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FlightGear Newsletter August 2012: Difference between revisions
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''We would like to emphasize that the monthly newsletter can not live without the contributions of FlightGear users and developers. Everyone with a wiki account (free to register) can edit the newsletter and every contribution is welcome. So if you know about any FlightGear related news or projects such as for example updated scenery or aircraft, please do feel invited to add such news to the newsletter.'' | ''We would like to emphasize that the monthly newsletter can not live without the contributions of FlightGear users and developers. Everyone with a wiki account (free to register) can edit the newsletter and every contribution is welcome. So if you know about any FlightGear related news or projects such as for example updated scenery or aircraft, please do feel invited to add such news to the newsletter.'' | ||
== FlightGear 2.8.0 | == FlightGear 2.8.0 released! == | ||
The FlightGear team is very excited to announce the v2.8.0 Release is now available! I will be brief and simply post the link to the official release announcement. | The FlightGear team is very excited to announce the v2.8.0 Release is now available! I will be brief and simply post the link to the official release announcement. | ||
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Enjoy!!! | Enjoy!!! | ||
== 15 years of FlightGear, screenshot contest == | |||
To celebrate FlightGear's 15th birthday (July 17), we decided to organise a screenshot contest. After two weeks of public voting, the winners were announced on August 18 with the release of FlightGear 2.8.0. The winning screenshots are used to promote FlightGear to the wider public. | |||
Nearly 500 people participated in the voting. Voters were presented with two random screenshots at a time, from which they had to pick the one that they liked most. This was repeated over and over again. In the end, 41845 screenshot pairs were compared! The screenshots were then ranked according to their pass ratio. The more a screenshot was prefered over it's partner, the higher it ended up in our ranking. | |||
The overall winner was '''Thorsten Renk''''s screenshot of a [[Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6|Seahawk]], "Passing through a rain front during a carrier approach.", which you can find below. The complete ranking and all participating screenshots can be found at [http://flightgear.org/contest flightgear.org/contest] | |||
Interested in reading more about FlightGear's history? See [[FlightGear History]]. | |||
[[File:Seahawk rainy carrier approach.jpg|800px]] | |||
== Development news == | == Development news == | ||
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Fred's been working on some fancy new effects, especially useful for our film-making enthusiasts. | Fred's been working on some fancy new effects, especially useful for our film-making enthusiasts. | ||
The [[Project Rembrandt|Rembrandt renderer]] has a lot of | The [[Project Rembrandt|Rembrandt renderer]] has a lot of potential when it comes to post processing effects. Indeed, the interesting property of a deferred shader is that all stages of rendering are kept in memory. Post-processing is as simple as using a filter on a camera. | ||
Currently the effects added in git are : | |||
* Night vision including amplification grain and restrained field of view, | * Night vision including amplification grain and restrained field of view, | ||
* Cinema effect including : | * Cinema effect including : | ||
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It should have at least a 1GHz processor and decent graphics chip. Android 2.3 is a must but a rooted device is not needed but can improve performance. Not much in this, as we haven't finished it to a release yet. He tested it on a bluetooth keyboard and a wired one through usb host mode. Hope you are interested in it! | It should have at least a 1GHz processor and decent graphics chip. Android 2.3 is a must but a rooted device is not needed but can improve performance. Not much in this, as we haven't finished it to a release yet. He tested it on a bluetooth keyboard and a wired one through usb host mode. Hope you are interested in it! | ||
The first ALPHA release is fresh out of its release, and you can read more | The first ALPHA release is fresh out of its release, and you can read more {{forum link|p=163745|text=at the forum}}. | ||
The FlightGear for Android Team | The FlightGear for Android Team | ||
* [http://horizonflightgearhangar.yolasite.com/fg-on-android.php Website] | * [http://horizonflightgearhangar.yolasite.com/fg-on-android.php Website] | ||
* | * {{forum link|t=16719|text=Forum topic}} | ||
=== Getting involved as a programmer === | === Getting involved as a programmer === | ||
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==== ATC-FS ==== | ==== ATC-FS ==== | ||
[[Image:ATC-FS.jpg|thumb|ATC-FS radar screen.]] | [[Image:ATC-FS.jpg|thumb|ATC-FS radar screen.]] | ||
The Air Traffic Control tool [[ATC-FS]] got an update. The old radar screen was replaced by a radar screen, which can display fixes, navaids and ILS localizers. This new radar is resizable, so you can use your big screen more | The Air Traffic Control tool [[ATC-FS]] got an update. The old radar screen was replaced by a radar screen, which can display fixes, navaids and ILS localizers. This new radar is resizable, so you can use your big screen more efficiently. | ||
The next version is already being worked on, it will | The next version is already being worked on, it will re-implement ATC-FS using the new [[Canvas]] system (scheduled for FG 3.0) so that a fully custom drawn radar screen can be created in scripting space, including custom GUI widgets (e.g. for flight strips) - without depending on any hard coded instruments or dialogs any longer. | ||
This new design will eventually even make it possible to reuse ATC-FS for other purposes, or even include it in an AWACS aircraft that is multiplayer-enabled. | This new design will eventually even make it possible to reuse ATC-FS for other purposes, or even include it in an AWACS aircraft that is multiplayer-enabled. | ||
==== Mil Mi-6 ==== | ==== Mil Mi-6 ==== | ||
The big old russian helicopter [[Mil Mi-6]] from the Mil design bureau has received a new update. More than a year after the last update a new structure of the Models | The big old russian helicopter [[Mil Mi-6]] from the Mil design bureau has received a new update. More than a year after the last update a new structure of the Models subfolder allows new instruments to be added much more easily. Also, the electrical system has been revisited and new instruments have been added to the engineer panels. Please keep in mind that this still is a very early development version and therefore a lot of work still needs to be done. It is available from its {{gitorious source|proj=mil-mi-6|repo=mi6dev|text=gitorious-page}}. | ||
== Scenery corner == | == Scenery corner == | ||
=== 3D models import webform === | === 3D models import webform === | ||
The webform to import 3D models directly into the | The webform to import 3D models directly into the database is in production. Now you can use this tool to send your models to the database which is used by [[TerraSync]]. If everything is fine and your model respects the specifications written in the foreword, then it will quickly be shipped to all FlightGear users worldwide through TerraSync. Yet another unique feature amongst the flight simulation world held by FlightGear. Thanks to Clément, Julien and Martin, for their help and support, and all of FlightGear users who showed interest and support in those tools. | ||
Already 100 3D models have been imported with this form in Shanghai, Berlin, Stuttgart, France and in the UK! See the statistics [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/stats.php here]. Thanks Gijs for the new nice layout. | Already 100 3D models have been imported with this form in Shanghai, Berlin, Stuttgart, France and in the UK! See the new statistics page [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/stats.php here]. Thanks to Gijs for the new nice layout and newly introduced "object density" numbers (number of objects per 10,000 square kilomter per country). | ||
With all the forms now working on the scenemodels website, remember you can: | With all the forms now working on the scenemodels website, remember you can: | ||
* add a single object (if you only have one!!). Check [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/index.php here]! | * add a single object (if you only have one!!). Check [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/index.php here]! | ||
* update an object (for instance, a lot of power pylons are in fact communication | * update an object (for instance, a lot of power pylons are in fact communication pylons). It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/shared/index_update.php here]! | ||
* delete an object (if it does not exist | * delete an object (if it does not exist any more in real life). It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/shared/index_delete.php here]! | ||
* run a mass object positions import (if you added a lot of objets in one place). It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/shared/index_mass_import.php here]! | * run a mass object positions import (if you added a lot of objets in one place). It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/shared/index_mass_import.php here]! | ||
* add 3D models you created to have them imported into FG scenery via Terrasync. It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/static/index.php here]: they can be specific to a city (for instance: the Eiffel tower), that's what is called 'static' in the FG world, or 'shared' (a new windturbine model, for instance). | * add 3D models you created to have them imported into FG scenery via Terrasync. It's [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission/static/index.php here]: they can be specific to a city (for instance: the Eiffel tower), that's what is called 'static' in the FG world, or 'shared' (a new windturbine model, for instance). | ||
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Remember that this is the strength of FG compared to other sims: everything can be in Terrasync and no need to download patches or sceneries here and there. | Remember that this is the strength of FG compared to other sims: everything can be in Terrasync and no need to download patches or sceneries here and there. | ||
Moreover, an | Moreover, an AC3D viewer by Juan Mellado is also available for general public for those whose browser supports WebGL (such as Firefox)! | ||
=== Scenemodels cleanup and update === | === Scenemodels cleanup and update === | ||
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* The [http://horizonflightgearhangar.yolasite.com/fg-on-android.php FOA] Team is looking for testers. | * The [http://horizonflightgearhangar.yolasite.com/fg-on-android.php FOA] Team is looking for testers. | ||
* The [[Target4Today]] project is looking for volunteers to help improving FlightGear's combat support | * The [[Target4Today]] project is looking for volunteers to help improving FlightGear's combat support | ||
* The [[FGX]] launcher project is looking for volunteers | |||
* The [[OpenRadar]] project is looking for a new maintainer. | * The [[OpenRadar]] project is looking for a new maintainer. | ||
* The [[FGFSPM]] (FlightGear Package Manager) is looking for a new maintainer. | * The [[FGFSPM]] (FlightGear Package Manager) is looking for a new maintainer. | ||
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2012 08]] | [[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2012 08]] | ||