FlightGear Newsletter October 2016: Difference between revisions

Finish cleanup
(More cleanup)
(Finish cleanup)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content that you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community.<br>You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter September 2016]].}}
{{Newsletter-header|October 2016}}
{{Newsletter-header|October 2016}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
Line 17: Line 15:
[[#2016 Camaro SS|2016 Camaro SS]]<br>
[[#2016 Camaro SS|2016 Camaro SS]]<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br>
[[#Scenery/LOD experiments|Scenery/LOD experiments]]<br>
[[#New experimental terrain engine|New experimental terrain engine]]<br>
  | valign="top" width="33%" |
  | valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
Line 33: Line 31:
|author = chris_blues
|author = chris_blues
|date  = Oct 4th, 2016
|date  = Oct 4th, 2016
}}</ref> Some details about the airport can be found [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=30471&start=15#p295274 here].
}}</ref> Some details about the airport can be found [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=295274#p295274 here].


=== Git multimail script updated ===
=== Git multimail script updated ===
Line 96: Line 94:
[[File:Canvas-ND-live-streaming-via-httpd.png|thumb|Screenshot showing a [[NavDisplay]]) streamed to Mozilla Firefox]]
[[File:Canvas-ND-live-streaming-via-httpd.png|thumb|Screenshot showing a [[NavDisplay]]) streamed to Mozilla Firefox]]
ThomasS has created a patch for FlightGear for downloading any [[Canvas]] image from a running FlightGear process via HTTP.<ref>{{cite web
ThomasS has created a patch for FlightGear for downloading any [[Canvas]] image from a running FlightGear process via HTTP.<ref>{{cite web
|url    = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=30642#p296627
|url    = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=296627#p296627
|title  = Re: Canvas remote drawing
|title  = Re: Canvas remote drawing
|author = ThomasS
|author = ThomasS
Line 116: Line 114:


== Scenery corner ==
== Scenery corner ==
=== Scenery/LOD experiments ===
=== New experimental terrain engine ===
psadro_gm has the normal calculations, now. Everything is being generated on the fly. psadro_gm sees very little CPU usage.
psadro_gm has been working on an experimental terrain engine. It works by using shaders and raster images to form the terrain. As of 10/2016, it allows for terrain generation on-the-fly and changes in the level of detail (LOD).<ref>{{cite web
Still lot's to do - e.g. need to sample 1 extra pixel in the DEM so edges of tiles get correct normals ( you can see the edges )
|url    = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=295882#p295882
 
|title  = Re: Next-generation scenery generating?
Also, psadro_gm hasn't created skirts, yet, so there are gaps between levels.
|author = psadro_gm
 
|date  = Oct 1st, 2016
psadro_gm will add to Mathias' tunables to select grid spacing at each LOD level, to see if we can minimie the popping.
|added  = Oct 1st, 2016
Note: the texture is just 1 4096x4096 sheet for the whole planet.  It'll be nice to see what we can do with procedural texturing.<ref>{{cite web
|script_version = 0.40
  |url    = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=295882#p295882  
}}</ref> If the does get integrated fully, it will render [[TerraGear]] obsolete. However, there is still a lot of development work to do. The below videos show the change in LOD as one flies closer to the terrain.
  |title  = <nowiki> Re: Next-generation scenery generating? </nowiki>
  |author = <nowiki> psadro_gm </nowiki>
  |date  = Oct 1st, 2016  
  |added  = Oct 1st, 2016  
  |script_version = 0.40  
  }}</ref>
 
As far as creating ws3.0, let's see how the experimental engine works out. It basically does away with terragear, and uses standard gis tools for all elevation, landclass editing.<ref>{{cite web
  |url    =  https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/35448526/
  |title  =  <nowiki> Re: [Flightgear-devel] apt.dat - add local version ? </nowiki>
  |author =  <nowiki> Peter Sadrozinski </nowiki>
  |date  =  Oct 24th, 2016
  |added  =  Oct 24th, 2016
  |script_version = 0.40
  }}</ref>
 
Terragear was never meant as a 'users' tool. It was designed to generate world scenery ( the whole planet at once ), not individual custom scenery locations.
 
That said, there have been some ( mostly unsuccessful ) attempts to make it more user friendly.  We will see how far the new scenery experiments get us.  If it shows enough promise, perhaps it will become the way forward, and terragear will mostly disappear.  QGIS or GRASS, along with a few scripts will all that you would need to generate custom scenery, then.<ref>{{cite web
  |url    =  https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=296211#p296211
  |title  =  <nowiki> Re: terragear wont build </nowiki>
  |author =  <nowiki> psadro_gm </nowiki>
  |date  =  Oct 7th, 2016
  |added  =  Oct 7th, 2016
  |script_version = 0.40
  }}</ref>
 
 
 
To learn more, see [[Experimental terrain engine]]


{{#ev:youtube|-eWEB0-j7zk}} {{#ev:youtube|v9M2La8ZN1U}}
''To learn more, see [[Experimental terrain engine]]…''


== Community news ==
{{#ev:youtube|-eWEB0-j7zk}}
{{#ev:youtube|v9M2La8ZN1U}}


== Contributing ==
== Contributing ==
Line 196: Line 165:




If you want to participate in the screenshot contest of November 2016, you can submit your candidate to [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30902 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30902#p297955 first post] for participation rules. For purposes of convenience and organization, after all the entries have been submitted, a new forum topic will be started containing all shots in an easy-to-view layout. The voting will then take place there. Once the voting has finished, the best screenshot will be presented in the Newsletter edition of November 2016.
If you want to participate in the screenshot contest of November 2016, you can submit your candidate to [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30902 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=297955#p297955 first post] for participation rules. For purposes of convenience and organization, after all the entries have been submitted, a new forum topic will be started containing all shots in an easy-to-view layout. The voting will then take place there. Once the voting has finished, the best screenshot will be presented in the Newsletter edition of November 2016.


{{Appendix}}
{{Appendix}}