Ok, some background on what I'm trying to do and what's feasible with this "LIS" revival for FSX.
The reason I started this, is a bit coïncidental.
I always found this LIS stuff quite intreging, which Ronnie's excellent designs and Carl's scenery work.
But for some reason, I lost interrest when moving to FSX a decade ago since (because it was designed for FS9 and Ronnie stopped his Flightsim development work) I never thought it would work in FSX.
Then, some 7 years back, I developped a "gimmick" resulting in my "space gauges" package; inspired by a question from a guy who designed all kinds of spacecraft models and sceneries and was wondering how he could make them fly at 1.000.000 feet without using Slew mode (because the FSX engine thrust model doesn't work at such altitudes).
I made this package based on the same functions I used in my ever-going VTOL developments (a.o. included in the FS9 Jupiter2 package), and it actually works quite good.
With some obvious restrictions, like the 2666 Knots speed limit in MSFS (and P3D) , for which there is no work-around other then using a higher SimulationRate.
In this package, I even incorperated a fully automated vertical launch of Bruce Fitzgerald's SpaceShuttle model.
And since:
- With proper configuration settings, the well-known AICarriers addon makes it possible to have "aircraft carriers" (i.e. any AI model) fly at any defined altitude.
- I also had developped another application, able to track/fly-to a moving AI aircraft anywhere in the FS scenery, using the FS iTraffic module.
this "space gauges" package made it possible to spawn a "carrier" at high altitude, speed it up to 250 knots or so, and then start an aircraft on the ground, plot a course towards the moving object, track/fly-to it and even land on it.
A whole new and exciting angle (spaceflight) to this MSFS flightsim hobby.....
Then, last year, another famous flightsim designer (Bill Lionheart) approached me, asking me if it would be possible to make an "FDE" for a project he was working on (the Haunebu flying saucer).
Which I did, and I made a whole new "flying saucer" FDE , bypassing the MSFS FDE engine in any stage-of-flight.
Even with features like a fully VerticalAutoLand on moving surfaces.
Based on this "space gauges" package.
Unfortunately, Bill doesn't have the time available yet to finish his very nice Haunabu visual model with a decend VirtualCockpit. So it's still WIP.
Then, a few months back, I noticed a thread on flightsim.com.
A guy that had seen a YouTube video with the Jupiter2, recorded in FSX.
And asking, where he could download this Jupiter2 package ……
Huh ?? The Jupiter2 flying in FSX ???
How did that video maker tinker with the FS9 J2 package to fly in FSX ??
And then it suddenly struck me....
What if I could combine all the stuff described above, and apply my new "flying saucer" FDE, "space gauges", etc. into one addon for the fabulous FS9 Jupiter2 GE flying in FSX ??
After a few experiments, I decided this was feasible.
And then the ball started rolling ………..
One of the first problems was, to solve the problem of the "black VC windows" of the FS9 J2 model in FSX.
Since I don't have the first clue on visual modeling myself, I approached another good flightsim designer friend (Milton Shupe), and he handed me the solution … (just a missing texture file, needed in FSX).
So the FS9 visual model (with some minor quircks) works in FSX.
Now, next step (as with all my flightsim designs): one thing is to make something for myself, but one of my "design drives" is to be able to share my work with other flightsim enthousiasts.
So I tried to get in contact with Ronnie Pendergraft, Carl Reddin, and Rich Taylor (the original Pendercraft design team) how they would feel about such an FSX upgrade of FS9 LIS stuff.
Via via, I got in touch with Ronnie, Carl, and finally Richard.
Resulting in a go-ahead …..
And resulting in a first beta addon for the Jupiter2 (Goddard Edition); currently in test by user PhantomP here at the forum (another LIS lover ..LoL).
Lastly, when the word got out that I'm working on this, I got various requests on specific LIS addons (space pod, vehicles, etc) if they would be included for FSX.
STOP, I said …
My plan as I had it now, is nothing more then to make an addon for the Original J2 FS9 package, making it fly in FSX like how I think a "flying saucer" could behave… Which is very dubious, because flying saucers don't exist .. (??)
And even what you see in movies/animations ,is sometimes dubious because you can't see how they are actually controlled and how they could perform.
Next, I assume the original source code of a lot of this LIS stuff for FS9 is lost (in space ...LoL).
So even IF the original 10-years-old FS9 download packages can be recovered somehow, there is the question what can be made "compatible" with FSX; let alone P3D.
Without the source code, some of the visual animations gets lost. Even with tools like ModelConverter, to convert the model into a true FSX-native model (with a seperate external and internal visual model, needed to have it work even in P3D).
A first attempt to do this was made by yet another flightsim friend of mine, with mixed results.
So please don't get your hopes up too high; we have to work with the FS9 designs available.
Besides that:
I have many qualities myself as a flightsim designer (* blush*) , but I don't have the first clue on visual modelling, and many other flightsim angles (sound engine, texturing, etc).
I just know how I can make this J2 fly in FSX/P3D, given my educated guesses on how a flying saucer would behave; within the restrictions of what's possible to simulate in FSX/P3D.
That's it.
So my focus is on making a J2 fly in FSX, with accent on flightbehavior and based on a number of "gadgets" I developped in the past.
And maybe extend it with special sounds, and (control of) available visual effects.
What I hope for ….:
To make other flightsim designers with expertise that I don't have, interrested in helping with making this LIS stuff compatible with FSX/P3D.
And get feedback from people who are LIS-experts....That is, the show/video/animations of it.
As kind of a community project.
Because I DO realise that this isn't real simulation (Flying saucers, etc. ARE just imaginary IMHO ...LoL).
But, as I'm as real fan of the TVseries Startek and Thunderbirds (Yes, I am that old …), I get a real kick in trying to simulate in FSX/P3D in what I observe in movies and animated video series …..
Cheers, Rob
