FlightGear Newsletter September 2014: Difference between revisions

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FlightGear Newsletter September 2014 (view source)

Revision as of 16:24, 1 October 2014

984 bytes added ,  1 October 2014
Subject categories, shuffle around, wiki syntax
(FGCamera news)
(Subject categories, shuffle around, wiki syntax)
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{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
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{{Newsletter-cover-item|FlightGear 3.2 released (this time for real!)}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|DDS feedback needed}}<br/><br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|DDS feedback needed}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Aircraft moved to SVN}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Aircraft moved to SVN}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Improve the multiplayer experience}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Preview of FGCamera v1.1 features}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|The hidden map}}<br/>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Other}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Using Ada in FlightGear}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Using Ada in FlightGear}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Performance Issues}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Performance issues}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|The hidden Map}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Learning Canvas using copy and paste}}<br/>
 
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Dynamic liveries via Canvas: exhaust dirt}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Interview with a contributor}}<br/>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Interview with a contributor}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Improve the multiplayer experience}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|Airbus A300-600}}<br/><br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Events}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-item|FSweekend 2014}}<br/>
|}
|}
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If there are no problems reported, FG will change defaults to textures in DDS format with the 3.4 release, and then phase out the use of png textures.
If there are no problems reported, FG will change defaults to textures in DDS format with the 3.4 release, and then phase out the use of png textures.


Continue reading at [[Switching default texture format to DDS]]...
Continue reading and report your experiences at [[Switching default texture format to DDS]]...


== Aircraft moved to SVN ==
==Development news==
=== Aircraft moved to SVN ===
Some months ago we decided to host our aircraft on an SVN repository in order to relieve <code>fgdata</code>.
Some months ago we decided to host our aircraft on an SVN repository in order to relieve <code>fgdata</code>.
The <code>fgdata</code> repo would be a mirror of the base package.
The <code>fgdata</code> repo would be a mirror of the base package.
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This repository is named "FGAddon" because its content is not required to run FlightGear but provides a new feature (aircraft in this case); this is usually called an "addon".
This repository is named "FGAddon" because its content is not required to run FlightGear but provides a new feature (aircraft in this case); this is usually called an "addon".


=== Advantages ===
'''Advantages'''
On the user side, the most important feature is to be able to checkout only desired aircraft, as you no longer need to download the 400+ aircraft at once.
On the user side, the most important feature is to be able to checkout only desired aircraft, as you no longer need to download the 400+ aircraft at once.


On the developer side, the most important interest is to have a base package (<code>fgdata</code>) which is lighter to sync for new contributors and easier to keep up to date.
On the developer side, the most important interest is to have a base package (<code>fgdata</code>) which is lighter to sync for new contributors and easier to keep up to date.


=== A mini HowTo ===
'''A mini HowTo'''
* For Windows:  Install TortoiseSVN (http://tortoisesvn.net/)  
* For Windows:  Install TortoiseSVN (http://tortoisesvn.net/)  
* For Linux/Mac:  Install SVN
* For Linux/Mac:  Install SVN
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The aircraft will remain in the <code>fgdata</code> Git repository for a few months, until everyone has transitioned to the SVN repositories.
The aircraft will remain in the <code>fgdata</code> Git repository for a few months, until everyone has transitioned to the SVN repositories.


=== Background ===
'''Background'''
For our aircraft developers who don't regularly read the mailing list (even though any aircraft developers should already be subscribed), please read this topic: https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/flightgear-devel/thread/DUB127-W168600DE27B42094E5263EC3C10%40phx.gbl/#msg3280971
For our aircraft developers who don't regularly read the mailing list (even though any aircraft developers should already be subscribed), please read [https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/flightgear-devel/thread/DUB127-W168600DE27B42094E5263EC3C10%40phx.gbl/#msg3280971 this topic].
 
===Preview of FGCamera v1.1 features===
FGCamera v1.1 is coming soon. New features:
* View categories;
* Each view can open GUI dialog;
* Views can be cloned.
{{#ev:youtube|YUG7G0IMpXc}}
{{#ev:youtube|jZnIB1gKpYM}}
 
=== Improve the multiplayer experience ===
The previously introduced <code><usage>interior</usage></code> tag has been extended to support MP/AI models. A new level of detail (LOD) key is added to the LOD dialog which affects the distance of loading the interior model of AI/MP models. The default value is 50 meter.  In other words, the interior model of AI/MP is loaded '''only''' when you are at less than 50 meters of the AI/MP models.
 
See [[Modelling guidelines]] for more tips on how to create optimized models.
 
=== The hidden map ===
[[File:FlightGear-Map-on-Android.png|right|x400px]]
Did you know that FlightGear has an internal web server? And did you ever ask yourself the question, what does a flight simulator needs a web server for? A nice and impressive use case is a map application that has just been brought to the main menu. Click on "Equipment" and select "Map (opens in browser)". Your web browser will pop up and show a map based on current web standards. It can display OpenStreetMap maps as a base layer as well as satelite image or roads from MapQuest. Overlays for current (real) weather like precipitation and isobares exist. The map can display FlightGear internal navigation data like airports, navaids etc. And it can display AI traffic and multiplayer aircraft, too.
Of course, it runs on any decent browser, but not only the one on your FlightGear computer. It is web-app-capable so you can install it to your mobile device (IOS and Android) to have a full screen map App on your tablet or phone displaying your current FlightGear status. All this at almost zero cost for the FlightGear main loop. All the rendering computations are done within your browser. The FlightGear webserver only provides the HTML and JavaScript files and transmits the internal properties over a websocket.
To enable the internal browser-based map, you need to enable the internal web server by adding <code>--httpd=8080</code> to your command line.
Consult your mobile devices operation manual about how to add a web page as a full screen App.


== Using Ada in FlightGear ==
== Using Ada in FlightGear ==
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To learn more, please see [[Howto:Using Ada in FlightGear]]
To learn more, please see [[Howto:Using Ada in FlightGear]]


== Improve the multiplayer experience ==
== Performance issues ==
The <usage>interior</usage> tag has been extended to support MP/AI models.
 
A new LOD key is added to the LOD dialog which affect the distance of loading the interior model of AI/MP models. Default value is 50.0
 
In other words, the interior model of AI/MP is loaded '''only''' when you are at less than 50.0 meters of the AI/MP models.
 
 
http://wiki.flightgear.org/Modelling_guidelines#Modelling_guidelines
 
 
== Performance Issues ==
Several FlightGear users have pointed out inexplicable "slowness" that originally seemed related to the property rules subsystem - which is a subsystem that Torsten originally wrote/ported, so he investigated a little and managed to track this down to a pretty serious bug in the effects subsystem that may end up registering thousands of identical listeners, despite effects/shaders not even being in use necessarily.  
Several FlightGear users have pointed out inexplicable "slowness" that originally seemed related to the property rules subsystem - which is a subsystem that Torsten originally wrote/ported, so he investigated a little and managed to track this down to a pretty serious bug in the effects subsystem that may end up registering thousands of identical listeners, despite effects/shaders not even being in use necessarily.  


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* [[FlightGear Headless|Running FlightGear headless]] (i.e. without a window, used for subsystem performance testing)
* [[FlightGear Headless|Running FlightGear headless]] (i.e. without a window, used for subsystem performance testing)
* [[Testing|Testing Performance]]
* [[Testing|Testing Performance]]


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</gallery>
</gallery>


== The hidden Map ==
== Learning Canvas using copy and paste ==
[[File:FlightGear-Map-on-Android.png|right|400px]]
Did you know that FlightGear has an internal web server? And did you ever ask yourself the question, what does a flight simulator needs a web server for? A nice and impressive use case is a map application that has just been brought to the main menu. Click on "Equipment" and select "Map (opens in browser)". Your web browser will pop up and show a map based on current web standards. It can display OpenStreetMap maps as a base layer as well as satelite image or roads from MapQuest. Overlays for current (real) weather like precipitation and isobares exist. The map can display FlightGear internal navigation data like airports, navaids etc. And it can display AI traffic and multiplayer aircraft, too.
Of course, it runs on any decent browser, but not only the one on your FlightGear computer. It is web-app-capable so you can install it to your mobile device (IOS and Android) to have a full screen map App on your tablet or phone displaying your current FlightGear status. All this at almost zero cost for the FlightGear main loop. All the rendering computations are done within your browser. The FlightGear webserver only provides the HTML and JavaScript files and transmits the internal properties over a websocket.
To enable the internal browser-based map, you need to enable the internal web server by adding <code>--httpd=8080</code> to your command line.
Consult your mobile devices operation manual about how to add a web page as a full screen App.
 
== Learning Canvas using Copy & Paste ==
Given that we still have aircraft developers who consider [[Canvas]] programming too 'inaccessible', we've started a dedicate wiki article for gathering useful Canvas snippets - early Canvas adopters are obviously invited to help grow this library of snippets over time to turn this into a useful repository for all people wanting to do Canvas development in some shape or form. For starters, here's a simple snippet creating a GUI dialog:  
Given that we still have aircraft developers who consider [[Canvas]] programming too 'inaccessible', we've started a dedicate wiki article for gathering useful Canvas snippets - early Canvas adopters are obviously invited to help grow this library of snippets over time to turn this into a useful repository for all people wanting to do Canvas development in some shape or form. For starters, here's a simple snippet creating a GUI dialog:  


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See: [[Canvas Snippets]]
See: [[Canvas Snippets]]
== Dynamic Liveries via Canvas / Proof of Concept: Exhaust dirt==
 
''by [[User:Algernon|Algernon]] ([[User talk:Algernon|talk]]) 17:09, 17 September 2014 (UTC) ''
== Dynamic liveries via Canvas: exhaust dirt==
''by [[User:Algernon|Algernon]] ([[User talk:Algernon|talk]])''


To document the implementation on a FlightGear aircraft from the aircraft developer's point of view, I've chosen one of my pet projects, the Eurofighter EF2000 V2.0 which will be released in early 2015.
To document the implementation on a FlightGear aircraft from the aircraft developer's point of view, I've chosen one of my pet projects, the Eurofighter EF2000 V2.0 which will be released in early 2015.
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'''Good day then, and thanks for agreeing to this interview.''' No problem.
'''Good day then, and thanks for agreeing to this interview.''' No problem.


==Development news==
== In the hangar ==
===Preview of FGCamera v1.1 features===
=== Airbus A300-600 ===
FGCamera v1.1 is coming soon. New features:
* View categories;
* Each view can open GUI dialog;
* Views can be cloned.
{{#ev:youtube|YUG7G0IMpXc}}
{{#ev:youtube|jZnIB1gKpYM}}
 
==In the Hangar==


'''[[Airbus A300-600]]'''
This [[Airbus A300-600]] has been developed by Airbus330 and Toryx (Developer of the A310), using many parts of the A310. The flightdeck was taken from the A300-600ST, but has the addition of a Cockpit Controllable Autopilot. It has a reasonably detailed exterior model, with accurate flap, speed brake, and spoiler position animations, tail surface animations and tyre smoke.  The interior now consists only of the cockpit, but that is fairly detailed except for the overhead panel. The version currently available for download from the forum or wiki has only the A300-603, but a version with the A300-600F will soon be released, (as soon as I make enough liveries).
 
Currently, the engines are always on, but I am now working on an autostart system, which will also be in the next release.  
This Airbus A300-600 has been developed by Airbus330 and Toryx (Developer of the A310), using many parts of the A310. The Flightdeck was taken from the A300-600ST, but has the addition of a Cockpit Controllable Autopilot. It has a reasonably detailed exterior model, with accurate flap, speed brake, and spoiler position animations, tail surface animations and tyre smoke.  The interior now consists only of the cockpit, but that is fairly detailed except for the overhead panel. The version currently available for download from the forum or wiki has only the A300-603, but a version with the A300-600F will soon be released, (as soon as i make enough liveries).
Currently, the engines are always on, but i am now working on an autostart system, which will also be in the next release.  


<gallery mode=packed widths=230px heights=230px>
<gallery mode=packed widths=230px heights=230px>
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File:A300-600 Flightdeck.png|The "Office"
File:A300-600 Flightdeck.png|The "Office"
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Events ==
=== FSweekend 2014 ===
Next month, in the weekend of '''1 and 2 November 2014''', a team of FlightGear developers will present FlightGear to the public at the world's largest flightsimulator event. The so called FSweekend is held yearly in the Aviodrome aviation museum at [[Lelystad Airport]] (EHLE), the Netherlands. The team would love to welcome you in Lelystad!
More info can be found at [http://fsweekend.com fsweekend.com]
[[File:FSweekend banner 2014.jpg]]
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2014 09]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.flightgear.org/Special:MobileDiff/76882"

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