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FlightGear Newsletter January 2021: Difference between revisions
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FlightGear Newsletter January 2021 (view source)
Revision as of 09:33, 12 February 2021
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== Development news == | == Development news == | ||
<!-- News about FlightGear itself. The FlightGear mailing list and/or core developers are a good source. -->There has been a huge amount of changes on next in recent months, as well as changes in supporting infrastructure like TerraSync. These are in preparation for transitions to: next gen scenery (WS 3.0), Compositor, OSM2City world build rollout, and so on. There are various other changes like in-sim GUI replacement that are being worked on, but not on next. | <!-- News about FlightGear itself. The FlightGear mailing list and/or core developers are a good source. -->There has been a huge amount of changes on the next branch in recent months, as well as changes in supporting infrastructure like TerraSync. These are in preparation for transitions to: next gen scenery (WS 3.0), Compositor, OSM2City world build rollout, and so on. There are various other changes like in-sim GUI replacement that are being worked on, but not on next. | ||
As usual, nightly builds are available at: [https://download.flightgear.org/builds/nightly/ download.flightgear.org] . These now include [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppImage Appimages] for Linux. | As usual, nightly builds of the next branch are available at: [https://download.flightgear.org/builds/nightly/ download.flightgear.org] . These now include [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppImage Appimages] for Linux. | ||
=== FlightGear 2020.3.6 released === | === FlightGear 2020.3.6 released === | ||
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The next branch contains a prototype of [[World Scenery 3.0 roadmap|WS 3.0]], FlightGear's next generation scenery. | The next branch contains a prototype of [[World Scenery 3.0 roadmap|WS 3.0]], FlightGear's next generation scenery. | ||
OSG 3.6 is needed. The prototype is not currently available on windows nightlies as they use OSG 3.4 because the [[OSGText Issues|OSG text issue]] has not been fixed yet. Windows users that compile from source can build with OSG | OSG 3.6 is needed. The prototype is not currently available on windows nightlies as they use OSG 3.4 because the [[OSGText Issues|OSG text issue]] has not been fixed yet. Windows users that compile from source can build with OSG 3.6 and view the prototype. | ||
'''Status''' | '''Status''' | ||
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* The rendering effects are currently very basic. There are just some textures assigned to a few landclasses. Full ALS terrain effects are yet to be ported to the shaders. Transitions and other effects have not been implemented. | * The rendering effects are currently very basic. There are just some textures assigned to a few landclasses. Full ALS terrain effects are yet to be ported to the shaders. Transitions and other effects have not been implemented. | ||
* Airports use the current WS 2 format, and fully work with WS 3.0 scenery. The [[World Scenery 3.0 roadmap#Objective|plan]] is to move to runtime generated airports eventually, but this can happen after the first WS 3.0 release as StuartB has found a way to use WS 2 airports. | * Airports use the current WS 2 format, and fully work with WS 3.0 scenery. The [[World Scenery 3.0 roadmap#Objective|plan]] is to move to runtime generated airports eventually, but this can happen after the first WS 3.0 release as StuartB has found a way to use WS 2 airports by lowering the WS3 terrain underneath. | ||
* Currently WS 3.0 rendering uses a lower version of OpenGL. Scott is working on [[OpenGL#Status|moving to OpenGL 4]] and porting the shaders to a higher glsl version. After that, WS 3.0 rendering can leverage more techniques. | * Currently WS 3.0 rendering uses a lower version of OpenGL. Scott is working on [[OpenGL#Status|moving to OpenGL 4]] and porting the shaders to a higher glsl version. After that, WS 3.0 rendering can leverage more techniques. | ||
* Marc has added the first implementation of trees on top of WS 3.0 terrain - this currently uses one tree type and is slow. Performance will be fixed in due course. | * Marc has added the first implementation of trees on top of WS 3.0 terrain - this currently uses one tree type and is slow. Performance will be fixed in due course. | ||
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# Download VPB terrain: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tqDMKiVfaCsdDRjOaKCQLBiWjrOGuzxP/view?usp=sharing UK scenery] by StuartB - 450 MB . Extract and add to you custom scenery folders list (the folder to be added is the folder containing the 'vpb' folder. e.g. add WS30_UK to the customs scenery folder list when the vpb folder is in WS3_UK/vpb.). This scenery will be added to TerraSync in future, and it will be downloaded automatically when you start an airport that is covered by the scenery. If scenery is absent there will be blue sky surrounding the airport. ''This scenery will become available through TerraSync in future.'' | # Download VPB terrain: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tqDMKiVfaCsdDRjOaKCQLBiWjrOGuzxP/view?usp=sharing UK scenery] by StuartB - 450 MB . Extract and add to you custom scenery folders list (the folder to be added is the folder containing the 'vpb' folder. e.g. add WS30_UK to the customs scenery folder list when the vpb folder is in WS3_UK/vpb.). This scenery will be added to TerraSync in future, and it will be downloaded automatically when you start an airport that is covered by the scenery. If scenery is absent there will be blue sky surrounding the airport. ''This scenery will become available through TerraSync in future.'' | ||
# Turn on VPB terrain. Use: --prop:/scenery/use-vpb=true . You can type this into command-line settings box in the launcher: Launcher -> settings -> Additional settings -> enter --prop:/scenery/use-vpb=true . | # Turn on VPB terrain. Use: --prop:/scenery/use-vpb=true . You can type this into command-line settings box in the launcher: Launcher -> settings -> Additional settings -> enter --prop:/scenery/use-vpb=true . | ||
# Start at a Airport for which there is VPB terrain. In the UK, EGPH an airport devs have used for testing but any airport will do. | # Start at a Airport for which there is VPB terrain. In the UK, EGPH is an airport devs have used for testing but any airport will do. | ||
# Two GUI controls for WS 3.0 will be enabled in Menu->View->Rendering. | # Two GUI controls for WS 3.0 will be enabled in <code>Menu->View->Rendering</code>. <code>Elevation mesh sample ratio</code> <nowiki/>controls how small the terrain grid will be (may be useful for older systems that are limited by number of vertices ). <code>Elevation delta below airports</code> is how far the WS 3.0 terrain is lowered under WS 2 airports. | ||
==== Compositor ==== | ==== Compositor ==== | ||
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=== Automated environment slider configuration === | === Automated environment slider configuration === | ||
Erik has added a sophisticated algorithm automatically configure the sliders in the <code>Environment -> Environment settings</code> dialog with plausible guesses based on a rough climate classification of the surrounding region, time of year, altitude, etc. as well as a guess at weather history for things like snow or rain accumulation given the current weather. The environment sliders will change | Erik has added a sophisticated algorithm automatically configure the sliders in the <code>Environment -> Environment settings</code> dialog with plausible guesses based on a rough climate classification of the surrounding region, time of year, altitude, etc. as well as a guess at weather history for things like snow or rain accumulation given the current weather. The environment sliders will change as you travel to different parts of the world, or change the time of year - try changing the month and watching sliders. These are still guesses so you should feel free to tweak settings - determining the environment state is a hard problem to solve, there is always extreme, exceptional and unseasonal weather - for example it has [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_in_Florida snowed in Florida] and there are rains even in deserts causing blooms or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superbloom superblooms], and the history of weather can't really be determined by current weather. | ||
To activate this option, tick the appropriate box in the Environment settings menu on the next branch / windows nightly build. | To activate this option, tick the appropriate box in the Environment settings menu on the next branch / windows nightly build. | ||
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FGUK have relesed the first public version of the Eurocopter EC120 Colibri: | FGUK have relesed the first public version of the Eurocopter EC120 Colibri: | ||
* 14 liveries. 3 configuration options. Optional emergency | * 14 liveries. 3 configuration options. Optional emergency flotation system. Cold dark start possible. ALS Glass and fuselage effects. Long line cargo option for use with the [[Cargo Towing Addon|Cargo Towing Addon .]] FDM meets stated performance values. Multiplayer passenger function. SAR Recovery script to allow other SAR equipped helicopters to recover your crashed chopper. | ||
See [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38492 forum thread] for details and download. | See [https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38492 forum thread] for details and download. | ||