Shuttle-A2 mod v1.01
by Jógvan "C3PO" Trondesen 
and Alexander "Mindblast" Blass 
original Shuttle-A Mesh by Roger "Frying Tiger" Long
original Shuttle-A coding by Martin Schweiger


Installation

Just unzip all files to your orbiter directory, be sure to have the option "Use folder names" checked. 

The Shuttle-A2 mod supports Orbitersound v2.5 so go get it if you don't already have it. 


New features in this mod as compared to the original Shuttle-A 


  v1.01:

    - quick Bugfix for Main Thrusters not working

  v1.0:

    - Particle Effects
    - completely reworked fuel management (including display) that now supports
      crossfeeding, refuel from docking port and fuelhatch (when on ground) and venting
      this is also compatible with FuelMFD now, the tradeoff is, that you can now select
      only one tank as a fuel source at a time
    - Nav-, Beacon- and Strobelights
    - Overspeed parameters reworked (allows now to go faster in the atmosphere than in the
      last version)
    - New Hull Temperature Display for giving you a hard time trying an atmospheric 
      reentry :) (Damage effects are linked to that as well) 
    - configurable payload masses for cargo containers (new scenario file parameter)
    - configurable meshnames, so you can have ShuttleA2s with different skins in one
      scenario
    - new parameter "SoundBase" in the ShuttleA2s .cfg file will register the sounds with
      Orbitersound starting at this value, this way the interferences between other vessels
      using OrbiterSound can be avoided until OrbiterSound 3.0 is released
    - fixed the bug that showed the damaged aux thruster rotated in a wrong direction 
      right after damaging it
    - aux thrusters can now be rotated using keys 1-5 too
    - alternative key assignments for hover thrusters

  v0.9b:

    - Aux Thrusters rotateable backwards to assist main engines
    - Aux Thrusters are inserted into the proper thruster group according to the current
      angle
    - Overspeed Display for measuring structural stress during atomspheric flight
    - 3 stage damage model when overspeed is exceeded or groundcrash is detected
    - freely configurable cargoslots
    - improved fuel management display with switchable valves
    - radar display


Scenario parameters

  CARGOCONF i i i i
    This parameter is used to set the configuration of the cargo slot rows.
    Each row will be equipped with two identical payloads
    Currently the following payloads are supported 
      External Tank (i=1)
      Cargo Container (i=2)

    If i=0 is supplied a stabilization bar is inserted in the cargo slots of the 
    respective row to increase structural stability of the vessel. 
    One Stabilizer bar will have a weight of 50 kg, External Tanks and Cargo Containers 
    have empty weights of 200 kg each. 

    Example:
    CARGOCONF 0 1 2 2 
      will equip the Shuttle with stabilizers in the first row (right behind the
      hab/cockpit) then 2 external tanks in the second row and cargo containers in 
      rows 3 and 4 

  CARGOWEIGHTS f f f f
    This parameter is used to set the payload mass of equipped cargo containers. 
    Each number (f) determines the mass in kg that the respective row of cargo slots
    carries. For rows that do not have Cargo Containers equipped (see CARGOCONF) the 
    payload mass is ignored. 

    Example: 
    CARGOWEIGHTS 0.0 0.0 4000.0 5600.0
      will load the cargo containers in rows 3 and 4 with 4000 kg and 5600 kg so the overall 
      payload carried in these four containers will be 9600 kg

  MESHNAMES s1 s2 s2 s2 s2
    This parameter is used to set the Mesh names used by this ShuttleA2 instance in the 
    scenery. This way ShuttleA2s with different skins can be used in the scenery. 
    s1 is the overall Meshname identifier (i.e. "ShuttleA2")
    s2 is the Meshname identifier used to load the mesh for one of the 4 cargo slot rows
       these can be omitted for using the default meshes 
  
    The Filenames of all Meshes loaded are build using these 5 parameters by concatenating
    in the following way:
  
    Main Mesh:            s1                       (i.e. "ShA2")
    Broken Front Mesh:    s1 + "BrkFront"          (i.e. "ShA2BrkFront")
    Broken Rear Mesh:     s1 + "BrkRear"           (i.e. "ShA2BrkRear")
    Radar Mesh:           s1 + "Rad"               (i.e. "ShA2Rad")
    Broken Radar Mesh:    s1 + "RadWrk"            (i.e. "ShA2RadWrk")
    Left Aux Thruster:    s1 + "Thr"               (i.e. "ShA2Thr")
    damaged Aux Thruster: s1 + "ThrDmg"            (i.e. "ShA2ThrDmg")
    Cargo Slot Left:      s2 + "Left"              (i.e. "ShA2CargoFEDEXLeft")
    Cargo Slot Right:     s2 + "Right"             (i.e. "ShA2TankRustyRight")
 
    If MESHNAMES is not specified s1 defaults to "ShA2" and s2 defaults to "Stabilizer",
    "Tank" or "Cargo" according to the settings in the CARGOCONF parameter.

    Example:
    MESHNAMES ShA2LunarTrading ShA2LTStabilizer ShA2LTTank ShA2LTCargoUPS ShA2LTCargoFEDEX
      will load the meshes "ShA2LunarTrading", "ShA2LunarTradingBrkFront", 
      "ShA2LunarTradingBrkRear", "ShA2LunarTradingRad", "ShA2LunarTradingRadWrk", 
      "ShA2LunarTradingThr", "ShA2LunarTradingThrDmg", "ShA2LTStabilizerLeft"
      "ShA2LTStabilizerRight" for Cargoslots row 1, "ShA2LTTankLeft" "ShA2LTTankRight" 
      for Cargoslots row 2, "ShA2LTCargoUPSLeft" "ShA2LTCargoUPSRight" for row 3 and
      finally "ShA2LTCargoFEDEXLeft" "ShA2LTCargoFEDEXRight" for row 4

  EXT_PRPLEVEL f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 
    This parameter is used to set the amount fuel carried in each fueltank. Valid values
    range from 0.0 (empty) to 1.0 (full). 
    f1-f4 correspond to External Tanks 1-4 and will be ignored if no tank is loaded at the 
    respective position by the parameter CARGOCONF. 
    f5 corresponds to the internal tank
    f6 corresponds to the RCS tank


  NOTE: The parameter CARGOCONF always has to be located before any of the other parameters 
  mentioned above !! Otherwise the results are unpredictable, but probably Orbiter will
  crash on startup. 


Config file parameters

  SoundBase=x
    This sets the base number for registering the sounds with OrbiterSound. By adjusting
    this you can try to avoid interferences between ShuttleA2 and other vessels that support 
    OrbiterSound. x can be any number from 0 to 60-NumberofShA2sounds where
    NumberofShA2Sounds is the number of sounds used by ShuttleA2. Currently this is 7 so
    the maximum SoundBase is currently 53. If x is greater than that, it will be
    automatically adjusted to 53 upon loading of the Shuttle. 
  HandleHoverKeys=x
    This sets a flag, wether to use the built in Hover Keys of Orbiter (NUMPAD 0 for 
    increasing, NUMPAD , for decreasing Hover Thrust) or overwrite their functions to use
    alternative Key assignments for controlling Hover Thrusters (see section "Keys" below)
    x=0 means use Orbiter default key assignments
    x=1 means use alternative assignments


Keys

  The following keys are supported by the ShuttleA2
    1               : Rotate Auxthrusters to Forward (assisting Main Thrusters) Position. 
    2               : Rotate Auxthrusters to Hover Position.
    3               : Rotate Auxthrusters to Retro Position.
    4               : Rotate Auxthrusters towards Forward Position. (keep pressed until
                      desired position is reached)
    5               : Rotate Auxthrusters towards Retro Position. (keep pressed)
    
    k               : Operate Docking Hatch Doors.
    o               : Operate Outer Airlock.
    Numpad /        : Switch RCS between Rotational and Linear Mode. 
    Ctrl + Numpad / : Switch RCS On/Off
    
  The following key assignments are used only when "HandleHoverKeys=1" is specified in 
  the ShuttleA2.cfg. 
    Numpad 0 : Full Hover Thrust (will be maintained as long as key is pressed, then drop 
               back to previous thrust setting, just like Numpad + does for the Main
               Thrusters)
    Numpad , : Cut Hover Thrust 
    Ctrl + Numpad 0 : Increase Hover Thrust by 20% per second as long as the key combination
                      is pressed.
    Ctrl + Numpad , : Decrease Hover Thrust by 20% per second as long as the key combination 
                      is pressed. 


Known bugs

  After a breakup of the ShuttleA2 Orbiter crashes when you exit it using Ctrl-Q. 
  Also sometimes switching the active vessel to one of the broken off Cargo Containers or 
  Tanks crashes Orbiter. 
  This seems to be a problem with the reloading of the meshes but i can't seem to figure it
  out.

  BETTER MAKE A QUICKSAVE BEFORE YOU TRY A REENTRY OR LANDING !!!


3rd Party Credits

  I couldn't figure out anymore, from where i got the following textures that i found in my 
  orbiter directory: 
    contrail_blue.dds
    JTM_Strobe_Green.dds
    JTM_Strobe_Red.dds

  I hope the respective authors don't mind that i used these and would like to ask them to 
  drop me a mail, so that i can give them proper credit in the next release. 


Other stuff

  I hope you like this mod as much as we enjoyed making it. If you have any comments, 
  suggestions, bug reports please send us a mail to (mindblast@gmx.de or trondese@post.olivant.fo).


Legal mumbojumbo

  You may use these files in any way you want except for making money :o). The authors of
  these files are not to be made responsible for any damage to your computer, operating
  system, marital status, private life etc. (only the fun and enjoyment part ;).
