Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator News

This is a minor patch containing a hot fix for Campaign 2 - Mission 5, and a fix for correctly initializing TrackIR in Apollo.

Patch notes

• Fixed an issue in Gemini Campaign 2, mission 5 where the OAMS sw was commanded to a position that does not exist,
  
• Fixed an initialization issue with TrackIR in Apollo
  

Update:
I merged in a fix for dual DSKY input in Apollo.

• Fixed an issue where keyboard hot key bound to the Apollo DSKYs went to both CMC and LGC after the previous patch.
  

This update will mainly correct bugs (some blocking) and issues with Academy and Campaign. I am also looking into a sub name change.

Info: Games sub name change
I am researching the procedures of renaming the sub name of the game from:
"Reentry - An Orbital Simulator"

to
"Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator".

The reason for this is that "An Orbital Simulator" does not really make sense for most players, at least if they do not know too much about orbits and what they are. In addition, space flight simulation is the primary goal of this game.

Given that Reentry is about flying and operating spacecrafts, and is an entry point for many into space flight simulators, it is a more sensible name, and makes it easier to understand what the game is really is about when seeing the thumbnail or reading the name while scrolling down the game list in Steam.

I am also considering "A Spaceflight Simulator" but that is a bit harder to read at the first glance and conflicts with another title.

I am testing this by changing the sub text in the logo used while running the game.



Academy and Campaign updates
A major part of this update is small but important updates and fixes to multiple academy lessons and campaign missions. I have also received hundreds of contributions with corrections to lessons and missions that has been applied.


I have corrected issues some have experienced related to one of the Gemini docking missions (Gemini campaign, mission 5), and many of the in-game academy lessons has been updated with better descriptions, and concepts that the old deprecated quickstart used to teach you.


Blocking: CSM LM UMB cripples the O2 cryo tank
I have fixed an issue where the CSM LM umbilical would cripple the O2 T2 cryo tank in the CSM. This has blocked the execution of multiple missions. This was typically identified during the 2nd mission in the 3rd campaign, but present whenever the CSM LM UMB bus was powered (MNA or MNB cbs closed and the bus powered).


Blocking: LM ascent batteries fixes
I have corrected an issue recently introduced where the LM ascent batteries would not last long enough to perform an ascent from the Lunar surface to the orbiting CSM. This issue has now been fixed but might still require some balancing. Let me know if you are still having issues with this.


Minor Main Menu design updates
I have moved some components a few pixels here and there, and added the games logo to the Main Menu.


I also changed the placeholder complete/incomplete label on missions to a checkmark, and moved it in front of the mission name.


Black artifacts during landing removed
I have removed some thin black lines and artifacts visible in external view during the landing scene in each spacecraft.

Inflatable flotation in Mercury
I have corrected an issue that prevented the inflatable floatation devices in the Mercury Capsule to inflate when landing.


Cockpit refresh during external view
I have corrected an issue that prevented the cockpit from refreshing or receiving input while in external view or while being in another active spacecraft.

Export Telemetry Data
By request from devs in the Reentry community, I have added a flag: IsFlashing that can be used to animate the flashing VERB and NOUN digits on the CMC and the LGC.

I have also exposed the flags: HideVerb & HideNoun. These flags can be used directly instead of IsFlashing to follow the animation in the game. However, the sync of this has not been tested.

You can find more information about the tools made by the community using these features here:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Patch notes

• Research: Game sub name change
  
• Fixed the thin lines/black artifacts during ocean landings
  
• Fixed the inflatable landing system in Project Mercury
  
• Minor Changes to the Main Menu
  
• Added a realism setting for auto prograde rotation
  
• Corrected an issue with the LM ascent batteries
  
• Fixed an issue where the CSM LM umbilical would cripple the cyros
  
• Fixed: Cockpit not updating while in external view
  
• Fixed: Campaign 2 (Gemini) - mission 5 updates
  
• Updates mission files with community corrections from GitHub PRs
  
• Updates to the pre-launch academy missions of Mercury and Gemini
  
• Updates to the Gemini ascent academy lesson
  
• Revisited many of the other Mercury, Gemini and Apollo academy lessons not mentioned above
  
• Added IsFlashing/HideVerb/HideNoun to DSKY export data
  

On June 21st (Norwegian time) I will host a little presentation where I will talk about the future of Reentry - An Orbital Simulator. Your localized date and time will be visible on the YouTube link below.

I will talk about the current state of the game and what Reentry - An Orbital Simulator is, what to expect from version 1.0, and talk about some new features coming to the game as part of the journey to version 2.0.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This small update is mainly a bug fix patch with a few new features. I have continued to fix issues reported by the community, and issues I have discovered as I create some new content for the game. In addition, I have created a new feature to slightly illuminate the cockpit depending on where the sun is relative to the cockpit windows.

Note: If you are experiencing issues with this build you can roll back to the previous using the Steam Betas Tab accessible from the Steam client (games properties).

Cockpit Internal Ambient Light
I have added a new feature that will add some ambient light into the cockpit, around the windows where sunlight gets through. This feature is available in Graphics: Ultimate only due to the requirement of rendering multiple additional lights in the cockpit.

This feature prevents the cockpit from getting fully dark even if sun light shines through the windows of the space craft.

In the images below, all the internal cockpit lights has been turned off:



Updated Flashlight Cookie
I have updated the flash light cookie to create a more realistic mask when looking around the cockpit with the flash light.


Configure Cockpit Switches through an API
I have started to test a new feature that allows the game to configure panels through an API. This uses UDP, and will allow external applications to set panel switches and press buttons. I will soon release a new GitHub repo where an example client + domain models can configure the panels while Reentry is running.

This is mainly to allow external devices such as an AGC to press buttons without having to bind input as a joystick, and for 3rd parties to create small panels and switches that can be used to control Reentry, such as an SCE to AUX switch, or maybe some more used switches to configure attitude modes etc.

This is step 1 and is currently in testing with a few developers, feel free to join us in the Reentry Discord server.

An example of this is a DSKY that can interact with the AGC/LGC DSKYs in Reentry:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

More information about this project and how you can build one can be found here:
https://github.com/Apollo-Simulation-Peripheral-Lab/DSKY


TB6/TLI and the SII Sep and Uplink Act light
I have fixed an issue where the SII Sep and Uplink Act light would extinguish too early, preventing the crew to use the lights to start the Mission Timer at TLI T -9:00 minutes.



Patch Notes:

• Added some logic that creates an ambient light based on window orientation and size relative to the sun, to prevent a cockpit being completely dark even if the sun shines through the window
  
• Updated the Flashlight cookie
  
• LM RCS min impulse updates
  
• CM and LM system tuning
  
• Fixes related to saving and loading CM and LM orientation and rates
  
• Fixes related to storing CO2 levels in save state
  
• UDP testing to allow external applications set switches and push buttons. This will allow external devices control switch positions in the cockpits.
  
• TLI Pad text corrections
  
• Campaign 3, Set Sail updates
  
• Campaign 3, Loss of signals updates
  
• Big update to the Mission system to be able to create more complicated and detailed missions in the future
  
• Updated the logic related to SII Sep and Uplink Act light and TB6, making it possible to time DET start with the light
  
• Apollo Ascent>Boost checklist update
  

This is a patch combined with hot fix, where multiple issues in the Apollo Guidance Computer and general fixes as reported by the community has been addressed. It also fixes a blocking issue introduced after the previous patch where the Mercury Earth Renderer would crash (resulting in a white cloudy Earth) for players using the LOW (16k) Earth Texture resolution instead of the 64k texture pack.

Note: If you are experiencing issues with this build you can roll back to the previous using the Steam Betas Tab accessible from the Steam client (games properties).

Earth Renderer crash
The white Earth reported by some players was due to the Earth renderer crashing while using the LOW/16k Earth texture pack instead of the 64k Earth texture pack. This would lead to a white cloudy sphere below your space craft with strange artifacts during the night. This has now been patched and should work again.


This image shows how Earth looked during the crash:


Mission Objectives view hot key
I added a bindable key to the mission objectives view. It is by default bounded to C (same as the Comm/function key), but can now be decoupled from this. In my case I have bound it to O and can now view this without also cluttering the screen with the comms view.



AGC: OPR ERR during V37E
Sometimes, if you had a NOUN set when calling V37E, you would get an OPR ERR. The work around was to always go to P00 before calling a new program. This has now been fixed.

V49E - Auto maneuver procedures
The routine loaded by V49E has been updated and is now using a similar logic to the P40 auto maneuvering routine. The general procedure for maneuvering into a burn attitude is to first call V49E to maneuver into the burn attitude, followed by V37E 40E (P40).


During V49E you will now need to press ENTR during V50 to nominally exit the routine. Pressing PRO will re-start the auto maneuver and return to V50 when complete.

V49E will first ask you for the target attitude, followed by V50. Pressing PRO will display V06 during the maneuver. Once the maneuver is complete, V50 will display again. Pressing PRO will start the maneuver again (V06) while ENTR will complete the routine.

I also added a runnable checklist for V49E.

C&W power updates
I have updated the power logic related the the Command Modules Caution & Warning system to behave more realistically when powering it off using the power switch (can be set to 1, OFF or 2) instead of just the circuit breakers.


AGC input
When inserting data into R1,R2,R3 of the AGC, input exceeding the 5 digits will simply be dropped instead of triggering a warning.

Also corrected V66E, V45E, V46E to remove themselves after being executed.

The AGC and LGC has also received a minor overhaul related to the font used to render the DSKY warning lights.


Master Alarm preventing time scale
Master Alarm preventing time scale has caused a lot of bug reports. This has now become a setting and you can enable/disable this from the Realism page under Main Menu -> Settings.

Career tree wrongly showing campaign missions as completed
The career tree has had an issue where some campaign missions would be rendered as completed, without actually completing them. A fix has been applied.


Patch notes:

• Fixed: Mercury Earth renderer crashing, leaving just a white cloudy Earth (16k resolution Earth only, 64k worked as normal)
  
• Fixed: V37 while Noun set throws OPR ERR
  
• Improved V49E to follow more realistic procedures, similar to P40 -> Remember to call V49E before P40
  
• Updated and added the RUN feature to V49 checklist
  
• Campaign 3 fixes related to V49
  
• Fixed so the AGC software drops key presses once the field is full instead of turning on OPER ERR
  
• Updates to the CM C&W system and power
  
• Fixed: Verbs like V66E, V45E, V46E, do not remove themselves from the VERB display on the DSKY after being executed.
  
• Added a bindable hot key for the mission objectives view
  
• Fixed an issue where Master alarm logic could prevent timescale
  
• Added an option under realism setting where you can toggle if Master Alarm should stop timescale in Apollo or not.
  
• Fixed campaign handling issues in the Career tree
  
• Updated AGC and LGC Warning Lights font
  
• CM Cryo tank temperature balancing (minor, internal)
  
• CM rates sensitivity (5 1 is 0.2 degree/tick)