U boat simulator

[celeronpm]

Hi everyone,

I'm hard at work developing a u-boat simulator (deep simulation Ala the DCS games - E.G. A-10 warthog).

The goal is to be able to create a realistic simulator given all of the incredible blueprints, historical accounts, etc... available. Today I just put together a simple dev blog where I'll start catalogeuing the dev journey. In a week or so I'm going to make an alpha available so interested folks can test out and help shape the simulator as it is being built.


At this point I have a fairly realistic buoyancy, drag, and viscosity physics simulator coded for the core of the game. I am reaching a point where I'd like folks to give it a try and help mold it as I build it.

The game is called u-boat simulator and you can check out more details at www.uboatsim.com

[harag]

Just you on your own? Looking at the models they look quite impressive, keep us informed of the how it's going.

All the best of luck in the project - Are you doing a kickstarter page?

Cpt Harag

[Aktungbby]

celeronpm!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Master]

Looks good. Three things I want from a sub sim.

Coop on a single submarine (drop in drop out)
Dynamic campaign
Good damage model / sinking on target ships. SH3 had a great mod for making ships sink realistically.

Pretty much anyone here will buy whatever you make though. There just isnt enough subsims being made these days.

[Jimbuna]

Good luck with that and welcome to SubSim :salute:

[Onkel Neal]

Sounds great. Send me a PM when you have time and you want me to write an article about your project.

Neal
SUBSIM

[Commander Wallace]

Welcome to Subsim, Celeronpm. :sunny:

All the best to you in your endeavors. The sim looks promising. I think there are a lot of people in the forum and in general that would like to see something that continually improves upon Silent hunter 5 .

[makman94]

Yes , indead , very very promising Celeronpm!

a hard core sim is what is really missing, all the best to your effort

i hope to have in your plans a hardcore hydrophone room which was one of the most critical areas of a submarine.

when i first so the DCS sim , my first thought was exactly this as yours ... a 'DCS' for a submarine.....heaven !

good luck Celeronpm !!

[auricom]

Good luck, Sir! Will be keeping an eye on this one.

[doctrine]

The screenshots look amazing! Good job on those, and good luck with the project.

[kylania]

Digital Combat Submarine! :)

Impressive start. I know you'll find plenty of testers here.

[celeronpm]

Wow, thank you guys for all of the support! My wife thinks I am a nut being so passionately intrigued by U-boats; I just don't know what it is about them that captures the imagination so fervently.

Anyhow, I just posted about the power-train model I am building along with a test control panel. The post is here (http://www.uboatsim.com/2016/05/24/power-plant-drivetrain/)

Basically, the powerplant can be run in multiple modes:

Diesel engine only
Electric motor only
Support and buffer mode
Diesel-electric mode
Charging mode


The model allows you to manually engage/disengage the clutches. This allows you to be a proper engineering chief if your heart desires (no more simple speed requests!).

Here is a screenshot of the little drive-train panel which is clickable to achieve the aforementioned modes. Any ideas you guys have in terms of art direction, functionality, etc... is welcome!

http://i0.wp.com/www.uboatsim.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/engine.png?w=728

And yes, if you want to automate the task and just use the engine order telegraph system and pass on the duties to your trusted AI chief, you may do so and focus on whatever other duties your heart desires.

[celeronpm]

Just you on your own? Looking at the models they look quite impressive, keep us informed of the how it's going.

All the best of luck in the project - Are you doing a kickstarter page?

Cpt Harag

Yes sir, for now it's all me. I may seek help for the final art direction and polish, but I can easily handle all of the core programming and mechanics. I have a kickstarter for a vr version but given limited interest, I'll repost one focusing on the simulation aspect of the game (and yes, vr will be supported).

[celeronpm]

Yes , indead , very very promising Celeronpm!

a hard core sim is what is really missing, all the best to your effort

i hope to have in your plans a hardcore hydrophone room which was one of the most critical areas of a submarine.

when i first so the DCS sim , my first thought was exactly this as yours ... a 'DCS' for a submarine.....heaven !

good luck Celeronpm !!

Yes sir, high quality hydrophone room will be there as I am planning VR support. For those that invest in it, you should be able to strain your earns to follow those props.

[arkroyal]

:sunny:Good luck:yeah:

[nsomnia]

As someone further along in the gameplay directino but much less along in the models and ideas, and using a different engine. Please find more team-members, doing this alone has wasted 12+ months of my life. Doing it with a team has gotten more done in a couple months than since i originally started tinkering on my own.

Otherwise looks great, hard part is keeping the hardcore sim parts like clicking buttons on a canvas to engage/disengage a clutch bool open to be automated/user controlled while maintaining a playable GUI (and game for that matter)

[celeronpm]

As someone further along in the gameplay directino but much less along in the models and ideas, and using a different engine. Please find more team-members, doing this alone has wasted 12+ months of my life. Doing it with a team has gotten more done in a couple months than since i originally started tinkering on my own.

Otherwise looks great, hard part is keeping the hardcore sim parts like clicking buttons on a canvas to engage/disengage a clutch bool open to be automated/user controlled while maintaining a playable GUI (and game for that matter)

Thanks for the wise words nsomnia; I just checked out your project and it looks very promising! Good luck, I look forward to playing your successful release in the future!

[anggono]

...

Anyhow, I just posted about the power-train model I am building along with a test control panel...

Basically, the powerplant can be run in multiple modes:

Diesel engine only
Electric motor only
Support and buffer mode
Diesel-electric mode
Charging mode


The model allows you to manually engage/disengage the clutches. This allows you to be a proper engineering chief if your heart desires (no more simple speed requests!).

...

This model conforms to what I read in British Interrogation Report of captured U-boat crew. It allows a very flexible arrangement such as port diesel engine driving its generator dynamo, electricity generated is used to drive starboard electric motor, while starboard diesel engine is out of service. So both propeller is spinning.

[LG]

This allows you to be a proper engineering chief if your heart desires (no more simple speed requests!)

Definitely something that would be a huge plus for me!

[celeronpm]

I am also ensuring the engine / motor rpms match the proper one per spec given the requested Telegraph speed when the ai is doing the work. Same goes for the propellers, they dynamic thrust in the water will achieve the realistic speed given the rpm. Finally, the diesels were so robust they could run with one piston removed (the rod and piston could just be removed). You'd loose 200hp but the diesel would still turn. I am going to simulate this in the damage model so you can still limp along even in dire circumstances.

Also, the electric motors can be run in serial or parallel mode, and the batteries can be configured in serial and parallel as well. The electric motors were made of two units a piece, so if one was broken, you can run the unit in parallel configuration and still get 50% power. These boats were pretty damn resilient and I want the propulsion system to realistically mimic that fact.

So, you could run one side on a broken diesel with a piston missing and the other on a half limping electric motor. Hope this makes it really challenging and fun for those looking for that depth.

These aspects are almost fully complete, I will post another blog entry with a video in a day or two when it's ready for testing.

The UI panel has received a little polish. The look/feel is more a blueprint style now, which I think should work well going forward.
http://i0.wp.com/www.uboatsim.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Capture-1.png?w=1274

[keltos01]

for me it'll be a Dynamic Campaign if you please ;)

fair winds and following seas !


Great project you have there as I loved DCS, I crashed a few times before I was able to take off... and never yet managed a landing but loved the sim !

keltos

[celeronpm]

http://www.uboatsim.com/2016/05/27/physics-model/

Here are some screenshots from the underlying physics calculations. See blog post above for more info on how they are calculated if you are interested.

http://i0.wp.com/www.uboatsim.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/phys.png?w=1307

http://i1.wp.com/www.uboatsim.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/phys-2.png?w=1323

[nsomnia]

There's something ya don't see everyday nice work

[LG]

Very impressive, following this closely!

[harag]

Excellent work so far - and I'm glad I've back the project on kickstarter - which I can see has gone through the 20k mark :yeah: Well done & Congratulations. Hopefully we can get this doubled to 40k :)

Keep up the excellent work and keep us posted. :):yeah:

[celeronpm]

Excellent work so far - and I'm glad I've back the project on kickstarter - which I can see has gone through the 20k mark :yeah: Well done & Congratulations. Hopefully we can get this doubled to 40k :)

Keep up the excellent work and keep us posted. :):yeah:

I assume you're speaking about Uboot, different dev / game. However, I have also backed that game and am glad to see the community is willing to actively back the developers!

[harag]

I assume you're speaking about Uboot, different dev / game. However, I have also backed that game and am glad to see the community is willing to actively back the developers!

Arr mind f*rt there, yes I was talking about uboot. Sorry about that...however still:

"Excellent work so far" & Keep us posted :)

Anything wwii sub related is of interest!

It's like waiting for a bus... wait ages and none turn up, then several turn up at once.

[Bartolomeus]

That looks really impresive, great work so far. :)

Marko

[GT182]

This looks absolutely great Celeronpm. :thumbup: This could blow SH3 and 5 right out of the High Seas. ;)

A couple of things I'd like to ask.

1. Will this be a 32 or 64 bit simulation.?

2. What will the best operating system it will run on, and will we be able to run it on XP? I'm going to reinstall XP for my games and simulations only on a secondary HDD. As it was the best OS we've seen and had for gaming.

I haven't had a chance to get into my email and look at the link Onkel Neal had sent me last week. I have just return from my yearly sojourn to Reading, PA for the annual WII weekend. It's been a long 4 days but well worth every second of it.

As said there is all kinds of help here on SubSim, and I know these guys are excellent from the work they've done on mods for both simulations. And others will tell you the same.

Good luck and God speed in your work. :salute:

[rentacow]

This looks really great! I love that it comes with an automatic update checker too! I'm sure you are aware but the rear dive planes seem to be rotating along the wrong axis, hopefully it's just a quick fix for that. :rotfl2:

One quick question, are there keyboard controls for the forward dive planes? I can only control the rear it seems.

Keep up the great work, I cant wait to see the next update.

[Oubaas]

Well, you've got my attention! I bookmarked your page and will keep an eye on this. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you will see it through until it's a masterpiece.

:salute::up::yeah:

[bratwurstdimsum]

Is this still in progress? The Download file has gone missing!

[celeronpm]

https://youtu.be/a_NQPqWoy_cIs this still in progress? The Download file has gone missing!