View source for FlightGear Newsletter June 2014


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{{Newsletter being written}}

== Development news ==
Note to all contributors: Please also copy your newsletter additions to the changelog for the upcoming release: [[Next Changelog]].

=== Logo Proposal ===
This is the new logo badge concept proposal for FlightGear designed by Michat.

[[File:Fglogo1.png]]
[[File:Fglogowiki.png]]
[[File:Fglogoforum.png]]

===MapStructure stress-testing ===

[[File:Map-canvas-mapstructure-performance.png|thumb|stress-testing [[MapStructure]] using the ufo @ KSFO circling at 2000 kts in a climb, see [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=21509&p=211611#p211611] ]]

{{cquote
  |<nowiki>Now that Hyde has committed Philosopher's latest changes, I'd be interested in getting some more feedback on performance.</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
Here, I am using the ufo @ksfo circling in a shuttle climb at >= 2000 kts GS and getting roughly 30 fps and 40-60 ms.</nowiki>
  |{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=211611#p211611
     |title=<nowiki>Re: NavDisplay & MapStructure discussion (previously via PM)</nowiki>
     |author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
     |date=<nowiki>Tue Jun 03</nowiki>
   }}
}}

=== 777 EFB Prototype by I-NEMO ===
[[File:777-EFB-MAIN.png|thumb|777-200ER EFB [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=23196]]]
[[File:777-EFB-AIRPORT-SEARCH.png|thumb|777-200 EFB AIRPORT SEARCH, see [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=23196&p=211410#p211410]]]

I-NEMO has started porting his 777/EFB prototype to [[Canvas]]

{{cquote
  |<nowiki>As I wrote several times, I finally decided to put hands on the EFB (Reason: No one ever took care of developing an EFB for the 777; a 'working' EFB, though) with two (2) main goals in mind:</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
1) to do something to compensate for the lacking of an EFB inside the Seattle.</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
2) to actually try (I repeat it: 'try') to learn some first essentials of nasal.</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
</nowiki>
  |{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=211550#p211550
     |title=<nowiki>Re: 777 EFB status & plans  ?</nowiki>
     |author=<nowiki>I-NEMO</nowiki>
     |date=<nowiki>Mon Jun 02</nowiki>
   }}
}}

{{cquote
  |<nowiki> this Seattle EFB is just a 'rude' one: with this term, I mean (as a word's pun) 'unpolite'. I'm perfectly aware that the coding is horrible, clumsy, repetitive, silly and very, very far from what it should be. </nowiki><br/><nowiki>
My first aim was simply to have a somehow 'working' EFB inside the Seattle's Cockpit.</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
</nowiki><br/><nowiki>
My second aim was to use EFB.nas as a starting playground for a newbie as I am on 'nasal'. </nowiki>
  |{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=211550#p211550
     |title=<nowiki>Re: 777 EFB status & plans  ?</nowiki>
     |author=<nowiki>I-NEMO</nowiki>
     |date=<nowiki>Mon Jun 02</nowiki>
   }}
}}

{{cquote
  |<nowiki>I do not pretend that current 777's EFB.nas is a piece of nice software; but - to my initial purpose - it works. Not completely, not nicely, not properly...but it's a starting point. At least, it works...</nowiki>
  |{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=211550#p211550
     |title=<nowiki>Re: 777 EFB status & plans  ?</nowiki>
     |author=<nowiki>I-NEMO</nowiki>
     |date=<nowiki>Mon Jun 02</nowiki>
   }}
}}

Learn more at [[Canvas EFB Framework]] ...

=== Canvas Garmin GPSMap196 Updates ===

[[File:Gpsmap196-canvas-panel-page.png|thumb|F-JJTH has updated the SVG file implementing the panel page for the [[Garmin GPSMap 196]]]]


=== Avidyne Entegra R9 ===

[[File:Extra500canvas.png|thumb|Work has begun to analyze, refactor and generalize useful parts of the [[Avidyne Entegra R9]] to help reuse some code in similar MFD efforts, like the [[Garmin GPSMap 196]] or [[Canvas EFB Framework]]]]

=== Towards an Aircraft-agnostic MFD Framework ===

[[File:Canvas-mfd-framework-prototyping.png|thumb|This is an adapted version of the [[Garmin GPSMap 196]] that is currently being developed by F-JJTH. Here, the whole instrument is entirely set up in XML space, including buttons/event handling, but also the embedded canvas region that serves as the 'screen'. The idea is to allow arbitrary MFDs to be specified in an aircraft-agnostic fashion, including displays like a PFD, [[NavDisplay]] or EFB. For details, please see [[Canvas Glass Cockpit Efforts]].]]



[[File:Canvas-mfd-framework-prototyping-with-mapstructure.png|400px|thumb|This demonstrates how a purely XML-based MFD framework can instantiate dynamic [[MapStructure]] layers - none of this involves any [[Nasal]] coding now, it's just an XML file - to learn more, see [[Canvas Glass Cockpit Efforts]].]]

[[File:Canvas-mfd-framework-prototyping-with-mapstructure-with-kln89-skin.png|400px|thumb|This screen shot shows the texture of the hard-coded KLN89 instrument used as a skin/theme for the MFD instrument, with a MapStructure-powered map shown.]]

=== Canvas System ===
[[File:Aircraft-center-prototype.png|500px|thumb|Canvas dialog showing the prototype for an [[Aircraft Center]] for directly installing/managing aircraft from within FlightGear, an upcoming feature scheduled for FlightGear 3.2, currently being developed by TheTom and Zakalawe]]

=== Missions & Adventures ===
[[File:Missionb.png|thumb]]

{{forum|79|Tutorials, Missions & Adventures}}


=== High Level Architecture ===

=== Usability Improvements ===

=== Getting your own ideas and features in FlightGear without having to be a coder ===

We've been seeing an increasing number of discussions on the forum started by people who are obviously eager to become potential contributors, either by adding new features to FlightGear, or by improving other aspects of FlightGear as a whole (community, infrastructure, usability, end-user support, accessibility, funding etc). Unfortunately, this has caused some friction over time, because people were expecting their involvement to work differently, especially those primarily making suggestions and providing feedback through discussions are obviously getting fed up with the community of contributors not responding directly to such feedback.
Now, we do appreciate any community involvement obviously, but people who are serious about actually bringing certain changes to FlightGear will find that just making suggestions will typically not work too well, and that just participating in lengthy community discussions is usually fruitless. We've had some extremely heated discussions over the years, some debating interesting ideas - and many ending up being dozens of pages in size, containing hundreds of postings. Often, these contain lots of good ideas and suggestions, but sooner or later these suggestions become emotional and are no longer constructive - yet, we're dealing with them constantly, which is taking up resources, i.e. time and energy. In an open source project like FlightGear, which is entirely volunteer driven, time is the most precious resource we have to contribute. It is like a "currency" for the project, and whenever something (or someone) is taking up lots of time without anything materializing, this is draining resources from other areas, no matter if it's end-user support or development in some shape or form.
We are now trying to document how "bootstrapping" a feature or project works conceptually, i.e. implementing new features for Flightgear - to provide a perspective that enables people to better understand how to bring changes to FlightGear without having to do all the work on their own. Note that this doesn't mean that this is the only way to accomplish something, but this is a tested and proven way - which we didn't come up with, but which is just a convention that happens to "just work", which is an important aspect for a non-organized project like FlightGear, where development itself also primarily "just happens".

Continue reading at [[Implementing new features for FlightGear]]...

=== Getting involved as a programmer ===
Unfortunately, most of the active FG developers are currently very overstretched in terms of the areas that they have ownership of, which is affecting how much can actually be done.  Fundamentally we need more core devs.

If you are interested in contributing as a core developer, please see [[Howto:Start core development]].

If you interested in other developing, i.e. not C++ but [[Nasal]] scripting and/or XML, there are some articles listed at [[:Category:Popular Community Requests]] that have been suggested, but not fully or partially implemented, and are "mentored efforts". That means that the community is looking for a hand in implementing them -- help from ''you'' -- but will also have more experienced developers willing to help you, for example by having tailored tutorials or even code snippets written for you. As mentioned in each page, please get in touch if you would like to help with one of those projects. In comparison to C/C++, Nasal is simpler and easier to learn quickly. It also doesn't require recompiling, which means that you can test and develop changes with a standard FlightGear release, i.e. off of the main download page. As long as you can run FlightGear, you can also run Nasal code and contribute. Many tutorials covering a wide range of projects are listed at [[Nasal]], so if you know a programming/scripting language already, or would like to try something new, go ahead: read, write, try and get involved! When it comes to Nasal scripting, playing around with different tutorials and code snippets is more important than being an experienced coder. 

{{CppBind Ideas}}

Of course, you're also free to work on whatever you want -- FlightGear as a community-driven doesn't tell people what to do, but welcomes any contributions from anybody, as long as they have acceptable quality and are free to be licensed under the GNU GPL. So if you have something you would like to contribute back to FlightGear, please get in touch! (Preferably using Gitorious for larger merge requests, and the forums or (core-) developer's mailing list to inform the developers of what you want to contribute back.) Changes contributed 6-8 weeks before a release will usually appear in the next release, so your changes can be spread across the world.

== Release ChangeLog ==
This section lists changes committed this month that will be available in the next release, these will be copied to the release changelog shortly before a release (for each month), so that we hopefully get a comprehensive list of new features.

== Interview with a contributor (NAME) ==
''In each edition we have an interview with a contributor. Suggestions for possible questions are available on [[interview questions]], you are invited to come up with new questions and interview ideas obviously! Anyone is free to write an interview (with him-/herself or others) for next month's newsletter! If you'd like to help interview a contributor or get interviewed, please do consider adding yourself to the [[list of interview volunteers]]! To keep this going and less awkward, we are currently trying to come up with the convention that former interviewees become next month's interviewers.''

* How long have you been involved in FlightGear?
* What are your major interests in FlightGear?
* What project are you working on right now?
* What do you plan on doing in the future?
* Are you happy with the way the FlightGear project is going?
* What do you enjoy most about developing for FlightGear?
* Are there any "hidden features" you have worked on in FlightGear that new users may miss?
* What advice can you give to new developers who want to get started on their first aircraft/new feature/Nasal script?

More questions are being collected here: [[Interview questions]].

Stay tuned for next month's interview, featuring FlightGear contributor XXXXXXXX 

== Nasal for newbies ==

== New software tools and projects ==

== FlightGear addons and mods ==
=== Damage and disintegration ===
{{#ev:youtube|OpwNaoO3xMQ|240|right|Tomaskom's V-1 used in anger over London}}
{{#ev:youtube|H4XDuLo35ks|240|right|Victor V2.0 damage script causing a catastrophic failure and fire}}
{{#ev:youtube|uLojBI7ezdM|240|right|L-159 disintegration}}
The development team at FGUK have been experimenting with modelling aircraft damage in a number of different ways. First of all, Tomaskom has used the particle system carefully to produce visually impressive fireballs and smoke columns with very little FPS impact. First seen in his V-1, we hope to adapt this to simulate realistic fireballs for ground impacts (where appropriate). For the moment, it explodes with the full force of a V-1's explosive payload. On the right is a video excerpt from the #FlightNight which Tom organised to debut the V-1, where we all had '''way''' too much fun bombing London. As you can see, the smoke is visible from quite a long way away from the impact, and despite two fires burning with huge smoke columns, and over ten multiplayer aircraft within model range, the frame rates are still more than acceptable. StuartC has already integrated the explosion and fireball into several development aircraft, and we expect eventually to combine it with the disintegration code and make the size of the explosion dependent on fuel load etc.

In a separate development, Algernon's work on the Victor V2.0(YASim) now includes modelled damage, a collection of Nasal scripts, some modified from existing FlightGear staples, which detects irregularities such as component failures, birdstrikes and combat weapon damage and adversely affects system performance and reliability accordingly. Unserviceability often follows, using the existing FlightGear failures system, and compatibility will be maintained as the failures system is improved. The damage script also calculates probabilites for chain reaction damage - for instance, an explosion or serious fire in one Victor engine will usually have an effect on the other. In extreme circumstances, an explosion will trigger further explosions and destroy the aircraft. The second video on the right shows a serious induced explosion on the Victor's number one engine at night. Some fine-tuning of the Rembrandt light has been carried out since this video was shot, so apologies for the visible cut-off.

Finally, and most spectacularly, Tomaskom has demonstrated the disintegration capabilities of his L-159, which is under development. Hopefully, he will explain all here before publication date.

=== Scenesetter ===
Scenesetter is a piece of code by Algernon, very early in development but already quite effective, which can effect changes to the time and weather from an AI scenario synchronously with other MP players. A crude proof of concept was used in the recent FGUK #FlightNight "British Weather", where pilots visited different airfields with various unpleasant flying conditions. Scenesetter pushes METAR strings to the FlightGear weather system based on the location of an associated Navaid, establishing a circular zone of a specified radius around it in which METAR will be changed. Start time can be specified too, either by providing a local start time or a local time offset (useful for Multiplayer use where players will not all start the AI scenario at precisely the same time).

== In the hangar ==

=== New aircraft ===

=== Updated aircraft ===

The Swedish fighter jet Saab JA-37 Viggen has been updated, since it was included in FG 3.0.0; More instruments, additional liveries, aerodynamic response to payload and tooltips on instruments. Option for automatic reverse thrust at touchdown, selection of HUD brightness, disabling of structural damage. The aircraft now also has multiplayer sounds and better cockpit view helps seeing the landing strip. Support for FG 2.8 by deleting a small section in an xml file. Also worth mentioning is countless bug-fixes and improvements, e.g. better handling at high altitudes and a bug fix in the lift force formula.

[[File:Saab JA-37 Viggen Blue Peter Livery.png|Blå Petter Livery for JA-37]]

=== Liveries ===

== Scenery corner ==
=== Airports ===

== Aircraft of the month ==
== Airport of the month ==
== Screenshot of the month ==

== Suggested flights ==
== Aircraft reviews ==

== Wiki updates ==
=== Translators required ===
{|
|[[File:en.gif]]
|The FlightGear Wiki still needs help for translating it into various languages. If you are interested in making the FlightGear Wiki multi-language then start at [[Help:Translate]].
|-
|[[File:de.gif]]
|Das FlightGear Wiki benötigt immer noch Hilfe bei der Übersetzung in verschiedene Sprachen. Wenn Du Interesse daran hast, das FlightGear Wiki Mehrsprachig zu machen, dann fang doch mit [[:de:Help:Übersetzen|Help:Übersetzen]] an.
|-
|[[File:nl.gif]]
|De FlightGear Wiki kan nog steed hulp gebruiken bij het vertalen van artikelen. Als je interesse hebt om de wiki meertalig te maken, raden we je aan om een kijkje te nemen bij [[:nl:Help:Vertalen|Help:Vertalen]].
|-
|[[File:es.gif]]
|La FlightGear wiki todavía necesita ayuda para traducirla a varios lenguajes. Si estás interesado en hacer la FlightGear wiki multilingüe, entonces comienza en [[:es:Help:Traducir|Help:Traducir]].
|}

== Community news ==
=== FlightGear on YouTube ===

=== New tutorials and screencasts ===
=== Forum news ===
=== Multiplayer ===
=== Virtual airlines ===
=== FlightGear events ===

== Useful links ==
== And finally ... ==
=== Contributing ===

{{Volunteer Intro|mode=showlogo}}

=== Call for volunteers ===
* The Terragear maintainers are looking for volunteers to help with development on the next world scenery project.  If you've ever wondered how a full 3D model of earth can be generated from raw data, now is your chance.  See the plan at [[World Scenery 3.0 roadmap]].

=== Did you know ===

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter]]
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[[Category:Changes after 3.00]]