This Blog grants insights on things I like feat. lots of different topics. Historical, Sci-fi and nowadays real life stuff gets posted, simulated or reviewed. Basically it's all about close-up views of my favorite vehicles and some info on how to get the whole experience running on your PC, including things to point out, e.g. tech facts or design goodies. All rounded up by some random fun and interesting side notes. Bots like this place. Aimed to be a resource. Heres what I have to share!
Sumo stands for "Surface Modeler".It can help rapidly create aircraft geometries and provides an automaic surface mesh generation. It's like WYSIWYG, just drag parts to shape things. All parts of a plane are featured and can be modified. Editing parts is possible in a CAD-2D view or as 3D view. Even it's easy to learn and intuitive to use the origins of this software reach back to a serious Swedisch Aeronautics Research Project called DirSim. The European Union project SimSAC sponsored further develoments.
Along with the included visualization tool called Scope it is a great problem solver, stress testing simulator and a true plane designers tool. I'm still just playing around with it a bit – this is the way I learn things (with patience). If I ever would design a plane, I would use this tools to benchmark it!
Today I would like to introduce you to Rigs of Rods – a highly sophisticated vehicle Simulator featuring awesome Soft Body Physics and real time processing. It is the first Open Source attempt of this type and the results are breathtaking beeing very accurate. Buoyancy, the blade element theory, distribution, construction, and/or suspension. Those are the things making you believe that you actually sit in that virtual vehicle of choice. Also theres a Multiplayer mode, try to beat the top time of another player racing over a complicated surface. Or you might just like to share your crane handling skills with a dude. Rigs of Rods is made for that – Casual players wont understand.
Currently the development tends to be within the CryEngine3 which can handle Physics way more effective than the original Rigs of Rods Engine could. Of course the CryTek GFX will make it look better but even with some lowpoly Add-Ons it's fun to play now. I would make this game an official ESL (Electronic Sports League) candidate. Take my vote!
The community behind Rigs of Rods is creating something different. Neither the vehicles, the types of machines or the intend of this game are common to most people. Exclusive rides and professional heavy weight machines make this game a perfect education plattfom. Theres something comparable to the Orbiter Space Flight Simulator – Rigs of Rods is another extreme tricky to play game! This is truly a fun Simulator for different types of folks. It allows real handling of any type of vehicle, e.g. cars, trucks, lifts, boats, submarines, planes, trains, bikes, hotrods, misc objects – almost everything except spaceships (so far). Start your motor, shift the gear, drive over a stone a feel the deformation of your car. It's enough to just use a Monster Truck to jump over a set of parking cars and watch the show while things below get stomped down. The other experience is to drive a 4x4 over bumpy grounds. The scenarios couldn't be other to the exclusive Rods part – you can drive your "whatever's" at very exclusive locations. It's a tribute to flexibility! This game has so much style! It welcomes modding and right now offers over 2000 downloadable Mods.
I will list my favorite ones soon...!
Find out more at and take a look at it's repository to pick some Rods:
http://www.rigsofrods.com The latest release version is 0.38.67 downloadable at: http://download.rigsofrods.com/
Installation of Add-Ons is pretty simple but keep in mind, there are two folders – one game folder and one individualization folder (find the second one, usually under C:\Users\XY\Documents and Settings\Rigs of Rods. Place your Rods into that folder). On Windows 7 the game may only run with admistrational rights, right click admin open the RoR.exe to get things working. Note: Full HD resolution is not supported yet, those of you gonna have to play with two black strips just like me.
Coming soon: My screenshots of cool rides inside Rigs of Rods plus some fail compilation (me driving like craizy) and some good manuevers I managed to handle.
Retro Planet Express Ship and it's lil' Shuttlecraft:
Random fact to add: The concept design of this spacecraft was done by one of the guys who made the movie Blade Runner look epic. Conclusion: It's not just a comic ship. ;)
More Futurama Fanart Wallpapers at: http://www.superbwallpapers.com
And heres what my first Fry lolpic has to say:
More on the Planet Express Ship, Bender, Fry and Zapp to come from time to time.
Way back in the 30's – a postcard showing a German city (Stuttgart, called "Benz Town") and how they expected the future to look like. Seems Moore's law wasn't available for guessing the trends. :) ...I can tell you I've been there often and nothing there looks like the picture below:
Greetings! As always, I hope I didn't touch any copyrights. And by the way, this also was a real postcard, I'm not kidding. :)
+++ Update News 2014: A new Orbiter version is in development and with the D3D9Client Beta 7 available at Orbiter Forum you can instantly discover it. It features 3D surfaces, new particle effects and a a way better D3D9 and and and. They are even working on a DirectX 10 client. +++ Orbiter is an open source game with thousands of free mods. Definitely the only real physics space simulator existing so far. No doubt it feels like space, it's tricky to play but that's it's uniqueness!
It features seamless planetary entries and basicly said our whole Solar System beeing a powerfull Planetarium software and something far beyond any description. Created by Dr. Martin Schweiger, the development continues and new Add-ons get posted everyday. Currently the version Orbiter 2010 is the newest and even in 2013 it still feels relatively new. Real spaceships and unmanned drones, from Apollo's moon lander over Saturn 5 Launchers to X-Wing. Some feature great detail, a cockpit and extras like robotics, life support or cargo management. Even a level 14 Earth map exists which provides incredible satelite image details almost like Google Earth. For the curious ones, how about visiting Alpha Centauri? There a uncountable scenarios available. It also supports TrackIR. Many good Ingame Tutorials teach you how to fly a space ship. This game has nearly endless possibilities and a strong community keeping it alive!
Things to have fun with (or how to spend years playing Orbiter):
Land on any planetary surface, deploy your cargo, place your countries flag, open up your cargo manually, watch an ISRU (Inflatable module), place some seats, beds, manage fuel, oxygen and water cargos, activate gravitational wheel, sit in the cockpit, press buttons, plot courses, deploy drones, do rendevous manuevers, dock, exchange things (open bay), wear a spacesuit, exit ship and float in space, do a sling-shot manuever, enter the door, take off spacesuit, look for your crew, check your ships damage status, listen to music, eat something, sleep in the captains room or go repair a satelite or touch down and create a space colony. Endless possibilities!
Recommended Add-ons (Please check compatibility to each other):
– D3D9 Client (makes for a better overall graphics look enhancing Orbiters Engine)
– Orulex (clever procedural terrain and landscape heightmap generator, beta)
– Orbiter Race League (Multiplayer for Orbiter / also was called Orbiter Multiplayer Client OMPC)
– Level 11 Nasa BMNG Blue Marble Next Generation (a set of seasonal textures for planet earth)
– OrbiterSound (unlike Sci-Fi, only adds great ambient were acoustic is possible)
– UCGO (Universal Cars and Cargo is a must have Add-on simulating management of cargo and consumption)
– UMMU (simulating living crews on board of space stations, ships and bases, must have Add-on)
– HOT: Orcus Patera (the first base recently realeased that can handle infrastructure management)
– Vinka's Spacecraft3.dll (turns the real space simulator into a Sci-Fi game)
– CamControl (walk inside your ship)
– CamShake (feel the shaking your flight skills causes)
– Universal Cargo Plattform (info coming soon)
– Buoyancy (creates wind on planets with atmosphere)
– Warp Drive MFD (for those on a hurry)
– Relativistic Warp MFD (more info coming)
– Time Jump MFD (a powerfull date and time change tool inside the Sim)
– Battlestar Galactica Jump Drive (the FTL "Faster than light" method)
– Gravity Controller MFD (manipulate ships thrusters max output on the fly)
– Higgs Field Controller MFD (manipulate ships mass on the fly)
– Orbiter Galaxy (a prodedural Galaxy Generator)
– Space Trader (play the game Elite inside Orbiter)
– Damage Module (for those crafts without damage simulation)
– Wind Tunnel (external benchmark app)
– Videnei Orbit Drawing (turns Orbiter into a full scale Planetarium)
– ReFuel MFD (transfer fuel between docked ships)
– Test Pilots MFD (more info coming)
– Mfd Irc 100124 (Chat online from a MFD console)
– OrbiterClouds(aka Nebo)_0.3 (more info coming)
– Orbiter Radio (yes, this game has it's own Radio Station, great space age music)
Flight helpers (not cheats):
– AutoRudder (yes spacecraft is different to aircraft so this will help with atmospheric flying)
– RV Orientation (HUD aid for manuevers like docking called "Multi waypoint approach")
– Hover MFD (helps with hovering over the ground)
– AeroBrake MFD (helps with high speeds)
– Precession MFD
– Surface Speed MFD (little visualizer, helps with landing)
– Lola MFD (a true autolander)
– FlyAround MFD (automated fly around a object)
– Lagrange MFD (visualizes your movements)
– Energy MFD mk2 (displays your movements kinetic energy)
– Atmospheric Data MFD (atmospheric conditions in relation to your vessel)
– Rendezvous MFD (not only for meeting girls at the right place just in time)
– Checklist MFD
Multi Function Displays (MFDs):
– LaunchMFD (with HUD, manages flights, launches, rendevous)
– Waypoint MFD (navigate by waypoints)
– Precession MFD (get there more accurately)
– Burn Time Calculator (measure your fuselage needs)
– Map3D MFD (futuristic data visualization of your current position)
– Calculation MFD (complex realtime calculator)
– TransX (move from here to there with plotted courses)
– HAL9000 (Dave, I'm feeling cold, Daefff, Daaaaeffffff, Aeffff!)
– Attitude MFD (holds altitude and visualizes pitch, roll and stuff)
– Date+Save MFD (more info coming)
– State Vector MFD (more info coming)
– Vessel Parameters MFD (more info coming)
– Thrust Control MFD (more info coming)
– Equation MFD (I guess that's something for the math nerds)
– IEAT MFD (for constant Ion like engines)
– Fuel MFD (more info coming)
– Notes MFD (more info coming)
– Tetris MFD (play Tetris on long flights)
– Clock MFD (world clock + timezone worldmap visualization)
– TelescopeMFD
– more coming soon
Untested MFDs so far:
– Attachment Menagement MFD
– Encounter MFD
– Name Change MFD
– Lagrangian points MFD
– Msss MFD (adds multiple Star Systems)
– Interplanetary MFD
– Universal Pointing MFD
– BurnTimeMFD
– PursuitMFD
– DVToolsMFD
– LoadMFD
– AeroBrakeMFD
– FuelQuantityMFD
– WebMFD
– AutoTrimMFD
– Watchdog MFD
– SensorMFD
– BurnTimeCalcMFD
– CameraViewMFD
– HUDdataMFD
– TimerMFD
– IEMFD (The IE browser in a MFD)
– SuborbMFD
– JumpDriveMFD
– WeatherMFD
– SolarSail_MFD
– SafeTimeAccelMFD
– EnergyMFD
– SmokeMFD (inflight particles generator)
– WakeupMFD
– FlightDataRecMFD
– NavMFD
– FlightInstMFD
– ArriveMFD
– PitchRecorderMFD
– Orb2CelMFD (Celestia Exporter)
– Scopesat V2
– IMFD Full Manual/Playbacks
– PlantFlagMFD (wave your flag wherever you land)
– StatusMFD (a awesome MFD for Delta Glider)
– VideoCaptureMFD
– TetherMFD (connect vessels with elastics tethers)
– SpaceTrader (trade cargos between bases)
– Trajectory Optimization Tool v2.1
– Limit Rotation
– Universal Autopilots
– Better Glaspit Buttons (optimize the HUD button visualization)
– Orbiter Speech Recognition Module for Orbiter 2010
– Asteroids! the game (inside Orbiter)
– Heavens traffic 090405 (Track satelite traffic)
– Orbiter Fly-By Camera
– Orbinuid v1.3 Beta (another game for long flights)
– Orbitrader (more info coming)
– Accelerometer
– Autopilot 1.72 with AIRAC and worldwide Airports
A little listing of great ships to download and play with (most of 'em available at orbithangar):
– Fiction-but-real: PTK NP Spacecraft
– Close-to-real: XR 2 Ravenstar (a space shuttle like concept spacecraft with real ambitions and great development)
– For XR 2: Different MFDs for XR2 (extra download)
– Close-to-real: XR 5 (XR 2's big brother)
– XR Facility (a hangar with cargo management features and lots of parking space)
– Close-to-real: G42-200 StarLiner WIP-302 (awesome can move it's wings)
– Real: A4E Skyhawk UPDATE (a Jet plane)
– Real: Mirage2000 (Jet plane)
– Real: Me163
– Real: Me262
– Real: F-35B
– Real: V-22 Osprey ver3
– Real: F-117 Nighthawk ver5
– A-10A
– FA-22A
– FA-18A
– F14A
– Hawker Harrier
– Real: NASA T-38 ver4
– Real: Soyuz 7K series
– Real: Skylab-B
– Real: Dragon Capsule
– Real: Space Ship Two (Richard Bransons spacecraft)
– Real: Soyuz Capsule
– Real: Ariane 5 rocket system
– Real: Saturn 5 rocket system
– Real: Apollo 20 and Tycho Landing Site
– Close-to-real: DGIV Space Compression Engine
– Close-to-real: Perseus Launcher & Perseus MkII 1.3
– Retro: Shuttle Fleet (Space Shuttles)
– Fiction: MIPTS V0.02 (info to come)
– Comic: ACME Rocketship
– Comic: Planet Express Ship
– Star Trek: Chaffe T-10 Shuttle (The Danube Runabouts shuttle craft)
– Star Trek: Danube Runabouts (two variant pack)
– Star Trek: Delta Flyer NX-426 (Voyagers second shuttle craft)
– Star Trek: U.S.S Reliant Miranda
– Star Trek: Enterprise NCC1701TOS and Galileo shuttle (the first tv-show Enterprise)
– Star Trek: Enterprise XI (The Enterprise shown in the recent two movies)
– Star Trek: Federation Starbase XI (The newest Starbase design)
– Star Wars: Slave (Boba Fett drove it)
– Star Wars: Naboo Cruiser
– Star Wars: Naboo Fighter
– Star Wars: Imperial Star Destroyer
– Star Wars: Sky Hopper
– Star Wars: L.A.A.T. (Troops drop ship)
– Star Wars: Shuttle Tyderium (Imperial Shuttle)
– Star Wars: Tie Fighter and Tie Interceptor
– Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
– Star Wars: Super Millennium Falcon
– Star Wars: X-Wing (most known Star Wars vessel)
– Battlestar Galactica: Colonial Viper MK II (a truly nicely done mod aircraft)
– Battlestar Galactica: Colonial One
– Stargate Universe: Destiny and Destiny Shuttle (if you find it, get it and let me know where to get it again, please)
– Stargate: Daedalus X303
– Stargate: Puddle Jumper
– Stargate: Goa'uld TelTak Shuttle
– Stargate: Goa'uld TelTak Shuttle
– Stargate: Aurora
– Stargate & Battlestar Galactica (lots of spaceships missing since the go down of the Rag Tag Fleet, R.I.P., we miss those files!)
– Spaceman Spiff: A little flying saucer (looks like a beattle)
– Aviation history: Me163 (try flying it on mars, it's fun)
– Spaceballs: The space Van (for funny purposes)
– Futurama: Planet Express (for funny purposes, one of my favorites)
– Space1999: The Eagle (features lots of cargo modules)
– 2001 Space Oddysey Pack (everything mentioned in the book and in the movie, play with the monolith of wisdom)
– Babylon 5: Almost every ship shown in the series
– Buck Rogers Thunder Fighter
Extra things to add to your favorite sceneries like bases or assets / objects:
– Prelude Base Skin Pack (maybe you prefer the dusty Prelude base
– Shukra Earth Weather (a hovering floating airbase)
– Russian's Spacesuit Orlan
– UMmu textures pack (A flag pack for spacesuits)
To be continued, dozens of entries to come! My mods to come:
– Cargo skin set (WIP)
– Arrow Freighter Skin & Cockpit Skin (WIP)
Speaking of Dolphins, how about this? It has incredible manuevering beeing the holy grail of fun vehicles:
And for the speed addicts - the shark is out there!
Actually no submarines, those Seabreachers can do some little diving. On the other side they can do amazings jumps and tricks. Invented in USA those jetski boats are available as customized productions. This means they add what you want, it's all modular on request (based on the limited space). They even do individual airbrush paint jobs. Not cheap at all but big fun for sure. I cannot afford one so I wanted to share this amazing piece of real world technology. At least I might see them cruise around somewhere someday and who knows - keyword: Seatsharing. :)
Another boat they invented: The Orca.
And now Ladies and Gentleman, a Cat! Yes cat's are the best:
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Note the flying whatever's behind the front plane. Excellent design – reminds of a Horten 229 but in this case with birds wings solving all Ho229 low speed issues. ;)
Heres a little Fanart I created for the movie Cloud Atlas. Many people don't understand the meaning of this movie – said simple it's pointing towards three things: It's a mix of time travelling, something like Buddhism and a dangerous topic: Eugenics – all visualized within a little theme image, this is a Full HD Wallpaper 1920x1080 Pixel. I hope I didn't touch any copyrights. Enjoy!
The first triple A game with 4K (CryEngine3) resolution beeing totaly crowdfunded + currently breaking all records + is getting beyond all expectations featuring top designers, real scale objects, true flight physics, toilets and even beans, yes beans!!
The vid below presents the Hornet but it's just one of dozens spaceships that will be available:
I would like to fly the Retaliator but they should give it a name change since I would be more a trader like player:
Never heard of Chris Roberts? Ever played Elite, one of the first epic games for PC? Or this ...check out Wing Commander Saga and discover the reason for this guys success story. It's a free game, a tribute based on the FreeSpace2 Engine, totaly epic: www.wcsaga.com
A Screenshot I took from the movie Spaceballs. One of my all time favorite movies. This is Princess Vespa's hot new future ride (viewed from an 80's perspective of sci-fi design). It might be too sharp edged but it's cute isn't it? :D
