics its Root and Tip thickness also goes away in the menu (which is dumb)-
Wing-3vsWing-2= 3 is "flexible" and will bend in flight, which is realistic but problematic for builds since nothing else flexes WITH them; also when using multipleWing-3together to construct a big wing, they all flex to different degrees sadly. 2 does not flex, so makes life easier all around when building (ie "stronger than") and weighs almost twice as much (22lbs vs 12lbs); easiest is to grab whatever "3" wing you want and then XML it to "2" before placing it.Which brings me to
Wing-1.... ??? hehSince I can't drag it from the menu, I don't know what its "defaults" should be. It simply inherits whatever the settings were of the wing I XML change to "1"...
In flight, it behaves similar to "3", in that there is flex, but beyond that I know noth.....ing..... SCRATCH THAT
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I just now had a lightbulb moment, and checked something.
Placed the Primary Wing on a build, checked it's weight. Changed to
Wing-1, and... well, ok there's no change... BUT!I noticed its control surfaces...! They all shifted, just like when changing "3" into "2"...
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So it looks like...
Wing-1has the fine-grain ability to adjust Control Surface sizes, thatWing-2has. (Technically, I'm sure "1" existed first, and so it's really the other way around, but I digress...)Because "3" has about half the amount of adjustability when it comes to sizing/placing the control surfaces.
@Tanker123 Aww, don't look at it that way bud...
There's nothing preventing you from still building stuff the old-school way.
This just makes it so everyone can not only make snazzy cockpits, but now more people can ENJOY those builds, since now they don't require all the parts to accomplish it!
Aah, ok, yea that makes sense! I hadn't thought of doing that :P
I did notice once that a massively underpowered (like 5HP) Prop engine makes a nice throaty sound, but unfortunately any other propulsion would've drowned it out. :(
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On that note...
they definitely need a Volume option on them, too, as I have a build with quite a few Prop engines in close proximity to the cockpit, and had to put a warning on the build to turn the system volume down :} Mainly for headphone users. (but this has been suggested a few times already)
@GenrichTitov Interesting heh
Wonder if it had a different model... Or if its model is what eventually became the Blasto J90 (
Engine-Jet-4).If there IS an 'unused' model floating around in the SP code, be it our compiled game or in the "Folder of Misfit Parts", it'd be nifty to deploy it like a "Blade T1000", where it's configurable to a degree :P
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For that matter... further banking on the hope a dev takes a peek at this thread...
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take that lovely modeled V-12 that's part of
Engine-Prop-2and give it to us as a Standalone "Engine"!!! (Just the engine, not the cowling or prop hub.) Such a waste that it's there but not being used :(Which, if it's not much more work, the ability for it to be scalable a little (granted, we have
scale), and/or have paintable valve covers (at the very least), would be equally awesome :}.
That engine model would undoubtedly look great in not only airplanes, but also Cars/Trucks, Tanks, Ships (scaled to like 10,10,10 lol)... ^_^
P.S. - I notice that around 7pm to 7:30pm (Eastern Timezone; it's 7:31pm at time of typing), is when I tend to have the most trouble with comments/posts submitting lately.
Yep, but over the last month or so, actually.
It's hard for me to tell which are site related, and which are my own horses*** internet to blame. Though I suspect any time it's a unique dialogue-box error that shows up that I have to click OK on (not a normal one created by the browser or Windows), it's the site's fault.
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I imagine there's lots of back-end work being done in prep for the VR rollout, as well as the new XML Update capability, such that new changes behind the scenes get rolled out and cause hiccups for us.
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I just click OK, or give it a half hour, and re-try to post or comment, and it usually works fine then. :P
@11qazxc Interesting! I'll have to take a look at that. I knew of the file, but I just... never actually dove into it to see what it did... :}
Thanks!
Found another one, NO idea what it does besides being in reference to the rendering system... (if I remember correctly, "Depth Mask" are used for the Lighting on textures, via shading and reflections)
renderQueueset toBeforeDepthMaskPlaced right in the main "Part" section.
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So whether there are other choices, or even what. there are for other choices... *shrug*
I suppose it's plausible that there's also an
AfterDepthMaskoption hehEDIT: Nope,
Aftererrors, and reverts it back to "Default", as per the console..
Found it on the Propeller of the new P-51-D that came with the v1.11 update, so you know it's legitimate! (I suppose the fact the game didn't auto-remove it also make it a bit 'obviously legitimate', too lol)
@V @jamesPLANESii @2papi2Chulo @Kenneth (etc etc)
During this special time period before SPVR is launched, will builds that miss curation requirements by tiny elements, be commented on by a curator to point out said "tiny elements" that prevented it from being selected... for us to then address?
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Andrew had mentioned doing this on the previous entry. But I'm hoping that is a requirement of the Curation process, where Curators like you will be doing similar! (ie: not just him simply being kind)
Would take more work on your parts, but would ultimately -- in my opinion at least -- result in a much better/bigger selection of curated builds in the end.
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Also, is this specific to the VR Challenge, or are all submitted builds outside of that challenge also being looked at?
@AndrewGarrison Perhaps for us non-VR equipped folk, you could provide a "Textbook Example" cockpit we can load to reference?
-OR- maybe something as simple as a specific FOV setting might be able to crudely simulate the VR experience on our single-screens...?
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I don't know what the default FOV is set to, but going from 90 to 45, the fisheye being reduced can "pull-in" the center of the view so to not look as far away (referencing the "seat being too high" in your other blog entry)
The "don't change the scale of the cockpit stuff" was a good tip though, as in my 2D-opinion, they seemed WAY too large and I HAD been scaling them down! Now I know not to. So I'll also assume we shouldn't move the camera from its default location when placing Seats, or change its
offsetfor that matter... heh@hpgbproductions I think I follow you.
In which case, no you can't exactly do that..... with Slice alone...
However, Slice and using "Angle", will. As "Angle" can. ""add"" (though it technically may be "stretching", I dunno?)
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That's only IF I'm understanding you. I'm a hands-on learner, so this is what I've come up with after monkeying with it a bit. Let me know if this is what you were trying to achieve?
fillFront=1,2,1.1fillBack=1,0,1,1inletSlant=-0.5(aka "Angle" in Part Settings menu)November 15th Changelog:
- Added a Tip about use of Rotate.
---- That tip also happens to include a use-case for <cspacing=
[em]> ... and <smallcaps> but what it does slightly self explanatory anyhow. (These both appear on the Documentation link either way, and its only Rotate that was needing mentioning.)@hpgbproductions
Do you have an example of
fillvalues?Because it sounds like what you're saying is similar to what I did in my "Bonus" example at the bottom. Where I cut both
LeftandRighton theFrontandBack:----------------T | B | L | R
fillFront = 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.2
fillBack = 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 0.5
@BaconEggs lol Thanks
It isn't "over-9000" but I'll still take it! :D
Now with some basic pics! Whether they help convey what's happening to any appreciable degree, I dunno :}
Having played around with this enough, I can see the difference, but to others it may be like "Uhh... Looks the same?" heh
While making that Bonus, I found out that using even a small amount of Negative on just ONE of the complimentary sides (ie Front and Back, or Left and Right), while the other side uses positives even within vanilla range, can result in the part being Sliced into oblivion (disappears), OR all that remains is a itty bitty sliver of fuselage.
Using the Bonus Example's values, all it takes to 'vanish' is changing the Back's
1.25into-1.25, and changing it's "Angle" (Slant) to 0%.@SnoWFLakE0s
It's allll good!
Again, it's just great to at least have a utility like that, period, even standalone!
Since that also gives you the freedom to have a menu system of your own, that's what the bulk of those suggestions were for anyways. :)
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:thinking_emoji:
Given it WILL remain to be a standalone utility... Perhaps if you gave it:
- A tickbox for "
Always On Top", which in addition to doing that, sets temporary conditions that make...- "_
Minimize_" collapse the window it into a small rectangle at the bottom of the screen (instead of going to the Taskbar)- "[
X]" then would instead "Close to Task Tray" (or ideally, taskbar, if that's possible instead), to quickly/easily get it off screen, but not closed..
For those of us who play in Fullscreen, we could still have it open and accessible, whilst still having SP in the foreground and continue doing our thang. :)
Just a thought, though.
(I can appreciate I... have lots of ideas/suggestions... so if at any point I'm becoming ""too much"", by all means, do let me know! heh)
@Bobyo @Wibbley Where do each of you live, if you don't mind me asking?
I was born and raised in Minnesota most of my life, to which Tornadoes, Snowstorms, Damaging Hailstorms, and Flood-inducing Thunderstorms, were all things I grew up experiencing... enough so that MN has the classic Severe Weather Sirens ALL over the place. Although, thankfully, no damage from any of those aside from a couple lost shingles and some small dents from the hail in a car my parents had that was outside at the time.
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I'm not positive I've ever seen a legitimate Tornado though. I tell myself I have, but I'm pretty sure it was just a distant whisp of cloud that happened to be present when a big storm was brewing. lol
I HAVE seen the skys turn a deep teal colored green due to the storm clouds rolling in, and we've had plenty of Tornado Watch and actual Warnings over those years :P (I always found it weird that the "Watch" was for you to be cautious because the conditions are right, and "Warning" for when there's actually been one spotted; always felt backwards to me lol)
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Now I live in Eastern Tennessee, where all of those things are UNcommon! Sure, we have the Sirens........ but they aren't used for Severe Weather warning. Nay, it's Evacuation Sirens for if the local Nuclear Power Plant goes critical! lmao
There's been severe weather, really high winds, and even a Tornado within the last couple years, but they don't blare the sirens for that.
Speaking of wind, though. It wasn't till living here, a few years ago, that I actually got to experience the "Wind Blowing So Hard it Sounds Like a Freight Train Coming"... that was pretty cool heh
(Also, I can confirm: outside indeed becomes a free Walk-In Freezer to store stuff during the winter lol)
@SnoWFLakE0s hah Awesome :D
That'll be great, even though I only now realized my failure to convey (in my original comment) that I was thinking this was going to be accessible from in-game. :}
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Nevertheless, being able to grab variables from other downloaded builds, to build up a library, will be great for ignoramuses such as myself! lol
Some 'care' might need to be taken, though, during this record-keeping. Otherwise we may have a huge and great DB we can access... but have no idea which variables make up a "set" -- i.e. rely on each other to be present, or even noting they were from the same build (file).
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Which might also require mentioning the specific
partwhere the Variable was used as well, plus providing the actual line containing the Variable (I say "line" instead ofinputdue to my understanding that Variables CAN get used in various other fields, likeactivationGroupordesignTextin for a Label). As someone like me does best when there are examples of use provided, so having that info to be able to see the correlation is key; hands-on-learning in essence..
Furthermore, while I'm keeping myself in mind and thus others who have limited understanding in all things FT/Variable, BUT also that not everyone using it would be like myself... So having a menu system with the option to display all the variables as a library without the aforementioned "where it came from and which others came with it", might be preferable for those like yourself who can most likely look at a line of code and make quick sense of what it does. :P
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Much appreciated though, whatever the final result ends up being! Thanks!
@WhyBreadSoFattning
TL;DR -
Dry weather = dry hands = touch screens are unable to detect what you're trying to do. Use lotion.
(and other speculation, if that wasn't why.)
Go big, or go home, right? LOL
Waaaaait a second...
I just had a Wing selected and accidentally clicked on its Variables menu -- the one in the "Rotate" menu, as this is key -- and saw that there's a
Lift ForceandDrag Force?? o_0.
Anyone know how to use those?
It's winter in the Northern Hemisphere... Make sure your hands aren't sapped of moisture, as that's quite necessary for the Capacitive Touchscreens to detect touch input.
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My mom, who still does lots of work around her place, has quite dry and slightly callused fingers. Pair that, with her phone having a screen protector (which even causes me the occasional hiccup on that device), makes it hard for her to get it to register her touches.
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Otherwise, my other thoughts would be a damaged Digitizer -- the part built into the screen that does the touch input, like laptop's touchpad but totally see-through -- from dropping it, or from moisture getting inside somehow.
@PlaneFlightX This was kind of what I had hoped this release was going to be: A tool that would export Variables into a single Database file, which then we'd be able to access from any build we open, to "install" them onto that plane. heh
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Nevertheless, this does sounds like it'll be quite handy still! :)
Thanks, @SnoWFLakE0s :D
OFF-TOPIC:
@PlaneFlightX If your ending sentiment reflects your own situation, I might have a solution for "doing work on PC but manipulating files on an Android device", ie copy-pasting your Variables between files and across platforms.
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The app called
ES File Explorerhas a handy feature where you can have your Android device (tablet/smartphone) configured as a Local FTP. Which then you could use something like FileZilla or WinSCP to connect to it, which with a tiny bit of configuring, set it to check for file-changes..
After you've connected from your desktop machine, navigate to the directory where SP stores its files, and through either of those two programs, right-click the file in question and select either "Open" or "Edit". (You'd have to probably set that up as well, to have it execute "*.splane" with Notepad.exe or Notepad++.exe, etc)
Then, every time you make a change, CTRL+S the file in whatever you're editing it in, and FileZilla/WinSCP will ask if you want it to update the remote file. :)
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Using FileZilla/WinSCP was to edit files was how I ran my Minecraft server for years, which was hosted by a service. It had a web-accessible front end as well that was provided by the MC Server Management software I was running, but modifying config files this way was SO much faster and easier.
I use the ES File Explorer FTP method when I need to transfer large files to/from my smartphone, since it lets you set up a homescreen shortcut to one-click enable the FTP. Which in the end makes it faster than tracking down its USB-C cable lol
(Caveat: I haven't updated my version of ES in a MANY years, since I only really use it for that function, I presume they still offer the function though. If not, ye olde v3.1.4 is what I use, and I'm sure the APK can easily be found on an App Archive site since it's a Free program.)
@BlinIndustry That's pretty much exactly what made me go o_0, was switching over to GS and noticing it didn't matter if I was going up, down, or horizontal, its speed didn't vary any compared to TAS. heh
@hpgbproductions So it's sort of like Doppler Shift, in that like the sound of something passing by having its pitch change (depending on whether it's coming or going), GS is more our "perception" of the speed we're traveling at?
(not to say that Doppler Shift is meerly our perception, as it has a much deeper basis in physics, such as Redshift.)
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Doppler Shift happened to be what my brain drew a parallel to. That is... if I understood correctly? heh
What The Actual ****?!?!
As I was putting together a build for upload to try and get help with... As I set it up to test out... now. it decides to work as intended?!
What am I on now... hour 5? And it just decides to randomly do as it was supposed to..... :sobs:
Not funny, SimplePlanes. Not even a little bit. :(
*grumbles* I dunno, I think SP just hates me :( (naw, I know it's cuz I'm a just an idiot who can't get his brain wrapped around this...)
I'm still having a similar issue with the damn Small Rotator as well....
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I mean the system functions, that's not the issue. it's me getting the parts in the correct placements.
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These are my steps, on just ONE of my failed attempts over the last hour...
1) I start off with the Doors I made, in their "Closed" position.
2) I place the Rotators into the position where I want the Doors to pivot around.
---(NOTE: This is slightly inboard, and higher than the Door, so it's technically "hovering" over the Door, about 1/5th in from the Door's pivoting-edge.)
3) Using MultiSelect, set to "
First Selected" for movement, I select the Rotator first, then the Door pieces.4) I input a value for Z of 105deg, as that's not only what looks best, but also functions how I'd like for it to open, by extending wide enough to clear the Wheel of the Landing Gear.
5) I set up the Rotator's settings to have a Rotation of 105deg (and all the other pertinent stuff to operate; as I said, that aspect works fine).
6) I make connections from Rotator to Door, and Rotator to plane's main Fuselage.
7) Spawn in, and toggle LandingGear...
The gear part moves in and my Door rotates to its Closed position...
Except... the Closed position is somehow offset from where I originally had it before Step 3.
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Which by "offset", it isn't that the Degree of Rotation is not enough or too much, it's physically too far away from the trim piece that it's supposed to sit flush against.
And I have all the Door and related parts'
disableAircraftCollisionsset totrue, so it's not that they're colliding with anything and it's causing displacement... :\All my ""engineering knowledge"" tells me that if I put a hinge (or a shaft, aka 'rotator') at the location I have it, and rotate it around that pivot location, that it will close to the exact same place that I started...
However, I think it's time I make something IRL out of cardboard and coathanger wire, to determine if it's me or the game at fault! lol
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EDIT: Well, at least I have peace of mind in knowing it isn't my engineering of it! :} It functions just as intended, and how it's perceived to while in the Designer and rotating the entire thing around the Z axis, which displays it closing flush as intended.
@ZeroWithSlashedO ....... :epic_thinking_face:
I...
Suppose I could do that... couldn't I o_o ?? lol
Thank you!
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Not sure why I didn't think of that last night, as even now it took me typing a response on why it "wouldn't work" for this, before I realized that it WOULD work. So I don't think I could blame the fact it was late on me not coming up with it! :}
That being said, if anyone else happens to have a 'trick' on how to turn _('rotate') multiple parts to a new Angle which connect to a Hinge Rotator, and still have the Hinge Rotator return them back to their correct place -- and not creating a roughly
0.1distance gap -- when actuated... I would still be interested in knowing, as that'd be handy info to have!@PlaneFlightX *le gasp* Well that's. unfortunate.
I mean, the fact remains that not everyone would be capable of doing it that way like they could with a simple-to-use mod, even IF someone happens to still posess this Lost Knowledge of the XML to bestow upon us again (which I would still be interested in, eitherway...) :D
Guess that makes the need for such an in-game menu method (ie this mod) all the more important!! heh
@Bobyo I got'chu don't worry:
Smol Brain Explanation:
I made "ropes" from a LOT of Hinge Rotators that I had set to
Floppy(which is what it says when moving their "Speed" slider all the way to the left), all connected front-to-back, with each one rotated 22.5deg from the next one..
-If you go to this link:
https://www.simpleplanes.com/a/12OUw1/DERPAs-Derpship-I-Staged-RocketSRB-with-Launch-Tower
-Then download it to load into SimplePlanes.
-Click on "Play" so it spawns on the map.
-Zoom the camera out.
-Move the camera around to the Right side, up near the top of the Tower, where the arm extends out to the Rocket.
-You'll then see the "rope" i made physically swinging around.
Smoller Brain Explanation:
I MADE A BENDY ROPE IN SP! YAY ME ^_^ lol
The amount of times I've instinctively tried -- and continue to try even now -- to move the Throttle knob, Fighter throttle, or the Levers... number enough times that it makes me perplexed as to why it wasn't like this in the first place... (at least on PC/Mac; not enough screen realestate on mobiles)
Check out the Fueling Hoses I made on this build -- as in, load it, not just look at it in the designer.
A hose is just a rope which is capable of transferring liquid internally, expediently, and without leaking :P (a rope used to transfer liquids would be a Wick, which would not be expedient at the task OR leak-free lol)
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However, I forgot to change their
massScaleand sure as hell wasn't about to do it after the fact, so they weigh a LOT more than a rope would (or perhaps a hose, even) <_> I considered loading it in Notepad++ and doing it via Find And Replace, but meh, I countered their imparted forces through a simple Time Delay on the Detatchers..
In the end, the reason I made them that way was exactly the one @AWESOMENESS360 stated: the need for cable physics!
PHOTO CAPTION:
"Tow, tow, tow your boat
gently through the sea...
Push a Bobyo overboard
and listen to 'em scream!"
November 11th Changelog:
- Additions and Improvements to the "Helpful Tips" section.
---- Opted to utilize sub-bullet points since we're unable to use Line Breaks in bulleted lists :( Not optimal, but, a massive mega-paragraph is even worse, so this at least breaks it up like I desired.
---- Added "EXAMPLE 2" for the use of Negative values
---- Added a blurb about how Spaces of any kind are not utilized if added at the end of lines.
---- Added a Ted Talk on the "em" unit, describing how it works and gets applied in game with our Font(s).
---- Added the mentioning of <color=> apparently not. supporting Strings like the document page indicates.
---- Updated Tip #1 based on findings while adding Color's tip.
For anyone curious, the two old original engines are
Engine-Prop-2(used here) andEngine-Prop-1.They lack any ability to increase power despite their same-as-Jet XML entries.
As such, I cheated a bit... Since I needed to have a way to paint the engine cowl blue, I just used a second engine clipped inside, thus doubling the performance. :}
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Seriously though, they are trash lol The only reason I did this was cuz that engine block in
Engine-Prop-2is great!Not a problem :)
I only wish I could've figured out a solution for the Prop vanishing!
Though I am still sort of working on it, as it is quite weird that it's happening. (Which in doing so, I've discovered other legitimate bugs with Props, which may be related; not certain, though.)
I suspect you may already have seen it, but if not, here it is:
Calibrated Tachometer for 1000-6000RPM
@PHURH I concur on all points lol
Glad everyone's gotten a kick out of it! :D
@zwen Indeed. FT Code requires the = for most stuff, but it also DOES use a : quite often. Such as in the IF?THEN:ELSE which using it there does not functionally break FT, on the contrary, NOT using it there will break the FT code lol
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Whereas with the Labels, use of the colon inside the < > Rich Text brackets, results in TextMesh Pro being unable to "parse" where's there, which causes it to literally be displayed on the label.
So if you wanted a label to say: Engine FIRE Warning
Where "FIRE" is also in larger in size in addition to bold, you would type in:
However, typing it out like HTML formats it, using the Colon instead of Equals:
Would result in the Label literally displaying: Engine <size:200>FIRE</size> Warning
SimpleCheats is rather outdated now and there's a number of things either missing or lacking a full explanation, but even so, it indeed is still incredibly helpful! (Might even be some things that are incorrect now, but I don't know enough to say that with certainty)
EXAMPLE: There's no mention of
partCollisionResponseand what it accepts for values. By default it is filled in withDefault, butNonealso works and that makes the part become invincible from taking kinetic damage (not sure about bullet or rocket/missile explosion though) -- as far as I can tell, at least. So crashing doesn't damage parts, nor do parts of your own built that can move and might make contacting other parts cause damage to themselves. The latter is the more useful aspect since that means mechanized contraptions won't harm themselves :)ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Certain parts
InputorAction Groupcan be XML modified toNoneand others withDisabled, even though it isn't a choice in the Parts Setting menu, nor mentioned on the SimpleCheats page. Though, it does produce a Warning in the console, that said part is wanting a "True/False" but had "None" or "Disabled"... and yet not only does what you made function as you want, those parts also non-functional as you want! lol.
(Granted, in that last example, it's probably more the game being like "HEY I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS! So..... I'm not going to do anything with it at all." Which, as it just so happens, that's exactly what we want it to do: nothing! heh)
@DrenasPort Ye-olde Batman DID use a bubble-canopy helicopter (aka Batcopter) in the original TV show! lol So it's not a stretch of the imagination...
Wings? Got'em
Skids? Got'em
Big derpy bubble design? Got'em
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And arguably, its involvement is just as cringy as my ROFLcopter, based on this scene clip.
EDIT: Just to clarify, I only tagged it with Batman for the lawls :P
Anyways, as to your issue...
They don't disappear. They just reach the needed RPM to trigger their "fast-rotation" effect.
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From my understanding, the Propeller engines (and maybe even the internals of Turbines, though I've never looked that close), when their blades rotate fast enough the game stops rendering their 3D models, and switches to a 2D texture -- presumably to save performance by not having to calculate the location for multiple points in a 3D model anymore. (note: I'm not certain SP actually ""models"" things in the same way most games do, with skins, but I digress...)
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I think this is combined slightly with the way you set up its Variable Blade Pitch through FT, to have it zeroed out during idle (ie, no "thrust" is produced by the blades), which might impart a different 2D effect or perhaps a different contrast gets applied to it.
When you throttle-up, their pitch changes, which would actually cause drag on the blades and that's why they "show up" again for a moment after increasing throttle. Because the blades experiencing drag and aren't able to spin as fast with the amount of throttle they're given at idle.
On my PC while playing, after starting the engine I can faintly see the momentary glimpse of the blade. If you turn on Slow Motion (in the Pause menu), it shows it a bit easier. However, we know for certain that the blades ARE still there as far as the game is concerned, because their Shadow continues to be rendered. :) (also because they show up again as soon as you increase throttle heh)
@OtakuNekoToT They're talking about tags, like
Bug,Teaser,WWII,Multi Role.Not the @ mentioning a user to Notify them. :)
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Tags get used on lots of websites, such as here, news sites, and YT, as a way to categorize entries so that people can search for just that "Tag" text and turn up all related content.
@SnoWFLakE0s I might be not following you correctly here, which wouldnt't be surprising given my lack of FT knowledge, but this <rotate=
[value as degrees]> that I'm talking about is specifically for the Text inside the Labels and unrelated to FT. (as far as I understand it, since it's Rich Text related).
I imagine that with the proper know-how, that it could be, in combination with Variables -- and is probably how the 1-part HUDs -- it can have the
[value in degrees]dynamically defined based on something determined by FT... However, that was beyond the scope of this post. The only reason I mentioned said 1-part HUD was to credit PlanariaLab and give a reason to link their upload heh (admittedly, I could've simply mentioned them, and left it at that).
On its own, the <rotate=#> is useful for many things, in reference just to using it in Labels. In conjunction with other Rich Text modifiers, it would effectively allow you to use a single Text Label to suffice for labeling any number of various different parts, despite the fact they're rotated 90; i.e. a 2-person cockpit with a center console that has text oriented for the person on that side to read it and would be 180deg rotated from the other person. Furthermore, that same Label part can still tackle any controls with seat-agnostic orientation -- technically if it were me, I'd have the Text Label facing that way to begin with, then the Left and Right side-specific labels would get Rich Text rotated by -90 and 90, respectfully.
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If they had mentioned TextMesh Pro in the release notes/beta post, I must have somehow missed it. I did read both of them in full, but there was a lot of text to take in from both, which was why I had thought it mentioned HTML or CSS.
Though it also might've been added after-the-fact, as I noticed on the Beta blog post that WNP had followed up with a couple comments, and I didn't even consider until now that the post itself could been updated (as I didn't read it over again, only doing a cursory CTRL+F a few days ago when trying to find where I thought I'd seen mention of HTML)
While I have you, and am thinking about stuff I'd read but can't find details on again...
Isn't there an XML item for the Rotators (not Hinge) that we could add, similar to
disableBaseMesh, which would allow the Rotator to not ""unwind"" itself when deactivated?zeroOnDisableorresetWhenDiabledor... something?? I swear I saved it in a build or a .txt file of notes, buYep, that did it! Does exactly the same thing as mine now but shorter!
Thanks :D
(Although, as to why adding the outer parenthesis solved that issue, is definitely beyond me! lmao)
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I've pinned the functional code and am leaving this line of text to hopefully avoid confusion, should anyone read the comments :P