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Orbiter Basic Training

Tutorial 4 - Create your own scenario

Method 1

From the Orbiter Main Menu "Launchpad" select the Shuttle-A\Shuttle-A Moon scenario.

You should have an external view of the SH-03.  You should find yourself at the moon base. Rotate the camera to get the most pleasing view.  Move the camera in a little [ Page Down ].  Find a nice scene to save for later use.

Press [ F4 ] to get back to the main menu. Select Exit to Launchpad. Go to the Scenario tab if you're not already there. Choose the [Save current... ] button, type in the name Moon Base, or whatever you want. Now you will be able to scroll through the Scenario list and find the Moon Base scenario. As you can see the easiest way to create your own scenarios is to find an existing one that's similar to what you want. This is also the means by which you will save your missions. When you get to a good stopping/starting point, save, rename, reload.

Method 2

Activate the ScnEditor from the Modules tab of Orbiter Launchpad. Now you may open any scenario and create new scenarios whenever you are in Orbiter. For example open the Shuttle-A\Shuttle-A Moon scenario. Press [Ctrl][F4] and select Scenario Editor. Press the new button and simple create by selecting all the options you want. Be sure to give any vessel a name for it to work. When you are done be sure to hit the save button to give the scenario a name and description. That all there is to it.

Method 3

Get out of Orbiter Sim and open the Orbiter Scenarios folder. All the files in this folder should have the "scn" extention. You can open and edit these files with notepad, open the Moon Base file in notepad now. You should get accustom with how these files look.

The scenario file has a section for each type of item. Each section has a BEGIN and a END. Notice just a few of these sections:

DESC – for the scenario file description
ENVIRONMENT- for the solar system and date (MJD)
MFD LEFT – list what instrument you have open on the left side
MFD RIGHT – list what instrument you have open on the right side
STATIONS- list what stations are in orbit
SHIPS – list the ships available for this scenario

Now to change a scenario you just have to edit it with notepad. Let's say you have two ships listed under the Ships section.

BEGIN_SHIPS
GL-01:DeltaGlider
  STATUS Landed Earth
  BASE Cape Canaveral:1
  HEADING 150.00
  FUEL 1.000
  NOSECONE 0 0.0000
  GEAR 1 1.0000
  AIRLOCK 0 0.0000
END
SH-02:ShuttleA
  STATUS Landed Earth
  BASE Cape Canaveral:5
  HEADING 100.00
  FUEL 1.000
END
END_SHIPS

You can add a third ship like so:

BEGIN_SHIPS
GL-01:DeltaGlider
  STATUS Landed Earth
  BASE Cape Canaveral:1
  HEADING 150.00
  FUEL 1.000
  NOSECONE 0 0.0000
  GEAR 1 1.0000
  AIRLOCK 0 0.0000
END
GL-02:DeltaGlider
  STATUS Landed Earth
  BASE Cape Canaveral:3
  HEADING 150.00
  FUEL 1.000
  NOSECONE 0 0.0000
  GEAR 1 1.0000
  AIRLOCK 0 0.0000
END
SH-02:ShuttleA
  STATUS Landed Earth
  BASE Cape Canaveral:5
  HEADING 100.00
  FUEL 1.000
END
END_SHIPS

Notice I added a GL-02 to the DeltaGlider fleet and placed it on Pad 3. Of course you have to use ships that are availible to Orbiter Sim or ones you loaded with an add-on package. Also there has to be a BASE Cape Canaveral:3 to place it on, but try it out it works.

Now what about that new ship you just downloaded? Normally they come with built in scenarios. So what if the scenario places new ship on Mars and you want to fly from an Earth base. Simple open the new ship scenario with notepad and add an Earth base to it or cut and paste the ship into an existing scenario with such a base. Just be sure to save it under a new file name. Update the DESC section before you do. When you cut and paste always make sure the elements make sense.

Tutorial 5>>

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