DC-10 Configuration

[oz10tashus]

Hi

I'm having some difficulties in attempting to configure the freeware Thomas Ruth DC-10 for GSX Ground Services.  The default configuration that was presented when I first requested deboarding of the aircraft results in only one container loader (correctly positioned) and one set of stairs which is positioned under the wing, as shown on the screenshot below.

The exit data in the DC-10 aircraft.cfg file is:

[exits]
number_of_exits = 4
exit.0 = 0.4,  78.83, -8.02, 12.65, 0    ;Percent per second
exit.1 = 0.04,   -36.80,  7.09, 0.19, 1    ;Percent per second
exit.2 = 0.4,   8.803, -8.540, 3.868, 2    ;Percent per second
exit.3 = 0.4,   8.803, -8.540, 3.868, 2    ;Percent per second

and the GSX Airplane mini-Editor is prefilled with the following:

[aircraft]
nosegear = 20.468844
refueling = 1
absoluteheights = 0

[exit1]
pos = -2.444496 24.027384 2.63652 0.0
code = 1
name = exit 1

[exit2]
pos = -2.602992 2.6831544 -0.0402336 0.0
code = 3
name = exit 3

[exit3]
remove = 1

[exit4]
pos = -2.602992 2.6831544 -0.0402336 0.0
code = 3
name = exit 3

[service1]
flip = 1
code = 0

[service2]
flip = 2
code = 0

[cargo1]
pos = 2.161032 -11.21664 -0.246888 0.0
code = 2
name = exit 2
uldcode = AUTO

[cargo2]
remove = 1

After editing the data in the mini-Editor I was able to get both baggage loaders showing, both in their correct positions.
I then attempted to get the stair located opposite the rear door.  I must admit I used a trial and error method here and to some degree was successful.
However, as can be seen from the second screenshot, whilst the stair is located opposite the rear door, it doesn't reach high enough to be at floor level and I have been unable to get the stair any closer to the aircraft.

My modifications using the mini-editor are:

[aircraft]
nosegear = 20.468844
refueling = 1
absoluteheights = 0

[exit1]
pos = -2.444496 24.027384 2.63652 0.0
code = 0

[exit2]
pos = -2.602992 2.6831544 -0.0402336 0.0
code = 0

[exit3]
remove = 1

[exit4]
pos = -2.6 -14.85 3.8 0.0
code = 0

[service1]
flip = 1
code = 0

[service2]
flip = 2
code = 0

[cargo1]
pos = 2.161032 11.21664 -0.246888 0.0
code = 2
name = exit 2
uldcode = AKE

[cargo2]
pos = 2.161032 -11.21664 -0.246888 0.0
code = 2
name = exit 2
uldcode = AKE

What am I doing wrong ........... or not doing right

[virtuali]

You are working in relative heights ( see the absoluteheights  = 0 ), which means heights are not measured from ground, but from the airplane center point, which is somewhere in the middle of the fuselage.

Since the main door is set 2.63652 higher than the airplane center point, and the exit you are trying to fix ( exit 4 ) looks to the be at a similar height, the 3.8 you put there doesn't look right. The door is too high now, so the stairs vehicle has backed up, but it lack enough extension to reach it in its animation.

Try to set it the same height of the main door, for start.

[Papagiorgio]

Try these settings,

[exit4]
pos = -1.602992 -14.6831544 1.63652 0.0
code = 3
name = exit 4
 
Papagiorgio

[Papagiorgio]

Also, I used this for the second food truck at the rear right door.

[service2]
flip = 4
code = 0
 Papagiorgio

[oz10tashus]

Hi Guys

Thanks for your responses......

You are working in relative heights ( see the absoluteheights  = 0 ), which means heights are not measured from ground, but from the airplane center point, which is somewhere in the middle of the fuselage.

Yes,  that clears that matter.  My thinking had reverted to the visual relative height mode. 

pos = -1.602992 -14.6831544 1.63652 0.0

Thanks Papagiorgio, I got to the height of approx. 1.6m which allowed the stair to practically reach the aircraft OK.
However as you can see from the screenshot, the stair appears extended to it's maximum and still falls short of reaching the floor level.
This same stair reaches the floor level of a Boeing 747 almost fully extended, but as you will see from the overlay screenshot the floor level of a DC-10 is, according to my rough calculations some 0.75m higher.

Umberto, is this too high for the ground services stairs available

[virtuali]

You can check the maximum height a model can reach, by looking at its sim.cfg file, in the height parameter of the [couatl] section.

The stairs that reach the highest point is the staircase_large, which reaches 5.14 meters from ground so, if you airplane has doors higher than that...we need a new model. It's no use changing the sim.cfg, because the value has to match the model itself.

[oz10tashus]

The stairs that reach the highest point is the staircase_large, which reaches 5.14 meters from ground so, if you airplane has doors higher than that...we need a new model.

Yes, well there's no doubt that in FSX it shows the stair is fully extended and doesn't reach the door sill.
Oh well, it just makes for a good step down for the PAX when they disembark  

You can check the maximum height a model can reach, by looking at its sim.cfg file, in the height parameter of the [couatl] section.

Looking at the sim.cfg for the staircase large I note the entry:

extension = 5.789,5.505,5.146
height = 2.872,3.719,4.536

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between extension and height in this instance?                
                                                    

[virtuali]

Looking at the sim.cfg for the staircase large I note the entry:

extension = 5.789,5.505,5.146
height = 2.872,3.719,4.536

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between extension and height in this instance?

extension is the lateral distance from the door at different stages of the animation, so GSX can calculate how much to back up.

Taking this vehicle as an example, when the stairs are fully retracted, their platform is at 2.872 mt height and 5.789 meters from the vehicle reference point, when it's half extended it's 3.719 mt in height and 5.505 lateral, and when fully extended it's 4.536 mt high and 5.146 mt lateral. With these values, GSX will interpolate all the in-between measurements.

Of course, these values can't be freely changed, because they must be exactly as in the actual 3d model.

[oz10tashus]

Thanks for the explanation.

The height that works best for the DC-10 stairs is 1.64m (absoluteheights = 0)
To meet the floor level with the catering the height is 2.05m, so you can see there is about 40cm difference.

I'm happy with the end result:

[eastern]

Paul,
Would you post your TR DC-10 updated configuration in the GSX sharing area-Airplane Configs. It would be much appreciated by other users of this aircraft.
Thank you,
Rob

[oz10tashus]

G'day Rob

It's a pleasure......... I'll upload it forthwith.

[oz10tashus]

G'day Umberto

One last thing.........Regarding the catering vehicles, to quote you in an earlier posting:

It's already like that, there are already several randomization factors, but the issue is, since they don't do exactly the same path (the one in the rear has a shorter path to travel) it's possible, depending on the airplane size, parking size and airport paths, that the rear catering "catches up" with the first one, nullifying the initial randomization.

I'm finding that with the DC-10 configuration, the rear catering vehicle travels past the rear of the aircraft and does a 'U' turn (briefly colliding with the cargo loader), and then spins on the spot 180⁰ to face the correct way to service the plane.  I couldn't find on the Forum any previous reference to this behaviour, so presumably it's being generated by the DC-10 in some way??

[virtuali]

Does it happen in every parking spot ? This might also be depending on parking radius.

[oz10tashus]

No, it works OK at some gates.  I'll look into it further and test a number of parking positions comparing each parking radius with the result.

[nzb777]

I also had trouble with stairs reaching exit 4 exit 1 or the rear doors as well as the cargo doors which the main container lifter falls short of where the cargo door is. Below is this  configuration from the CFG file of CLS DC10 can someone tell me what the correct configuration to this is.

[exits]
number_of_exits = 2
exit.0 = 0.2,  51.5, -7.2, 4.84, 0  //openclose rate percent per second, longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet), type (0=Main 1=Cargo 2=Emergency)
exit.1 = 0.1,  -27.2, 6.50, -5.9, 1  //openclose rate percent per second, longitudinal, lateral, vertical positions from datum (feet), type (0=Main 1=Cargo 2=Emergency)
exit_rate.2 = 100                               ;Percent per second
exit_rate.3 = 100                               ;Percent per second