The Rocket Construction Set
by Mark Estephanian · in Jobs · 07/05/2006 (3:20 pm) · 21 replies
Well I've tried just about every authoring program availible to bring to life my dream project I call the THE ROCKET CONSTRUCTION SET. I have gamestudio, 3drad, 3impact and now I have stumbled into Torque. I would love to team up with some programmers that can help me with my vision. I am churning through the tutorials and just got the book by finney. Now I know this is pretty complicated and I am a newbie to C++ programming but I think this would be a cool project that would keep my interest. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
My game design is basically a launching program for player generated rockets that are assembled from differernt components. Liquid rocket motors(LRM) solid rocket motors(SRM) various tankage and connecting objects and even a glide back shuttle vehicle you can strap on like the shuttle or pop on top ala X-20 dynasoar. The player will be the head of a corporation that grabbed a government grant to develope a Manrated spacevehicle.
THe player complete a series of tests and evalaution before beging a launch attempt.
The sim should feature spectaculair launch pad explosions and aborts sequences seen on early footage in early 60's. LOts of flame and fire.
I would assume this project is a C++ requirement and could not be pulled off in a script enviorment. ANy advice on how to pull this off.
As I see it the program has 4 areas
1. design and test: hers where you look at data and adjust parameters of components while also spending money on this review. Test the componet in the field test.
2. Assemble and build-area that uses a mouse click to combine different components to make a rocket.
3. Flight ops_ mission control heres where you can play varous roles involved in launching and tracking the space craft. Flight director, RSO etc.
4. 3dworld On board rocket cameras Capsuale or shuttle flight instrumentation, Adjuetable 3d view. Ground view. birdeye view. death view :-)
My game design is basically a launching program for player generated rockets that are assembled from differernt components. Liquid rocket motors(LRM) solid rocket motors(SRM) various tankage and connecting objects and even a glide back shuttle vehicle you can strap on like the shuttle or pop on top ala X-20 dynasoar. The player will be the head of a corporation that grabbed a government grant to develope a Manrated spacevehicle.
THe player complete a series of tests and evalaution before beging a launch attempt.
The sim should feature spectaculair launch pad explosions and aborts sequences seen on early footage in early 60's. LOts of flame and fire.
I would assume this project is a C++ requirement and could not be pulled off in a script enviorment. ANy advice on how to pull this off.
As I see it the program has 4 areas
1. design and test: hers where you look at data and adjust parameters of components while also spending money on this review. Test the componet in the field test.
2. Assemble and build-area that uses a mouse click to combine different components to make a rocket.
3. Flight ops_ mission control heres where you can play varous roles involved in launching and tracking the space craft. Flight director, RSO etc.
4. 3dworld On board rocket cameras Capsuale or shuttle flight instrumentation, Adjuetable 3d view. Ground view. birdeye view. death view :-)
#2
07/06/2006 (8:57 am)
Do you really need a 3D engine or would a 2D engine suffice? Would a launch along the equator and not going near the moon or another planet remain on a 2D plane anyway?
#3
I'm not so much concerned with orbital mechanics as I am with the launch enevelope from sealevel to maybe 200K feet.
07/06/2006 (9:59 am)
Hmmm I think a 3d engine is the closest to a simulation type enviorment although I could be wrong. Do you have specific examples that show a 2d engine at work that would iilustrate this?I'm not so much concerned with orbital mechanics as I am with the launch enevelope from sealevel to maybe 200K feet.
#4
07/06/2006 (1:46 pm)
I would suggest 3d. You could set up different camera angles as in real life. Also on how realistic you would want it, example have a crawler take the rocket to the launch pad. As for the shuttle landings , you could have a runway as well. You could set it up just as Kennedy Space Center. So, a 3d engine would give you more realism. Gui's would give you your screen for instruments in launch control, flight control , and vehicle instruments. What is nice you can test the code out in Troquescript then transfer whatever code you want over to c++.
#5
This will take awhile to implement hopefully I can find some good help on these forums. One question I have is particle function for rocket plumes and smoke trails. The particle function I've used before were difficult to implement and just didnt seem very real life. Do you know of any rocket trail or exhaust plume code thats availible for me to look at?
Thanks for your help.
07/06/2006 (2:39 pm)
Thanks Mark for the reply I have mocked up various sections of this in other authoring programs but torque seems to be the most powerful of them all. This will take awhile to implement hopefully I can find some good help on these forums. One question I have is particle function for rocket plumes and smoke trails. The particle function I've used before were difficult to implement and just didnt seem very real life. Do you know of any rocket trail or exhaust plume code thats availible for me to look at?
Thanks for your help.
#6
the emitters setup for these particle effects look pretty nice and will give you some good idea's.
do you know how to implement the particles in this engine?
there is a particle editor somewhere.. is it still around? anyone?
07/06/2006 (3:33 pm)
Check out the realm wars fire pit and or chimneythe emitters setup for these particle effects look pretty nice and will give you some good idea's.
do you know how to implement the particles in this engine?
there is a particle editor somewhere.. is it still around? anyone?
#7
Some code for Guided or Seeker Projectiles that you could use for rockets: www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=6778
As Badguy said... use and modify the fire and chimney emitters. Also look at Tim Aste's environment pack #2 for some neat particles. www.subreal.net/promo2/docs/fx.htm
07/06/2006 (3:51 pm)
Here is something that has been done with missiles: www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=1103Some code for Guided or Seeker Projectiles that you could use for rockets: www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=6778
As Badguy said... use and modify the fire and chimney emitters. Also look at Tim Aste's environment pack #2 for some neat particles. www.subreal.net/promo2/docs/fx.htm
#8
07/06/2006 (4:11 pm)
Thanks Mark I'll check it out!
#9
Edit: all the models where done with Milkshape 3D.
07/06/2006 (4:40 pm)
Here is something else I found www.apollosimulator.com/html/screenshots_1.html. Check out the screenshots 2-4. This would be neat if it was done in TGE.Edit: all the models where done with Milkshape 3D.
#10
07/06/2006 (5:07 pm)
@Badguy: Quote:there is a particle editor somewhere.. is it still around? anyone?From TDN getting started:
Quote:Torque supports particles, but does not as of yet have a fully supported editor. The complexity of the current Particle Editor has caused for it to be removed from Torque 1.4. It can simply be replaced by taking the GUI file from TGE 1.3 and placing it back into the the editor's folder in TGE 1.4. Thus currently, to edit the particles you are mainly required to do so outside of Torque.
#11
Thanks for your help!
07/06/2006 (5:13 pm)
That looks very cool. Kinda like orbiter from England. Also Aok mercury. I find these to be nice sims but very sanotized as far as failures are concerned. As we all know and so do the N Koreans rockets fail! :-) I want to have a more savage approchh. I.e. careening hunks of debri exploding on contact taking out the tower and anything else in it way. Catostrophic failures on the pad when the SRB fails from overpressure. Or just a bad design (unstable)which writes Pepsicola in the sky and pile drives into the ground. Heck if you can blow somebody head off in a FPS why not shred a crew capsual at max q. It will the kids comming back for more trust me!!!Thanks for your help!
#12
07/06/2006 (5:19 pm)
Yeah, my daughter definitely judges the quality of a video game (or, really, any endeavour) based on how cool the explosions are. heh.
#14
Yeah I orbiter its very cool especially with all the add on kits. It still lacks the feeling of danger that modern video games capture so well in FPS.
Yeah basically the company must allocate funds and do testing so they definetly are not handed an f1 Saturn V. They have to start small with ballistic sounding rockets and test different rocket configurations. Prove manrated system and then fly a man(women) into space. Hopefully without killing them...of course some must die!
Talk to you soon,
Mark
07/06/2006 (5:58 pm)
Mark,Yeah I orbiter its very cool especially with all the add on kits. It still lacks the feeling of danger that modern video games capture so well in FPS.
Yeah basically the company must allocate funds and do testing so they definetly are not handed an f1 Saturn V. They have to start small with ballistic sounding rockets and test different rocket configurations. Prove manrated system and then fly a man(women) into space. Hopefully without killing them...of course some must die!
Talk to you soon,
Mark
#15
1) TGE would be best over a 2d solution reason .. physics
2) particle effects check out Minions of Mirth
the code is open if you pay the one time registration fee
look at his python merge particles will never be the same :)
your idea is fantastic limited area needed for mission
you may want to consider as RTS not FPS build
better camera angles with RTS less emphasis on terrain
what you really want is a nice sky
and very realistic rocket flight
I like the idea its nice to see a fresh idea
with very realistic goals and a project that doesnt
read like a competitor for War and Peace
gl to ya
07/21/2006 (7:18 pm)
Several things here I can comment on1) TGE would be best over a 2d solution reason .. physics
2) particle effects check out Minions of Mirth
the code is open if you pay the one time registration fee
look at his python merge particles will never be the same :)
your idea is fantastic limited area needed for mission
you may want to consider as RTS not FPS build
better camera angles with RTS less emphasis on terrain
what you really want is a nice sky
and very realistic rocket flight
I like the idea its nice to see a fresh idea
with very realistic goals and a project that doesnt
read like a competitor for War and Peace
gl to ya
#16
I also agree that a great sky is needed along with a technique too swap textures to simulate increases in altitude. Do you know whats the maximum Z you can travel in Torque at full scale?
07/24/2006 (3:15 pm)
I agree thanks for confirmation. I'd really like to collaborate with a team as I'm just starting to get some results from coding. In any event I will take a look at the particle code you mention as the particles in the torque fps and various wepons still looks a bit simplistic. I also agree that a great sky is needed along with a technique too swap textures to simulate increases in altitude. Do you know whats the maximum Z you can travel in Torque at full scale?
#18
So they could have a bunch o different views....
07/26/2006 (4:37 pm)
It would be cool to let the player buy cameras and place them in the sky, space on the rocket, etc...So they could have a bunch o different views....
#19
still looks like fun, can you launch that badboy yet?
what type of programming do you plan to put behind the rocket?
send me an email if you want, I would be happy to talk to you about it.
07/26/2006 (5:52 pm)
Well how is this coming then Mark?still looks like fun, can you launch that badboy yet?
what type of programming do you plan to put behind the rocket?
send me an email if you want, I would be happy to talk to you about it.
#20
07/27/2006 (9:37 am)
Well I'm just getting the hang of Torque so I havent yet figured out the vector stuff to any effect. The sim involves assembly, testing and launching with a flight ops scenerio. I need an assembly screen where a player assembles different componenets. I wonder if this can be done via GUI interface. Then I need a testing area where motors flight tested, parameter are adjusted and where critical information is learned. Finally the launch sequence where various veiws are adjusted. I'd also like to a flight room where various monitors can be pulled up to monitior the rockets function. In any event I don't know if scripting alone can achieve all this my initial reaction would be no. 
Torque Owner John Doppler Schiff
Best of luck, Mark!