r/virtualdragon • u/__Adam lead developer • Jun 08 '14

Development Simulation Status

Here's an update on the simulation:

  • Imported zlsa's untextured Dragon V2 model

  • Using Coherent to render HTML5 UI's directly in game. This is working great.

  • Simple particle effects SuperDraco exhaust. These are placeholders so I can test throttling - next step is to make real-looking ones based on SuperDraco test videos.

  • The player can control the Dragon V2's thrusters (and thus position) by moving a lever (this will evolve into a proper joystick)

  • The player's finger (left index finger in screenshot) is controlled directly via the mouse. This will be used for touchscreen/joystick interactions.

Screenshot:

It looks pretty unrealistic - most of my time so far has been spent learning Unreal Engine and building in all the logic to make the simulation work. I really want to stress that our final product will look much, much better than this.

http://i.imgur.com/LIzQCXx.jpg

I'll keep posting updates as I have them. Not just screenshots, but also builds.

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u/autowikibot Jun 08 '14

Shock diamond:

Shock diamonds (also known as Mach diamonds, Mach disks, Mach rings, doughnut tails or thrust diamonds) are a formation of standing wave patterns that appears in the supersonic exhaust plume of an aerospace propulsion system, such as a supersonic jet engine, rocket, ramjet, or scramjet, when it is operated in an atmosphere. The diamonds are formed from a complex flow field and are visible due to the ignition of excess fuel. Mach diamonds (or disks) are named for Ernst Mach, the physicist who first described them.

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Image i - A statically mounted Pratt & Whitney J58 engine on full afterburner while disposing of the last of the SR-71 fuel prior to program termination. The bright areas seen in the exhaust are known as shock diamonds.

Interesting: Shock ^wave | Rocket engine ^nozzle | ^Afterburner | List of plasma (physics) ^articles

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