problems with the new version of reflex xtr

[davereap]

Ive found a possible problem with the newer verson of reflex xtr

I have made a quite few models for the program which all work perfectly on my older version of reflex, but when I put them onto a friends newer version they give problems at the start.. as the model is dropped to the grass for the start, the program seems to treat it as having crashed, it then restarts, on and on. It also treats some attitudes when close to the ground as a crash and similarly restarts.

It seems most likely this problem is a result of something not done correctly in my models due to a lack of understanding about the RMK program


any ideas???? anyone else found this a problem?????

the program will hand launch the models ok....its just the ground take offs that mess it up

[BurkhardE]

This has to be a multi-part problem. All the new version contributes is that it's less forgiving of crashes. I think to make simulation faster they gave up some safety so you sometimes have a hard time to persuade the program to re-start a crashed plane intact. That it crashed is not a version problem. You could still try to hit the Del key repeatedly until the plane comes back intact, but better search for the real problem.

Some third-party sceneries have faulty "Aircraft initial positions". Start the program and look how high the plane is above the ground. When starting the simulation it's dropped and plops on its wheels or fuselage. This may be too hard, anyway, but the plane might be faulty as well. The "Distance of CG above main landing gear" in the "Landing gear" parameters must be correct. You could try if it's far off the right value.

I'd try other starting positions and other sceneries in the first place. If this is to no avail it would help if you'd tell which plane and scenery you used.

[davereap]

thanks ...
I will check the parameters and see if anything is off there, but the strange thing is the models work on my older version perfectly...but not the newer.
the sceenery being used is ftg borstel-hohenraden e.V.

the models giving problem have just been uploaded to the rcsim.de site they are called the nutball and the dart

[BurkhardE]

The stock scenery is of course not faulty. Still I think it's not the version; it might be even different display mode setting in conjunction with certain model parameters. To avoid waiting for RC-Sim you could send me one or both models via mail (address via PM).

[davereap]

thanks for your help..ive sent the models and had a look at my settings a number of times...but still cant see where I have gone wrong.
In my older version the plane is dropped ready for take off, you can then progress normally and throttle up
In my friends version the drop is interpreted as having a crash and it gets redropped

could the speed of the pc have anything to do with it? mine goes fast at 2-300fps whist his struggles a bit at 25fps

edit added......

Thanks for the email showing me where ive been going wrong I will try sorting my models in the areas you have pointed out. I will post back the results.

As usual it would seem a lack of fully understanding the software on the users part (myself) gives rise to bugs...

I must say I love my reflex simulator for the realism of the scenes, the ability to add your own models (and scenes if your clever enough) and the way your models fly

[BurkhardE]

I like Reflex for the same reasons. That models tend to be buggy is in the nature of simulators.

After all they push the PC to its limits so they have to avoid all unnecessary action during runtime. Unnecessary action in this sense are all checks for correctness. While these are advisable and common in "normal" software, they are not in real-time software. The simulator is that part of the whole suite of programs which tests the models (built with another part, RMK) and it is the real-time part. Therefore, we would need a special version of the simulator which would check our models and give meaningful error messages but which would not be able to run the models at sufficient frame rates. I think such an additional version would induce substantial cost for the programmer we would not be willing to pay for.

I think so because there may be rather complicated errors in models, both in the 3D model and the parameters. Even the frame rate may have an effect (we had such a case last year). Maybe I have a small advantage by being an old programmer. In the 1970s we just had to learn how to do without all the tools and helpers common today. Though I keep making mistakes I'm quite good at debugging. So building faulty models is not due to lack of ability but, at most, lack of practice and in no way slanderous.

I wish more people would try to build their own models and hang in as long as you already did. There are so much more nice models we would like to have in Reflex!

And by the way, even though the German tutorial may be better than the English translation, it's not the ultimate source of knowledge. Just always inspect the example projects and/or the models coming with Reflex/RMK. And of course the manual and the tutorial don't explain how airplanes are designed for certain behavior just as a simulator manual doesn't explain how to fly. You have to know that in advance.

[davereap]

I really enjoy making the models, and its easy to use the free plans in model mags to do it

I am still having great difficulty with my landing gears. My wheels seem to always sink into the surface and I cant figure out what I am doing wrong, but I think its something to do with naming the functions of the points... oh well, I wil keep trying to understand it


ive made a simple mod on the latest two by adding a tail wheel, this brings the whole plane up off the ground and i hope it will prevent the crash detection cutting in with the newer version..

I cant try it yet as my friend is away on holiday. I will post the result later...
thanks dave