FlightGear Qt launcher: Difference between revisions

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FlightGear Qt launcher (view source)

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(Update, remove outdated statements and no longer relevant quotes, cleanup still very much required)
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{{Out of date}}
{{Cleanup}}
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{{infobox subsystem
{{infobox subsystem
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| alt            = The aircraft page of the Qt launcher for FlightGear 3.5 as rendered on Windows 7
| alt            = The aircraft page of the Qt launcher for FlightGear 3.5 as rendered on Windows 7
| started        = 01/2015
| started        = 01/2015
| description    = Integrated launcher for FlightGear designed to replace [[FGRun]]
| description    = Integrated launcher for FlightGear
| maintainers    = {{usr|Zakalawe|James Turner}}
| maintainers    = {{usr|Zakalawe|James Turner}}
| developers    = James Turner
| developers    = James Turner
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}}
}}
{{Package Management}}
{{Package Management}}
The '''Qt launcher''' is an integrated launcher for FlightGear designed as a replacement for [[FGRun]]. Initially designed as a stop-gap solution in FlightGear 3.4 for the problem of support for the [[FlightGear Mac OS X Launcher|old FlightGear Mac launcher]] ending with OS X Yosemite, it has become FlightGear's main launcher for all platforms, and is shipped with all official FlightGear releases (however, users building from source may need to separately configure/rebuild FlightGear).  
The '''Qt launcher''' is an integrated launcher for [[FlightGear]], replacing [[FGRun]] in the official distributions as of version 2016.4. Initially designed as a stop-gap solution in FlightGear 3.4 for the problem of support for the [[FlightGear Mac OS X Launcher|old FlightGear Mac launcher]] ending with OS X Yosemite, it has become FlightGear's main launcher for all platforms, and is shipped with all official FlightGear releases (however, users building from source may need to separately configure/rebuild FlightGear).  
In addition, this was also motivated by [[The FlightGear Front-End Situation|the plethora of 3rd party GUI launchers/frontends]] developed by numerous contributors over the years <ref>[[The FlightGear Front-End Situation]]</ref>.
In addition, this was also motivated by [[The FlightGear Front-End Situation|the plethora of 3rd party GUI launchers/frontends]] developed by numerous contributors over the years <ref>[[The FlightGear Front-End Situation]]</ref>.


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As of mid 2016, the Qt UI is now also available  at runtime; however, this needs a lot of testing, but aircraft can be installed / changed and location adjusted from within the sim. After some number of times the sim will crash.<ref>https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/fgdata/ci/654a343bbb7eb51b387060515e3415e152d12c2a/</ref>
As of mid 2016, the Qt UI is now also available  at runtime; however, this needs a lot of testing, but aircraft can be installed / changed and location adjusted from within the sim. After some number of times the sim will crash.<ref>https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/fgdata/ci/654a343bbb7eb51b387060515e3415e152d12c2a/</ref>
As of version 2016.4, FGRun has been removed from the official distributions.


== Background ==
== Background ==
In accordance with the [[FlightGear 4.xx Roadmap]], FlightGear's current graphical interface (based on the [[PUI]] library of [[PLIB]]) will be replaced by one based on Qt. [[FGRun]] will also be removed in future to be replaced by this launcher. In addition, a browser-based UI (called [[Phi]]) will continue to be developed in parallel.<ref>{{cite web
In accordance with the [[FlightGear 4.xx Roadmap]], FlightGear's current graphical interface (based on the [[PUI]] library of [[PLIB]]) will be replaced by one based on Qt. In addition, a browser-based UI (called [[Phi]]) will continue to be developed in parallel.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=25115#p229445
|url=https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=25115#p229445
|title=Re: New Canvas GUI
|title=Re: New Canvas GUI
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To run the launcher:
To run the launcher:
* Microsoft Windows users can double-click the '''FlightGear <version>''' icon on the Desktop or click on '''Start''' -> '''All Programs''' -> '''FlightGear <version>''' -> '''FlightGear Launcher''';
* Microsoft Windows users can double-click the '''FlightGear <version>''' icon on the Desktop or click on '''Start''' -> '''All Programs''' -> '''FlightGear <version>''' -> '''FlightGear Launcher''';
* OS X and Linux users must open a terminal and run <tt>fgfs</tt> with the option <code>--launcher</code>:
* OS X and Linux users must open a terminal and run <tt>fgfs</tt> with the option <code>--launcher</code>:<syntaxhighlight lang="shell">
<syntaxhighlight lang="shell">
$ fgfs --launcher
$ fgfs --launcher
</syntaxhighlight>
</syntaxhighlight>
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{{#ev:youtube|lJG3lL1vLDU}}
{{#ev:youtube|lJG3lL1vLDU}}
=== Multiplayer connections ===
As the launcher is still under development, only some basic options are present. Notably, no multiplayer option is shown on FlightGear {{Release Version|year=2016|minor=2}} and older. To connect to the multiplayer servers, you can do either of the following:
* Start FlightGear from the launcher and then choose {{menu item|Multiplayer|Multiplayer Settings}} inside the simulator.
* Open the '''Settings''' tab in the launcher and specify the following parameters:
<syntaxhighlight lang="shell">
--multiplay=out,10,mpserver01.flightgear.org, --multiplay=in,10,, --callsign=mycallsign
</syntaxhighlight>
replacing ''mpserver01.flightgear.org'' with the multiplayer server to be used and ''mycallsign'' with the desired callsign. Note that a callsign can only be 7 characters long.
A multiplayer option is now included in the Developmental version and will be published in {{Release Version|year=2016|minor=3}}.


=== Enabling console display on Windows systems ===
=== Enabling console display on Windows systems ===
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   }}
   }}
}}
}}
=== FGRun ===
One of the goals of the Qt launcher is to deprecate older frontends, like [[FGRun]].<ref>{{cite web
|url    = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/codetickets/1591/#4cb7
|title  = Re: #1591 Restore defaults sets invalid paths
|author = Gijs de Rooy
|date  = Mar 8th, 2015
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=235634#p235634
|title=<nowiki>Re: FGRUN I think it's useful add it in a standard way</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Tue Mar 17</nowiki>
}}</ref> At the time of writing (May 2016), however, it is still kept provisionally, and the user can choose whether to use the old or the new launcher. This is done for a variety of reasons:
* FGRun has more functionality than the Qt launcher;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=235167#p235167
|title=<nowiki>Re: FGRUN I think it's useful add it in a standard way</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>wkitty42</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sat Mar 14</nowiki>
}}</ref>
* it is still being debated whether Qt will also be used for the internal FlightGear UI, and to what extent (especially because there is partial overlapping with the Canvas framework);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=235635#p235635
|title=<nowiki>Re: FGRUN I think it's useful add it in a standard way</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>hamzaalloush</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Tue Mar 17</nowiki>
}}</ref>
* UI integration will take some time, due to the need for legacy code to be refactored;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=235646#p235646
|title=<nowiki>Re: FGRUN I think it's useful add it in a standard way</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Tue Mar 17</nowiki>
}}</ref>
* some building scripts still need to be updated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=235217#p235217
|title=<nowiki>Re: FGRUN I think it's useful add it in a standard way</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>wkitty42</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sun Mar 15</nowiki>
}}</ref>


=== Python in FlightGear ===
=== Python in FlightGear ===
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{{FGCquote
{{FGCquote
|1= My issues are:  
|1= My issues are:  
* I really would like to be able to see ONLY the planes I have installed on my system and not every single plane available for FG. Maybe a checkbox "show only local planes" could solve this? * I can't use a different FGDATA path, which was a very handy feature of FGRun. Even adding <nowiki>--fg-root=/path/to/fgdata</nowiki> to the "Additional options" field doesn't work. - when trying to add Aircraft and Scenery paths, I am presented with a dialog to find them, but I can't see hidden folders there, and Ctrl+H doesn't affect it  
* I can't use a different FGDATA path, which was a very handy feature of FGRun. Even adding <nowiki>--fg-root=/path/to/fgdata</nowiki> to the "Additional options" field doesn't work. - when trying to add Aircraft and Scenery paths, I am presented with a dialog to find them, but I can't see hidden folders there, and Ctrl+H doesn't affect it  
* I can't seem to be able to move a scenery path up and down to change the priority order, which is fundamental when using custom scenery
* seems to have much fewer options than FGRun, some of which were handy (for instance, where can I set texture compression now?)  
* seems to have much fewer options than FGRun, some of which were handy (for instance, where can I set texture compression now?)  
* I love the airport view but I would expect I could position and rotate my aircraft anywhere by clicking around instead of being able to only select runways (which would be a handy feature to start at a parking position if it's not defined for a given airport)
* I love the airport view but I would expect I could position and rotate my aircraft anywhere by clicking around instead of being able to only select runways (which would be a handy feature to start at a parking position if it's not defined for a given airport)
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== Development ==
== Development ==
Note the launcher on '''next''' will be in flux shortly as James will add some new features - support for the [[FlightGear Package Manager|aircraft package manager]] especially, and for specifying some directory locations to support "code only" nightly builds (see [[FlightGear Build Server]]) which use an existing FGData download<ref>{{cite web
|url    = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33503142/
|title  = <nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Qt launcher requirement bump in Flightgear git</nowiki>
|author = James Turner
|date  = Feb 27th, 2015
}}</ref>.
{{FGCquote
  |This [add-on] screen is work-in-progress, I have moved it already in my local version, but didn’t push the changes yet. There’s new UI around the download location too, and the aircraft-dir changes you mention. For aircraft package support in general, I am hoping that setting FG_AIRCRAFT / —fg-aircraft might not be needed, i.e if aircraft-dir is explicitly set, that would be sufficient. This makes having multiple variants of aircraft co-installed much easier for the package system, but will likely need some code fixes as you already identified.
  |{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33683510/
    |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Launcher issues on Linux</nowiki>
    |author=<nowiki>James Turner</nowiki>
    |date=<nowiki>2015-03-31</nowiki>
  }}
}}
{{FGCquote
  |this is an area I’m actively working on, especially how FG to aircraft version handling in the package system works. My current focus is to generate some test hangars on web-hosts to test against, once that works I will call out for other volunteers (Syd Adams already gracefully offered). Expect some churn in this area, in the next few weeks.
  |{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33683532/
    |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Non-existent default catalog</nowiki>
    |author=<nowiki>James Turner</nowiki>
    |date=<nowiki>2015-03-31</nowiki>
  }}
}}
{{FGCquote|1= The problem is the initialisation sequence. The QtLauncher starts before the 'dynamic airports'. Therefore the park positions are not available (unless they have been added to the NavDataCache by previous runs of FG, and the NavDataCache is not rebuilt).|2= {{cite web  | url    = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/34560946/  | title  = <nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] FGFS Launcher -->selecting Parkpositions ???</nowiki>  | author = <nowiki>Edward d'Auvergne</nowiki>  | date  = Oct 22nd, 2015  }}}}
{{FGCquote|1= The problem is the initialisation sequence. The QtLauncher starts before the 'dynamic airports'. Therefore the park positions are not available (unless they have been added to the NavDataCache by previous runs of FG, and the NavDataCache is not rebuilt).|2= {{cite web  | url    = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/34560946/  | title  = <nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] FGFS Launcher -->selecting Parkpositions ???</nowiki>  | author = <nowiki>Edward d'Auvergne</nowiki>  | date  = Oct 22nd, 2015  }}}}


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* [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26504#p246868 Airplane is in FG root, can't see in flightgear wizard]
* [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26504#p246868 Airplane is in FG root, can't see in flightgear wizard]
* {{ticket|1772|bug}}
* {{ticket|1772|bug}}
{{FGCquote
  |The default aircraft catalog download path is http://fgfs.goneabitbursar.com/pkg/<version>/default-catalog.xml, which does not exist for 3.4.0 or 3.5.0, giving a "catalog download failure:" error and an empty Aircraft Center [{{Issue|1737}}].
  |{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33679386/
    |title=<nowiki>[Flightgear-devel] Non-existent default catalog</nowiki>
    |author=<nowiki>Rebecca N. Palmer</nowiki>
    |date=<nowiki>2015-03-31</nowiki>
  }}
}}
{{FGCquote
  |The "Add-ons" tab of the launcher has several problems on Linux [see posting for details]
  |{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33679374/
    |title=<nowiki>[Flightgear-devel] Launcher issues on Linux</nowiki>
    |author=<nowiki>Rebecca N. Palmer</nowiki>
    |date=<nowiki>2015-03-31</nowiki>
  }}
}}
{{FGCquote
  |Further investigation found that the launcher *is* trying to add this directory to fg-aircraft (src/GUI/QtLauncher.cxx:772), but that this doesn't work because this option is processed before the launcher is run (intentionally, to allow the launcher to find aircraft in fg-aircraft: src/Main/main.cxx:448).
  |{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/33686356/
    |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Launcher issues on Linux</nowiki>
    |author=<nowiki>Rebecca N. Palmer</nowiki>
    |date=<nowiki>2015-04-01</nowiki>
  }}
}}


{{Appendix}}
{{Appendix}}


[[Category:Core development projects]]
[[Category:Core development projects]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.flightgear.org/Special:MobileDiff/106045"

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