Merry Xmas! Update to "Instrument panel follow-up"

[ANDREA]

To give you an idea
Injection into an orbit around Saturn
I have still to tweak the overlay code and rebuild.
Ideally with all Celestia HUD flight data integrated into the dashboard's lcd displays.

Wow!
This is a cockpit!!!
Cannot wait to download it.
Thanks a lot, Boux

Andrea

[fsgregs]

Boux and Andrea:

Both of your cockpits look neat!!!

Since the cockpit is supposed to be for a hyperdrive spacecraft that can visit any place in the universe, I assume you will be replacing the video displays to show "space" scenes instead of airplane related stuff.

It would also be great if there was a few actual "lights" lit up on the console, if that is possible.

One last suggestion. I realize that windows are supposed to be small in a spacecraft, given that the pressure differences between inside and outside are explosively large. However, if you make them too small ... if the scene is too obscured, then the beauty of Celestial space is reduced. I personally would like to see the central post reduced in width ... say by 30%. It may be required to be thick from a purely engineering standpoint, but it really blocks the view quite a bit.

Just my suggestions

Frank

[ANDREA]

Boux and Andrea: Both of your cockpits look neat!!!
Since the cockpit is supposed to be for a hyperdrive spacecraft that can visit any place in the universe, I assume you will be replacing the video displays to show "space" scenes instead of airplane related stuff.
It would also be great if there was a few actual "lights" lit up on the console, if that is possible.
One last suggestion. I realize that windows are supposed to be small in a spacecraft, given that the pressure differences between inside and outside are explosively large. However, if you make them too small ... if the scene is too obscured, then the beauty of Celestial space is reduced. I personally would like to see the central post reduced in width ... say by 30%. It may be required to be thick from a purely engineering standpoint, but it really blocks the view quite a bit.
Just my suggestions Frank

Thank you Frank. As you see my cockpit is a heavily modified Shuttle one, while the new Boux's cockpit is from a real Airbus A380 aircraft.
I agree on the central frame, I've already reduced it at about half the actual size, but if you look at the real Shuttle cockpit, it is four times wider.
Here an image of the true Shuttle cockpit:



and, BTW, the Atlantis Shuttle has been refurbished with many new and more advanced cockpit instruments.
I have also decided to slightly increase the windows height, for the reason you say.
Blinking lights? In my image there are many of them, but in the real Shuttle I don't think so.
And for the video displays, It would be wonderful to have a reduced image of what is out of the window, but I fear this will remain a dream (or not?Vincent?) .
We'll have some news in the next days.
Bye soon

Andrea

[ANDREA]

OK Frank, here are the windows with increased size (and number, I've added overhead windows), a PC screen filled of stars, and many green lights.



Hope you like it.
Bye

Andrea

[bh]

That looks great! Let's build an interactive control panel.

[fsgregs]

Andrea:

WHOA

Getting very spacy indeed. It is a fitting cockpit for the Celestia 1. I love the gauges and lights.

Do me a favor please. Using the cockpit as a template, remove the central post altogether that is crossing the bottom windows. Leave the horizontal window bar there with its top post so that there are top and bottom divided windows, but let's see what the forward view looks like without a post dividing the lower window scene into two parts (left and right). It may look better or worse. Let's try it and see what we think.

Frank

[ANDREA]

Andrea:............Do me a favor please. .........Let's try it and see what we think. Frank

Frank, I was thinking the same thing, and tonight I've already modified the image, as follows:



If you like it, it's only 540 KB, small enough to be shipped by email.
Bye

Andrea

[fsgregs]

LIKE IT????? Are you kidding???

One last little point. When Boux and Vincent designed the cockpit I currently use in the educational activities, they built into it two small boxes in the lower left and right corners, positioned exactly where the Celestia screen text would appear. Those boxes make reading the text very easy.

Here is a screenshot of the cockpit.



Given the extent of all the dials and screens in your new cockpit, those boxes might come in handy. Would it be really difficult to add them?

When convenient, please email to me ASAP.

Thanks

Boux:

Your cockpit also is good. I particularly like your plan to incorporate Vincent's multiple educational info displays and clickable links into the cockpit screens. That would really be AWESOME!! Once we begin using them, the screen will get really crowded if we try using both a more elaborate cockpit ... and all of Vincent's info.

Thanks to both of you for this effort.

Frank

[ANDREA]

LIKE IT????? Are you kidding???
One last little point. When Boux and Vincent designed the cockpit I currently use in the educational activities, they built into it two small boxes in the lower left and right corners, positioned exactly where the Celestia screen text would appear. Those boxes make reading the text very easy. Given the extent of all the dials and screens in your new cockpit, those boxes might come in handy. Would it be really difficult to add them? Frank

Hello Frank, perhaps I don't understand your problem.
As you see in this image,



I left the lower left-right edges of the cockpit very dark, so white scripts can be seen clearly, IMO.
Anyhow, if you want the two little transparent windows, it's a matter of five minutes, no more, don't worry.
If you decide so, I'll draw and post it.
Bye soon

Andrea

Edited later: I've made a little further change, so that now ALL the four corners are very dark, and scripts clearly visible.

[fsgregs]

Andrea:

Nope! Boxes not needed. You are very correct. The dark corners in each corner do the trick just fine. The text is very noticeable in all four corners!!

Thanks again. It needs no further work that I can see. Send me the file when you can.


Regards

Frank

[ANDREA]

Andrea: Nope! Boxes not needed. You are very correct. The dark corners in each corner do the trick just fine. The text is very noticeable in all four corners!! Thanks again. It needs no further work that I can see. Send me the file when you can. Regards
Frank

You are welcome.
Just shipped to your email address.
Enjoy.
Bye

Andrea

[Vincent]

Your cockpit also is good. I particularly like your plan to incorporate Vincent's multiple educational info displays and clickable links into the cockpit screens. That would really be AWESOME!! Once we begin using them, the screen will get really crowded if we try using both a more elaborate cockpit ... and all of Vincent's info.

Hi friends,

Here's a shot of the Lua ToolBox. You can use it to make your own picture of the cockpit screens with the tool integrated in them. That can be easily done with any image editor (Gimp, Photoshop, ...). This way, it will be easier for me to build the interactive screens from the Lua code.

Of course, since I spent quite a lot of time making the Lua Tools layout easily customizable by any user - and since I feel quite lonely on this project - I would be very happy if some of you were giving a try on it... I would then provide a short tutorial on how to place the different boxes, and I would offer the required assistance...




[Edit]
Of course, the cockpit version will not be be included in the standard version of the Lua Edu Tools. It will be distributed as a separate addon.
[/Edit]

[ANDREA]

Your cockpit also is good. I particularly like your plan to incorporate Vincent's multiple educational info displays and clickable links into the cockpit screens. That would really be AWESOME!! Once we begin using them, the screen will get really crowded if we try using both a more elaborate cockpit ... and all of Vincent's info.

Hi friends, Here's a shot of the Lua ToolBox. You can use it to make your own picture of the cockpit screens with the tool integrated in them. That can be easily done with any image editor (Gimp, Photoshop, ...). This way, it will be easier for me to build the interactive screens from the Lua code. Of course, since I spent quite a lot of time making the Lua Tools layout easily customizable by any user - and since I feel quite lonely on this project - I would be very happy if some of you were giving a try on it... I would then provide a short tutorial on how to place the different boxes, and I would offer the required assistance...

Vincent, I've absolutely no experience on LUA Tools, but if, as you say here, you can give me a tutorial and some help, I can use my little PhotoShop experience to give a try.
Will you?
Bye

Andrea

[Vincent]

Vincent, I've absolutely no experience on LUA Tools, but if, as you say here, you can give me a tutorial and some help, I can use my little PhotoShop experience to give a try.

Andrea,

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my last post. You don't need Photoshop to edit the Lua code...

First of all, you can use the ToolBox picture that I posted to make a pattern of the cockpit screen within Photoshop. This way, it will be easier for you to discuss about the different layout possibilities, and make some possible changes by simply editing the image within Photoshop.

Then, when you all agree on the layout, I will help those of you who are interested to include the Lua active commands into the cockpit screen, using the picture you built as a pattern.

Hope this is clearer than before...

[ANDREA]

Vincent, I've absolutely no experience on LUA Tools, but if, as you say here, you can give me a tutorial and some help, I can use my little PhotoShop experience to give a try.

Andrea,
Sorry, I wasn't clear in my last post. You don't need Photoshop to edit the Lua code...
First of all, you can use the ToolBox picture that I posted to make a pattern of the cockpit screen within Photoshop. This way, it will be easier for you to discuss about the different layout possibilities, and make some possible changes by simply editing the image within Photoshop.
Then, when you all agree on the layout, I will help those of you who are interested to include the Lua active commands into the cockpit screen, using the picture you built as a pattern.
Hope this is clearer than before...

Sorry Vincent, I didn't understand your first post.
Now it's OK, I'll go on with your toolbar picture.
Bye

Andrea