2020 LTS Keflavik news post draft: Difference between revisions

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This is the draft for a (potential!) news post announcing Keflavik as the default airport with screenshots. Similar to the [https://www.flightgear.org/news/a-preview-of-new-features-in-the-honolulu-release/ 2018.3 LTS Honolulu announcement post]. A more detailed overview of features with associated screenshots could be done as a later post.
This is a draft post where descriptions of improvements since FG 2018.3 LTS to aircraft and other features by developers is collected - along with suitable screenshots. These descriptions of improvements are planned to be released as regular news updates on the flightgear.org homepage. The news updates are planned to be released a week apart.
If you are a developer, you can just hit the [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=2020_LTS_Keflavik_news_post_draft&action=edit edit] button and type a description. Knowledge of wiki syntax isn't needed for a simple draft.  


Since Thorsten is busy this one can be crowdsourced a bit :).
The most important things are the points about what to write, and some screenshots. Don't worry if wording or English is not perfect, it can be adjusted later. URLs to screenshots can simply be pasted if you don't know how to [[Special:UploadWizard|upload]], along with a note giving CC-BY-SA-4.0 permission.  


The points are the most important things, someone can go through and reword the language later. Just click edit and type using plain text. Wikimarkup knowledge isn't needed :).
James has said he is willing to review and update the homepage if material is submitted to the wiki, or otherwise handed over.  


Screenshots: feel free to upload to the wiki, or just add the imgur link for now.  
Screenshots: feel free to upload to the wiki, or just add the imgur link with a note saying permission is given for use under CC-BY-SA-4.0 for now.  
* [[:Category:Screenshots at high settings|This]] is a collection of existing /vaguely/ high settings screenshots made since 2017 already available on the wiki.
* [[:Category:Screenshots at high settings|This]] is a collection of existing /vaguely/ high settings screenshots made since 2017 already available on the wiki.
* There may be some suitable screenshots added recent SOTM
* There may be some suitable screenshots in the [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewforum.php?f=88 SOTM section] of the forum that have not been uploaded to the wiki yet.
* It's possible to pause and [[Howto:Make_nice_screenshots|turn up]] settings, if you normally have settings lower on an older laptop or similar.
* Some of these screenshots may end up being used on flightsim.com (the editor has apparently reached out about trying to cover the last 2-3 years of FG)


'''Update 1''': [http://wiki.flightgear.org/2020_LTS_airport_announcement_and_Iceland_intro_draft The part focusing on the LTS, default airport, and Iceland improvements has been split off into a tour post here].
==Submissions of drafts==


==A preview of new features in the 2020.3 LTS "Keflavik"==
===Release post: Welcome to Keflavik and Iceland===


[http://wiki.flightgear.org/File:Iceland_in_FlightGear_2020_01_Volcanic_plume_and_snow_(Aerospatiale_Alouette_III).jpg Volcanic plume and Alouette III screenshot by Thorsten]
[[:File:Iceland_in_FlightGear_2020_01_Volcanic_plume_and_snow_(Aerospatiale_Alouette_III).jpg|Volcanic plume and Alouette III screenshot by Thorsten]]


===Current release philosophy===
''[Longer intro? Mention lots updates over the last 2 years since the last LTS? Mention the person who normally does the updates got busy and a lot of progress missed receiving updates? Add sentence at end mentioning there will/may be upcoming dedicated posts about individual aircraft/features?]''
 
Flightgear's 2020.3 LTS will move to the world's newest country, geologically speaking, Iceland. Keflavík International Airport (BIKF) is the featured airport for the LTS. Buildings, roads, and objects such as pylons are available as a [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Areas_populated_with_osm2city_scenery separate download] [and will/may be added to Terrasync later?].
 
A land of fire, smoke, and ice Flightgear models several volcanoes with multiple levels of activity: Eyjafjallajökull which disrupted aviation in 2010, Surtsey, and the brooding, powerful, Katla. There are new regional definitions for Iceland - try turning overlays on to see very high resolution ground detail.
 
There is a lot to discover. You can try the C172p, J3Cub (with G1000), or Twin Otter which include float variants to explore the fjords of the north west, ski variants to land on one of the many ice caps in the south west, or bush tire variants in your adventures.
 
Possible screenshots:
* [Screenshot of shuttle landing here, preferably with current keep]
* [Screenshot of Earthview over Iceland - already provided by Eatdirt]
* [See tour post below with an into to Kevlavik and Iceland for more Keflavik/Iceland screenshots]
* [ [[:Category:Screenshots at high settings|See high settings screenshots category]] ]
 
===Longer tour section post: Keflavik announcement, Iceland intro, FG settings for Icleand===
[[2020_LTS_airport_announcement_and_Iceland_intro_draft|LTS default airport announcement, introduction to Iceland, configuring FG settings for Iceland]]
 
===After release: Current release philosophy===
Currently placeholder text. For publishing a longer time after the improvement posts.


As of 2018.3 LTS, Flightgear has transitioned two release types:
As of 2018.3 LTS, Flightgear has transitioned two release types:
Line 27: Line 49:
There are minor improvements planned to the launcher UI in 2020.3 point releases. There are a lot of big changes already underway and planned after 2020.3 LTS, so if you are curious keep an eye on future development previews leading to the next LTS.
There are minor improvements planned to the launcher UI in 2020.3 point releases. There are a lot of big changes already underway and planned after 2020.3 LTS, so if you are curious keep an eye on future development previews leading to the next LTS.


===After release: Project status===
More appropriate for another post a while after the release. This should provide a situation report for people that may be interested in contributing.


Intro?
Items: WS 3.0, Compositor, OSM2City world build/tech improvements, in-sim UI replacement work, infrastructure for regular world builds, Australia shapefile revamp etc. etc.


Possible things to mention:
===Aircraft===
</br>
* mention lots updates over the last 2 years?
* <s>the new release format?</s> Done
* mention the person who normally does the updates got busy and a lot of progress missed receiving updates?
* <s>project status with areas of ongoing core work?</s> Maybe more appropriate in another post later


===Welcome to Keflavik and Iceland===
----


FG's 2020 LTS will move to the world's newest country, geologically speaking, Iceland. Keflavík International Airport (BIKF) is the featured airport for the LTS. Buildings, roads, and objects such as pylons are available as a [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Areas_populated_with_osm2city_scenery separate download] [and will/may be added to Terrasync later?].
Developers please add descriptions & screenshots here. These should be for a dedicated newspost with a bunch of high settings screenshots.  
[[Changelog_2020.3|Flightgear 2020.3 Changelog]]


A land of fire, smoke, and ice Flightgear models several volcanoes with multiple levels of activity: Eyjafjallajökull which disrupted aviation in 2010, Surtsey, and the brooding, powerful, Katla. There are new regional definitions for Iceland - try turning overlays on to see very high resolution ground detail.  
It's possible to collect a bunch of aircraft with smaller improvements in one post - for instance if there are high settings screenshots available,  
making it convenient.
 
You can mention an entry is <not ready> if further things need to be added, or create a separate article and add the link here.
 
 
 
====Space Shuttle====
 
====A320====
New to the 2020.3 release is an updated and improved version of the Airbus A320. First flown in 1987, the A320 is the most produced airliner ever, with over 9,500 built to date. It was one of the first airliners to use fully digital flight controls / fly by wire, and a fully glass cockpit.
 
This aircraft has been recreated by a team of developers over many years, and is now distributed in FGAddon. Among other features, it has a working MCDU (Multi-Function Control Display Unit), which makes it one of the first aircraft in FGAddon to allow proper operation of a modern airliner's avionics. It also has some unique features such as allowing pilots to fetch their flight plans from Simbrief, or to request weather and digital ATIS in the MCDU.
[Screenshot of MCDU F-PLN page in flight]
 
In terms of systems, it is one of the most detailed aircraft in FlightGear, as it accurately represents the behaviours of the real Airbus; for instance, each switch, valve, and actuator has its own power supply, and will only operate if it is powered. Thousands of logic diagrams and system schematics have been used to accurately represent the Airbus and to allow for some limited failure modelling. Some indication of the detail might be given by looking at the ELEC page on the System Display, and observing how the frequency of the generators changes as you adjust engine power.
[Screenshot of one of the ECAM SD pages]


There is a lot to discover. You can try the C172p, J3Cub (with G1000), or Twin Otter which include float variants to explore the fjords of the north west, ski variants to land on one of the many ice caps in the south west, or bush tire variants in your adventures.
The A320 also features a ECAM system which monitors the systems of the aircraft, presents failures to the crew, and suggests steps to remedy them. Most of the important failures have their own checklist, for instance the ALL ENG FAIL checklist shown here.
[Screenshot of the ECAM system in action]


Possible screenshots (also needed for the article focusing on LTS, default airport announcement, Iceland improvements):
In the future the A320 will be receiving a fantastic new 3D model and a new flight dynamics package -- keep an eye out for the update!
</br>
[Screenshot of the new model]
[Screenshot of shuttle landing here, preferably with current keep]
</br>
[Kelfavik art installation screenshot, Iceland OSM2City pictures]
</br>
[Screenshot of Surtsey, screenshot of Aurora in Iceland]
</br>
[Screenshot of a volcano with no eruption?]
</br>
[Screenshots: [http://www.science-and-fiction.org/FG/pics/iceland03.jpg this] one of Iceland terrain, maybe screenshot of overlays with transparency AA turned up high like [http://wiki.flightgear.org/File:Bell_412_in_Iceland_(Flightgear_2019.x).jpg this] ]
</br>
[Screenshots of varying environment sliders in Iceland]
</br>
[at least one screenshot of weather in Iceland: red ice crystal halo at sunset like
</br>
[http://wiki.flightgear.org/File:Aurora_Borealis_and_Sun_halo_in_Northern_Norway_in_Autumn_(Flightgear_2019.x).jpg this]]


===Features===
----
----


To do:
====FG1000====
 
- Mention a few major improvements and the space shuttle from [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Changelog_2020.3 the changelog] (backed by high settings screenshots).


- Mention at the end that a more detailed article about features mentioned in the changelog is planned?
[...]
842

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