I must admit I like your idea to parametrize all the control surfaces with
macros (that expect a value from -1 to 1) because even if you do control the
surfaces with splines, at least it will be easy to specify their angles
realistically.

"Reactor" <rea### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
>
> Unfortunately, my vector calculus isn't very good, otherwise, I would have
> finished this already with an part that calculates instantaneous curvature,
> which would allow one to place vapor trails (at pre-defined locations).
>
> Of course, this is the hard way to do things.  The other way is to simply make
> more splines that define the control surface positions at various parts of the
> location/orientation spline, but... *sigh* there would just be something very
> nice about having an aircraft model that positions its control surfaces
> correctly in responds to its path and instantaneous velocity... you could even
> make the exhaust flames longer when it moves at higher speed...

I agree that it is very desirable to make the plane practically fly itself.  I
was hoping to get this to work, but I hadn't brought control surface animation
into the equation before.  I have exhaust flame length changeable currently and
plan to add the control surfaces you talked about.  My main concern in relation
to this is how I might figure out at what speed the airplane is traveling
because this would effect the degree to which, for example, the ailerons would
tilt during a roll to rotate so many degrees per second.

>or make it deploy the flaps in level flight when it is at very low speed, or...

Now that would be amazing! In some ways it could also suck because you might
want to do a surrealistic maneuver but then have your code do something
unexpected.

> wait, I should finish the model first.

I also find myself forgetting this... :)

>Thank you, and yes, I did use radiosity (when it is untextured and the plane is
>white, it is hard to see exactly what is going on).  The mesh is fairly smooth,
>but there are a few bits that could use more smoothing.  I usually keep the mesh
>low density for ease of working, then do a smooth-on-export with recursion level
>1.  This means that the working one is about 2000 vertices, whereas a smoothed
>export one is closer to 8000.  I plan on making 3 or so resolutions - 2000 is
>more than enough for a high-speed moving spec, whereas a ground scene may
>require a fully smoothed model, which is closer to ~32000.
>Of course, after that, one needs a burning model, a crashing one, an exploding
>one, one crashed on the ground, one partially disassembled for maintenance...

Thanks for letting me know about the "smooth-on-export" feature of Wings.  That
alone may warrant me learning Wings modeling because I can think of quit a few
cases in which this would be useful (none relate to the jet unfortunately -
unless maybe the weapons).

Well, I wish you a happy holiday!

Bridgeofstraws

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