items tagged with rcsimulator

Do not buy or use this simulator, prefer Reflex XTR (www.reflex-sim.de)

Pros

• very accurate, you can measure data on your heli and put them into your simulator with no changes...
• runs on ladtop, and small machine, no need to have an expensive video card, CSM add support for Windows 2000, winXP...
• very very accurate...but very very bad looking
• very precise interface connected to lpt1, support to 12 channels....
• True heading lock gyro ICG360
• Update are free, you can really build new airplanes and new heli and not derivate from an existing one (compare to realflight)

Cons

• bad graphics but is it really so bad ? we want to fly rapidly and acquire feeling...it is not a technical demo.
• proprietary dongle

Links

Official homepage of CSM and technical support
How to build your own visual for CSM (tutorial and heli, plane to download)
CSM Swaps

Download file :

Raptor 30 for CSM click here (4.25 Ko)
Documentation CSM 10 in word format (111 Ko)

Technical section :

Connect CSM 10 to a futaba FF9 : You must own the dongle, we only want to bypass the use of the jack connector and use a DIN..or connect to the proprietary connector..

Run CSM in Windows 2000 :

This is only a small extract of a newsgroup post by Andrew Powell (CSM).

1. Download and install the RainbowSSD539 sentinel driver from http://www.rainbow.com/tech/download.html

2. Install the driver you just downloaded - leave all the options on.(you don't need to reboot to do this).

3. Open the revent CSM folder, choose the file you wish to run eg heli10.exe and right click and choose
"Properties" .

a) choose the "Program" tab and make sure the "Run" dropdown says "Maximised",
b) choose the "Screen" tab and make sure the "Usage" is "Full screen" (the others can stay checked/unchecked as they are)
c) choose the "Misc" tab, uncheck "Allow screen saver", "Exclusive Mode" "Always suspend", "Fast pasting" and I also suggest you uncheck most (if not all) of the "Windows shortcut keys" as using them will HANG your computer (no way out!)
d) click OK.

If you can't use the mouse in more than 1/2 the screen. Use the "P" key to scroll down the menus "H" key to scroll up the menus. The "Enter" key to
select and the "-"/"+" keys (not numpad - although it may work) to change options. All the other keys should work as advertised.

Don't (DONT) use the windows key, or windows key combinations.. As it tends to hang the machine.

• Go and search on eDonkey network, with eDonkey client or better with eMule (both are peer to peer client program). All you have to do is to download the image (500Mo in rar files) and wait the download completion...
• Make a bakup copy of your original CD.

Backup your original realflight G2

So first I let me say I made a backup copy of the CD which I bought and as in no way pirated since that is illegal. Stealing overpriced programs by piracy is wrong. Okay well I used clonecd (it work for me with 4.0.19) and made an image with one of my cd-reader. In fact you can try with all cd reade/burner till you get a correct dump! To know if the dump is correct, I suggest you to mount the image with daemon tool, and see when you mount the image if the install setup is starting and can be completed.

Realflight^©® is protected with "Safedisk 2.0" (why the hell did they not use a dongle like CSM). It uses complex patterns of bad sectors to overload the decoder in most CD writers. (note that some writer do not care, like some Mitsumi or Philips burner, search on internet for a list, recent burner seems to burn nearly everything, even "copy protect" audio cd can be read)

To know if you can successfuly burn a working copy, look at you CD burner, it must handle the EFM technology, otherwise you can simulate the EFM with clone CD built-in function AWS (Amplify Weak Sector). The key of success with "Safedisk 2.0" is to burn the image very slowly, max 4X

I used CloneCD to both read and write the software successfully. Of course this should only be done to make personal backup copies, and for no illegal purposes. With clone Cd > 4.0.19, you must choose the profile: protected CD and use at least a burner that support DAO RAW (Best) or RAW SAO + SUB
Personnaly, I do not recommend to do a backup in this way: I prefer to store the image on disk (a lot of us has more than 100Go) and simulate the CD drive with daemon tool. Advantage, the program is starting in 5 seconds, vs 45 seconds with the original CD. You can create a virtual drive, let say L: and modify the file fileread.ini in realflight/ to point to L:

Try to upgrade your simulator to the version 533, because it will not ask you each 2 days to insert/swap all CD. Do not upgrade to the latest version since they introduce a new protection scheme rfdcdverify.exe (someone report that alcohol 120% outpassed this new security, but I did not test it)

Simulate a CD drive

1.0 Daemon tool 3.02 and daemon UI 1.52
Now what Daemon tools does is to allow you to mount CD images created by Clone CD 'AND' bypass the "Safedisk 2" protection code when you access the mounted images. Think of it as an additional CD drive on your system that is smart about protected CDs. Clone CD is used to copy your licensed original RF, RF Add-ons, and G2 CDs and save them as image files on your hard drive. Daemon UI just provides a nice little Windows user interface to simplify mounting and unmounting of the CD images. Also since Realflight^©® only knows about one CD drive you MUST use the Daemon Tools virtual drive for all of your RealFlight^©® disks (cannot mix with real CDs for Add-ons CDs or such). To change RealFlight^©® to use your new (virtual) CD drive just edit fileread.ini in the RealFlight^©® program directory to point to the drive letter of the virtual drive (ie InstallDir=L:\).
Now this setup seems to work 100%. When Realflight^©® askes you to insert one of the other disks just use Daemon UI to eject/unmount the current CD image and Mount the requested one.
In mount settings, do not forget to activate the following:

Locate the image file (.ccd if create with clone cd) and mount it. Everything is done with mouse right click

2.0 Alcohol 120%

The name of this tool is very strange, but it support nearly all image format (.ccd .cue. .iso .mds ...) and can burn, read, create virtual drive. It has an assistant with built in profile to outpassed most protection scheme. It work with Realflight^©® and all addon, I test it with version 1.3.5. A trial version can be downloaded at www.alcohol-soft.com

Support Realflight^©® and please buy the software, otherwise we will have no next release of Realflight^©®!
Ask Realflight^©® company to release or open the physical engine, and provide a airplanes editor!
You can find original CD on ebay for less money. Simulator are not toys, they are TOOLS

Links

Clone CD www.elby.de
Daemon Tools www.daemon-tools.com
DaemonUI www.daemon-tools.com
Alcohol 120% www.alcohol-soft.com

How to backup the latest G2 update

Here is my solution, often use:

• Install on a internet capable PC (we name it A) your copy of G2, and update to the latest release.
• Copy from (A) the directory realflight and the knifeedge directory located in 'program files/common files/knifeedge' to a blank CD.
• Go to the next PC (we name it B) with original installation disk and backup of A on CD.
• Install Realflight G2 on pc (B)
• You have now a working version of Realflight G2 but with an "old release"
• Overwrite the original directory you just install with the backup from pc A from the backup CD.
• Note: it work even with addons...
  

Port of Realflight server

You can see the port number if you have a Firewall installed.

• www.hobbico.com [206.221.233.121], port 10160
• 64.66.167.148, port 21
• 64.66.167.148, port 17196

^{me flying in realflight g2 (need addon3 for having raptor 30 & 60 look)}

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History :

I bought Realflight®© deluxe refursbished for 100€ in 2001 with the plastic controller box then the update G2 for another 100€.....expensive at first sight but it save me so much money (at least 100 times more).

Good

- Nice looking, maybe the best graphics on the market today.(see raptor 30 with addon3)
- Possibility to simulate flight failures,
- Network gaming (if you have a permanent internet access)
- A lot of new color schemes can be found freeely on internet (see below in links), but it is only a skins for existing heli or airplanes.
- You can build airport but you have a limited number of items.
- You can record your flights and demo, distribute them,
- There is a virtual instructor to learn new tricks,
- Games in games : events like autorotation, precision landing.

Bad

- Helicopter simulation is no realistic at all ! but I slowly discover why it is so bad (you do not notice it till you do not display the frame rate): go to section : Increase realism
- No graphical editor for airplanes and heli : KnifeEdge (the editor) want to sell add ons at very high prices.
- Overall bad realism....why ? if you want to recognize a good simulator, mesure data on your model and put it into the simulator, if the feeling is different then something is wrong in the physical model.
- Crazy protecting system! you must always have the realflight cd inserted! and sometimes realflight is asking you all others CD : RFdeluxe, then Cd update the addon2 then addon3 etc : it is slow, disturbing and can be easily outpass with daemon tools (note that version 2.00.570 seem not to accept any virtual cd, hee knife edge that is not in the software relase note !). Why do they not use a dongle instead ?
- The wind affects are not properly modeled, the wind in the sim is linear from the ground up in the real word the height causes a much greater affect. additionally the turbulence is (for want of a better word) "swirling" and has both vertical as well as horizontal components. The settling with power is totally absent from the sim, as a result it is not very useful.
- Flight Model is TOO EASY, and still too SLOW. A way too much inertia.

My Wish:

1- open the physic engine, so we can tune equations
or use better equations if cpu power is enough (what do you do with 2800MHz????)
2- better simulation of heli inertia...
3- better simulation of wind or at least with more tuning options
3- Vortex ring problem
4- heli editor or at least release some converter or open the internal specs of file, Some of us can write an editor.
5- a draganflyer!!!!
6- sell a heli version/ a airplane version / a full version
7- more heli lessons (instructor)

overall inmprove the physic engine, in reality things get worse really faster than in simulator.

When will Knife Edge open their physic engine (equations), so we can tune or rewrite them ??
When will Knife Edge release their format specs so people can build planes editor ?
I would like to say : NEVER since they release quite expensive addons (which bring nothing)

Conclusions:

- There is no other simulator which is so nice, even if the physic is so bad.

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Increase realism

• Change characteristics in order to match the natural instability of heli:
  - edit the aircraft and reduce weight of paddle : raptor 30 has 35gr, reduce it to 10gr not less otherwise rolls won't work anymore.
  - Of course do not fly without wind.
• improve response of heli:
  - edit the aircraft and reduce speed of servos : default is 0.22 sec/60°, reduce it to 0.02sec/60°
  - reduce exponential on all command.
• Improve physics :
  - desactivate the grass in the airport : it is consuming alone nearly 30 fps on my PC1
  - As a rule : desactivate every graphics till you did not reach at least 60 fps (or more) in all flight configuration (when you are in front of trees, houses etc, if the framerate drop, the heli is out of control).

The heli is difficult to maintain ? to fly ? and you crash in less than 3 second ? welcome back to some reality !!!!!!
As a result on my pc nearly every visual enhancement are switch off, but that is the cost for having a little more reality. (just to say I bought CSM 10.1 on ebay.....)

Which PC for Realflight ?

My PC	PC of my Brother
PC1 VIA KT133, duron 800 Mhz, Hercules GeForce 2 GTS 64Mo, 512 Mo SDRAM 133MHz, IBM 60 Go 7200 tr/min UDMA66, all test at 1280x1024 32bits (I want to test Realflight®© G2 on a better configuration before updating mine, I do not think that a geforce 4 will help, maybe a better cpu....definitively a free update from knife edge to improve physics)	PC2 I've tested Realflight on my PC (see above) and on the following : Athlon Xp 1600, Leadtek geforce TD 2500 (geforce4 4400 overclocking @ 4600), 512 Mo DDR 266Mhz, IBM 80 Go 7200 tr/min UDMA100, all test at 1280x1024 32bits
PC4 NVIDIA Nforce2, duron 800 Mhz, Hercules GeForce 2 GTS 64Mo, 512 Mo DDR 2700, IBM60Go + IBM80Go + MAXTOR120Go 7200 tr/min UDMA133, all test at 1280x1024 32bits	PC3 I've tested Realflight on my PC (see above) and on the following : Athlon Xp 2800, Leadtek geforce TD 2500 (geforce4 4400 overclocking @ 4600), 1024 Mo DDR 266Mhz, IBM 80 Go 7200 tr/min UDMA100, all test at 1280x1024 32bits

What I have noted on PC2:
- If you desactivate nearly everything, the FPS (frame per second) counter seem to reach limit value which is near 90 fps.
- Grass is consuming alone > 20 fps !
- People and in fact increasing number of object to the max let you go between 40 and 45 fps (was below 20 fps on PC1), which should be enough, but the problem is the frontier between 80 fps and 45 fps, some glitches are encountered and when flying you feel the changes.

My Conclusion :
If you want to make a demo, activate every items otherwise deactivate as much items as possible ! in fact nobody is flying beside trees or walls in real life... if you do so maybe your flying field is not well choosen. It make no sense to go for a new PC, It seems to me that bad performances, or non linear increase in fps is due to bad programming or overflow in current PC architecture. Remember that a geforce 2 is 4 times less expensive than a geforce 4

Links

• Michael Prewitt and his excellent website www.raptortechnique.com (a must in english) is providing heli script and color scheme for the raptor 30. note that addon3 contain the most realistic view of a raptor 30 and 60 look (see the pic on the top of this page). Of course they fly bad... :-(
• Search with google for the "G2 exchange page", a lot of airport, color scheme, planes and heli for free.

Connect your own interface for 40€ !

First you must buy the rc2p from Andreas Pieper (through www.ebay.de ), it allow you to connect any TX to the gameport, In Realflight, choose "controller calibration", then personal and edit. Assign fonctions as following :

Channel	Name	Paddle	Direction	Invert
1	Aileron	1	right-left	No
2	Profondeur	1	up-down	No
3	Gazs	2	right-left	YES
4	Rudder	2	up-down	YES
switch 3	Iddle Up	inter1		YES

Other keys can be emulated with the keyboard....

Some remarqs :

• The controller is entirely in the plug (CMS component) and the quality is professional.
• Only regret, it can only controls 4 channels + 1 switch.
• GREAT to use your real TX, feeling is a lot better ! (weight of TX, tension of sticks, position of fingers etc...)
• It is a lot cheaper than the interface provided by Realflight®© (>230€ in France).

Raptor 60 tweaking : credit to Twobeers (RunRyder)

• Reset the all the gyro settings to original values to start with.
• Go to the Jet Ranger and write down all the tail figures and change the tail figures of the Raptor 60 so that they are the same as the Jet Rangers.
• If you want a faster piro rate double or triple the gyro's piro rate under the gyro tab of the edit aircraft model.
• Set the gyro to always on under the edit radio page.
• Lower the paddle weights by 5grams.
• Make the servo's a little faster.

Raptor 30 tweaking : credit to Mad Scientist (RunRyder)
Download te following file and save it in your "planes" directory

Without Addon 3	With Addon 3
RaptorEE.zip	Raptor30TunedAddon3.zip

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Tips :

• Want to pratice autorotation ? instead of using the switch (throttle cut) use a very small tank (30cc) and fly....till you run out of fuel.
• Be careful to learn on both sides ! like me you may prefer to turn always from the same side : that's bad ! and when you go back to field you are petrified....
• With the latest cd burner (philips, acer some plextor), it is possible to outpass the safedisk 2 protection of G2 (burner must support EFM (hardware) or be recognized by clone cd in order to use the AWS fonction (Amplify weak sector)). I prefer to made an image of the cd, then use daemon tool and daemon ui. NO NEED TO INSERT THE CD anymore, Realflight®© g2 start in 5 seconds, ahhhh marvelous...

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below some pics of Realflight®© G2. More info on www.realflight.com , support on www.knifeedge.com

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http://reflex.cmedv.de

Flight simulators

Reflex http://www.reflex-sim.de
Ipacs Aerofly Pro http://www.aerofly.de
Knife Edge Realflight G2 http://www.realflight.com
Tru-Flite 3D http://www.tru-flite.co.uk/sitr.htm
Cockpit master http://www.cockpitmaster.com
CSM V10 http://www.rcmodels.org/csm
PRE-Flight http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/atv/preflight001.htm

Free simulators
FMS http://simulator.home.pages.de
RCSimSikorsky http://home.zonnet.nl/blacksphere2/rcsim.html

Utility of a simulator :

• Save your money : you can do virtual crash.But not too many, otherwise your learning curve will be flat.
• Fly when it is raining outside !
• Fly when it is snowing outside !
• Improve your manoeuvre, learn new tricks.
• Fly for free before you buy a helicopter, if you find it boring you sell the simulator and not your beautiful and expensive "as new heli" on ebay...after 3 hours....
• Avoid dangerous situation for you and your heli.

Training :

Practice the "Oh My God" recovery : Take the helicopter up, close your eyes, SCRAMBLE the sticks for several seconds, open your eyes, then try to recover the bird.

For basic skills:
a) tail in hover
b) nose in hover
c) inverted tail in hover
d) inverted nose in hover
e) slow transition between a-b & c-d by piroetting.
f) upright figure 8's fast and slow
g) inverted figure 8's fast and slow.

Unfortunately, alot of new manuevres are built upon being able to fly your heli backwards and sideways without getting confused. So for new stuff, I've been trying my best to keep it to:

a) stationary piro-etting (all piroetting done nose right to keep it simple for now)
b) inverted stationary piro-etting
c) piro-etting T's
d) inverted piro-etting T's
e) backwards figure 8's
f) inverted backwards figure 8's

List of all available RC simulator

On this page http://hem.passagen.se/rasmus-modellflyg/Simulatorer_eng_index.html

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