• There seems to be an uptick in Political comments in recent months. Those of us who are long time members of the site know that Political and Religious content has been banned for years. Nothing has changed. Please leave all political and religious comments out of the forums.

    If you recently joined the forums you were not presented with this restriction in the terms of service. This was due to a conversion error when we went from vBulletin to Xenforo. We have updated our terms of service to reflect these corrections.

    Please note any post refering to a politician will be considered political even if it is intended to be humor. Our experience is these topics have a way of dividing the forums and causing deep resentment among members. It is a poison to the community. We appreciate compliance with the rules.

    The Staff of SOH

  • Server side Maintenance is done. We still have an update to the forum software to run but that one will have to wait for a better time.

Hello Boxcar, my old friend!

Tako_Kichi

Tako_Kichi

Administrator
Staff member
Way back in 2015 (that's 10 years ago folks!) LDR Development started working on a new aircraft for FSX and it got to roughly 98% complete when the project was abandoned, partly because we lost our lead texture artist and partly because a payware developer released a payware version of the same aircraft and the will to continue evaporated.

Fast forward to earlier this week and I decided to try her out in P3D v4.5 and low and behold she works like a charm with the exception of one pop-up window that caused an immediate CTD but this was picked up by our late and great coder Roman Stoviak (the 2nd 'R' in LDR, the first was Rachael) and he disable that function in P3D via the custom installer! We spent a couple of years working on her and as usual 'feature creep' was a major issue as we kept adding all sorts of new features and options just because we could.

Just to whet your appetites here are a few shots of how far we got with her before pulling the plug.

The short nosed model:

RCAF_SN.png

The long nosed model:

RCAF_LN.png

The select-able JATO Pack (that actually produces extra thrust):

RCAF_JATO.png

The tanker version (fully compatible with the 'Firefighter X' payware app):

Tanker.png

These are some of the other schemes we did for her:

USAF


USAF.png

USAF Thunderbirds Support Aircraft:

T-Birds.png

A 'what if' scheme for Santa Fe Airways:

Santa_Fe.png

There is one other special variant but I will save that for later!

D'ya want to see the 'office'? ;)
 
The 'Office'!

These are the views available when using the 'A' key in 'cockpit' view:

Pilot position

VC_1.png

Central position

VC_2.png

Co-pilot position

VC_3.png

Lower overhead panel (Note: all switches are animated, only a few are INOP)

VC_4.png

Upper overhead panel

VC_5.png

Centre console/pedestal

VC_6.png

Radio op/navigator station

VC_7.png

Cargo bay

VC_8.png

VC_9.png
 
That's the office and the "shed"! Brilliant work Larry!!

Now, if you could bring that over to MSFS, that would be a joy! :D

Jan
 
Cargo and Options:

Here we have the Jeep and trailer cargo and the pallet cargo.

Jeeps_1.png
Jeeps_2.png
Pallets_1.pngPallets_2.png

In the tanker version the back is filled with the giant retardant tank that almost fills the entire space!

The 'options' are select-able via a pop-up window:

Options_1.png
Options_2.png
 
Roman spent weeks working on a custom engine start package (custom code and custom effects) and it really paid off IMHO, you can use <CTRL+E> to start but why would you when you can watch this majestic animation instead!

Here I start the left engine (right as we view it) without using the primer switch and it takes many rotations before the engine sucks enough fuel to fire. The number of rotations is randomized in the code and it is different every time you fire them up!

On the right engine I follow the recommended procedure in the original Pilot's Operating Manual and once the props are rotating I activate the 'primer' switch which injects more fuel into the carbs and speeds up the start process. The smoke and flames are very typical of a real-life Boxcar start-up.

Once the piston engines are fired up I move on to the JATO pack. The Jato engine has a simple Start/Idle/Run switch and as it is operated you can see the intake doors open, the smoke from the jet engine at idle and then the dip in the nose gear when full power is selected and the brakes fight to hold the increase in thrust. I then go through the shutdown operations and you can see the suspension relax as the jet engine goes back to idle then the intake doors close after the engine is turned off and finally the piston engines are shut down. Note also that when the aircraft is in a 'cold & dark' state (i.e. engines off and parking brake on) the crew disappear from the cockpit.

NOTE: Be sure to watch the video in full size on YouTube for the best effect!

 
Finally I mentioned up there ^^^^ that there was one other 'special' variant and you can't make a C-119 and not include this guy!

Cabbie.png

He even has the ground attack vehicles on board too!

 
Tako_Kichi said:
Way back in 2015 (that's 10 years ago folks!) LDR Development started working on a new aircraft for FSX and it got to roughly 98% complete when the project was abandoned, partly because we lost our lead texture artist and partly because a payware developer released a payware version of the same aircraft and the will to continue evaporated.

Fast forward to earlier this week and I decided to try her out in P3D v4.5 and low and behold she works like a charm with the exception of one pop-up window that caused an immediate CTD but this was picked up by our late and great coder Roman Stoviak (the 2nd 'R' in LDR, the first was Rachael) and he disable that function in P3D via the custom installer! We spent a couple of years working on her and as usual 'feature creep' was a major issue as we kept adding all sorts of new features and options just because we could.

Just to whet your appetites here are a few shots of how far we got with her before pulling the plug.

The short nosed model:

View attachment 173762

The long nosed model:

View attachment 173763

The select-able JATO Pack (that actually produces extra thrust):

View attachment 173764

The tanker version (fully compatible with the 'Firefighter X' payware app):

View attachment 173766

These are some of the other schemes we did for her:

USAF


View attachment 173767

USAF Thunderbirds Support Aircraft:

View attachment 173768

A 'what if' scheme for Santa Fe Airways:

View attachment 173769

There is one other special variant but I will save that for later!

D'ya want to see the 'office'? ;)
Click to expand...
Looks very nice. You're saying that you never released it then, Larry? Any plans to do so for us FSX-ers?
 
It was originally for FSX Mike and is a full blown FSX model exported using the FSX SDK. I was just testing it in P3D to see how it performed and it works perfectly as-is except for the 'Drift Meter' pop-up gauge which causes an instant CTD in P3D (but works perfectly in FSX). Thankfully Roman spotted this way back when and the configuration tool he coded (which must be run regardless of sim used) will detect your sim of choice and set up the files accordingly.

Config.jpg

I guess I could release it for both sims so that it can be enjoyed as intended. The only things that are holding it up at the moment are:

1. The VC wall textures, while fine as they are, could do with a bit of TLC in the form of shading, dirt and scratches (they are green primer at the moment).
2. The textures for the Jeep cargo could do with some TLC too as they are just all over green primer and have zero definition (not a problem if you choose the 'no cargo' option).
3. The Operating Manual needs completing as it was waiting for final screenshots after the VC textures were done.

I also discovered another paint that I need to checkout to make sure it was finished and release-able and that is a SEA conflict period scheme in green/tan/black camo.

The current folder size when unpacked in the sim is a whopping 1.56 GB :eek: but that is for all models and full 4096 x 4096 textures! That may be too much bulk for many people in FSX so I think what I may do is separate the download into the 'tanker' and 'non-tanker' versions as tankers are a very niche sub-group and make the texture sizes 2048 x 2048 to reduce HD space and sim workload. I can then release a Hi-Res texture pack for those that can run 4096 textures.

Let me know if you folks would like me to release it for both FSX and P3D and if there are any texture artists out there willing to finish the VC walls and Jeep textures shout up and I can get the paint kit out to you.
 
Amazing model!
Could you include a paint kit?

I've always wondered why the Boxcar was not counter rotating.
Then it dawned on me... flew in 1947, and most large aircraft were not counter rotating props.

I flew in one when in HS from McGuire AFB (JB MDL).
Quite an experience.
 
Tako_Kichi said:
It was originally for FSX Mike and is a full blown FSX model exported using the FSX SDK. I was just testing it in P3D to see how it performed and it works perfectly as-is except for the 'Drift Meter' pop-up gauge which causes an instant CTD in P3D (but works perfectly in FSX). Thankfully Roman spotted this way back when and the configuration tool he coded (which must be run regardless of sim used) will detect your sim of choice and set up the files accordingly.

View attachment 173830

I guess I could release it for both sims so that it can be enjoyed as intended. The only things that are holding it up at the moment are:

1. The VC wall textures, while fine as they are, could do with a bit of TLC in the form of shading, dirt and scratches (they are green primer at the moment).
2. The textures for the Jeep cargo could do with some TLC too as they are just all over green primer and have zero definition (not a problem if you choose the 'no cargo' option).
3. The Operating Manual needs completing as it was waiting for final screenshots after the VC textures were done.

I also discovered another paint that I need to checkout to make sure it was finished and release-able and that is a SEA conflict period scheme in green/tan/black camo.

The current folder size when unpacked in the sim is a whopping 1.56 GB :eek: but that is for all models and full 4096 x 4096 textures! That may be too much bulk for many people in FSX so I think what I may do is separate the download into the 'tanker' and 'non-tanker' versions as tankers are a very niche sub-group and make the texture sizes 2048 x 2048 to reduce HD space and sim workload. I can then release a Hi-Res texture pack for those that can run 4096 textures.

Let me know if you folks would like me to release it for both FSX and P3D and if there are any texture artists out there willing to finish the VC walls and Jeep textures shout up and I can get the paint kit out to you.
Click to expand...
Can't it be installed in P3Dv5?
 
blaunarwal said:
Can't it be installed in P3Dv5?
Click to expand...
I have no idea as I don't have v5 so can't test it and v4 still had wet paint on it when we were working on this! All I can suggest is that someone needs to be a guinea pig and beta-test it in v5. I suspect that either:

a) The 'Configurator' option for v4 will either work OK for v5 or it will fail to see it as a legit option due to there being no P3Dv4 root folder and fail.

or

b) Selecting 'Other P3D Versions' may give you the option to navigate to your v5 root folder but you may loose the ability to install the 'FireFighter X' (FFX) gauges required to integrate the Boxcar seamlessly into the FFX add-on. (Not applicable if you never intend to fly the tanker versions).

As Roman unfortunately passed away several years ago (F#CK CANCER!) there is no way I can access the .exe file code and make it check for later P3D versions.
 
I've been thinking more about the v5 and beyond P3D installs and I think I know what the issue might be. When I initially started testing the Boxcar in P3D a couple of days ago I simply dragged a copy of the Boxcar root folder out of my FSX install into my P3D v4.5 install and then manually added the custom Boxcar effects to the P3D 'Effects' folder. When I selected the aircraft in P3D it loaded into the sim and within seconds crashed with a repeatable CTD every time I selected the Boxcar. Closer inspection revealed that the FSX panel folder(s) contained the Doug Dawson DSD sound gauges for FSX and not the DSD sound gauges for the 64-bit versions of P3D hence the CTDs! I then remembered that you have to run the 'Configurator' on initial installation which installs the correct DSD gauges for your sim. Once I ran the 'Configuator' the correct DSD gauges were installed in the panel folder(s) and everything worked as it should.

It may be that I just need to make v5 panel folders available with the correct gauges in place and then people won't have to run the 'Configurator' for v5+ at all, just change out the FSX panel folders after installation and be good to go. These could be included in the release download if/when they have been tested in v5 but I would need beta testers as I cannot test it here (no v5+ installed).
 
OK, progress has been made! (y)

I have successfully split the tankers from the regular Boxcars so that they can be two separate downloads to reduce file sizes and so that people who don't want the tankers don't need to have the tankers.

I have also downsized all the textures (except VC textures to keep clarity in the VC) to 2048 max. instead of 4096.

The results are as follows:

The original package weighed in at 1.56 GB installed!

The regular Boxcars now take up 525 MB with the current paints (there may be one more to add).

The tankers take up 376 MB.

The quality in the sim hasn't changed that much to be honest so it's a good option with the Hi-Res textures available for those who want them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top