Posts by larrylynx

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Slipstream


    Cold and dark crashing the sim, don't recall ever saying that. In fact the only way I can get a twin engine helicopter to load in the sim is via cold and dark. There may be a way but I couldn't find it and there is zero documentation to help.


    TomB


    Yep I could have all the switches in the right position but you would still have to start the engines, engage the rotors and have to push buttons that can't be set before the engines are started so it ain't gonna happen. Some systems in the Lynx depend on others, that's the way I built it and that's the way Westland Helicopters built it.


    What's the point in building a fully accurate aircraft or helicopter if all you want to do is cheat and have a single button/key to do it for you, How you going to learn the systems by cheating. We complain FS2 aircraft are not accurate and when we build one that is accurate we complain again.


    Come to think of it, there will be one button that will do it all for you, it's called the download button. If you don't want a fully accurate helicopter then don't download it. It makes no difference to me if you do or don't, it's free so it's all your choice. My aim was to make an accurate model of a Lynx, I achieved maybe 90% so I'm satisfied, only the TANS is missing and I don't even know if FS2 can replicate the TANS.


    One thing has become clear to me, this is my last effort into FS2 addon's

  • AFS2 update 19.11.2019

    Not worth mentioning....When I loaded FS2 I was told this game was not supported by my VR setup


    I then realised I had unplugged all my VR outputs to use my drawing tablet...kicks one own backside and hangs his head in shame :rolleyes:

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Lynx update first


    Success, well... sort of


    I have corrected the problem but this means yet more testing as it causes smaller issues down the line which also need to be corrected. It seems FS2 engines are very sensitive to rho values (engine component stiffness from what I can gather). What is fine at sea level becomes unstable as the starting altitude increases. And of course, increasing the rho value means other factors down the line also have to be adjusted.


    FS2 loads aircraft with their engines running, to enable a correct start sequence for the Lynx, and most large helicopters, I immediately shut down the engines ( to my shame I can't remember how I did this but I know it will bite my backside eventually so I will need to find out). It's this engine running loading and my particular transmission system that breaks the sim. When we eventually get a method to start with engines off this will help but will probably mean a re-write of the Lynx TMD...yet more cursing.


    To be fair to IPACS, I'm probably doing things they never expected users to be doing. Yep there is always someone out there that has to be awkward


    Modelling Collaboration


    Great idea but I can see many problems. Having done both sides, aircraft development is more difficult by a significant margin.


    We basically have 5 areas to an aircraft or helicopter

    1. 3D model

    2. Textures for that model

    3. Controls TMD

    4. Aircraft TMD

    5. Sounds


    1 and 2 would need a lot of co-ordination as UV maps would need to be explained from the modeller to the texture artist, easy if your in the same room but not so via email etc. Ideally both would need to use the same software and until we have a Blender plugin that means high end software.


    3,4 and 5 are done using Notepad++. Unfortunately, nothing can really start until 1 and 2 are fairly advanced as you need axis information from the model to use in both 3 and 4. Item 5 is pretty much done at the very end. Also, making changes to either TMD may well impact on someone else who is also making changes to the same TMD's. Think of a novel where 5 people are writing individual chapters not knowing if their characters had changed from the previous chapter or worse, written out in the previous chapter. Understanding your own TMD is fairly easy, trying to understand someone else's is more difficult.


    Just my thoughts


    Steve

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Trying to track down what is causing this is a bit like platting fog, just when you think your making progress it vanishes. There are no written words to go by and there are a lot of systems that depend on each other.


    Biggest problem working with helicopters in FS2 is I'm on the edge all the time, with Jan's help we're developing as we go. As an example, there is no automatic flying control system for helicopters so Jan invented one, I tested and fine tuned it. It's not perfect but it works.


    It will probably end up being something so simple I'll kick myself but at the moment the TMD file is winning. Sylvain knows exactly what I am on about.


    Steve

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    I flew Lynx for many years, performing some serious manoeuvres and all you hear is the gearbox. Perhaps from the outside you may get some but not internally, that bloody whine is just to loud.

    A lot of what you think is blade slap is really the interaction of the airflow between the main and tail rotor blades as they pass each other near the tail

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Thanks to those who have contributed. After a very quick experiment whilst my TMD brain cools down I ended up with something that looks exactly the same from the inside but radically different from the outside. I removed everything we don't need or see . As it was only a quick experiment I could probably have reduced the poly count by another 30,000.


    Lynx as it stand now is 417,348 polygons

    Cockpit only view Lynx 332,678 polygons ( would be less if I really tried)


    Whilst this may seem I could add 120,000 polys to the cockpit would the sim actually suffer as it needs to render those extra poly's. Perhaps only the professors can answer that one


    I guess this mainly effects helicopters to be honest as tail hub and blades, main hub and blades add quite a lot of polygons, whilst a 2 bladed head and tail are ok as we go for larger helicopters the poly count rises quite a bit, a 7 bladed main rotor is nearly 4 times the amount.


    Thanks again to all who contributed


    I leave you with my stripped down Lynx


    Steve

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Yep they are complicated but the biggest problem by far to a sole developer is we become a Jack of all trades and a master of none.


    Modeller, texture artist, sound engineer, aerodynamicist, systems analyst, computer programmer, tea boy and general dogs body.


    Or in others words, we spread ourselves too thin, which I guess leads me into another point.


    Where should we focus our model detail ?


    Super detailed exterior model and basic cockpit or

    Super detailed cockpit and basic exterior model


    We can't really have both and keep the frame rates high, so which is more important ?


    Edit..missed one........thermodynamicist

  • Still in Search of Perfection, LYNX Mk7 update

    Hi Lynx fans


    OK here's a bit of bad news...I found a major bug..and I mean a major one. :(


    Lynx works great but only if I load it at an airfield which is below 100ft, anything above that, the screen goes black and FS2 seems to freeze until I press ESC. Not ideal as I'm sure you will all agree.


    So why didn't I find this out before I hear some ask. Well, all my testing has been done at EGGP, yep below 100ft. I can fly to EGNM 700ft, land there and all ok. If I try to start at EGNM I get the error. I only found this out as I thought a nice photo shoot of the Lynx at EGNM was needed.


    I have reached out to Obi Jan who replied that these kind of black screens happen if something in the physics 'explodes', the flight info also shows some infinite numbers, which is not a good sign. I'm thinking it may be something to do with the transmission system I developed as I have a homemade actuated freewheel. I know FS2 doesn't seem to like this but it's the only way to achieve correct starting for large multi engine helicopters.


    I will try to track down the error and hopefully work towards a fix.


    Steve

  • Aerofly FS2 RC ATC available for download (trial or purchase)

    IPC request contains bad data


    This means it's not licensed. If you have purchased then I suggest you contact Karl or perhaps your free trial has expired if not.


    Your right, us beta testers did get preferential treatment, we had to go though it all before you did, help work out the bugs and yes it's the same process, only in our case it was every time a release was made to correct or improve things.


    Seriously, if you think this is complicated try building one of these

  • IPACS Making any changes?

    If all your interested in is "ease of use" might I suggest you do NOT use my Lynx when it is available as you will have to start it from cold and dark every time, even if you crash..no in-flight starting, no on runway ready to go...all those buttons to press, so best not for you


    As we all know IPACS is a small and dedicated team so where would we be if we simply waited for them to do what they want..

    No FSCloudport airports

    No AFS2 Cultivation/Scenery editor

    No AeroScenery

    and these are just a few of the very useful and essential tools we need to make FS2 what it is.