Hi Scott, ummm 10 days, how time flies.
Ok, a report: I have been busy on the models, I guess for the last three months I have put in 50-60 hour weeks on them, the project seems to have blown out a bit.
Since I have dispensed with the pantograph there are many aircraft that have to be changed to have the landing gear retract based on speed, it is working nicely on the recent models.
Anyway, the P38, Messerschmitt and Boomerang are finished I think. These are relatively simple aircraft and I may issue them over the next few days.
The runway and taxiway models are in final testing, the airport terminals have some way to go though.
Boat has kindly helped by making an Aircraft Action Trigger, when placed on the track and configured to different "channel" numbers it sends messages to the aircraft to do something - an animation, operate the horn or bell or sanding function (I use these to trigger animations and effects, and for the horn, bell and sanding, the user can trigger them at will from the keyboard).
It has 7 other general messages to the aircraft that I can use for all sorts of things. The A10 has been reworked to have the refuelling probe operate using one of these function messages. As I said, a lot of aircraft will be updated.
Now the bad news, to send a Sanding function message, used for flares on military aircraft and wing spoilers or cargo doors on commercial requires TRS2006. I plan to release the models as trainz-build 2.6 for TRS2006, otherwise I get complaints that some essential functions do not work.
For you to really try most of the aircraft you need the trigger from Boat, we plan to have it finished in about a week.
You may be interested in a summary of the A380 operation: You place a number of triggers on the runway and attached track for takeoff and landing, configure them and they operate as follows:
Taxi the aircraft to the takeoff position, the flaps come down;
You accelerate and keep the speed below the take off speed until you are clear of the runway and the landing gear lifts automatically at takeoff speed;
A track trigger raises the flaps;
On landing approach the flaps come down;
On touch down the wheels emit smoke and tyre squeal;
On rolling down the runway, the wing spoilers come up;
Further down the runway, triggers reset the flaps and spoilers; and
the horn (user operated) is an in flight announcement to buckle up!
The only thing you have to do is fly the aircraft at the correct speed. I think it is quite realistic, but I leave it to you to see.
For operation under AI of course you need to place speed signs and invisible signalling. Anyway, I think you will like them. Not all aircraft will have all these features.
The actual takeoff speed where the landing gear operates and the tilt speed (where banking commences) can be set in the config string table by the user.
The Osprey now has the rotation of the rotor engines controlled by the aircraft speed, so you keep the speed down on the runway or the rotor blades will dig in. Thanks to Bloodnok for help with the script.
I have added an HTML page for display in Surveyor that shows how to use the runway and taxiway modules, how to connect tracks (there are a takeoff, a short takeoff, a landing and a touch and go track on the runways), bitumen and concrete surfacing models.
When the trigger is available I can release the models that need it for full operation (A380 and Osprey), the Hercules and 747 need a lot of changes yet.
Umm what else? ah yes, VinnyBarb has kindly allowed me to convert his excellent jeep models to products for me to load in the Osprey, I have made an Abrams tank for the Hercules.
The Osprey can use my helicopter lift tables effectively.
I had planned to release my test map (track etc without scenery) so users could get a feel for how things work together, but it is quite complicated and probably will have a lot of faults. I now work in TS2009 so it cannot be exported to an earlier version, thoughts for later.
I would suggest when you get to try them you sue the HTML display pages in Surveyor (I have not been able to come up with the HTML display for aircraft, you would refer to the config file for notes on what keys operate things on the aircraft), and check my webpages for operation information.
Here endeth the reading lesson, what do you think?
Ian
