Acceleration carrier capabilities and add-on aircrafts

[Guest lc0277]

Hi Folks,I wonder why the Acceleration SDK has so few information on this point while it gives a lot concerning carrier models.So this post might be useful for aircraft developpers but also for medium-skilled users able to edit aircraft config file.Basically, there are two ways of adding catapult/cable settings to an aircraft :1 - attach points. This is the preferred method and is used by the shipped FA-18. Since they are encoded onto the model, ONLY the original designer or someone who has access to the source can do it.There are four attach points recognized by FS core:attachpt_tailhook_pivotattachpt_tailhook_hookattachpt_Launch_Bar_Pivotattachpt_Launch_Bar_LugThe names are explicit enoughAnimated parts are controlled by the FS variables A:LAUNCHBAR POSITION:1 and TAILHOOK POSITION:12 - aircraft.cfg editing : this method is available for all users and works on all planes. The following lines are used:[tailhook]tailhook_length=4.5tailhook_position=-49.0, 0, -2.5[launch_assistance]launch_bar_pivot=0.90, 0.00, -0.09launch_bar_lug=0.90, 0.00, -4.09Note that the [tailhook] section was introduced in FS long before the acceleration pack and therefore some add-on planes may alreadyhave one. The coordinates are given in longitudinal,lateral and vertical feet from the datum reference point.For quick testing, you can copy the coordinates corresponding to the nose gear in [contact_points] since they are defined the same way (on a point.X line, the coordinates start at the second number). However the launch bar will be non-animated, but you still have to deploy it prior to requesting a catapult launch.Of course, it will only works on the acceleration carrier which is available in missions and in free flight as scheduled AI traffic around Hawaii & CONUS and in some third-party add-ons.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Salut Lamont,merci beaucoup pour l'info.Luis

[Guest SkyDrift]

Ditto for me - thanks lc0277. The setting is one of those undocumented features that will be very useful to all. I must add one to the Aircreation and see what happens!! :-)- regards.SkyDrift

[rcbarend 37]

Thanks for the info.Although I don't have Accel (yet), and you obviously have done some investigation:W.r.t.:[tailhook]tailhook_length=4.5I noticed in FS9 and in FSX-RTM the tailhook size definition don't work properly.I mean this:When you set an aircraft on the ground, and extend the tailhook, you would expect the TAILHOOK POSITION variable to give (in %) a value of 60-70 %. Because IRL, the tailhook sticks out below the wheels (when at 100%).And if it doesn't (most addon aircraft I know have inaccurate definitions), you would expect that by gradually increasing (e.g. in 0.2 feet increments) the tailhook_size (with the same tailhook_position), that the POSITION percentage gradually decreases. Well, it doesn't. Either a small increment has a hugh effect, or no effect at all.(I have done a lot of experiments in the past for my COP package with this, for many addon planes).And if you do find good values for tailhook_size and tailhook_position (i.e. that does give this expected extension percentage), in most addon aircraft the end of the visual tailhook floats high above the ground, or even sinks into the ground.Has this been improved in Accel ??Regards, Rob Barendregt

[Guest lc0277]

In acceleration you can choose to define tailhooks as attach points on the model. The advantage is that the visual tailhook will always be the same as the logical one (which is now used by the simulation core for real purposes). But it transfer all the job to the aircraft modeller and reduces the facilities offered to 3rd party developers or tweakers ...However the bug you've found concerning tailhook_length sounds like some standard integer/float number read error; ie tailhook_length is read as an integer and the fractional part is discarded. While I can't tell on RTM/SP1, I don't think SP2 shows this behaviourI've quickly tested the F-14D by Cattaneo & al and I got the following results :cfg Length Tailhook position (%)4.1 69.94.35 65.74.5 60.0The position was recorded with a custom simconnect app. Maybe were you talking about smaller increments ?

[rcbarend 37]

Hi,No, it probably wasn't an Integer/Float problem; it occurred e.g. from 4.7 to 4.8 with an extension percentage like 70 resp 20.Which I could only solve by varying the vertical-coordinate of the tailhook_position parameter. (that gave the funny visual problems).But I assume this problem has been fixed now in FSX/SP2, because the measurements you mention gives results I would expect.Thanks, Rob

[Guest lc0277]

Another interesting new features of Acceleration carrier ops are the new tailhook/launchbar "Marker States". They are useless for end users, but very practical for debugging aircraft models (though the simconnect SDK was not updated with the appropriate informations). See the attached pictures for examples.http://lc0277.nerim.net/screens/markerstate_launchbar.jpghttp://lc0277.nerim.net/screens/markerstate2.jpgRhys Eddy of 3wireX already had significant usage of these marker states but I don't know if he released an application. As an interim you can try this one : http://lc0277.nerim.net/ShowMarkers.exe

[PelicanHazard 0]

Ok, I tried adding a launch_assistance section to a couple of AlphaSim aircraft, but when I attached to the catapult on the carrier, the nose of the aircrafts started jumping up and down, and I couldn't launch. Any ideas why?

[PelicanHazard 0]

Actually, ignore this. I was an idiot and didn't edit the cfg file correctly.

[Guest p51nut]

Hi. I'm having trouble with the contact points on the launch assistance. When the cat enables and I add throttle, my plane moves forward. Here are my contact points, could you please help me put configure my launch_bar_pivot and launch_bar_lug?[contact_points]static_pitch = -1.75static_cg_height = 7.15tailwheel_lock = 0gear_system_type = 1max_number_of_points = 8point.0 = 1, 11.25, 0, -7, 3200, 0, 0.875, 60, 0.55, 1.15, 0.52, 4.95, 5.25, 0, 275, 325point.1 = 1, -9.25, -9.25, -7.85, 4200, 1, 1.1, 0, 1.3, 1.15, 0.895, 5.5, 5.75, 2, 275, 325point.2 = 1, -9.25, 9.25, -7.85, 4200, 2, 1.1, 0, 1.3, 1.15, 0.895, 5.5, 5.7, 3, 275, 325point.3 = 2, -9.6581, -19.2599, -0.2515, 787.402, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0point.4 = 2, -9.6581, 19.2599, -0.2515, 787.402, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0point.5 = 2, -27.0179, 0, -1.6739, 787.402, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0point.6 = 2.000, 19.099, 0.000, -2.343, 787.402, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4.000, 0.000, 0.000point.7 = 5.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 1.500, 1.200, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000thank youChris

[PelicanHazard 0]

Try this:[launch_assistance]launch_bar_pivot=11.25, 0, -6launch_bar_lug=12.25, 0, -7Alan

[Guest Chronocidal]

Are there any tutorials or examples anywhere on how to activate the features using the attach points? I've experimented with these, but even with the attach points in a model, FSX doesn't recognize the plane as having a launch bar, and won't activate or animate it. The part for the launch bar is animated from 0 to 100 using the launch_bar_pct animation tag, but it only ever appears in one of two positions. If I use the .cfg definition method, this appears to lock the launch bar into the down position, and the launch bar extension command has no effect. If I use the attach points, the part is locked at some random angle, and won't activate. I've also tried putting a switch in a simple VC to activate it (using the default tags), but it only ever reads either up or down (up for attach point definition, down for cfg definition), and won't toggle the function.Anyone have any know how with this?