031218 * Improved cloud shadow implementation (cloud shadows now appear less "grey") 031225 * More than 64k

stars can now be rendered. * New encoding for planets as pixel blocks. Colours are now correct in 16bit modes. "Blockiness" is reduced. 031229 * Bug fix: Crash on selecting "ignore joystick throttle setting on launch" for joysticks without throttle control. * Bug fix: surface bases are now rendered below cloud cover. 040109 * Nonspherical planet shapes can now be considered in the calculation of the gravitational potential (but the shape must be symmetric w.r.t. its axis of rotation). At the moment, perturbation terms up to the 4th order harmonic (coefficients J2-J4) are used. Perturbation terms for the major planets are included. 040113 * New feature: shadows projected from vessels onto planetary surfaces. * Mesh files now support "FLAG" group entry to specify bit-flags. Bit 0 in vessel meshes indicates "exclude from shadow projection", to improve render efficiency of shadows. 040116 * Bug fix: Launchpad freezing when selecting a fullscreen-only video mode. * Bug fix: Video modes erraneously registered as fullscreen-only. 040121 * Directories in the Launchpad scenario list are now sorted alphabetically. * Scenarios can now be launched by double-clicking in the list. * Orbit MJD: Orbital elements can now be displayed in equatorial reference frame, in addition to ecliptic frame. New button ("FRM") added to switch between frames. Target elements are now displayed even if the reference body is not the target's primary gravitational field source. 040122 * DG: Reduced wheel brake effect. * Modified meshes for DG, Atlantis (+SRB and tank) for efficient shadow renderin g (added "FLAG 1" entries). Reduced Atlantis mesh by 1300 vertices. 040125 * Mesh base objects can now cast shadows (must specify the "SHADOW" flag in thei r base config entry). * Mesh base object elevations are now corrected for Earth curvature when "MapObjectsToSphere" flag is specified in the config file. ATTENTION SURFACE BASE ADDON DEVELOPERS: manual y-offsets for mesh objects (defined in the POS entry of the config file or directly in the mesh) should be removed. 040126 * Specular reflection from water surfaces now depends on reflection angle and atmospheric colour, to correct for the excessively yellow reflection hue. 040127 * Added more tiles to KSC.

040131 * Modified the brightness fall-off with distance for planets rendered as pixel blocks. Planet brightnesses compare now better with star brightnesses when viewed from Earth, but it remains a compromise due to limited dynamic range. * Adjusted planet AlbedoRGB for Venus and Mercury. * Modified darkening of sky during dusk/dawn: sky remains brighter, stars come on later. Sky also darkens less rapidly with altitude. * Ground observer camera dialog: Locations can now be entered manually (longitud e, latitude, altitude) instead of selecting from the predefined locations. Added new button "Current" to set the current camera location to ground observ er mode. This now also provides a kind of flyby mode: move the camera in targetrelative mode ahead of the vessel, then click "Current" to fix the camera and see the vessel fly by. * Added stencil buffer support to remove the shadow rendering artefacts arising from overlapping projected polygons. Reduced shadow darkness. Launchpad dialog now has an option to enable/disable stencil buffers in the video tab. If disabled, or if video mode doesn't support stencil buffers, shadows are render ed black. * Diffuse particle streams can now also generate ground shadows. 040202 * API: Added oapiGetPlanetJCoeffCount, oapiGetPlanetJCoeff, VESSEL::OrbitStabilised, VESSEL::NonsphericalGravityEnabled. * DG: Reduced hover thrust rating. VTOL is now just about possible on Mars, but no longer on Earth. 040205 * Bug fix: wrong signs in Surface HUD pitch ladder labels. * Added signs to Orbit HUD pitch ladder labels. 040206 * Added azimuth ribbon to Orbit HUD. * Experimental implementation of nosewheel steering (used by DG). * New particles for Atlantis SRB. 040208 * Camera can now be rotated in cockpit mode. Some changes in the keyboard contro ls: - Cursor keys now rotate the view - Panels are scrolled with Ctrl-Cursor keys - Switch between panels with Alt-Cursor keys Changes in joystick coolie hat controls: - Coolie hat now rotates the view - Coolie hat + joystick button 2 scrolls the panel 040212 * Virtual cockpit implementation started. F8 now cycles through generic, 2D pane ls, and 3D virtual cockpit where supported. * Added callback function ovcLoadVC for vessel modules to initialise the virtual cockpit. * New API functions: oapiVCRegisterMFD (register MFD surface in virtual cockpit) oapiVCRegisterArea (register a texture area for dynamic updates in virtual cockpit)

oapiGetTextureHandle (retrieve a texture from a mesh - required for accessing textures for dynamic updates) * Mesh file extensions: FLAG 2 (bit 1) indicates that the group is not rendered (but its shadow is) FLAG 4 (bit 2) indicates that lighting is disabled when rendering the group (useful for rendering instruments) Flag 'D' following a texture name indicates that the texture can be dynamicall y updated (for virtual cockpits). 040215 * Added mouse interface to virtual cockpit. * Modified virtual cockpit camera for more 'natural' feeling: - rotation point is offset from camera position ("head-neck offset") to create a parallax when turning the head. - small acceleration/deceleration at the beginning and end of a head rotation. * Started on virtual cockpit design for DG 040218 * Bug fix: Simulation window now receives input focus after double-clicking a scenario from the list. 040220 * Bug fix: Panels not updated when switching spacecraft with F3. 040302 * Large distances (>1e4AU) are now displayed as pc (parsec) 040318 * Virtual cockpit HUD implemented. * Meshes marked with MESHVIS_COCKPIT are now again rendered in internal views. * Added flag MESHVIS_VC to be used with VESSEL::SetMeshVisibilityMode to mark a mesh to be rendered in virtual cockpit mode only. 040319 * Base objects remain visible even if camera is below zero altitude. 040322 * New API vessel callback function ovcGenericCockpit to initialise or disable generic cockpit view. 040327 * Bug fix: GDI resource leak in Map MFD. * Bug fix: File handle leak when loading base surface tiles. * Virtual cockpit mode is now stored in the scenario (BEGIN_VC/END_VC) 040328 * VC HUD: Implemented camera parallax correction. 040330 * API: added functions VESSEL::GetCameraDefaultDirection VESSEL::SetCameraDefaultDirection (applied to DG overhead and bottom panels) * Improved VC camera rotation algorithm 040401 * API: added functions VESSEL::SetCameraRotationRange oapiCameraSetCockpitDir

oapiCameraMode 040406 * Modified HUD VC implementation: now uses RGB texture format (no alpha channel) , and destination blend mode 'ONE' for background blending. Changing the HUD intensity now also affects non-VC cockpit modes. 040407 * Atlantis module: Trim is now available after loading orbiter-only scenarios. * Only meshes with the VISMODE_EXTERNAL attribute cast shadows. 040410 * Changing mesh visibility flags now also works while the mesh is rendered. Adde d constant MESHVIS_NEVER (0) for convenience. 040411 * Docking approach path rectangles now work with VC HUD. 040420 * Preliminary implementation of atmospheric haze by alpha-gradient texture. 040421 * New format for surface bases in planet cfg files, to simplify the addition of new bases. The old format is still recognized and can be used simultaneously. 040422 * API: added functions oapiSwitchPanel oapiSetPanel 040425 * Bug fix: cloud brightness increased when camera is close to runway lighting * Ring systems are now rendered without z-buffer if the camera is inside the inn er ring radius. This should get rid of some ring rendering artefacts. * Slight modification of Earth AtmColor0: less red, more blue. * Ground observer panning speed is now stored in orbiter.cfg * Planets rendered through an atmosphere now add the background colour to their surface (check moon from Earth's surface) 040426 * Twilight: moved the onset of green and blue sky components during dawn/dusk closer together. This reduces the yellow and green hues, and narrows the reddi sh tips of the crescent Earth. * Bug fix: HUD now scales again with FOV in 2D panel mode. 040429 * Horizon haze adjusted to be less bright at large distances. * Bug fix: scenarios without fixed start time are always reset to launch at system time. 040507 * Keyboard mapper: partially implemented. Key associations read from keymap.cfg. Logical key functions defined in orbitersdk.h (OAPI_LKEY_xxx) for later use in API. * Experimental implementation of distance-dependent fog at low altitudes. Problems:

- DirectX doesn't allow fog to be applied before lighting transformation, so fog can't cope with lighting variations and only works locally (at low altitudes) Orbiter therefore scales down fog as a function of camera altitud e - Fog leads to artefacts when applied to large triangles (apparent size) -> causes artefacts at very low altitudes outside areas covered with hires base tiles. * Experimental implementation of increased ambient levels within lit atmospheres . Also works only locally and is therefore faded out as a function of camera altitude -> causes areas close to the terminator, which appear dark from a distance, to brighten as the camera moves in. * Ctrl-F3 switches back to the previously active vessel. This allows to quickly switch backwards and forwards between two vessels. 040509 * Planetarium mode: added labels for surface bases and transmitters. * Planetarium mode: status is now saved in orbiter.cfg. 040513 * Improved stability of calculation of eccentric anomaly. 040515 * Luna.dll: replaced lunar ephemeris calculation with (partial) ELP2000-82 perturbation solution. Moon position and velocity is now significantly more accurate and consistent. (also fixes the old "sliding over lunar surface" bug) . Moon.cfg now recognises the ErrorLimit flag (same usage as for major planets) * Planet module interface has changed: <Planet>_Ephemeris replaces <Planet>_EclSphData <Planet>_FastEphemeris replaces <Planet>_CurrentData Both new methods accept an additional data format parameter, which allows to provide ephemerides in cartesian coordinates instead of the standard polar coordinates. * Added status output to splash screen. 040516 * Demo/kiosk mode: can now be activated by setting flags in Orbiter.cfg. In demo mode, - Background is covered with an image - only scenario tab is accessible in launchpad - maximum simulation runtime can be limited - maximum launchpad idle time can be limited, before - orbiter auto-launches with one of the scenarios in the Demo folder, if available - Orbiter exit option can be disabled. 040529 * API: Added vessel callback function ovcDrawHUD to allow modules to draw vessel-specific modifications in the HUD. * API: Added function oapiDrawDefaultHUD to generate default HUD from within ovcDrawHUD. * DG: Now shows landing gear status in the HUD, using the ovcDrawHUD mechanism. 040531 * Included Roger Benson's updated Mir. Modified cross sections and PMI values in Mir.cfg. * Orbit MFD: Semi-major axis for hyperbolic orbits is now displayed as negative. * Bug fix: calculation of eccentric and true anomaly of hyperbolic orbits. * Bug fix: potential problems initialising hyperbolic orbits

* State vectors are now correctly calculated from orbital elements if e>1. Orbit stabilisation is now enabled for hyperbolic orbits. 040605 * Bug fix: planetarium mode "off" is now remembered across sessions. * FlightData module: Data can now be logged in FlightData.log. * FlightData module bug fix: worked around a compiler bug which could freeze orbiter when displaying data graphs in some circumstances. * Planetarium: constellation labels are now rendered as GDI text instead of blitting from a bitmap, in the hope that this solves some CTD problems. Constellation labels can now be switched independent of lines, and can be displayed in full or abbreviated. The labels are now encoded in Constell2.bin. Constlabel.bmp is no longer necessary. 040607 * API: Added oapiSetParticleLevelRef * DG: started on scramjet implementation (Alt+ / Alt- to increase/decrease scram jet throttle) Some technical specs in DG HTML documentation. 040608 * Bug fix: Modified method of merging planet textures with background colour. (N ow uses an additional texture stage state instead of destination blending). Shoul d get rid of "stars shining through planets" bug. 040610 * Planetarium mode: custom surface labels now implemented. To use them, add UserLabelFile entry to planet cfg file, and add a file containing the labels. Format for each line of the label file: <lng> <lat> : <label> * Bug fix: fixed "yellow clouds with space elevator" bug 040612 * Experimental: Micro-textures for cloud layers. * Some more functions included in key mapper. 040616 * Increased size of launchpad dialog. * Bug fix: parent-child attachment chains with more than one level are now correctly updated. * Orbiter online help: switched to html-based help browser. Now can also be call ed during the simulation (Alt-F1). Includes: scenario help (see scenario Checklists Mission 1 for an example) and vessel help (see any scenario with DG for an example). Known problems: a) the HTML client sometimes opens message boxes (for example, when using search). This upsets orbiter in fullscreen mode, since it needs to track all windows. Haven't found a fix for this yet. b) the HTML client doesn't provide access to its message queue, which means th at the "focus follows mouse" behaviour can't be properly implemented. c) only "compiled" help files (chm) are supported, not plain html files. This requires the MS Html Help Workshop (which can be downloaded from MS). Somewhat annoying... d) Limited modularity. I haven't yet found a way for example to merge a separa te help file for an addon MFD into the main help system. May require some JavaScr

ipt applet to search a given directory for help files and show them in a html file , but I don't know how. 040623: * DG: Hover thrust set to 150kN (realistic flight model) or 230kN (easy model). For vertical lift-off from Earth with the realistic model, main fuel mass < 3600kg is required. 040626 * Double-clicking on dialog box title bars now minimises the window to its title bar. 040627 * Bug fix: Orbit HUD: prograde marker no longer shows up in 90 deg. position (orbit-normal). * API: new functions VESSEL::GetAtmRef oapiGetPlanetAtmConstants 040629 * Planet config files: Added more horizon haze options: - AtmHazeExtent to define the amount of bleed-in of horizon haze into the plan et disc. Range 0 (thinnest) to 1 (widest). Default 0.1 - AtmHazeDensity to modify haze density. Default: 1 - AtmHazeColor to define horizon haze colour independent from atmospheric colo ur. * Removed a few more scenario inconsistencies. 040630 * DG panel: Added scramjet throttle sliders 040701 * API: new functions oapiColourFill oapiBltPanelAreaBackground (to be used in conjunction with the new PANEL_MAP_BGONREQUEST panel area mapping flag). 040704 * DG: major redesign of 2D main panel to accomodate scramjet controls. Also redesigned main engine gimbal controls. 040716 * API: new functions oapiGetOrbiterVersion oapiGetModuleVersion InitModule and ExitModule (replace opcDLLInit and opcDLLExit in plugin modules , and DllMain in all other modules) * DLL interfaces: All modules (including plugins and vessel dlls) should now - use the #define ORBITER_MODULE directive - link Orbitersdk.lib (in addition to Orbiter.lib) - use InitModule() and ExitModule() methods instead of DllMain(). This allows orbiter to invoke a common DLL entry point which dumps the module name and version to Orbiter.log.

040717 * Started on redesigning the vessel callback API. The idea is to replace all ovc XXX callback functions with virtual VESSEL methods which can be overwritten by derived classes. All ovcXXX functions are retained as far as they were present in the 031217 release, but are marked obsolete in the manual. ovcXXX functions ad ded in the beta have been removed. Orbiter probes the module version id (see oapiGetModuleVersion) to check which callback functions are present in the VES SEL interface. The new mechanism has major advantages: - Cleaner module code (no more need to cast from VESSEL pointers, and no need to call a derived vessel method from the ovc callback hook). - Default behaviour can be invoked by calling the base class method, instead o f requiring a separate oapiDoSomethingDefault function. * API: new functions: VESSEL::clbkSetClassCaps (to replace ovcSetClassCaps) VESSEL::clbkLoadStateEx (to replace ovcLoadStateEx) VESSEL::clbkSaveState (to replace ovcSaveState) VESSEL::clbkTimestep (to replace ovcTimestep) VESSEL::clbkVisualCreated (to replace ovcVisualCreated) VESSEL::clbkVisualDestroyed (to replace ovcVisualDestroyed) VESSEL::clbkDrawHUD (to replace ovcDrawHUD) VESSEL::clbkLoadGenericCockpit (to replace ovcGenericCockpit) VESSEL::clbkLoadPanel (to replace ovcLoadPanel) VESSEL::clbkPanelRedrawEvent (to replace ovcPanelRedrawEvent) VESSEL::clbkPanelMouseEvent (to replace ovcPanelMouseEvent) VESSEL::clbkLoadVC (to replace ovcLoadVC) VESSEL::clbkVCRedrawEvent (to replace ovcVCRedrawEvent) VESSEL::clbkVCMouseEvent (to replace ovcVCMouseEvent) * API: deleted functions: ovcDrawHUD (replaced by VESSEL::clbkDrawHUD) ovcGenericCockpit (replaced by VESSEL::clbkLoadGenericCockpit) ovcLoadVC (replaced by VESSEL::clbkLoadVC) ovcVCRedrawEvent (replaced by VESSEL::clbkVCRedrawEvent) ovcVCMouseEvent (replaced by VESSEL::clbkVCMouseEvent) oapiDrawDefaultHUD (no longer required, because functionality is provide d by base class VESSEL::clbkDrawHUD) 040721 * DG: Airbrake, radiator and elevator trim status are now stored in scenario. 040725 * Bug fix: Planet initialisation with EllipticOrbit = FALSE should now work (but long-term stability of dynamic planet updates still needs to be tested) 040726 * Bug fix: Reading in hyperbolic orbital vessel elements from scenario did not produce correct orbits. (This may also fix problem with jumps in hyperbolic orbits during simulation) 040729 * More VESSEL callback functions implemented: VESSEL::clbkPostCreation (to replace ovcPostCreation) VESSEL::clbkFocusChanged (to replace ovcFocusChanged) * Bug fix: Dialog context pointer passed in LPARAM to dialog message handler wit

h WM_INITDIALOG message was invalid in last beta. * Map MFD: Intersections with planet surface are now indicated. 040801 * Bug fix: check for orbit stabilisation would occasionally fail incorrectly at large time steps. * Orbit stabilisation is now enabled by default. 040813 * Reworked killrot code: this version should reduce residual rotation for docked stacks, and be more stable at high time accelerations. 040826 * Added Roger's new DG exterior and VC meshes. Modified DG animations to work with the new meshes. Added DG control dialog (Ctrl-Space). * Bug fix: Mapping of global coordinates to HUD screen coordinates (caused artefacts in docking approach markers) 040830 * DG: added instrumentation for VC. * API: new functions VESSEL::GetMesh oapiMeshGroupCount 040901 * DG-S html help: updated 2-D panel documentation. 040904 * Orbital elements: Modified iterative calculation of eccentric anomaly E from mean anomaly M: initial guess for E no longer initialised to M, but to previou s value of E. This improves the stability of the iteration at eccentricities close to 1. Threshold for residual r_k = M_k - E_k set to 1e-14. Iteration lim it set to k_max = 10. Usually no more than 2-3 iterations are now required. This may fix the reported "straight-up" bug. 040921 * Added latest DG VC (9_11_04) * Configured most VC displays and controls * Keymapper: added key definitions for 'leaning' mode in VC Defaults: lean forward: Alt+Ctrl+Up, lean left: Alt+Ctrl+Left, lean right: Alt+Ctrl+Right, return: Alt+Ctrl+Down * API: new function VESSEL::SetCameraShiftRange * 'Leaning' mode implemented for DG. 040922 * API Guide: updated and extended section 1.11 (designing panels) and added section 1.12 (designing virtual cockpits). If you are in the business of implementing vessel panels, please check if this is intelligible/ complete/useful. 040926 * API: VESSEL::clbkVCMouseEvent has new interface (now returns mouse information) new function oapiVCSetAreaClickmode_Quadrilateral allows definition of quadrilateral mouse regions in VC

041003 * DG: Included Roger's Sep29 versions of meshes and textures. * DG: Moved meshes and textures into 'DG' subdirectories. * Camera rotation implemented with mouse right-click and drag. * API: Introduced VESSEL2 interface derived from VESSEL, and moved all virtual 'clbkXXX' functions there. This was necessary because it appears that virtual classes can't be expanded without losing backward compatibility, so in the future all vessel addons would stop working if new callback functions are added to the interface. With the new setup, addons remain compatible when they refer to an older VESSEL interface. Propagation to a new interface is simply done by deriving from a newer interface class. 041007 * API: new functions VESSEL2::clbkADCtrlMode VESSEL2::clbkRCSMode * Changed behaviour of opcTimestep: it is now called _after_ simulation state has been updated to current time step, rather than before. Attention addon developers: make sure to take this into account when implementing timecritical applications. 041010 * Bug fix: rearranged VESSEL data members which may have been responsible for reported CTD of old vessel modules. * API: opcTimestep reverts to previous behaviour (called before state update) new functions: opcPreStep (identical behaviour to opcTimeStep) opcPostStep (called after state update) VESSEL2::clbkNavMode VESSEL2::clbkPreStep VESSEL2::clbkPostStep deleted function: VESSEL2::clbkTimestep (replaced by clbkPostStep) * API: Orbitersdk.h split into OrbiterAPI.h and VesselAPI.h * Surface MFD: vertical acceleration display is now more stable. * Support for old-style orbital stations has been removed. 041012 * Constellation labels: modified text colour * Custom surface labels: - modified format for custom label reference in config files: multiple lists are now supported - label lists are now located under Config\<planet name>\Labels - individual lists can be turned on/off from the planetarium dialog - initial on/off state is set in the config file. * Added emdot's labels for Earth and Moon * HST: Recompiled HST.dll * DG: Adjusted hover exhaust position 041017 * Constellation labels: added missing Constell2.bin to zip. * Custom labels: - no longer referenced in planet config file (other than to define a nonstandard location). Instead, orbiter scans the appropriate subdirectory directly. Makes it easier to add new lists via addons. - Label lists can now contain headers to set colour, size, shape, cutoff distance and initial visibility 041021 * Implemented celestial markers. Added AGC navigation stars.

* Bug fix: Undocking is now possible again. 041024 * New interface for planetary modules. Introduced class CELBODY to act as interface class for callbacks. Needs some more work and documentation. * Sun is no longer fixed at coordinate origin. Its position is now generated from VSOP87 E series. This could have significant long-term effects on trajectory calculations - NEEDS TESTING! Preliminary tests indicate that the differences between VSOP and dynamic data are now at least an order of magnitude smaller than before! (Unfortunately the effect on Jovian moons is not significant) * Re-implemented VSOP module. Now every planet has its own DLL (deriving from CELBODY). All VSOP-controlled planets call a common driver DLL (VsopDriver.dll in the orbiter main directory). Perturbation series are no longer hard-coded in the DLL, but read from data files (Config\<planet>\Data\Vsop87<x>.dll) Only Sun, Mercury, Jupiter make so far use of the new interface. 041028 * Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) are now updated with analytic perturbation code (GALSAT). * Jupiter's barycentric offset is now calculated by GALSAT code. Jupiter now uses the VSOP87 A series (rectangular) to allow direct addition of the offset. * Adjusted siderial day length of Galilean satellites. 041031 * New planet config option: AtmHazeShift, to shift the horizon base line of the haze layer (in units of planet radius). 041101 * Bug fix: calculation of true anomaly from mean anomaly for ecc>1 (voyager scenario failure) * Bug fix: vertex buffer for constellation labels is now held in system memory (should fix Alt-Tab CTD) * All celestial body modules are now converted to new interface. The old VSOP87.dll has been decomissioned. The new VSOP87 and GALSAT driver routines have been moved to the Modules directory. * Updated planet module sections in API Guide and API Reference. 041104 * Updated moon ephemeris files for moons to Tony's 2005 Horizons data (except for Galilean moons which are now analytically updated) * Modified CELBODY ephemeris interface so that both true and barycentric data can be returned by the module. * API Reference: Added CELBODY documentation 041112 * New vessel destruction sequence. Calling oapiDeleteVessel should now be more stable. Vessel destruction is deferred until the end of the frame update, so that suicide (self-destruct) calls are now permitted. Focus vessel can now also be destroyed. If the last focus-enabled vessel is destroyed, Orbiter returns to the launchpad. 041113 * API: new functions VESSEL::CreateAirfoil2 VESSEL::DelAirfoil VESSEL::ClearAirfoilDefinitions VESSEL::DelDock

VESSEL::ClearDockDefinitions 041114 * Bug fix: VESSEL::clbkPreStep and VESSEL::clbkPostStep are no longer called when simulation is paused. * DG: Scenario entry 'PSNGR [1 2 3 4]' to enable individual passengers (default none) 041116 * DG: Added Roger's 11-16-04 external and VC mesh and textures. Adjusted group indices for animation in the code. Added ladder animation to top hatch sequence. * Added Tony's Tour of Jupiter scenario. 041121 * Bug fix: orbit stability problem fixed * Particle streams: particles now respond to gravitational forces -> Better dynamics for particles created outside atmospheres. * Particle streams: "atmospheric deceleration" now scaled with atmospheric pressure. No slowdown outside the atmosphere independent of PARTICLESTREAMSPEC::atmslowdown setting. * API: new function VESSEL::AddParticleStream * DG: condensation cloud when opening hatch in space. 041123 * Upgraded to emdot's surface markers. * Bug fix: fixed a bug which may have been responsible for problems with starting scenarios in "target from" and "target to" camera modes. 041124 * DG: Added "no-scram" external mesh. Disabled scram-specific groups in the VC mesh of the non-scram version. Activated indicator block on the dashboard. 041130 * DG: Activated hover balance control in panel mode. 041206 * DG: Individual fuselage markings * API: new functions oapiCreateTextureSurface VESSEL2::clbkConsumeDirectKey VESSEL2::clbkConsumeBufferedKey 041216 * Map MFD: zoom, track and scroll functions implemented. * API: new functions VESSEL2::clbkAnimate VESSEL2::clbkDockEvent VESSEL2::clbkSetStateEx All ovcXXX callback functions (except ovcInit) have now been superseded. * VC: Generic engine status indicators in top left screen corner no longer displayed in virtual cockpit mode. 041219 * Modified algorithm for cloud microstructures: transition is now gradual. * Microtexture altitude range can now be controlled with planet config option "CloudMicrotextureAlt". Default is no microtexturing. 041221

* Bug fix: reentry stream causing CTD. 041231 * Bug fix: instability when switching to ground observer camera mode in Saturn scenario. 050109 * Bug fix: CTD on exit for certain docking configurations. ============================================================================== RELEASE 050116 ============================================================================== 050117 * Bug fix: corrupt scenario "2005 Edition/Delta-glider/DG and DG-S.scn" fixed. * Bug fix: position of direction markers in VC HUD was incorrectly updated with cockpit camera movement. * Orbiter Manual: Updated Section 21.4 "Surface bases". 050119 * Bug fix: VC cockpit camera sometimes locked at forward position. * Bug fix: Improved initial estimate for iterative solution of Kepler's equation for open orbits (e>1) at extreme values of mean anomaly. This could cause "jumps" in position when orbit stabilisation was enabled. * Bug fix: Camera can now be controlled via mouse in ground observer mode. * Added: emdot's latest set of surface markers for Earth, Moon, Venus, Mars 050121 * Surface MFD: re-arranged components for better compatibility with standard EFIS instrumentation. Added support for IAS/TAS/GS/OS speed mode selection. * Surface HUD: switched speed and altitude boxes to make more compatible with standard HUD layouts. 050122 * Bug fix: DG: ISP for retro thrusters is now pressure-dependent in complex flight model. Retros have no effect on Venus surface any more. 050123 * Bug fix: direct target selection in Docking HUD and Docking MFD no longer allows to select an invalid dock number. * Bug fix: true airspeed calculation inaccurate at very high altitudes. 050124 * Bug fix: turned-off MFDs no longer reappear after panel switch. * Bug fix: Orbit MFD now remembers reference frame (EQU/ECL) between panel switches and simulation sessions. 050125 * API: mouse position passed to clbkVCMouseEvent is now continuously updated for virtual panel areas with PANEL_MOUSE_{L,R}BPRESSED attributes. * API: new VESSEL functions: DWORD GetGroupThrusterCount (THGROUP_HANDLE thg) const DWORD GetGroupThrusterCount (THGROUP_TYPE thgt) const THRUSTER_HANDLE GetGroupThruster (THGROUP_HANDLE thg, DWORD idx) const THRUSTER_HANDLE GetGroupThruster (THGROUP_TYPE thgt, DWORD idx) const * Bug fix: long time step problem at simulation start fixed. ============================================================================== PATCH 050126 ==============================================================================

050127 * Bug fix: VESSELSTATUS2 pointer passed to clbkSetStateEx after vessel creation with oapiCreateVesselEx was invalid. * Bug fix: orbital elements of planets not updated in MFDs. * API: Default action of clbkSetStateEx is now to do a standard state initialisation if obsolete ovcSetStateEx is not present. * SDK: Atlantis SRB's and ET are now created with oapiCreateVesselEx (instead of oapiCreateVessel). * DG: airbrake status is now shown on VC indicator panel. * DG: retro thrusters now operative only when retro covers are fully open. * Dragonfly: Now uses Radu's updated DLL. 050130 * Yet another modification to the iteration of Kepler's equation. This should improve the stability of pathologic orbit element calculations (e.g. e ~ 1, a = small, as found in "straight up from planet surface" cases). * Orbit MFD: now allows to toggle between planetocentric distance and altitude for vessel, apoapsis and periapsis distances. * Orbit MFD: target name is now displayed. * DG: Additional switches in 2-D panel mode. * DG: Main, hover and scram throttles can now be pushed with mouse in VC cockpit. 050202 * Fixed Manual errors relating to VC camera and panel scrolling key functions. * Reduced sensitivity of initial joystick throttle response when "ignore throttle setting on launch" is selected. 050203 * Map MFD: bug fixed in drawing the red "below surface" section of the trajectory. Entry and exit intersection points are now marked with red and green boxes, respectively. "Track" mode is now restored from scenario file. Manual has been updated to reflect new Map MFD capabilities. 050206 * Improved stability of dynamic propagation of vessel state vectors. Dynamic update should be stable to step lengths of ~50 seconds in LEO (at least to time acceleration 100x, in most cases up to 1000x) * Bug fix: Switching FoV no longer affects orbital elements. * Bug fix: Orbiter now ignores the DIERR_UNPLUGGED flag sometimes returned by DirectInput for no obvious reason, which caused the joystick to stop responding. 050207 * Bug fix: mesh textures on vessels getting corrupt occasionally. * Shuttle-A: Included Radu's VC and cargo management extensions. * Bug fix: CTD at MJD 49904.4 while Uranus is rendered. 050214 * Frame rate plugin: Can now also display simulation time step graph. ============================================================================== PATCH 050216 ============================================================================== 050224 * Surface MFD: labels and 5-deg. ticks added to pitch ladder. 050227

* DG: Effect of elevator trim has been tripled. Control surface authority increased. Tank 2 capacity (scramjet fuel) reduced to 2500 kg. * DG: Slope/range indicator replaced with wing load indicator. * DG: Digital indicator for propellant mass added. 050301 * Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune: replaced textures with VF2_Rolf's level 6 textures and config mods, including atmospheric parameters. * API: new functions: EditAirfoil CreateControlSurface2 DelControlSurface ClearControlSurfaceDefinitions GetDamageModel GetWeightVector GetLiftVector GetDragVector GetThrustVector GetTransponder GetIDS SetTransponderChannel SetIDSChannel GetNavSource oapiGetNavType oapiGetNavDescr oapiObjectVisualPtr oapiRand 050305 * DG: Damage model: airframe failure due to wing loading. 050324 * "Planetarium" dialog replaced with "Visual helpers" dialog. Now includes a tab for setting display parameters for body forces and coordinate axes. 050405 * Attached vessels now update their ground-relative parameters (e.g. airspeed, etc.) * Started on HTML-based version of the API reference (in Orbitersdk/html) * API: Extended interface for controlling NAV radio transmitters/receivers. 050421 * Saturn moons controlled by TASS1.7 perturbation solutions: Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Iapetus * Preliminary configs and textures added for new moons Hyperion and Iapetus 050424 * New logical keys defined in keymap.cfg: RCSEnable and RCSMode (delete keymap.cfg to generate a new one with all keys listed) 050502 * Added date converter to Orbitersdk\utils * New interface for linking surface bases to planets. Orbiter can now scan directories for base config files without explicit reference in the planet config file. Multiple search directories and conditional loading (subject to scenario time and context) are supported. See Section 21.4 in Orbiter.pdf for details. The old format is still supported, but some format changes are required to make base config files work under the new format (in particular, base location must be defined in the base config file).

050506 * Support for 2-point mass distribution in vessels, for providing the possibility of attitude-locked orbits. See Doc/Technotes/distmass.pdf for implementation details. Currently implemented by DG, Shuttle-A, Atlantis. * API: new functions SetMassDistribution, GetMassDistribution 050510 * Bug fix: vessel jump when crossing planet SOI with stabilisation enabled. 050607 * API: new functions: VESSEL::GetElements (extended version) VESSEL::SetElements oapiGetPause oapiSetPause oapiMeshMaterialCount oapiMeshMaterial * Started on scenario editor plugin. Allows in-game creation, editing and deleting of vessels. * Stabilisation now always off during ground contact. * Bug fix: marker configuration buttons displaced in Planetarium dialog. 050611 * API: fixed broken methods: VESSEL::GetAttitudeRotLevel VESSEL::GetAttitudeLinLevel * New config directory layout: vessel configuration files should now be placed in Config\Vessels, to make them appear in the vessel type list of the editor. * Atlantis: added clbkSetStateEx method to allow in-game creation. 050621 * MeshDebug: some bug fixes. Original state now restored when dialog is closed. Selected group is now blinking. 050703 * API: new functions: opcPause oapiSaveScenario * Scenario editor: setting orbital elements now also works for stabilised orbits * Scenario editor: can now save scenarios 050717 * Scenario editor: code extensively reworked. Editor tabs are now represented by separate class instances for a cleaner implementation. * Scenario editor: now supports editing of orientation and angular velocity. Editor should now work with superstructures. 050721 * "System" name in saved scenarios is now taken from solar system configuration file name instead of the "Name" entry, to avoid problems if the names don't match. 050724 * Bug fix: Vessel config files in the Config directory should now work again. * Orbiter now terminates if a vessel config file can't be found in Config or Config\Vessels (instead of generating a zero-size file). * Scenario editor: started on API for vessel-specific plugin pages.

050730 * Bug fix: * Bug fix: * Scenario * DG: html

calculation of weight vector for landed vessels potential division by zero during force vector rendering editor: more plugin pages for DG. help sources now included in the SDK under "Help" subdirectory.

050731 * Bug fix: scenario editor could CTD after unloading custom vessel pages. * API: new function VESSEL::Dock 050802 * Bug fix: jump in supervessel position when docking/undocking during orbit stabilisation * Earth.cfg: changed J5 coefficient from 0.13e-6 to -0.15e-6 * Scenario editor: now supports docking/undocking management. 050803 * Bug fix: CTD when deleting an IDS transmitter with EnableIDS(...,FALSE) while a vessel MFD is tuned to that transmitter. 050805 * Generic cockpit view: MFDs now display mouse-activated buttons * Launchpad dialog: MFD size in generic cockpit can be adjusted * Bug fix: opening an input or selection box no longer blocks mouse events. Instead, mouse button events will close any open input boxes. 050807 * Bug fix: Map MFD: zoom state not restored in generic cockpit mode * MFD behaviour change: Shift-Esc toggles MFDs on/off and replaces Shift-Q. Shift-key combinations can no longer be used to directly switch to a different MFD mode. Instead: - Use "SEL" button (Shift-F1) to page through mode pages. - Select a mode by button, or press Shift-, and Shift-. to highlight a mode, and press Shift-Enter to select. This should avoid conflicts between MFD modes using the same selection button. Within each mode, the Shift-key combinations work as usual. Documentation has been updated. 050809 * Docking MFD: If a vessel has more than one docking port, an additional button is displayed to allow selection of the port. 050810 * Tidal effect of distributed vessel masses is now implemented for composite (docked) structures. This means that docked assemblies experience tidal forces even if the individual components do not. See Doc\Technotes\distmass.pdf for implementation details. This will probably require an explicit attitude stabilisation method for space stations to keep them stable during docking. "DCK" is displayed which allows to select a different docking port on the own vessel, relative to which target data are displayed. * API: new function oapiRefreshMFDButtons 050821 * "PWR" buttons for disabled MFDs in generic cockpit mode now only visible if HUD is displayed. * API: new plugin callback functions opcSaveState, opcLoadState to allow plugins to save/load their state to/from a scenario file. (***ADD DOCUMENTATION***) 050826

* Scenario editor: if the vessel currently being edited is deleted, the editor jumps back to the main page (to avoid CTD due to reference of invalid vessel handle) * Scenario editor: fixed bug which caused CTD when deleting a vessel while scneditor module is active but not open. * Orbiter can now be lauched directly into a scenario from the command line, bypassing the Launchpad dialog. Syntax is orbiter -s "<scenario path>" where <scenario path> is the name of the scenario file, with path relative to Scenarios folder, and omitting the .scn ending. Double quotes are required. * API: new function oapiIsVessel 050828 * Changed scaling factors for ringed planets to reduce artefacts at low z-buffer setting. Needs testing! * vessel clip radius can now be set independent of the "size" parameter. New API functions: VESSEL::GetClipRadius VESSEL::SetClipRadius oapiOpenDialogEx oapiAddTitleButton 050910 * API: new class ExternMFD: supports display of MFDs in plugins * New plugin module: ExtMFD: opens an MFD in a separate window (module allows multiple window instances by using oapiOpenDialogEx, and uses the new title button mechanism) 050913 * API: new function VESSEL::CreateAirfoil3 which uses a AirfoilCoeffFuncEx callback function that contains additional parameters (VESSEL instance and user-defined pointer) 050914 * Bug fix: Some problems fixed with nonstandard default cockpit camera direction (invoked with SetCameraDefaultDirection). The angles in oapiSetCockpitDir now are relative to the default direction, as advertised. * API: new function VESSEL::SetCameraDefaultDirection (version 2) This allows not only to define the default camera direction, but also the tilt of the camera around that direction. 050915 * Bug fix: ExternMFD: if the vessel referenced by a sticky MFD is deleted, the MFD now automatically switches to the new focus object. 050916 * Gravity field gradient-induced torque: is now calculated directly from the vessel's principal moments of inertia. Point mass distribution is no longer required. * API: removed functions VESSEL::GetMassDistribution VESSEL::SetMassDistribution * API: added functions VESSEL::SetGravityGradientDamping VESSEL::GetGravityGradientDamping 050918 * Scenario editor documentation is now in a separate PDF. This also includes a developer section. * External MFD documentation added to Orbiter.pdf.

* Bug fix: calculation of max. group thrust after max. thrust of one of the grou p thusters is modified. 050921 * Bug fix: polar component of nonspherical gravitational potential field was scaled incorrectly (in particular at high latitudes), leading e.g. to underestimation of the propagation of the line of nodes. * Added Doc\Technotes\gravity.pdf * Added Scenarios\Navigation\Special orbits. This includes also a sun-synchronou s orbit which demonstrates the nonspherical gravity bug fix. * Bug fix: VOR/VTOL MFD mode: now remembers NAV receiver number * Bug fix: scenario editor: sun no longer appears in landing target list. * Bug fix: incorrect position of detached child vessels after playback. * API: new function: oapiGetObjectType * Using oapiOpenDialog before the simulation is started _may_ work now (needs more testing). But use caution: most API functions will be invalid before the render window is opened). 050925 * Ingame help is now available for all built-in MFD modes. 051017 * Extensive revision of planetary sphere patch render engine. Levels 1-7 are mostly unaffected, but from level 8 the new engine kicks in. Main points: - mesh resolution independent of available patch texture resolution. When the camera is sufficiently close, a patch is rendered at resolution 9 even if the corresponding texture is only resolution 8. - resolution 9 (and eventually beyond) are only available if the global texture goes up to resolution 8. This is different from previous behaviour where local res 9 areas could be rendered on top of a lower-resolution global texture. (This is because res 8 textures are the last-resort fallback textures for any patch that doesn't have higher-resolution textures). - The "black-coast" syndrom of previous versions has been removed. - The specular mask textures are now implemented differently. They must now be white over specular (water) areas and black over diffuse (land) areas. As a result, the <planet>_lmask.tex texture files are no longer valid. - Level 9 partial land textures are no longer rendered on top of a lowerlevel specular texture. They now have their own level-9 land masks (<planet>_tile_lmask.tex). Also, the format of the texture description files (<planet>_tile_bin) files has changed. Old ones are no longer valid. - Unlike previous versions, "MaxPatchResolution = 9" in the planet config file is now required to enable the highest resolution level. - Planet night lights haven't yet been incorporated into the new mechanism, and are disabled for now. * New version of pltex which incorporates the changes in planetary texture formats. This now allows to create directly level-9 texture files. The TileManager application is obsolete. * Re-worked the textures for Earth from scratch, starting from blue-marble textures, with the following global processing steps: - brightened the blue channel (to incorporate atmospheric effects) - brightened overall - water areas only: desaturated and shifted colour balance away from red - sharpened * Experimental: introduced a "specular ripple" option in the Launchpad dialog, so that water surfaces no longer appear "polished". May need more work.

051023 * Changed clipping near-plane calculation: nearplane is now guaranteed to be clo ser than the closet object (including vessel clip radius) down to limit of 2.5m. * Bug fix: erraneous T&L vertex buffer flag for planet resolutions 1-4. * Pltex: rewritten global planet surface generator for levels 1-8. (surface and specular mask can now be generated in a single pass). 051108 * Planets now support resolution levels up to 10. Global level-10 coverage for Earth (excluding water areas) has is provided. * Reorganised Earth textures: - level 1-8 textures have been moved from Textures2 to Textures (replacing the old 1-7 textures, since these days all systems should at least support level 8). - The local level 9 map for Florida in Textures has been removed but may be replaced with a similar hires local map later. - Textures2 contains the global level 9-10 maps (big!) * pltex has been modified to process bitmaps with less than global coverage. * pltex has now an option to merge hires texture patches, so they can be processed in small chunks and merged into the final texture file. This will also become important later when addons provide local hires areas, because users will have to merge them into their texture files (therefore pltex will be moved from Orbitersdk into the main Orbiter directory). * pltex can now process levels 1-8 with land-water masks in a single run. * Bug fix: Close and help buttons not visible in dialogs when accessed from the main menu. Some more dialogs have now been converted, and more help pages adde d. 051115 * Modified Textures\cloud1.dds with higher spatial frequency components for clou d microstructure to compensate for smaller texture coordinate range. 051118 * Planet rendering: distant patches are now rendered at lower resolution for improved performance. This currently only affects level 10. The distance at wh ich orbiter switches to a lower resolution can be customised via the PlanetHipatchAperture entry in Orbiter.cfg (-0.5-1). * New splash screen. * Message box during clean-up after a simulation session. 051119 * Reduced default value for PlanetHipatchAperture to 0.1. * Max. planet resolution is now limited during fast camera movement (e.g. in low orbit at high time acceleration) to reduce stutter caused by texture loading. 051126 * Updated config files for all moons not controlled by perturbation modules from Tony's stockmoons.zip. 051206 * Updated pltex: high-resolution patches can now be smaller than a single level8 patch. * Max. resolution level can now be set in Launchpad dialog (visual effects tab). 051207 * New utility Orbitersdk\utils\meshc.exe: extracts mesh parameters into a header

file that can be included in a vessel project to allow use of named mesh group s instead of referring to group indices. Makes it easier to keep track of mesh groups for animation etc. * Mesh file format: mesh groups now support the LABEL tag (must be placed before the GEOM tag of the group). Doesn't affect the mesh directly, but is scanned b y meshc to associate group names with indices. 051212 * Night lights now supported in resolution levels 1-10. * Night lights are stored in <planet>_lmask.tex together with the water masks, t o save space (lights are stored in the RGB channels, water masks in the alpha channel) * The <planet>_lights.tex files previously used for storing night lights are now obsolete. * The contents file format <planet>_lmask.bin has been updated to contain night lights information, but the old format is still supported. * pltex has been updated for night lights support. 051217 * The highres tiles listed in a base's surftile list can now carry alpha information. KSC tiles have now cut away the ocean portion, to blend in better with the surrounding surface. 051218 * Align planet MFD: - bug fix: "time to node" values were incorrect for non-circular orbits. - Angles to ascending and descending nodes are now always displayed positive w ith range 0-360. - The estimated burn times both at AN and DN are now displayed. * Some updates to documentation and help files. * pltex, dxtex and date utilities have been moved from Orbitersdk\utils to utils , because they are now regarded as user utilities, rather than developer utiliti es. 060111 * Light beacons on vessels now supported. Implemented for DG (activate via overhead panel or Ctrl-Space). * Vessel visibility distance is now independent of screen resolution. At small apparent sizes, vessels are represented by spots. Visibility limit can be set with VESSEL::SetVisibilityLimit. * API: new functions VESSEL::SetVisibilityLimit VESSEL::SetAlbedoRGB VESSEL::AddBeacon VESSEL::DelBeacon VESSEL::ClearBeacons 060115 * Vessel illumination is now adjusted when going through a planet shadow. Examples in scenario folder "2006 Edition/Visual effects". * higher vessel ambient light levels when within atmospheric layers. 060117 * "Close down" dialog is now integrated into the Launchpad. * Bug fix: a vessel now broadcasts the disappearance of its transponder to all

other vessels before being deleted. * DG: bug fix: using un-initialised exmesh handles. 060119 * VC meshes are now included in the lighting modifications caused by planet shadowing. * The spectral dispersion during sunrise/set is now less pronounced, and the green component has been reduced. * default global ambient level reduced to 12 * Bug fix: vessel "blob representation" is now affected by planet shadows. 060125 * Revised lighting algorithm for vessels and surface bases. Both now use the same strategy. Fixed a problem that might have created erraneous lighting direction. * Surface base objects now use the same shadow algorithm as vessels and can make use of stencil buffers. 060126 * With stencil buffer enabled, shadows now fade in and out gradually at dawn/dus k. Also, shadow darkness now depends on atmospheric density (can be overwritten with "ShadowDepth" parameter in planet config files). 060128 * Night textures on stock buildings are now coming on earlier. 060129 * Flight recorder: on-screen notes can now be displayed during playback by inserting NOTE tags into the articulation (.atc) stream of the flight record. Some basic formatting options are available. See ASTOS extensions.pdf for details. For an example, check the Glider launch 1 playback scenario. * Flight recorder: playback can now be terminated with Ctrl-C before the end of the data stream is reached. * Flight recorder: a previous recording is now only overwritten after user confirmation. * Vessel beacons: fixed problem with black borders against vessel exhaust. * API: new function VESSEL::GetFlightStatus * Scenario editor: "State vector" and "Location" pages now contain "copy state from" options to copy a freeflight or landed state from a different vessel. 060131 * Flight recorder: undock events are now written to and read from the articulati on stream. This should fix the bug of vessels undocked during recording snapping back together after end of replay. * Flight recorder: bug fix: angular velocity is now continually updated and no longer arbitrarily reset to zero at the end of the replay. * Bug fix: incorrect orientation on launch of vessels on the ground of vessels whose local z-axis points up ("tailsitters"). * Added MESHVIS_EXTPASS mesh visibility modifier flag (can be used in conjuction with any other visibility modes to force a mesh to be rendered during the external pass, even if seen from cockpit view. (see SetMeshVisibilityMode documentation for details). * API: new function: oapiGetCelbodyInterface 060201 * Fixed broken VC display * Flight recorder: RCS, ADC and navmode changes are now written and read to/from

the atc stream. These parameters can no longer be changed manually during playback. Manual thruster activation/deactivation is now disabled during playback. 060203 * Flight recorder/playback can now be operated via dialog (Ctrl-F5) * Recording scenario name can now be user-defined. * Inflight notes can be switched off. 060205 * Flight recorder: time acceleration events are now recorded and can be used dur ing playback. * Flight recorder: landing and takeoff events now recorded in atc stream. Positioning bug fixed for landed vehicles during playback. * Flight recorder: bugs during change of reference planet fixed. 060206 * DG: "Hold Alt" navmode now has a button in 2D panel view. * Navmodes: New rule implemented: "killrot" no longer cancels "hlevel" mode. * Flight recorder: attitude data can now be saved in ecliptic or local horizon frame. 060207 * Docking HUD: Now remembers NAV receiver or target. * Orbit HUD: Now remembers reference object. * Orbit MFD: New button "HUD" to copy reference object from MFD to HUD. * Docking MFD: New button "HUD" to copy target data from MFD to HUD. * Created "Lunar transfer" playback scenario to demonstrate the new recorder features. 060209 * Flight recorder: format for .att and .pos data streams has been changed. The redundant MJD entries (1st column) have been removed. A utility (Utils\fdatamo d) has been added temporarily to modify existing recordings to the new format. This needs to be applied to all .att and .pos files of a recording. Usage: fdatamod <data file> generates <data file>.mod. Remove the old data file and rename the new one by removing the .mod extension. Note: att data streams that contain 'FRM HORIZON' entries also must define a reference body with a REF entry, e.g. 'REF Earth'. 060211 * MFDs: More selections can be made from lists instead of typing object names. * Flight recorder: TACC tags can now have an optional second parameter defining a delay value for non-instantaneous changes of time acceleration. * Transfer MFD: The parameter adjusted while pressing DV- or DV+, and the parame ter held constant while pressing EJ- or EJ+, is now Delta-V instead of SMa. SMa is now locked only if no manual adjustment is occurring. * Transfer MFD: Now supports hyperbolic transfer orbits (e>1). * Bug fix: problem with surface tiles not rendering occasionally when low resolution level was requested. * DG: Bug fix: removed white tears in transparent section of overhead panel. 060214 * Bug fix: Vessels with MESHVIS_ALWAYS tags erraneously rendered in internal pas s.

* Generic cockpit: Now displays mouse-activated navmode button in the bottom cen tre of the display. * API: new functions oapiSetDefNavDisplay oapiSetDefRCSDisplay oapiSetSimMJD oapiGetSysMJD * Nicer inline selection menus. 060216 * Bug fix: MFD and navmode buttons in generic cockpit view, and Surface MFD are now restored after Alt-Tab. * Align planes MFD: Now allows user-defined orbit reference. 060218 * ISS: increased emissive colour of docking ports. * Generic cockpit: RCS mode indicators are now clickable buttons. * Scenario editor: now has an additional page for setting simulation time. 060221 * Mars map: standard distribution now contains Seth's version up to level 8 globally and level 10 around Olympus Mons. Credits added. * Atlantis: Implemented Barrick's code bug patches. * Doc: ASTOS extensions document has been updated. 060222 * Shuttle-A: Animations, pod settings and payload events are now written/read to and from playback streams. 060227 * Bug fix: MFD displays not updated when backstepping in time. * Bug fix: MFD mode page left behind when selecting MFD mode at T<0. * Bug fix: incorrect vessel update when backstepping in time beyond T=0. * Scenario editor: state vector page modified and some state vector bugs fixed. State vectors below planet surface are now checked and corrected. * Bug fix: Atlantis RMS dialog unresponsive after moving, and dialog blocks sim updates while moving. * Bug fix: Empty line in base NAVBEACON list no longer causes CTD in info dialog (Ctrl-I). * New mouse event flag PANEL_MOUSE_ONREPLAY. By default, panel and VC areas no longer send mouse events during a playback. Use the new flag to force events. This should simplify the writing of playback-aware vessel code. * Bug fix: scenario editor: on elements page, setting ecc=1 is now substituted with ecc=1+eps to avoid numerical instability. * API: new function HorizonInvRot. 060301 * pltex: now supports generation of cloud maps up to level 8. 060302 * API: new functions MFD::InvalidateButtons oapiGetCmdLine 060305 * New planet config option SpecularRipple. Provides selective activation of wate r ripple microtexture. By default, planets now don't use specular ripples. * Undock key (Ctrl-D) now referenced in keymap.cfg.

* Undocking on vessels with more than one dock now opens selection dialog. * Shuttle-A: Added scenario editor custom animation page. * Bug fix: Shuttle-A: reversed left-right pod animations. 060307 * Rigid body rotation model: now uses RK4 to integrate Euler's equations. In the absence of external torque, constant kinetic rotational energy is enforced. 060319 * Added Barrick's second Atlantis patch. * Scenarios: Added Harmsway's corrections. * DG: "Dock release" button added to bottom 2D panel. * Earth markers: added emdot's corrections. 060321 * Bug fix: Setting config entry "MaxPatchLevel" higher than supported by texture file caused problems. * Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Iapetus: new textures from Cassini data (L6 for standard edition, L7/L8 as separate hires texture packs for some moons ). * Titan: now with atmosphere, cloud layer and new surface texture - atmospheric parameters still need to be checked! * Applied Chode's config file corrections. Still need to do texture corrections for Venus, Miranda, Umbrial, Oberon (I haven't got the source maps for those) 060403 * Bug fix: Jump of composite vessels at the end of a playback * Bug fix: Tilt of Atlantis during liftoff * Bug fix: Generic cockpit elements visible in panel mode if generic mode is disabled. * API doc: oapiSetMeshProperty is now documented. 060405 * Bug fix: Flight recorder: During playback, attitude samples are now interpolat ed in terms of quaternions instead of Euler angles. Fixes spurious rotations duri ng Euler angle phase wrap. 060406 * Documentation: "ASTOS extensions.pdf" has been renamed to "RecorderRef.pdf" and moved into the Doc\Technotes directory. * Documentation: Flight recorder section in Orbiter.pdf has been updated. 060407 * Triton: Rolf's L6 texture now included in base package (Textures directory) 060417 * Bug fix: problem with tilt of some vertical launchers during takeoff. 060419 * Limited vessel angular velocity to 100 rad/s to avoid overflow during time acceleration. This does not really solve the problems of numerical stability of rotation, so qualifies as a hack at best. * Bug fix: attitude data written too sparsely during recording for certain rotation axes. 060424 * Added Mars surface labels from http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/ * Bug fix: Incorrect relative velocity after undocking a vessel

that has been docked via scneditor from "landed" status. * Removed "New features" scenario folder since the contents were no longer "new". 060428 * Replaced KSC surface tiles with Rich Wall's "specular" version * Added Mercury and Venus surface label support * Replaced L7 Iapetus texture with version by VF2_Rolf * Added Albedo_RGB values for various moons. * Bug fix: modified damping of angular velocity. * Bug fix: problem with tidal lock alignment under gravity gradient torque * Replaced Iapetus textures with version provided by VF2_Rolf * Replaced Io textures with version from Steve Albers' site 060429 * Shifted Callisto texture by 180deg in longitude. * Added surface labels for Jovian satellites * Fixed scenario "Navigation/Special orbits/Orbiting Phobos" 060502 * Added Rich Wall's mods to his specular KSC tiles ============================================================================== RELEASE 060504 ============================================================================== 060505 * Bug fix: Corrected LPAD2 night light rendering artefacts (texture wrap) * New landing pad type "LPAD2A" uses different texture layout. Used at Canaveral base. * Bug fix: "Free" user-controlled spacecraft in a playback now allow mouse interaction in panels and VCs. 060509 * Recorder: Vessel attachment/detachment events are now written and read to/from ATC streams. * Bug fix: State vectors of attached (passive) vessels were sometimes not correctly updated. 060510 * Bug fix: glass cockpit buttons no longer mouse-sensitive in external view. * Bug fix: Vessel fast-switching (Ctrl-F3) caused CTD when previous focus vessel had been deleted. * Vessel selection dialog (F3) now immediately updates its list when vessels are created or deleted. * Replaced Iapetus textures with Rolf's new version. 060512 * MFD interface: Keyboard shortcuts for selecting MFD modes from mode list (via Shift-F1) have been enabled again. Selection by highlighting has been removed. Direct mode selection from within a mode remains disabled. 060513 * Bug fix: Align Plane MFD: target plane defined by custom elements should now work again. * Documentation: oapiSetTexture added to API Reference manual. 060514 * API: new function oapiLoadTexture

* DG: is skinnable now. A "blue" variant is included as an example * Iapetus: Steve Albers' map now 180deg longitude-shifted applied to L6 and L7 textures. 060515 * Base config files: Comment lines (beginning with ';') are now allowed at the beginning of the file (before the BASE-V2.0 tag). * Bug fix: problem with orbit stabilisation for docked vessels when crossing SOI boundaries. * Bug fix: 1-frame flicker during mesh reorganisation (e.g. Atlantis SRB and ET separation) * Bug fix: animation setting for meshes with index >= 1 was not recognised after mesh rearrangement. 060516 * Longitude-corrected Iapetus textures included * Preliminarily replaced cloud microtexture with one based on McWgogs' addon (reduced to 256x256 and converted to DXT3) -> reduced file size from 1MB to 65 kB 060518 * API: new functions DelMesh ShiftMesh ShiftMeshes ShiftCG * Atlantis: code updated to take advantage of selective mesh deletion. * Carina: mesh no longer emissive. 060520 * Lighting model: direct (diffuse) component toned down in atmosphere. * Vessel config files: Option "GravityGradientDamping" added. * Bug fix: undefined state of vessels docked throughout a playback session. * Bug fix: oapiOpenMFD (MFD_NONE, ...) now closes the MFD. * Bug fix: oapiGetMFDMode crashing when called for an external MFD window. 060523 * Bug fix: Joysticks other than first in the list should now be recognised. 060524 * Bug fix: reset scaling parameters to fix "black hole in Saturn" problem. * Bug fix: transition between dynamic/stabilised update mode could cause deterioration of orbit parameters for docked vessels. 060525 * Upgraded TransX to v3.10, including additional documentation and new scenarios in Scenarios/Navigation/TransX NOTE: Requires deletion of previous scenarios in that folder. 060605 * Dynamic state propagation: Added new integrator methods. Supported are now Runge-Kutta methods RK2, RK4, RK5, RK6, RK7, RK8 and symplectic methods SY2, SY4, SY6, SY8. * Launchpad: new "Extra" tab for advanced or less often used parameters. * Integrators are now user-selectable from the Extra/Dynamic propagators option. Up to 5 integrator schemes for different step interval ranges can be defined. * Symplectic integrators are now used by default. * New document Doc/Technotes/dynamics.pdf contains details of integrators used in orbiter. * Launchpad: Orbit stabilisation parameters now moved to "Extra" tab.

* DG: "blue" version uses Roger's cleaned-up textures. 060607 * API: new class LaunchpadItem for defining custom items in the Launchpad "Extra" list. * API: new functions oapiRegisterLaunchpadItem oapiUnregisterLaunchpadItem oapiOpenFile oapiCloseFile oapiWriteItem_string oapiWriteItem_int oapiWriteItem_float oapiWriteItem_vec * SDK: new sample LaunchpadParamTemplate to demonstrate usage of custom param feature * Bug fix: CTD when deleting a docking HUD target referenced by the "legacy method" (Ctrl-Alt-R). 060612 * Bug fix: Mars atmosphere discontinuity at 4km. * State integrators: Angular states (orientation, angular velocity) are now included in the integrators. Appear to work ok with RK methods, but may be problematic with SY methods. RK integrators are now used by default. * During "stabilised" propagation of linear state, a RK4 method is used to propagate the angular state. The required position parameter is obtained from a 2-body orbit propagation. * Bug fix: CTD when module calls ShiftCentreOfMass during ovcLoadState 060615 * Included Chode's ephemeris modules for Phobos, Deimos, Uranus' moons and Triton. 060621 * Scenario editor: Vessel types can now provide BMP pictures to be displayed on the vessel creation page. A few of the standard vessels do this already. Requires "ImageBmp" entry in the vessel config file. * Scenario editor: Vessel config files can now be placed in subfolders below Config\Vessels. The vessel type list in the Vessel creation page has been replaced with a tree control that allows descending into subfolders. * Scenario editor: vessel types with "EditorCreate=FALSE" tag in their config files are not displayed in the vessel creation type list, even if they located under the Config\Vessels directory. * Atlantis: Started on code modifications for Atlantis module to adapt to the model by "preacher_mg". This includes re-indexing of animation groups, control surface animation and VC HUD. * Atlantis: A new dialog for "payload bay operations" (operating bay doors and radiators) has been added (available via Ctrl-Space). This follows the layout and procedures of panel R13L to make future integration into VC code easier. * State integration: angular states are now checked against kinetic energy difference, to avoid instabilities. This code is copied over from the 2005 edition and not very satisfactory, but might avoid exposion of angular velocity. 060623 * Error log: missing mesh file names are now displayed. * Bug fix: CTD with docked assemblies. 060625 * API: Bug fix: CTD in VESSEL::AddMesh after VESSEL::DelMesh

* API: VESSEL::DelMesh behaviour changed. Indices of remaining meshes no longer change. Instead, the index of the deleted mesh becomes invalid. * API: new functions VESSEL::InsertMesh (versions 1 and 2) 060627 * API: New function oapiSetVCNeighbours * Multiple VC positions are now supported. Switching with Ctrl-arrow keys (same method as for 2D panels) * Example: MG_Atlantis (pilot, co-pilot, payload bay view) 060630 * Bug fix: Atlantis: view stuck in backward direction when switching from payload VC position to glass cockpit (F8) * Bug fix: CTD when multiple vessels are deleted within a single frame * Bug fix: parent vessel not recognizing deletion of attached vessel * Added scenario Navigation\Special orbits\Moliniya orbit.scn * API: new function VESSEL::SetCameraMovement 060707 * Atlantis: New VC mesh, commander HUD and MFD displays are now mirrored on the pilot's side. Rear VC position has new movement encoding (looking out of left or right payload bay window, out of top window, or bending towards R13L). * Ku-band operation now implemented in dialog. 060722 * DG: now supports additional VC positions for passenger views (but may requrie editing of VC mesh to provide missing surfaces, e.g. seat backs) * DG: documentation moved from Orbiter.pdf to separate DeltaGlider.pdf. 060728 * API: new function: DelAnimation * API: DelMesh and ClearMeshes now have optional parameters to specify if animations should be retained. This should fix problems with inconsistent behaviour with previous versions. 060731 * De-coupled angular from linear state vector updates so that separate integration rules can be used as required. Intermediate object positions (required for gravity gradient torque calculation) are obtained either by linear interpolation (for small steps) or by Kepler orbit propagation. * Cross-axis terms in the integration of Euler's equation are suppressed whenever a time step leads to an object rotation of more than pi. This should increase the stability of rotations at high time acceleration (at the cost of physical accuracy) * Bug fix: Main and hover acceleration indicators in generic cockpit view now take into account reduction of Isp in atmosphere, and non-parallel engine thrust vectors. 060804 * Revised angular state updates. Step subdivisions are now supported. At very high angular steps, torque is suppressed to improve stability (in addition to the suppression of the cross-axis terms). 060806 * Bug fix: Missing specular reflection on some planet surface tiles at low resolutions. * Added dialog for selecting integrators and parameters for angular state propagation (under 'Extra' tab). Default max. subsampling steps set to 100.

060809 * Added: Ability to propagate simulation by fixed delta t per frame (under debug options in Extra tab). 060811 * Increased max. stack size of orbiter executable to 4MB. 060813 * MFD interface: new default key Shift-F2 (switch button page without invoking the button menu display) * Atlantis: Activated MFD buttons. Modified mesh to display the button labels on the lower edge of the screen area. 6th button ("PG") is linked to Shift-F2. If this button is pressed for longer than 1.5 seconds, it invokes Shift-F1 instead (MFD mode selection). Commander and pilot instruments are currently synchronised. * Bug fix: reading and writing scenario parameters for MFDs with index >= 3. 060818 * Bug fix: Atlantis ET and SRBs visible through payload bay. * Bug fix: Atlantis VC buttons not clickable in launch configuration. 060822: * Mesh not found errors: downgraded fatal errors (program termination) to warning messages in orbiter.log, to avoid exits on empty mesh file names apparently generated by spacecraft3.dll. Something's amiss here ... 060827: * Reworked perturbation integration for stabilised orbit calculation. Subsampling of time steps is now supported. Subsampling parameters and cutoff for nonspherical gravity can now be user-defined (via Orbit Stabilisation item on Extra tab). * DG: Added plugin "DGConfigurator". This adds an item to the Extra tab which allows global configuration for the DG. Currently only supports selection of texture resolution. 060830: * DG: New "DG configurator" plugin for DG texture resolution selection. Appears in Extra tab. Works by renaming DG highres texture directory. * Atlantis: New "Atlantis configurator" pluging for Atlantis texture and mesh resolution selection. Appears in Extra tab. Works by renaming directories and meshes. * Directory structure: new directory "Modules\Startup". Similar to "Modules\Plugin", but any plugins in this directory are always loaded, and don't appear in the lists of the Launchpad Modules tab. Allows adding essential plugins without cluttering the modules list. Addons should use this with care. Don't put any addons here which eat CPU cycles during the simulation! * New simulation session shutdown options (Extra tab, under Debugging options): respawn orbiter process, terminate orbiter. Both bypass memory deallocation, as suggested by Doug, and should be much faster. Default is respawn. Command line option '-x' enforces termination regardless of Launchpad setting. 060901 * Incorporated Doug's bug fix for DG flow rate indicators into sources. * Activated talkbacks on VC panel R13L. 060905 * TrackIR: Preliminary support via plugin (only cockpit camera supported yet). * New camera API extensions to simplify camera control via external modules. * Doc: Updated Atlantis.pdf and Orbiter.pdf to reflect new Atlantis features.

060906 * Atlantis: bug fix which caused grappled objects to be displaced at simulation start. * Atlantis: VC MFDs can now be operated during playbacks. * API: Changed oapiSetVCNeighbours to oapiVCSetNeighbours. * Bug fix: cleaned up fast shutdown code. MapMFD now doesn't cause CTD. * Launchpad: "Sun glare" option disabled for the time being. * Base.cfg: generic texture file names can now contain subdirectories (relative to Textures or Textures2). The path must also be present in all references to them from individual base config files. * TrackIR module: now supports external track camera view. 060908 * DG: Added Oliver's VC mesh upgrade for missing surfaces and pilot head. * TrackIR module: added preliminary ground observer support (needs a reset function) 060913 * Bug fix: beaconarray base elements not rendered. 060923 * DG: bug fix: top hatch always closed on loading. * Bug fix: new vessels rendered 1 frame late after creation (caused flicker during staging operations) * Playback: New tag "CAMERA PRESET x" in atc stream. * API: Methods for displaying onscreen text similar to playback annotation. 060925 * "Credits" and "contributions" buttons on launchpad "About" tab now combined an d generated directly from the Doc\Credit.pdf sources. ============================================================================== RELEASE 060929 ============================================================================== 061101 * Atlantis: reversed rudder animation corrected * Meshes: support for vertex buffers introduced. Note that any groups which are manipulated at runtime (animation, vertex manipulation, etc.) currently can't be defined in video memory. * Mesh format extension: Groups with flag "STATIC" are rendered via video memory vertex buffers (default: system memory). Alternatively, flag "STATICMESH" in the header copies all groups into video memory except those with flag "DYNAMIC ". 061113 * Bug fix: CTD if vessel animation is created after the visual has been instantiated. * DG: Bug fix: Skin textures ignored "non-scram" version. * Experimental: Orbiter_ng ("no graphics"). Bypasses all render calls and only performs the logical ("physics") updates. Currently still initialises DirectX, but may already be useful as a server in a network setup. 061115 * API: removed function oapiSetTimeSteppingDebug 061211 * Stars on celestial sphere are now rendered via vertex buffers. Improved

performance on T&L devices when displaying lots of stars. * Lower limit for star pixel intensity has been decreased from 0.3 to 0.2. * Default number of displayed stars has been increased to 5000. 070211 * Bug fix: velocity change due to engine thrust not included during orbit stabilisation * Class name is now set to vessel name for vessels which don't define a class name. 070214 * The following vessel module nonmember callback functions are no longer support ed: ovcSetClassCaps ovcSaveState ovcLoadState ovcLoadStateEx ovcSetState ovcSetStateEx ovcPostCreation ovcFocusChanged ovcTimestep ovcRCSmode ovcADCtrlmode ovcNavmode ovcHUDmode ovcDockEvent ovcConsumeKey ovcConsumeBufferedKey ovcVisualCreated ovcVisualDestroyed ovcLoadPanel ovcPanelRedrawEvent ovcPanelMouseEvent opcTimestep Any vessel modules that defined classes derived from VESSEL and depended on th ese callback functions, should use VESSEL2 as base class instead and use the member callback functions. 070628 * Fixed bug generating zero offset for Saturn barycentric position in initial calculation (before SATSAT module was loaded). This caused displacements of ve ssels in orbit around Saturn or its moons. Modified Saturn.dll and Satsat.dll. (in response to http://www.orbitersim.com/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=11557 and http://orbit.m6.net/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=14843) * Alpha blending enabled for base structures rendered above shadows (in response to http://www.orbitersim.com/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=14619) * Added API functions (in response to http://orbit.m6.net/Forum/default.aspx?g=p osts&t=14535): oapiGetViewportSize oapiGetPanelScale 070630 * Flight playback file structure change: - "system events" are now recorded into file "system.dat" instead of individua l vessel atc streams. Currently, system events include

- annotation-related events - time acceleration events (TACC) - camera events - Vessel-specific events such as engine, animation and user events remain in t he vessel atc streams. - The new format is somewhat more logical and should make editing easier. This is also in preparation of a "playback editor" tool. The old format is still supported for backward compatibility 070703 * New feature: "Playback event editor" (accessible via Ctrl-F5 during playback). - Allows to edit, add and delete events in the "system.dat" file. This should make it easier to add annotations and fine-tune camera angles and time compressio n. (in response to http://www.orbitersim.com/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=14666 ) 070718 * Fixed some bugs in the playback event editor. Some more event types now have e xplicit edit support. Event time spin control now works. * Fixed a bug in playback annotation which would prevent annotations to show if no bounding box was defined. * TransX: Orbiter now includes maintainance version (3.10a) by agentgonzo which fixes the "hanging at start screen" bug. 070829 * More bugfixes in playback event editor. Events can now be inserted at end of l ist. * Script support: Restructured files in LuaScript directory; Lua libraries are n ow linked dynamically; new LuaInline module for core script support. * Scenario files: "Environment" group now supports "Script" tag to specify a scr ipt that is launched at simulation start. The "2007 Edition/Challenges/Challenge1" scen ario has been modified to make use of this feature. 070905 * API: new method VESSEL::SetCameraCatchAngle() 071005: * Fixed bug that caused spacecraft to get stuck when landed at latitude 90 deg. ================================================================================ ====== 071101 * Orbiter core sources migrated to VS2005. Main changes: use of std stream libra ries, dropped obsolete .h stream headers. * Redesigned Launchpad dialog, now resizable. 071111 * Core: VS2005 compilation now with "buffer security check" turned off

* Launchpad: Tab selection buttons synchronised with no-graphics version * Launchpad: "Help" button re-activated. * Launchpad: "Info" button in scenario selection page added (for displaying scen ario help, if available). * Launchpad: size & positions is now remembered * Launchpad: progress bar for "simulation session closing" window added * Script: frame rate dependency bug in alt_ap (dg/atmap.lua) fixed * Script: added DG airspeed autopilot (dg/atmap.lua). Syntax: proc.bg(spd_ap, spd) where spd: target airspeed [m/s] * Atlantis: reduced tank separation velocity 071119 * Lua console: fixed CTD bug when history buffer was exhausted. * Launchpad: added missing context help for Extra tab. 071121 * Lua console: scrollbar added * DG/Script: added description for DG atmospheric autopilot to Doc/Deltaglider.p df. * Scenarios: added "2007 Edition\Demos\Autopilot" scenario as autopilot tutorial . * SDK: Doxygen-generated html API reference manual is now in Orbitersdk/doc/API_Reference.chm. 071123 * Bug fix: Reserved data of VESSELSTATUS are now cleared in VESSEL::GetState, to avoid problems when passing the structure to VESSEL::DefSetState. 071125 * HST/Script: Added script support for animations (open/close hatch, antennae, s olar arrays) * DG/Script: Re-wrote the atmospheric autopilot to make it more user-friendly. T he "2007 Edition\Demos\Atmospheric autopilot" scenario has been modified accordin gly. * DG/Script: Added online helpfile. Invoked with 'help(dg_aap)' from the script prompt. * Bug fix: failure to load playback streams in VS2005 compiled binary. 071201 * NG: Fixed some API problems in connection with fullscreen dialog management. S ome new dialog-related functions added to GraphicsClient class. * Launchpad: New interface for defining star rendering, including additional parameters. 071204 * Engine: Initial implementation of radiation pressure (added launchpad option), shadow effects not yet implemented. * API: added VESSEL3::clbkGetRadiationForce to allow vessels to implement their own radiation pressure algorithms. 071205 * Engine: Shadow effects now included in radiation pressure calculation.

071212 * New vessel type: Solar sail (an exemplar for radiation pressure effects) Sample scenario in: 2007 Edition Demos Solar sail Interesting bits: - overloads the VESSEL3:clbkGetRadiationForce method for custom pressure calcu lation - solar sail elastic deformation (dynamic updates) - steering paddles low-level controlled via script (but badly needs an intelli gent autopilot) Current problems: - without autopilot, this is not very useful - sail deformation algorithm is dynamic, so starts out from flat at the beginn ing of each scenario. Better would be a steady-state thin-plate bending FEM code . - mesh is hand-made in matlab (my hopelessness at 3D modelling). Could do with a professional makeover, but maybe only after physical parameters have been established (size, mass, steering method, etc.) 080517 * Planetary surface patch resolution increased to level 14 * Load-on-demand capability for high-resolution surface tiles (level >= 9) * Mipmap support for planetary surface textures * New dialog in Extra tab for configuration of planetary render engine * Level-14 resolution applied to Florida surface area * Exhaust textures replaced with McWgogs' version * New planet orientation/rotation parameters for config files from IAU data, pro vided by Chode * Bug fixed: EPHEM_PARENTBARY flag not used for ephemeris calculations * D3D7 client: tile manager updated to inline graphics engine (level 14, load on demand) 080522 * Alpha blending activated for base surface tiles (both inline and D3D7 client) * Tile load frequency limit and mipmap bias now user-selectable in Planet Render ing Options dialog 080603 * Bug fix: long lines (> 511 chars) in config files caused premature parse termination due to change in VS2005 stream::getline implementation. Now scanni ng continues after line truncation, and line buffer has been increased to 1023 characters. 080609 * Reworked celestial body ephemeris calculations: sub-system barycentre offsets are now evaluated by recursively calculating child body positions. Absolute posit ions are calculated in a second pass, starting from the root object (sun). Note: Currently, only external module or 2-body element updates for celestial bodies are supported. Dynamic updates are disabled at the moment. Affected issue titles: "Orbiter not offsetting true position from barycenter", "EPHEM_PARENTBARY not working correctly". * Orbiter_ng: shortcut to modules/server/orbiter.exe has been replaced by launch er

application in orbiter root directory. Avoids problem with absolute shortcut p aths. * Florida textures: Now distributed as a self-installing "texture pack". This is an exe file that extracts itself and calls pltex to merge textures into the gl obal Earth textures. 080612 * Further work on barycentre calculation: barycentric offset is no longer calcul ated manually from child positions if the module reports both true and barycentre position. [See issues: 4,5,21] * DirectX cooperative level set with DDSCL_MULTITHREADED flag enabled to make Di rectX calls threadsafe. This is required for the asynchronous texture loading method of the planetary tile manager. [See issue: 20] * Stubs for the API functions oapiGetStationByName, oapiGetStationByIndex and oapiGetStationCount have been inserted again to avoid breaking addons which re ly on them. Using one of these functions generates a warning in the log file. [See forum thread: 2279] * Using the "respawn" shutdown option no longer causes the new orbiter process t o overwrite the log file. 080613 * Bug fix: DG scram exhaust stream displaced. [See issue: 23] 080614 * Bug fix: Clipped planet surfaces at large camera apertures. Frustum near-plane calculation now takes into account intersection with planet surface. [See issue: 22] 080615 * More modifications to near-plane calculation for surface intersection. 080623 * Phobos.dll and Deimos.dll replaced with new versions provided by Chode. =============== GAP 090801 * D3D7Client: Problem with surface base shadow mesh generation addressed. The client merges shadow meshes from multiple base objects into a single vertex list. For complex bases this causes problems (CTD) if the vertex list exceeds the max. vertex count (64000). To solve this, mesh objects are now excluded fr om merging. This doesn't entirely fix the problem, so may need more thought. -> TODO: mesh object shadows currently not rendered in D3D7Client. * AtmAltLimit for major planets (except Earth) raised (see www.orbiter-forum.com/project.php?issueid=95) 091002 * VESSEL::DelAttachment and VESSEL::ClearAttachment methods added. 091005 * New Map MFD mode: Vessel data line now has course readout. Target base line no w has distance and bearing readout. [see issue: 130]

* Transient thruster levels (SetThrusterLevel_SingleStep) are now eliminated as soon as they are applied. Should fix the problem of "sticky" single step level s [see issue 143] * Latest body rotation and precession data provided by tblaxland applied to definition files [see thread 8185] 091006 * Fixed bug in planet ephemeris calculations which caused interpolation errors after jumping back in time. Affected modules: Vsop87.dll, Moon.dll, Galsat.dll , Satsat.dll. 091011 * VESSEL::MeshgroupTransform(): moved from VVessel.cpp to Vessel.cpp to avoid mi ssing symbol in orbiter_ng. However, MeshgroupTransform is not yet supported in orbite r_ng and always returns false. 091013 * DG: Mesh group implementation of artificial horizon in VC. This should improve frame rate by avoiding GDI drawing of the old horizon implementation ( and look better). 091017 * Reverted transient thruster code to version before 091005 to fix side effects (no fuel reduction, no thrust indication) during transient burns. * D3D7 client: Enabled specular reflections from mesh objects. * VESSEL: Added method SetDockMode to allow reverting to legacy 'snap to dock' m ode. * Fixed challenge 4 scores * Added empty Config/Vessels/Galileo.cfg to fix broken scenarios 'The solar system/Jupiter flybys'. * Scenarios 'Views/Moon through atmosphere', 'Space Shuttle Atlantis/Altlantis f inal approach', 'Satellites and Probes/ldef/LDEF retrieval': fixed Atlantis positio n offset. * Added 'Textures2/DG' subfolder to beta package. * Issue 155: Fixed 'GGGGGG' fuel readout on default panel for vessels without fuel resources. * D3D7 client: Ambient lighting bug fixed (mesh group ambient flag ignored). * Atlantis: Added OMS thrust direction marker to HUD. 091020 * New tutorial: Space Shuttle to ISS. * Sync orbit MFD mode: now remembers the number of orbits displayed. 091021 * Removed obsolete 'Playback/Atlantis launch' playback scenario. 091022 * Shuttle-A: bug fix (payload mass not initialised). Caused crash in OrbitMFD co de for 'Shuttle-A ISS approach' scenario. * Jupiter: Moved L-7 surface and cloud textures from Textures2 to Textures to be used as default (fixes the D3D7 client white Jupiter bug). * D3D7Client: added support for rendering nonspherical celestial bodies (Phobos and Deimos).

* D3D7Client: added support for rendering the sun as a billboard. * Scenarios: 'Tutorials\Atlantis final approach' has been replaced by 'Tutorials\Space Shuttle final approach'. 'Tutorials\Glider launch 1' has been replaced by 'Tutorials\DG stunts'. Obsolete 'Playback\Glider launch 2' has bee n removed. 091025 * Inline selection dialogs: replaced HDC with Sketchapd references. * D3D7Client: Added support for additive lighting of celestial bodies rendered through a planet's atmosphere. 091027 * Map MFD: fixed bug when deleting orbit target vessel (issue 164). * API: Added method: VESSEL::GetBeacon. * D3D7Client: Added support for vessel light beacons. * D3D7Client: Added support for vessels entering planet shadows. * Neptune: Re-inserted siderial rotation period of 57996s into config file. * Added msvcr71.dll and msvcp71.dll to orbiter root directory to avoid missing dependencies on systems that don't have these libraries in the system folders. 091029 * Scenarios: removed obsolete "2006 Edition Playback feature" folder. Moved "2006 Edition Gravity gradients" scenarios into "Navigation Space physic s". * Fixed scenarios in Checklists folder. * Fixed glass cockpit nav button bug: mouse click registration point offset from visual representation. 091105 * Graphics bug fix: planet surface rendering: fixed seams between pure and mixed specular tiles for combination specular + distance fog - specular ripples (inline and D3D7 client) 091107 * D3D7Client: alpha blending enabled for exhaust particles seen from cockpit vie w. * TransX: Updated to version V3.14(beta). Moved documentation into Doc\TransX subdirectory. 091108 * D3D7Client: base structures lighting: ambient lighting modification through atmosphere, and planet shadowing enabled. * Bug fix: orthodome calculation for special cases lat1=lat2 or lng1=lng2. [See issue 196] * API: Added function oapiSetHUDMode(int,const HUDPARAM*) [see issue 53] 091111 * D3D7Client: Fixed bug: MFD buttons left behind in glass cockpit mode when MFD is powered off. * D3D7Client: Fixed bug: White MFD surface for powered-off MFD in VC mode. 091122 * TransX: Updated to version 3.14.0.2 * TransX: Replaced Navigation\TransX scenarios with flytandem's updated version. * Map MFD: fixed problem with scenario data format from previous version. 091124 * Inline graphics: initial default fullscreen mode is 1024x768 (was 800x600) * Scenarios: Added 2009 Edition Welcome scenario. Runs automatically on first-

time install. 091130 * Planet distance fog modified: fog effects drop to zero at camera altitude > 3*planet radius (fix glowing oceans) 091209 * Bug fix: [issue 236]: scenario editor creates invalid scenario when moving vessel with base reference to a different planet (base not cleared). 091220 * Bug fix: System time updates for fixed length time steps * Distance strings: use 'G' postfix instead of 'AU' up to 1e12 * Hyperion: Switched to 2-body unperturbed orbit, due to problems with Tass-1.7 module. 091231 * Uranus moons: Switched to 2-body unperturbed orbits, due to problems with modules. * Bug fix: Planet barycentre offsets ignored during vessel position initialisation. Was leading to wrong vessel positions relative to orbited planet. 100126 * Replaced the following ephemeris modules with Chode's new versions: Ariel.dll, Miranda.dll, Oberon.dll, Titania.dll, Umbriel.dll. Reason: Fixed instability for large time steps. 100127 * Added "Scan" buttons to COM/NAV MFD. 100203 * Replaced Triton.dll with Chode's new version. Added Triton precession model by Chode to Triton.cfg. * Replaced Enceladus texture (updated Steve Albers map). Default is now L7. L8 is available as highres option. 100305 * Modified the scenario and config parser so that partial tags no longer match, i.e. XXXYYY is no longer a match for tag XXX. * New tag END_PARSE to stop the parser scanning the rest of a file. * Started new SDK sample "ScriptVessel": Engine for script-driven vessel definition. 100306 * Added VESSEL::GetYawMomentScale and VESSEL::SetYawMomentScale Marked VESSEL::GetBankMomentScale and VESSEL::SetBankMomentScale as obsolete. 100313 * Fixed bug in VESSEL::ShiftMesh (was ignored in inline client, caused CTD in D7 client) 100501 * HUD in glass cockpit view and 2D panel view now implemented as 2D mesh Only user-defined HUD elements are using the Sketchpad interface anymore * ScriptVessel and ScriptMFD modules added (support script-based vessel and MFD implementations. * Added script-based vessel example (ScriptPB). Same functionality as ShuttlePB, but implemented in Config\Vessels\ScriptPB.cfg

* Added script-based MFD example (RCS Attitude): advanced orbital attitude control, including rotational alignment with target docking port. (Config\MFD\Attitude.cfg) 100503 * Fixed 2D panel rendering (now within BeginScene/EndScene render cycle) This required addition of new GraphicsClient function Render2DOverlay * Docking approach boxes now rendered rather than drawn * Docking ports inactive for 1second after undocking (to prevent accidental recapture) * Updated transx.dll to modified MFD2 interface * Bug fix: HUD is now rendered again for old-style 2D instrument panels. 100506 * Added option FullscreenPageflip = [TRUE FALSE] to Orbiter.cfg. If false, page flipping is disabled in fullscreen mode (may fix screen flicker problem) * Added FlipToGDISurface at beginning of simulation session (might fix problems with flickering GDI elements (e.g. annotations) on some ATI cards. * Added method VESSEL::AddExhaust(EXHAUSTSPEC*) for extended control over exhaust definitions (thruster-independent exhaust specs, random amplitude variations). * Bug fix: page flipping was not restored in fullscreen mode after closing dialog boxes. 100508 * Bug fix: Jumpy animation with vsync enabled (caused by incomplete flip). 100511 * Removed FlipToGDISurface call at session start (did not fix flicker problem) * Fixed potential thread deadlock condition in LuaConsole module 100512 * Added Doug's video mode enumeration for multiple monitors to inline client. * Session shutdown mode: "Deallocate memory and display launchpad" is now default. * Bug fix: Incorrect fullscreen resolution after change of bitdepth. * Addressed bug: loss of keyboard input (fix pending confirmation) * Addressed bug: texture bleeding into bottom edge of left info box 100514 * Launchpad video tab: additional fixed window aspect ratio options (16:10, 16:9) 100515 * D3D7Client: Bug fix: Alt key intercepted by Windows in windowed mode. * Changed behaviour of keymap.cfg: Undefined entries no longer fall back to default key binding, but instead have no binding at all. * Added "keymap2006.cfg" to distribution package: users can revert to 2006-compatible key binding by copying this to "keymap.cfg". * VC camera offset and rotation now preserved when switching between cockpit and external view. 100516 * Bug fix: orbiter.cfg was not saved during fast shutdown (lost planetarium settings) * D3D7Client: Bug fix: device index changes ("hop-2") 100518 * Attempting to load a graphics client into orbiter.exe now produces a warning dialog box and an error message in orbiter.log.

* D3D7Client.dll has been removed from distribution package (to be distributed separately). * Bug fix: white flash after render window in fullscreen mode when hardware page flip is disabled * Cockpit camera: Camera setting stored/recalled only for VC view. 2D panel and glass cockpit views are reset to (default) forward direction. * Reworked synchronisation of Lua console interpreter thread, to address reports of program freezing on entering console commands. 100520 * Re-worked interpreter thread logic for inline, console and MFD interpreters. Threads are now properly terminated before orbiter process closes (no timeout errors). Fast shutdown options now work faster. * Added help page "Interpreters for developers" to scripting manual. 100522 * Bug fix: console freeze on input in Windows 7 [issue #220]. * Bug fix: DG custom skin textures are now released at vessel destruction. * Bug fix: Disabling Earth atmosphere didn't work (atm params were read from config file). * Bug fix: Inline client: planetary ring textures: high-resolution textures (level 3) were used instead of level 1 at large distances [issue #337]. * Bug fix: Scenario script was not cleared when opening a new session without restarting orbiter [issue #334]. * Sketchpad class: new graphics primitive "TextBox". Default implementation via Sketchpad::Text calls. GDI implementation via "DrawText" GDI function. * Sketchpad class: method GetTextWidth has additional optional parameter "len". * Screen annotations are now written through Sketchpad::TextBox. * API: added function oapiGetHUDMode(HUDPARAM*) [issue #53] * Feature: "Auto-refuel on pad" now user-selectable on Parameters tab. 100523 * API: oapiReadScenario_nextline can now read lines of arbitrary length [issue #320] * Bug fix: pltex: night light textures corrupted in combination with water mask. * Re-generated Earth textures (L1-8 included. High-res texture torrent needs to be updated.) 100525 * Updated positions for Edwards, China Lake and Inyokern [issue #328] 100529 * Fixed Sketchpad::TextBox implementation. * GDIClient now overloads the TextBox method. * Recompiled transx.dll to work with latest orbiter executables. * MSI installer now installs to user's home directory by default (should avoid problems with restricted access to Program Files in Vista/Win7). 100602 * Bug fix: truncated scenario files no longer hang orbiter on launch. 100603 * Added API documentation for top-level callback functions.