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jcagle

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Everything posted by jcagle

  1. Life has been very busy the last year (wow!). I haven't bee able to document progress very well, but progress has been made. The switch layout is on its third and hopefully final iteration. Panel bases have changed from plastic (prototype) into mirror finish aluminum. This is nearing final iteration and will post some more in the coming months. null null
  2. Some larger pieces are finally coming together. Almost ready to begin fabrication, complete F-18 font family built from scratch (sourced from actual F-18 imagery), and narrowing in on paint selection after running through 8 candidates (optimize ease of application, no sanding, and durable).
  3. I've been impressed with the general quality and function of the router. Some high-level pro's and con's General - It has a serious learning curve, with probably 3-6 months needed to fully wrap your head around it capabilities and good technique - Very capable in soft materials (wood/plastic), but at its limit with aluminum....you really need to be dialed with the tool to have good results - As always, good cutters from solid carbide are worth the investment - While Shaper does sell a base, I found it necessary to make own to really get the most out of the tool (see above). Fixture building for part cutting seems to be a routine need in projects. Pro's: - Robust design from hardware to software. Probably the best example is that there is no shutdown procedure, just yank out the power cord whenever you are done. It remembers where you were and what you did. Really thoughtful design for work environments where circuit breakers trip without warning. - Good general accuracy in X-Y plane (part edges), though it does take a good understanding of referencing and datums. - Outstanding accuracy in depth and small features (e.g. holes) - it nails the transition in fits from press->slip->loose Con's - 2D only, it's best to think of it as a free-form water jet or laser cutter that's not bound by spatial requirements, and you have a cutter to determine the path profile - 3D is not really a feature limit: you can easily offset paths per depth, or with datums it's possible rapidly and accurately place varying contours with different depths - 3D is really limited by human hours (you have to walk it through every pass) and the router supports its mass directly on the work piece, so it would start to get unstable if you made a topographic map (as an example). - From above, the router support its mass on the work piece and will scratch more polished/finished surfaces if they are soft.
  4. Since this is a generalized cockpit, there are no specific switch layouts to follow. Starting with the all-important CAD prototype (Ref: Project Binky), panel sizes and layouts are on a third revision and getting close enough to start moving towards design and fabrication of the frames.
  5. After quite a few months, the seat is complete:
  6. The font was made from scratch, using a pseudo telecentric image of the F/A-18 panel I posted above. Letters were cropped and calibrated based on size and then imported into a Font Builder where they were drawn/digitized one letter at a time (sample below). So I am not sure how directly the font features we've built will translate to the MS33558 font. Also, as with all things hobby.....it's not finished yet! I have some sources for numbers, but would like them to be better.
  7. Great, thanks for the advice! Have a working font set with reasonable (major) spacing, but as you noted, could put more time into kerning.
  8. AH, looks like this is the solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3clIXZu1eKU&t=229s
  9. How was this process completed? Let's say you stumbled across a couple of real world F/A-18 panels, and then used a 600mm telephoto lens to take an orthographic image, and had a very patient wife who created a font based on size-calibrated images. BUT, then had the same issue with the font software and could only display, rather than cut in CAD.
  10. In a search for center-mount seat concepts, I stumbled across a pilot's seat complete with a 5-point harness sitting in someone's garage, and for too good of a deal to pass up. Here is a quick-attach assembly for the flight stick. Probably a month out, but the next project is to build a base for the seat and a quick-attach for a rudder plate.
  11. Hello All, I was sitting with a keyboard in lap back in October and reached a tipping point. I was tired of looking down to find keys, constantly breaking immersion. So, I started buying switches and laying them out on carboard cut-outs. Two months later, and this is where I'm at. Next is the task of hooking things up in a methodical way (I am an engineer, and it should be noted that the real world F/A-18 HOOK lever is attached to the sim base via personally milled aluminum adapter). I will be sporadically posting images in the months to come. It won't be much of a "How to" but hopefully some motivation for others of a similar mindset. First project was a minor reworking of the excellent WinWing Hornet throttle by integrated 3x Otto switches. In absence of a boat switch on the F/A-18, I thought it would be a nice addition when flying the A-10C. The push-button switches were also selected to be distinct so there is no tactile confusion about which is being pressed. Adapter collars were turned out of 3/4" aluminum rod.
  12. Update, it was the Navy Equipment mod.....I should have known better. :balloon:
  13. Okay, on the way to finding the problem. - Confirmed that the files in CoreMods/Tech/USS-Nimitz are 2.6 GB - I have some mods in the Saved Games directory and wiping that seems to have fixed the issue Thanks for your help!
  14. Hello, I pre-ordered the Super Carrier and installed it close to the initial release, but life events meant that I have not had a chance to fly until today. However, for some reason the carrier appears to be absent from the simulator. Whenever I start a flight, the carrier and any associated deck aircraft are simply not there. Usually all I find is some poor SH-60 flying by itself in the middle of the ocean. Here are a few things I have tried: - From DCS installer, update to latest Beta and run a repair install - From DCS module manager, delete and then re-install Supercarrier - Load an Instant Action (x3 files) - Use mission editor to create a flight. CVN-71 is a unit to add, but things like 'TACAN' are missing are not auto-generated and are missing from the options. It is also completely absent from the map when I load. - When I look in my main DCS directory, the is a Supercarrier directory in DCS World/Mods/Tech/Supercarrier. The Supercarrier directory has 51 files and is 295 MB in size, which seems a little light for an add-on of this complexity. E.g. The CVN-74 directory in CoreMods has 50 files and is 285 MB in size. Help would be appreciated
  15. Support | AIRIO Hello, I recently purchased VAICOM with the AIRO extension; I was able to get VAICOM installed and working correctly, but AIRIO does not appear to be working. The symptoms are; when I give a command (e.g. 'RIO Startup') VoiceAttack reports "Unrecognized command 'RIO Startup' " (See Commands 2.png). If I go to the profile setup, the six lines in 'Extension Packs' are present, but none of the Jester related commands are present (525 total commands). However, if I go to the Editor Tab there are 834 commands that include the AIRIO commands. Things I have done/Tried - Enabled AIRIO in EX menu (and disabled, re-enabled, with several restarts) - Turned on Extended Command Set in the Preferences Menu - Looked for an AIRIO.vap file to import commands - Checked that the F-14 profile was active when DCS was in Sim - Turned Hot Mic on and off ------------------------- **UPDATE** Was able to get this working using the Keyword update in the Editor Tab
  16. Super, Thank you for the quick response!
  17. That description sounds like a 'Close' search mode. This is from the manual Page 333 AREA search Used when the target position (ATP) is known. The missile will search within an area near the ATP. Size of the area can be pre-set via the addressed data in four categories, precision, small, medium and large. Search altitude of the missile is dependent on the set area size. If the distance to the ATP is less than 2 km, mode CLOSE is automatically engaged. BEARING Used when only the bearing to target is known. Radar will sweep in an increasing arc from a narrow search up to ±35°. Search range is about 6- 24 km. Search altitude is always 30 metres. CLOSE Similar to BEARING, but with reduced range (2- 20km). Seeker will lock on the first detected target. ------------- Page 334 Target selection Single target The missile will lock the target closest to the ATP in mode AREA. If in mode BEARING the target closest to the search centreline is selected.
  18. Hello, I am trying to better understand how to setup a bearing search mode for the RB 15F. - From my understanding, the Bearing search occurs along the vector made from Bx7 to Bx8, after the turn from Bx6 to Bx7 has been completed. Here is the Setting I've Tried Bearing Preset VALB - TAKT IN - 800004 - LS - AKT POS UT The test I have been running is a five ship formation, trying to strike a central/embedded target. However, when I try the settings above, the missile locks the first ship it sweeps across (at the edge of the formation) as it turns from Bx6 to Bx7. Am I not understanding bearing search correctly, or bungling the input? Thanks in advance!
  19. As a note, after the recent update I still have the missing texture in the English version of the cockpit, though the Default cockpit is fixed.
  20. Dear Heatblur Simulations, I wanted to extend congratulations on such a comprehensive representation of the F-14. I was the project lead for Aerosoft's MSFS/P3D rendition, and it is really impressive to see the generational improvement that has been developed. I have pre-ordered a copy and am eagerly awaiting the check-ride. Kind Regards, John
  21. I've been playing DCS all the way back to Lock-On in the early 2000s, and it's been really impressive to watch all of the pieces come together in DCS world. Great work!
  22. Great, thank you. Makes sense since it's a combat sim. Most of the time I'm doing a quick mission it's for the random time/season/weather to re-familiar myself with an aircraft and practice circuit landings.
  23. Hello, I've tried to make several ramp start fast-missions, but don't appear to have a ground crew to supply air for the engine start. Is this a mission editor thing, or is the ground crew supposed to be automatically available? Regards, John
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