New up-coming Add-On

[rakom]

Hi evervbody!

A new vehicle will be available very soon in VSF Add-On Library: "FDD55"
It is a floating dry dock categorized as a boat and handled as a non-propelled vessel.

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It's designed to mimic floating dock operations allowing ship to come in the partly submerged dock and to be lifted when the dock is raised
back.

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[rakom]

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[rakom]

FDD04.jpg

FDD05.jpg

FDD06.jpg

[rakom]

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[ekeimaja]

Looks very good! Waiting to get this for testing.

Could you put those three images in your second last message again, since I cannot see them?

[rakom]

It was just a mistake . Never mind, here are 3 more

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[NoBody191]

Wow i love this! can't wait to be released, there is a human object too

[rakom]

I will submit the Add-On probably tomorrow. Meanwhile you can check these videos:

https://youtu.be/gwpQiyC-TsE
https://youtu.be/Y-fJKmAJq0Y

[Sailorjohn]

Very creative, rakom! Inspired modeling keeps pushing the VSF envelope.

[NoBody191]

Niceee

[rakom]

Hi guys! Finally! After some last-minute difficulties that were fortunately overcome, it is available in Quality Simulations Add-On Library. Hopefully you might enjoy it. Cheers!

[syrphid]

I love such inventive, deep, witty things. And tutorial videos are off the charts.
Great work, rakom!

There is sufficient evidence to suggest the [has_support] feature.
Any vehicle could be provided with a supporting surface for interacting with the deck.

[Northfeeder]

Very nice, good work.

[rakom]

Hi guys! Thanks for your nice comments. And here are some last pictures to finally close this chapter.

[rakom]

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[rakom]

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[rakom]

Hello everyone!

A new submission is on its way, in a few days I guess. It's not the most glamorous or fun, but it is what it is. Although we already have free life rafts available in VSF, I couldn't resist making a new version. In fact, I wanted to test and verify some things quickly. Naturally, obstacles appeared where they shouldn't have, and a few hours ride turned into an almost painful session. At least I learned some few things I might share later in another post, now I need to get rid of this model asap!
Probably few will be interested, never mind... certainly not the maniacs who enjoy sinking beautiful liners every weekend, it's a life raft for 6 people only!

[rakom]

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[Sailorjohn]

I see some amazing work here, Rakom. As someone whose career was "Saving those in peril on the sea", I can assure you there are still those of us who believe our profession was to keep ships afloat...unless of course they were shooting at us. I applaud your liferaft development; it's a lifesaver!

[Victor]

Concur , SJ.

Victor

[rakom]

Hi!

I'm almost done...I think.
I have designed the liferaft with the real water ballasts bags under the inflatable body, they are included in the mass of the liferaft, contribute to the location of the centre of gravity and they provide the necessary stability as in reality.
The downside of this, you can see in the following pictures.
Weather conditions are good (wind 12kts, wave height 1.6ft, wave length 21m) but as the raft descends into the trough of the wave, it seems to be suspended.

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I mentioned in another post that there is a problem of consistency in the dynamics of floating bodies with respect to certain waves, which is particularly visible in the case of small boats. But for the moment, we have to put up with it, don't we?

As these ballast tanks are only bags, temporary non-rigid elements of the raft (in case of overturning they naturally empty by gravity and slump) I thought it better to make them invisible. No change in behaviour but the visual aberration is less noticeable.

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[rakom]

See the comparative pictures below, the last two showing liferafts without visible ballast bags.
What do you think?

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[Sailorjohn]

FWIW, I concur. The raft without the ballast bags doesn't show any parts you wouldn't expect to see in the RW. And even though it may be slightly airborne at times...so would a real raft in severe conditions of high winds and cresting waves, even with ballast bags. Omit the bags and save some polys.

This really makes me wish for the often-requested option to deselect vehicles from Map view, thereby making for the RW challenge of creating and following search patterns. What a tool this could be for Search And Rescue training! Position that raft in a minimized scenery without noting coordinates. Add adverse weather. "Vessel in distress taking on water approximate position 100nm WNW Point Alpha. Proceed and assist!"

[Victor]

SJ,
Wouldn't that be nice ? I can feel my hands moving those levers forward to Full ahead, already.

Victor

[Sailorjohn]

They can take the sailor out of the sea, but they can't take the sea out of the sailor! I hear ya, Victor. I may be pushing 80, but I still yearn for that tall ship, and a star to steer her by. I'd even settle for a short ship, and GPS.

[syrphid]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but your words touch every heart strings, Sailorjohn, not only navy seal or postman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHv7mcKdLtk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP-7GNoDJ5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGw-0zwt4is

...it is just that kind of mood.

[Sailorjohn]

Aaarrrgh, shiver me timbers, matey...thar be some fine chanteys! Be it known that I, Sailor John, didst sail before (and abaft) the mast 4 summers in the 295' barque Eagle...1800 tons, 23 sails...2 round trip Atlantic crossings...1959-1962.

[syrphid]

By the way, rakom, elliot1396's link to Ilan's Virtual Sailor NG video might prompt an answer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB4mn8Fehtc
Cruiser follows the water surface pretty good even on a big wave. Did you try to place it somwhere nearby the life raft and compare.
Maybe we should wait for NG?
I love these water ballasts bags and should hate to lose such a great underwater view.

[rakom]

Hi syrphid!

Yes, I saw it and took the time to look at it again more carefully and even went back to VSF and VS to compare exactly the same situation.
Although the sample is a bit short, the improvement in waves and ship behaviour in NG seems really huge, and I'm tempted to believe that it would be just as good in bigger waves [actually, what we see is a moderate wave] and in very rough weather. I had already noticed in VSF that ship behaviour becomes tricky when the wavelength is much longer than the ship's waterline length. In Ilan's video, the wave height is 6.8ft, which by default is associated in VSF with a wavelength of about 34m and the waterline of the vessel is 15m. So the result looks pretty good to me. The real test would be to see what happens with a big swell, like a 125m or more wavelength.
I also looked at the wave settings panel [mixed with weather settings] and sadly noticed that there is no "wavelength" setting available like in VSF nor "current" settings like in VS. Obviously, all the menus are to be reorganised and I am not giving up hope. However, what made me happy was to see the new "Wind driven" parameter which promises great fun!

Getting back to the topic, I will probably release my simplified version of the lifeboat without water pockets despite my deep aversion to modelling inaccuracies: with the current version of VSF, it is simply an unpleasant and frustrating experience. But as soon as NG or an updated version of VSF comes out, I'll gladly update the addon.

Which brings us to other concerns: will the boats designed for VSF work in NG? Will the design of the boats in NG be aligned with VSF? Will VSF be upgraded to the new standard set in NG? I guess we have to be a little patient.

In the meantime, take a look at this little video
https://youtu.be/8rRS2l_Pogg

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[syrphid]

Great video and great simulation, Rakom. The underwater views are quite appropriate in this situation and magnify the drama.
I have the same doubts you do. I have plenty of models intended for Ilan's "NG world", but you are right, some of them should already be published to enjoy life in current 'world of simulation', not comfortably numb.