Changelog 2016.1: Difference between revisions

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(Update for 2016.1.1)
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* Interactive traffic system re-enabled, having been disabled by mistake some releases previously.
* Interactive traffic system re-enabled, having been disabled by mistake some releases previously.
* Various security improvements, including the disabling of <tt>system.fgfsrc</tt>.
* Various security improvements, including the disabling of <tt>system.fgfsrc</tt>.
* Reduction in the memory footprint due to scenery
* Improved performance when displaying large numbers of scenery objects


'''Aircraft Modeling'''
'''Aircraft Modeling'''
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'''Rendering'''
'''Rendering'''
* The addition of 3D grass to the random vegetation system.
* Improved vegetation including 3D grass and shadows for trees
* Tree shadows
* Better cockpit rendering:
* Interior cockpit shadows.
** interior shadows
* Interior glass reflections, frosting and fogging.
** glass reflections, fogging and frosting
* Interior panel backlighting.
** panel backlighting.
* New thruster effect (can be used for afterburners flames, rockets, etc.).
* New thruster effect (can be used for afterburners flames, rockets, etc.).
* Lightning effects
* Lightning effects
* Runway skid marks
* Improved airport rendering, including runway skid marks and better effects for the runways and surrounding grass.
* Improved sky rendering, including sun halo, Aurora Borealis.


'''Usability'''
'''Usability'''
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* GUI cleanup to improve support for multiple GUI styles.
* GUI cleanup to improve support for multiple GUI styles.
* The [[Integrated Qt5 Launcher|built-in Qt launcher]] is available for all of FlightGear's supported operating systems.
* The [[Integrated Qt5 Launcher|built-in Qt launcher]] is available for all of FlightGear's supported operating systems.
* Additional latitude and longitude formats are now supported in the HUD.


'''Scenery'''
'''Scenery'''

Revision as of 19:59, 18 February 2016

This changelog is a draft.


The FlightGear development team is delighted to announce the v2016.1 "San Fransico" release of FlightGear, the free, open-source flight simulator. This new version contains many exciting new features, enhancements and bugfixes. Highlights in this release include an integrated launcher that includes the ability to download aircraft, a reduction in the installation package size, and improvements to the rendering of cockpits.

Founded in 1997, FlightGear is developed by a worldwide group of volunteers, brought together by a shared ambition to create the most realistic flight simulator possible that is free to use, modify and distribute. FlightGear is used all over the world by desktop flight simulator enthusiasts, for research in universities and for interactive exhibits in museums.

FlightGear features more than 400 aircraft, a worldwide scenery database, a multiplayer environment, detailed sky modelling, a flexible and open aircraft modelling system, varied networking options, multiple display support, a powerful scripting language and an open architecture. Best of all, being open-source, the simulator is owned by the community and everyone is encouraged to contribute.

Download FlightGear v2016.1 for free from FlightGear.org.

FlightGear - Fly Free!

The aircraft page of the Qt launcher for FlightGear 3.5 as rendered on Windows 7.

Major enhancements in this release

Project Organization

Core

  • Interactive traffic system re-enabled, having been disabled by mistake some releases previously.
  • Various security improvements, including the disabling of system.fgfsrc.
  • Reduction in the memory footprint due to scenery
  • Improved performance when displaying large numbers of scenery objects

Aircraft Modeling

JSBSim

  • Sync with the latest version of JSBSim.
  • The pitot angle can now be tweaked with the <pitot_angle> tag in the <metrics> block.
  • The refuel rate is now configurable with the <refuel-rate> tag in the <propulsion> block.

Rendering

  • Improved vegetation including 3D grass and shadows for trees
  • Better cockpit rendering:
    • interior shadows
    • glass reflections, fogging and frosting
    • panel backlighting.
  • New thruster effect (can be used for afterburners flames, rockets, etc.).
  • Lightning effects
  • Improved airport rendering, including runway skid marks and better effects for the runways and surrounding grass.
  • Improved sky rendering, including sun halo, Aurora Borealis.

Usability

  • Many improvements to Phi, the built-in web interface.
  • GUI cleanup to improve support for multiple GUI styles.
  • The built-in Qt launcher is available for all of FlightGear's supported operating systems.
  • Additional latitude and longitude formats are now supported in the HUD.

Scenery

  • Regional texture definitions for Florida, Brazil, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Southeastern Asia.
  • stgmerge tool added to merge objects in a scenery tile into a smaller number of meshes.

Highlighted new and improved aircraft

Misc/uncategorized

Nasal Scripting

  • createViaTo() added
  • createDiscontinuity() added
  • activate() method added to flightplan ghost object

Documentation

  • The FlightGear Manual is now available in Chinese

Bug fixes

  • See our bugtracker for a list, albeit incomplete, of the bugs fixed in this release.