Am I right in supposing...

[Cees Donker]

...that some animations are dependant on the information given in the air and cfg files? (I'm building in FSDS 3.5)

Cees

 

[Milton Shupe]

...that some animations are dependant on the information given in the air and cfg files? (I'm building in FSDS 3.5)

Cees

Hello Cees, yes indeed. Some examples to explain:

In contact points, data specify sizes of wheels/tires, and therefore rotation speeds. Also, contact point 0 usually for the nose or tail wheel specifies by its specified numbers will determine if the steering is controlled or freewheeling, and what deflection from centered the steering may rotate in degrees (30 degrees, 45 degrees, or 180 would indicate freewheeling or brake steered if the animation allows it. Contact points also determine how your suspension will work (total suspension movement, static compression, etc.)

Flaps settings will determine along with animations how many flap stops, and in what increments they move. Of course there are many ways to set up the many kinds of flaps operations, and animations have to agree.

Engine / prop direction: specified in the general section. Also animation can be skewed by a similar setting.

Rudder, elevator, and aileron deflection in degrees are also specified in one section.

Also, VC animated parts such as ECU levers, some switches, levers, etc. must coincide with the features specified in the aircraft.cfg.

If you have specific questions, please ask. Good idea to browse the SDK docs for the aircraft.cfg (aircraft container) parameters to get generally familiar.

I am not FSDS knowledgeable but the basics have to be the same.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cees Donker]

Thanks Milton! I guessed it had to be so. I isolated an animated part and compiled it in the sim with another plane as provider for the air and cfg files. The results differed. I started reading more in the SDK!



Cees

 

[Dev One]

I have found in Gmax for FS9 that control surface visual angle of movement when viewed in FS9 is affected by tables 341,2 &3 as well as tables 517,8 & 9. AFSD reads the angle achieved for calculation of roll rate etc not the specified angle as stated in the cfg, which is usually the real aircraft designed static angle. Are you still with me? You can prove it - the aircraft I'm creating at the moment is being tested by the owner & commented that the ailerons were not visually moving sufficiently when tested preflight. Being a light aircraft the rigging data is given as a linear chord of an arc dimension from neutral. One can calculate this to obtain the angle, or vice - versa, although I drew it and then in Gmax created a cylinder with a radius equal to the chord dimension, placing the centre of the circle at the trailing edge when control is neutral. Now one can then see the control throw in FS9 & read the angle in AFSD.
If one animates the control using the stock animation names for the exterior the end visual effect is according to the aircraft.cfg values but as modified by those .air file tables.
Now if you animate by key frames using the angles quoted in the .cfg the end visual effect is again modified by the .air file tables. Most of my previous models have been key framed - but rotating the control through 90°, so when viewed in FS9 one gets more throw visually but actually greater than reality even though it has been modified by the angles specified in the .cfg & modified by the .air file. This does not though seem to be true for the flaps when animated +/_ 90°
the viewed angle seems to be correct & as quoted in the .cfg. (Thinks must check that!!!)
Hope this has not muddied the water...
Keith

 

[Dev One]

P.S.
Have just tested an aileron throw specified as 20° up, 15° down but animated as key to +/- 90°. It is modified by table 342 effectiveness at about 20° giving 0.7 effective, & again modified by table 518 at zero Q to 0.5. Visually the deflection is 20° up & 15° down, but AFSD quotes 10° up & 7.5° down. So from my point of view if using key framed controls animate in Gmax +/_ 90°. It seems then that table 518 is the visual controller if using stock animation names.
Flaps likewise animated with a single throw to 90° but my test aircraft had a 70° throw with 20, 30, 40, 50 & 60° intermediate stops. AFSD gave the intermediate values but full 70° was quoted as '-58°', otherwise seemed visually correct.
Keith