Step Impulse Jet Experiment

Hmm... so, what do I make of it? It is an experimental control system that exploits the characteristics of the RC engine for very precise altitude control. In RC (and any physics simulation), time is broken down into intervals (frames), and in most of them, RC included, any physical property (position, velocity, force, etc.) within one interval is assumed to be constant. In other words, any force applied to a chip, e.g. jet thrust, is assumed to be acting onto the jet constantly over the entire time interval, and that the jet would be accelerated to a certain velocity based on the given resulting impulse:

dV = F/m*dt, where

dV = change in velocity
F = jet thrust
m = mass of the jet
dt = time interval

Afterwards, it's easy to set a jet's velocity so that it jumps to the target altitude within one frame, or up to the speed limit, whichever is lower.

You may notice that the only one jet in this model magically stays upright, courtesy to another property of the RC engine: that the jet's thrust acts exactly at the centre of it, and that it experiences no air resistance or other external forces. Its balance would be thrown off if it hits the terrain of if any chip except cowl is attached to it. For this reason, this control system, as it is, has no use besides looking cool.

Code:

// [RCD]
Val
{
   JETPWR(default=0, min=-999999999, max=999999999, disp=0)
   STEPTIMESWITCH(default=0, max=1, disp=0)
}
Key
{
}
Body
{
   Core() {
      N:Jet(power=JETPWR, name=JET) { }
   }
}
Lua
{require("Bernard/Basic.lua")


function init()

   _SPLIT(JET)
   m = _M(JET)
   g = 9.806
   wt = m*g
   y0 = _Y(JET)
   vy0 = 0

   tgty = 45
   settgty = tgty
   
   maxvy = 150
   
   jet = {p = 0, i = 0, d = 0}
   
end
function OnInit()
   init()
end
function OnReset()
   init()
end


function OnFrame()
      
   dt = _DT()*10
   maxstep = maxvy*dt
   
   y = _Y(JET)
   vy = (y-y0)/dt
   dy = y-tgty
   ay = (vy-vy0)/dt
   y0 = y
   vy0 = vy
   
   settgty = settgty+(_KEYDOWN(9)-_KEYDOWN(6))
   settgty = settgty+10*(_KEYDOWN(8)-_KEYDOWN(5))
   settgty = settgty+100*(_KEYDOWN(7)-_KEYDOWN(4))
   settgty = limit(settgty,45,1000)
   
   if _KEYDOWN(13) > 0 then
      tgty = settgty
      if _KEY(12) > 0 then
         STEPTIMESWITCH = 1
      end
   end
   if _KEY(0) > 0 or _KEY(1) > 0 then
      tgty = limit(tgty+(_KEY(0)-_KEY(1))*maxvy*dt,45,1000)
      settgty = tgty
   end
   
--   tgty = 50+5*sind(_TICKS()*30)
   
   
   tgtvy = limit(-dy/dt,maxvy,-maxvy)
   thr = (tgtvy-vy)/dt


   JETPWR = 6*m*(g+thr)

   out(0,"Step impulse jet experiment by Bernard (bwansy)")
   out(1,"Target altitude: ",settgty)
   out(2,"Current altitude: ",y)
   out(3,"Velocity: ",vy)
   out(4,"[A/Z/S/X/D/C] to change altitude, press [G] to travel")
   out(5,"[Up/Down] to traverse in real time")
   out(6,"Setting camera focus onto the jet is recommended")
end}


WHOA

I like how you made it able to 'sense' where the 'ground' is, so I doesn't go below or get stuck in walls.
Though I think I'm getting an error, I have your Library, but I can not us A/Z/S/X/D/C what so ever, G will work once and a while, but that only brings me 'one' level higher, and Up/Down works, so I have a bit of travel.

I can't move from X or Z but I can on Y

Hope this helps, maybe I'm doing something wrong?

Timothy Ashtön wrote:I can't move from X or Z but I can on Y

That's because there is no means to apply force along the X or Z plane with this. There is only the one perfectly balanced jet.

Timothy Ashtön wrote:I like how you made it able to 'sense' where the 'ground' is

No, it doesn't. There's a hard-coded lower limit on height of 45m (and an upper limit of 1000m).

As for the controls, I admit that I didn't have it explained well. Basically, those 6 keys (A/Z/S/X/D/C) are responsible for changing the target height. D/C changes the units digit, S/X changes the tens, and A/Z, the hundreds. Only when the target height is changed from the current height will pressing G have any effect.

bwansy wrote:

Timothy Ashtön wrote:I like how you made it able to 'sense' where the 'ground' is

No, it doesn't. There's a hard-coded lower limit on height of 45m (and an upper limit of 1000m).

? It stop'd for me on other maps.