Aeroplane Heaven C-47/DC-3 is out!

[Alan_A]

Alan,
it is in :\Aeroplaneheaven Douglas DC-3\SimObjects\Airplanes\AH_Douglas_DC3\panel\DC3_xml i think

Ah, OK - that, I might be able to cope with. I'll have a look.

 

[Wothan]

@Wothan -

Am I right that those magneto values in your post are part of the interior.mdl files and therefore can't be edited by non-developer civilians like myself?

It is build into the interior model file.
I have been able to "Hack" the model file inorder to keep it from setting the magnetos, and then add the new code into a xml gauge file.

 

[Alan_A]

It is build into the interior model file.
I have been able to "Hack" the model file inorder to keep it from setting the magnetos, and then add the new code into a xml gauge file.

Got it. I'll be interested to hear if it fixes the startup issues, or if there are other switch-setting problems getting in the way. Please let us know.

 

[YoYo]

In version 1.0 it was very important to do all things in the right order (and open a little throttle), as developer did this startup procedure. If it was done then there was no problem with start up engines and I had 100% of success with starting the engines. I think the same its in 1.1. I dont have this version still (not yet in PCAviator) so cant give any advice even.

 

[Wothan]

I have made the Model "Hack" and moved the magneto code outside the model and into a dedicated .xml gauge file.
But I have also made substantial changes to the new 2D panel where You can set "Cold & Dark", Avionics switch, "Auto Shutdown Reset" and "Ready to Go", sinc ehte wahere some code errors, as well as some switch setting not being set and thus could cause that the AH DC-3 VC switches where out of sync with P3D's internal switchs - the Magneto switchws where among those.

With my current coding I can start and shutdown the Engines consistent.

Don´t ask me for my files, since it would be legal for me to distribute those - just to be clear.

All in all I´m rather disappointed with the quality of this addon, especially the coding, which contains quite a handfull of errors, or more rightly put, missing code control of various switches, which makes it easy out of sync.

Modelling and texturing is nice, but gives an unproportional hit on performance in the sim. I have seen my GPU pegged at 99%, which not even the PMDG 737NGXu does.
Often the reason for this is excessive polygon count and also the way socalled materials are used within the model. Both issues causes a high amount of socalled drawcalls.

 

[cavaricooper]

Wothan-

Would you please share all this code with Baz and AH. I keep waiting to read that the DC-3 has evolved into something wonderful... it deserves to.

Thank-you for your perseverance.. we all love the old girl so.

Best- C

 

[banjoman1960]

i hope for a big update

Sorry for my English!!!
sorry to say,for me this Aircraft is not ready for a release,so many errors,to hard on frames(more than PMDG and A2A),Sound is horrible on my sytem,the way to handel the mixture levers(useles with my hardware)no virtual crew.........as a big Fan of the DC3 i am very Disapointed,there is no Joy to use as is..... so i wait for a big update!!!

at monent i use the Freeware Vc and Features it has to offer,it has also smal error´s (Prop-animation)with this AH plane,but engine start work,virtual checklist and vc callout´s work,mixture lever work for simming.....


Regards
Ralf

 

[wombat666]

A reminder to all those with apparent problems: please contact the Aeroplane Heaven Help Desk, that is the correct and most sensible path to take.
The developers have far more insight than we do.
So contact them rather than raise the subject on SOH.

 

[Alan_A]

A reminder to all those with apparent problems: please contact the Aeroplane Heaven Help Desk

Good advice - just for the record, I sent Aeroplane Heaven a message on Sunday night US east coast time about my startup issues. Haven't yet heard back. I'm sure they're looking at all the reports including mine, so I'm happy to wait for their reaction.

A couple of members here had expressed that they were interested in hearing initial reactions, and since I'd bought the aircraft and was working with it, I thought it made sense to share those impressions here. If that was a mistake, please let me know.

I continue to think there's a lot of promise here and I'm looking forward to a near-future point when the product moves past some of these glitches.

 

[cavaricooper]

Alan-

As one of those member requesters I appreciate all the feedback herein. It is my full intention to purchase this aeroplane and so I am waiting until it’s all sorted and blossoms into the creation it can be.

AH seems to have a great track record, and I’m sure we will all be celebrating a great Dakota soon.

Best- C

 

[cavaricooper]

You know, I've been having a think. We have all been clamoring for a DC-3 and now we finally actually have one. I'm thinking that the best course of action for me, would be to get it, support the developer, and see what it actually looks and flies like. There is no substitute for actual time in type, and it's really not fair to sit on the sidelines, without a ticket to the game... so, here's the DC-3 I have waited for... and I'm off to read the manual and try and avoid any self created pitfalls.

Having waited all this while, I'm not waffling and putting it off any more- I have a DC-3 to fly, and I'm looking forward to it.

C

 

[cavaricooper]

I was lamenting the dearth of VC shots for potential purchasers, so I had better do something about that-

 

[cavaricooper]

 

[cavaricooper]

I was going to wait until I read the manual to try and manually start her... but I couldn't resist... and a couple of minutes later, here we sit in the afternoon sunshine, with wings aglow and Pratts ticking over in the blinding sunlight. Not sure what I stumbled through successfully, but I will have a read tomorrow and see.

And so, off to bed- C

 

[bazzar]

C, you may need to check your settings. Those cockpit shots look awful flat. This is what you should be seeing...

 

[cavaricooper]

Baz-

Im using the 2k textures, do I need 4K.. they are from a 4K tv. Your shots look even better than mine so do share any tips you can... I’m on v4.5 HF3.

Ta- Carl

 

[bazzar]

My shots are of V4.5 with the HF too.

Firstly, if you have HDR lighting on, turn it off or adjust the levels until you get something better. I personally hate HDR for full PBR cockpits, it flattens everything out.

You need to run 4K for the shared textures IF you are not experiencing a frame hit you can't live with. My card is quite old and runs 6g. The shots are showing 4K shared textures. BTW tick the box for Mipmap VC Panels. We don't actually use mips but leaving this on does seem to improve things.

Lighting - no HDR, Dynamic ON Shadow quality Ultra and all shadows casting and receiving.


Incidentally, I have seen a distinct improvement in frames with V5. Leave your exteriors on 2K, they should stand up OK but if you have a good machine, you can't go past the 4Ks, especially for aluminium.

 

[Alan_A]

I was going to wait until I read the manual to try and manually start her... but I couldn't resist... and a couple of minutes later, here we sit in the afternoon sunshine, with wings aglow and Pratts ticking over in the blinding sunlight. Not sure what I stumbled through successfully, but I will have a read tomorrow and see.

If you can report back on what steps you went through to get the engines started, that would be helpful. I just ran through another series of tests after noticing that the checklist on page 36 calls for mixtures full rich, in contrast to the procedure on page 20 which calls for auto rich. Having failed to start with auto rich, I decided to test full rich, but... no luck. Still cranking without firing. I'm open to whatever might get her running.

 

[bazzar]

1) PTM Props 100, Throttles cracked, Mixtures Auto Rich
2) FBIP Fuel tanks Main, Battery ON, Ignition (Master) ON, Primer (RH) ON
3) EMM Energise Starter (RH)Mesh Starter (RH Magnetos (RH) to BOTH (one engine at a time)

Same for left engine.

You MUST remember to have the primers switched up/on and wait a few seconds between Energising and Meshing.
And if you are loading after another saved flight, maybe another plane, it is always good to "clear the mixtures"using ctrl/shift/F4.

 

[bazzar]

Another thing people are getting wrong is the order of the process. Unlike stock aircraft, you DO NOT switch magnetos before starters. In a DC-3, you enrgise and mesh the starters before giving them ignition. That is what we have simulated here.