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User:Johan G/Howto:Create an aircraft: Difference between revisions
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{{note|This article also relates to other controllable craft, like for example cars and ships.}} | {{note|This article also relates to other controllable craft, like for example cars and ships.}} | ||
== If you are entirely new to aircraft development == | |||
If you are entirely new to aircraft development it might be better to start with adding features to existing aircraft, than making one from scratch. Though skimming through this article will still be of help. | |||
By starting off tinkering with an existing aircraft you will for example easier grasp things like | |||
* Typical file structures (and perhaps also that they can differ to some degree) | |||
* Contents of important files | |||
And depending on what you start with you could also begin to understand concepts like | |||
* Drawing images and writing configuration files for liveries | |||
* Modeling and animating 3D models | |||
* Scripting systems in the Nasal programming language | |||
* Tuning autopilots | |||
* Improving handling characteristics | |||
* Working with Git revision control repositories | |||
* Working in development teams | |||
* The GNU GPLv2 license and perhaps the Creative Commons licenses | |||
* Etc. | |||
In addition starting by improving an existing aircraft will also get you more aware of the hurdles involved and the time it takes to develop an aircraft. | |||
{{FGCquote | |||
|One of the better approaches for a noob is to start out working on improving something that is already there but needs work. It limits the steepness of learning curve and allows you to actually get something done in the short term. This allows you to keep the frustration level down while learning how things work. Only a small % of aircraft development noobs who start a new aircraft without having done some previous work on another aircraft actually manage produce something worth while. It does happen but it is rare - the recent Bonanza work by a noob is an example of one of these rare cases. A much larger % of those who start off doing smaller tasks on existing aircraft end up making a significant contribution either by doing smaller things to a lot of aircraft or by transforming an existing aircraft into something much better (the P-51D is an example of one of these) or after building a decent skill set doing their own aircraft from scratch. <br/> | |||
<br/> | |||
Doing some cockpit work on the X-02 sounds like the next logical step for you. This will allow you to do some 3D modeling (pick something that is fairly simple for your first 3D model) and more XML work and will move you another step up the learning curve while still allowing you to get something working in a relatively short time frame.<br/> | |||
<br/> | |||
We come in all different ages here. Some of us are very old and some are very young and many are somewhere in between. It does not matter. We can all learn new things and if we try we can all contribute something. What matters is your attitude and aptitude and you appear to be on the right track with both.. | |||
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=213634#p213634 | |||
|title=<nowiki>Re: Idea: Ace Combat Fictional Aircraft Set</nowiki> | |||
|author=<nowiki>hvengel</nowiki> | |||
|date=<nowiki>Fri Jun 27</nowiki> | |||
}} | |||
}} | |||
== Before starting == | == Before starting == | ||