FlightGear wiki - User contributions [en]

FlightGear wiki talk:Village pump

2016-02-04T01:12:55Z

Adam: /* Spam removal */ new section

== Any ideas for a better name ==

This page is currently named [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump]], and while there are often a page with a similar name on many other wikis, in particular the different language versions of Wikipedia and their sister projects, the name in itself is not all making the purpose of this wiki page obvious.

The intent of this page is a a place for discussion of the FlightGear wiki in general. In essence for discussing things that is too general for the talk page of a particular page or to call for help when more eyes are needed on a page for one reason or another.

I have [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=User_talk:Gijs&oldid=68543#Adding_the_village_pump_to_the_sidebar_or_not discussed changing the name shortly] with Gijs in relation to adding a link to this page in the sidebar ("Discuss!", above the "Help" link).

Some ideas for names could be:
* FlightGear wiki:Discussion
* FlightGear wiki:Discuss!
* FlightGear wiki:Editors lounge
* FlightGear wiki:General discussion – ''Probably my favourite for now''
* FlightGear wiki:Lounge
* FlightGear wiki:Wiki discussion
* FlightGear wiki:Wiki lounge

I would like to see more ideas as well as motivations and opinions.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 15:40, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

== Spam removal ==

Hi!
Is page deleting an admin only thing? All these spamifications and I can only say SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! and not do anything.

User talk:Gijs

2016-01-11T21:46:36Z

Adam: /* Wrong link */ new section

{{Archives|[[/Archive 2008-2011|2008-2011]]|[[/Archive 2012|2012]]}}

=="Talk:Eurocopter EC135" (Author request: Author blanked page)==

Did I miss something? Can't remember seen that...
Can you tell what it was about?
Cheers --[[User:HHS|HHS]] 12:24, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

: Hi,
: F-JJTH wrote " Heiko, is V1.0 full "Rembrandt compatible" ?" on the page but blanked it shortly thereafter. I think he found the answer already... So all I did was delete that blank page.
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 16:08, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

==About the wiki..==
Hi Gijs, hope all is well. I was stopping by because I noticed the words "Please post only encyclopedic information that can be verified by external sources. Please maintain a neutral, unbiased point of view. " in the editor. Its really not right to say this, because the FlightGear wiki has to be a "primary source". The contributions are typically original writing, and it specifically includes opinions (such as reviews), as well as first-hand accounts. Thank you. [[User:Fg|Fg]] 20:19, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

The wiki is mostly a primary source, saying "Please post only encyclopedic information that can be verified by external sources. .. " makes no sense. Most of what is written here is orginal content, and it does not make sense to have this in the edit box. Also, I don't agree with many of the articles you have deleted. These are small issues in view of your large contributions to the project, and I want to thank you for those, but I must also bring up these issues. Thanks again. [[User:Fg|Fg]] ([[User talk:Fg|talk]]) 20:32, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
: Hi,
: You're right about the "external sources" statement. That was just a default from MediaWiki but is not very applicable to our wiki. I've removed it now. Thanks for notifying me!
: What is it that you don't agree with? Is it the airport articles? Those were not deleted yet, they were only marked for deletion. The notice mentioned why I think they should be deleted. Feel free to share your arguments that make you think they should be kept. As the template stated "Do not remove this tag until the discussion is closed.", so I've placed the templates back and am looking forward to your (argued) opinion.
: Cheers,
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 17:47, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
::Great, thanks for fixing that! Come to think of it "Please maintain a neutral, unbiased point of view." may also be unneeded, as we have sections for reviews (with opinions) of aircraft, etc. but I will leave that up to you. I will check out the articles for deletion again. Thank you. [[User:Fg|Fg]] ([[User talk:Fg|talk]]) 22:57, 4 December 2013 (UTC)

== Adding the village pump to the sidebar or not ==

I have been pondering adding the village pump to the sidebar. I would probably add it between Recent changes and Random page. I have read in a bit on the sidebar on the MediaWiki help pages, but before I actually do it I want to ask you about your opinion about doing that.

The biggest pros and cons as I see it is that anyone will find it so it will be used a bit more, but at the same time that those that will not even read a few sentences of text (including people not comfortably reading English) sometimes will go there for help on using the simulator itself instead of going to the forum.

So what do you think about it?

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 09:00, 5 January 2014 (UTC)

: Hi,
: how about creating a "Wiki" header that contains the "Recent changes" and "Help" links? It could then also have a link to the village pump. I don't think we should call it "Village pump" though, as probably no-one will guess that's a place to talk about the wiki ;-) Something like "Wiki discussions" or so is more descriptive...
: Cheers, [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 13:52, 5 January 2014 (UTC)

:: I have been thinking of changing the name of that page as well. "Village pump" is used on WikiMedia Commons, the Swedish Wikipedia (though translated) and probably a few other wikis so someone coming from one of those places would be at home with it, but not everyone are from those places.
:: I have in the past considered suggesting changing it into say "Editor lounge" or rather something aviation related, but for instance "Pilot lounge" would have been so horribly misleading. ;-)
:: A "Wiki" header will help organise the contents but might hide contents by default, but hopefully people are curious enough to spend a few seconds looking around.
:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:19, 5 January 2014 (UTC)
::: Went ahead and added a link in the sidebar titled "[[FlightGear wiki:Village pump|Discuss!]]".
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 13:58, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

== Help with Fatal error: Class 'Services_JSON' /CategoryTree/CategoryTreeFunctions.php on line 224 Error ==

Gijs

I saw you had mentioned the issue with the JSON class. I was wondering if you ever found a resolution for this problem. I support a wiki group and have been suffering for the last month trying to resolve this issue. I would be grateful for any help.

I am running mediawiki 1.22 with php 5.3.10

On another note, I have been flying RC planes and gliders for years. I have wanted to get a simulator program. Would this be a good one to start with ?

Many Thanks

Peter

: Hi Peter,
: like I said at [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Found bugs]]
: "The CategoryTree extension relies on a function that was removed as of 1.22.0, so the extensions needs some fixing. I've disabled it for now."
: So my solution was to disable it. The extension itself needs fixing to work with more recent version of MediaWiki, that's not something I intended to do ;-)
: And yes, FlightGear would be a good simulator to start (and even stick) with. I'm biased though...
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 09:56, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

== Two bot jobs – Moving categories to plural form ==

Hello Gijs, I got stumbled upon a request for a bot job that I added to [[User talk:BotFlightGear#Moving Category:List and Category:Resource to titles in plural form|User talk:BotFlightGear]] a while ago. Just a gentle reminder. ;-)

The requested moves are intended to be a part of trying to make the category names more logical and harder to mistype etc.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:51, 1 May 2014 (UTC)

: Thanks for the reminder. He's [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Special:Contributions/BotFlightGear running]!
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 15:33, 1 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Thank you kindly. :-)
:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 15:48, 1 May 2014 (UTC)

== 06/2014 newsletter: too much of a mess ==

: [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_Newsletter_June_2014&curid=12417&diff=73490&oldid=73455 Use new templates; cleanup (except for Canvas stuff, which is too much of a mess right now))]

:: Please feel free to clean up or just remove the "mess". I realize that it's messy (Thorsten also said so recently), I added those things when we didn't have a whole lot of content, and I didn't bother writing anything from scratch, I just took stuff from the forum using the [[Instant-Cquotes]] script, which is why it's a bit "messy". <small>But if you should decide to clean it up, I'll volunteer to help cleaning up navdisplay.mfd::update() on your behalf</small> ;-) --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 16:00, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

::: Hi,
::: There's not just instant cquotes, but also sections with no text at all. Garmin and Aircraft Center for example. I don't know how someone who hasn't been following the progress is supposed to make sense out of that; which is why I think you're the best person to work on it.
:::: When I close the newsletter and "publish" it, I usually make sure the layout is somewhat readable. Right now that job would require more time than I have and/or would like to spend.
::: Cheers,
::: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 19:27, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

:::: I've added instant-cquotes content from the corresponding wiki articles. Sorry for the mess, and thanks for the new newsletter layout - even though it's a bit awkward to edit now, can we still edit individual sections directly please ?--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 19:41, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

::::: Hey, good job - that looks indeed much better. I was wondering if we should slightly extend the template, and then simply port [[Instant-cquotes]] to optionally create tailored sections for the newsletter, i.e. without the cquote, and using galleries, what do you think ?--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 20:37, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

:::::: With the new section titles (that come with an author field), we don't need those quotes to make clear who's saying stuff. I've changed them to running texts now, which is a lot nicer to read IMO. Doing that on the first run is a lot easier than doing it later on, as I had to dig up the posts, get acquainted with the subject etc. The script you're using adds quite some nasty HTML to the wiki (treating normal urls as wiki links, adding dozens of <nowiki><br/></nowiki>, ignoring bullet lists), so I would suggest to not use it on large scale for now. If you can change it to produce running texts with correct wiki markup it would be a whole lot better ;-)
:::::: I'll have a look if we can re-enable sectional edits. Removing that was definitely unintended. My intention was to make the newsletter a little more appealing and less of an ordinary wiki article.
:::::: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 20:44, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

:: right, what I am more concerned about is proper crediting-I already added Tom's nick twice there, because I wasn't involved in the development of the [[Aircraft Center]], I merely posted some updates on the forum-which is why the cquotes script used my nick, and it was obvious that it was just a quote-now it looked like I was announcing my own work. But obviously the credit should go to TheTom & Zakalawe. The changes you suggest should be straightforward still. --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 20:50, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

::: The new "By" tag is not meant to be used to credit the person that the section is about. It is meant to show who's written that section. So if you write something about Tom's work, your name ends up under the tile "By Hooray". Tom's name will end up in the text, where you can something along the lines of "Thanks to Tom's recent work...". Some people are not happy with articles that appear to have been written by them when they are not.
::: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 20:59, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

:: ok, thanks for clarifying - maybe we should simply make it '''Written by ''' (and '''Developed by''') then to be on the safe side, i.e. change the template accordingly ? --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 21:01, 30 June 2014 (UTC)
:: And just to be clear about it, I totally appreciate your work here, and I am looking forward to seeing if we can find a way to generalize the concept and reuse it for the changelog, even if that should just mean to partially include contents from 6 newsletters in it (as per [[FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump#Template_for_announcement_of_changes_and_new_features]]).--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 21:05, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

== Livery texture aspect ratio ==

Did you accidentally remove the paragraph about that all liveries for an aircraft have to have the same aspect ratio in [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Howto:Edit_a_livery&diff=74832&oldid=74831 this edit]?

Apart from that thanks for catching and fixing my ''very'' old error, n<sup>2</sup> → 2<sup>n</sup> ;-)

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 15:31, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

: No, it was deliberate. UVmaps use coordinates like 0.3*width, 0*heigth instead of absolute values (eg. 3rd pixel up, 15th pixel to the right). That's also why you can replace textures with different resolutions without having to edit the mapping.
: You'll probably get an overly stretched texture (since pixels will beno longer "squares", as in the most likely ideal original mapping), but it is not impossible or principally wrong ;-)
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:53, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

:: Thanks for the explanation.
:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:58, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

== Strange infobox image bug ==
I recently found a very strange bug I can not wrap my head around. It appears that an image from English Wikipedia is used instead of an image with the identical name on this wiki.

When I looked at the rather new page {{plink|Yakovlev Yak-130|76122}} as well as the page I moved it from, I noticed that the aircraft picture is a photo and was about to edit the file page. Instead of seeing a photo on the file page I see a FlightGear screenshot [[:File:Yak-130.jpg]]. The {{tl|infobox aircraft}} seems to be as it should be. Going to English Wikipedia and looking for the image I find the very same image as I see rendered on the page, {{wikipedia|File:Yak-130.jpg}}.

I have no idea what is going on.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:53, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

: Hi,
: that seems to be an unwanted side-effect of [[mw:InstantCommons]]. In principle this shouldn't conflict, but I suspect someone did load the Commons image before uploading the one to our wiki. Thus, the Commons one ended up in the thumbnail cache.
: I've now disabled this feature, as I don't think we use it anywhere on the wiki. Not even sure why it was enabled in the first place...
: Cheers,
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 14:44, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

:: Thanks for the help. I would not even have imagined.
:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:08, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

== PA32 deleted ==

Hi

Noticed this is deleted - not enough info or inappropriate? Pls let me know. I have set myself a personal goal to review over 35 civil aviation aircraft and upload screenshots.

http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Piper_PA-32&action=edit&redlink=1

[[User:Openflight|Openflight]] ([[User talk:Openflight|talk]]) 01:26, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

: Not enough info (nothing FlightGear specific). The only content was "The Piper PA 32 is a single engined aircraft built by Piper." That's not what our wiki is for ;-) Feel free to restart the article if you've got more to write now.
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 02:30, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

Sure will do, thanks. [[User:Openflight|Openflight]] ([[User talk:Openflight|talk]]) 02:44, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

== Adding Table of Aircraft to Wiki page ==

Hi, if it's ok , will edit Wiki home page and add link to table of aircraft as follows:

Using
New to FlightGear
Frequently asked questions • Troubleshooting • List of aircraft •
Installing scenery • Installing aircraft
Helicopter flying

My concern is those new to Flight Gear do not get to see the list of aircraft and the aircraft detaisl right away from Wiki home page or FG home page

== Wrong link ==

Hi Gijs!
You still have a link for our Gitorius account you know.

Space Shuttle

2016-01-10T01:02:04Z

Adam: A bit more grammar

{{hatnote|See also [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]] for the other Space Shuttle.}}
{{infobox Aircraft
|image = Shuttle FG01.jpg
|alt = Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' in orbit
|image2 = Shuttle_Cockpit.jpg
|alt2 = Space Shuttle cockpit (April 2015)
|name = Space Shuttle
|type = Spacecraft
|fdm = [[JSBSim]]
|status-fdm = 4
|status-systems = 3
|status-cockpit = 2
|status-model = 2
|authors = Thorsten Renk, Richard Harrison
|fgname = SpaceShuttle<br/>SpaceShuttle-orbit<br/>SpaceShuttle-launch<br/>SpaceShuttle-entry<br/>SpaceShuttle-approach<br/>SpaceShuttle-TAEM
|development = http://sourceforge.net/p/fgspaceshuttledev/code/ci/development/tree/
|download = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/fgaddon/HEAD/tree/trunk/Aircraft/SpaceShuttle/
}}

[[File:Spacetripready.png]]

{{SpaceFlight}}

The NASA '''Space Shuttle''' was the world's first operational space plane capable of reaching orbit. It was operated from 1981 to 2011 on a total of 135 missions during which two orbiters, Challenger and Columbia, were lost in accidents.

The Shuttle launch system components include the Orbiter Vehicle (OV), a pair of solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and the external tank (ET) containing the liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel for the engines of the orbiter. Of these, only the external tank is expendable; the SRBs splash into the sea shortly after launch and are recovered, and the orbiter itself returns to a landing site where it lands like an airplane.

The mixture of a rocket-like launch, a spacecraft-like near ballistic early atmospheric phase and an airplane like approach and landing makes the Space Shuttle a truly unique flying experience.

== Project Aim ==

The aim of the Shuttle Project is to create a highly realistic simulation of the capabilities of the Space Shuttle in FlightGear. While most of the time the real Shuttle is under the control of automatic guidance systems, there are fallback modes to control the spacecraft manually, the so-called CSS (control stick steering) modes, and it is these modes we primarily try to implement.

In addition to the real avionics and control modes, the idea is also to provide various 'educational' modes and instruments in order to explore and appreciate certain aspects of a Shuttle mission more.

The [http://ntrs.nasa.gov NASA technical reports server] supplies a large base of wind tunnel and in-situ performance data of both the mated launch vehicle and the orbiter, and the aerodynamics of the simulated shuttle is based on these documents. The authoritative source for procedures for trajectory management, instrumentation, limits and emergency procedures is the [https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/390651main_shuttle_crew_operations_manual.pdf Space Shuttle Crew Operations Manual] and currently a normal mission, i.e. ascent, orbital insertion, de-orbit, entry, terminal area energy management and landing can be flown largely 'by the book', i.e. following the real procedure for CSS. As of May 2015, this does not yet hold for emergency procedures.

In the following, descriptions refer to the development version - the last stable or the release version may not have all features described.

=== Limit and failure modeling ===

The project contains code to simulate the various structural and aerodynamical limits as well as component failures based on sections 4 and 6 of the Space Shuttle crew manual.

The general philosophy on limit modeling is that they can be treated dependent on a user setting as 'soft', 'hard' and 'realistic'. Where applicable, warnings when the state of the orbiter is getting dangerously close to a limit are called out in addition to a recommendation how to deal with the situation. Dependent on the trajectory of the orbiter, there may or may not be sufficient time to redeem the situation.

; soft
: Limit violations are called out, but their violation has no consequences for aerodynamics or component failures.

; hard
: Any limit violation immediately ends the simulation.

; realistic
: In reality, components do not necessarily fail immediately if used outside their design specs. This option applies a probabilistic failure model in which the chance for a component to fail grows with the degree of limit violation. The failure may or may not be immediately visible, e.g. too much qbar upon ascent may damage the heat shield, but this may not be apparent (unless specifically checked) until the heat shield fails upon atmospheric entry.

Component failure is modeled gradually where applicable - while a tire can only blow or not blow, an airfoil or a thruster for instance may lose a certain percentage of its efficiency.

In addition to failures induced by limit violations, the simulation also supports failure scenarios designed to model typical failure modes which could be expected to occur during operations, such as for instance engine failures or lock-up on ascent, coolant loop failures or leaks or similar. Rather complex chains of failures are modeled, for instance a failure of a coolant water spray boiler will lead to subsequent overheating of an APU unit - if this is not realized and proper action taken, the APU will fail subsequently, causing in turn a failure of one hydraulic system which potentially causes downstream failures of airfoil actuators or main engine gimbal capability.

== The mated launch vehicle ==

At liftoff, thrust for the shuttle is provided by its three main engines (SSMEs) and the two SRBs. The assembled launch configuration has a height of 184.2 ft (56.1 m) and a mass of about 4,470,000 lb or 2.030 tons (in addition to payload), over 90% of this being propellant. The main engines would at this point be incapable of lifting the launch stack.

The SRBs burn an ammonium perchlorate composite fuel with a relatively low ISP of 268 s in vacuum, supplying 2,800,000 lbf of liftoff thrust each, this is supplemented by the SSME burning liquid hydrogen/oxygen with an ISP of 455 s, supplying an additional total liftoff thrust of 1,180,000 lbf. At liftoff, the shuttle hence reaches a thrust/weight ratio over 1.6, i.e. it leaves the launch pad rapidly.

Control during ascent is provided by thrust vectoring of both the SRB and SSME nozzles. The real-world CSS scheme is a 'stick controls rates' scheme which for stick to neutral does 'attitude hold' which makes it possible to control the launch trajectory very precisely.

=== The Solid Rocket Boosters ===

Each SRB weighs about 1,300,000 lb, out of which 1,100,000 is propellant weight. The propellant of the SRBs is shaped to provide a high liftoff thrust, followed by a thrust reduction during the phase of the highest dynamical pressure (max. qbar). The actual thrust as a function of time is fairly complicated:

[[File:SRB thrust.png|400px|thumb|none|Thrust characteristics of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters]]

The distribution is faithfully modeled in FG and the definitions to match the real thrust characteristics is taken from the [http://jsbsim.sourceforge.net/download.html JSBSim code repository]

The SRBs can not be throttled, once ignited, they provide thrust as explained above. SRB ignition takes place some three seconds after main engine ignition, and once they ramp up to full thrust, the shuttle has no choice but to leave the launch pad. For thrust vectoring, SRB nozzles can be gimbaled up to 8 deg in both pitch and yaw axes, a roll moment is created by gimbaling the two SRBs in opposite directions.

[[File:Shuttle_flame05.jpg|600px|thumb|none|Early ascent on combined SRB and SSME thrust]]

As of May 2015, SRB separation happens automatically once the thrust drops below some threshold to avoid having to drag dead weight, but there is no provision to manually separate. The SRBs are pushed away from the remaining launch vehicle by separation motor burns. These (including the separation animation with still burning SRBs) are modeled in FG, however due to technical issues with the submodel code at high velocities, thrust of the separation motors in the sim is set larger than in reality to provide the same visual separation dynamics.

The SRBs are implemented as ballistic submodels, i.e. they follow a correct trajectory and ascent with the shuttle, however since (unlike the shuttle) they are not accelerating, they visually fall behind quite quickly.

=== The Main Engines ===

The three main engines (SSMEs) are used during ascent and burn propellant from the ET. They are mounted in a triangular configuration at the stern, tilted by 13 degrees with respect to the spacecraft main axis and can be gimbaled by 10.5 degrees in the pitch and by 8.5 degrees in the yaw axis. The reason for the tilted arrangement is to have a sensible CoG of the OV together with the ET during the later ascent stages. The heavy oxygen is stored forward in the ET, leading to a fairly forward CoG for the mated vehicle such that the SSMEs can be vectored through the CoG. This assembly is faithfully modeled in FG.

[[File:Shuttle_flame06.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Late ascent phase on SSME thrust]]

The engines can be throttled between 67 and 109% of rated power, this is necessary to keep the launch vehicle within structural limits during the high qbar phase in the atmosphere and later close to MECO as the propellant in the ET is almost depleted. Thrust increases during ascent as the exhaust gases do no longer have to push against an atmosphere. Both liftoff and vacuum thrust of the modeled engines are in agreement with published values.

Since the SSME's are mounted much closer to each other than the SRBs, the Shuttle loses significant yaw and roll maneuverability after SRB separation. However as the spacecraft is nearly out of the atmosphere by then, no such maneuverability reserves are actually needed.

In FG, the throttle controls all three SSMEs during ascent. Engines ignite once throttle is moved above 67%, this triggers the SRB ignition. If the throttle is moved below 67%, the engines will stop, however they will restart once throttle is moved again up as long as fuel is available in the ET.

The engine numbering by NASA has the center engine as number 1, the left engine as number 2 and the right engine as number 3 and these numbers are used in in-sim callouts of engine failures. For some failure modes, engines will not respond to throttle any more, in this case the cutoff switches have to be used. These are {{Key press|Control|q}} for engine 1, {{Key press|Control|w}} for engine 2 and {{Key press|Control|e}} for engine 3. An engine that has been shut down by the cutoff switch will not re-ignite.

The propellant for the SSMEs is carried in the ET. The tank has a liftoff weight of approximately 1,680,000 lb (760 tons) and a dry weight of about 66,000 lb (dependent on version - the Space Shuttle menu offers an option to fly older and heavier tanks). The ET is the only expendable component of the launch stack, it is dropped after MECO upon almost reaching orbit and then the shuttle uses the OMS to attain orbit while the tank re-enters the atmosphere half an orbit later and breaks up during entry.

[[File:Shuttle-ETsep01.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|External tank separation]]

In FG, the tank is normally separated using {{Key press|d}}. This is vetoed if the Shuttle has unsafe yaw, pitch or roll motion in which case the RCS should be used to stabilize the orbiter before ET separation. If an emergency separation needs to be performed, {{Key press|Control|d}} overrides the veto. At separation, a translational RCS burn will automatically push the shuttle away from the tank.

After separation, the ET will approximately co-orbit with the OV, i.e. unless the Shuttle ignites the OMS engines, the tank will be visible for a long time, slowly drifting off, and it is quite possible to use the Shuttle's RCS engines to do a visual inspection of the tank.

[[File:Shuttle orbit02.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|The ET seen from the Shuttle]]

=== A note on aerodynamics of the mated vehicle ===

With the ET and SRBs attached, the launch stack has quite different aerodynamical characteristics than the OV alone, for instance the stack is more yaw-stable than the orbiter and its pitching moment as function of alpha and rolling moment as function of beta are very different. Where such data could be obtained from wind tunnel tests with the mated stack, it has been used in the simulation.

As in reality, the simulated shuttle has an automated downward elevon deflection schedule with Mach number upon ascent to provide further load relief for the wings (with corresponding aerodynamical forces acting).

In general though, aerodynamical effects are subleading, the ascent dynamics is dominated by the thruster forces and the flight control systems have a large margin to compensate for them.

=== CSS DAP schemes for ascent ===

During ascent, the stick controls thrust vectoring for both SSMEs and SRBs. The following two DAP schemes are available:

; Thrust vectoring
: This is the real CSS ascent mode for the shuttle in which stick motion controls rate, stick to neutral commands an attitude hold. Internally a PID controller vectors the thrusters and uses the stick input as a bias for the error. This is a very stable scheme and can be easily used to achieve high precision in controlling ascent speed or orbital inclination.

; Thrust vectoring (gimbal)
: This is an educational scheme in which the stick motion directly controls the engine gimbal, i.e. the pilot needs to do the task of the PID controller himself. To make things somewhat easier, the engines are automatically vectored through the stack's CoG, i.e. outside the atmosphere stick neutral corresponds to zero moments acting on the stack. In the atmosphere, the control input hence needs to compensate for aerodynamical forces. Launch in this scheme is fairly rough and it is not possible to reach high precision, but it is possible to fly into orbit and gain a first-hand experience of the forces acting on the stack.

{{Key press|m}} switches between the ascent DAPs. {{Key press|Control|m}} switches from the ascent to the orbital DAP modes (do not use an orbital DAP for ascent control unless you know very well what you're doing).

=== Ascent structural and aerodynamical limits ===

The following structural and aerodynamical limits need to be observed during ascent:

* Dynamical pressure qbar < 819 lb/sqf (modeled)

This is a structural limit for the orbiter and mated stack, in actual operations the orbiter should be kept below 650 lb/sqf.

* Wing bending moment coefficient CBW between -0.019 and 0.019 at max. qbar (modeled)

At max qbar, the wing bending moment is a function of Mach number and AoA. Since Mach number is close to 1.4 in this phase of the flight, this limit basically translates into alpha between -8 degrees and 2 degrees. This can only be achieved if the orbiter is in inverted flight.

* Translational accelerations Nx between 0 and 3.11 g (modeled), Ny between -0.18 and 0.18 g (not modeled) and Nz between -0.06 and 0.73 g (not modeled).

These are structural limits of the mated stack to acceleration rather than aerodynamical forces. Especially the Nx (acceleration along the orbiter axis, i.e. main engine thrust) is important and requires to throttle down the SSMEs towards the end of the burn time.

* Late ascent trajectory may not drop below 265.000 ft (modeled)

This is a heat load limit for the external tank insulation, if the thermal protection of the ET fails, it will explode.

== The Shuttle in orbit ==

For maneuvering in orbit, the OV is equipped with three RCS thruster clusters and the two OMS engines. The propellant for these systems is monomethylhydrazine (MMH) oxydized with dinitrogen tetroxide, resulting in a specific impulse of 312 s. This is an hypergolic fuel combination (i.e. ignites automatically). OMS and RCS tanks have an interconnect valve, however only the RCS can be fired from the OMS propellant reserves, not vice versa (currently not modeled).

The OMS engines are located at the rear of the spacecraft in pods attached to the fuselage. Two of the RCS clusters are attached to the OMS pods, one is located at the spacecraft nose.

=== The Orbital Maneuvering System engines ===

The two OMS engines provide a thrust of 6,000 lb and, using the propellant reserves of 7,773 lb of nitrogen tetrozide and 4,718 lb of MMH can induce a total velocity change of about 1000 ft/sec if all propellant is spent. Typically half of this is used to push the OV into a proper orbit after ET separation and for the de-orbit burn, the rest is available for orbital maneuvers such as inclination adjustments.

Once in orbit, in FG throttle control is transferred to both OMS engines. They can be throttled from zero to 100% of nominal thrust and are automatically vectored by the flight controls through the CoG of the orbiter. The real shuttle has a DAP for thrust vectoring of the OMS engines as well as the option of using a single engine with partial thrust vectoring, only the first option is currently modeled.

[[File:Shuttle OMS full.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|OMS burn for orbital insertion]]

=== OMS DAP schemes ===

In orbit, the throttle controls OMS engine thrust. The following DAP schemes are available:

; OMS TVC
: This is a stick-controls-rates scheme which utilizes thrust vectoring for the OMS engines. It resembles in principle the ascent thrust vectoring, except for the fact that the OMS engines are far less powerful and hence rates and the transition to the set rate are a lot slower. Note that this DAP will only control the Shuttle if the OMS is firing.

If TVC for the OMS is not feasible (for instance because the OMS engine gimbal actuators are damaged), the OMS engines can also be fired with an RCS attitude-holding rotational DAP active (for example <b>RCS DAP-A</b>. In this case, attitude control is provided by the RCS thrusters and thrust by the OMS engines.

=== The Reaction Control System ===

The RCS system consists of three modules, one forward at the nose and two at the OMS pods. The forward module contains 14 primary and 2 secondary thrusters, each aft module carries 12 primary and two secondary thrusters. Propellant reserves in each module are 1,477 lb of oxidizer and 928 lb of MMH. Each primary thruster has 870 lb of thrust with an ISP of 289 s, the secondary Vernier thrusters produce a mere 24 lb each with an ISP of 228 s. Due to geometric constraints, the thrusters are not aligned with the main spacecraft axes or in the same plane (for instance, there is no purely downward firing nose thruster, as its nozzle would have to fire through the heat shield). The layout of the whole system is shown below:

[[File:RCS Jet IDs.gif|600px|Space Shuttle RCS layout]]

Not all thrusters point orthogonal, and not all thrusters have the same nominal thrust - the complete list is as follows

[[File:RCS Break Down Table.gif|600px|List of Space Shuttle RCS thrusters and orientation]]

All of these thrusters are faithfully modeled in FG with their actual orientation and nominal thrust values, including the system of Vernier thrusters, equipping the Space Shuttle with a grand total of 51 distinct engines.

=== RCS DAP schemes ===

The real Space Shuttle has a multitude of (partially mission-specific) DAP schemes, each with different gains and deadbands, which control the thruster firing pattern in response to the controllers. A fair selection of these is implemented in FG. In the real Shuttle cockpit, there is both a rotational hand controller (RHC) and a translational hand controller (THC) to initiate either rotations of the shuttle or translational accelerations (e.g. for approach and docking). In FG, {{Key press|m}} corresponds to switching from THC to RHC to OMS control and back, {{Key press|Shift|m}} switches between the different DAPs and {{Key press|Control|m}} is the override switch to aerodynamical controls. The HUD will display the currently selected mode for clarity.

Due to the geometry of the thruster arrangement, there is significant mode mixing. For instance, a lateral translation firing nose and right pod thruster with the same thrust would also induce a yaw motion (since the modules do not have the same distance to the CoG) and a roll (since they are not in the CoG plane and in fact not even in the same plane). In most implemented modes, the FCS logic takes care of most of these effects by firing additional thruster to cancel the unwanted motion, however in some modes this is not easily possible and mode mixing has to be anticipated and accounted for manually. This is in fact the same as in the real Shuttle.

The Shuttle has four different control pushbuttons (implemented in the menu) to control the basic way the orbital DAP works. These are AUTO, INRTL, LVLH and FREE.

If AUTO is selected, the RCS is controlled by the on-board flight software (specifically either the pointing and tracking routines available on the UNIV PTG display or the automatic burn attitude maneuvering routines available on the MNVR display). In this mode, stick control input is not used. Note that if an automatic maneuver program is selected, the controls need to be switched to AUTO prior to the start of the program. If this is not done, a SEL AUTO warning message is created.

In INRTL (inertial), the stick controls roll rates and the Shuttle holds inertial altitude for stick to neutral. The orbiting Shuttle in this mode thus has an apparent slow attitude drift with respect to the horizon.

In contrast, LVLH (local vertical, local horizon) commands an attitude hold with respect to the local horizon, i.e. the Shuttle appears not to change attitude relative to Earth. Again in this scheme, the stick controls rates.

The following DAPs are available for INRTL and LVLH:

; RCS DAP-A
: A precision 'stick controls rate' scheme in which stick to neutral commands an attitude hold. The mode has fairly strict deadbands and steep gains and hence uses comparatively much propellant to stabilize attitude.

; RCS DAP-B
: As DAP-A, but more permissive in terms of deadbands, trades less strictly stabilized attitude against reduced propellant consumption.

; RCS DAP-A VERNIER
: A 'stick controls rate' scheme in which the Vernier thrusters are used to maneuver the Shuttle. The Verniers are not very powerful and moreover fire in an awkward geometry, so there is significant mode mixing into translations when using them and the response of the Shuttle is very slow - the mode should mainly be used for automatic attitude hold as it is very propellant-friendly.

; RCS TRANS ATT HLD
: A translational DAP in which 'attitude hold' is commanded for all rotation channels. This makes this mode very stable and controllable at the expense of an increased propellant consumption - use e.g. for a precision approach to a docking.

; RCS TRANS LOW-Z ATT HLD
: No upward-firing thrusters are used in this mode to avoid plume impingement on a satellite or docking target. For this reason, forward and backward firing jets are used simultaneously which are both angled slightly upward. For -Z-translations, this causes a 12 times higher fuel consumption. For weak thrust attitude control works well, for strong thrust the controller is, without using upward-pointing thrusters, unable to completely control the pitching motion.

Finally, FREE puts the orbiter into free drift. Stick to neutral then commands all RCS jets off, and stick movements control angular acceleration. The following DAPs are available for this control:

; RCS rotation
: This is a simple scheme in which the stick motion controls thrust, i.e. angular acceleration. Stick to neutral commands no thrust, i.e. the Shuttle will continue its current rotation.

; RCS ROT TAIL ONLY
: A 'stick controls thrust' scheme in which the nose module is not used. This causes significant mode mixing.

; RCS ROT NOSE ONLY
: A 'stick controls thrust' scheme in which the OMS pod modules are not used. This causes significant mode mixing and has very limited roll control (the roll moment only comes from the position difference between left-mounted and right-mounted upward and downward firing thrusters)

; RCS translation
: A translational DAP in which the stick controls translational thrust along the spacecraft x, y and z axes. Stick to idle commands no thrust, but the Shuttle will of course retain its relative velocity to a fix point until counter-thrust is used. RCS translation can be used for emergency de-orbit burns if the OMS is not available. Limited compensation is done for cross-coupling to rotational modes.

; RCS TRANS LOW-Z
: To prevent thruster plume impingement on a docking target, say the ISS, in this mode all upward-firing thrusters are inhibited. To provide the deceleration force for a docking (which is needed in -Z direction), foreward and backward firing thrusters are used simultaneously - since they point about 10 degrees upward, this provides a downward acceleration without upward plume at the expense of 12 times higher than normal propellant consumption. There is strong cross-coupling to a pitching motion.

The following DAPs are available for re-entry (OPS 304):

; RCS ROT ENTRY
: A 'stick controls rates' DAP designed for entering the atmosphere which enforces a 'no sideslip' attitude in which the nose module is not used. This has very strict deadbands and aggressive gains to combat the yaw instability of the Shuttle upon entry, significant mode mixing and is very propellant-consuming. Do not use in orbit and only activate at the entry interface once the shuttle has the correct attitude! During entry, the DAP will gradually transfer control to the 'Aerodynamical' DAP - at qbar of 10 lb/sqft the roll axis, at 40 lb/sqft the pitch axis and at around Mach 3.5 the yaw axis.

; Aerojet
: The Aerojet DAP is close to the real entry DAP used by the Shuttle. Its RCS part works similar to RCS ROT ENTRY, but control is not transferred to to the Aerodynamical DAP but to the atmosphere part of Aerojet (see below) which employs the same rate control routines as the RCS part. The scheme also supports an automatic AoA control scheme in which the pilot only has to manage the roll axis during entry, which makes this the most easy to fly DAP for entry and atmospheric flight.

For precision control, the keyboard is a more suitable input device than a joystick or a mouse since exact nulling of rates is somewhat easier with keystrokes.

==== Orbital DAP configuration ====

As of November 2015, the Shuttle's orbital DAPs are configurable using the SPEC 20 utility. This allows to set characteristics such as the roll rates achieved for a given controller movement, deadbands for attitude and rate holding as well as to switch the nose / aft RCS pods selectively off to conserve propellant.

[[File:Shuttle avionics spec20.jpg|600px|thumb|none|DAP utility display of the Space Shuttle]]

Note that the DAP characteristics configuration allows to specify unstable or ineffective use of the RCS, thus changes should be entered with care.

==== Key mapping for RCS rotation DAP ====

{| class="prettytable"
|-
|{{Key press|4}}
|Roll left
|-
|{{Key press|6}}
|Roll right
|-
|{{Key press|2}}
|Pitch up
|-
|{{Key press|8}}
|Pitch down
|-
|{{Key press|[}}
|Yaw left
|-
|{{Key press|]}}
|Yaw right
|-
|{{Key press|5}}
|Cut thrust
|}

==== Key mapping for RCS translation DAP ====

{| class="prettytable"
|-
|{{Key press|4}}
|Left
|-
|{{Key press|6}}
|Right
|-
|{{Key press|2}}
|Down
|-
|{{Key press|8}}
|Up
|-
|{{Key press|[}}
|Backward
|-
|{{Key press|]}}
|forward
|-
|{{Key press|5}}
|Cut thrust
|}
.

=== Spacewalk ===

The Shuttle version as of May 2015 contains a 'proof of concept' spacewalk view designated 'EVA'. This is intended to simulate the view of an astronaut using a MMU. In the EVA view, use {{Key press|Shift|E}} to initiate spacewalk. The stick then controls the MMU thrusters and {{Key press|m}} is used to switch between the translational and rotational modes of the MMU.

Before spacewalk is initiated, the yaw, pitch and roll rates of the Shuttle need to be nulled (since control inputs during spacewalk refer to the MMU, the Shuttle also can't be controlled from this view).

Once outside, the MMU can be used to float around the Shuttle, or to inspect co-orbiting objects. However, note that it is impossible to leave the EVA view unless the astronaut maneuvers back to the airlock. Currently it is not possible to see spacewalk from outside, nor can the view direction be adjusted - in a future implementation, spacewalk will be improved using the FG walker functionality.

== Aerodynamics of the Space Shuttle Orbiter ==

The conditions encountered by the Space Shuttle span a wide range from a thin, rarefied atmosphere at Mach 27 to a sea level atmosphere flown at about Mach 0.6. Over this range of conditions, the handling characteristics change quite dramatically.

Somewhat simplified, one can divide the atmospheric entry in three phases - an initial near-ballistic entry phase in which airfoils are essentially useless, an aerodynamical entry phase in which the Shuttle is controlled by airfoils and aerodynamical forces are very noticeable on the trajectory, but in which the flight dynamics is completely different from that of an airplane and the final approach and landing phase during which the Shuttle is flown like an aircraft.

[[File:Shuttle-landing04.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Early near-ballistic entry phase]]

During these phases, control is passed from RCS jets to the airfoils - the inboard and outboard elevons at the trailing wing edges and the rudder/speedbrake at the tail stabilizer fin. The elevons can be deflected from -40 to 25 degrees, the rudder from -25 to +25 degrees. At a qbar of 10 lb/sqf roll control is taken over by the airfoils, at 40 lb/sqf pitch control is managed by airfoils and below Mach 3.5 finally yaw control is transferred, at which point the airplane-like phase of the entry starts. In addition to the primary airfoils, the Shuttle is equipped with a body flap which can be used to adjust trim.

During the first two phases, the Shuttle is flown with a high AoA (initially 40 degrees) to create a detatched bow shockwave which keeps the heat of atmospheric entry away from the fuselage. The characteristic hallmark of this attitude is that the stabilizer fin is shadowed by the wings - this renders the rudder ineffective above Mach 6 and makes the Shuttle yaw unstable against sideslip above Mach 2, i.e. any sideslip must be very accurately controlled by the FCS during entry or the Shuttle will tumble uncontrolled. This can not be done by the rudder, thus yaw jets remain crucial for controlling the Shuttle down to Mach 3.5.

Another effect is that the elevons deflected upward are in the lee of the wings, significantly reducing their effectivity as compared to downward deflections. However, in the entry regime, operating the elevons upward is more advantageous due to heating constraints.

=== Lift / Drag ===

Despite being designed for a gliding approach and landing, the Shuttle is not actually a very good glider - even close to approach, the glide ratio (i.e. L/D) reaches about 4.5, much less than most normal planes would have.

[[File:L-D-mach.gif|‎500px|thumbnail|none|Lift to drag as a function of AoA for different Mach numbers]]

The maximum of L/D varies somewhat with Mach number, however for hypersonic flight thermal constraints force a high AoA and aerodynamical efficiency is a secondary concern. Only in the supersonic to subsonic phase is the Shuttle flown close to its optimum glide ratio.

Due to the Delta-wing design, L/D has no pronounced stall even at high AoA in any region. However, the need to have sufficient lift despite the relatively poor aerodynamics forces a high touchdown speed of about 200 kt.

=== Longitudinal Dynamics ===

In the near-ballistic entry phase, pitch is controlled by an attitude-hold mode of the RCS, however elevons are automatically trimmed by the FCS to negative (upward) deflections to take some of the load early on to conserve propellant.

The pitching moment induced by the control surface varies dramatically as function of Mach number.

[[File:Control response.gif|500px|thumbnail|none|Pitching CM moment]]

As seen from the figure, at high Mach numbers the response is fairly flat (i.e. large elevon deflections are needed to control the Shuttle) and also non-linear (upward deflections cause much less pitching moment than downward deflection). In contrast, at low Mach numbers small elevon deflections already cause large moments and the response is almost linear. In all regimes, the pitching moment is normal force (i.e. AoA) dependent.

Since the elevons supply both pitching and roll control, at high hypersonic Mach numbers roll controls are close to being saturated with elevons deflected near full up. To open up better roll control, below Mach 10 the speedbrake is opened to provide a pitching moment relieving the elevons, and the Shuttle's body flap can also be trimmed upward.

=== Lateral stability ===

As mentioned above, during most of the entry phase, the Space Shuttle has no rudder action and the yawing moment as a function of sideslip angle beta is negative, indicating instability. This means that the FCS has to manage yaw stability by commanding yaw thrusters to maintain near zero beta, which is increasingly more challenging as the Shuttle penetrates deeper into the atmosphere and aerodynamical forces grow while thrust is reduced as compared to nominal vacuum values. This implies that a sizable amount of RCS propellant (about 1/3 of the capacity to be on the safe side) needs to be available before atmospheric entry.

Below approximately Mach 6, the rudder starts to contribute to yaw stability and from Mach 3.5 down to Mach 2 where the yawing moment finally becomes positive only the rudder is used. The roll behavior of the orbiter before any FCS is somewhat skittish as the roll moment as a function of roll rate is not a large damping term over most of the Mach range. The FCS of the Shuttle in FG therefore does not place yaw and roll axis directly under pilot control. The rudder is always commanded to minimize beta and no pilot input for the rudder should be needed or used unless sideslip is explicitly desired. The elevons are commanded to provide a simple roll damper to make control smoother.

The real Shuttle has in addition a <b>NO Y JET</b> mode to stabilize the orbiter during entry in which the elevons are used to control yaw. This leads to significantly reduced roll control since roll then needs to be driven by adverse yaw till the rudder picks up sufficient airflow. Currently this mode is not yet available in FG.

=== A note on thruster efficiency in the atmosphere ===

Thrusters used in the hypersonic rarefied airflow of the upper atmosphere do not only cause the yaw, pitch and roll moment by the thrust acting at a certain distance to the CoG, but also are subject to plume impingement on the orbiter fuselage and interactions with the air flow field.

While impingement generically degrades the effectivity, the interaction moment can somewhat counter-intuitively act both directions. In particular the yaw moment is increased by the airflow, helping to stabilize the Shuttle.

As of May 2015, none of these effects is modeled in Flightgear.

=== Control cross couplings ===

The Shuttle has significant cross couplings between the elevon deflection in pitch and roll mode and the rudder as a function of Mach number, all of which are faithfully modeled in FG. One of the main effects is that upward elevon deflection alters the airflow at the aft fuselage, creating additional suction effects which alter aerodynamical forces.

In particular, at supersonic speeds yaw stability is somewhat improved at high upward elevon deflection while the effect reverses at subsonic speeds. At the same time, roll control is significantly reduced at full elevon deflection, with the effect being more pronounced at low than at high Mach numbers.

Control surface effectiveness in general drops with increasing Mach number, however the speed at which this happens is different for elevons and rudder.

=== Aerodynamical DAP schemes ===

There are two different control schemes available for the aerodynamical part of the Shuttle's flight - one of them based on the real Shuttle DAP, the other educational.

; Aerojet
: The Aerojet DAP is closest to what the real Shuttle uses. It is a scheme in which the stick commands pitch and roll rates and stick in neutral position commands attitude hold. Above Mach 3.5, in addition an automatic pitch control mode can be activated which maintains the scheduled safe entry AoA. Flying the Shuttle is very easy in this mode - there is no operational need to use trim or rudder and response to control input is crisp and precise. During entry, Aerojet can manage even agressive roll reversals inside the stable region.

; Aerodynamical
: This is an educational mode in which the Shuttle is flown similar to an airplane, i.e. the stick basically controls the airfoil positions, and in order to achieve level flight with stick neutral, trim has to be used. Since the Shuttle is yaw-unstable at high Mach numbers, this mode still has automatic stability augmentation, i.e. rudder and ailerons are commanded automatically to minimize sideslip. Entry can be flown with this mode starting in-orbit with <b>RCS ROT ENTRY</b> and illustrates the amount of work the rate controller has to do as well as gives a hands-on feeling for hypersonic aerodynamics. This however is somewhat challenging and it is possible to maneuver the Shuttle outside its stability envelope using too agressive maneuvers. Once below Mach 5, the Shuttle responds well and stable to direct aerodynamical control.

=== Entry and touchdown structural and aerodynamical limits ===

The following structural and aerodynamical limits need to be observed during entry and landing:

* Dynamical pressure qbar < 375 lb/sqf (modeled)

This is a structural limit for the orbiter and the airfoils, beyond this the actuators can no longer move the airfoils, leading to a loss of control. In nominal operations the orbiter should be kept below 250 lb/sqf.

* Peak temperature < 2900 F (modeled)

This is the approximate limit beyond which the thermal protection system fails, with subsequent structural failure of the overheated airframe and loss of the orbiter.

* gear extension speed < 312 KEAS (modeled)

Structural limit of the gear against aerodynamical forces.

* vertical speed upon touchdown < 9 ft/sec (modeled)

This is the structural limit of the main gear struts, and their destruction is fully modeled in 'realistic' mode.

* airspeed upon drag chute deployment < 230 kt (modeled)

The drag chute has a safety pin which disconnects the chute if the airspeed is higher than the stability limit. This is fully modeled.

* roll speed of tires < 230 kt (not modeled)

This is the certified maximal speed at which the tires don't blow.

* derotation speed < 2 deg/s (modeled)

This is the structural limit for the nose gear strut, and nose gear breakage is fully modeled.

* AoA < 15 deg on touchdown (modeled)

Beyond this angle, the body flap and tail structure of the orbiter touch the ground before the main gear does.

[[File:Shuttle-approach06.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Touchdown and drag chute deployed]]

== Systems ==

Most of the Shuttle's systems are designed around the philosophy that failure of any one component should allow the mission to continue and failure of two components should still allow a safe return to Earth. As a result, most systems exist triple, and the loss of one subsystem is not normally felt when operating the Shuttle, only a loss of two subsystems requires to take special action and compromises the maneuverability of the vehicle.

In the real Shuttle, many system switches have a 'GPC' (general purpose computer) setting in which the computer controls a system automatically and an 'on' setting in which the system is manually controlled. In FG, the system control is a bit simplified as no GPC or mission control is simulated and not all existing sensor readings are simulated which would be necessary for manual control. Often 'GPC' and 'on' are merged into one setting for which, dependent on system, either the user has to always control a system manually or a control routine is activated and no manual control is possible.

=== Electric Power Generation ===

Electricity aboard the Shuttle is generated by three fuel cells (FCs) which produce electricity utilizing the reaction of cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen into water (which is then used in the environment system). Each fuel cell can supply about 12 kW of power, which means plenty of redundancy given the normal power consumption of the orbiter is about 14 kW.

The fuel cells normally circulate hydrogen and oxygen in a closed loop to avoid losses, however they have to be periodically purged (reaction products vented into space) to avoid their effectivity to decrease by contamination.

As of June 2015, the power generation as well as the coarse power balance of the orbiter is modeled (i.e. switching components on which use electricity will have to be supplied by the running FCs), however not all the details of the electrical distribution system or the reactant feed lines are done. In normal operation, the electrical power system should require very little crew intervention.

=== Auxiliary Power Unit and Hydraulics System ===

Thrust vector control of the SSMEs during ascent, movement of the various aerosurfaces, deployment of the landing gear and brakes/nose wheel steering all rely on hydraulic pressure to operate.

The Space Shuttle is equipped with three independent hydraulics systems, each of them powered by an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), a turbine utilizing hydrazine as propellant. Under normal load conditions, each APU utilized about 3 - 3.5 lb of propellant per minute. With a hydrazine load of 332 lb, this means the system can be operated for about 90 minutes under nominal conditions or be run in a power-saving mode for 110 minutes during an once around abort. This means that the APUs have to be switched off when not used - they are powered down as part of the post-MECO operations and powered up as part of the atmospheric entry preparations.

As compared to the rest of the Shuttle's systems, the APU turbines with with 180 kW power each generate a lot of waste heat which ends up warming the hydraulic fluid and the lube oil. The APUs are operated at a temperature of over 390 K (250 F) though, so for an APU cold start it takes a bit more than 10 minutes to reach that temperature. Afterwards, the water spray boiler systems have to be used to cool hydraulic fluid and lube oil - they are supplied by three water tanks containing 142 lb of water each and can spray up to 10 lb / minute for cooling purpose. Overheating APUs can not be run for more than 2-3 minutes before they fail.

When not in use, electrically powered hydraulic circulation pumps keep the hydraulic fluid moving such as to equalize temperatures in the components.

In case of a hydraulic failure, Priority Rate Limiting (PRL) for the airfoils is used to allocate the remaining power as efficiently as possible. Usually the elevons move with 20 deg/s and the rudder with 14 deg/s, however in the case of multiple hydraulic failures, these numbers are reduced to 13.9 deg/s for elevons and 7 deg/s for the rudder. The orbiter is still fully controllable in this case, but not as responsive to agressive maneuvers.

As of June 2015, the APU and hydraulic system is modeled with a fair amount of detail and operated from a dedicated menu. APUs need to be started as part of the pre-launch checklist - refer to Help/Aircraft Checklists for the detailed procedure. <b>If the hydraulic system is not available during ascent, this will result in loss of the vehicle after SRB separation as there is no control over the Shuttle if the SSMEs can not be gimbaled.</b> Also PRL for all airfoils is fully supported.

Operation of the water spray boilers is realistically integrated into the heat transfer model of the Shuttle (see below), including the failure of overheating APUs.

=== Active Thermal Control System ===

In orbit, the Shuttle's systems use on average about 14 kW of power, which eventually ends up heating the interior of the pressure vessel. Active cooling systems carry the heat load away and radiate it into space. A water coolant loop system takes care of the avionics bays and the cabin and exchanges heat with a two loop freon coolant system which also cools systems elsewhere in the Shuttle. The freon is circulated through the radiator panels located on the inside of the payload bay doors and dumps a maximum of about 18.000 W of heat into space.

If the payload bay doors are closed (such as during ascent or entry), the freon loop can be cooled by flash evaporators which utilize quickly evaporating water sprayed on the freon tubes as coolant. To provide the cooling performance of the radiator, this system uses about 66 lb of water per hour, i.e. can only be a temporary measure as the water storage aboard would be quickly depleted otherwise.

The heat balance in space is also influenced by the orientation of the Shuttle relative to the Sun and Earth - sunward facing surfaces tend to heat up to 350 K whereas shaded surfaces may cool down to 150 K. To ensure ice-free thruster and other exhausts, electrical heating elements may therefore be needed.

Orbiter heat management often combines cooling systems and attitude - for instance placing the OV into a tail to Sun inertial attitude minimizes incident heat and allows to cool the freon down so that it can act as a heat sink for about 15 minutes even without the radiator deployed, a technique known as 'cold soak'. Similarly, orienting the payload bay towards Earth ensures that even during the night, temperatures don't drop too much so that EVA work is possible. Temperatures can be equalized across the Shuttle by slowly rotating the spacecraft.

As of June 2015, the FG Shuttle includes a fairly sophisticated simulation of the heat balance, including incident heat flux from Sun and Earth dependent on surface normal and albedo, internally generated heat in the avionics bays, heat transport via conduction and via the cooling loops, radiated heat from the surfaces the action of the flash evaporators and the radiator. Most real heat-management techniques, including cold soak and slow rotations, are fully supported.

[[File:Shuttle coldsoak.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Cold-soaking the Shuttle's freon loops in preparation for de-orbit.]]

Thermal inertia of the Orbiter is generically high - temperatures adjust at timescales of hours rather than minutes to their equilibrium values. For educational purposes, it is possible to choose simulation options which speed up the approach to thermal equilibrium by a factor or 10 or 100 respectively - this will result in an almost immediate response of the temperature distribution to e.g. changes in attitude. These options should be used with care.

=== Main Propulsion System ===

Under the name Main Propulsion System (MPS), the various subsystems operating the SSMEs are summarized. This includes the SSME controllers (two per engine for redundancy), the propellant feeding system supplying liquid hydrogen and oxygen to the engines and the various hydraulically operated valves, a helium system to supply purge gas flows and emergency hydraulics power and finally the engines themselves.

The SSME's feed high-pressure propellants into the combustion chamber. Power for the turbo pumps is provided by partial pre-combustion of the propellant, and ullage pressure in the external tank is maintained by branching off a small fraction of vaporized propellant back into the tank. The precise opening of the propellant feeding valves which throttles the engines is governed by the controllers which in turn receive throttle commands from the Shuttle's guidance computers.

For the most part, the MPS settings are controlled on the ground prior to launch and not changed during ascent, however after MECO there are about 5,200 lb of propellant trapped in the feeding manifolds which need to be dumped. During this propellant dump, high-pressure helium is used to vent liquid oxygen through the thruster exhausts while hydrogen is allowed to boil off through the fill/drain valves.

In case of a hydraulic failure, the SSMEs can neither be gimbaled nor can their valves be changed. Each of the three hydraulic systems operated the valves of one engine, and each engine gimbal is supported by two hydraulic systems (i.e. it takes two failures to disable gimbal on one engine, but each hydraulic failure will disable valves on one engine).

If the valve settings can no longer be changed, the engine can still continue to run, but it can't be throttled any more, a condition known as 'hydraulic lockup'. It is still possible to shut down such an engine using pressure from the helium system though. Similarly, if sensors monitoring combustion chamber conditions or the command path from guidance computer to engine controllers fail, the engine is in a condition called 'electric lockup' - the controller will continue to operate it with the last known settings. Locked-up engines usually need to be shut down manually using the cutoff switches about 30 seconds prior to nominal MECO.

As of June 2015, the MPS is modeled in a good amount of detail, including most of the relevant valve settings, hydraulic and electric lockup, power failures on the engine controllers and the propellant dump sequence. The in-sim checklists provide instructions on how to execute the propellant dump and how to safe the engines for orbital operations.

=== Mechanical Systems ===

The Shuttle uses electromechanical actuators to move components which do not require hydraulic power. This includes the ET umbilical doors and the payload bay door. Each actuator contains two separate motors for redundancy, and transition time for any motion doubles if a motor is non-functional. The movement of these components is not time-critical, and hence usually slow - the complete payload bay door opening sequence takes about four minutes at normal speed to execute, twice that for actuator failures.

The ET umbilical doors are open at launch to allow the oxidizer and fuel feedlines to enter the orbiter, and they need to be closed after reaching orbit for the thermal protection during entry to be efficient. The payload bay doors are closed during ascent and entry and only opened in orbit. This is crucial, as the freon cooling loop radiators are located on the inside of the payload bay doors, i.e. the Shuttle can not remain indefinitely in orbit without opening the payload bay.

Opening or closing mechanical components usually involves unlatching, moving and possibly re-latching the components.

As of June 2015, the normal operation of ET umbilical door and payload bay door is implemented, but no actuator failures. The sequences can be driven from the GUI in automatic mode, but there is in principle support to drive them in manual mode as well as described in the Shuttle Crew Operations Manual.

Note that there's cross talk between mechanical systems and thermal modeling - tension building in the Shuttle due to uneven heating of the left and right fuselage can prevent the payload bay doors from opening or closing for instance.

== Avionics and guidance systems ==

As of October 2015, work on the avionics and displays of the Shuttle has started, and a limited number of functions is available - see the dedicated article on [[Space Shuttle Avionics]] for an overview. These include routines to monitor the various systems as well as automatic pointing and orbital maneuvering routines.

[[File:Shuttle avionics disp19.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|GNC SYS SUMM 2 display of the Space Shuttle]]

The primary display usable for flight nevertheless is the HUD. This has four different modes - ascent, orbit, entry and approach, and dependent on the HUD mode, different information relevant for the mission phase is displayed. In all cases, the current CSS DAP is identified in the upper left.

There is a calculator for orbital elements available, determining perigee and apogee, orbital inclination and longitude of the ascending node (the latter is currently not so useful as it is obtained in an inertial coordinate system). Based on these orbital elements, the groundtrack map displays current position of the Space Shuttle, selected landing site, ground track history and a prediction of the future orbit - if the perigee is below the surface of Earth, the prediction ends at the estimated ballistic impact point (note that due to the aerodynamical capabilities of the Shuttle, the actual landing site can be within a cross range of about 1000 miles around that point dependent on how the trajectory is managed during the entry phase).

For the entry phase, there is also a guidance computer available which allows to select a landing site in orbit. The entry guidance can only be de-activated if the guidance can compute a halfway plausible de-orbit solution to the site - allow for no more than 10 degrees azimuth deviation and at least 3000 miles to site at the entry interface. If the entry guidance is active, target deceleration and azimuth deviation to site is displayed during the entry phase in the lower right of the HUD - by managing actual deceleration and azimuth of the trajectory the Shuttle can be aimed at the landing site (while the entry display is different in the real Shuttle, the guidance parameters are the same).

[[File:Shuttle-landing01.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Groundtrack map and entry guidance computer for the Space Shuttle]]

Apart from these, the Shuttle HUD contains a basic engine status display, speedbrake, body-flap and gear status indicators in the approach mode and yaw, pitch and roll rate indicators in orbit, as well as the normal pitch ladder and flightpath indicator of an airplane.

== Payload handling ==

The Space Shuttle is equipped with the capability to release payload from the bay into space, or to catch a payload from space and deposit and secure it in the bay. For this, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm in combination with the payload retention system is used.

[[File:Payload_ops03.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Handling a payload with the RMS arm]]

=== RMS arm operation ===

The RMS arm is a fairly complicated device with six different joints, each allowing rotation along one specific axis, which is formed after the human arm. The nomenclature is borrowed from this analogy, so there is a shoulder yaw, a shoulder pitch, an elbow pitch, a wrist pitch and wrist yaw and roll joints. Each of the joints can only be moved a certain angular range. At the end of the RMS arm is the end effector which is the device which can attach to a payload.

The RMS arm can be driven in various modes. The simplest of these are the single joint or the direct mode in which each joint angle is controlled separately, i.e. the arm is extended by first selecting a joint, then commanding it to either increase or decrease angle, before the next joint is selected.

Since this is cumbersome, the more natural control modes allow to use the stick (or whatever control device is attached) to directly move a reference point. In the ORB UL x/y/z mode (UL stands for 'unloaded') the reference point is the tip of the end effector, i.e. using the stick just moves the joint angles such that the end effector moves along the x, y, or z-axis and otherwise keeps its attitude. The ORB UL yaw/pitch/roll mode in contrast keeps the end effector's position and just changes its attitude.

The real Shuttle has additional modes in which the reference point is in the center of the payload, or in which the reference coordinate system is changed from the Shuttle's coordinate system to a system co-moving with the end effector camera - these are as of August 2015 not implemented in FG.

All modes except single and direct joint driving have software safety stops when the joints approach their limit extensions. Since in its stowed position, two of the joints are in the software stop region, it is necessary to directly drive shoulder pitch and elbow pitch out of their soft stop region to be able to use the more sophisticated control modes - see the diagram below for the reach angles of each joint.

[[File:Joints.gif|600px|thumbnail|none|RMS arm reference coordinate system and joint reach angles]]

Finally, the RMS arm is secured by a shoulder brace to make it cope with launch acceleration. This brace needs to be removed before the arm can be operated, and the arm itself needs to be powered, deployed and unlatched.

=== Payload retention system ===

The payload retention system is a series of latches which hold a payload in the bay. Before a payload can be lifted out of the bay, these latches need to be released. Similarly, if a payload is returned into the bay, ready-to-latch indicators show when it has reached the correct stowing position and it can only be safely released from the RMS arm once the latches are closed.

The real Shuttle has three different payload positions with corresponding latch controls, as of August 2015 only one payload position is supported in FG. Likewise, currently only a simple demo satellite with no proper folding/unfolding animation is available as visual payload (note that a payload mass affecting the FDM can also be chosen in the 'Fuel and Payload' dropdown menu).

== Mission phases ==

The various phases of a Shuttle mission are generically subdivided into launch, orbit, entry, TAEM and approach. These can directly be accessed by appending the mission phase to the command line. This will automatically start the Shuttle in the correct configuration and the correct state for the mission selected. For instance, --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-TAEM --airport=KVBG will initialize a TAEM approach into Vandenberg, --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-orbit --lat=30.0 --lon=0.0 --heading=90.0 will initialize the Shuttle in a 30 deg inclination orbit.

Note that --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-entry combined with an airport as location will <i>not</i> initialize you on an entry trajectory to that airport since the entry interface is several thousand miles away from the landing site and moreover the trajectory needed is not unique but depends on what you fly - you need to initialize the entry interface location by hand using latitude and longitude.

Specific information on the mission phases can be found in the following articles:

[[Flying the Shuttle - Launch]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Orbital Operations]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Entry]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Final Approach]]

== Glossary of acronyms ==
{|
| '''AoA''' || Angle of Attack
|-
| '''APU''' || Auxiliary Power Unit
|-
| '''CoG''' || Center of Gravity
|-
| '''CSS''' || Control stick steering
|-
| '''DAP''' || Digital autopilot
|-
| '''ET''' || External tank
|-
| '''EVA''' || Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk)
|-
| '''FC''' || Fuel cell
|-
| '''FCS''' || Flight Control System
|-
| '''ISP''' || Specific impulse
|-
| '''MECO''' || Main Engine Cutoff
|-
| '''MMH''' || monomethylhydrazine (a propellant)
|-
| '''MMU''' || Manned Maneuvering Unit
|-
| '''MPS''' || Main Propulsion System
|-
| '''OV''' || Orbiter vehicle
|-
| '''OMS''' || Orbital Maneuvering System
|-
| '''PRL''' || Priority Rate Limiting
|-
| '''RCS''' || Reaction Control System
|-
| '''RHC''' || Rotational Hand Controller
|-
| '''RMS''' || Remote Manipulator System
|-
| '''SRB''' || Solid rocket booster
|-
| '''SSME''' || Space Shuttle main engine
|-
| '''TAEM''' || Terminal Area Energy Management
|-
| '''THC''' || Translational Hand Controller
|-
| '''TVC''' || Thrust Vector Control
|}

== Latest development snapshot ==
The latest development version (possibly unstable) is found in a dedicated [https://sourceforge.net/projects/fgspaceshuttledev/ repository] on SourceForge. You can download the latest snapshot from http://sourceforge.net/p/fgspaceshuttledev/code/ci/development/tarball. Stable updates are pushed to FGAddon periodically.

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Shuttle FG02.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle_FG03.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle FG04.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle launch01.jpg|Launch smoke trail
Shuttle SRBsep03.jpg|SRB separation
Shuttle FG5.jpg|Accelerating to orbital speed
Shuttle flame06.jpg|Improved visuals of the exhaust flame
Shuttle Cockpit.jpg|Shuttle 3d cockpit
Shuttle-ETsep01.jpg|External tank separation
Shuttle orbit01.jpg|A view of Earth after reaching orbit
Shuttle orbit02.jpg|The ET seen from the Shuttle
Shuttle OMS full.jpg|Full OMS thrust
Shuttle orbit03.jpg|The orbiter high over Africa
Payload ops03.jpg|Handling payload with the RMS arm
Space Shuttle sunrise.jpg|Sunrise over Antarctica
Space Shuttle Orbit.jpg|The OV in orbit over Australia
Shuttle orbit04.jpg|Orbital insertion burn at sunset
Shuttle-landing04.jpg|Atmospheric entry
Shuttle_entry03.jpg|High bank angle maneuver to control vertical speed
Space Shuttle going subsonic.jpg|During TAEM the Space Shuttle goes subsonic
Shuttle-approach01.jpg|On final approach into Vandenberg
Shuttle-approach02.jpg|Pre-flare
Shuttle-approach04.jpg|Flare
Shuttle-approach06.jpg|Touchdown in Vandenberg
</gallery>

[[Category:Spaceflight]]
[[Category:Spaceplanes]]
[[Category:Delta-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Glider aircraft]]
[[Category:Hypersonic aircraft]]

Space Shuttle

2016-01-10T01:00:21Z

Adam: Grammar

{{hatnote|See also [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]] for the other Space Shuttle.}}
{{infobox Aircraft
|image = Shuttle FG01.jpg
|alt = Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' in orbit
|image2 = Shuttle_Cockpit.jpg
|alt2 = Space Shuttle cockpit (April 2015)
|name = Space Shuttle
|type = Spacecraft
|fdm = [[JSBSim]]
|status-fdm = 4
|status-systems = 3
|status-cockpit = 2
|status-model = 2
|authors = Thorsten Renk, Richard Harrison
|fgname = SpaceShuttle<br/>SpaceShuttle-orbit<br/>SpaceShuttle-launch<br/>SpaceShuttle-entry<br/>SpaceShuttle-approach<br/>SpaceShuttle-TAEM
|development = http://sourceforge.net/p/fgspaceshuttledev/code/ci/development/tree/
|download = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/fgaddon/HEAD/tree/trunk/Aircraft/SpaceShuttle/
}}

[[File:Spacetripready.png]]

{{SpaceFlight}}

The NASA '''Space Shuttle''' was the world's first operational space plane capable of reaching orbit. It was operated from 1981 to 2011 on a total of 135 missions during which two orbiters, Challenger and Columbia, were lost in accidents.

The Shuttle launch system components include the Orbiter Vehicle (OV), a pair of solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and the external tank (ET) containing the liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel for the engines of the orbiter. Of these, only the external tank is expendable; the SRBs splash into the sea shortly after launch and are recovered, and the orbiter itself returns to a landing site where it lands like an airplane.

The mixture of a rocket-like launch, a spacecraft-like near ballistic early atmospheric phase and an airplane like approach and landing makes the Space Shuttle a truly unique flying experience.

== Project Aim ==

The aim of the Shuttle Project is to create a highly realistic simulation of the capabilities of the Space Shuttle in FlightGear. While most of the time the real Shuttle is under the control of automatic guidance systems, there are fallback modes to control the spacecraft manually, the so-called CSS (control stick steering) modes, and it is these modes we primarily try to implement.

In addition to the real avionics and control modes, the idea is also to provide various 'educational' modes and instruments such as to explore and appreciate certain aspects of a Shuttle mission more.

The [http://ntrs.nasa.gov NASA technical reports server] supplies a large base of wind tunnel and in-situ performance data of both the mated launch vehicle and the orbiter, and the aerodynamics of the simulated shuttle is based on these documents. The authoritative source for procedures for trajectory management, instrumentation, limits and emergency procedures is the [https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/390651main_shuttle_crew_operations_manual.pdf Space Shuttle Crew Operations Manual] and currently a normal mission, i.e. ascent, orbital insertion, de-orbit, entry, terminal area energy management and landing can be flown largely 'by the book', i.e. following the real procedure for CSS. As of May 2015, this does not yet hold for emergency procedures.

In the following, descriptions refer to the development version - the last stable or the release version may not have all features described.

=== Limit and failure modeling ===

The project contains code to simulate the various structural and aerodynamical limits as well as component failures based on sections 4 and 6 of the Space Shuttle crew manual.

The general philosophy on limit modeling is that they can be treated dependent on a user setting as 'soft', 'hard' and 'realistic'. Where applicable, warnings when the state of the orbiter is getting dangerously close to a limit are called out in addition to a recommendation how to deal with the situation. Dependent on the trajectory of the orbiter, there may or may not be sufficient time to redeem the situation.

; soft
: Limit violations are called out, but their violation has no consequences for aerodynamics or component failures.

; hard
: Any limit violation immediately ends the simulation.

; realistic
: In reality, components do not necessarily fail immediately if used outside their design specs. This option applies a probabilistic failure model in which the chance for a component to fail grows with the degree of limit violation. The failure may or may not be immediately visible, e.g. too much qbar upon ascent may damage the heat shield, but this may not be apparent (unless specifically checked) until the heat shield fails upon atmospheric entry.

Component failure is modeled gradually where applicable - while a tire can only blow or not blow, an airfoil or a thruster for instance may lose a certain percentage of its efficiency.

In addition to failures induced by limit violations, the simulation also supports failure scenarios designed to model typical failure modes which could be expected to occur during operations, such as for instance engine failures or lock-up on ascent, coolant loop failures or leaks or similar. Rather complex chains of failures are modeled, for instance a failure of a coolant water spray boiler will lead to subsequent overheating of an APU unit - if this is not realized and proper action taken, the APU will fail subsequently, causing in turn a failure of one hydraulic system which potentially causes downstream failures of airfoil actuators or main engine gimbal capability.

== The mated launch vehicle ==

At liftoff, thrust for the shuttle is provided by its three main engines (SSMEs) and the two SRBs. The assembled launch configuration has a height of 184.2 ft (56.1 m) and a mass of about 4,470,000 lb or 2.030 tons (in addition to payload), over 90% of this being propellant. The main engines would at this point be incapable of lifting the launch stack.

The SRBs burn an ammonium perchlorate composite fuel with a relatively low ISP of 268 s in vacuum, supplying 2,800,000 lbf of liftoff thrust each, this is supplemented by the SSME burning liquid hydrogen/oxygen with an ISP of 455 s, supplying an additional total liftoff thrust of 1,180,000 lbf. At liftoff, the shuttle hence reaches a thrust/weight ratio over 1.6, i.e. it leaves the launch pad rapidly.

Control during ascent is provided by thrust vectoring of both the SRB and SSME nozzles. The real-world CSS scheme is a 'stick controls rates' scheme which for stick to neutral does 'attitude hold' which makes it possible to control the launch trajectory very precisely.

=== The Solid Rocket Boosters ===

Each SRB weighs about 1,300,000 lb, out of which 1,100,000 is propellant weight. The propellant of the SRBs is shaped to provide a high liftoff thrust, followed by a thrust reduction during the phase of the highest dynamical pressure (max. qbar). The actual thrust as a function of time is fairly complicated:

[[File:SRB thrust.png|400px|thumb|none|Thrust characteristics of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters]]

The distribution is faithfully modeled in FG and the definitions to match the real thrust characteristics is taken from the [http://jsbsim.sourceforge.net/download.html JSBSim code repository]

The SRBs can not be throttled, once ignited, they provide thrust as explained above. SRB ignition takes place some three seconds after main engine ignition, and once they ramp up to full thrust, the shuttle has no choice but to leave the launch pad. For thrust vectoring, SRB nozzles can be gimbaled up to 8 deg in both pitch and yaw axes, a roll moment is created by gimbaling the two SRBs in opposite directions.

[[File:Shuttle_flame05.jpg|600px|thumb|none|Early ascent on combined SRB and SSME thrust]]

As of May 2015, SRB separation happens automatically once the thrust drops below some threshold to avoid having to drag dead weight, but there is no provision to manually separate. The SRBs are pushed away from the remaining launch vehicle by separation motor burns. These (including the separation animation with still burning SRBs) are modeled in FG, however due to technical issues with the submodel code at high velocities, thrust of the separation motors in the sim is set larger than in reality to provide the same visual separation dynamics.

The SRBs are implemented as ballistic submodels, i.e. they follow a correct trajectory and ascent with the shuttle, however since (unlike the shuttle) they are not accelerating, they visually fall behind quite quickly.

=== The Main Engines ===

The three main engines (SSMEs) are used during ascent and burn propellant from the ET. They are mounted in a triangular configuration at the stern, tilted by 13 degrees with respect to the spacecraft main axis and can be gimbaled by 10.5 degrees in the pitch and by 8.5 degrees in the yaw axis. The reason for the tilted arrangement is to have a sensible CoG of the OV together with the ET during the later ascent stages. The heavy oxygen is stored forward in the ET, leading to a fairly forward CoG for the mated vehicle such that the SSMEs can be vectored through the CoG. This assembly is faithfully modeled in FG.

[[File:Shuttle_flame06.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Late ascent phase on SSME thrust]]

The engines can be throttled between 67 and 109% of rated power, this is necessary to keep the launch vehicle within structural limits during the high qbar phase in the atmosphere and later close to MECO as the propellant in the ET is almost depleted. Thrust increases during ascent as the exhaust gases do no longer have to push against an atmosphere. Both liftoff and vacuum thrust of the modeled engines are in agreement with published values.

Since the SSME's are mounted much closer to each other than the SRBs, the Shuttle loses significant yaw and roll maneuverability after SRB separation. However as the spacecraft is nearly out of the atmosphere by then, no such maneuverability reserves are actually needed.

In FG, the throttle controls all three SSMEs during ascent. Engines ignite once throttle is moved above 67%, this triggers the SRB ignition. If the throttle is moved below 67%, the engines will stop, however they will restart once throttle is moved again up as long as fuel is available in the ET.

The engine numbering by NASA has the center engine as number 1, the left engine as number 2 and the right engine as number 3 and these numbers are used in in-sim callouts of engine failures. For some failure modes, engines will not respond to throttle any more, in this case the cutoff switches have to be used. These are {{Key press|Control|q}} for engine 1, {{Key press|Control|w}} for engine 2 and {{Key press|Control|e}} for engine 3. An engine that has been shut down by the cutoff switch will not re-ignite.

The propellant for the SSMEs is carried in the ET. The tank has a liftoff weight of approximately 1,680,000 lb (760 tons) and a dry weight of about 66,000 lb (dependent on version - the Space Shuttle menu offers an option to fly older and heavier tanks). The ET is the only expendable component of the launch stack, it is dropped after MECO upon almost reaching orbit and then the shuttle uses the OMS to attain orbit while the tank re-enters the atmosphere half an orbit later and breaks up during entry.

[[File:Shuttle-ETsep01.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|External tank separation]]

In FG, the tank is normally separated using {{Key press|d}}. This is vetoed if the Shuttle has unsafe yaw, pitch or roll motion in which case the RCS should be used to stabilize the orbiter before ET separation. If an emergency separation needs to be performed, {{Key press|Control|d}} overrides the veto. At separation, a translational RCS burn will automatically push the shuttle away from the tank.

After separation, the ET will approximately co-orbit with the OV, i.e. unless the Shuttle ignites the OMS engines, the tank will be visible for a long time, slowly drifting off, and it is quite possible to use the Shuttle's RCS engines to do a visual inspection of the tank.

[[File:Shuttle orbit02.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|The ET seen from the Shuttle]]

=== A note on aerodynamics of the mated vehicle ===

With the ET and SRBs attached, the launch stack has quite different aerodynamical characteristics than the OV alone, for instance the stack is more yaw-stable than the orbiter and its pitching moment as function of alpha and rolling moment as function of beta are very different. Where such data could be obtained from wind tunnel tests with the mated stack, it has been used in the simulation.

As in reality, the simulated shuttle has an automated downward elevon deflection schedule with Mach number upon ascent to provide further load relief for the wings (with corresponding aerodynamical forces acting).

In general though, aerodynamical effects are subleading, the ascent dynamics is dominated by the thruster forces and the flight control systems have a large margin to compensate for them.

=== CSS DAP schemes for ascent ===

During ascent, the stick controls thrust vectoring for both SSMEs and SRBs. The following two DAP schemes are available:

; Thrust vectoring
: This is the real CSS ascent mode for the shuttle in which stick motion controls rate, stick to neutral commands an attitude hold. Internally a PID controller vectors the thrusters and uses the stick input as a bias for the error. This is a very stable scheme and can be easily used to achieve high precision in controlling ascent speed or orbital inclination.

; Thrust vectoring (gimbal)
: This is an educational scheme in which the stick motion directly controls the engine gimbal, i.e. the pilot needs to do the task of the PID controller himself. To make things somewhat easier, the engines are automatically vectored through the stack's CoG, i.e. outside the atmosphere stick neutral corresponds to zero moments acting on the stack. In the atmosphere, the control input hence needs to compensate for aerodynamical forces. Launch in this scheme is fairly rough and it is not possible to reach high precision, but it is possible to fly into orbit and gain a first-hand experience of the forces acting on the stack.

{{Key press|m}} switches between the ascent DAPs. {{Key press|Control|m}} switches from the ascent to the orbital DAP modes (do not use an orbital DAP for ascent control unless you know very well what you're doing).

=== Ascent structural and aerodynamical limits ===

The following structural and aerodynamical limits need to be observed during ascent:

* Dynamical pressure qbar < 819 lb/sqf (modeled)

This is a structural limit for the orbiter and mated stack, in actual operations the orbiter should be kept below 650 lb/sqf.

* Wing bending moment coefficient CBW between -0.019 and 0.019 at max. qbar (modeled)

At max qbar, the wing bending moment is a function of Mach number and AoA. Since Mach number is close to 1.4 in this phase of the flight, this limit basically translates into alpha between -8 degrees and 2 degrees. This can only be achieved if the orbiter is in inverted flight.

* Translational accelerations Nx between 0 and 3.11 g (modeled), Ny between -0.18 and 0.18 g (not modeled) and Nz between -0.06 and 0.73 g (not modeled).

These are structural limits of the mated stack to acceleration rather than aerodynamical forces. Especially the Nx (acceleration along the orbiter axis, i.e. main engine thrust) is important and requires to throttle down the SSMEs towards the end of the burn time.

* Late ascent trajectory may not drop below 265.000 ft (modeled)

This is a heat load limit for the external tank insulation, if the thermal protection of the ET fails, it will explode.

== The Shuttle in orbit ==

For maneuvering in orbit, the OV is equipped with three RCS thruster clusters and the two OMS engines. The propellant for these systems is monomethylhydrazine (MMH) oxydized with dinitrogen tetroxide, resulting in a specific impulse of 312 s. This is an hypergolic fuel combination (i.e. ignites automatically). OMS and RCS tanks have an interconnect valve, however only the RCS can be fired from the OMS propellant reserves, not vice versa (currently not modeled).

The OMS engines are located at the rear of the spacecraft in pods attached to the fuselage. Two of the RCS clusters are attached to the OMS pods, one is located at the spacecraft nose.

=== The Orbital Maneuvering System engines ===

The two OMS engines provide a thrust of 6,000 lb and, using the propellant reserves of 7,773 lb of nitrogen tetrozide and 4,718 lb of MMH can induce a total velocity change of about 1000 ft/sec if all propellant is spent. Typically half of this is used to push the OV into a proper orbit after ET separation and for the de-orbit burn, the rest is available for orbital maneuvers such as inclination adjustments.

Once in orbit, in FG throttle control is transferred to both OMS engines. They can be throttled from zero to 100% of nominal thrust and are automatically vectored by the flight controls through the CoG of the orbiter. The real shuttle has a DAP for thrust vectoring of the OMS engines as well as the option of using a single engine with partial thrust vectoring, only the first option is currently modeled.

[[File:Shuttle OMS full.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|OMS burn for orbital insertion]]

=== OMS DAP schemes ===

In orbit, the throttle controls OMS engine thrust. The following DAP schemes are available:

; OMS TVC
: This is a stick-controls-rates scheme which utilizes thrust vectoring for the OMS engines. It resembles in principle the ascent thrust vectoring, except for the fact that the OMS engines are far less powerful and hence rates and the transition to the set rate are a lot slower. Note that this DAP will only control the Shuttle if the OMS is firing.

If TVC for the OMS is not feasible (for instance because the OMS engine gimbal actuators are damaged), the OMS engines can also be fired with an RCS attitude-holding rotational DAP active (for example <b>RCS DAP-A</b>. In this case, attitude control is provided by the RCS thrusters and thrust by the OMS engines.

=== The Reaction Control System ===

The RCS system consists of three modules, one forward at the nose and two at the OMS pods. The forward module contains 14 primary and 2 secondary thrusters, each aft module carries 12 primary and two secondary thrusters. Propellant reserves in each module are 1,477 lb of oxidizer and 928 lb of MMH. Each primary thruster has 870 lb of thrust with an ISP of 289 s, the secondary Vernier thrusters produce a mere 24 lb each with an ISP of 228 s. Due to geometric constraints, the thrusters are not aligned with the main spacecraft axes or in the same plane (for instance, there is no purely downward firing nose thruster, as its nozzle would have to fire through the heat shield). The layout of the whole system is shown below:

[[File:RCS Jet IDs.gif|600px|Space Shuttle RCS layout]]

Not all thrusters point orthogonal, and not all thrusters have the same nominal thrust - the complete list is as follows

[[File:RCS Break Down Table.gif|600px|List of Space Shuttle RCS thrusters and orientation]]

All of these thrusters are faithfully modeled in FG with their actual orientation and nominal thrust values, including the system of Vernier thrusters, equipping the Space Shuttle with a grand total of 51 distinct engines.

=== RCS DAP schemes ===

The real Space Shuttle has a multitude of (partially mission-specific) DAP schemes, each with different gains and deadbands, which control the thruster firing pattern in response to the controllers. A fair selection of these is implemented in FG. In the real Shuttle cockpit, there is both a rotational hand controller (RHC) and a translational hand controller (THC) to initiate either rotations of the shuttle or translational accelerations (e.g. for approach and docking). In FG, {{Key press|m}} corresponds to switching from THC to RHC to OMS control and back, {{Key press|Shift|m}} switches between the different DAPs and {{Key press|Control|m}} is the override switch to aerodynamical controls. The HUD will display the currently selected mode for clarity.

Due to the geometry of the thruster arrangement, there is significant mode mixing. For instance, a lateral translation firing nose and right pod thruster with the same thrust would also induce a yaw motion (since the modules do not have the same distance to the CoG) and a roll (since they are not in the CoG plane and in fact not even in the same plane). In most implemented modes, the FCS logic takes care of most of these effects by firing additional thruster to cancel the unwanted motion, however in some modes this is not easily possible and mode mixing has to be anticipated and accounted for manually. This is in fact the same as in the real Shuttle.

The Shuttle has four different control pushbuttons (implemented in the menu) to control the basic way the orbital DAP works. These are AUTO, INRTL, LVLH and FREE.

If AUTO is selected, the RCS is controlled by the on-board flight software (specifically either the pointing and tracking routines available on the UNIV PTG display or the automatic burn attitude maneuvering routines available on the MNVR display). In this mode, stick control input is not used. Note that if an automatic maneuver program is selected, the controls need to be switched to AUTO prior to the start of the program. If this is not done, a SEL AUTO warning message is created.

In INRTL (inertial), the stick controls roll rates and the Shuttle holds inertial altitude for stick to neutral. The orbiting Shuttle in this mode thus has an apparent slow attitude drift with respect to the horizon.

In contrast, LVLH (local vertical, local horizon) commands an attitude hold with respect to the local horizon, i.e. the Shuttle appears not to change attitude relative to Earth. Again in this scheme, the stick controls rates.

The following DAPs are available for INRTL and LVLH:

; RCS DAP-A
: A precision 'stick controls rate' scheme in which stick to neutral commands an attitude hold. The mode has fairly strict deadbands and steep gains and hence uses comparatively much propellant to stabilize attitude.

; RCS DAP-B
: As DAP-A, but more permissive in terms of deadbands, trades less strictly stabilized attitude against reduced propellant consumption.

; RCS DAP-A VERNIER
: A 'stick controls rate' scheme in which the Vernier thrusters are used to maneuver the Shuttle. The Verniers are not very powerful and moreover fire in an awkward geometry, so there is significant mode mixing into translations when using them and the response of the Shuttle is very slow - the mode should mainly be used for automatic attitude hold as it is very propellant-friendly.

; RCS TRANS ATT HLD
: A translational DAP in which 'attitude hold' is commanded for all rotation channels. This makes this mode very stable and controllable at the expense of an increased propellant consumption - use e.g. for a precision approach to a docking.

; RCS TRANS LOW-Z ATT HLD
: No upward-firing thrusters are used in this mode to avoid plume impingement on a satellite or docking target. For this reason, forward and backward firing jets are used simultaneously which are both angled slightly upward. For -Z-translations, this causes a 12 times higher fuel consumption. For weak thrust attitude control works well, for strong thrust the controller is, without using upward-pointing thrusters, unable to completely control the pitching motion.

Finally, FREE puts the orbiter into free drift. Stick to neutral then commands all RCS jets off, and stick movements control angular acceleration. The following DAPs are available for this control:

; RCS rotation
: This is a simple scheme in which the stick motion controls thrust, i.e. angular acceleration. Stick to neutral commands no thrust, i.e. the Shuttle will continue its current rotation.

; RCS ROT TAIL ONLY
: A 'stick controls thrust' scheme in which the nose module is not used. This causes significant mode mixing.

; RCS ROT NOSE ONLY
: A 'stick controls thrust' scheme in which the OMS pod modules are not used. This causes significant mode mixing and has very limited roll control (the roll moment only comes from the position difference between left-mounted and right-mounted upward and downward firing thrusters)

; RCS translation
: A translational DAP in which the stick controls translational thrust along the spacecraft x, y and z axes. Stick to idle commands no thrust, but the Shuttle will of course retain its relative velocity to a fix point until counter-thrust is used. RCS translation can be used for emergency de-orbit burns if the OMS is not available. Limited compensation is done for cross-coupling to rotational modes.

; RCS TRANS LOW-Z
: To prevent thruster plume impingement on a docking target, say the ISS, in this mode all upward-firing thrusters are inhibited. To provide the deceleration force for a docking (which is needed in -Z direction), foreward and backward firing thrusters are used simultaneously - since they point about 10 degrees upward, this provides a downward acceleration without upward plume at the expense of 12 times higher than normal propellant consumption. There is strong cross-coupling to a pitching motion.

The following DAPs are available for re-entry (OPS 304):

; RCS ROT ENTRY
: A 'stick controls rates' DAP designed for entering the atmosphere which enforces a 'no sideslip' attitude in which the nose module is not used. This has very strict deadbands and aggressive gains to combat the yaw instability of the Shuttle upon entry, significant mode mixing and is very propellant-consuming. Do not use in orbit and only activate at the entry interface once the shuttle has the correct attitude! During entry, the DAP will gradually transfer control to the 'Aerodynamical' DAP - at qbar of 10 lb/sqft the roll axis, at 40 lb/sqft the pitch axis and at around Mach 3.5 the yaw axis.

; Aerojet
: The Aerojet DAP is close to the real entry DAP used by the Shuttle. Its RCS part works similar to RCS ROT ENTRY, but control is not transferred to to the Aerodynamical DAP but to the atmosphere part of Aerojet (see below) which employs the same rate control routines as the RCS part. The scheme also supports an automatic AoA control scheme in which the pilot only has to manage the roll axis during entry, which makes this the most easy to fly DAP for entry and atmospheric flight.

For precision control, the keyboard is a more suitable input device than a joystick or a mouse since exact nulling of rates is somewhat easier with keystrokes.

==== Orbital DAP configuration ====

As of November 2015, the Shuttle's orbital DAPs are configurable using the SPEC 20 utility. This allows to set characteristics such as the roll rates achieved for a given controller movement, deadbands for attitude and rate holding as well as to switch the nose / aft RCS pods selectively off to conserve propellant.

[[File:Shuttle avionics spec20.jpg|600px|thumb|none|DAP utility display of the Space Shuttle]]

Note that the DAP characteristics configuration allows to specify unstable or ineffective use of the RCS, thus changes should be entered with care.

==== Key mapping for RCS rotation DAP ====

{| class="prettytable"
|-
|{{Key press|4}}
|Roll left
|-
|{{Key press|6}}
|Roll right
|-
|{{Key press|2}}
|Pitch up
|-
|{{Key press|8}}
|Pitch down
|-
|{{Key press|[}}
|Yaw left
|-
|{{Key press|]}}
|Yaw right
|-
|{{Key press|5}}
|Cut thrust
|}

==== Key mapping for RCS translation DAP ====

{| class="prettytable"
|-
|{{Key press|4}}
|Left
|-
|{{Key press|6}}
|Right
|-
|{{Key press|2}}
|Down
|-
|{{Key press|8}}
|Up
|-
|{{Key press|[}}
|Backward
|-
|{{Key press|]}}
|forward
|-
|{{Key press|5}}
|Cut thrust
|}
.

=== Spacewalk ===

The Shuttle version as of May 2015 contains a 'proof of concept' spacewalk view designated 'EVA'. This is intended to simulate the view of an astronaut using a MMU. In the EVA view, use {{Key press|Shift|E}} to initiate spacewalk. The stick then controls the MMU thrusters and {{Key press|m}} is used to switch between the translational and rotational modes of the MMU.

Before spacewalk is initiated, the yaw, pitch and roll rates of the Shuttle need to be nulled (since control inputs during spacewalk refer to the MMU, the Shuttle also can't be controlled from this view).

Once outside, the MMU can be used to float around the Shuttle, or to inspect co-orbiting objects. However, note that it is impossible to leave the EVA view unless the astronaut maneuvers back to the airlock. Currently it is not possible to see spacewalk from outside, nor can the view direction be adjusted - in a future implementation, spacewalk will be improved using the FG walker functionality.

== Aerodynamics of the Space Shuttle Orbiter ==

The conditions encountered by the Space Shuttle span a wide range from a thin, rarefied atmosphere at Mach 27 to a sea level atmosphere flown at about Mach 0.6. Over this range of conditions, the handling characteristics change quite dramatically.

Somewhat simplified, one can divide the atmospheric entry in three phases - an initial near-ballistic entry phase in which airfoils are essentially useless, an aerodynamical entry phase in which the Shuttle is controlled by airfoils and aerodynamical forces are very noticeable on the trajectory, but in which the flight dynamics is completely different from that of an airplane and the final approach and landing phase during which the Shuttle is flown like an aircraft.

[[File:Shuttle-landing04.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Early near-ballistic entry phase]]

During these phases, control is passed from RCS jets to the airfoils - the inboard and outboard elevons at the trailing wing edges and the rudder/speedbrake at the tail stabilizer fin. The elevons can be deflected from -40 to 25 degrees, the rudder from -25 to +25 degrees. At a qbar of 10 lb/sqf roll control is taken over by the airfoils, at 40 lb/sqf pitch control is managed by airfoils and below Mach 3.5 finally yaw control is transferred, at which point the airplane-like phase of the entry starts. In addition to the primary airfoils, the Shuttle is equipped with a body flap which can be used to adjust trim.

During the first two phases, the Shuttle is flown with a high AoA (initially 40 degrees) to create a detatched bow shockwave which keeps the heat of atmospheric entry away from the fuselage. The characteristic hallmark of this attitude is that the stabilizer fin is shadowed by the wings - this renders the rudder ineffective above Mach 6 and makes the Shuttle yaw unstable against sideslip above Mach 2, i.e. any sideslip must be very accurately controlled by the FCS during entry or the Shuttle will tumble uncontrolled. This can not be done by the rudder, thus yaw jets remain crucial for controlling the Shuttle down to Mach 3.5.

Another effect is that the elevons deflected upward are in the lee of the wings, significantly reducing their effectivity as compared to downward deflections. However, in the entry regime, operating the elevons upward is more advantageous due to heating constraints.

=== Lift / Drag ===

Despite being designed for a gliding approach and landing, the Shuttle is not actually a very good glider - even close to approach, the glide ratio (i.e. L/D) reaches about 4.5, much less than most normal planes would have.

[[File:L-D-mach.gif|‎500px|thumbnail|none|Lift to drag as a function of AoA for different Mach numbers]]

The maximum of L/D varies somewhat with Mach number, however for hypersonic flight thermal constraints force a high AoA and aerodynamical efficiency is a secondary concern. Only in the supersonic to subsonic phase is the Shuttle flown close to its optimum glide ratio.

Due to the Delta-wing design, L/D has no pronounced stall even at high AoA in any region. However, the need to have sufficient lift despite the relatively poor aerodynamics forces a high touchdown speed of about 200 kt.

=== Longitudinal Dynamics ===

In the near-ballistic entry phase, pitch is controlled by an attitude-hold mode of the RCS, however elevons are automatically trimmed by the FCS to negative (upward) deflections to take some of the load early on to conserve propellant.

The pitching moment induced by the control surface varies dramatically as function of Mach number.

[[File:Control response.gif|500px|thumbnail|none|Pitching CM moment]]

As seen from the figure, at high Mach numbers the response is fairly flat (i.e. large elevon deflections are needed to control the Shuttle) and also non-linear (upward deflections cause much less pitching moment than downward deflection). In contrast, at low Mach numbers small elevon deflections already cause large moments and the response is almost linear. In all regimes, the pitching moment is normal force (i.e. AoA) dependent.

Since the elevons supply both pitching and roll control, at high hypersonic Mach numbers roll controls are close to being saturated with elevons deflected near full up. To open up better roll control, below Mach 10 the speedbrake is opened to provide a pitching moment relieving the elevons, and the Shuttle's body flap can also be trimmed upward.

=== Lateral stability ===

As mentioned above, during most of the entry phase, the Space Shuttle has no rudder action and the yawing moment as a function of sideslip angle beta is negative, indicating instability. This means that the FCS has to manage yaw stability by commanding yaw thrusters to maintain near zero beta, which is increasingly more challenging as the Shuttle penetrates deeper into the atmosphere and aerodynamical forces grow while thrust is reduced as compared to nominal vacuum values. This implies that a sizable amount of RCS propellant (about 1/3 of the capacity to be on the safe side) needs to be available before atmospheric entry.

Below approximately Mach 6, the rudder starts to contribute to yaw stability and from Mach 3.5 down to Mach 2 where the yawing moment finally becomes positive only the rudder is used. The roll behavior of the orbiter before any FCS is somewhat skittish as the roll moment as a function of roll rate is not a large damping term over most of the Mach range. The FCS of the Shuttle in FG therefore does not place yaw and roll axis directly under pilot control. The rudder is always commanded to minimize beta and no pilot input for the rudder should be needed or used unless sideslip is explicitly desired. The elevons are commanded to provide a simple roll damper to make control smoother.

The real Shuttle has in addition a <b>NO Y JET</b> mode to stabilize the orbiter during entry in which the elevons are used to control yaw. This leads to significantly reduced roll control since roll then needs to be driven by adverse yaw till the rudder picks up sufficient airflow. Currently this mode is not yet available in FG.

=== A note on thruster efficiency in the atmosphere ===

Thrusters used in the hypersonic rarefied airflow of the upper atmosphere do not only cause the yaw, pitch and roll moment by the thrust acting at a certain distance to the CoG, but also are subject to plume impingement on the orbiter fuselage and interactions with the air flow field.

While impingement generically degrades the effectivity, the interaction moment can somewhat counter-intuitively act both directions. In particular the yaw moment is increased by the airflow, helping to stabilize the Shuttle.

As of May 2015, none of these effects is modeled in Flightgear.

=== Control cross couplings ===

The Shuttle has significant cross couplings between the elevon deflection in pitch and roll mode and the rudder as a function of Mach number, all of which are faithfully modeled in FG. One of the main effects is that upward elevon deflection alters the airflow at the aft fuselage, creating additional suction effects which alter aerodynamical forces.

In particular, at supersonic speeds yaw stability is somewhat improved at high upward elevon deflection while the effect reverses at subsonic speeds. At the same time, roll control is significantly reduced at full elevon deflection, with the effect being more pronounced at low than at high Mach numbers.

Control surface effectiveness in general drops with increasing Mach number, however the speed at which this happens is different for elevons and rudder.

=== Aerodynamical DAP schemes ===

There are two different control schemes available for the aerodynamical part of the Shuttle's flight - one of them based on the real Shuttle DAP, the other educational.

; Aerojet
: The Aerojet DAP is closest to what the real Shuttle uses. It is a scheme in which the stick commands pitch and roll rates and stick in neutral position commands attitude hold. Above Mach 3.5, in addition an automatic pitch control mode can be activated which maintains the scheduled safe entry AoA. Flying the Shuttle is very easy in this mode - there is no operational need to use trim or rudder and response to control input is crisp and precise. During entry, Aerojet can manage even agressive roll reversals inside the stable region.

; Aerodynamical
: This is an educational mode in which the Shuttle is flown similar to an airplane, i.e. the stick basically controls the airfoil positions, and in order to achieve level flight with stick neutral, trim has to be used. Since the Shuttle is yaw-unstable at high Mach numbers, this mode still has automatic stability augmentation, i.e. rudder and ailerons are commanded automatically to minimize sideslip. Entry can be flown with this mode starting in-orbit with <b>RCS ROT ENTRY</b> and illustrates the amount of work the rate controller has to do as well as gives a hands-on feeling for hypersonic aerodynamics. This however is somewhat challenging and it is possible to maneuver the Shuttle outside its stability envelope using too agressive maneuvers. Once below Mach 5, the Shuttle responds well and stable to direct aerodynamical control.

=== Entry and touchdown structural and aerodynamical limits ===

The following structural and aerodynamical limits need to be observed during entry and landing:

* Dynamical pressure qbar < 375 lb/sqf (modeled)

This is a structural limit for the orbiter and the airfoils, beyond this the actuators can no longer move the airfoils, leading to a loss of control. In nominal operations the orbiter should be kept below 250 lb/sqf.

* Peak temperature < 2900 F (modeled)

This is the approximate limit beyond which the thermal protection system fails, with subsequent structural failure of the overheated airframe and loss of the orbiter.

* gear extension speed < 312 KEAS (modeled)

Structural limit of the gear against aerodynamical forces.

* vertical speed upon touchdown < 9 ft/sec (modeled)

This is the structural limit of the main gear struts, and their destruction is fully modeled in 'realistic' mode.

* airspeed upon drag chute deployment < 230 kt (modeled)

The drag chute has a safety pin which disconnects the chute if the airspeed is higher than the stability limit. This is fully modeled.

* roll speed of tires < 230 kt (not modeled)

This is the certified maximal speed at which the tires don't blow.

* derotation speed < 2 deg/s (modeled)

This is the structural limit for the nose gear strut, and nose gear breakage is fully modeled.

* AoA < 15 deg on touchdown (modeled)

Beyond this angle, the body flap and tail structure of the orbiter touch the ground before the main gear does.

[[File:Shuttle-approach06.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Touchdown and drag chute deployed]]

== Systems ==

Most of the Shuttle's systems are designed around the philosophy that failure of any one component should allow the mission to continue and failure of two components should still allow a safe return to Earth. As a result, most systems exist triple, and the loss of one subsystem is not normally felt when operating the Shuttle, only a loss of two subsystems requires to take special action and compromises the maneuverability of the vehicle.

In the real Shuttle, many system switches have a 'GPC' (general purpose computer) setting in which the computer controls a system automatically and an 'on' setting in which the system is manually controlled. In FG, the system control is a bit simplified as no GPC or mission control is simulated and not all existing sensor readings are simulated which would be necessary for manual control. Often 'GPC' and 'on' are merged into one setting for which, dependent on system, either the user has to always control a system manually or a control routine is activated and no manual control is possible.

=== Electric Power Generation ===

Electricity aboard the Shuttle is generated by three fuel cells (FCs) which produce electricity utilizing the reaction of cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen into water (which is then used in the environment system). Each fuel cell can supply about 12 kW of power, which means plenty of redundancy given the normal power consumption of the orbiter is about 14 kW.

The fuel cells normally circulate hydrogen and oxygen in a closed loop to avoid losses, however they have to be periodically purged (reaction products vented into space) to avoid their effectivity to decrease by contamination.

As of June 2015, the power generation as well as the coarse power balance of the orbiter is modeled (i.e. switching components on which use electricity will have to be supplied by the running FCs), however not all the details of the electrical distribution system or the reactant feed lines are done. In normal operation, the electrical power system should require very little crew intervention.

=== Auxiliary Power Unit and Hydraulics System ===

Thrust vector control of the SSMEs during ascent, movement of the various aerosurfaces, deployment of the landing gear and brakes/nose wheel steering all rely on hydraulic pressure to operate.

The Space Shuttle is equipped with three independent hydraulics systems, each of them powered by an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), a turbine utilizing hydrazine as propellant. Under normal load conditions, each APU utilized about 3 - 3.5 lb of propellant per minute. With a hydrazine load of 332 lb, this means the system can be operated for about 90 minutes under nominal conditions or be run in a power-saving mode for 110 minutes during an once around abort. This means that the APUs have to be switched off when not used - they are powered down as part of the post-MECO operations and powered up as part of the atmospheric entry preparations.

As compared to the rest of the Shuttle's systems, the APU turbines with with 180 kW power each generate a lot of waste heat which ends up warming the hydraulic fluid and the lube oil. The APUs are operated at a temperature of over 390 K (250 F) though, so for an APU cold start it takes a bit more than 10 minutes to reach that temperature. Afterwards, the water spray boiler systems have to be used to cool hydraulic fluid and lube oil - they are supplied by three water tanks containing 142 lb of water each and can spray up to 10 lb / minute for cooling purpose. Overheating APUs can not be run for more than 2-3 minutes before they fail.

When not in use, electrically powered hydraulic circulation pumps keep the hydraulic fluid moving such as to equalize temperatures in the components.

In case of a hydraulic failure, Priority Rate Limiting (PRL) for the airfoils is used to allocate the remaining power as efficiently as possible. Usually the elevons move with 20 deg/s and the rudder with 14 deg/s, however in the case of multiple hydraulic failures, these numbers are reduced to 13.9 deg/s for elevons and 7 deg/s for the rudder. The orbiter is still fully controllable in this case, but not as responsive to agressive maneuvers.

As of June 2015, the APU and hydraulic system is modeled with a fair amount of detail and operated from a dedicated menu. APUs need to be started as part of the pre-launch checklist - refer to Help/Aircraft Checklists for the detailed procedure. <b>If the hydraulic system is not available during ascent, this will result in loss of the vehicle after SRB separation as there is no control over the Shuttle if the SSMEs can not be gimbaled.</b> Also PRL for all airfoils is fully supported.

Operation of the water spray boilers is realistically integrated into the heat transfer model of the Shuttle (see below), including the failure of overheating APUs.

=== Active Thermal Control System ===

In orbit, the Shuttle's systems use on average about 14 kW of power, which eventually ends up heating the interior of the pressure vessel. Active cooling systems carry the heat load away and radiate it into space. A water coolant loop system takes care of the avionics bays and the cabin and exchanges heat with a two loop freon coolant system which also cools systems elsewhere in the Shuttle. The freon is circulated through the radiator panels located on the inside of the payload bay doors and dumps a maximum of about 18.000 W of heat into space.

If the payload bay doors are closed (such as during ascent or entry), the freon loop can be cooled by flash evaporators which utilize quickly evaporating water sprayed on the freon tubes as coolant. To provide the cooling performance of the radiator, this system uses about 66 lb of water per hour, i.e. can only be a temporary measure as the water storage aboard would be quickly depleted otherwise.

The heat balance in space is also influenced by the orientation of the Shuttle relative to the Sun and Earth - sunward facing surfaces tend to heat up to 350 K whereas shaded surfaces may cool down to 150 K. To ensure ice-free thruster and other exhausts, electrical heating elements may therefore be needed.

Orbiter heat management often combines cooling systems and attitude - for instance placing the OV into a tail to Sun inertial attitude minimizes incident heat and allows to cool the freon down so that it can act as a heat sink for about 15 minutes even without the radiator deployed, a technique known as 'cold soak'. Similarly, orienting the payload bay towards Earth ensures that even during the night, temperatures don't drop too much so that EVA work is possible. Temperatures can be equalized across the Shuttle by slowly rotating the spacecraft.

As of June 2015, the FG Shuttle includes a fairly sophisticated simulation of the heat balance, including incident heat flux from Sun and Earth dependent on surface normal and albedo, internally generated heat in the avionics bays, heat transport via conduction and via the cooling loops, radiated heat from the surfaces the action of the flash evaporators and the radiator. Most real heat-management techniques, including cold soak and slow rotations, are fully supported.

[[File:Shuttle coldsoak.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Cold-soaking the Shuttle's freon loops in preparation for de-orbit.]]

Thermal inertia of the Orbiter is generically high - temperatures adjust at timescales of hours rather than minutes to their equilibrium values. For educational purposes, it is possible to choose simulation options which speed up the approach to thermal equilibrium by a factor or 10 or 100 respectively - this will result in an almost immediate response of the temperature distribution to e.g. changes in attitude. These options should be used with care.

=== Main Propulsion System ===

Under the name Main Propulsion System (MPS), the various subsystems operating the SSMEs are summarized. This includes the SSME controllers (two per engine for redundancy), the propellant feeding system supplying liquid hydrogen and oxygen to the engines and the various hydraulically operated valves, a helium system to supply purge gas flows and emergency hydraulics power and finally the engines themselves.

The SSME's feed high-pressure propellants into the combustion chamber. Power for the turbo pumps is provided by partial pre-combustion of the propellant, and ullage pressure in the external tank is maintained by branching off a small fraction of vaporized propellant back into the tank. The precise opening of the propellant feeding valves which throttles the engines is governed by the controllers which in turn receive throttle commands from the Shuttle's guidance computers.

For the most part, the MPS settings are controlled on the ground prior to launch and not changed during ascent, however after MECO there are about 5,200 lb of propellant trapped in the feeding manifolds which need to be dumped. During this propellant dump, high-pressure helium is used to vent liquid oxygen through the thruster exhausts while hydrogen is allowed to boil off through the fill/drain valves.

In case of a hydraulic failure, the SSMEs can neither be gimbaled nor can their valves be changed. Each of the three hydraulic systems operated the valves of one engine, and each engine gimbal is supported by two hydraulic systems (i.e. it takes two failures to disable gimbal on one engine, but each hydraulic failure will disable valves on one engine).

If the valve settings can no longer be changed, the engine can still continue to run, but it can't be throttled any more, a condition known as 'hydraulic lockup'. It is still possible to shut down such an engine using pressure from the helium system though. Similarly, if sensors monitoring combustion chamber conditions or the command path from guidance computer to engine controllers fail, the engine is in a condition called 'electric lockup' - the controller will continue to operate it with the last known settings. Locked-up engines usually need to be shut down manually using the cutoff switches about 30 seconds prior to nominal MECO.

As of June 2015, the MPS is modeled in a good amount of detail, including most of the relevant valve settings, hydraulic and electric lockup, power failures on the engine controllers and the propellant dump sequence. The in-sim checklists provide instructions on how to execute the propellant dump and how to safe the engines for orbital operations.

=== Mechanical Systems ===

The Shuttle uses electromechanical actuators to move components which do not require hydraulic power. This includes the ET umbilical doors and the payload bay door. Each actuator contains two separate motors for redundancy, and transition time for any motion doubles if a motor is non-functional. The movement of these components is not time-critical, and hence usually slow - the complete payload bay door opening sequence takes about four minutes at normal speed to execute, twice that for actuator failures.

The ET umbilical doors are open at launch to allow the oxidizer and fuel feedlines to enter the orbiter, and they need to be closed after reaching orbit for the thermal protection during entry to be efficient. The payload bay doors are closed during ascent and entry and only opened in orbit. This is crucial, as the freon cooling loop radiators are located on the inside of the payload bay doors, i.e. the Shuttle can not remain indefinitely in orbit without opening the payload bay.

Opening or closing mechanical components usually involves unlatching, moving and possibly re-latching the components.

As of June 2015, the normal operation of ET umbilical door and payload bay door is implemented, but no actuator failures. The sequences can be driven from the GUI in automatic mode, but there is in principle support to drive them in manual mode as well as described in the Shuttle Crew Operations Manual.

Note that there's cross talk between mechanical systems and thermal modeling - tension building in the Shuttle due to uneven heating of the left and right fuselage can prevent the payload bay doors from opening or closing for instance.

== Avionics and guidance systems ==

As of October 2015, work on the avionics and displays of the Shuttle has started, and a limited number of functions is available - see the dedicated article on [[Space Shuttle Avionics]] for an overview. These include routines to monitor the various systems as well as automatic pointing and orbital maneuvering routines.

[[File:Shuttle avionics disp19.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|GNC SYS SUMM 2 display of the Space Shuttle]]

The primary display usable for flight nevertheless is the HUD. This has four different modes - ascent, orbit, entry and approach, and dependent on the HUD mode, different information relevant for the mission phase is displayed. In all cases, the current CSS DAP is identified in the upper left.

There is a calculator for orbital elements available, determining perigee and apogee, orbital inclination and longitude of the ascending node (the latter is currently not so useful as it is obtained in an inertial coordinate system). Based on these orbital elements, the groundtrack map displays current position of the Space Shuttle, selected landing site, ground track history and a prediction of the future orbit - if the perigee is below the surface of Earth, the prediction ends at the estimated ballistic impact point (note that due to the aerodynamical capabilities of the Shuttle, the actual landing site can be within a cross range of about 1000 miles around that point dependent on how the trajectory is managed during the entry phase).

For the entry phase, there is also a guidance computer available which allows to select a landing site in orbit. The entry guidance can only be de-activated if the guidance can compute a halfway plausible de-orbit solution to the site - allow for no more than 10 degrees azimuth deviation and at least 3000 miles to site at the entry interface. If the entry guidance is active, target deceleration and azimuth deviation to site is displayed during the entry phase in the lower right of the HUD - by managing actual deceleration and azimuth of the trajectory the Shuttle can be aimed at the landing site (while the entry display is different in the real Shuttle, the guidance parameters are the same).

[[File:Shuttle-landing01.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Groundtrack map and entry guidance computer for the Space Shuttle]]

Apart from these, the Shuttle HUD contains a basic engine status display, speedbrake, body-flap and gear status indicators in the approach mode and yaw, pitch and roll rate indicators in orbit, as well as the normal pitch ladder and flightpath indicator of an airplane.

== Payload handling ==

The Space Shuttle is equipped with the capability to release payload from the bay into space, or to catch a payload from space and deposit and secure it in the bay. For this, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm in combination with the payload retention system is used.

[[File:Payload_ops03.jpg|600px|thumbnail|none|Handling a payload with the RMS arm]]

=== RMS arm operation ===

The RMS arm is a fairly complicated device with six different joints, each allowing rotation along one specific axis, which is formed after the human arm. The nomenclature is borrowed from this analogy, so there is a shoulder yaw, a shoulder pitch, an elbow pitch, a wrist pitch and wrist yaw and roll joints. Each of the joints can only be moved a certain angular range. At the end of the RMS arm is the end effector which is the device which can attach to a payload.

The RMS arm can be driven in various modes. The simplest of these are the single joint or the direct mode in which each joint angle is controlled separately, i.e. the arm is extended by first selecting a joint, then commanding it to either increase or decrease angle, before the next joint is selected.

Since this is cumbersome, the more natural control modes allow to use the stick (or whatever control device is attached) to directly move a reference point. In the ORB UL x/y/z mode (UL stands for 'unloaded') the reference point is the tip of the end effector, i.e. using the stick just moves the joint angles such that the end effector moves along the x, y, or z-axis and otherwise keeps its attitude. The ORB UL yaw/pitch/roll mode in contrast keeps the end effector's position and just changes its attitude.

The real Shuttle has additional modes in which the reference point is in the center of the payload, or in which the reference coordinate system is changed from the Shuttle's coordinate system to a system co-moving with the end effector camera - these are as of August 2015 not implemented in FG.

All modes except single and direct joint driving have software safety stops when the joints approach their limit extensions. Since in its stowed position, two of the joints are in the software stop region, it is necessary to directly drive shoulder pitch and elbow pitch out of their soft stop region to be able to use the more sophisticated control modes - see the diagram below for the reach angles of each joint.

[[File:Joints.gif|600px|thumbnail|none|RMS arm reference coordinate system and joint reach angles]]

Finally, the RMS arm is secured by a shoulder brace to make it cope with launch acceleration. This brace needs to be removed before the arm can be operated, and the arm itself needs to be powered, deployed and unlatched.

=== Payload retention system ===

The payload retention system is a series of latches which hold a payload in the bay. Before a payload can be lifted out of the bay, these latches need to be released. Similarly, if a payload is returned into the bay, ready-to-latch indicators show when it has reached the correct stowing position and it can only be safely released from the RMS arm once the latches are closed.

The real Shuttle has three different payload positions with corresponding latch controls, as of August 2015 only one payload position is supported in FG. Likewise, currently only a simple demo satellite with no proper folding/unfolding animation is available as visual payload (note that a payload mass affecting the FDM can also be chosen in the 'Fuel and Payload' dropdown menu).

== Mission phases ==

The various phases of a Shuttle mission are generically subdivided into launch, orbit, entry, TAEM and approach. These can directly be accessed by appending the mission phase to the command line. This will automatically start the Shuttle in the correct configuration and the correct state for the mission selected. For instance, --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-TAEM --airport=KVBG will initialize a TAEM approach into Vandenberg, --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-orbit --lat=30.0 --lon=0.0 --heading=90.0 will initialize the Shuttle in a 30 deg inclination orbit.

Note that --aircraft=SpaceShuttle-entry combined with an airport as location will <i>not</i> initialize you on an entry trajectory to that airport since the entry interface is several thousand miles away from the landing site and moreover the trajectory needed is not unique but depends on what you fly - you need to initialize the entry interface location by hand using latitude and longitude.

Specific information on the mission phases can be found in the following articles:

[[Flying the Shuttle - Launch]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Orbital Operations]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Entry]]

[[Flying the Shuttle - Final Approach]]

== Glossary of acronyms ==
{|
| '''AoA''' || Angle of Attack
|-
| '''APU''' || Auxiliary Power Unit
|-
| '''CoG''' || Center of Gravity
|-
| '''CSS''' || Control stick steering
|-
| '''DAP''' || Digital autopilot
|-
| '''ET''' || External tank
|-
| '''EVA''' || Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk)
|-
| '''FC''' || Fuel cell
|-
| '''FCS''' || Flight Control System
|-
| '''ISP''' || Specific impulse
|-
| '''MECO''' || Main Engine Cutoff
|-
| '''MMH''' || monomethylhydrazine (a propellant)
|-
| '''MMU''' || Manned Maneuvering Unit
|-
| '''MPS''' || Main Propulsion System
|-
| '''OV''' || Orbiter vehicle
|-
| '''OMS''' || Orbital Maneuvering System
|-
| '''PRL''' || Priority Rate Limiting
|-
| '''RCS''' || Reaction Control System
|-
| '''RHC''' || Rotational Hand Controller
|-
| '''RMS''' || Remote Manipulator System
|-
| '''SRB''' || Solid rocket booster
|-
| '''SSME''' || Space Shuttle main engine
|-
| '''TAEM''' || Terminal Area Energy Management
|-
| '''THC''' || Translational Hand Controller
|-
| '''TVC''' || Thrust Vector Control
|}

== Latest development snapshot ==
The latest development version (possibly unstable) is found in a dedicated [https://sourceforge.net/projects/fgspaceshuttledev/ repository] on SourceForge. You can download the latest snapshot from http://sourceforge.net/p/fgspaceshuttledev/code/ci/development/tarball. Stable updates are pushed to FGAddon periodically.

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Shuttle FG02.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle_FG03.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle FG04.jpg|Shuttle Launch
Shuttle launch01.jpg|Launch smoke trail
Shuttle SRBsep03.jpg|SRB separation
Shuttle FG5.jpg|Accelerating to orbital speed
Shuttle flame06.jpg|Improved visuals of the exhaust flame
Shuttle Cockpit.jpg|Shuttle 3d cockpit
Shuttle-ETsep01.jpg|External tank separation
Shuttle orbit01.jpg|A view of Earth after reaching orbit
Shuttle orbit02.jpg|The ET seen from the Shuttle
Shuttle OMS full.jpg|Full OMS thrust
Shuttle orbit03.jpg|The orbiter high over Africa
Payload ops03.jpg|Handling payload with the RMS arm
Space Shuttle sunrise.jpg|Sunrise over Antarctica
Space Shuttle Orbit.jpg|The OV in orbit over Australia
Shuttle orbit04.jpg|Orbital insertion burn at sunset
Shuttle-landing04.jpg|Atmospheric entry
Shuttle_entry03.jpg|High bank angle maneuver to control vertical speed
Space Shuttle going subsonic.jpg|During TAEM the Space Shuttle goes subsonic
Shuttle-approach01.jpg|On final approach into Vandenberg
Shuttle-approach02.jpg|Pre-flare
Shuttle-approach04.jpg|Flare
Shuttle-approach06.jpg|Touchdown in Vandenberg
</gallery>

[[Category:Spaceflight]]
[[Category:Spaceplanes]]
[[Category:Delta-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Glider aircraft]]
[[Category:Hypersonic aircraft]]

Flying on other planets

2016-01-10T00:58:30Z

Adam: Misspelling

{{See also|Earthview}}
{{Infobox Software
| title = Flying On Other Planets
| logo =
| image =
| alt =
| developedby = Wil Neeley
| initialrelease =
| latestrelease =
| writtenin = C++
| os = Only tested on Linux
| platform = Ubuntu 12.04lts
| developmentstatus = Undeveloped
| type =
| license =
| website =
}}
{{Spaceflight}}

This Page is the documentation of trying to simulate '''flying on other planets''' in [[FlightGear]].

== File Locations ==
I located the files responsible for atmosphere and gravity in the flightgear source code.<br>
The files are in [https://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear/trees/next/src/Environment $FG_SRC/Enviroment]. The names are:
* [https://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear/blobs/next/src/Environment/atmosphere.cxx atmosphere.cxx]
* [https://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear/blobs/next/src/Environment/atmosphere.hxx atmosphere.hxx]
* [https://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear/blobs/next/src/Environment/gravity.cxx gravity.cxx]
* [https://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear/blobs/next/src/Environment/gravity.hxx gravity.hxx]

== Simulating gravity ==
After looking at the source code in the atmosphere and gravity files I decided to start by adjusting the gravity to that of titan because that planet is most likely able to be flown upon.<br>
I changed lines 48-52 to <br>
<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp">
// Geodetic Reference System 1980 parameter
#define A 6576.0 // equatorial radius of Titan
#define B 6576.0 // semiminor axis
#define AGA (A*1.352) // A times normal gravity at equator
#define BGB (B*1.352) // B times normal gravity at pole
</syntaxhighlight>

from
<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp">
// original code
#define A 6378137.0 // equatorial radius of earth
#define B 6356752.3141 // semiminor axis
#define AGA (A*9.7803267715) // A times normal gravity at equator
#define BGB (B*9.8321863685) // B times normal gravity at pole
</syntaxhighlight>
Now to compile ....<br>
The code successfully compiled I am testing to see if there is a difference in the flight <br> To do these modifications yourself download my modified gravity.cxx [http://ubuntuone.com/4jM9rDIYVegyYwZsNz4aIw file]. The you will have to compile flightgear from source replacing the default gravity.cxx with mine. My file is for flightgear 2.8 so if you have a different version just make the changes I made above. If you notice and changes in flight or don't or you get error's please post them on the forum located below.

== Test Flight ==
The code successfully compiled. but I did not see a noticeable change in the time the Cessna took to take off.

== Related Discussions ==
* http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18980&hilit=planets

[[Category:Development projects]]

User:Adam

2016-01-06T21:12:34Z

Adam:

{{Note|'''This article is a stub.''' You cannot help the wiki by expanding it.
}}
My name on the forum is MIG29pilot.

[[Category:Users]]

User:Adam

2016-01-06T21:11:57Z

Adam:

{{Note'''This article is a stub.''' You cannot help the wiki by expanding it.
}}
My name on the forum is MIG29pilot.

[[Category:Users]]

User:Adam

2016-01-06T21:11:43Z

Adam:

{{Note}}'''This article is a stub.''' You cannot help the wiki by expanding it.

My name on the forum is MIG29pilot.

[[Category:Users]]

User:Adam

2016-01-06T21:11:24Z

Adam:

{{Note
'''This article is a stub.''' You cannot help the wiki by expanding it. }}

My name on the forum is MIG29pilot.

[[Category:Users]]

User talk:J Maverick 16

2016-01-04T16:51:31Z

Adam: /* New FGUK page/FGUK flightnights and screenshots category */ new section

== Categories vs. tags ==
I have noted that you sometimes add for example both [[:Category:Airports in Italy]] and [[:Category:Airports in Europe]]. Please don't do that. The categories are not really tags, and putting all the airports in Europe in one category would in time make it nearly impossible to find a specific airport in that category. The categories are more like tree structures. Sometimes it is ok to use more than one category, but that is when a page would fit in more than one "tree". (I think I have described the structure as multiple trees with cobwebs between branches. ;-)

Apart from that, please continue. :-)

If you have not done that before, take a moment to browse the category structure. Two helpful tools for that are either the blue arrows beside the subcategories on a [[:Category:Airports|category page]] or the [[Special:CategoryTree/Airports|category tree browser]]. (There are some bugs though. In addition the category structure could be improved, in particular in the [[Special:CategoryTree/FlightGear screenshots|FlightGear screenshot categories]], but I am slowly moving files from the "FlightGear ... screenshots" to subcategories to "Screenshots of ...".)

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 13:00, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

OK, thanks for this advices, I'm a novice with the Wiki for now, learning how to use it better day by day. ;-)

-[[User:J Maverick 16|J Maverick 16]] 17:15 21 August 2014 (UTC)

== [[:File:AVB Area-F.jpg]] ==

In the file information template's "Source" field, do not use {{tl|own}} unless you made an image yourself (though not necessarily from scratch).

In this case I think it is clear that the source is the PDF file mentioned in the image. If you draw the arrows you could mention that there as well.

Apart from that, keep it coming. :-)

I noted that the template documentation for {{tl|file information}} was not entirely clear on that, so I rephrased it slightly {{dlink|file information|75107|75695}}.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:39, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

: Well, I didn't draw the arrows, they where already there to explain where the AMC terminal was if you look at the PDF ;-) This image was the best I found that seems a chart (the problem of military air bases, is that you can't find chart on the Internet). I said that it was own work because I didn't know what option choose on the "not own work" option. Apart of that, the next time I will use the "not own work".
I'm also sorry about I often edit more times in a row an article but sometimes I forget some details so I have to add them after publishing.
: —[[User:J Maverick 16|J Maverick 16]] ([[User_talk:J Maverick 16|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/J Maverick 16|contribs]]) 21:30, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

:: Hi,
:: I've edited the file info and license to what I consider best-fitting with our current templates. It's a difficult one though and open for argument, as the map in the PDF does not really have a clear source/author.
:: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 21:19, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

== New FGUK page/FGUK flightnights and screenshots category ==

Hi!
I think FGUK has enough activity/Aircraft/events/screenshots to merit its own special page + flighnights category so I you want to start one (better you than me because you know more about FGUK) If you do just remember to add the new cats to your fguk pictures.

Talk:ALS technical notes

2016-01-01T21:22:35Z

Adam: /* Article name */ new section

== ALS vs. Rembrandt ==
{{FGCquote
|Rembrandt and ALS work with two different rendering pipelines/implementations using very different assumptions - thus, it would be a lot of work to integrate those two properly, and as has been said, Rembrandt isn't beint actively maintained currently, while ALS has been under active development. <br/>
<br/>
Several contributors familiar with shaders and effects have stated that they're not overly motivated to pick up Rembrandt maintenance mainly due to its performance issues, which cannot be just improved by doing base package development (effects/shaders), so that people wanting to improve Rembrandt performance would need to modify the corresponding C++ code. People familiar with FlightGear's rendering pipeline are in very short supply. Unfortunately, FlightGear's rendering pipeline is generally also not very well documented.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=217688#p217688
|title=<nowiki>Re: Why in Rembrandt, can not be activated Atmospheric light</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Tue Sep 02</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|For my visual preferences and on my system ALS is a much better use of what rendering resources there are than Rembrandt and the view out the windows is superior to that of the default scheme.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=221079#p221079
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>AndersG</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sat Oct 18</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
| the reason we still havent moved to opengl 3.x+ has been due to supporting OSX. If we wish to support OSX, we need to completely abandon the fixed function pipeline. Some of our dependencies (plib) are no longer maintained , so must be replaced with something that supports shaders (canvas, etc). <br/>
<br/>
Apple has made app developers to move on or stay in fixed fn. We aren't there yet.<br/>
<br/>
Almost every feature in fg needs a maintainer. Maybe someone who especially loves deferred rendering will step up, and begin migrating Thorsten's als shaders to rembrandt.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=221132#p221132
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>psadro_gm</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sat Oct 18</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|the other issue is that there's still legacy GL code running in the main/rendering loop that prevents us from using a more recent OpenGL version, such as the panel/HUD and GUI code - those things are in the process of being unified, and re-implemented, on top of modern OSG code using a shared back-end via Canvas.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=221133#p221133
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sat Oct 18</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|you never actually transit from a deferred to a forward scheme, which is why you don't have the same baseline internally, which is why you need to structure operations you do very differently and can in general expect a very different performance footprint.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=221222#p221222
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Thorsten</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Sun Oct 19</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|But the point is - I do understand what the shaders outside ALS do, and I could fix them and/or develop them further if needed. And, given a few weeks to iron out the details, I could also make ALS work under Rembrandt.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=204372#p204372
|title=<nowiki>Re: A long shot</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Thorsten</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Thu Mar 27</nowiki>
}}
}}
{{FGCquote
|The actual reason why this isn't happening is twofold:<br/>
<br/>
First, as I said, you can spend performance only once. For my default settings of random vegetation and buildings and clouds, I'm getting 15 fps out of Rembrandt as it is once I want nice shadows (i.e. apply sufficient filtering that I don't get a headache watching them) vs. 60 fps in ALS at highest quality settings. ALS would require to squeeze another 1000 lines of code into the fragment shader, i.e. make it perhaps 5 times longer than it it (on average). That's on a modern gaming laptop. So who's expected to be able to run Rembrandt + ALS with anything above 5 fps? I don't see it on my machine. And of course, assume I do it - guess at whose feet complaints about low framerate end up? Guess who gets told by every amateur GLSL coder that he's stupid because 'there must be a faster way'?<br/>
<br/>
Second, there seems to be something religious about Rembrandt. I've always gotten help and good advice from FredB for whatever I was trying to do, but there's a very outspoken and agressive community of Rembrandt-users which pass no opportunity to tell me that what I do is crap, rubbish and that Rembrandt is the best and I should better quit what I'm doing because it's so inferior. Maybe so - but I sure won't lift a finger for anything these people want to see done. If anyone wants ALS under Rembrandt, insulting me is a sure way to not get it done.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=204372#p204372
|title=<nowiki>Re: A long shot</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Thorsten</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Thu Mar 27</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|You could in fact take lots of the procedural texturing code and it would run - it's even easy, since I factored the noise functions into libraries which can be included. As to why Rembrandt doesn't do that, it's a question for the Rembrandt maintainers, not for me. I have offered 3 or 4 times to assist if anyone wants to port these code blocks on the devel list.<br/>
<br/>
So, the mysterious reason is: the Rembrandt maintainers are not interested. That's all.<br/>

|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=220985#p220985
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Thorsten</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Fri Oct 17</nowiki>
}}
}}

{{FGCquote
|I tend to use/support what works for me well enough (including performance), as well as features that are either sufficiently generic and extensible or at least well-documented with some manpower - for the time being, none of this applies to Rembrandt unfortunately. I consider myself fairly familiar with FG, including its internals - and I am generally able to make FG work well enough on most systems - in fact, I am the one who started the corresponding wiki articles to document such tips - I have yet to see sufficient "configuration advice" from Rembrandt evangelists.<br/>
I would also very much like to see Rembrandt development to continue, and I might even contribute to such an effort - but for that to happen, a few other things need to happen first, including more/better developer docs - Rembrandt is covering a lot of uncharted waters, i.e. areas in FG to which only long-time contributors like Fred, Tim or Mathias have contributed.<br/>
Given Thorsten's recent C++ patches to the rendering pipeline, he seems to be well on his way to actually understand/document such code paths than any other active contributor.<br/>
Personally, I am frankly easily distracted by stuff that I find more interesting than investigating Rembrandt's performance issues, and I don't consider shadows essential either - but Rembrandt development will either need to be picked up by Fred himself, or we'll inevitably have to do a lot of research, trial & error and documenting to make heads and tails of the code.
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=220987#p220987
|title=<nowiki>Re: Orbital Makes the Sky Black</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Hooray</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>Fri Oct 17</nowiki>
}}
}}

Do we actually have to have the ALS vs. Rembrandt philosophy here? I'm trying to create a technical documentation page which should be concise and to the point, I can't see how the assortment of things I have said about ALS and Rembrandt features here.

: it's your article, so feel free to remove whatever you disagree with - that said, your quotes may still be useful elsewhere, especially because the whole Rembrandt vs. ALS debate is a recurring one, so maybe some kind of FAQ ? I don't know ... I just added some of your quotes here to ensure that people can refer to those arguments, without having to resurrect these debates on the forum over and over again. If you think there is a better way to accomplish that, it's your call. --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 06:29, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

== Surfaces ==

There is internally no 'ALS' or 'Rembrandt' in the effect framework. We assign effects to surfaces. These effects have techniques which depend on conditionals (predicates), always the first matching technique of an effect is used. It is at the level of these conditionals that we decide upon ALS or Rembrandt.

This is not a must - it would be easy to write an effect which only runs ALS, even if Rembrandt is on. Just leave the conditional out of the technique.

The opposite is pretty much what happens if you assign model-transparent to a surface. This is an effect which has just a single technique (a fixed pipeline setup). Which means that you get transparency rendered okayish, no depth buffer written and outside- in rendering of a depth ordered bin - but at the same time, this technique wrecks ALS light and fog - at night at high altitude the glass will glow faintly red (because that's the light setting of the default renderer) and you will see it through fog no matter the distance.

Now, an unassigned surface uses the general-purpose model-default.eff. This has depth buffer writing and no outside-in rendering and does not use a depth sorted bin - so it may have issues for transparent surfaces. But this has a proper sequence of conditionals and will run ALS when ALS is selected and Rembrandt when Rembrandt is selected, i.e. always get lighting and fogging right.

The glass effect eventually will be one way to render glass in ALS (intended for windows seen from inside). It has correct lighting and fogging, and it will soon use the depth sorted bin and do all the other transparent stuff - and automatically dispatch the surface to the same fixed-pipeline technique Rembrandt uses in model-transparent when Rembrandt is running[http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25456&p=235772#p235760].

== Article name ==

Looking over the page, this article seems to be devoted to describing effects based on ALS used on aircraft, while the title suggests that it describes the technical processes and details of the "works" of ALS itself. As such, would a title such as "ALS Aircraft Effects," "ALS effects" or "ALS aircraft information" be more appropriate?
[[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 16:22, 1 January 2016 (EST)

Template talk:POTW/2016-1

2015-12-11T14:24:48Z

Adam: Created page with "Hey that's MY picture :):):) ~~~~"

Hey that's MY picture :):):)
[[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 09:24, 11 December 2015 (EST)

Fokker Dr.I

2015-11-27T15:11:18Z

Adam: New Screenshot

{{infobox Aircraft
|image = Dr.I Dawn.png
|name = Fokker Dr.I
|type = Fighter
|authors = Michael Selig (FDM)<br/>Erik Hofman (3D model)
|fdm = JSBSim, UIUC
|fgname = fkdr1, fkdr1-v1-nl-uiuc
|status = production
|ready = bombable
}}
The '''Fokker Dr I''' was a triplane single piston engine [[aircraft]].

== Aircraft help ==
{| class="prettytable"
! Key !! Description
|-
| {{Key press|Shift|<nowiki>]</nowiki>}} || Magneto on
|-
| {{Key press|Shift|<nowiki>[</nowiki>}} || Magneto off
|-
| {{Key press|s}} || Starter
|}

=== Start up ===
# Press {{Key press|Shift|<nowiki>]</nowiki>}} to turn the magneto on.
# Engage full throttle.
# Then press and hold {{Key press|s}} until the engine catches, which may take several seconds.

=== Take off ===
# Before starting, zoom display out as far as possible using the {{Key press|Shift|x}} key, so that you can see the runway out of both sides of the cockpit.
#Start the engine according to the instructions above. As soon as the engine starts, the aircraft will start to roll down the runway. The Dr.I was not equipped with brakes.
# As soon as the aircraft starts to move, pull back firmly on the stick to counter the aircraft's tendency to nose over.
# As the aircraft picks up speed, be prepared to firmly counter the aircraft's tendency to yaw right and roll left. Countering this requires firm left rudder and right aileron, while continuing to apply firm up elevator to counter the tendency to nose over.
# As the aircraft starts to lift off, gently ease the stick forward so as to avoid a too-steep rate of climb. If you keep the stick pulled back the aircraft will climb too rapidly and lose airspeed, leading to an invitible stall, roll, and crash.
# Similarly, be prepared to ease off the rudder and aileron as the aircraft picks up speed.

=== Cruise ===
Note that that the Dr.I's engine was controlled by a combination of throttle, mixture adjustment, and "blip" switch, which disconnected the magneto and was used to cut engine power for brief periods.

In FlightGear you can use a combination of throttle and "blip" ({{Key press|Shift|<nowiki>[</nowiki>}} and {{Key press|Shift|<nowiki>]</nowiki>}} keys) to control engine power.

== External link ==
* {{Wikipedia|Fokker Dr.I|Fokker Dr.I (Wikipedia)|noicon=1}}
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/47802-fokker-dr-1-throttle.html More about DR 1 throttle and engine controls]

{{Fokker}}

[[Category:Fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Propeller aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engine aircraft]]
[[Category:Triplane aircraft]]
[[fr:Fokker Dr.I]]

File:Dr.I Dawn.png

2015-11-27T15:10:27Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=Fokker Driedecker @Roclincourt, France, dawn}}
|date=2015-11-27 10:08:07
|source={{own}}
|author=[[User:Adam|Adam]]
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}

[[Category:Triplane aircraft]]
[[Category:Fokker]]

Fr/Boeing B-29 Superfortress

2015-11-27T15:06:02Z

Adam: New Screenshot

{{infobox Aircraft
|image = B-29Irishsea.png
|name = B-29 Superfortress
|type = 4 engine piston
|livery = United States Air Force
|fdm = JSBSim, YASim
|status =
|authors = Joshua Babcock, Vivian Meazza
|fgname = b29, b29-jsbsim, b29-magic, b29-yasim
|download =
}}

Le '''Boeing B-29 Superfortress''' fut un bombardier lourd quadrimoteur à hélice ayant volé pour l'armé des États-Unis lors de la seconde Guerre mondiale et la guerre de Corrée mais vola ensuite aussi pour d'autres nations. (Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force). Son nom "Superfortress" est dérivé de celui de son son célèbre prédécesseur, le B-17 Flying Fortress, et porté pour une série de bombardier construits par Boeing, suivi par le B-52 Stratofortress.

Il fut le principal [[aircraft|avion]] des États-Unis utilisé lors de la campagne de bombardements contre l'Empire du Japon dans les derniers mois de la seconde guerre mondiale, et transporta les bombes atomiques ayant détruit Hiroshima et Nagasaki.

== Aide de l'avion ==
{| class="prettytable"
!Touche
!Fonction
|-
|Ctrl-D
|Porte soute à bombe
|-
|Ctrl-F
|Porte cabine
|-
|n/N
|hélice fin / grossier
|-
|t/T
|ajuster la pression du turbo
|-
|j
|passer au siège à côté
|}

=== Procédure de démarrage ===
# augmenter les gaz d'un tiers
# sélectionner le moteur #1
# effectuer le démarrage
# mettre le magneto sur ON
# Répéter l'opération pour les moteurs #2 à #4

=== Approche ===
* volet à 45 degrés
* vitesse 130-140 MPH IAS depending on auw
* rpm 2100
* turbo à 0.8
* boost(approximativement) 10 psi
* vitesse à l'atterrissage: 95 - 110 MPH IAS depending on auw

== Lien externe ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-29 Superfortress Wikipedia article]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsvLi8QyVwU B-29 Flight Procedure And Combat Crew Functioning (1944)] YouTube video (37 min)

{{boeing}}

[[Category:Historical aircraft]]
[[Category:Military aircraft]]
[[en:Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]

File:B-29Irishsea.png

2015-11-27T15:05:12Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=B-29 Superfortress over the Irish Sea}}
|date=2015-11-27 10:02:09
|source={{own}}
|author=[[User:Adam|Adam]]
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}

[[Category:Boeing]]
[[Category:Bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:Four-engined aircraft]]

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

2015-11-27T14:07:34Z

Adam:

{{infobox Aircraft
|ready=airrefuel
|image=A4-Skyhawk from Nimitz.png
|name =Douglas A4
|type =Military aircraft
|fdm =
|status =early-production
|authors =Lewis Magruder, Dean Baunton, Jim Wilson, Andy Ross, Vivian Meazza
|fgname = a4f, a4, a4-uiuc
|download = http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft-2.0.0/#a4
}}
The '''Douglas A-4 Skyhawk''' is a [[Howto: Carrier|carrier]]-capable attack [[aircraft]] designed for the United States Navy. The delta wing Skyhawk, powered by a single turbojet, was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company (later [[McDonnell Douglas]] and finally [[Boeing]]). The initial designation was A4D under the Navy's designation system, and A-4 Skyhawk after 1962.

== Aircraft help ==
{{Main article|A-4F Skyhawk Operations Manual}}

{| class="prettytable"
| {{key press|Shift|C}}
| Catapult launch command
|-
| {{key press|Shift|L}}
| Carrier launch-bar engage
|-
| {{key press|O}} / {{key press|Shift|O}}
| Hook up/down
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|B}}
| Toggle airbrakes
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|K}}
| Toggle spoilers
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|J}}
| Deploy drag-chute
|-
| {{key press|Shift|J}}
| Jettison drag-chute
|-
| {{key press|J}}
| Repack drag-chute
|}

== Development status/Issues/Todo ==
=== Outside ===
* Cockpit instruments can be seen through aircraft hull
* Pilot is not solid
* Flaps are not solid
* Flaps are animated, but the shape of the wing does not change when flaps are extended. This means we have 2 flaps, one that is animated and another one that is not animated.
* Rudder, ailerons and pitch elevator are not animated
* No cockpit light at night visible
* No aircraft light available
* Aircraft has no wheel well area for the landing gear
* No jetstream visible
* Nozzle does not change shape when changing thrust - they don't
* There are no flaps when using reverse thrust - it hasn't got reverse thrust

=== 3D Cockpit ===
* No cockpit light at night available
* No rudder/stick control in 3d cockpit available
* No rudder control pedals available
* No switches and levers available
* No elevator trim control available
* Brake signal light does not light when pressing the brake key
* Cockpit instruments look flat, they don't have a 3d look.
* Cockpit is not textured
* No pilot present in 3d cockpit
* Cockpit window has no windscreen wipers

=== General ===
* Engine sound in cockpit does not differ from outside engine sound
* Engines can't be turned off
* No hud available
* Aircraft is not set on the correct elevation when starting FlightGear (gears are approximately 0.40 meter below the ground)

== Related content ==
* [[A-4F Skyhawk Operations Manual]]

{{Douglas}}
{{MDouglas}}
{{air-to-air refueling}}

[[Category:McDonnell Douglas]]
[[Category:Military aircraft]]

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

2015-11-27T14:06:53Z

Adam: New Screenshot

{{infobox Aircraft
|ready=airrefuel
|image A4-Skyhawk from Nimitz.png
|name =Douglas A4
|type =Military aircraft
|fdm =
|status =early-production
|authors =Lewis Magruder, Dean Baunton, Jim Wilson, Andy Ross, Vivian Meazza
|fgname = a4f, a4, a4-uiuc
|download = http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft-2.0.0/#a4
}}
The '''Douglas A-4 Skyhawk''' is a [[Howto: Carrier|carrier]]-capable attack [[aircraft]] designed for the United States Navy. The delta wing Skyhawk, powered by a single turbojet, was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company (later [[McDonnell Douglas]] and finally [[Boeing]]). The initial designation was A4D under the Navy's designation system, and A-4 Skyhawk after 1962.

== Aircraft help ==
{{Main article|A-4F Skyhawk Operations Manual}}

{| class="prettytable"
| {{key press|Shift|C}}
| Catapult launch command
|-
| {{key press|Shift|L}}
| Carrier launch-bar engage
|-
| {{key press|O}} / {{key press|Shift|O}}
| Hook up/down
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|B}}
| Toggle airbrakes
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|K}}
| Toggle spoilers
|-
| {{key press|Ctrl|J}}
| Deploy drag-chute
|-
| {{key press|Shift|J}}
| Jettison drag-chute
|-
| {{key press|J}}
| Repack drag-chute
|}

== Development status/Issues/Todo ==
=== Outside ===
* Cockpit instruments can be seen through aircraft hull
* Pilot is not solid
* Flaps are not solid
* Flaps are animated, but the shape of the wing does not change when flaps are extended. This means we have 2 flaps, one that is animated and another one that is not animated.
* Rudder, ailerons and pitch elevator are not animated
* No cockpit light at night visible
* No aircraft light available
* Aircraft has no wheel well area for the landing gear
* No jetstream visible
* Nozzle does not change shape when changing thrust - they don't
* There are no flaps when using reverse thrust - it hasn't got reverse thrust

=== 3D Cockpit ===
* No cockpit light at night available
* No rudder/stick control in 3d cockpit available
* No rudder control pedals available
* No switches and levers available
* No elevator trim control available
* Brake signal light does not light when pressing the brake key
* Cockpit instruments look flat, they don't have a 3d look.
* Cockpit is not textured
* No pilot present in 3d cockpit
* Cockpit window has no windscreen wipers

=== General ===
* Engine sound in cockpit does not differ from outside engine sound
* Engines can't be turned off
* No hud available
* Aircraft is not set on the correct elevation when starting FlightGear (gears are approximately 0.40 meter below the ground)

== Related content ==
* [[A-4F Skyhawk Operations Manual]]

{{Douglas}}
{{MDouglas}}
{{air-to-air refueling}}

[[Category:McDonnell Douglas]]
[[Category:Military aircraft]]

File:A4-Skyhawk from Nimitz.png

2015-11-27T14:05:59Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=A4-Skyhawk leaving Nimitz.}}
|date=2015-11-27 09:03:49
|source={{own}}
|author=[[User:Adam|Adam]]
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}

[[Category:Carrier-based aircraft]]
[[Category:Fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Douglas]]
[[Category:Attack aircraft]]

Talk:Aircraft

2015-11-27T01:58:54Z

Adam: /* Aircraft Galleries */ new section

==Categorization of aircraft==
Going by the dictionary definition of "aircraft" helicopters, airships and balloons are also aircraft. With that in mind the division of aircraft into the pages [[Aircraft]] and [[Helicopter]] is not completely logical (and leaves me wondering where to put the airships :). Renaming [[Aircraft]] to [[Airplane]] (and moving the airships and the balloon to their own page) might be one solution. What do you think? [[User:AndersG|AndersG]] 11:04, 15 September 2008 (EDT)

: Hm, this is a hard question. If we have a seperate page for every category we'd still have troubles. Vehicles by example could contain eveything people use to move, including aircraft/plane. It's simple to make categories for eveything, since we could add categories into categories like we have at the [[:Category:Aircraft]]. But on the other side, a nice page with thumbnails is also a nice feature, if you know how a plane looks like, but you don't know it's name/manufacter...
: We could also make a simple (alphabetical ordered) list of planes, without thumbnails, like the list I made for the [[Suggested Airports/Scenery]] article (click the symbols to order). The easy thing is that you could sort it on manufactur, type of vehicle, name etc.
: Maybe we should talk about this on the forum. More people will read it there...
: EDIT: I see FG already made I page! I will extend it: [[Table of models]]
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 11:36, 15 September 2008 (EDT)

== Using templates ==

I think it would be easier to maintain translations of this article, if the lists of aircrafts would be moved to a template/templates.
In this case it is a bit more difficult, as in contrast to the [[Helicopter]] and [[Vehicle]] pages, we have to control more than one list.
At the moment, I can see three approaches to this:

One template, that contains the whole page. The translated text passages will be handed over as variables (similar to [[Main Page]]).
*easy to translate
*all translations look exactly identical
*not customizable
*new sections will appear automatically, but with empty title

One template for the whole page, but included multiple times for each list with different parameters.
*the order of the lists can be different in all translations
*new sections will not appear automatically
*lists can also be used for other pages
*still all in one file

: The template would look like
: <nowiki> {{ #ifeq {{{sectionname|}}} | light_civilian_aircraft | *List of light civilian aircraft... }} </nowiki>
: <nowiki> {{ #ifeq {{{sectionname|}}} | warbirds | *List of warbirds... }} </nowiki>

: The article would look like
: <nowiki> ==Light civilian aircraft== </nowiki>
: <nowiki> {{Aircraft List |sectionname=light_civilian_aircraft}} </nowiki>

: <nowiki> ==Warbirds== </nowiki>
: <nowiki> {{Aircraft List |sectionname=warbirds}} </nowiki>

Multiple templates: one template per list.
*the order of the lists can be different in all translations
*new sections will not appear automatically
*lists can also be used for other pages

--[[User:Hamster|Hamster]] 11:18, 20 March 2012 (EDT)
: Hi,
: first of all, I've created {{tl|int}}, allowing us to auto-link to translated articles, whenever available. I've put it on use on the vehicle page (as of now only the Spanish page is interesting ;) ), but we can one it on all of these galleries.
: I think I prefer the second method, where translations are on the actual page. Long multi-language pages tend to get hard to read. You should use {{tl|switch}} for that though (instead of lots of "ifeq"), see the [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions#.23switch MediaWiki explanation].
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 12:14, 20 March 2012 (EDT)

::In case anyone would like to use <code><nowiki>{{switch}}</nowiki></code>, it is <code><nowiki>{{#switch:}}</nowiki></code>, see Gijs link. ;-)
::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:21, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

== Aircraft Galleries ==

Hi!
Trying to update some of the aircraft screenshots in the wiki. When I look in here, I see <nowiki>{{Model Gallery | section=light_civilian_aircraft}}</nowiki> How can I change these pictures?

Boeing 737

2015-11-27T01:52:26Z

Adam: Correct silly typo from above edit.

[[File:737-300.png|thumb|United Airlines 737-300 over Kent, Southern England]]
The '''Boeing 737''' is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet [[Aircraft|airliner]]. Originally developed as a shorter, lower cost twin engine airliner derived from Boeing's [[Boeing 707|707]] and [[Boeing 727|727]], the 737 has nine variants, from the early [[Boeing 737-100|-100]] to the most recent and largest, the -900. Currently series -600 through -900 are being produced.

First envisioned in 1964, the 737 entered service in 1968. Forty years later it has become the most ordered and produced commercial passenger jet in the world. It is Boeing's last surviving narrow-body airliner, sometimes serving markets previously filled by 707, 727, [[Boeing 757|757]], [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|DC-9]] and [[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|MD-80]]/[[McDonnell Douglas MD-90|90]] airliners. Continuously manufactured by Boeing since 1967 with over 8,000 ordered and over 5,800 delivered as of 2008, there are over 1,250 737s airborne at any given time. On average, a 737 departs or lands somewhere every five seconds.

== Procedures ==
the take off precedure for a 737 is to have flaps set at 5, and power up to 40% N1 till moving, the slowly build up to 94-96% N1, pull when Vr and keep at 15degrees pitch, retract gear when positive climb rate

=== Takeoff Speeds Flaps 5 ===

{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="solid" bordercolor="#00CC00"
|-
| width="69" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <span class="Style2">TOW KG </span>
| width="76" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">TOWlbs</div>
| width="61" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">V1</div>
| width="51" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">VR</div>
| width="48" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">V2</div>
|-
| 65K || <div align="right">143000 </div>
| <div align="right">154</div>
| <div align="right">155</div> || <div align="right">160</div>
|-
| 60K || <div align="right">132000</div>
| <div align="right">147</div>
| <div align="right">148</div> || <div align="right">154</div>
|-
| 55K || <div align="right">121000</div>
| <div align="right">140</div>
| <div align="right">141</div> || <div align="right">148</div>
|-
| 50K || <div align="right">110000</div>
| <div align="right">133</div>
| <div align="right">133</div> || <div align="right">141</div>
|-
| 45K || <div align="right">99000</div>
| <div align="right">123</div>
| <div align="right">133</div> || <div align="right">133</div>
|-
| 40K || <div align="right">88000</div>
| <div align="right">114</div>
| <div align="right">114</div> || <div align="right">126</div>
|-
| 35K || <div align="right">77000</div>
| <div align="right">104</div>
| <div align="right">104</div> || <div align="right">117</div>
|}

=== Landing Speeds with following flaps settings ===

{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="solid" bordercolor="#00CC00"
|-
| width="65" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <span class="Style2">TOW KG</span>
| width="80" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">TOWlbs</div>
| width="61" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">40</div>
| width="51" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">30</div>
| width="47" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">15</div>
|-
| 65K || <div align="right">14300</div>
| <div align="right">152</div>
| <div align="right">153</div> || <div align="right">165</div>
|-
| 60K || <div align="right">132000</div>
| <div align="right">145</div>
| <div align="right">147</div> || <div align="right">158</div>
|-
| 55K || <div align="right">121000</div>
| <div align="right">138</div>
| <div align="right">141</div> || <div align="right">151</div>
|-
| 50K || <div align="right">110000</div>
| <div align="right">131</div>
| <div align="right">134</div> || <div align="right">144</div>
|-
| 45K || <div align="right">99000</div>
| <div align="right">123</div>
| <div align="right">127</div> || <div align="right">136</div>
|-
| 40K || <div align="right">88000</div>
| <div align="right">115</div>
| <div align="right">119</div> || <div align="right">128</div>
|-
| 35K || <div align="right">77000</div>
| <div align="right">107</div>
| <div align="right">111</div> || <div align="right">119</div>
|}

=== Maximum Flap Operating Speeds ===
1 = 230 kn<br />
2 = 230 kn<br />
5 = 225 kn<br />
10 = 210 kn<br />
15 = 195 kn<br />
25 = 190 kn<br />
30 = 185 kn<br />
40 = 158 kn<br />

=== Landing Gear Limits ===
Extend 270IAS/ 0.82M
Retract 235IAS
== Variants ==
* [[Boeing 737-100]]
* [[Boeing 737-200]]
* [[Boeing 737-300]]
* [[Boeing 737-400]]
* [[Boeing 737-500]]
* [[Boeing 737-700]]
* [[Boeing 737-900ER]]
* [[Boeing 737-7 MAX]]
* [[Boeing 737-8 MAX]]
* [[Boeing 737-9 MAX]]

{{Boeing}}

[[Category:Airliners]]

Boeing 737

2015-11-27T01:51:42Z

Adam: New Screenshot

[[File:737-300.png|thumb|United Airlines 737-300 over Kent, Southern Englad]]
The '''Boeing 737''' is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet [[Aircraft|airliner]]. Originally developed as a shorter, lower cost twin engine airliner derived from Boeing's [[Boeing 707|707]] and [[Boeing 727|727]], the 737 has nine variants, from the early [[Boeing 737-100|-100]] to the most recent and largest, the -900. Currently series -600 through -900 are being produced.

First envisioned in 1964, the 737 entered service in 1968. Forty years later it has become the most ordered and produced commercial passenger jet in the world. It is Boeing's last surviving narrow-body airliner, sometimes serving markets previously filled by 707, 727, [[Boeing 757|757]], [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|DC-9]] and [[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|MD-80]]/[[McDonnell Douglas MD-90|90]] airliners. Continuously manufactured by Boeing since 1967 with over 8,000 ordered and over 5,800 delivered as of 2008, there are over 1,250 737s airborne at any given time. On average, a 737 departs or lands somewhere every five seconds.

== Procedures ==
the take off precedure for a 737 is to have flaps set at 5, and power up to 40% N1 till moving, the slowly build up to 94-96% N1, pull when Vr and keep at 15degrees pitch, retract gear when positive climb rate

=== Takeoff Speeds Flaps 5 ===

{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="solid" bordercolor="#00CC00"
|-
| width="69" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <span class="Style2">TOW KG </span>
| width="76" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">TOWlbs</div>
| width="61" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">V1</div>
| width="51" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">VR</div>
| width="48" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right" class="Style2">V2</div>
|-
| 65K || <div align="right">143000 </div>
| <div align="right">154</div>
| <div align="right">155</div> || <div align="right">160</div>
|-
| 60K || <div align="right">132000</div>
| <div align="right">147</div>
| <div align="right">148</div> || <div align="right">154</div>
|-
| 55K || <div align="right">121000</div>
| <div align="right">140</div>
| <div align="right">141</div> || <div align="right">148</div>
|-
| 50K || <div align="right">110000</div>
| <div align="right">133</div>
| <div align="right">133</div> || <div align="right">141</div>
|-
| 45K || <div align="right">99000</div>
| <div align="right">123</div>
| <div align="right">133</div> || <div align="right">133</div>
|-
| 40K || <div align="right">88000</div>
| <div align="right">114</div>
| <div align="right">114</div> || <div align="right">126</div>
|-
| 35K || <div align="right">77000</div>
| <div align="right">104</div>
| <div align="right">104</div> || <div align="right">117</div>
|}

=== Landing Speeds with following flaps settings ===

{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="solid" bordercolor="#00CC00"
|-
| width="65" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <span class="Style2">TOW KG</span>
| width="80" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">TOWlbs</div>
| width="61" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">40</div>
| width="51" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">30</div>
| width="47" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | <div align="right">15</div>
|-
| 65K || <div align="right">14300</div>
| <div align="right">152</div>
| <div align="right">153</div> || <div align="right">165</div>
|-
| 60K || <div align="right">132000</div>
| <div align="right">145</div>
| <div align="right">147</div> || <div align="right">158</div>
|-
| 55K || <div align="right">121000</div>
| <div align="right">138</div>
| <div align="right">141</div> || <div align="right">151</div>
|-
| 50K || <div align="right">110000</div>
| <div align="right">131</div>
| <div align="right">134</div> || <div align="right">144</div>
|-
| 45K || <div align="right">99000</div>
| <div align="right">123</div>
| <div align="right">127</div> || <div align="right">136</div>
|-
| 40K || <div align="right">88000</div>
| <div align="right">115</div>
| <div align="right">119</div> || <div align="right">128</div>
|-
| 35K || <div align="right">77000</div>
| <div align="right">107</div>
| <div align="right">111</div> || <div align="right">119</div>
|}

=== Maximum Flap Operating Speeds ===
1 = 230 kn<br />
2 = 230 kn<br />
5 = 225 kn<br />
10 = 210 kn<br />
15 = 195 kn<br />
25 = 190 kn<br />
30 = 185 kn<br />
40 = 158 kn<br />

=== Landing Gear Limits ===
Extend 270IAS/ 0.82M
Retract 235IAS
== Variants ==
* [[Boeing 737-100]]
* [[Boeing 737-200]]
* [[Boeing 737-300]]
* [[Boeing 737-400]]
* [[Boeing 737-500]]
* [[Boeing 737-700]]
* [[Boeing 737-900ER]]
* [[Boeing 737-7 MAX]]
* [[Boeing 737-8 MAX]]
* [[Boeing 737-9 MAX]]

{{Boeing}}

[[Category:Airliners]]

File:737-300.png

2015-11-27T01:50:55Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=United Airlines 737-300 over Kent, Southern Englad}}
|date=2015-11-26 20:48:40
|source={{own}}
|author=[[User:Adam|Adam]]
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}

[[Category:Aircraft]]
[[Category:Airliners]]
[[Category:Boeing 737 screenshots]]
[[Category:Boeing]]

FlightGear wiki:Village pump

2015-11-17T19:58:53Z

Adam: /* Introduce newcomers to FG to aircraft details so they can get excited */

{{Archives|[[/Archive 2012|2012]]|[[/Archive 2013|2013]]|[[/Archive 2014|2014]]}}
{{shortcut|FGW:VP}}
Welcome to the '''Village Pump'''. This page is used to discuss the technical issues, operations and guidelines of the [[FlightGear wiki]].

Please <span class="plainlinks">[{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} add new topics]</span> to the '''bottom''' of this page.

Old discussion should be moved to a [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive YEAR]]. These discussions can then be moved to a relevant talk page if appropriate.

== Navigation links added to FlightGear Newsletter header ==

As per [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=25104 request by Michat on the forum] I have now managed to add navigation links to the FlightGear Newsletter header, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, pointing to the previous and next months newsletter.

So far I have only added it to the latest header though.

Happy browsing! :-)

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:48, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

: Looking into the older template, {{tl|Newsletter}}, I have seen a fundamental difference. The new one, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, uses a parameter, '''edition''', that I have used to get working links to the previous and following editions.

: It seems that a similar behavior can not be added to the older template without adding a similar parameter to it and all older editions of the newsletter. I simply can not figure out a way to parse the page name into a date. :-\

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 10:05, 23 May 2015 (EDT)

== MediaWiki updated to 1.24.1 ==

I've updated MediaWiki to the latest stable release (1.24.1) today. There is a small issue with some of the extensions not displaying icons, so some of them have been disabled for the moment. I hope to have them re-enabled later today. Please report bugs if you find any. For a list of changes, see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.24

[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 12:00, 1 February 2015 (EST)

: It seems that Nasal syntax highlighting via Geshi is no longer working (I think it was Philosopher who came up with the module...)?
: --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 15:58, 1 February 2015 (EST)

:: Ah, didn't move that one over. Should be fixed now.
:: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:19, 1 February 2015 (EST)

::: Confirmed fixed. Thank you for the quick fix. :-D
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:49, 1 February 2015 (EST)

== Support SVG file ==

Is there some securty issues/software limitations (no plugin's installed) why the wiki don't support uploads of SVG images?

[[User:Www2|Www2]] ([[User talk:Www2|talk]]) 21:02, 4 February 2015 (EST)

== If you find missing images ==

In case you find missing images have a look at this page: [[FlightGear wiki:Missing images]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:51, 7 February 2015 (EST)

== Additional Portals ==
Given the recent interest in doing embedded development related to FlightGear (Arduino/Rasberry PI), I was thinking that we might want to introduce dedicated portals for such use-cases, to keep things neatly organized, but also to provide a place to grow this further - e.g. depending on how this goes, we could have portals covering:
* Embedded/Hardware (including cockpit building)
* UAVs

Equally, we may want to provide sub-forums for these two topics, which should help clean up the offtopic/development forum, too. Currently, the SUPPORT/HARDWARE forum is being used for many of these topics, even though that was originally intended for joysticks/yokes and pedals related stuff - not custom hardware, which would fit better under DEVELOPMENT in my opinon.

As far as I can tell there are roughly 10-15 contributors actively exploring embedded development including UAV stuff - so I guess it would be a good idea for the project (i.e. the forum and the wiki) to provide some structure to "house" such efforts.

thoughts/ideas ?
--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 06:17, 10 February 2015 (EST)

== Wiki extensions observations ==

Hi all,

Recently I was looking at the [[Special:Version#Installed extensions|installed extensions]], and noticed the below:

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery SmoothGallery]
: It appears that it doesn't work anymore on this wiki. For instance, the below code …
<nowiki><sgallery>
Glass01.jpg
Glass07.jpg
Glass11.jpg
</sgallery></nowiki>
: … causes the following error:

: Notice: Undefined variable: args in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGallery.php on line 113 Fatal error: Call to undefined method LocalFile::getThumbnail() in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGalleryParser.php on line 208

: This could be related to extension's [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery#Fixing_bugs bugs].

: I suggest this extension be removed because
# As far as I know, it's not used on any of the wiki's pages.
# Is it needed?
# Its ''unstable'' as of 22 March, 2015, which means it's broken and shouldn't be used ([http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_status link]).

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EmbedVideo EmbedVideo]
: According to the [http://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Extension:EmbedVideo&oldid=1447164 page revision as of 16 March 2015], there were XSS flaws in version 2.2.4 and earlier of the extension. It should probably be updated to the latest revision.

[[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 14:08, 22 March 2015 (EDT)

: Both are done. Thanks for reporting!
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 17:21, 24 March 2015 (EDT)

== Boeing 777 Cleanup ==

Just wrapping up cleaning up Boeing 777 articles that I discussed a full year ago. All now redirect centrally to that page. This makes for a lot less segregated wiki. Looking at it, it would appear that very little happens on the individual pages and the content on them is relatively insignificant. The stuff that is needed I copied over to the main page. Will try to add some pictures as well.

If anybody has any objections, speak up :)

: It would be really useful to merge the pages ''if'' the aircraft are similar in many ways, for example:
:* All part of the same aircraft package
:* Same or similar usage, for example
:** Keyboard shortcuts
:** Custom dialogs
:** Clickable cockpit interfaces
:* Same levels of system modeling

: If they could be handled pretty much the same way and was part of the same aircraft package I don't think I would have any objections.

: However, if they differ a lot in the areas mentioned above I think it would not be a good idea to merge the pages; the aircraft would be dissimilar enough that the page would have to be uncomfortably long and possibly confusing if it were to describe the different workings.

: If they are not part of the same aircraft package, looking into the similarities and differences and slowly work towards integrating them into the same aircraft package could also bee a good idea.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:48, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

== Aircraft Page Organization ==
I just started a [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=26161 topic] over on the forum on how posts are organized if somebody has input.

{{unsigned|11:45, 5 May 2015|Manfred}}

: I think it would probably be better to discuss the quality and organization of the wiki right here (on this very page) than on the forum.

: The main two reasons for that is (1) to keep the wiki quality discussions here and (2) that it would be a bit more transparent to do it that way.

: The transparency is important in that it would make it easier to later look into ''why'' things were decided to be in a certain way and ''who'' said ''what'' and ''when''.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 08:07, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

Alright, so here goes:

By the nature of FlightGear, multiple people might work on different projects covering the same areas. For instance, there are 2 different projects covering the Boeing 787. This makes overview and indexing very difficult. Wikipedia is designed to only really have one article on a topic (i.e. aircraft) that can be extended.

For instance:

{{Airbus}}

It is dreadfully unclear on the overview of aircraft. In my opinion, it would make more sense to get an disambiguation page on the various 'packages' that contain the A319 for instance. The multiple entries greatly diminishes the value of the list.

Here are a few ideas:
* '''Give aircraft a codeword or project name.''' For instance, the Boeing 787 (Dream Project) or Boeing 787 (GPL Project) to distinguish between them. Then list them like that in the index as well. When you both have a --aircraft= A319 and A319-131, what are you going to do when the next person comes around and wants to design an A319? It would make more sense to migrate to a structure of say B787-8-Dream and B787-8-GPL. If you make a piece of software, you're not going to go calling your software 'Conference Manager', with the next person making the similar stuff calling it 'Conference Manager 2', but rather ConferenceTime and and ConferenceMaster. Naming your work after aircraft in the current way gets bloody confusing.

* I imagine that perhaps as a bit of a continuation of the above, '''people try to distinguish between their models by giving them very specific names, such as Boeing 707-338'''. I realize that people want to work on it themselves, but from a broader perspective, how much technical difference is there really between these? The A319 should also work with the corresponding changes as a A320- it is an identical cockpit and much the same fuselage. IMHO, it should have been filed as an A320 instead with only one model, an A319. As for the Boeing, give it a codeword, such as Boeing 707 (Qantas Project). It even makes it more marketable.

* '''Clearly distinguish between current and past development in the template''', i.e. add a new index on the left that contains both categories. I find that not doing any work on the model in five years qualifies for past development.

The ability to grow is proportional to the ability to handle the increase in information. While this perhaps happens mostly on aircraft articles, what happens if somebody wants a fresh start on that airport scenery? How does he name the page and organize it in relation to the current one? It would have been easier to name both after some town landmark so one the second one came around, you could easily categorise them.

In a nutshell:
* Give all aircraft projects a name after the aircraft type ("Boeing 787"+ Phoenix, Dream, Toulouse...+ Project) to distinguish between individual development.
* Sort all aircraft by model type (i.e. A320) rather than the sub-model being worked on (i.e. A319).

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 11:56, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: You have several good points there. I have some thoughts on them (note that this this is only my opinions).
:; Disambiguation pages: This could probably be used on an aircraft type level basis. For example describing the Boeing 777 in general and short descriptions of the 'subtypes' and links to pages with them and any different variants. To some extent this could be given a standardized look by using templates.
:: I think these could be very useful, and I wish there was some of them.
:; The navigation template: Dreadful at least to some extent. I have more than once found them a bit inconsistent and confusing (in particular when looking like the one you showed here). Could probably be remade quite a bit, possibly following the structure I outlined in the point above.
:; Project names: I have noted that a few projects have had names, for example the ''Lake of Constance Boeing 707'' or the ''Seattle'' (though I embarrassingly do not remember what aircraft type that was).
:; Distinguish between past and current development: Probably a good idea. Could possibly be done with color coded backgrounds for the aircraft type text and color coding of the development state field in the aircraft infobox.

: Some additional thoughts:
:* I guess the navigation templates could also be link to the aircraft disambiguation pages when needed.
:* Setting up a style manual for the disambiguation pages and navigation templates would probably be a good idea. It should not be done before some time of experimentation though.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:40, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

===Action Plan===

It's good to see that we are on the same page. To complete this:

* I propose that we start with the Boeing aircraft as a model project.
* We need a name structure for all aircraft that is universal and unique. Otherwise the reorganization will be in vain. As suggested earlier, along the lines of [Manufacturer, Model, Project Name]. The problem is that last one. I called the 787 'GPL' and 'Dreamliner' but I don't like any of those and would much rather give them something that is really not connected to any other aircraft of the name it itself. I'd propose 'Seattle' and 'Firebird' but I don't want to go renaming all the aircraft myself. I think it's something the developers should come up with. The aircraft would not be renamed A319 Toulouse Project, because the fact that it is an A319 is insignificant in that it uses much the same fuselage and identical cockpit as the A320. Only a significant model code should be included. Less of a problem with Boeing but this has to work everywhere.
* I am really not sure about putting the background history on a separate page and I'm tempted to say we should leave that to Wikipedia. I think it would be better just to make it to a disambiguation page.

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 16:38, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: For the disambiguation pages I was more thinking along the lines of for example [[Boeing 707]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_707&oldid=63942 permalink]) and [[Boeing 747]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_747&oldid=62527 permalink]), but with maybe shorter general descriptions and a one-liner or short paragraph describing each variant. An [[User:Johan G/Aircraft series|early draft of one possible way]] to do it have been added to my [[User:Johan G/In my sandbox|sandbox]].

: To my slight frustration the {{tl|Boeing}} template is more consistent and logical than the {{tl|Airbus}} template (in essence less 'messy'). Some of my thoughts on how to improve it (and probably other ones as well) turned into a puff of smoke when I saw it.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 09:53, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

:: While I do agree that disambiguation pages are an important step on the way, they are not the solution to the problem. People working on very similar aircraft differentiate their by minimalistic changes in their model name, but this is subject to change as people add different variations of that aircraft based off the same cockpit for instance. It has to be 'robust' in that regard. That is why the unique identifier in the form of a 'project name' or an equivalent solution is necessary, especially for the Airbus aircraft as can be seen. Even if there's only one model at the moment, since there's no harm in doing so because somebody might come along and start some new work. But giving them a name only here won't be very clear and would ideally occur for all use 'globally' in FlightGear.

:: [[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 12:18, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

::: I can only agree to that the disambiguation pages are not the solution. Regarding those I am rather thinking of consistent style and intuitive navigation (as in more effortless for the reader).

::: Ideally (as in an utopia) aircraft should be merged or better ones replace older ones, at least in regard to the official aircraft (in essence those available from the download page). But waiting for the utopia differentiating between them using project names is probably the best way.

::: Maybe we <s>&ensp;could&ensp;</s> should encourage people to use project names in those cases when they can not merge aircraft (for example due to licenses etc). Using project names consistently, as you seem to suggest, is would probably work well. Also, people tend to copy other peoples way of doing things.

::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:52, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

== Bug report specific article(s) ==
To my surprise there is no [[Submitting bug reports]] article (or [[Responding to bug reports]] for that matter), and I remind myself that the relevant information is spread throughout the wiki instead of being summed up in one place.

Some things to consider when writing it (kind of a 'note to self' for now):

* The bug reports themselves:
** What bugs should be reported where?
*** FlightGear itself
*** Aircraft, vehicles etc.
*** Airports
*** Scenery
** What information might be needed?
** What kind of responses should be expected?

* Target groups?
** Non-native English speaking computer novices?
** Regular FlightGear users?
** FlightGear developers?

* Concepts could also be borrowed from from:
** Eric Steven Raymond, [http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html How To Ask Questions The Smart Way]
** Amy Hoy, [http://slash7.com/2006/12/22/vampires/ Help Vampires: A Spotter’s Guide], in particular the section ''Reforming the Help Vampire''
** Karl Fogel, Producing Open Source Software, [http://producingoss.com/en/bug-tracker.html Bug Tracker]

* Last, but not least: What formal and informal guidelines, rules and procedures do we actually have?

It would be quite preferable from a maintenance perspective to have that information gathered to only a few places and only describe the concepts briefly before linking to those articles, also from the forum and mailing list (in essence DRY – Don't Repeat Yourself).

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:23, 10 May 2015 (EDT)

== Most helicopter screenshots are now categorized ==

With some few exceptions all helicopter screenshots are now categorized in [[:Category:Screenshots of helicopters]] and its subcategories. ''Tip: Test clicking the blue triangles. ;-)''

What I am trying to achieve is to separate files and articles and to put the files into a browseable category structure (sort of like a tree with some spider webs here and there between the branches). That way they should be easier to find for example when looking for the next [[:Category:Picture of the week|picture of the week]] or a good illustration for an article.

The exception is the files that have gotten a [[:Category:Copyright statuses|license category]], but is not categorized in any other relevant category, are not used in an article and/or does not have a descriptive file name.

:''See also [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive 2014#Having separate image categories or not?]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump/Archive_2014&oldid=81713#Having_separate_image_categories_or_not.3F permalink])''

I am ''very'' slowly working on adding {{tl|file information}} templates, descriptions, links and categories to uncategorized files, with the long term goal of not having any files that not can be found by browsing logical and consistent categories.

Good file names, descriptions, categories and internal linking are all four good 'white hat' search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, in essence making it easier to find what you are looking for. Be that using the wiki's search engine or an external one such as Google search.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:00, 14 May 2015 (EDT)

== Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages ==

I would like to hear some ideas of how to disambiguate the two Space Shuttle articles, [[Space Shuttle]] originally about the 3D model-less FGData Space Shuttle re-entry FDM but now about the shuttle by the [[FlightGear space program]], and [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview‎]] modified from that one.

Preferably they could be differentiated by different project names or something like that.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:22, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

: Hi Johan,
: My two cents are as follows ('''HW''' = HerbyW Space Shuttle, '''TH''' = Thorsten Space Shuttle):
:{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
! Shuttle variant !! Suggestion !! Comments
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FlightGear Space Program)
| Too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)
| Again, too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (Space Program)
| Would make people think that the Space Shuttle is the name of a space program.
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle (official)
| Don't like this one myself. Also, might be too controversial.
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align: center" | Favoured by me
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FGSP)
| None
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle
| None
|}

: Also, idea for disambiguation text (assuming my favoured suggestions above):
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap"><nowiki>The Space Shuttle could either refer to …
* The [[Space Shuttle (FGSP)|Space Shuttle]] developed from the original Shuttle by {{usr|HerbW}} ''et al'' for the [[FlightGear Space Program]].
* The [[Space Shuttle]] further developed from the above by {{usr|Thorsten}} ''et al'' with new, more realistic [[FDM]]. This is the Space Shuttle that is included in the [[FGAddon]] repository.</nowiki></pre>

: I hope these suggestions are helpful.
: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 15:50, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

:: First off I will apologize for the late reply.

:: I think I consider it a good idea to move the current [[Space Shuttle]] article to [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]], moving [[Space Shuttle - Project overview]] there instead, and keep the [[Space Shuttle (disambiguation)]] page describing both in a few lines. I think that "FGSP" would be a bit too cryptic for the "uninitiated", but that most users would be able to figure out "FG".

:: The new [[Space Shuttle]] and [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]] should most probably point to the disambiguation page rather than each other.

:: Though not really a part of the reply, it is for the record perhaps worth repeating that the current [[Space Shuttle]] article previously described the fgdata (later FGAddons) one, but was changed to describe the [[FlightGear space program]]/HerbieW/[[FGMEMBERS]] one (see [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Space_Shuttle&diff=next&oldid=81334 diff]).

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:03, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

::: Hi.
::: Personally, I think if we just called Thorsten's (alright, Thorsten, just to eliminate confusion) shuttle's article "Space Shuttle", then did a blurb at the top such as,"For Jon Berndt's model-less fdm and HerbyW's early model, see HERE and HERE".
::: Just another two pennies towards a dollar
::: [[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 18:28, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

:::: Psst, that Red Leader and I mention one as related to the [[FlightGear Space Program]] is that both at least was based on Jon Bernt's atmospheric entry FDM and HerbyW's 3D model. ;-)
:::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:59, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

:::::Well, of course, ideally we want [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview]] To just be called Space Shuttle (for purposes of putting best foot--or wing, as the case may be--forward.) Then perhaps we could call Herby's shuttle "Space Shuttle--Model", and the FDM "Space Shuttle-FDM". That makes four cents so far.[[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 11:03, 22 July 2015 (EDT)

:::::: {{done}} I have now moved the Space Shuttle articles.

:::::: I settled for [[Space Shuttle]] and [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]].

:::::: I have also changed links here and there so they point to each or the other variant to avoid confusion.

:::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:52, 16 August 2015 (EDT)

== How do I load Cessna 152 on to FSX (2015) on OS X macbook ==

Hi I hope you can help. I'm a new user of FlightGear and training for my PPL.
I have software loaded on my macbook and have tried out the C172 but I want the Cessna 152 that I'm doing lessons in.
I've tried to download from disc but I can't do it. I searched online and can only find an add on for PCs.

Could you tell me where I can find it to download and step by step instructions please?

Z

{{unsigned|19:51, 14 June 2015|Zedbee}}

: You would probably get good answers if you register to the [http://forum.flightgear.org/ forum] and ask in the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewforum.php?f=21 Mac subforum].

: P.S. You can not use FSX aircraft directly in FlightGear, at the other hand there is probably at least one available for FlightGear.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:36, 14 June 2015 (EDT)

== Rename Template ==
Do we have a template which alerts admins to a rename request?
[[Avoiding Multiple Downloads of FGData]] could have on Linux tagged on, while the EDDK article needs rename to Flüghafen Koln / Bonn (EDDK) and the "AV8R 2nd Throttle as Pan Speed" AV8R Should be Aviator...
[[User:Legoboyvdlp|Legoboyvdlp]] ([[User talk:Legoboyvdlp|talk]]) 15:42, 7 July 2015 (EDT)

: There is no need to call in admins for "renaming" or rather ''moving'' articles. ;-)

: If you hover over or click on the down arrow between the "More" label and the search box to the top right of the page you will see the option "Move", which is wiki jargon for "rename". Before starting to move pages, have a peek at [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Manual_of_Style&oldid=75296#Article_titles FlightGear wiki:Manual of Style#Article titles] (it is a short section).

: {{inote|Please leave a redirect behind even if there is no wiki pages linking to that article. There may be links to that page outside the wiki.}}

: Slightly off topic now, but maybe useful later: To move a category you would have to move the category page '''and''' edit all the pages in that category so the category link points to the new category. See also [[Help:Categories]].

: You can see the difference in what regular users and admins can do at [[Special:ListGroupRights]].

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 13:15, 9 July 2015 (EDT)

:: Questions like these are probably also a good reason to improve the help pages in regard to using the wiki.
:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:02, 16 August 2015 (EDT)

== Template:Dmbox and the disambiguation categories ==
It seems {{tl|dmbox}} adds several categories to each disambiguation page it is used on. In addition {{tl|disambiguation}}, which uses that template, add one category further.

I would say that the "All ..." is superfluous as well. Also, currently none of the categories have a parent category.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:26, 12 July 2015 (EDT)

== Description of the FlightGear screenshot categories ==
{{hatnote|Regarding the new article [[FlightGear wiki:FlightGear screenshot categories]].}}

I have now written together a description of how I have organized the [[:Category:FlightGear screenshots|FlightGear screenshot categories]] ([[Special:CategoryTree/FlightGear screenshots|tree]]) and the rationale behind them. I think I have been working on categorizing the images and in particular the screenshots uploaded to this wiki since even before the village pump was here, but I have never really tried to explain what it was all about.

I would encourage everyone to have a look at it, in particular if you more or less regularly upload screenshots to the wiki.

I do encourage leaving feedback on the [[FlightGear wiki talk:FlightGear screenshot categories|discussion page]]. However, I also want to point out that this is a de facto description and that ''some'' aspects of how the screenshots actually are organized probably cannot be changed without requiring literally man-months of work, even if some things can be done by [[User:BotFlightGear|robot]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:18, 19 July 2015 (EDT)

== MediaWiki updated to 1.25.1 ==

I've updated MediaWiki to the latest stable release (1.25.1) today. Please report bugs if you find any. For a list of changes, see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.25

[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 07:10, 10 August 2015 (EDT)

=== 08/2015: Nasal syntax highlighting no longer working since update ===
I don't think any of us mere mortals can do anything about that, but you literally need to have superuser powers (Gijs, Simon, Curt) ?
<syntaxhighlight lang="nasal">
if(var foo = 1 or die(nil) ) {
nil;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 07:12, 25 August 2015 (EDT)

: From some research, it appears that this was broken due to the SyntaxHighlight_GeSHi extension switching from GeSHi to [http://pygments.org/ Pygments], reason being that Pygments is better maintained (see diff summary).
:* [https://git.wikimedia.org/commitdiff/mediawiki%2Fextensions%2FSyntaxHighlight_GeSHi/6484894497f59080eb3e62da4d11b658c84e19f4 Git diff changing GeSHi to Pygments]
:* [http://pygments.org/languages/ Pygments supported languages list]
:* [http://pygments.org/docs/lexerdevelopment/ Writing custom languages in Pygments]
: Hope this helps,
: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 16:02, 13 September 2015 (EDT)

: Sorry, I simply forgot to re-include our custom Nasal config after the update, just like last time :(
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 08:59, 15 September 2015 (EDT)

=== 10/2015: Live preview feature does not enable Save page button ===
Since the introduction of the "live preview" feature on the wiki, clicking on the '''Show preview''' button only shows the live preview at the top of the page - the '''Save page''' button remains disabled. This makes saving pages impossible (unless the user has the appropriate privilege on the wiki or the button is enabled manually e.g. via Firebug).
-- [[User:Elgaton|ElGaton]] ([[User talk:Elgaton|Contact me]]) 14:11, 10 October 2015 (EDT)

: Thanks for the report! Live Preview was disabled by default, so most users will not have run into this problem. I've now disabled the forced preview, so you can use Live Preview if you like.
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 08:42, 11 October 2015 (EDT)

== Repository link templates ==
:''Moved here from [[Template talk:Repo link#Todo list]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Template_talk:Repo_link&oldid=87147#Todo_list perm]), since discussion got more general.''

'''To do'''
* {{tl|Repo link}}
** Protocols (e.g., <code><nowiki>git://</nowiki></code>, see [[#Supporting different protocols|above]])
** Add Mercurial to repo types
** GitLab option
** Standardize label style (when label is not customized).
** Download links

'''Started by''' [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]])

: I think those are all good ideas. I added {{tl|readme file}} the other day. As I was just looking at {{tl|repo link}} to add links to relevant source code files related to the [[Conditions]] article I got reminded by the beauty of less typing. ;-)

: In addition I was also reminded about that a more specific template is easier to update when a repository move. Consider for example if {{tl|repo link}} would be used as I mentioned above, linking to a source code file related to an article. If that repository would be moved again or get another URL structure ''all'' links to that repository would have to be updated.

: A more specific link at the other hand, say {{obr}}simgear file{{cbr}} would only require that specific template to be changed. In addition all links to any of those source files would have the same style, which to some extent will making them more intuitive.

: In essence, more specific link templates should:
:* Require less typing
:* Require less maintenance
:* Give a more consistent style

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:06, 20 May 2015 (EDT)

: Some more thoughts on the sub-templates for links to source files in the git repos, and one for the FGAddon svn repo.
:* Source file/directory templates:
:** Should we use one more or an entirely different meta template, say {{obr}}source file{{cbr}}, to give them a consistent style, for example prefix (FlightGear, SimGear, FGData, etc), showing/not showing full path, etc), instead of doing that in each template?
:** Always or often used parameters should probably not be named parameters
:*** I guess always and often used parameters are path and commit
:*** Other parameters?
:** Template names, how about:
:*** {{obr}}flightgear source{{cbr}}
:*** {{obr}}simgear source{{cbr}}
:*** {{obr}}fgdata source{{cbr}}
:** Should default to root directory of repo rather than throw an error.
:* Aircraft repo template(s) (slightly off topic):
:** How about {{obr}}fgaddon aircraft{{cbr}}
:** Should default to <code>..trunk/aircraft/</code> rather than throw an error.
:* Aircraft URL templates:
:** Needed for a completely different purpose than source links, namely URLs in infoboxes.
:** Would lessen maintenance ''considerably'' if a repo/hangar moves.
:** How about {{tlx|fgaddon aircraft url|''aircraft''|''revision''}}
:** I guess in the same way link templates for other common repos/hangars are added, for example:
:*** {{obr}}fgmembers aircraft url{{cbr}}
:*** {{obr}}helijah aircraft url{{cbr}}
:*** {{obr}}fguk aircraft url{{cbr}}
:** Big question: Download URL or info page URL?
:** When given no params: Link to root directory/hangar main page or throw an error?
:* A category for the templates say ''Category:Repository link templates'' with templates and meta templates could be a good idea.

: Why do I argue for always or often used parameters to be ''unnamed parameters''? And only ''lowercase names'' for the templates? ''Quicker typing''. Simple as that. At least with these templates.

: If you guys think this would be ok I could start adding templates right away, probably starting with aircraft URL templates.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 06:27, 26 May 2015 (EDT)

:: Hi Johan,
:: Sorry for the delayed reply.
:: Just checking, am I right in saying that you're suggesting that there should be a template for Git repos and a separate one for FGAddon (an SVN repo)? It's just a bit hard to read what you mean above. Anyway, apart from that, here's my feedback:
::* '''Oft used parameters:''' Using unnamed parameters is good idea. The parameters that would commonly be used would be <code>site</code>, <code>proj</code>, and <code>path</code>. I don't think <code>commit</code> is used as much, though.
::* '''Defaulting:''' Where possible, it's probably best to use defaulting, rather than throwing errors.
::* '''Aircraft URL templates:''' Another good idea.
::** We should probably link to info page URL. Linking directly to download may catch users out when it automatically starts downloading.
::** http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=26167 ;)
::* '''New category:''' Agree.
::* '''Upper/lowercase names:''' Yeah, we should use lowercase names, especially in the documentation.
::* '''Name suggestions''' I think ''repo'' instead of ''source'' should be used. It's less typing and a bit more descriptive. Also, {{obr}}fgaddon repo{{cbr}}? URL template names are fine to me, though.

:: Also, do you have any suggestions for link styling above?

:: Regards,
:: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 06:03, 31 May 2015 (EDT)

::: Sorry for the even later reply.

:::; Often used parameters and name suggestions
:::: I think that ''site'' and ''path'' parameters would be superfluous, also how about using ''file'' instead of ''repo''. Instead of pointing to the whole of the repo usually will point to a specific file or directory within a repo. As you say the ''commit'' parameter would only be used sparsely, though I think it might be good to have at times.

::::In essence I am suggesting {{obr}}'''flightgear file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''commit''{{cbr}}, {{obr}}'''simgear file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''commit''{{cbr}} and {{obr}}'''fgdata file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''commit''{{cbr}} for links to source files (and directories). The ''path'' parameter would be what follow after <code>flightgear/src/</code>, <code>simgear/simgear/</code> or <code>fgdata/</code>.

:::; Defaulting
:::: Yep, it is definitively better to default than trow an error.

:::; Aircraft URL templates
:::: Good point about automatic downloading. I did not think of that. Better link to the info pages.

:::; Link styling
:::: Interesting problem. I have considered both something resembling the path in a local file system or some abbreviated variant, like <code>flightgear/src/Time/TimeManager.cxx</code>, <code>simgear/simgear/magvar/coremag.cxx</code> and <code>fgdata/Nasal/view.nas</code>, or <code>flightgear/Time/TimeManager.cxx</code>, <code>simgear/magvar/coremag.cxx</code> and <code>fgdata/Nasal/view.nas</code>. The advantage with having them look like a file path is to help those using Git to find the file in their local clone faster. Then there is also the issues of whether only the ''path'' parameter should be used for the link to the file while there could be an explanatory link preceding it, for example like [[SimGear]]/[http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/simgear/ci/next/tree/simgear/magvar/coremag.cxx magvar/coremag.cxx], and whether or not to use mostly lowercase the file path like label or the case used sometimes otherwise, in essence flightgear, fgdata and simgear, or FlightGear, FGData and SimGear.

:::: I am going to suggest abbreviated paths but camel case repo names, like [http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/simgear/ci/next/tree/simgear/magvar/coremag.cxx SimGear/magvar/coremag.cxx], though I am not convinced it is the best way.

::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:34, 10 September 2015 (EDT)

:::: Personally, I would prefer all-lowercase, abbreviated links. Camel-case repo names doesn't look quite right in the context to me. However, I agree with everything else you've said. I think that having a central template ({{tl|repo link}}) is not required now. If ever the location of fgdata, FGAddon, etc. changes again, it still wouldn't be too hard to change the location in a handful of templates instead of one central template. Separate templates would also be much simpler than a central one and therefore easier to maintain.

:::: So, apart from link styling, I think we can start implementing these new templates:
::::* {{obr}}'''flightgear file'''{{cbr}}
::::* {{obr}}'''simgear file'''{{cbr}}
::::* {{obr}}'''fgdata file'''{{cbr}}
::::* {{obr}}'''fgaddon aircraft'''{{cbr}} (right name?)

:::: Regards,

:::: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 08:45, 11 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::* Good point about lowercase vs. camel-case. That was one of the things I was more hesitant about.
:::::* In retrospect I think {{obr}}'''fgaddon aircraft url'''{{cbr}} may be a better name, as it renders only an url. (Though it is an awfully long name, as well as the other aircraft repo URL templates. I wonder if "aircraft" is needed?)
:::::* While the repo link template might not be needed (at least for official repos), a styling template will help keep the styling consistent and may help related maintenance.
:::::: How about something like {{obr}}'''source file'''{{!}}base-url={{!}}base-label={{!}}''commit=''{{!}}''commit-label=''{{!}}''path=''{{cbr}}? (I suggest named parameters in that one to aid maintenance. It will rarely if ever be used in any other place that those three templates.)
:::::: It does not have to be there from the beginning and can be added at a later point (I guess that is the wiki equivalent of refactoring ;-) ).
::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 15:33, 11 September 2015 (EDT)

::::: Went ahead and added {{tl|flightgear file}}.
::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:51, 11 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::: I noted that {{tl|readme file}} have a '''nopath=''' parameter stripping off the path in that template if empty. A similar effect can be added to {{tl|flightgear file}} using the <code><nowiki>{{#tileparts: }}</nowiki></code> parser function without having to introduce a '''file''' parameter. An elegant solution if needed.
:::::: An even more elegant way could be to use <code><nowiki>{{#tileparts: }}</nowiki></code> to only show the last ''n'' elements.
:::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:12, 11 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::::* I think {{obr}}'''fgaddon url'''{{cbr}} should be fine as it is about aircraft anyway. However, what if we want to link a certain file in the aircraft's directory, e.g., [[Scripted AI Objects#Aircraft]] (this would probably also go for an FGMEMBERS template)?
:::::::* A styling template would be a good idea in future. I have one query though: what would be the difference between '''base-url=''' and '''base-label=''', and between '''commit=''' and '''commit-label='''?
:::::::* '''nopath=''' is also a good idea.
::::::: Regards,
::::::: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 16:03, 13 September 2015 (EDT)

::::::::* What about doing something similar to the new templates, in essence {{obr}}'''fgaddon url'''{{!}}''aircraft''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''<s>commit</s>revision''{{cbr}}. Of course for example FGUK's and Helijah's hangars will not handle '''path''' and '''commit''' as those are not repos.
::::::::: The aircraft repo/hangar templates will probably differ somewhat in implementation, but hopefully for a wiki editor they will be rather "orthogonal" (in the sense that they would be usable in a way consistent with similar templates).
::::::::: I guess for aircraft repos, as opposed to hangars, the template with only the '''aircraft''' parameter given should point to that aircraft directory or submodule. It would also seem reasonable that a template with no parameters given should point to the repo or hangar top directory, info page or something similar.
::::::::* The way I recall having the '''base-url=''' thought up would be as the part of the URL preceding the path given in '''path='''. Similarly '''base-label=''' would be the part of the label preceding the path.
::::::::: I am not really sure how (and why) I imagined that the commit reference would be different in URL and label. That would probably not (ever) be needed and only confusing if used.
:::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 15:50, 15 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::::: I have noted that there is a need to be able to link to the tarballs. I suggest adding a '''tarball=''' property that when not empty will link to the tarball download. (Also mentioned on Template talk:Fgaddon url).
:::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:01, 16 September 2015 (EDT)

::::::: {{tl|simgear file}} done. {{done}}
::::::: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 08:04, 14 September 2015 (EDT)

::::::: {{tl|fgdata file}} done. {{done}}
::::::: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 09:13, 14 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::::: Just remembered a somewhat useful tool when looking for external links to repos to replace with these templates: [[Special:LinkSearch]]. Its main drawback is a large one though: It only look for domain names, not paths on a web site. *sigh* At least there is less than 2000 links to SourceForge, which by far have most links (though most of them developer mailing list posts).
:::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:35, 15 September 2015 (EDT)

:::::::: I have noted that the repository templates also may need a '''line=''' and probably also a '''label=''' parameter. Many articles have links to particular line in a source file and some have links where even a '''nopath=1''' would currently take up too much space (in particular [[Canvas MapStructure Layers]]).
:::::::: In summary there seem to be a few things we have not thought of yet.
:::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:01, 16 September 2015 (EDT)

::::::::: I have noted that {{tl|flightgear file}}, {{tl|simgear file}} and {{tl|fgdata file}} all have gotten a '''line''' parameter now, which is needed.

::::::::: Though looking at [[Special:LinkSearch/http://sourceforge.net]] I see that links most often go to a path (duh!), then to a path and a line, and then to a path using a label (this I know from looking at a few articles, in particular [[Canvas MapStructure Layers]]), but not to a line. Links to commit references currently only are used in the template examples. Note that this is for ''all'' links to SourceForge, not just from these templates.

::::::::: From that I think it would be more user friendly (as in less typing) and still safe to change the parameter order from <code>{{obr}}'''x file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''reference''{{!}}''line''{{cbr}}</code> to either one of these:
:::::::::# <code>{{obr}}'''x file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''line''{{!}}''label''{{!}}''reference''{{cbr}}</code>
::::::::::: This would require having to add <code>{{!!}}</code> fur unused parameters once in a while.
:::::::::# <code>{{obr}}'''x file'''{{!}}''path''{{!}}''l=<line>''{{!}}''t=<text>''{{!}}''r=<commit reference>''{{cbr}}</code>.
::::::::::: For ease of template and possibly also article maintenance, but needing a little bit more typing (but no <code>{{!!}}</code> for unused unnamed parameters).
::::::::: I think I actually like the second one more.

::::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:48, 25 September 2015 (EDT)

: ''An article specific improvement suggestion was moved to [[Talk:FGAddon#Templates instead of explicit URLs]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Talk:FGAddon&oldid=88943#Templates_instead_of_explicit_URLs perm]).''

::::::::: I have added templates for linking to revision/commit summaries, {{tlx|fgaddon revision|revision |3=''t=''}}, {{tlx|fgdata commit|commit |3=''t=''}}, {{tlx|simgear commit|commit |3=''t=''}} and {{tlx|flightgear commit|commit |3=''t=''}}.
::::::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 01:37, 27 October 2015 (EDT)

=== GitLab and GitHub templates ===
Hi Johan G,

I suggest we add one or two new templates to link to GitLab and GitHub repositories. I think that they should be similar to {{tl|fgaddon url}}, because they are likely to be used in infoboxes. How about <code>{{obr}}'''gitlab link'''{{!}}project{{!}}''path''{{!}}''l=<line>''{{!}}''r=<commit reference>''{{cbr}}</code> and <code>{{obr}}'''github link'''{{!}}project{{!}}''path''{{!}}''l=<line>''{{!}}''r=<commit reference>''{{cbr}}</code>? What do you think about this?

Regards,

[[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 15:58, 15 November 2015 (EST)

: Sounds like a good idea. Had they returned URLs <code>{{obr}}'''* url'''{{cbr}}</code> would have been more fitting. They seem to return a link as you can set a label (<code>''t=<text>''</code>), so your <code>{{obr}}'''* link'''{{cbr}}</code> (or perhaps <code>{{obr}}'''* file'''{{cbr}}</code>, for consistency) is more fitting.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 21:29, 16 November 2015 (EST)

== Shortcuts ==
I got tired of typing some of the longer names of pages in some of namespaces and looked into how shortcuts are done on Wikipedia (see {{Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Shortcut}}). The implementation here is of course a bit less complicated. ;-)

For example you can now get to this page by typing only [[FGW:VP]] in the search box instead of [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump]].

For details on how this work see [[Help:Shortcuts]] and the {{tl|shortcut}} template.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 08:57, 3 October 2015 (EDT)

: I think that we should add shortcuts for the [[FlightGear Newsletter|newsletters]], something like <code><nowiki>[[FGN Nov 2015]]</nowiki></code>. What do you think Johan?

: Regards
: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 15:58, 15 November 2015 (EST)

== Template translations ==
: '' Moved here from [[Help talk:Templates#Template localisation]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Help_talk:Templates&oldid=88122#Template_localisation perm]), as the part of the discussion begun refer to more than just that page.''

Awesome, the {{tl|WIP}} translation as seen on [[Fr/FGAddon]] works beautifully :) I hope I don't break things! Unfortunately I cannot edit and translate {{tl|Note}}. It says: ''"You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reason: This page has been protected from editing because it is included in the following page, which is protected with the "cascading" option turned on: [[FlightGear Newsletter April 2015]]"''. Is there a way to unlock it? For French it doesn't need changing, but translations are needed for other languages.
[[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 08:25, 8 October 2015 (EDT)

: Hooray accidentally enabled "cascading" there, I've disabled it now, so please try again.
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 10:48, 8 October 2015 (EDT)

:: Cheers, that worked. I have now translated {{tl|WIP}}, {{tl|note}}, {{tl|caution}}, {{tl|warning}}, and {{tl|BeingTranslated}} to be available in English, French, and German. Not being a French or German native speaker, there is room for improvement here.
:: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 11:00, 8 October 2015 (EDT)

:: I've now also translated the {{tl|tip}} template into French and German. Are there any more from the {{tl|tip}}, {{tl|note}}, {{tl|caution}}, {{tl|warning}}, {{tl|BeingTranslated}} series? I'd like to add an example section in [[Help:Templates]] to help reveal the colourful existence of this useful set of related templates.
:: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 06:40, 9 October 2015 (EDT)

:: Something like:
:: {{BeingTranslated}}
:: {{tip|If you do it this way, your life will be easier.}}
:: {{note|Do not forget to run this command.}}
:: {{caution|If you run this command incorrectly, your harddrive will be erased.}}
:: {{warning|Do not delete all FGAddon aircraft.}}
:: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 06:49, 9 October 2015 (EDT)

::: There is a gallery with templates, [[Help:Gallery of messagebox templates]], showing examples of (hopefully) all the ''messagebox'' templates. See also the [[Help talk:Gallery of messagebox templates#Splitting up the examples based on placement|note]] on its discussion page. I guess the galleries can be advertised more. ;-)
::: Regarding the very varying style of all of them, I was at one time working on improving that, see [[User:Johan G/Messagebox style sandbox]], but I somehow got discouraged and/or distracted...
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:54, 9 October 2015 (EDT)

:::: I just made the galleries a tiny bit easier to find on the Help page (http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Help:Templates&diff=88101&oldid=88044). These galleries are prefect for creating translated galleries, to help with the translation process. All new wiki contributors should be pointed to them. Keep up the brilliant work with these things, they are really useful!
:::: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 12:33, 9 October 2015 (EDT)

::::: That is great. Those "translated" galleries would indeed be perfect for that.
::::: When translating the templates though, could you add the '''lang=''' parameter to them as well, by adding <code><nowiki>| lang = {{{lang|}}}</nowiki></code> to the end of them (see {{tl|LangSwitch}}). That way you could simply add for example <code><nowiki>| lang = {{{lang|</nowiki>'''fr'''<nowiki>}}}</nowiki></code> to the end of a template in order to review the French translation while working on it. Just remember to remove the <code><nowiki>fr</nowiki></code> before saving though. ;-)
:::::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:33, 9 October 2015 (EDT)

::::: Sorry, that was a bit more complicated than needed. To see the translation directly when previewing, adding for example <code><nowiki>| lang = fr</nowiki></code> to the LangSwitch template portion of the template you are translating would be enough.
::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 02:22, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

== Newsletter templates ==
: ''Moved here from [[User talk:Bugman#The collapsible script template]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=User_talk:Bugman&oldid=88780#The_collapsible_script_template perm]).''

maybe, we could come up with something similar to this to help clean up the newsletter template ? At some point, core developers were also contemplating to use newsletter contents as templates for some kind of FSWeekend/LinuxTag handout - I guess, a few templates could be used to mark relevant additions in each newsletter and automatically "nominate" those for inclusion in some kind of FSWeekend/LinuxTag handout? The same thing could then also be used for helping come up with a semi-automated ChangeLog/Release announcement, too.--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 06:52, 20 October 2015 (EDT)

: This sounds like two solutions:

: For re-usability, maybe each part of the newsletter can be placed into its own article such as [[FlightGear_Newsletter_October_2015/doc ALS dirt runway effect]], [[FlightGear_Newsletter_October_2015/doc PUI2Canvas]]. Then this can be transcluded into the newsletter, as well as into a document for ultimately creating the handout. So this would be a fragmentation approach. Here is an external example where I have used this to reuse documentation, and where it is transcluded into a template, itself to be used for transclusion: [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:MessageBox/doc Template:MessageBox/doc].

: The second would be to turn the entire newsletter itself into a template. Then people could just add values to parameters. Here is a little mock up:

<pre>{{newsletter
| stage = draft
| date = October 2015
| date2 = 2015 10 
| title1 = ALS dirt runway effect
| section1 = devel
| text1 =
The Atmospheric Light Scattering framework...
| title2 = PUI2Canvas: parsing PUI/XML using Nasal and Canvas
| section2 = devel
| text2 =
<gallery widths=350>
Scenarios-via-pui2canvas.xml.png...
}}
</pre>

: Then the newsletter can be constructed entirely using #if #switch and #tag magic words. Or if combining with the fragmentation approach, the result is even more compact:
<pre>{{newsletter
| stage = draft
| date = October 2015
| date2 = 2015 10 
| section1 = devel
| text1 = {{:FlightGear_Newsletter_October_2015/doc ALS dirt runway effect}}
| section2 = devel
| text2 = {{:FlightGear_Newsletter_October_2015/doc PUI2Canvas}}
}}
</pre>

: The only issue is that the result is that old newsletter might change or break as the template is updated (using a version numbering system in the template name itself would solve this). I also suggest that you (Hooray) shift these last two comments somewhere more public, leaving links to the new location.

: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 09:35, 20 October 2015 (EDT)

:: yes, that sounds good-we may want to provide some filtering options, i.e. for including/excluding certain contents, such as screen shots/youtube videos (which are typically not used on the website)-equally, youtube videos would not be relevant for creating a handout. That would also allow us to exclude certain "stubs" or standard paragraphs of the newsletter, i.e. "call for help", "translations wanted" etc. And we could also have a handful of broad categories (core development, aircraft, scenery etc) to serve as "channels", which would also allow us to transclude contents spanning more than a single newsletter cycle, or even spanning multiple release cycles (e.g. to create a time-line procedurally). But I guess some additional addons may be helpful to simplify creation/addition of contents, i.e. Johan once mentioned a JavaScript-solution for creating semi-dynamic forms to help with the creation of template-based articles (cannot find it atm). Right, I guess this should be moved to the village pump/wiki namespace - but we once did have a similar discussion already (also cannot find that one).--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 11:24, 20 October 2015 (EDT)

::: I am not a huge fan of making things more complicated. :-\

::: I understand that you consider that it would be nice to be able to automate for example selecting parts of the newsletters for purposes like pamphlets and change logs. However, I think there could be some problems with that.

::: It would be more work and require more maintenance even with templates that when clicked would start a new page or section with preloaded text.

::: My biggest issue is that there will be more obstacles to contributing to the newsletter and more cleanup/maintenance to be done. This can already be noticed after the changes between the way the previous and current newsletter is compiled, which are much smaller than the ones suggested. I believe that the further contributing to the newsletter get from contributing to a regular wiki article the more those issues will be more pronounced. In addition there is the increased risk that a newsletter more dependent on templates could more easily break in the future.

::: I kind of feel that the approach are more akin to writing reusable program functions than writing texts for example using LaTeX macros.

::: This is not an attempt to veto the idea, more like an ''What and why are we trying to achieve, and is it worth the initial and following effort?''

::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 03:26, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

:::: The <code>{{obr}}newsletter_vX.Y{{cbr}}</code> template concept does introduce a lot more fragility into the system. Especially with a dedicated newsletter template and its interdependencies - the more ''programmable'' an article becomes, the easier it is to break. Though an advantage is consistency (e.g. see [[Template:Informative_template]] and http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:MessageBox). Another slight advantage is that the newsletter source becomes simpler, so maybe that would make it less intimidating. All of the scary header, and everything after the <nowiki>== Contributing ==</nowiki> section could be shifted out of the main article and into the template. This would be an extension of the currently used <code>{{obr}}Newsletter-*{{cbr}}</code> templates - so it would just be shifting these out of sight of those who will be adding the newsletter content. I'll make some quick mock up temporary articles based on the Oct. 2015 newsletter, so that a real comparison can be made.

:::: In any case if the goal is to share content, maybe a better approach would be to shift content out of a newsletter, after the fact and when it is needed, into its own <code><template_name>/doc <doc_name></code> article. Then it can be transcluded back into the template and used in the handout. If modifications are needed between the newsletter and handout, then copying and pasting and post-modifying would be more reliable then using template parameters passed into <code><template_name>/doc <doc_name></code> to modify its behaviour.

:::: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 04:01, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

::::: Just a quick KISS comment: Do really <code>doc_</code> contribute anything. Would not for example <code>{{obr}}:FlightGear_Newsletter_October_2015/PUI2Canvas{{cbr}}</code> be descriptive enough already? ;-)
::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 04:16, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

::::: Oh, and if it is of any help, an (untested) example on how to preload text with a template can be found in [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive 2013#FlightGear Newsletter]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump/Archive_2013&oldid=81712#FlightGear_Newsletter perm]).
::::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 04:32, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

:::::: The <code>doc_</code> part was more a de-facto convention that I was aware of. It contributes nothing.

:::::: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 04:40, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

:::: Here are the temporary mock ups: [[Mock_up_Newsletter_Oct_2015]] and [[Template:Newsletter_v0.1]]. To note - the simplicity of the newsletter source, the complexity of the template (to be expanded), and the newsletter template number versioning. These are very quick rough tests as a demo, for example the TOC is not programmatically created yet, the [edit] links need to be returned using magic words, etc. But it shows how this would look like in the end. Also note that this is for the templated newsletter idea, not for the fragmentation idea.

:::: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 04:47, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

:::: It should be possible to format the standard MediaWiki TOC simply by using a custom [[Template:Newsletter_v0.1.css]] file to automate this and have it looking similar to the current newsletter TOC. For example see http://csswizardry.com/2010/02/mutiple-column-lists-using-one-ul/. The styles for <code>.toc</code>, <code>.ul</code>, <code>.li</code>, <code>.toclevel-1</code>, <code>.toclevel-2</code>, etc. can then be defined.

:::: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 07:39, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

== Removing a section from the Make nice screenshots howto ==
: ''Moved here from [[User talk:Johan G#Removing a section from Make nice screenshots page]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=User_talk:Johan_G&oldid=89117#Removing_a_section_from_Make_nice_screenshots_page perm]).''

Hi Johan, what do you think about removing altogether the following section of the [[Howto:Make_nice_screenshots#Colors_and_whitebalance|Make nice screenshots]] page: http://wiki.flightgear.org/Howto:Make_nice_screenshots#Colors_and_whitebalance
IMO, it is a very bad idea to urge users to enhance their screenshots with GIMP or Photoshop in order to "improve" them, as this will result in screenshots that do not reflect what can be achieved in FG. I don't think screenshots are by any standard the same thing as photography, and the only result of these tweaked screenshots will be false advertisement from our part. Nothing against users doing it by themselves if they want to, but "officially" supporting it is a bad idea to me. I also would be careful not to use altered screenshots in our articles the most we can for the same reasons above.
See the discussion in our forum starting with this post: http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27674&p=262281#p262271

Cheers, [[User_talk:Gsagostinho|Gsagostinho]]

: While I to a large extent agree with you, in particular with the sentiment that edited screenshots does not portray FlightGear in an honest way, I think it would be a good idea (in the longer term at least) to take it on the [[FGW:VP|village pump]] rather than here.
: Would it be ok to move this topic from here to the village pump?
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:59, 31 October 2015 (EDT)

: Maybe I should add that I do understand that some want to take artistic freedoms and that there should be a place for that as well. But the problem of course is, how will someone not familiar to FlightGear know the difference? Preferably without water marks or the like.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:05, 31 October 2015 (EDT)

:: It's absolutely okay to move this to village pump. As for the artistic freedoms, I don't think the wiki or the offical website are the place for that, else we will be the single piece of software displaying bogus screenshots on their official channels. My point is: people have all the liberty to do whatever they want, but an official endorsement is another story. That wiki page I linked is basically asking for users to "improve" their images, and if everyone followed it there wouldn't be a single honest screenshot all around. I really believe we need a guideline for this, at least concerning the wiki and official website.
::Cheers, [[User_talk:Gsagostinho|Gsagostinho]]

::: By the way, I exchanged those screenshots from that page for better ones as the graphics of FG improved a whole lot since they were created, and the whole point of the page is to talk about nice screenshots anyway :) I also fixed some typos.
::: —[[User_talk:Gsagostinho|Gsagostinho]]

== Introduce newcomers to FG to aircraft details so they can get excited ==
We are discussing replacement or alternative to Table of Models

Here is the deal: a person new to FG finds FG - Google search for "free flight simulator"

This nets FG as the first result. OK

He is presented with a menu bar saying:

Home | About FlightGear|Download FlightGear|Visit Store|Flying|Posts|Developers|Legacy Site|

Should there not be an extra menu called |View Details of 200+ aircraft models for Flight Gear by category| :)

This will lead to a page very much like the download page with two changes : 2 column table with 2 views of aircraft and 2 views of instrument panel and inside view, plus a short description with 'to do' or aircraft rating status. This way a new user can find the aircraft and download.

I may be willing to test each aircraft in each version - most people are using 3+ I take it.

{{unsigned|06:08, November 3, 2015‎|Openflight}}
I think this would be a better discussion for the Forum, rather than the wiki. [[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 14:58, 17 November 2015 (EST)

== Standardising all the MessageBox templates ==

I would like to discuss the standardisation of all of the MessageBox templates as shown at [[Help:Gallery_of_messagebox_templates]]. Note in this gallery how there is a lack of consistency of the margins, and how each template implements its own style separately. There are also many with a bottom margin set to -0.5em, causing the MessageBoxes to overlap with other elements. This ugliness is often seen in articles, for example at [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=It/Come_fare:Installare_scenari&oldid=89850]. Is there a reason for this negative margin?

I had the idea of standardising these MessageBox templates all using a common template to implement their style. Specifically by modifying {{tl|MessageBox}} to be a general purpose template to be transcluded into all other MessageBox templates. There could then be different categories of MessageBoxes which use the base {{tl|MessageBox}} template, for example maybe:

* {{tl|MessageBox/Info}} for the {{tl|tip}}, {{tl|note}}, {{tl|caution}}, and {{tl|warning}} series.
* {{tl|MessageBox/Plain}} for templates such at {{tl|stub}}.
* {{tl|MessageBox/Important}} for the templates with the orange left hand border, e.g. {{tl|cleanup}}.
* {{tl|MessageBox/Merge}} for the templates suggesting page moves, mergers, etc, e.g. {{tl|merge}}.

[[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 14:13, 17 November 2015 (EST)

=== Translations ===

As part of a large overhaul, I would also probably set up all text elements to be within {{tl|LangSwitch}} templates to facilitate the translation process.

It would also be good to have more translations of [[Help:Gallery_of_messagebox_templates]], even it is it just a copy and paste of the English article, as the MessageBoxes will be automatically translated. This just requires an appropriate article name for each language.

[[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 14:28, 17 November 2015 (EST)

Template:POTW/2015-46

2015-11-13T01:39:46Z

Adam: Dragon Pic for the week

{{POTW
|image = Here comes fgDragon!.png
|description = The New dragon for FlightGear, by Thorsten, Erik, and Wayne Bragg
|article =
}}<noinclude>[[Category:Picture of the week 2015]]</noinclude>

File:Here comes fgDragon!.png

2015-11-13T01:34:13Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=The new dragon for Flightgear.}}
|date=2015-11-12 20:31:34
|source=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=19294&start=2205
|author=Erik Hoffman
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{subst:Custom license marker added by UW}}
Published by erik on fg forum

[[Category:Aircraft]]
[[Category:Development projects]]

FlightGear Newsletter November 2015

2015-11-10T17:54:24Z

Adam:

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter October 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|November 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community news}}<br>
[[#New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed|New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed]]<br>
<small>[[#New contest: FlightGear photography and art contest|New contest: FlightGear photography and art contest]]</small><br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Other}}<br>
[[#Online Flight Planner now supports FlightGear|Online Flight Planner now supports FlightGear]]<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]<br>
<small>[[#Screenshot of the Month|Screenshot of the Month]]</small>
|}</div>

== Development news ==

== In the hangar ==

== Scenery corner ==

== Community news ==
=== New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed ===
By the end of this year (2015), the FlightGear Project's hosting for the [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/ scenemodels] database and website and the [[TerraSync]] repository will no longer be available. As a result, the FlightGear Project is searching for a replacement, even just a temporary one. The technical requirements are roughly these:
* A [http://www.postgresql.org/ PostgreSQL] database (with the [http://postgis.net/ PostGIS] extension) of approximately 40 GB, with capacity to expand (this is for the scenemodels database).
* An Apache webserver, PHP, access to the database and the usual toolkit for hosting the scenemodels website
* An SVN server with 140+ GB for the TerraSync repository.
* Enough bandwith to serve the data.
* One or more reverse proxies serving TerraSync requests (not much storage required, just bandwidth).
If you can provide the above, are able to provide help, or have any serious ideas for a replacement, please get in touch via the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=263629#p263629 forum topic] or the [http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/34605975/ mailing list topic]

— ''{{cite web
|url = http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=263629#p263629
|title = Scenemodels and terrasync are going down
|author = Torsten
|date = Nov 9th, 2015
}}''
=== New contest: FlightGear photography and art contest ===
For any of you out there who love post-editing photos and screenshots, this is for you! A new contest focused on creating the most artistic and compelling pictures made with FlightGear. Post-editing is allowed and encouraged. Find out more [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27890 here]

== Other ==
=== Online Flight Planner now supports FlightGear ===
[http://onlineflightplanner.org/ OnlineFlightPlanner.org] can now output routes to a format compatible with Flightgear's [[route manager]]. The planner produces a PDF containing the flight plan ([http://rfinder.asalink.net/free RouteFinder]) with estimated fuel quantity calculation ([http://fuelplanner.com Fuelplanner.com]). The flight plan can be loaded to the route manager for immediate use in FlightGear.

== Contributing ==

=== 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 multilingual, start at [[Help:Translate]].
|-
| [[File:fr.gif]]
| Le wiki de FlightGear a toujours besoin d'aide pour être traduit en différentes langues. Si vous êtes intéressé par le rendre multilingue, commencez par lire [[:fr:Help:Traduire|Help:Traduire]].
|-
| [[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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|-
| [[File:pt.gif]]
| A wiki de FlightGear ainda necessita de ajuda para traduzi-la em vários idiomas. Se estás interessado em tornar a wiki de FlightGear multi-lingual, por favor começa em [[:pt/Help: Traduzir|Help: Traduzir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].

==== Screenshot of the Month ====
Entries for this month's best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879#p262602 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 on this page.

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 11]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.6]]

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter November 2015

2015-11-10T17:52:26Z

Adam:

== FlightGear photography and art contest ==

I suggest to move the "FlightGear photography and art contest" section to "Community News" as this is less a "screenshot"-contest but more an "art"-contest.

Any other opinins?

[[User:Dg-505|Jonathan]] ([[User talk:Dg-505|talk]]) 18:48, 10 November 2015 (CET)
Ok that's fine. I just jotted that bit down, wasn't thinking about positioning.
[[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 12:52, 10 November 2015 (EST)

FlightGear Newsletter November 2015

2015-11-09T22:27:18Z

Adam: Link on wrong line--fixed

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter October 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|November 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}<br>
[[#New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed|New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed]]<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]<br>
<small>[[#Screenshot of the Month|Screenshot of the Month]]</small><br>
<small>[[#New Contest: Flightgear photography and art contest |New Contest]]</small>
|}</div>

== Development news ==

== In the hangar ==

== Scenery corner ==

== Community news ==
=== New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed ===
{{FGCquote
|1= Hi!
By the end of this year (2015), our current hosting of

- the scenemodels database

- the scenemodels website

- the terrasync repository

will no longer be available for use by the FlightGear project.
As a result, we need a new home for those services.

The technical requirements are roughly

- a postgresql database (with postgis extension) of approx. 40GB and growing (scenemodels db)

- apache webserver, php, access to the database and the usual toolkit for hosting the scenemodels website

- a svn server with 140GB+ for the terrasync scenery

- enough bandwith to serve the data

- One ore more reverse proxy serving terrasync requests (not much storage required, just bandwidth)
Is anybody out there able to provide a drop-in replacement?

Any serious idea or offer to help is welcome.
Torsten
|2= {{cite web
| url = http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=263629#p263629
| title = <nowiki>Scenemodels and terrasync are going down</nowiki>
| author = <nowiki>Torsten</nowiki>
| date = Nov 9th, 2015
}}
}}

== Contributing ==

=== 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 multilingual, start at [[Help:Translate]].
|-
| [[File:fr.gif]]
| Le wiki de FlightGear a toujours besoin d'aide pour être traduit en différentes langues. Si vous êtes intéressé par le rendre multilingue, commencez par lire [[:fr:Help:Traduire|Help:Traduire]].
|-
| [[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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|-
| [[File:pt.gif]]
| A wiki de FlightGear ainda necessita de ajuda para traduzi-la em vários idiomas. Se estás interessado em tornar a wiki de FlightGear multi-lingual, por favor começa em [[:pt/Help: Traduzir|Help: Traduzir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].

==== Screenshot of the Month ====
Entries for this month's best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879#p262602 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 on this page.
==== New Contest: Flightgear photography and art contest ====
For any of you out there who love post-editing photos and screenshots, this is for you! A new contest focused on creating the most artistic and compelling pictures made with FlightGear. Post editing is allowed and encouraged. Find out more [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27890 here]
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 11]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.6]]

FlightGear Newsletter November 2015

2015-11-09T22:25:51Z

Adam: /* Header link for art contest */

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter October 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|November 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}<br>
[[#New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed|New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed]]<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]<br>
<small>[[#Screenshot of the Month|Screenshot of the Month]]</small>
<small>[[#New Contest: Flightgear photography and art contest |New Contest]]</small>
|}</div>

== Development news ==

== In the hangar ==

== Scenery corner ==

== Community news ==
=== New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed ===
{{FGCquote
|1= Hi!
By the end of this year (2015), our current hosting of

- the scenemodels database

- the scenemodels website

- the terrasync repository

will no longer be available for use by the FlightGear project.
As a result, we need a new home for those services.

The technical requirements are roughly

- a postgresql database (with postgis extension) of approx. 40GB and growing (scenemodels db)

- apache webserver, php, access to the database and the usual toolkit for hosting the scenemodels website

- a svn server with 140GB+ for the terrasync scenery

- enough bandwith to serve the data

- One ore more reverse proxy serving terrasync requests (not much storage required, just bandwidth)
Is anybody out there able to provide a drop-in replacement?

Any serious idea or offer to help is welcome.
Torsten
|2= {{cite web
| url = http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=263629#p263629
| title = <nowiki>Scenemodels and terrasync are going down</nowiki>
| author = <nowiki>Torsten</nowiki>
| date = Nov 9th, 2015
}}
}}

== Contributing ==

=== 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 multilingual, start at [[Help:Translate]].
|-
| [[File:fr.gif]]
| Le wiki de FlightGear a toujours besoin d'aide pour être traduit en différentes langues. Si vous êtes intéressé par le rendre multilingue, commencez par lire [[:fr:Help:Traduire|Help:Traduire]].
|-
| [[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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|-
| [[File:pt.gif]]
| A wiki de FlightGear ainda necessita de ajuda para traduzi-la em vários idiomas. Se estás interessado em tornar a wiki de FlightGear multi-lingual, por favor começa em [[:pt/Help: Traduzir|Help: Traduzir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].

==== Screenshot of the Month ====
Entries for this month's best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879#p262602 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 on this page.
==== New Contest: Flightgear photography and art contest ====
For any of you out there who love post-editing photos and screenshots, this is for you! A new contest focused on creating the most artistic and compelling pictures made with FlightGear. Post editing is allowed and encouraged. Find out more [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27890 here]
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 11]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.6]]

FlightGear Newsletter November 2015

2015-11-09T22:21:31Z

Adam: /* Art contest notice entry*/

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter October 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|November 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}<br>
[[#New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed|New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed]]<br>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]<br>
<small>[[#Screenshot of the Month|Screenshot of the Month]]</small>
|}</div>

== Development news ==

== In the hangar ==

== Scenery corner ==

== Community news ==
=== New scenemodels and TerraSync hosting needed ===
{{FGCquote
|1= Hi!
By the end of this year (2015), our current hosting of

- the scenemodels database

- the scenemodels website

- the terrasync repository

will no longer be available for use by the FlightGear project.
As a result, we need a new home for those services.

The technical requirements are roughly

- a postgresql database (with postgis extension) of approx. 40GB and growing (scenemodels db)

- apache webserver, php, access to the database and the usual toolkit for hosting the scenemodels website

- a svn server with 140GB+ for the terrasync scenery

- enough bandwith to serve the data

- One ore more reverse proxy serving terrasync requests (not much storage required, just bandwidth)
Is anybody out there able to provide a drop-in replacement?

Any serious idea or offer to help is welcome.
Torsten
|2= {{cite web
| url = http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=263629#p263629
| title = <nowiki>Scenemodels and terrasync are going down</nowiki>
| author = <nowiki>Torsten</nowiki>
| date = Nov 9th, 2015
}}
}}

== Contributing ==

=== 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 multilingual, start at [[Help:Translate]].
|-
| [[File:fr.gif]]
| Le wiki de FlightGear a toujours besoin d'aide pour être traduit en différentes langues. Si vous êtes intéressé par le rendre multilingue, commencez par lire [[:fr:Help:Traduire|Help:Traduire]].
|-
| [[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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|-
| [[File:pt.gif]]
| A wiki de FlightGear ainda necessita de ajuda para traduzi-la em vários idiomas. Se estás interessado em tornar a wiki de FlightGear multi-lingual, por favor começa em [[:pt/Help: Traduzir|Help: Traduzir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].

==== Screenshot of the Month ====
Entries for this month's best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27879#p262602 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 on this page.
==== New Contest: Flightgear photography and art contest ====
For any of you out there who love post-editing photos and screenshots, this is for you! A new contest focused on creating the most artistic and compelling pictures made with FlightGear. Post editing is allowed and encouraged. Find out more [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27890 here]
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 11]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.6]]

Howto:Lightmap

2015-11-08T22:57:19Z

Adam: Typo in picture captions-fixed

{{caution|
The [[model-combined effect]] shader has '''replaced''' the separate light map shader.

The separate light map shader should be considered '''deprecated''' and '''should not be used for new development'''.}}

[[File:Boeing_747-400_lightmap_cockpit.png|thumb|270px|[[Boeing 747-400|Boeing 747]] cockpit with several lightmapped panels.]]
[[File:Boeing_747-400_lightmap_exterior.png|thumb|270px|[[Boeing 747-400|Boeing 747]] exterior with lightmapped fuselage and tail.]]

A '''lightmap''' is a texture that contains the brightness of surfaces in a computer graphic. The darker a pixel on the lightmap, the less emissive the corresponding pixel will be on the color/photo texture.

Some reasons why lightmaps are useful:
* They allow us to light surfaces without the need for creating alpha layers (like formerly used on many aircraft).
* We can edit the colors of a texture, without interfering with the lighting. Useful if you want to add some dirt to your panels, later on.
* Lights look realistic at all times of day. Unlike a textranslate animation, where you change between day/night textures (often being too dark during dawn/dusk).
* Altough a more common practice is to set illumination of faces with [[Project_Rembrandt|Rembrandt]], lightmap is a good approach to create realistic illuminations when Rembrandt can not be (graphics card lower resources) or is not (--disable-rembrandt) used. Some Rembrandt enabled aircrafts replace illumination with emission animations when Rembrandt is not operable, but lightmap will be a more amenable alternative, without requiring a computer power-house.

== The lightmap ==
You'll have to create a lightmap for every single texture that is meant to be lightmapped. This can be done by hand, or via some 3D Software, like [[Blender]] (which will be used in the example on this page).

# Open/import your model in Blender.
# Go to <tt>Add > Lamp</tt>, and select on of the lamp types. The light will be created in the model's origin.
#* '''Lamp:''' spreads light in all directions. Can be used for anti-collision lights, navigation lights etc.
#* '''Area:''' long/large lamp areas, like instrument panel lighting where fluorescent lamps are used.
#* '''Spotlight:''' for lights in a specific area/direction. Used for landing lights.
# Move/rotate the lamp to the prefered location/orientation. '''Note:''' leave the scale tools untouched, scaling the lamp does NOT affect the lightmap.
# Select the lamp (right mouse click) and open the Shading menu ({{Key press|F5}}). This is where we can edit the lamp. Some of the more important settings:
#* '''Dist:''' the distance (in meter) at which the light intensity is half as intense as at the source.
#* '''Energy:''' intensity of the light.
#* '''R/G/B:''' the color of the light. Yes, lightmaps support colors!
#* '''SpotSi:''' width of the spotlight beam in degrees.
#* '''SpotBl:''' softness of the spotlight edge. Softer edges create a more natural look for most aircraft lights.
# Select the object you'd like to create the lightmap for. Go into editing mode and then back to object mode (to load the object's texture).
# Go to the Scene menu ({{Key press|F10}}) and open the Bake tab. Select Full render and click the big Bake button. Blender will now start generating your lightmap.
# Change your mainwindow (or add an extra window) to UV/Image editor. You will see the lightmap being created bit by bit.
# When the lightmap is finished, click <tt>Image > Save as...</tt> and save the image in your aircraft's directory.

That's it! Now, you probably want to see how it looks on your aircraft, which is explained in the next sections. If you are not yet satisfied with the result, you can edit your lamp's settings (step 4) and add more lamps to see what effect that has on the result.

== FlightGear 2.6.0 and onwards ==
: ''See also [[FlightGear Newsletter December 2011#Shaders]].''

'''/Effects/lightmap''' in the .xml must be replaced by '''/Effects/model-combined-deferred''' (or '''/Effects/Building''' for buildings), see $FGDATA/Docs/model-combined.eff/ for some explanations

=== The XML configuration ===
A common way to set up the lightmapping of objects in FlightGear is by creating an Effects file that contains the shader's effect, and then call that Effects file from the XML of your object. To see all possible configurable option of the Effects file read [https://gitorious.org/fg/fgdata/source/2c3363951a547c2e5a40376876874b1fe014b69f:Docs/model-combined.eff/README.model-combined.eff#L145 Docs/model-combined.eff]. This file can be located within your aircraft Folder in Models/Effects directory, and be named, as an example, '''shaders.eff'''. It can contain the lightmap, normal map and other reflection information. Example below includes the minimal necessary to configure the lightmapping section.

'''Models/Effects/shaders.eff'''
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<PropertyList>
<name>shaders</name>
<inherits-from>/Effects/model-combined-deferred</inherits-from>
<parameters>
<lightmap-enabled type="int">1</lightmap-enabled>
<texture n="3">
<image>../../Models/Instruments/InstrumentDir/Lightmap.png</image>
</texture>
</parameters>
</PropertyList>
</syntaxhighlight>

Here, '''name tag''' includes a name for the effect, then inherits, as expected from '''/Effects/model-combined-deferred'''.

The '''tag lightmap-enable''' needs to be switched to 1 (use), because by default is set to 0 (not use).

The texture slot for lightmaps is '''texture n="3"'''. Other slots had been specified for different effects as indicated in the Docs file. '''Image tag''' points to the location of the lightmap file. The use of relative paths here, allows this code to be embedded in any Aircraft with some ease. The light-map file will be RGB color-space. the '''tag lightmap-multi''' will allow information of the light map to be stored separately in the Red Green and blue channels. By default is set to 0 (no), and the information used will be that stored in the Red channel.

Other important tag that can be modified is '''lightmap-factor''', and this allows changing the intensity multiplying it from a factor between 0 to 1, and thus dim or intensify the light, or even use it as an on-off switch.

Finally, we introduce the Effect in the XML configuration file, located, let's say in Models/Instruments/InstrumentDir subdirectory within your aircraft. This file will typically also contain the path to the 3d model (the ac. file), and other animations applied to it. The effect is applied to each object in the 3d model, that requires it. Several objects can be applied to the same effect. The section of the XML file that applies the effect will read as follow:

'''Models/Instruments/InstrumentDir/file.xml'''
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">

<effect>
<inherits-from>../../../Models/Effects/shaders</inherits-from>
<object-name>Object1</object-name>
<object-name>Object2</object-name>
...
<object-name>ObjectN</object-name>
</effect>
</syntaxhighlight>

Now, the tag inherits-from has a relative path to the shaders.eff file, created/edited in the previous step. Then every object within the 3d model that the effect will be applied to will be listed, one object per line.

=== Known problems ===
* [[Howto:Animate_models#Tags_used_in_most_animations|Animation tags can be used to create collective names]] for a set of objects within the 3d model, and allows animations to be applied to the collective object instead. It is noteworthy that although this strategy will work O.K. with animations (such as an [[Howto:Animate_models#Emission|emission animation]]), it does not execute properly with the lightmap effect.

Therefore, '''avoid the following in your xml configuration''' while applying a lightmap effect.
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<animation>
<name>Collection-Object</name>
<object-name>Object1</object-name>
<object-name>Object2</object-name>
...
<object-name>ObjectN</object-name>
</animation>


<effect>
<inherits-from>../../../Models/Effects/reflect</inherits-from>
<object-name>Collection-Object<object-name>
</effect>
</syntaxhighlight>

== FlightGear 2.4.0 ==
{{note|Material shaders must be enabled in the <tt>View > Rendering options</tt> dialog for lightmaps to work.}}

=== The xml configuration ===
In your model's .xml file, add the following block of code:

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<effect>
<inherits-from>/Effects/lightmap</inherits-from>
<parameters>
<texture n="1">
<image>Aircraft/747-400/Models/Effects/lightmap.png</image>
</texture>
<condition><use>/controls/lighting/logo-lights</use></condition>
<factor><use>/controls/lighting/panel-norm</use></factor>
</parameters>
<object-name>fuselage</object-name>
</effect>
</syntaxhighlight>
In which:
* '''image:''' [[#The lightmap|the lightmap itself]]
* '''condition:''' when this property is greater than or equal to 1, the
lightmap will be enabled.
* '''factor:''' can be used to control the intensity of the light, on a
0-1 scale.

Remember that such a block is required for each single texture that you
want to lightmap. You can have multiple objects per effect, but not
multiple effects per object.

=== Known problems ===
* FlightGear does not support multiple shaders per object. Therefore, you'll have to choose between the [[Howto: Aircraft Reflection Shader|reflection]] or [[Howto: Use the normal map effect in aircraft|normalmap]] shaders and the lightmap.
* There is no flexible way to (de)select lightmaps on a per-object base. Currently it only listens to one per-object definable property.

[[Category:Aircraft enhancement|Lightmap]]
[[Category:Howto|Lightmap]]
[[Category:Modeling|Lightmap]]
[[Category:Shaders]]

[[es:Howto: Lightmap]]

User talk:Johan G

2015-11-03T20:51:08Z

Adam: /* Forum is down */ new section

== Swedish ==
Hi Johan,

thanks for starting translating articles to Swedish! Unfortunately, the wiki admin has to "add" this language to the system (therefore adding [[sv:Article]] does not work as of now). I've immediately asked him to do so, but it might take a while. In the meantime you can continue translating articles, it's just the linking that doesn't work.

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 08:36, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

:Ah, that explains why the language link doesn't seem to work. Thank you! I sent him a mail as well. Well, at least I can continue (in a slow pace). [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 08:43, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

== Don't be a stranger. ==
Jag hoppas att du kommer tillbaka snart. {{Unsigned2|11:45, 11 October 2011|PH-JBO}}

:Thank you for hoping for my return. Den som väntar på något gott... ''In other words, I'm back.'' [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 09:59, 5 December 2011 (EST)
::Du är inte ensam. Välkommen tillbaka! [[User:PH-JBO|PH-JBO]] 07:28, 6 December 2011 (EST)

== Test ==
A short thest to see if a new section added with the "+" tab is appended to the bottom of the page. [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 07:32, 9 February 2012 (EST)

== Discussing new main page/portals ==
Hi,

would be nice if you could come on [[IRC]] this week. I'd like to discuss the new main page/portals that I've been working on ;)
You'll find me in [irc://#wiki@irc.flightgear.org #wiki@irc.flightgear.org]

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 12:27, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

: Hi, I should be in #wiki now as Johan_G. This will bee interesting. I have not used IRC before, and last time I watched it over someones shoulder was in <s>1999</s> 1998!
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:52, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

== Infobox aircraft changes ==
I thought, I'd better get in touch with the only wikimedia template guru that I know :-) I just added a handful of meta categories (inspired by [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=21431#p195109]), and now want to extend the infobox accordingly, including images for each supported features, see: http://wiki.flightgear.org/Template_talk:Infobox_aircraft Any ideas/preference how to implement this best? Images will probably be contributed by Michat. Thanks --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 18:33, 30 November 2013 (UTC)

:It is low on my to-do list, but see my answer at [[Template talk:Infobox aircraft]].
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:08, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

== Yes/no template ==

Hi Johan,

the yes/no template doesn't seem to work well on [[Photoscenery]], everything says "yes" now. Another issue is that the 1m/pixel text is no longer centered, as if it only applies to "texture materials", while it's supposed to cover "3D model" as well. And to be honest, I prefer the more pronounced colours that we had before... I'm all in for a yes/no template though, don't get me wrong ;-)

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 11:43, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Oops. I was updating the templates to be able to handle adding xhtml attributes and one the edits accidentally had "Yes instead of "No". Should already work as expected by now.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:51, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Made the colours quite a bit stronger, but black text should still be readable in the cells.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:20, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

== Thanks for appreciating ==
Hi, thanks for appreciating [[Howto:Convert objects with ModelConverterX]]. I recently posted a howto on [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22851 georeferencing OSM in WED], let me know if that could be added somewhere in the wiki, I'd be glad to, but I'm not sure if it's useful outside of Italy.--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 22:38, 26 April 2014 (UTC)

:You are very welcome. :-)
:About the howto, it could probably fit really well as an article on the wiki. My only concern there is using Google to check the taxiways. I am not sure or not that it is relevant, but Google's terms of use do not allow derivative works. Licenses can be a problem sometimes, and I am completely ignorant when it comes to Italian legislation on intellectual property, but I assume that most sources are copyrighted more or less automatically, but that there might be a few sources with less restrictive licenses.
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
:: I see. Well, in Italy (see elgaton's answer) we're allowed to trace over some nice aerial images in OSM, but that's all, so we have to go through OSM and its limitations (i.e. no Bezier). I can substitute that part with just a warning to check by other means what angles should be rounded, or suggest to make rounded corners stand out in OSM with more points. However blurry is the border with Google, I guess it could be considered as "getting the coordinates"* of rounded corners (*I've read it's considered ok here).
::It jumps to my mind that Bing has allowed use of its aerial images for OSM tracing - worldwide. They have a good detail but are not very precise, yet that's something a mapper can fix. I guess this changes the usefulness of the howto :D Let me know if there's a particular page/category where I can put this. --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:43, 28 April 2014 (UTC)
:::The juridical stuff can be a problematic at times. ;-)
:::A fitting category would be [[:Category:Scenery enhancement]] I think.
:::(On a side note that category page have turned into an article over time, which looks messy and wont turn up in a regular wiki search using the search box.)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:03, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

== A FlightGear help category ==

Today [[Unexpected Crashes with Scenery ver.2]] was added to [[:Category:Help]]. There's lack indeed of a FlightGear help category (into FlightGear of course). That sounds like a good name (place), but I won't add it until I know your opinion.
--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:49, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, thanks for asking. There is indeed lack of a FlightGear help category, but I'll get to that. The help category seem to only have contained pages in the help namespace, i.e. articles with help about using the wiki (i think that category page even states that).

: As for the FlightGear help pages, I have actually never really figured out if there originally was some kind of thought through structure there or if the whole thing was a bit haphazard turned into ad hoc. I.e. I have never really grasped how to use them in an intuitive way (for both me, other editors and the readers). There is a lot of categories that slightly overlap or are slightly vague, which does not help when trying to find articles or even categories. I think a lot of that mess should be discussed on the [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump|village pump]].

: In addition there are lots of annoying little technicalities, like that the search box auto-complete function is case sensitive and that some editors are very much into Camel Case Titles, something for example Wikipedia is recommending their editors to avoid. Speaking of that, the wiki could need a style guide, but that would take some extra maintenance to enforce.

: To be honest have been secretly wishing that you might be into trying to figure out a better structure and better category names, specially for the FlightGear related stuff. I have thought about it and figured that I would wish it would be better... but doesn't feel up to it. I spent most of my categorisation efforts on templates and images, unless pages was uncategorised.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Heh, and you picked your "dupe" very wisely. Your last phrase in parentheses, in the above topic, is the main reason for me being here. I'll definitely try that when I get more confidence. However there's a lot of automatable stuff, some of which should be done before to ease that part. Some I pointed out in the [[User talk:Bigstones/Essay:A plan for a reorganization of the wiki#Bot proposal (request?)|other discussion]], one is that of recategorizing other languages, one is fixing camel case (like for spaces with Howto). Much more might come out.
:: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 00:49, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

:: edit -- see [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Category:Support]] --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 14:48, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Good move. The more eyes, the better. :-)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 21:10, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

== Updated compile guide ==

[[User:Daemonburrito/Building FlightGear - Linux]]

Hello, Johan. As promised, a completely reworked compile guide. It makes a nice, clean, and safe environment. And it ''works''!

But it is a pretty big change to drop in there, so I'm leaving it on my user page for comments for a bit. Let me know what you think. [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 17:06, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: I am not really the right person to review it, except for copy editing (i.e. style/wiki markup) if that would be needed. In this case I think it might be better to mention it on the forum. I have very little experience with Linux, and on top of that it was quite some time ago (Red hat Linux, kernel 2.2 etc. on a ''way'' to weak box).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:40, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Will do. Thanks! [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 23:04, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

== On reorganization of [[:Category:Troubleshooting]] ==

Hi Johan, I hope I was not too messy yesterday. I'm sure I never broke a link, and neither lost any information (a huge amount was duplicated), although I also rewrote some parts. Actually, 2-3 redirects are still around only because I couldn't edit some Japanese/Chinese pages. The two deletions you postponed:
* [[Howto:Improve framerates]] - I didn't delete the content just to save one edit, but I did actually already move everything.
* [[Intel GMA cards]] - I've found that page by chance, and it wasn't referenced anywhere. The information it contains is already in the same place where I moved the forum ref.
I hope this can help for a future review. Also, in case you want to review my future plans, I wrote them in my user page.

--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 10:43, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

:: I think I may have been messier. In retrospect I might should have left the redirects for those that by habit look for those article titles when troubleshooting. Also a lot of posts on the forum point to those. I will probably restore those and try point them towards suitable pages.

:: That said, I think you have done a great job separating the information aimed at developers from the one aimed at users. It kind of makes me wonder why no one thought of that before.

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:59, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Let me know if I can help with redirects...
::: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 19:54, 19 May 2014 (UTC)

== DDS article moved ... ==
Not sure if you have been followin the discussion on the devel list or if I misunderstood something, but I don't think it's necessarily specific to just terrain textures ? Anyway, please keep the redirect either way because Thorsten already posted a link using the old name. So while the current name is definitely better, we should probably ensure that all links keep on working, while the website/forum can be updated, the devel archives cannot ... --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 23:28, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, my misunderstanding. Terrain textures was specifically mentioned in one of the sections/quotes so I thought it was about that specifically. I will move it to [[Switching default texture format to DDS]] instead.

: As for keeping the redirect, I am more cautious about deleting them due to some to eager deletions I have done in the past...

: Thanks for the heads up.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:40, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

== Improvements and cleaning of Wiki pages ==
Hi Johan_G! You seem to be very popular and loved. I'm here to thank you for your work on cleaning the article about the Mulhouse airport. I really like how it's cleaner and the templates, you seem to be good at it. I really don't have that much of an idea. Also cool that you're an admin. I may not be very popular and appear irregularly, but I do my best to help the wiki (also notice the problems I have with Flightgear in my User page, you may pass by and leave a message, it's so empty :'( ). I guess that's all for now

[[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 10:00, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

: As for the Mulhouse airport article, you are very welcome. Thanks also for the kind words.

: Making articles easier to read is one of my longterm goals on the wiki, but I am usually spending most of my time on improving stuff that would help other do the work, in essence structure and documentation on how to use the wiki. Have a look at the [[:Category:Help|help pages]] and the [[:Category:Templates|templates]] and their documentation, though there is still a lot of undocumented templates, including some important ones. The [[:Category:Wiki style guides|style guides]] are still in their infancy (and at the moment I feel the article style guide is a bit convoluted, but it can be improved).

: The templates I added, and most of the so called ''messagebox templates'' can be found at [[Help:Gallery of messagebox templates]]. Links to them can be found on [[Help:Templates]]. However, the quick way to find links to templates is by looking at the bottom of a page you are editing. Just click the text "Templates used on this page:" and you will see a list of links to the templates (and hopefully their documentation).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:13, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

:: Hey! Sorry for spamming your talk page. Just wanted to let you know that I'm running FlightGear again, and hell yeah is it smooth

:: [[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 12:40, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

::: Welcome back! :-)
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:48, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

== A300-600 ==
Hi thanks for doing that to my A300-600 page, it looks a lot more professional. I tried changing the name as well but couldn't figure out how :-) [[User:Airbus330|Airbus330]] ([[User talk:Airbus330|talk]]) 22:24, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

: You are very welcome. :-)
: You can change the name of a page by "moving" the page using the small menu accessible through the small down arrow to the left of the search box.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:05, 16 September 2014 (UTC)

== $FG_ROOT vs $FG_DATA ==

Hi Johan,

I think you missed my message (I agree it was somewhat hidden in an edit summary) about $FG_ROOT/$FG_DATA. $FG_ROOT is what we commonly refer to as the data directory/fgdata. There is no such thing as $FG_DATA. See the explanation at [[$FG_ROOT]].

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:04, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

: Thanks for pointing that out. I hope these two edits [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_ROOT&diff=79216&oldid=79213 diff] and [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_DATA&diff=prev&oldid=79217 diff] will make it more clear. I will hunt down individual links to [[$FG_DATA]] shortly.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:45, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

: {{done}} —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:03, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

== Space Shuttle designation ==

Hi Johan,

I'm actually not comfortable with a label like 'Thorsten's Space Shuttle' - AW isn't called 'Thorsten's Weather System' either, and ALS isn't called 'Thorsten's Rendering framework' - it's not mine in the first place, there are others contributing, and even if I would be the only contributor, I don't want to contribute this so blatantly linked to my name.

Could we find a different solution please?

* Thorsten

: Honestly neither was I (as well as 'HerbyW's Space Shuttle'), I just wanted to link between the two and had to differentiate them.
: I am a little out of good ideas at the moment though, so I will just use the page names for now.

: P.S. Please sign with four tilde characters (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) on discussion pages.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:21, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

:: I have now moved around the Space Shuttle articles and edited some links here and there so they link to one or the other of them depending on context.

:: See also [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=86642#Disambiguating_the_two_Space_Shuttle_pages perm])

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 08:21, 16 August 2015 (EDT)

== Names ==
Hi Johan,
Do you know if and how to edit wiki article names? The reason I ask is because Saitek in [[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]] is misspelled.
Thanks.
There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 12:12, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Oops. My mistake.

: You can change it right now. Look at [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Rename Template]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=86163#Rename_Template permalink]) to see how to do it. Please leave a short explanation in the edit summary

: A tip on leaving a redirect behind:

:: As that title only have been used less than a day, you probably will not break links if you do not leave a redirect behind, but in other cases you should really do that even if article names are misspelled.

:: While you can look at what wiki pages link to a certain page (for example [[Special:WhatLinksHere/User talk:Johan G]] list links to this page), there are other pages on the web that might be affected. I broke some links on the forum early on by not leaving redirects (thankfully someone noticed).

: By the way I noted the way you linked to the article. You do not need to do it like this <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>, it is sufficient to only use <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>. ;-)

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:32, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Thanks also for keeping an eye on things. The more eyeballs, the better. :-)
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:40, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

:: Ok, did it. Also redid the ORIGINAL page's redirect to the new page (saitek instead of saitec)
:: There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 13:11, 15 July 2015 (EDT)

::: Great! Thanks! :-)
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:42, 15 July 2015 (EDT)

== Shuttle Ambiguity ==

Hi Johan,
Is there anything that can be done about the current state of the names of the [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview]] and [[Space Shuttle]] pages? Problem is, if you search for "Space Shuttle, you get HerbyW's shuttle. To get the article about Thorsten's, Richard's, wlbragg's & japreja's shuttle you need to type in "SpaceShuttle-project overview"
Thanks, [[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 14:35, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

: Thanks for bringing that up again.

: Seeing your comment I took a second look at a discussion at the village pump again. See [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=86398#Disambiguating_the_two_Space_Shuttle_pages perm]) for my current thoughts on this.

: Please reply and leave feedback on the village pump.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:15, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

== Using the messagebox templates for an external project ==

Hi Johan,

I was wondering if you would mind if I used your awesome messagebox templates of {{tl|tip}}, {{tl|note}}, {{tl|caution}}, and {{tl|warning}} in an external project? And maybe {{tl|LangSwitch}}, {{tl|WIP}} and a few of the others as well? This would be for my own GPLv3+ software [http://www.nmr-relax.com relax], specifically for use on the GPLv3+ licensed [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com relax wiki]. I tried it out with [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Tip Template:Tip], [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Note Template:Note] [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Caution Template:Caution], and [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Warning Template:Warning], and used it on http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Hidden_radian_units, but then I looked at the licensing at [[FlightGear_wiki:Copyrights]] and [[FlightGear_wiki:Terms_of_use]] and realised that the wiki content is GPLv2-only and not GPLv2+. I cannot find the GPL clause of "or (at your option) any later version" (from the "How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs" section of the licence), making all FG wiki content GPLv2-only. So I am not legally allowed to copy the content without consent from the original authors. Would you mind allowing these templates to be dual-licensed as GPLv2+, so it can be shared as GPLv3+ content elsewhere? Otherwise I'll delete it from the relax wiki and design a new template. Cheers!

—[[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 10:57, 15 October 2015 (EDT)

: Well... ;-) the usual way to handle copyright is pretty much always to copy ''and'' rephrase/modify (before saving). In essence doing a ''non verbatim'' "copy". What I would do is to copy them and modify them for example using different styling and maybe change a few other things.

: Something I would recommend, that I have not done here (yet) is to have a meta-template used by the messagebox templates for the common elements, and probably also styling through a parameter. Something that would save you from extra key presses is to use lowercase only template names (if you have that kind of control).

: ''Trivia:'' ''Note'', ''Caution'' and ''Warning'' are words I borrowed from typical flight manual/pilot operating handbook and cockpit indicator use, all sometimes defined by regulation to be used for notes of importance, cations about risk of damaging equipment or minor physical injuries and warnings about major damage to equipment, major physical injuries or death. When used in cockpit indicators and displays, again sometimes by regulation, colors often associated with caution are yellow or amber, warning with red and systems not normally running with cyan.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:57, 15 October 2015 (EDT)

:: The meta-template is a great idea. That would remove the GPLv2-only issue, as all content would then be different ;) I'll test it out on the my wiki, then see what it takes to use the same idea to unify and simplify the different [[Help:Gallery_of_messagebox_templates|messagebox templates]] here.

:: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 12:31, 15 October 2015 (EDT)

:: That was quite easy! I have created a series of templates using a meta-template on the relax wiki, and thanked you for the suggestions. The meta-template is [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:MessageBox Template:MessageBox]. I also have created [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:MessageBox/doc_inform_series Template:MessageBox/doc_inform_series] to reuse the same documentation text for this series. It is all visible on these template pages: [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Tip Template:Tip], [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Note Template:Note] [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Caution Template:Caution], and [http://wiki.nmr-relax.com/Template:Warning Template:Warning]. I couldn't change the text style to small-caps within the meta-template, so this is unfortunately still performed in the individual templates. Have a look at these for how clean the templates become! Anyway, now the only thing in common between the relax and FG templates is your choice of colours, so no copyright issues there ;) If you think this would help the FlightGear wiki, what would you suggest for a FlightGear meta-template name? It will be quick to convert {{tl|tip}}, {{tl|note}}, {{tl|caution}}, and {{tl|warning}} and clean these up. I think a common template for documentation, including the 'known issues' and 'related templates' sections would also be a good idea for these. Feel free to shift this to the [[FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump|Village pump]] if you think there is a general interest.

:: [[User:Bugman|Bugman]] ([[User talk:Bugman|talk]]) 15:43, 15 October 2015 (EDT)

== Removing a section from Make nice screenshots howto ==
: ''Topic was moved to the [[FlightGear wiki:Village Pump#Removing a section from the Make nice screenshots howto]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=89128#Removing_a_section_from_the_Make_nice_screenshots_howto perm])''

== Forum is down ==

Hi
Funny this, I'm usually writing, Wiki is down!" on the Forum, rather than vice versa. Anyway, when I try to load the page, I get:
"General Error

SQL ERROR [ mysql4 ]

Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (111) [2002]

An sql error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact an administrator if this problem persists."
Do you get this?
I posted this on the bugs mailing list.
[[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 15:51, 3 November 2015 (EST)

Howto:Make nice screenshots

2015-11-01T23:51:09Z

Adam: /* Air to Air */

{{mergefrom|Submitting Screenshots|Howto talk:Make nice screenshots#Merging Submitting Screenshots into this page|date=January 2014}}

This [[:Category:Howto|howto]] will explain '''how to make nice screenshots''' in [[FlightGear]].

== Basics ==

What separates good pictures from bad pictures?

Good pictures
* Appeal to us in some way, by telling a story, revealing something unexpected, or showing an interesting point of view.
* Encourage us to look at them for more than just a second, searching for more details. A good screen-shot can invite us to think about how it was made, maybe even inspire us to create images of our own.

The best screenshots are technically correct, the lighting and colors are right, and the composition is good.

Explaining how to compose a picture is difficult, so instead I suggest you to read tutorials and explanations given on many websites on the web like this one: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts) Composition (visual arts)].

== Quality ==
From a broader perspective, it would be desirable if new screenshots could also showcase new FlightGear's capabilities using high quality settings. Say someone googles "VFR guide" because he wants to know something about VFR flying and comes across a bunch of screenshots of FlightGear - we'd really want to impress here so that user gets curious and tries FlightGear. Back when there were still manuals, all most simulators (Falcon 4.0 for instance) had the highest detail level for all the internal screenshots, not the lowest. So that's something to keep in mind when showcasing FlightGear.

A good virtual picture needs a good quality. That means:
* [[Anti-aliasing|Enabling AntiAliasing]] (AA)
* Appealing/true colors
* Size of the picture- not too small, not to big
* No Gui/Menu/FPS counter etc. visible
* Full effects

This means you need a decent computer with middle - good specs. At a minimum, you should able to run Flightgear with smooth frame rate with high anti-aliasing settings.
Some people don't have this, so there is another solution proposed by Melchior Franz : [http://www.opensubscriber.com/message/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/8196594.html].

== How to get some unusual/ interesting views ==
To get some ideas, it's a good idea to look for aircraft picture pages around the web like [http://www.airliners.net Airliners.net]. It will give you some ideas, and in addition, it is always a good idea to think about what you actually want to show case. While a snapshot of an airliner in mid flight is -for instance- a nice way of showing its latest features on the forum, it typically doesn't really last as an overall impressive screen shot. Placing the aircraft in a scene where some implied action is taking place will most of the time already make a huge difference. Capture the plane while it's banking, gear is retracting, etc. will imply some dynamic motion in your otherwise static image. In this respect, it may help to think of a little story, a scenario that you're re-enacting. Trying to capture a few key scenes from a flight may also help to make the difference between an average and an interesting screen shot.

=== Air to Air ===
* '''Helicopter View:''' This assumes that you are in a virtual, invisible helicopter besides the aircraft. You are always flying level. With the mouse you can choose the position of the "helicopter".
* '''Chase View:''' This assumes you are chasing the aircraft. It is very similar to the first one.
* '''Chase View with yaw:''' Also chasing the aircraft, but the virtual camera doesn't turn with the aircraft.
* '''I'm a missile view (on certain aircraft only):''' This view places itself near an AI air-to-air missile that has been fired, looking forwards. With the mouse you can choose the view direction. Only on the Mirage-2000-5 and Harrier development versions.
Try switching between them to see what you like more(I prefer Chase view). Playing around with position of the camera will help too. As an example if the aircraft is turning and banking, make a shot from the wing to the aircraft facing the ground. Or while approaching the runway, a shot from behind the aircraft would be good. For I'm a missile view, moving the camera forward and looking back at the missile and the aircraft can make compelling shots.

=== Ground to Air ===
[[File:Lugano-tower-on-mountain.jpg|thumb|270px|Setting the Tower on top of a mountain looking down to the airport with the [http://www.gidenstam.org/FlightGear/misc/place_tower.xml Place_Tower.xml]]]

For this we use the Tower view and Tower View look from. This assumes that the virtual camera is on the Airport Tower, ca. 30ft above the airport level. You can choose via the Menu which airport is used. That's nice, but limited.

Anders Gidenstam made a nice nasal script to move the tower whenever you control-click on the ground.
You can find it [http://www.gidenstam.org/FlightGear/misc/place_tower.xml here]. Copy the code between the <code><PropertyList></code>-tags and put in somewhere in your <code>preferences.xml</code> . Now, when you ''Ctrl + left click'' somewhere on the ground, you can set the position of the tower view. The view is still about 30 feet above ground level; assuming you want to stand at eye-level, you can change the line
<syntaxhighlight lang="nasal">
setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 30 + (click_pos.alt() * M2FT));
</syntaxhighlight>
to
<syntaxhighlight lang="nasal">
setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 6.5 + (click_pos.alt() * M2FT));
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Panorama ===
[[File:C172p-bodensee-panorama.jpg|thumb|600px|Panorama image stitched with 23 images inside the C172P cockpit while flying above Lake Constance (Bodensee)]]

A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama panorama] is a wide-angle view. With this, you can show large areas of the scenery or flightdecks.

For this, use the cockpit, passenger, or tower view, then position the virtual camera at the point you want. Pause the sim and pan the virtual camera all the way around, saving many screenshots so they cover the entire visible area.
Now use your favourite panorama software and stitch it!
No software yet? Use Google; there are several freeware programs outside. A common choice is [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin]; it's free and open source, cross-platform and used by many professional photographers.

If you want to make full spherical panorama take a look at this [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/Howto:_Make_full_spherical_panorama tutorial].

== Field of View (FoV) ==
[[File:C172p-wide-narrow.jpg|thumb|270px|The difference of wide/narrow angle. See how the background changes using a zoom.]]

You can change this by pressing {{Key press|Shift|X}} or {{key press|X}} or using the Mouse-wheel in View-mode.
The field of view is by default set to 55 (degrees).

Increasing the field you get wide angle up to 120 degrees. That's interesting as it covers a whole part of the scenery but also seems to make objects appear far away. Use it for showing large parts of sceneries, or long aircraft, etc. Another interesting feature of using a wide angle is that it exaggerates perspective. One effective use of this consists of using a wide angle lens combined with placing the camera near the object. This will make the object in question appear larger, more impressive than it really is. For an higher, wider angle make a panorama.

Decreasing the field you get a narrow angle and a zoom-effect. This means you can take far away objects virtually close to you. An interesting effect is, that it also makes the background more "dense". Another interesting side effect is distance foreshortening, meaning that the distance between various object is becoming compressed, suggesting less space between objects than there really is.

== Lighting and Daytime ==
[[File:C172p-water-shader.jpg|thumb|270px|Showing the effect of the low sun and the water shaders]]

The most appealing photos in real life are made in the morning or evening. The light has a warm color and the shadows and ambient colors are soft and long which gives fantastic impressions. The noon gives hard shadows and strong contrasts, which are hard to deal with.

This applies to FlightGear as well. So play a bit with the time of day, especially Dawn/Morning/Afternoon and Dusk. Play with the seasons and locations as well. In the winter near the poles, the sun is low, while near the equator the sun is standing high in the sky. As an example, this gives nice effects with the water shaders.

== Weather ==
Our weather has improved much with the addition of [[advanced weather]]. To enable it, you must open the Environment > Weather dialog, then check "Advanced Weather" and click "OK". With advanced weather enabled, clouds are placed while taking the terrain and wind patterns into account, making for much more realistic cloud and weather patterns. Advanced weather works best with [[atmospheric light scattering]] enabled as well.

== Locations ==
The choice of the location depends a bit what you want to show. So what want you to show? Do you have already a theme in mind?

As an example for showing an aircraft just for presentation, use an "empty" background like the sky, sea or desert. If you want to show the aircraft during operation you could choose some of FlightGear's better airports like [[EHAM]], [[LFPG]] as the background, or some of the more detailed custom sceneries.

== Colors and whitebalance ==
As in real life, in FGFS the pictures often have to be corrected in colors and white balance. This can be done with almost any image editor. In [http://www.gimp.org GIMP] this can be done through <tt>Layers > Colors > Brightness and contrast</tt>.

== Conclusion ==
When keeping this all in mind, you can make some stunning pictures. Try and play with as much you can, look at real images to get hints or try to copy a real life image in FlightGear. All this will help you to take good pictures!

[[Category:Howto|Make nice screenshots]]

Howto:Make nice screenshots

2015-11-01T23:02:41Z

Adam: I'm a missile view

{{mergefrom|Submitting Screenshots|Howto talk:Make nice screenshots#Merging Submitting Screenshots into this page|date=January 2014}}

This [[:Category:Howto|howto]] will explain '''how to make nice screenshots''' in [[FlightGear]].

== Basics ==

What separates good pictures from bad pictures?

Good pictures
* Appeal to us in some way, by telling a story, revealing something unexpected, or showing an interesting point of view.
* Encourage us to look at them for more than just a second, searching for more details. A good screen-shot can invite us to think about how it was made, maybe even inspire us to create images of our own.

The best screenshots are technically correct, the lighting and colors are right, and the composition is good.

Explaining how to compose a picture is difficult, so instead I suggest you to read tutorials and explanations given on many websites on the web like this one: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts) Composition (visual arts)].

== Quality ==
From a broader perspective, it would be desirable if new screenshots could also showcase new FlightGear's capabilities using high quality settings. Say someone googles "VFR guide" because he wants to know something about VFR flying and comes across a bunch of screenshots of FlightGear - we'd really want to impress here so that user gets curious and tries FlightGear. Back when there were still manuals, all most simulators (Falcon 4.0 for instance) had the highest detail level for all the internal screenshots, not the lowest. So that's something to keep in mind when showcasing FlightGear.

A good virtual picture needs a good quality. That means:
* [[Anti-aliasing|Enabling AntiAliasing]] (AA)
* Appealing/true colors
* Size of the picture- not too small, not to big
* No Gui/Menu/FPS counter etc. visible
* Full effects

This means you need a decent computer with middle - good specs. At a minimum, you should able to run Flightgear with smooth frame rate with high anti-aliasing settings.
Some people don't have this, so there is another solution proposed by Melchior Franz : [http://www.opensubscriber.com/message/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/8196594.html].

== How to get some unusual/ interesting views ==
To get some ideas, it's a good idea to look for aircraft picture pages around the web like [http://www.airliners.net Airliners.net]. It will give you some ideas, and in addition, it is always a good idea to think about what you actually want to show case. While a snapshot of an airliner in mid flight is -for instance- a nice way of showing its latest features on the forum, it typically doesn't really last as an overall impressive screen shot. Placing the aircraft in a scene where some implied action is taking place will most of the time already make a huge difference. Capture the plane while it's banking, gear is retracting, etc. will imply some dynamic motion in your otherwise static image. In this respect, it may help to think of a little story, a scenario that you're re-enacting. Trying to capture a few key scenes from a flight may also help to make the difference between an average and an interesting screen shot.

=== Air to Air ===
* '''Helicopter View:''' This assumes that you are in a virtual, invisible helicopter besides the aircraft. You are always flying level. With the mouse you can choose the position of the "helicopter".
* '''Chase View:''' This assumes you are chasing the aircraft. It is very similar to the first one.
* '''Chase View with yaw:''' Also chasing the aircraft, but the virtual camera doesn't turn with the aircraft.
* '''I'm a missile view (on certain aircraft only):''' This view places itself near an AI air-to-air missile that has been fired, looking forwards. With the mouse you can choose the view direction. Only on the Mirage-2000-5 and Harrier development versions.
Try switching between them to see what you like more(I prefer Chase view). Playing around with position of the camera will help too. As an example if the aircraft is turning and banking, make a shot from the wing to the aircraft facing the ground. Or while approaching the runway, a shot from behind the aircraft would be good.

=== Ground to Air ===
[[File:Lugano-tower-on-mountain.jpg|thumb|270px|Setting the Tower on top of a mountain looking down to the airport with the [http://www.gidenstam.org/FlightGear/misc/place_tower.xml Place_Tower.xml]]]

For this we use the Tower view and Tower View look from. This assumes that the virtual camera is on the Airport Tower, ca. 30ft above the airport level. You can choose via the Menu which airport is used. That's nice, but limited.

Anders Gidenstam made a nice nasal script to move the tower whenever you control-click on the ground.
You can find it [http://www.gidenstam.org/FlightGear/misc/place_tower.xml here]. Copy the code between the <code><PropertyList></code>-tags and put in somewhere in your <code>preferences.xml</code> . Now, when you ''Ctrl + left click'' somewhere on the ground, you can set the position of the tower view. The view is still about 30 feet above ground level; assuming you want to stand at eye-level, you can change the line
<syntaxhighlight lang="nasal">
setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 30 + (click_pos.alt() * M2FT));
</syntaxhighlight>
to
<syntaxhighlight lang="nasal">
setprop(tower ~ "/altitude-ft", 6.5 + (click_pos.alt() * M2FT));
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Panorama ===
[[File:C172p-bodensee-panorama.jpg|thumb|600px|Panorama image stitched with 23 images inside the C172P cockpit while flying above Lake Constance (Bodensee)]]

A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama panorama] is a wide-angle view. With this, you can show large areas of the scenery or flightdecks.

For this, use the cockpit, passenger, or tower view, then position the virtual camera at the point you want. Pause the sim and pan the virtual camera all the way around, saving many screenshots so they cover the entire visible area.
Now use your favourite panorama software and stitch it!
No software yet? Use Google; there are several freeware programs outside. A common choice is [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin]; it's free and open source, cross-platform and used by many professional photographers.

If you want to make full spherical panorama take a look at this [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/Howto:_Make_full_spherical_panorama tutorial].

== Field of View (FoV) ==
[[File:C172p-wide-narrow.jpg|thumb|270px|The difference of wide/narrow angle. See how the background changes using a zoom.]]

You can change this by pressing {{Key press|Shift|X}} or {{key press|X}} or using the Mouse-wheel in View-mode.
The field of view is by default set to 55 (degrees).

Increasing the field you get wide angle up to 120 degrees. That's interesting as it covers a whole part of the scenery but also seems to make objects appear far away. Use it for showing large parts of sceneries, or long aircraft, etc. Another interesting feature of using a wide angle is that it exaggerates perspective. One effective use of this consists of using a wide angle lens combined with placing the camera near the object. This will make the object in question appear larger, more impressive than it really is. For an higher, wider angle make a panorama.

Decreasing the field you get a narrow angle and a zoom-effect. This means you can take far away objects virtually close to you. An interesting effect is, that it also makes the background more "dense". Another interesting side effect is distance foreshortening, meaning that the distance between various object is becoming compressed, suggesting less space between objects than there really is.

== Lighting and Daytime ==
[[File:C172p-water-shader.jpg|thumb|270px|Showing the effect of the low sun and the water shaders]]

The most appealing photos in real life are made in the morning or evening. The light has a warm color and the shadows and ambient colors are soft and long which gives fantastic impressions. The noon gives hard shadows and strong contrasts, which are hard to deal with.

This applies to FlightGear as well. So play a bit with the time of day, especially Dawn/Morning/Afternoon and Dusk. Play with the seasons and locations as well. In the winter near the poles, the sun is low, while near the equator the sun is standing high in the sky. As an example, this gives nice effects with the water shaders.

== Weather ==
Our weather has improved much with the addition of [[advanced weather]]. To enable it, you must open the Environment > Weather dialog, then check "Advanced Weather" and click "OK". With advanced weather enabled, clouds are placed while taking the terrain and wind patterns into account, making for much more realistic cloud and weather patterns. Advanced weather works best with [[atmospheric light scattering]] enabled as well.

== Locations ==
The choice of the location depends a bit what you want to show. So what want you to show? Do you have already a theme in mind?

As an example for showing an aircraft just for presentation, use an "empty" background like the sky, sea or desert. If you want to show the aircraft during operation you could choose some of FlightGear's better airports like [[EHAM]], [[LFPG]] as the background, or some of the more detailed custom sceneries.

== Colors and whitebalance ==
As in real life, in FGFS the pictures often have to be corrected in colors and white balance. This can be done with almost any image editor. In [http://www.gimp.org GIMP] this can be done through <tt>Layers > Colors > Brightness and contrast</tt>.

== Conclusion ==
When keeping this all in mind, you can make some stunning pictures. Try and play with as much you can, look at real images to get hints or try to copy a real life image in FlightGear. All this will help you to take good pictures!

[[Category:Howto|Make nice screenshots]]

Talk:Procedural texturing

2015-10-21T14:44:52Z

Adam: /* Dirt Runways effect */ new section

BTW: How can we test out the autumn colors? Does it require custom scenery? I can not really see any settings for it in the UI. Does it take any parameters at run-time at all? Or is the time of year set at startup? I'd really like to test it out and maybe make some kind of promotional video.
<br />
[[User:Jarl Arntzen|Jarl Arntzen]] 12:28, 3 February 2013 (UTC)

I'd just like to say: Fantastic terrain images at the bottom of the page! I'm still failing to install TerraGear, but one day... :)<br />
[[User:Jarl Arntzen|Jarl Arntzen]] 18:15, 5 January 2013 (EST)

@Hooray‎ and @Thorsten‎ I found your great work on the dirt roads, at this point I think we can use the same technique to the banks of rivers and sea coasts, what do you think? --[[User:Abassign|Abassign]] ([[User talk:Abassign|talk]]) 05:18, 20 October 2015 (EDT)

== Dirt Runways effect ==

Hi!
I have been reading the bit in the dirt runways area, and I cannot finds any of the stuff you (Thorsten) are referring to in the way of what needs to be edited. Is it in simgear, and could you please be slightly more specific?
Thanks, [[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 10:44, 21 October 2015 (EDT)

Talk:Superbuild

2015-10-16T17:05:48Z

Adam: /* Old links */ new section

In Windows section I'd like to add several things once I'm certain of and verify the details:
# Done: SVN requirement and need to set CMAKE "Subversion_SVN_EXECUTABLE"
# Done: About building FlightGear.sln [debug] vs [release]. If you experience a [debug] mode build failure related to missing OpenSceneGraph library files, try building in [release] mode first at least once so that the release-mode files are already present in their directories.
# Adding to Windows Environment PATH variable: the executable \bin paths
# Appending to PATH during Visual Studio debug startup.
[[User:Rreiter|Rreiter]] ([[User talk:Rreiter|talk]]) 02:08, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

== Old links ==

Under "Getting the source" It refers to an old gitorious link for the source. Where is the new source on sourceforge?
[[User:Adam|Adam (else MIG29pilot)]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 13:05, 16 October 2015 (EDT)

Howto talk:Build FlightGear with NetBeans using CMake

2015-10-16T16:19:55Z

Adam: /* Old links */ new section

== Macnab's edits in 12/2012 ==
Hi there, just looking through your latest changes. And I noticed that you are now making the assumption that the article is solely about Windows ? Previously it was fairly agnostic actually and explicitly highlighted the differences between Windows/Linux - while this may now be easier for Windows users, I'm not sure about people on different platforms ... so what is your plan here ?
--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] 07:08, 16 December 2012 (EST)

Did it without thinking. I'll replace the Windows: bit, and add it to the section on getting CMake. And also make a note if I see anything that is Windows specific.[[User:Macnab|Macnab]] 07:19, 16 December 2012 (EST)
== Callahanp's back on this for another try. ==

# Using Netbeans 7.3beta2
# Examining Francesco Brisa's script to understand the native linux CMake commands that will build the core flightgear components: plib, OpenSceneGraph, openrti, simgear, and finally flightgear.

wget -c http://www.gitorious.org/fg/fgmeta/blobs/raw/master/download_and_compile.sh

This approach is promising but incomplete at this point. I have prototypes for each component that results in a successful build with OpenRTI turned off.

Progress Feb 2013:

I've ripped out some of the junk I left in the talk page in the previous try and have restructured information about the dependencies. We need scripts for getting the dependencies in three environments: linux, MacOS, Windows

[[User:Callahanp|Callahanp]] 01:17, 10 February 2013 (UTC)

== Updating [[Build FlightGear with NetBeans using CMake]] - Proposed Sections ==

=== Downloading and Installing Netbeans ===

NetBeans is a multi-platform IDE or Integrated Development Environment. It supports several programming languages, C and C++ among them.

You can find netbeans for your platform at http://netbeans.org/downloads/ You can either choose the full suite (~200 MB) or just the C/C++ bundle which is about 50 MB.

[[Netbeans Installation Instructions]]

=== Build Tools and Flightgear Package Dependencies ===
There are a number of tools used to build and dependent packages needed for FlightGear. These do not need to be set up in NetBeans, but do need to be installed.

Development Tools
*git-core
*subversion
*automake
*cmake
*make
*build-essential

Dependencies:
{| border="1" style= width="90%"
|-
|style="width: 16%;| '''Base Package || style="width: 14%;| '''Dev Package ||style="width: 14%;| '''Base Package ||style="width: 14%;| '''Dev Package ||style="width: 14%;| '''Base Package ||style="width: 14%;| '''Dev Package''' ||
|-
|fluid || || || libhal-dev || libxi6 || libxi-dev
|-
|gawk || || libjasper1 || libjasper-dev || libxinerama1 || libxinerama-dev
|-
|gettext || || || libopenal-dev || libxmu6 || libxmu-dev
|-
|libalut0 || libalut-dev || || libopenexr-dev || python-imaging-tk ||
|-
|libasound2 || libasound2-dev || libpng12-0 || libpng12-dev || python-tk ||
|-
|libboost-serialization-dv || libboost-dev || || libqt4-dev || scons ||
|-
| || libfltk1.3 || || libsvn-dev || zlib1g || zlib1g-dev
|-
| || libfltk1.3-dev || libwxgtk2.8-0 || libwxgtk2.8-dev || ||
|-
| || libglew1.5-dev || libxft2 || libxft-dev || ||

|}

on UBUNTU:
*freeglut3-dev
*libjpeg62-dev
*libjpeg62
*libapr1-dev
*libfltk1.3-dev
*libfltk1.3

On Debian:
*freeglut3-dev
*libjpeg8-dev
*libjpeg8
*libfltk-dev
*libfltk1.1"

=== Flightgear Components and Dependencies ===

Flightgear has five main components, some with and some without dependencies.

{| border=1
! Component
! Dependencies
! Description
|-
| plib || None || Portability Library
|-
| OpenSceneGraph (osg) || None || High Performance 3D Graphics Toolkit
|-
| openrti || None? may have additional package dependencies || HLA/RTI implementation providing HLA1.3, IEEE-1516 and IEEE-1516E interfaces
|-
| simgear
|
* plib
* OpenSceneGraph
* openrti (optional and experimental)
| simulation kernel
|-
| flightgear
|
* plib
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
* openrti (optional and experimental)

| The flightgear application and several additional programs
|}

There are a number of auxiliary programs avialable for flightgear. Some could be built under NetBeans.

{| border=1
! Auxiliary Program
! Dependencies
! Description
|-
| fgcom
|
* plib
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
| FGCom is a command line, voip, virtual radio software built around Asterisk.
|-
| fgcomgui
|
* plib
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
| FGComGui is a simple gui front end to fgcom
|-
| fgrun
|
* plib
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
|FlightGear Launch Control (FGRun) is a graphical frontend for FlightGear
|-
| fgo
|
* python
| FGo! is a simple GUI front-end for FlightGear written in Python.
|-
| fgx
|
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
| FGx is an Open Source graphical launcher application for FlightGear Flight Simulator that is built using Qt from Nokia
|-
| Atlas
|
* OpenSceneGraph
* simgear
* fgdata
| The Atlas program lets FlightGear users display a real-time "moving-map" of their flight.
|}
=== Building Flightgear under NetBeans C/C++ project ===

The packages must be handled one at a time, but the basic steps for each is the same:

# Get the sources
# Register, Build and Install
## Register a package as a NetBeans project
## Configure a package for Building
## Set Package Dependencies
## Build a package
## Install a package

Each dependent package must be downloaded, cloned or checked out from a source repository. There are three types of source repository in use: CVS, Subversion and Git. We'll give you specific commands and NetBeans configuration entries to copy the sources to your build environment. We'll even provide a script to do them all at once.

A note about configuring the packages: Not all of the dependent projects use CMake. Some use aclocal.sh and configure, some just configure, We'll show you how to set up each dependency for building using the correct configuration method.

==== Suggested Directories or Folders ====

You can build flightgear with or without debugging information. We recommend you use separate accounts to isolate the various types of builds you may want to do.
If you wish to build for multiple platforms, or wish to isolate your work on flightgear to an environment that has only what is required to build Flightgear, we suggest using a VM such as VirtualBox

Flightgear's fgdata is a large. fgdata is versioned and when running flightgear you must use the corresponding version of fgdata. You may need an fgdata for each version of Flightgear you wish to build and work with.

If you have already installed a version from your distribution, you can re-use the fgdata from that installation for your own build of the same version. To avoid multiple downloads of fgdata download it once and use a symbolic link in separate builds.

=== autogen.sh in NetBeans Projects ===

After downloading plib in NetBeans, it must be configured at the command prompt.

Make the plib sources directory the current directory and run autogen.sh .

autogen.sh produces a configure script, usable from within NetBeans.

screenshots needed

=== configure in NetBeans Projects ===

Configure is a standard step in the build process.

In NetBeans, set the NetBeans configure script propterty to the configure file. Then within the NetBeans IDE right click the configure item and select run. This completes the configuration step for the package. You can also run or rerun configure by selecting the project, right clicking and selecting Code Assistance -> Reconfigure Project from the pop-up menu.

Screen Shots needed.

= Detailed instructions for Linux =
== Get Prerequisite Packages ==

As listed above under Flightgear Components and Dependencies there are a number of tools and flightgear dependencies. The easiest way to get them for Ubuntu or Debian is to use the download_and_compile.sh script. This will be all we'll use it for. Downloading and compiling the components will be done under NetBeans.

mkdir temp
cd temp
wget -c http://www.gitorious.org/fg/fgmeta/blobs/raw/master/download_and_compile.sh
chmod +x download_and_compile.sh
./download_and_compile.sh PackagesOnly # enter your password when prompted
cd ../
rm -rf temp

== Overview of Steps for each flightgear component package ==
# Clone the package repository with git or subversion
# Preparatory steps for packages that don't configure smoothly with Netbeans
# Create the package project under NetBeans
# Configure package in NetBeans
# Configure the package configuration file in NetBeans
# Run the Configuration
# Build
# Install

----
== plib ==

After cloning plib, run aclocal.sh at the command prompt to create the configure script:
<font color="green">
$cd $NETBEANS_FGFS # for me this is /opt/nb/fgfs
$cd projects/plib
$./aclocal.sh # This creates configure at the top level of the plib project

Once configure is created, you can set properties to be used when running configure from within netbeans:

In netbeans, select the configure file, right click and select properties.
set the entries as follows:

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Property Name''' || '''Property Value'''<font color="green">
|-
| align="left" colspan="2"|projects/plib/configure properties:
|-
| Arguments || --prefix=/opt/nb/fgfs/install CC=/usr/bin/gcc CXX=/usr/bin/g++ CFLAGS="-g3 -gdwarf-2" CXXFLAGS="-g3 -gdwarf-2" LDFLAGS=
|-
| Run Directory ||../../build/plib
|-
| Environment || CC=/usr/bin/gcc CXX=/usr/bin/g++ CFLAGS="-g3 -gdwarf-2" CXXFLAGS="-g3 -gdwarf-2" LDFLAGS=
|}

select the plib project in NetBeans
right click and select "Code Assistance" and "Reconfigure Project"

You can also select the configure script, right click and select Run
If you can't get configure to work properly the first time in Netbeans, at the command prompt:

$cd ../../build/plib
$../../projects/plib/configure

Build plib from within Netbeans:

Select the plib project in Netbeans
Right Click and select "Build"

Install plib from the command prompt:

make install

----
== Open Scene Graph ==

{| border="1"
|-
|align="left" colspan="2"|projects/OpenSceneGraph properties:
|-
| '''Property Name''' || '''Property Value'''
|-
| Build/Make/Working Directory || ../../build/OpenSceneGraph
|-
| align="left" colspan="2"|'''projects/OpenSceneGraph/CMakeLists.txt properties:'''
|-
| Arguments || -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Debug" -D CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-O3 -D__STDC_CONSTANT_MACROS" -D CMAKE_C_FLAGS="-O3" -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH="/opt/nb/fgfs/install" ../../install
|-
| Run Directory ||../../build/OpenSceneGraph
|-
| CMake Command || cmake
|-
| Environment ||
|}

----
== Simgear ==

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Property Name''' || '''Property Value'''
|-
| align="left" colspan="2"|'''projects/simgear properties:'''
|-
| Build/Make/Working Directory || ../../build/simgear
|-
| align="left" colspan="2"|'''projects/simgear/CMakeLists.txt properties:'''
|-
| Arguments || -D CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:PATH="/opt/nb/fgfs/install/OpenSceneGraph" -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -D CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-O3 -D__STDC_CONSTANT_MACROS" -D CMAKE_C_FLAGS="-O3" -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH="../../install/simgear" /opt/nb/fgfs/projects/simgear
|-
| Run Directory ||../../build/OpenSceneGraph
|-
| CMake Command || cmake
|-
| Environment ||
|}

----
== Flightgear ==
----
== Fgrun ==
----
== Fggo ==
----
== Fgcom ==
----
== Atlas ==
#
----

= Notes =

{| border="1"
| align="left" colspan="2"|'''Key Points about configuration in Netbeans 7.1:'''
|-
|configure || The standard unix package configure command
* configure is the build configuration script used by plib
* configure must be created using aclocal.sh
* In netbeans, the propties of configure provide arguments and environment variables for running the configure script
* To build out of tree set the run Directory Property of the configure script file. For example: ../../build/plib
* To install in desired location provide a value for --prefix= in the Arguments property of the configure script file for example: --prefix=/opt/nb/fgfs/install/plib
* The configure script provides the makefiles needed to run the make command
* The make command is run in NetBeans from a dropdown on the project folder
* The make install command is run from the command prompt in the build directory
|-
|CMakeLists.txt || used by OpenSceneGraph, simgear & flightgear
* CMakeLists.txt is provided as of the project in git or subversion
* In netbeans, the properties of CMakeLists.txt provide arguments and environment variables for running cmake

* To build out of tree set the run Directory Property of the CMakeLists.txt file. For example: ../../build/OpenSceneGraph
* To install in desired location provide a value for -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH="" in the Arguments property of the CMakeLists.txt cmake input file for example: -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH="../../install/OpenSceneGraph"
* The cmake script provides the makefiles needed to run the make command
* The make command is run in NetBeans from a dropdown on the project folder
* The make install command is run from the command prompt in the build directory
* OSG_DIR etc should not be set.
|}

= References and Notes: =

* '''Release vs. debug builds:'''. This is supported by cmake using a bunch of flags, just check the devel list archives: [[http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg33816.html]]

* '''Cross platform builds:''' (i.e. Linux host for Win target) will only work with a cross compiler and all required headers and libs. MingW is probably your best bet here (for Windows targets). The simplest (and cleanest) cross-compiling option may be installing a fresh linux distro in a VM and then downloading the official mingw compiler via the package manager so that the VM only supports cross-platform builds, that's also the type of setup used by the jenkins build server. Basically, each VM is absolutely self contained so that you can be 100% certain that there are no dependency conflicts.

* '''Setting up different users for each type of build:''' is by far the easiest option to set up things, because then you don't have to install stuff system-wide stuff, also there's not the slightest chance to mess up your system or the compiler picking up dependencies for the wrong target. Basically, it's all about encapsulation ;-)

* '''System Wide Installs:''' If you want things to be installed "easily" (i.e. system-wide), using separate VMs for each build will probably be easier, i.e. separate VMs for each build target.

* '''The Virtual Appliance Idea:''' Given the complexity involved of getting this right, Horray has been thinking about simplifying this whole thing even further: "The "easiest" route that I could come up with is creating complete IDE setup (NetBeans) and then bundling the whole thing as a ''virtual appliance''. We've been talking about this several times already. This should be possible using VMWare or VirtualBox. Basically, we would set up everything as required in a VM (i.e. NetBeans, libs, compiler, dev tools like gprof etc) and then "remaster" the distribution so that a live CD/DVD or bootable USB stick image can be created. Using www.susestudio.com this would not be too complicated, and it can even be done remotely by using a VNC session. The advantage would be that people would merely have to download a "virtual appliance" which they could directly run on all OS (Windows, MacOS and Linux). By using a DVD, we could even include a checkout/bundle of FGDATA, too. --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] 13:47, 17 March 2012 (EDT)

== Old links ==

Thanks for updating those. I just noticed them myself this morning.
[[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 12:19, 16 October 2015 (EDT)

Template:POTW/2015-40

2015-10-04T14:58:25Z

Adam: Created page with "{{POTW |image = POTM September 2015.jpg|600px |description = September's Screenshot of the Month Winner: c172p over the Lake of Constance. |article = FlightGear New..."

{{POTW
|image = POTM September 2015.jpg|600px
|description = September's Screenshot of the Month Winner: c172p over the Lake of Constance.
|article = FlightGear Newsletter September 2015#Screenshots
}}<noinclude>[[Category:Picture of the week 2015]]</noinclude>

FlightGear Newsletter September 2015

2015-10-04T13:38:30Z

Adam: /* Screenshot of the month */

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter August 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|September 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br/>
[[#New ATC-pie release|New ATC-pie release]]<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}<br/>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br/>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br/>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]
|}</div>

== Development news ==

=== New ATC-pie release ===
[[File:ATC-pie-logo.png|90px|left|ATC-pie logo.]]
A new release (r7) of [[ATC-pie]] was made available this month, whose most visible addition is a '''route details and map view dialog'''. It allows to review the analysis ATC-pie makes of assigned routes, otherwise only written in a linear string form on the strips and flight plans. It also includes a flight time estimation given a speed or an aircraft type. A '''text chat sender blacklist''' was also introduced because of recent trolls spoiling the fun in the some places.

[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeDetailsView.png|600px|ATC-pie route details dialog]]

== In the hangar ==
=== F-15 updates ===
The [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]] has received updates to the flight dynamics, external texturing, cockpit audio warnings (voice and tone), external lighting and liveries. It was observed that the chosen fixed update rate for the Canvas instruments was taking a disproportionate amount of time, so a frame rate adaptive update for these elements has been added which improves things at lower frame rates.

==== V1.2e Changes ====
* Improved external lighting, new lighting dialog in the GUI.
* Corrected stall warning tones, added over-g (OWS) warning tones and vocal warnings for OWS, Caution and fuel.
* Canvas optimisations for low frame rates
* Fix weapon selection after load when master arm selected.
* Improved view positioning for front & backseat.
* Reinstate comm radio support
* FDM: Overload Warning System (OWS) limits added
* FDM: Pitch/Roll ratio improvements (pitch ratio now takes into account CG% MAC).
* FDM: Aileron Rudder Interconnect (ARI) system improved using the schedule in [http://www.zaretto.com/sites/zaretto.com/files/F-15-data/87906main_H-1073.pdf NASA-TM-72861, Figure 23]
* FDM: Corrected lateral position of external wing tanks for mass
* FDM: Nose Wheel Steering operates in two modes; normal and the maneuvering mode
* Improved external textures. Liveries added for 48th FW, RAF Lakenheath and 131st FW, Lambert St. Louis ANG.

[[File:F-15C-2015-08-11-i2.jpg|600px|F-15C Over the Alps (with updated livery)]]

Changes will be in 3.6, available in FGAddon and on the [http://www.zaretto.com/f-15 development site].

=== Space Shuttle ===

Work has started on re-creating the avionics of the Space Shuttle in Flightgear. For the late Shuttle fleet, this is a mixture of two layers - the interaction with the data processing system (DPS) is just as for the early Shuttle fleet (without glass cockpits and CRT screens) via text menu items. The new Shuttles have this structure embedded in the Multifunction Electronic Display System (MEDS) which offer the features of a fairly modern glass cockpit.

The simulated avionics has both these layers - here is an example of the universal pointing mode (attitude control) with the MEDS structure (edge-key controlled) on the bottom and above the DPS screen structure with which the pilot interacts via keyboard.

[[File:Shuttle_ops201.jpg|600px|Space Shuttle avionics]]

Commands are entered as strings referencing items on the display, for instance the sequence <b>ITEM 9 + 88.5</b> shown on the scratch line would set item 9 on the screen to the value of + 88.5 (if possible).

Automatic attitude control and guidance routines are developed alongside with the avionics. As of September 2015, there is support for body vector inertial pointing, tracking of Earth or the Sun and tracking a specific location on Earth as well as fully automated OMS burns.

== Scenery corner ==
More airports with movable jetways: KSFO, EDDL, EDDH.

== Community news ==

== Contributing ==
=== 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:fr.gif]]
| Le wiki de FlightGear a toujours besoin d'aide pour être traduit en différentes langues. Si vous êtes intéressé par le rendre multilingue, commencez par lire [[:fr:Help:Traduire|Help:Traduire]].
|-
| [[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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|-
| [[File:pt.gif]]
| A wiki de FlightGear ainda necessita de ajuda para traduzi-la em vários idiomas. Se estás interessado em tornar a wiki de FlightGear multi-lingual, por favor começa em [[:pt/Help: Traduzir|Help: Traduzir]].
|}

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].
==== Screenshot of the Month ====
This Month's winner is:
[[File:POTM September 2015.jpg|900px|center|Cessna C172p flying over the Lake of Constance. By DG-505]]
Thanks for the great entries everyone! Please remember next month's contest!
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 09]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.6]]

File:Cessna 172P over Lake of Constance.jpg

2015-10-04T13:35:21Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=Cessna C172p flying over the Lake of Constance. By DG-505}}
|date=2015-10-04 09:25:54
|source=FlightGear Forum
|author=DG-505
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{subst:Custom license marker added by UW}}
It was published by DG-505 for the express purpose of me publishing it here

[[Category:Cessna]]

FlightGear Newsletter August 2015

2015-08-06T12:31:04Z

Adam: /* Screenshots of the month */

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter July 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|August 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br/><br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br/><br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br/>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br/>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br/>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]
|}</div>

== Development news ==

== In the hangar ==

== Scenery corner ==

== Community news ==

== Contributing ==
=== 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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].
==== Screenshot of the Month ====
As usual, the screenshot of the month contest continues. Suggestions for this months best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27053 this] forum topic. Be sure to see the first post for participation rules. For purposes of convenience and organization, after all entries have been submitted, a new post will be started containing all shots in an easy to view layout. There voting will take place. The best screenshot which will be presented on this page.
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 08]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.4]]

FlightGear Newsletter July 2015

2015-08-01T22:40:59Z

Adam: /* Screenshot of the month */

{{draft|newsletter|Please feel free to add content you think will be of interest to the FlightGear community. You can read the latest newsletter at [[FlightGear Newsletter June 2015]].}}

{{Newsletter-header|July 2015}}
<div style="border-bottom:3px double #BBB;">
{| width="100%" |
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Development news}}<br/>
[[#Release Process Delayed|Release Process Delayed]]<br/>
[[#ATC-pie r5 release|ATC-pie r5 release]]<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|In the hangar}}<br/>
[[#F-15 release|F-15 release]]<br/>
[[#DHC-6 Twin Otter update|DHC-6 Twin Otter update]]<br/>
[[#Space Shuttle development|Space Shuttle development]]<br/>
[[#New version of the Extra EA-500|New version of the Extra EA-500]]<br/>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Scenery Corner}}<br/>
[[#New building "A+" at Frankfurt Airport (EDDF)|New building "A+" at Frankfurt Airport (EDDF)]]<br/>
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Community News}}<br/>
[[#Around the world in the footsteps of Amelia Earhart|Around the world in the footsteps of Amelia Earhart]]<br/>
[[#World tour|World tour]]<br/>
| valign="top" width="33%" |
{{Newsletter-cover-header|Contributing}}<br/>
[[#Translators required|Translators required]]<br/>
[[#FlightGear logos|FlightGear logos]]<br/>
[[#Screenshots|Screenshots]]<br/>
<small>[[#Screenshot of the month|Screenshot of the month]]<br/></small>
|}</div>

== Development News ==
{{FGCquote
|Due to the outage at SourceForge, the creation of the release branches<br/>
has to be postponed until our repositories are back online.<br/>
I don't have any information beyond the official note from [https://twitter.com/sfnet_ops sfnet_ops]<br/>
and can just sit and wait as anybody else while the operators push in<br/>
the wheelbarrows with backup tapes.<br/>
We have dismissed the idea of preparing the release branches and re-<br/>
lease candidates offline because of the many manual steps required.<br/>
Instead we will shorten the release-candidate period and still plan<br/>
for a release around Aug. 17th.

Torsten
(inofficial,self proclaimed and de-facto release manager)
|{{cite web |url=http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=26905#p251505
|title=<nowiki>[FlightGear forum] Release Process Delayed</nowiki>
|author=<nowiki>Torsten Dreyer</nowiki>
|date=<nowiki>2015-07-20</nowiki>
}}
}}

=== ATC-pie r5 release ===
[[File:ATC-pie-logo.png|100px|left|ATC-pie logo.]]
A new release (r5) of [[ATC-pie]] is now out, featuring [[ATC-pie#Routing_and_conflict_warnings|path conflict detection]] and easier (mouse-based) routing changes. This is quite a step forward as it enables '''en-route centre control''' on the FG network. Controllers can now attend a large airspace and easily edit IFR routes, assign altitudes and be alerted when any of those intersect.

[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeConflictDetection.png|550px|Example of a path conflict detection]]

NB: The Git repository is up, but the project page is still missing a downloadable tarball because of a persisting SourceForge file upload service outage. See the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=26894#p251431 forum announcement post] for a work-around link.

== In the Hangar ==
=== F-15 release ===
Richard Harrison has been working tirelessly for the past 8 months on a new [[McDonell Douglas F-15 Eagle]] for FlightGear, and has now released a completed version that will be available in the upcoming 3.6 release. Before the release of 3.6 the F-15 can be downloaded from the development site http://www.zaretto.com/f-15.

The F-15 has a wind tunnel derived aerodynamic model, with detailed photo realistic cockpit, full systems modelling and support for air to air missiles. The new ALS thruster and interior effects (glass, frost, shadow, backlit panels) are supported.

Two variants have been modeled — the single-seat F-15C, and the two-seater F-15D, which can be ridden by a multiplayer passenger.

[[File:F-15-Cockpit.jpg|600px|Richard Harrison's new F-15 Eagle cockpit centre panel]]<br/>

[[File:F-15 afterburner.jpg|600px|Richard Harrison's new F-15 Eagle with the new afterburner effect]]
[[File:F-15C-KSFO-runway.jpg|600px|Richard Harrison's new F-15 Eagle on the runway at KSFO with the new ALS cockpit effects]]

=== DHC-6 Twin Otter update ===
Thanks to lanbo64 and dg-505, the Twin Otter has been updated with the most recent ALS interior effects. It now contains interior shadows, glass reflections, a flashlight, rain effect, frost patterns and fog on windows, and a realistic window heating system to solve the problem with frost and fog on the windows. Download the updated version from [https://github.com/bolan/dhc6 GitHub].

[[File:Twin Otter - interior shadows.jpg|600px|left]][[File:Twin Otter - new interior effects.jpg|600px]]

=== Space Shuttle development ===

A flight-tested milestone aimed for the 3.6 release has been pushed to FGAddon. In the mean time, Space Shuttle development continues - we are currently adding the capability to handle payloads with the RMS manipulator arm, unlatch them from the payload bay and transfer them into space, or latch them back into the payload bay.

[[File:Payload ops03.jpg|600px|The RMS arm of the Space Shuttle moving a satellite out of the payload bay]]

=== New version of the Extra EA-500 ===
A new version (v3.0.0) of the Extra 500 developed by D-EKEW, D-LEON, D-STHO has been released. The update includes many features from FlightGear 3.6: ALS interior and outside shadows, rain, ice and fog on the windows. Besides that the fuel system has been remodelled in JSBSim (was previously in NASAL), and the battery model and [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22124&start=60#p252114 many other things] have been improved. Check out the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22124 Development thread] on the Forum and the [[Extra EA-500|wiki page]].

[[File:Extra500 flightgear2.png|600px]]<br/>

== Scenery Corner ==
=== New building "A+" at Frankfurt Airport (EDDF) ===
The building is 800m long and has space for 7 "heavy" class airliners like the 747 and A380.
[http://www.23hq.com/16171062/21226637_fb06c8253774348f7f00034c9a2a3c58_large.jpg]

=== Photovoltaic Power Stations ===
Photovoltaic power stations (aka solar parks) can be seen at EDLV and EDDL. The smaller one is a shared model so you can place it easily at other locations.

=== Highway Bridges near EDDL and EDLE ===
1830m Mintarder Ruhrtalbrücke and Flughafenbrücke(1286m) with special low pylon design.

== Community News ==
=== Around the world in the footsteps of Amelia Earhart ===
User {{usr|Legoboyvdlp}} is planning to fly the route of {{Wikipedia|Amelia Earhart|Amelia Earhart's}} ill-fated trip around the world nearly 80 years ago on July 9th. After editing the [[FDM]] to match the modifications made to Amelia's Electra, he will be following her exact route in the [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra]]. This endeavor will be tracked daily as the route is travelled.

=== World tour ===
On July 6th, user Turnit will commence another around-the-world flight in a [[Boeing 737-100]]. The flight will be conducted on [[multiplayer]], so all are free to join in with him. More details are to be released shortly. His route will start from KSEA and head west, the full route being shown below:
[[File:WorldTour.gif|center|900px]]

== Contributing ==
=== 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 wiki de FlightGear 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]].
|-
| [[File:cat.gif]]
| La wiki de FlightGear encara necessita ajuda per traduir-la a diverses llengües. Si esteu interessat en fer la wiki de FlightGear multilingüe, llavors comenceu a [[:ca:Help:Traduir|Help:Traduir]].
|}

=== FlightGear logos ===
If you want some graphic elements for your FlightGear-related site (such as a hangar or YouTube channel), please feel free to visit [[FlightGear logos]] for a repository of logos. And if you have some art skills, please don't hesitate to contribute with your own design creations.

=== Screenshots ===
The FlightGear project always needs screenshots, which show features that were added since the last release. These should be of good quality, especially in content and technical image properties. It is therefore recommended to use the best viable filter settings ([[anti-aliasing]], texture sharpening, etc.). More info at [[Howto:Make nice screenshots]].

==== Screenshot of the month ====
User Mig29pilot (wiki: {{usr|Adam}}) revived the screenshot of the month in June. Suggestions for this months best screenshot can be submitted to [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=26711 this forum topic]. Be sure to see the first post for participation rules. Later in the month, there will be a vote on the best screenshot, which will be presented on this page. This month's winner is:
[[File:Cub@MountRoraima.jpg|center|600px]]

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2015 07]]
[[Category:Changes after 3.4]]

File:Cub@MountRoraima.jpg

2015-08-01T22:38:39Z

Adam: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=Piper cub with the new liveries at Mount Roraima}}
|date=2015-08-01 18:36:41
|source=forum.flightgear.org
|author=lomar
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{subst:Custom license marker added by UW}}
Published with the express purpose of being used by me (Adam, else MIG29pilot) on this website.

[[Category:Screenshots]]

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter July 2015

2015-07-26T22:00:10Z

Adam: /* Interior Shadows/frost and fog */ new section

== Interior Shadows/frost and fog ==

I must say (referring to the Extra) that Throsten's frost, fog, rain and shado effects have really taken off. That's tree aircraft that have them so far (c172p, DHC6, and now Extra EA-500) Funnily enough, the Shuttle itself doesn't seem to have these effects!
[[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 18:00, 26 July 2015 (EDT)

FlightGear wiki:Village pump

2015-07-22T15:03:29Z

Adam: /* Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages */

{{Archives|[[/Archive 2012|2012]], [[/Archive 2013|2013]], [[/Archive 2014|2014]]}}
Welcome to the '''Village Pump'''. This page is used to discuss the technical issues, operations and guidelines of the [[FlightGear wiki]].

: Please [{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} add new topics] to the '''bottom''' of this page.

: Old discussion should be moved to a [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive YEAR]]. These discussions can then be moved to a relevant talk page if appropriate.

----

== Navigation links added to FlightGear Newsletter header ==

As per [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=25104 request by Michat on the forum] I have now managed to add navigation links to the FlightGear Newsletter header, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, pointing to the previous and next months newsletter.

So far I have only added it to the latest header though.

Happy browsing! :-)

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:48, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

: Looking into the older template, {{tl|Newsletter}}, I have seen a fundamental difference. The new one, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, uses a parameter, '''edition''', that I have used to get working links to the previous and following editions.

: It seems that a similar behavior can not be added to the older template without adding a similar parameter to it and all older editions of the newsletter. I simply can not figure out a way to parse the page name into a date. :-\

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 10:05, 23 May 2015 (EDT)

== MediaWiki updated to 1.24.1 ==

I've updated MediaWiki to the latest stable release (1.24.1) today. There is a small issue with some of the extensions not displaying icons, so some of them have been disabled for the moment. I hope to have them re-enabled later today. Please report bugs if you find any. For a list of changes, see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.24

[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 12:00, 1 February 2015 (EST)

: It seems that Nasal syntax highlighting via Geshi is no longer working (I think it was Philosopher who came up with the module...)?
: --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 15:58, 1 February 2015 (EST)

:: Ah, didn't move that one over. Should be fixed now.
:: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:19, 1 February 2015 (EST)

::: Confirmed fixed. Thank you for the quick fix. :-D
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:49, 1 February 2015 (EST)

== Support SVG file ==

Is there some securty issues/software limitations (no plugin's installed) why the wiki don't support uploads of SVG images?

[[User:Www2|Www2]] ([[User talk:Www2|talk]]) 21:02, 4 February 2015 (EST)

== If you find missing images ==

In case you find missing images have a look at this page: [[FlightGear wiki:Missing images]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:51, 7 February 2015 (EST)

== Additional Portals ==
Given the recent interest in doing embedded development related to FlightGear (Arduino/Rasberry PI), I was thinking that we might want to introduce dedicated portals for such use-cases, to keep things neatly organized, but also to provide a place to grow this further - e.g. depending on how this goes, we could have portals covering:
* Embedded/Hardware (including cockpit building)
* UAVs

Equally, we may want to provide sub-forums for these two topics, which should help clean up the offtopic/development forum, too. Currently, the SUPPORT/HARDWARE forum is being used for many of these topics, even though that was originally intended for joysticks/yokes and pedals related stuff - not custom hardware, which would fit better under DEVELOPMENT in my opinon.

As far as I can tell there are roughly 10-15 contributors actively exploring embedded development including UAV stuff - so I guess it would be a good idea for the project (i.e. the forum and the wiki) to provide some structure to "house" such efforts.

thoughts/ideas ?
--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 06:17, 10 February 2015 (EST)

== Wiki extensions observations ==

Hi all,

Recently I was looking at the [[Special:Version#Installed extensions|installed extensions]], and noticed the below:

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery SmoothGallery]
: It appears that it doesn't work anymore on this wiki. For instance, the below code …
<nowiki><sgallery>
Glass01.jpg
Glass07.jpg
Glass11.jpg
</sgallery></nowiki>
: … causes the following error:

: Notice: Undefined variable: args in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGallery.php on line 113 Fatal error: Call to undefined method LocalFile::getThumbnail() in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGalleryParser.php on line 208

: This could be related to extension's [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery#Fixing_bugs bugs].

: I suggest this extension be removed because
# As far as I know, it's not used on any of the wiki's pages.
# Is it needed?
# Its ''unstable'' as of 22 March, 2015, which means it's broken and shouldn't be used ([http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_status link]).

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EmbedVideo EmbedVideo]
: According to the [http://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Extension:EmbedVideo&oldid=1447164 page revision as of 16 March 2015], there were XSS flaws in version 2.2.4 and earlier of the extension. It should probably be updated to the latest revision.

[[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 14:08, 22 March 2015 (EDT)

: Both are done. Thanks for reporting!
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 17:21, 24 March 2015 (EDT)

== Boeing 777 Cleanup ==

Just wrapping up cleaning up Boeing 777 articles that I discussed a full year ago. All now redirect centrally to that page. This makes for a lot less segregated wiki. Looking at it, it would appear that very little happens on the individual pages and the content on them is relatively insignificant. The stuff that is needed I copied over to the main page. Will try to add some pictures as well.

If anybody has any objections, speak up :)

: It would be really useful to merge the pages ''if'' the aircraft are similar in many ways, for example:
:* All part of the same aircraft package
:* Same or similar usage, for example
:** Keyboard shortcuts
:** Custom dialogs
:** Clickable cockpit interfaces
:* Same levels of system modeling

: If they could be handled pretty much the same way and was part of the same aircraft package I don't think I would have any objections.

: However, if they differ a lot in the areas mentioned above I think it would not be a good idea to merge the pages; the aircraft would be dissimilar enough that the page would have to be uncomfortably long and possibly confusing if it were to describe the different workings.

: If they are not part of the same aircraft package, looking into the similarities and differences and slowly work towards integrating them into the same aircraft package could also bee a good idea.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:48, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

== Aircraft Page Organization ==
I just started a [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=26161 topic] over on the forum on how posts are organized if somebody has input.

{{unsigned|11:45, 5 May 2015|Manfred}}

: I think it would probably be better to discuss the quality and organization of the wiki right here (on this very page) than on the forum.

: The main two reasons for that is (1) to keep the wiki quality discussions here and (2) that it would be a bit more transparent to do it that way.

: The transparency is important in that it would make it easier to later look into ''why'' things were decided to be in a certain way and ''who'' said ''what'' and ''when''.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 08:07, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

Alright, so here goes:

By the nature of FlightGear, multiple people might work on different projects covering the same areas. For instance, there are 2 different projects covering the Boeing 787. This makes overview and indexing very difficult. Wikipedia is designed to only really have one article on a topic (i.e. aircraft) that can be extended.

For instance:

{{Airbus}}

It is dreadfully unclear on the overview of aircraft. In my opinion, it would make more sense to get an disambiguation page on the various 'packages' that contain the A319 for instance. The multiple entries greatly diminishes the value of the list.

Here are a few ideas:
* '''Give aircraft a codeword or project name.''' For instance, the Boeing 787 (Dream Project) or Boeing 787 (GPL Project) to distinguish between them. Then list them like that in the index as well. When you both have a --aircraft= A319 and A319-131, what are you going to do when the next person comes around and wants to design an A319? It would make more sense to migrate to a structure of say B787-8-Dream and B787-8-GPL. If you make a piece of software, you're not going to go calling your software 'Conference Manager', with the next person making the similar stuff calling it 'Conference Manager 2', but rather ConferenceTime and and ConferenceMaster. Naming your work after aircraft in the current way gets bloody confusing.

* I imagine that perhaps as a bit of a continuation of the above, '''people try to distinguish between their models by giving them very specific names, such as Boeing 707-338'''. I realize that people want to work on it themselves, but from a broader perspective, how much technical difference is there really between these? The A319 should also work with the corresponding changes as a A320- it is an identical cockpit and much the same fuselage. IMHO, it should have been filed as an A320 instead with only one model, an A319. As for the Boeing, give it a codeword, such as Boeing 707 (Qantas Project). It even makes it more marketable.

* '''Clearly distinguish between current and past development in the template''', i.e. add a new index on the left that contains both categories. I find that not doing any work on the model in five years qualifies for past development.

The ability to grow is proportional to the ability to handle the increase in information. While this perhaps happens mostly on aircraft articles, what happens if somebody wants a fresh start on that airport scenery? How does he name the page and organize it in relation to the current one? It would have been easier to name both after some town landmark so one the second one came around, you could easily categorise them.

In a nutshell:
* Give all aircraft projects a name after the aircraft type ("Boeing 787"+ Phoenix, Dream, Toulouse...+ Project) to distinguish between individual development.
* Sort all aircraft by model type (i.e. A320) rather than the sub-model being worked on (i.e. A319).

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 11:56, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: You have several good points there. I have some thoughts on them (note that this this is only my opinions).
:; Disambiguation pages: This could probably be used on an aircraft type level basis. For example describing the Boeing 777 in general and short descriptions of the 'subtypes' and links to pages with them and any different variants. To some extent this could be given a standardized look by using templates.
:: I think these could be very useful, and I wish there was some of them.
:; The navigation template: Dreadful at least to some extent. I have more than once found them a bit inconsistent and confusing (in particular when looking like the one you showed here). Could probably be remade quite a bit, possibly following the structure I outlined in the point above.
:; Project names: I have noted that a few projects have had names, for example the ''Lake of Constance Boeing 707'' or the ''Seattle'' (though I embarrassingly do not remember what aircraft type that was).
:; Distinguish between past and current development: Probably a good idea. Could possibly be done with color coded backgrounds for the aircraft type text and color coding of the development state field in the aircraft infobox.

: Some additional thoughts:
:* I guess the navigation templates could also be link to the aircraft disambiguation pages when needed.
:* Setting up a style manual for the disambiguation pages and navigation templates would probably be a good idea. It should not be done before some time of experimentation though.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:40, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

===Action Plan===

It's good to see that we are on the same page. To complete this:

* I propose that we start with the Boeing aircraft as a model project.
* We need a name structure for all aircraft that is universal and unique. Otherwise the reorganization will be in vain. As suggested earlier, along the lines of [Manufacturer, Model, Project Name]. The problem is that last one. I called the 787 'GPL' and 'Dreamliner' but I don't like any of those and would much rather give them something that is really not connected to any other aircraft of the name it itself. I'd propose 'Seattle' and 'Firebird' but I don't want to go renaming all the aircraft myself. I think it's something the developers should come up with. The aircraft would not be renamed A319 Toulouse Project, because the fact that it is an A319 is insignificant in that it uses much the same fuselage and identical cockpit as the A320. Only a significant model code should be included. Less of a problem with Boeing but this has to work everywhere.
* I am really not sure about putting the background history on a separate page and I'm tempted to say we should leave that to Wikipedia. I think it would be better just to make it to a disambiguation page.

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 16:38, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: For the disambiguation pages I was more thinking along the lines of for example [[Boeing 707]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_707&oldid=63942 permalink]) and [[Boeing 747]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_747&oldid=62527 permalink]), but with maybe shorter general descriptions and a one-liner or short paragraph describing each variant. An [[User:Johan G/Aircraft series|early draft of one possible way]] to do it have been added to my [[User:Johan G/In my sandbox|sandbox]].

: To my slight frustration the {{tl|Boeing}} template is more consistent and logical than the {{tl|Airbus}} template (in essence less 'messy'). Some of my thoughts on how to improve it (and probably other ones as well) turned into a puff of smoke when I saw it.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 09:53, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

:: While I do agree that disambiguation pages are an important step on the way, they are not the solution to the problem. People working on very similar aircraft differentiate their by minimalistic changes in their model name, but this is subject to change as people add different variations of that aircraft based off the same cockpit for instance. It has to be 'robust' in that regard. That is why the unique identifier in the form of a 'project name' or an equivalent solution is necessary, especially for the Airbus aircraft as can be seen. Even if there's only one model at the moment, since there's no harm in doing so because somebody might come along and start some new work. But giving them a name only here won't be very clear and would ideally occur for all use 'globally' in FlightGear.

:: [[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 12:18, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

::: I can only agree to that the disambiguation pages are not the solution. Regarding those I am rather thinking of consistent style and intuitive navigation (as in more effortless for the reader).

::: Ideally (as in an utopia) aircraft should be merged or better ones replace older ones, at least in regard to the official aircraft (in essence those available from the download page). But waiting for the utopia differentiating between them using project names is probably the best way.

::: Maybe we <s>&ensp;could&ensp;</s> should encourage people to use project names in those cases when they can not merge aircraft (for example due to licenses etc). Using project names consistently, as you seem to suggest, is would probably work well. Also, people tend to copy other peoples way of doing things.

::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:52, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

== Bug report specific article(s) ==
To my surprise there is no [[Submitting bug reports]] article (or [[Responding to bug reports]] for that matter), and I remind myself that the relevant information is spread throughout the wiki instead of being summed up in one place.

Some things to consider when writing it (kind of a 'note to self' for now):

* The bug reports themselves:
** What bugs should be reported where?
*** FlightGear itself
*** Aircraft, vehicles etc.
*** Airports
*** Scenery
** What information might be needed?
** What kind of responses should be expected?

* Target groups?
** Non-native English speaking computer novices?
** Regular FlightGear users?
** FlightGear developers?

* Concepts could also be borrowed from from:
** Eric Steven Raymond, [http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html How To Ask Questions The Smart Way]
** Amy Hoy, [http://slash7.com/2006/12/22/vampires/ Help Vampires: A Spotter’s Guide], in particular the section ''Reforming the Help Vampire''
** Karl Fogel, Producing Open Source Software, [http://producingoss.com/en/bug-tracker.html Bug Tracker]

* Last, but not least: What formal and informal guidelines, rules and procedures do we actually have?

It would be quite preferable from a maintenance perspective to have that information gathered to only a few places and only describe the concepts briefly before linking to those articles, also from the forum and mailing list (in essence DRY – Don't Repeat Yourself).

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:23, 10 May 2015 (EDT)

== Most helicopter screenshots are now categorized ==

With some few exceptions all helicopter screenshots are now categorized in [[:Category:Screenshots of helicopters]] and its subcategories. ''Tip: Test clicking the blue triangles. ;-)''

What I am trying to achieve is to separate files and articles and to put the files into a browseable category structure (sort of like a tree with some spider webs here and there between the branches). That way they should be easier to find for example when looking for the next [[:Category:Picture of the week|picture of the week]] or a good illustration for an article.

The exception is the files that have gotten a [[:Category:Copyright statuses|license category]], but is not categorized in any other relevant category, are not used in an article and/or does not have a descriptive file name.

:''See also [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive 2014#Having separate image categories or not?]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump/Archive_2014&oldid=81713#Having_separate_image_categories_or_not.3F permalink])''

I am ''very'' slowly working on adding {{tl|file information}} templates, descriptions, links and categories to uncategorized files, with the long term goal of not having any files that not can be found by browsing logical and consistent categories.

Good file names, descriptions, categories and internal linking are all four good 'white hat' search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, in essence making it easier to find what you are looking for. Be that using the wiki's search engine or an external one such as Google search.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:00, 14 May 2015 (EDT)

== Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages ==

I would like to hear some ideas of how to disambiguate the two Space Shuttle articles, [[Space Shuttle]] originally about the 3D model-less FGData Space Shuttle re-entry FDM but now about the shuttle by the [[FlightGear space program]], and [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview‎]] modified from that one.

Preferably they could be differentiated by different project names or something like that.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:22, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

: Hi Johan,
: My two cents are as follows ('''HW''' = HerbyW Space Shuttle, '''TH''' = Thorsten Space Shuttle):
:{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
! Shuttle variant !! Suggestion !! Comments
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FlightGear Space Program)
| Too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)
| Again, too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (Space Program)
| Would make people think that the Space Shuttle is the name of a space program.
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle (official)
| Don't like this one myself. Also, might be too controversial.
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align: center" | Favoured by me
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FGSP)
| None
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle
| None
|}

: Also, idea for disambiguation text (assuming my favoured suggestions above):
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap"><nowiki>The Space Shuttle could either refer to …
* The [[Space Shuttle (FGSP)|Space Shuttle]] developed from the original Shuttle by {{usr|HerbW}} ''et al'' for the [[FlightGear Space Program]].
* The [[Space Shuttle]] further developed from the above by {{usr|Thorsten}} ''et al'' with new, more realistic [[FDM]]. This is the Space Shuttle that is included in the [[FGAddon]] repository.</nowiki></pre>

: I hope these suggestions are helpful.
: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 15:50, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

:: First off I will apologize for the late reply.

:: I think I consider it a good idea to move the current [[Space Shuttle]] article to [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]], moving [[Space Shuttle - Project overview]] there instead, and keep the [[Space Shuttle (disambiguation)]] page describing both in a few lines. I think that "FGSP" would be a bit too cryptic for the "uninitiated", but that most users would be able to figure out "FG".

:: The new [[Space Shuttle]] and [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]] should most probably point to the disambiguation page rather than each other.

:: Though not really a part of the reply, it is for the record perhaps worth repeating that the current [[Space Shuttle]] article previously described the fgdata (later FGAddons) one, but was changed to describe the [[FlightGear space program]]/HerbieW/[[FGMEMBERS]] one (see [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Space_Shuttle&diff=next&oldid=81334 diff]).

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:03, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

::: Hi.
::: Personally, I think if we just called Thorsten's (alright, Thorsten, just to eliminate confusion) shuttle's article "Space Shuttle", then did a blurb at the top such as,"For Jon Berndt's model-less fdm and HerbyW's early model, see HERE and HERE".
::: Just another two pennies towards a dollar
::: [[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 18:28, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

:::: Psst, that Red Leader and I mention one as related to the [[FlightGear Space Program]] is that both at least was based on Jon Bernt's atmospheric entry FDM and HerbyW's 3D model. ;-)
:::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:59, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

:::::Well, of course, ideally we want [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview]] To just be called Space Shuttle (for purposes of putting best foot--or wing, as the case may be--forward.) Then perhaps we could call Herby's shuttle "Space Shuttle--Model", and the FDM "Space Shuttle-FDM". That makes four cents so far.[[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 11:03, 22 July 2015 (EDT)

== How do I load Cessna 152 on to FSX (2015) on OS X macbook ==

Hi I hope you can help. I'm a new user of FlightGear and training for my PPL.
I have software loaded on my macbook and have tried out the C172 but I want the Cessna 152 that I'm doing lessons in.
I've tried to download from disc but I can't do it. I searched online and can only find an add on for PCs.

Could you tell me where I can find it to download and step by step instructions please?

Z

{{unsigned|19:51, 14 June 2015|Zedbee}}

: You would probably get good answers if you register to the [http://forum.flightgear.org/ forum] and ask in the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewforum.php?f=21 Mac subforum].

: P.S. You can not use FSX aircraft directly in FlightGear, at the other hand there is probably at least one available for FlightGear.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:36, 14 June 2015 (EDT)

== Rename Template ==
Do we have a template which alerts admins to a rename request?
[[Avoiding Multiple Downloads of FGData]] could have on Linux tagged on, while the EDDK article needs rename to Flüghafen Koln / Bonn (EDDK) and the "AV8R 2nd Throttle as Pan Speed" AV8R Should be Aviator...
[[User:Legoboyvdlp|Legoboyvdlp]] ([[User talk:Legoboyvdlp|talk]]) 15:42, 7 July 2015 (EDT)

: There is no need to call in admins for "renaming" or rather ''moving'' articles. ;-)

: If you hover over or click on the down arrow between the "More" label and the search box to the top right of the page you will see the option "Move", which is wiki jargon for "rename". Before starting to move pages, have a peek at [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Manual_of_Style&oldid=75296#Article_titles FlightGear wiki:Manual of Style#Article titles] (it is a short section).

: {{inote|Please leave a redirect behind even if there is no wiki pages linking to that article. There may be links to that page outside the wiki.}}

: Slightly off topic now, but maybe useful later: To move a category you would have to move the category page '''and''' edit all the pages in that category so the category link points to the new category. See also [[Help:Categories]].

: You can see the difference in what regular users and admins can do at [[Special:ListGroupRights]].

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 13:15, 9 July 2015 (EDT)

== Template:Dmbox and the disambiguation categories ==
It seems {{tl|dmbox}} adds several categories to each disambiguation page it is used on. In addition {{tl|disambiguation}}, which uses that template, add one category further.

I would say that the "All ..." is superfluous as well. Also, currently none of the categories have a parent category.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:26, 12 July 2015 (EDT)

== Description of the FlightGear screenshot categories ==
{{hatnote|Regarding the new article [[FlightGear wiki:FlightGear screenshot categories]].}}

I have now written together a description of how I have organized the [[:Category:FlightGear screenshots|FlightGear screenshot categories]] ([[Special:CategoryTree/FlightGear screenshots|tree]]) and the rationale behind them. I think I have been working on categorizing the images and in particular the screenshots uploaded to this wiki since even before the village pump was here, but I have never really tried to explain what it was all about.

I would encourage everyone to have a look at it, in particular if you more or less regularly upload screenshots to the wiki.

I do encourage leaving feedback on the [[FlightGear wiki talk:FlightGear screenshot categories|discussion page]]. However, I also want to point out that this is a de facto description and that ''some'' aspects of how the screenshots actually are organized probably cannot be changed without requiring literally man-months of work, even if some things can be done by [[User:BotFlightGear|robot]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:18, 19 July 2015 (EDT)

FlightGear wiki:Village pump

2015-07-21T22:28:44Z

Adam: /* Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages */

{{Archives|[[/Archive 2012|2012]], [[/Archive 2013|2013]], [[/Archive 2014|2014]]}}
Welcome to the '''Village Pump'''. This page is used to discuss the technical issues, operations and guidelines of the [[FlightGear wiki]].

: Please [{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} add new topics] to the '''bottom''' of this page.

: Old discussion should be moved to a [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive YEAR]]. These discussions can then be moved to a relevant talk page if appropriate.

----

== Navigation links added to FlightGear Newsletter header ==

As per [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=25104 request by Michat on the forum] I have now managed to add navigation links to the FlightGear Newsletter header, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, pointing to the previous and next months newsletter.

So far I have only added it to the latest header though.

Happy browsing! :-)

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:48, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

: Looking into the older template, {{tl|Newsletter}}, I have seen a fundamental difference. The new one, {{tl|Newsletter-header}}, uses a parameter, '''edition''', that I have used to get working links to the previous and following editions.

: It seems that a similar behavior can not be added to the older template without adding a similar parameter to it and all older editions of the newsletter. I simply can not figure out a way to parse the page name into a date. :-\

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 10:05, 23 May 2015 (EDT)

== MediaWiki updated to 1.24.1 ==

I've updated MediaWiki to the latest stable release (1.24.1) today. There is a small issue with some of the extensions not displaying icons, so some of them have been disabled for the moment. I hope to have them re-enabled later today. Please report bugs if you find any. For a list of changes, see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.24

[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 12:00, 1 February 2015 (EST)

: It seems that Nasal syntax highlighting via Geshi is no longer working (I think it was Philosopher who came up with the module...)?
: --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 15:58, 1 February 2015 (EST)

:: Ah, didn't move that one over. Should be fixed now.
:: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:19, 1 February 2015 (EST)

::: Confirmed fixed. Thank you for the quick fix. :-D
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:49, 1 February 2015 (EST)

== Support SVG file ==

Is there some securty issues/software limitations (no plugin's installed) why the wiki don't support uploads of SVG images?

[[User:Www2|Www2]] ([[User talk:Www2|talk]]) 21:02, 4 February 2015 (EST)

== If you find missing images ==

In case you find missing images have a look at this page: [[FlightGear wiki:Missing images]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:51, 7 February 2015 (EST)

== Additional Portals ==
Given the recent interest in doing embedded development related to FlightGear (Arduino/Rasberry PI), I was thinking that we might want to introduce dedicated portals for such use-cases, to keep things neatly organized, but also to provide a place to grow this further - e.g. depending on how this goes, we could have portals covering:
* Embedded/Hardware (including cockpit building)
* UAVs

Equally, we may want to provide sub-forums for these two topics, which should help clean up the offtopic/development forum, too. Currently, the SUPPORT/HARDWARE forum is being used for many of these topics, even though that was originally intended for joysticks/yokes and pedals related stuff - not custom hardware, which would fit better under DEVELOPMENT in my opinon.

As far as I can tell there are roughly 10-15 contributors actively exploring embedded development including UAV stuff - so I guess it would be a good idea for the project (i.e. the forum and the wiki) to provide some structure to "house" such efforts.

thoughts/ideas ?
--[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 06:17, 10 February 2015 (EST)

== Wiki extensions observations ==

Hi all,

Recently I was looking at the [[Special:Version#Installed extensions|installed extensions]], and noticed the below:

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery SmoothGallery]
: It appears that it doesn't work anymore on this wiki. For instance, the below code …
<nowiki><sgallery>
Glass01.jpg
Glass07.jpg
Glass11.jpg
</sgallery></nowiki>
: … causes the following error:

: Notice: Undefined variable: args in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGallery.php on line 113 Fatal error: Call to undefined method LocalFile::getThumbnail() in /home/wiki/wiki/extensions/SmoothGallery/SmoothGalleryParser.php on line 208

: This could be related to extension's [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SmoothGallery#Fixing_bugs bugs].

: I suggest this extension be removed because
# As far as I know, it's not used on any of the wiki's pages.
# Is it needed?
# Its ''unstable'' as of 22 March, 2015, which means it's broken and shouldn't be used ([http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_status link]).

; [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EmbedVideo EmbedVideo]
: According to the [http://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Extension:EmbedVideo&oldid=1447164 page revision as of 16 March 2015], there were XSS flaws in version 2.2.4 and earlier of the extension. It should probably be updated to the latest revision.

[[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 14:08, 22 March 2015 (EDT)

: Both are done. Thanks for reporting!
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 17:21, 24 March 2015 (EDT)

== Boeing 777 Cleanup ==

Just wrapping up cleaning up Boeing 777 articles that I discussed a full year ago. All now redirect centrally to that page. This makes for a lot less segregated wiki. Looking at it, it would appear that very little happens on the individual pages and the content on them is relatively insignificant. The stuff that is needed I copied over to the main page. Will try to add some pictures as well.

If anybody has any objections, speak up :)

: It would be really useful to merge the pages ''if'' the aircraft are similar in many ways, for example:
:* All part of the same aircraft package
:* Same or similar usage, for example
:** Keyboard shortcuts
:** Custom dialogs
:** Clickable cockpit interfaces
:* Same levels of system modeling

: If they could be handled pretty much the same way and was part of the same aircraft package I don't think I would have any objections.

: However, if they differ a lot in the areas mentioned above I think it would not be a good idea to merge the pages; the aircraft would be dissimilar enough that the page would have to be uncomfortably long and possibly confusing if it were to describe the different workings.

: If they are not part of the same aircraft package, looking into the similarities and differences and slowly work towards integrating them into the same aircraft package could also bee a good idea.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:48, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

== Aircraft Page Organization ==
I just started a [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=26161 topic] over on the forum on how posts are organized if somebody has input.

{{unsigned|11:45, 5 May 2015|Manfred}}

: I think it would probably be better to discuss the quality and organization of the wiki right here (on this very page) than on the forum.

: The main two reasons for that is (1) to keep the wiki quality discussions here and (2) that it would be a bit more transparent to do it that way.

: The transparency is important in that it would make it easier to later look into ''why'' things were decided to be in a certain way and ''who'' said ''what'' and ''when''.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 08:07, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

Alright, so here goes:

By the nature of FlightGear, multiple people might work on different projects covering the same areas. For instance, there are 2 different projects covering the Boeing 787. This makes overview and indexing very difficult. Wikipedia is designed to only really have one article on a topic (i.e. aircraft) that can be extended.

For instance:

{{Airbus}}

It is dreadfully unclear on the overview of aircraft. In my opinion, it would make more sense to get an disambiguation page on the various 'packages' that contain the A319 for instance. The multiple entries greatly diminishes the value of the list.

Here are a few ideas:
* '''Give aircraft a codeword or project name.''' For instance, the Boeing 787 (Dream Project) or Boeing 787 (GPL Project) to distinguish between them. Then list them like that in the index as well. When you both have a --aircraft= A319 and A319-131, what are you going to do when the next person comes around and wants to design an A319? It would make more sense to migrate to a structure of say B787-8-Dream and B787-8-GPL. If you make a piece of software, you're not going to go calling your software 'Conference Manager', with the next person making the similar stuff calling it 'Conference Manager 2', but rather ConferenceTime and and ConferenceMaster. Naming your work after aircraft in the current way gets bloody confusing.

* I imagine that perhaps as a bit of a continuation of the above, '''people try to distinguish between their models by giving them very specific names, such as Boeing 707-338'''. I realize that people want to work on it themselves, but from a broader perspective, how much technical difference is there really between these? The A319 should also work with the corresponding changes as a A320- it is an identical cockpit and much the same fuselage. IMHO, it should have been filed as an A320 instead with only one model, an A319. As for the Boeing, give it a codeword, such as Boeing 707 (Qantas Project). It even makes it more marketable.

* '''Clearly distinguish between current and past development in the template''', i.e. add a new index on the left that contains both categories. I find that not doing any work on the model in five years qualifies for past development.

The ability to grow is proportional to the ability to handle the increase in information. While this perhaps happens mostly on aircraft articles, what happens if somebody wants a fresh start on that airport scenery? How does he name the page and organize it in relation to the current one? It would have been easier to name both after some town landmark so one the second one came around, you could easily categorise them.

In a nutshell:
* Give all aircraft projects a name after the aircraft type ("Boeing 787"+ Phoenix, Dream, Toulouse...+ Project) to distinguish between individual development.
* Sort all aircraft by model type (i.e. A320) rather than the sub-model being worked on (i.e. A319).

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 11:56, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: You have several good points there. I have some thoughts on them (note that this this is only my opinions).
:; Disambiguation pages: This could probably be used on an aircraft type level basis. For example describing the Boeing 777 in general and short descriptions of the 'subtypes' and links to pages with them and any different variants. To some extent this could be given a standardized look by using templates.
:: I think these could be very useful, and I wish there was some of them.
:; The navigation template: Dreadful at least to some extent. I have more than once found them a bit inconsistent and confusing (in particular when looking like the one you showed here). Could probably be remade quite a bit, possibly following the structure I outlined in the point above.
:; Project names: I have noted that a few projects have had names, for example the ''Lake of Constance Boeing 707'' or the ''Seattle'' (though I embarrassingly do not remember what aircraft type that was).
:; Distinguish between past and current development: Probably a good idea. Could possibly be done with color coded backgrounds for the aircraft type text and color coding of the development state field in the aircraft infobox.

: Some additional thoughts:
:* I guess the navigation templates could also be link to the aircraft disambiguation pages when needed.
:* Setting up a style manual for the disambiguation pages and navigation templates would probably be a good idea. It should not be done before some time of experimentation though.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:40, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

===Action Plan===

It's good to see that we are on the same page. To complete this:

* I propose that we start with the Boeing aircraft as a model project.
* We need a name structure for all aircraft that is universal and unique. Otherwise the reorganization will be in vain. As suggested earlier, along the lines of [Manufacturer, Model, Project Name]. The problem is that last one. I called the 787 'GPL' and 'Dreamliner' but I don't like any of those and would much rather give them something that is really not connected to any other aircraft of the name it itself. I'd propose 'Seattle' and 'Firebird' but I don't want to go renaming all the aircraft myself. I think it's something the developers should come up with. The aircraft would not be renamed A319 Toulouse Project, because the fact that it is an A319 is insignificant in that it uses much the same fuselage and identical cockpit as the A320. Only a significant model code should be included. Less of a problem with Boeing but this has to work everywhere.
* I am really not sure about putting the background history on a separate page and I'm tempted to say we should leave that to Wikipedia. I think it would be better just to make it to a disambiguation page.

[[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 16:38, 5 May 2015 (EDT)

: For the disambiguation pages I was more thinking along the lines of for example [[Boeing 707]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_707&oldid=63942 permalink]) and [[Boeing 747]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Boeing_747&oldid=62527 permalink]), but with maybe shorter general descriptions and a one-liner or short paragraph describing each variant. An [[User:Johan G/Aircraft series|early draft of one possible way]] to do it have been added to my [[User:Johan G/In my sandbox|sandbox]].

: To my slight frustration the {{tl|Boeing}} template is more consistent and logical than the {{tl|Airbus}} template (in essence less 'messy'). Some of my thoughts on how to improve it (and probably other ones as well) turned into a puff of smoke when I saw it.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 09:53, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

:: While I do agree that disambiguation pages are an important step on the way, they are not the solution to the problem. People working on very similar aircraft differentiate their by minimalistic changes in their model name, but this is subject to change as people add different variations of that aircraft based off the same cockpit for instance. It has to be 'robust' in that regard. That is why the unique identifier in the form of a 'project name' or an equivalent solution is necessary, especially for the Airbus aircraft as can be seen. Even if there's only one model at the moment, since there's no harm in doing so because somebody might come along and start some new work. But giving them a name only here won't be very clear and would ideally occur for all use 'globally' in FlightGear.

:: [[User:Manfred|Manfred]] ([[User talk:Manfred|talk]]) 12:18, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

::: I can only agree to that the disambiguation pages are not the solution. Regarding those I am rather thinking of consistent style and intuitive navigation (as in more effortless for the reader).

::: Ideally (as in an utopia) aircraft should be merged or better ones replace older ones, at least in regard to the official aircraft (in essence those available from the download page). But waiting for the utopia differentiating between them using project names is probably the best way.

::: Maybe we <s>&ensp;could&ensp;</s> should encourage people to use project names in those cases when they can not merge aircraft (for example due to licenses etc). Using project names consistently, as you seem to suggest, is would probably work well. Also, people tend to copy other peoples way of doing things.

::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:52, 6 May 2015 (EDT)

== Bug report specific article(s) ==
To my surprise there is no [[Submitting bug reports]] article (or [[Responding to bug reports]] for that matter), and I remind myself that the relevant information is spread throughout the wiki instead of being summed up in one place.

Some things to consider when writing it (kind of a 'note to self' for now):

* The bug reports themselves:
** What bugs should be reported where?
*** FlightGear itself
*** Aircraft, vehicles etc.
*** Airports
*** Scenery
** What information might be needed?
** What kind of responses should be expected?

* Target groups?
** Non-native English speaking computer novices?
** Regular FlightGear users?
** FlightGear developers?

* Concepts could also be borrowed from from:
** Eric Steven Raymond, [http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html How To Ask Questions The Smart Way]
** Amy Hoy, [http://slash7.com/2006/12/22/vampires/ Help Vampires: A Spotter’s Guide], in particular the section ''Reforming the Help Vampire''
** Karl Fogel, Producing Open Source Software, [http://producingoss.com/en/bug-tracker.html Bug Tracker]

* Last, but not least: What formal and informal guidelines, rules and procedures do we actually have?

It would be quite preferable from a maintenance perspective to have that information gathered to only a few places and only describe the concepts briefly before linking to those articles, also from the forum and mailing list (in essence DRY – Don't Repeat Yourself).

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:23, 10 May 2015 (EDT)

== Most helicopter screenshots are now categorized ==

With some few exceptions all helicopter screenshots are now categorized in [[:Category:Screenshots of helicopters]] and its subcategories. ''Tip: Test clicking the blue triangles. ;-)''

What I am trying to achieve is to separate files and articles and to put the files into a browseable category structure (sort of like a tree with some spider webs here and there between the branches). That way they should be easier to find for example when looking for the next [[:Category:Picture of the week|picture of the week]] or a good illustration for an article.

The exception is the files that have gotten a [[:Category:Copyright statuses|license category]], but is not categorized in any other relevant category, are not used in an article and/or does not have a descriptive file name.

:''See also [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump/Archive 2014#Having separate image categories or not?]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump/Archive_2014&oldid=81713#Having_separate_image_categories_or_not.3F permalink])''

I am ''very'' slowly working on adding {{tl|file information}} templates, descriptions, links and categories to uncategorized files, with the long term goal of not having any files that not can be found by browsing logical and consistent categories.

Good file names, descriptions, categories and internal linking are all four good 'white hat' search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, in essence making it easier to find what you are looking for. Be that using the wiki's search engine or an external one such as Google search.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 07:00, 14 May 2015 (EDT)

== Disambiguating the two Space Shuttle pages ==

I would like to hear some ideas of how to disambiguate the two Space Shuttle articles, [[Space Shuttle]] originally about the 3D model-less FGData Space Shuttle re-entry FDM but now about the shuttle by the [[FlightGear space program]], and [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview‎]] modified from that one.

Preferably they could be differentiated by different project names or something like that.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:22, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

: Hi Johan,
: My two cents are as follows ('''HW''' = HerbyW Space Shuttle, '''TH''' = Thorsten Space Shuttle):
:{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
! Shuttle variant !! Suggestion !! Comments
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FlightGear Space Program)
| Too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)
| Again, too long?
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (Space Program)
| Would make people think that the Space Shuttle is the name of a space program.
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle (official)
| Don't like this one myself. Also, might be too controversial.
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align: center" | Favoured by me
|-
| HW
| Space Shuttle (FGSP)
| None
|-
| TH
| Space Shuttle
| None
|}

: Also, idea for disambiguation text (assuming my favoured suggestions above):
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap"><nowiki>The Space Shuttle could either refer to …
* The [[Space Shuttle (FGSP)|Space Shuttle]] developed from the original Shuttle by {{usr|HerbW}} ''et al'' for the [[FlightGear Space Program]].
* The [[Space Shuttle]] further developed from the above by {{usr|Thorsten}} ''et al'' with new, more realistic [[FDM]]. This is the Space Shuttle that is included in the [[FGAddon]] repository.</nowiki></pre>

: I hope these suggestions are helpful.
: [[User:Red_Leader|<span style="color:red">'''''Red Leader'''''</span>]] ([[User_talk:Red_Leader|Talk]], [[Special:Contributions/Red_Leader|contribs]]) 15:50, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

:: First off I will apologize for the late reply.

:: I think I consider it a good idea to move the current [[Space Shuttle]] article to [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]], moving [[Space Shuttle - Project overview]] there instead, and keep the [[Space Shuttle (disambiguation)]] page describing both in a few lines. I think that "FGSP" would be a bit too cryptic for the "uninitiated", but that most users would be able to figure out "FG".

:: The new [[Space Shuttle]] and [[Space Shuttle (FG Space Program)]] should most probably point to the disambiguation page rather than each other.

:: Though not really a part of the reply, it is for the record perhaps worth repeating that the current [[Space Shuttle]] article previously described the fgdata (later FGAddons) one, but was changed to describe the [[FlightGear space program]]/HerbieW/[[FGMEMBERS]] one (see [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Space_Shuttle&diff=next&oldid=81334 diff]).

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:03, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

Hi.
Personally, I think if we just called Thorsten's (alright, Thorsten, just to eliminate confusion) shuttle's article "Space Shuttle", then did a blurb at the top such as,"For Jon Berndt's model-less fdm and HerbyW's early model, see HERE and HERE".
Just another two pennies towards a dollar
[[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 18:28, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

== How do I load Cessna 152 on to FSX (2015) on OS X macbook ==

Hi I hope you can help. I'm a new user of FlightGear and training for my PPL.
I have software loaded on my macbook and have tried out the C172 but I want the Cessna 152 that I'm doing lessons in.
I've tried to download from disc but I can't do it. I searched online and can only find an add on for PCs.

Could you tell me where I can find it to download and step by step instructions please?

Z

{{unsigned|19:51, 14 June 2015|Zedbee}}

: You would probably get good answers if you register to the [http://forum.flightgear.org/ forum] and ask in the [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewforum.php?f=21 Mac subforum].

: P.S. You can not use FSX aircraft directly in FlightGear, at the other hand there is probably at least one available for FlightGear.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 16:36, 14 June 2015 (EDT)

== Rename Template ==
Do we have a template which alerts admins to a rename request?
[[Avoiding Multiple Downloads of FGData]] could have on Linux tagged on, while the EDDK article needs rename to Flüghafen Koln / Bonn (EDDK) and the "AV8R 2nd Throttle as Pan Speed" AV8R Should be Aviator...
[[User:Legoboyvdlp|Legoboyvdlp]] ([[User talk:Legoboyvdlp|talk]]) 15:42, 7 July 2015 (EDT)

: There is no need to call in admins for "renaming" or rather ''moving'' articles. ;-)

: If you hover over or click on the down arrow between the "More" label and the search box to the top right of the page you will see the option "Move", which is wiki jargon for "rename". Before starting to move pages, have a peek at [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Manual_of_Style&oldid=75296#Article_titles FlightGear wiki:Manual of Style#Article titles] (it is a short section).

: {{inote|Please leave a redirect behind even if there is no wiki pages linking to that article. There may be links to that page outside the wiki.}}

: Slightly off topic now, but maybe useful later: To move a category you would have to move the category page '''and''' edit all the pages in that category so the category link points to the new category. See also [[Help:Categories]].

: You can see the difference in what regular users and admins can do at [[Special:ListGroupRights]].

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 13:15, 9 July 2015 (EDT)

== Template:Dmbox and the disambiguation categories ==
It seems {{tl|dmbox}} adds several categories to each disambiguation page it is used on. In addition {{tl|disambiguation}}, which uses that template, add one category further.

I would say that the "All ..." is superfluous as well. Also, currently none of the categories have a parent category.

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:26, 12 July 2015 (EDT)

== Description of the FlightGear screenshot categories ==
{{hatnote|Regarding the new article [[FlightGear wiki:FlightGear screenshot categories]].}}

I have now written together a description of how I have organized the [[:Category:FlightGear screenshots|FlightGear screenshot categories]] ([[Special:CategoryTree/FlightGear screenshots|tree]]) and the rationale behind them. I think I have been working on categorizing the images and in particular the screenshots uploaded to this wiki since even before the village pump was here, but I have never really tried to explain what it was all about.

I would encourage everyone to have a look at it, in particular if you more or less regularly upload screenshots to the wiki.

I do encourage leaving feedback on the [[FlightGear wiki talk:FlightGear screenshot categories|discussion page]]. However, I also want to point out that this is a de facto description and that ''some'' aspects of how the screenshots actually are organized probably cannot be changed without requiring literally man-months of work, even if some things can be done by [[User:BotFlightGear|robot]].

—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:18, 19 July 2015 (EDT)

User talk:Johan G

2015-07-21T18:35:43Z

Adam: /* Shuttle Ambiguity */ new section

== Swedish ==
Hi Johan,

thanks for starting translating articles to Swedish! Unfortunately, the wiki admin has to "add" this language to the system (therefore adding [[sv:Article]] does not work as of now). I've immediately asked him to do so, but it might take a while. In the meantime you can continue translating articles, it's just the linking that doesn't work.

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 08:36, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

:Ah, that explains why the language link doesn't seem to work. Thank you! I sent him a mail as well. Well, at least I can continue (in a slow pace). [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 08:43, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

== Don't be a stranger. ==
Jag hoppas att du kommer tillbaka snart. {{Unsigned2|11:45, 11 October 2011|PH-JBO}}

:Thank you for hoping for my return. Den som väntar på något gott... ''In other words, I'm back.'' [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 09:59, 5 December 2011 (EST)
::Du är inte ensam. Välkommen tillbaka! [[User:PH-JBO|PH-JBO]] 07:28, 6 December 2011 (EST)

== Test ==
A short thest to see if a new section added with the "+" tab is appended to the bottom of the page. [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 07:32, 9 February 2012 (EST)

== Discussing new main page/portals ==
Hi,

would be nice if you could come on [[IRC]] this week. I'd like to discuss the new main page/portals that I've been working on ;)
You'll find me in [irc://#wiki@irc.flightgear.org #wiki@irc.flightgear.org]

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 12:27, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

: Hi, I should be in #wiki now as Johan_G. This will bee interesting. I have not used IRC before, and last time I watched it over someones shoulder was in <s>1999</s> 1998!
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:52, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

== Infobox aircraft changes ==
I thought, I'd better get in touch with the only wikimedia template guru that I know :-) I just added a handful of meta categories (inspired by [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=21431#p195109]), and now want to extend the infobox accordingly, including images for each supported features, see: http://wiki.flightgear.org/Template_talk:Infobox_aircraft Any ideas/preference how to implement this best? Images will probably be contributed by Michat. Thanks --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 18:33, 30 November 2013 (UTC)

:It is low on my to-do list, but see my answer at [[Template talk:Infobox aircraft]].
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:08, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

== Yes/no template ==

Hi Johan,

the yes/no template doesn't seem to work well on [[Photoscenery]], everything says "yes" now. Another issue is that the 1m/pixel text is no longer centered, as if it only applies to "texture materials", while it's supposed to cover "3D model" as well. And to be honest, I prefer the more pronounced colours that we had before... I'm all in for a yes/no template though, don't get me wrong ;-)

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 11:43, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Oops. I was updating the templates to be able to handle adding xhtml attributes and one the edits accidentally had "Yes instead of "No". Should already work as expected by now.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:51, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Made the colours quite a bit stronger, but black text should still be readable in the cells.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:20, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

== Thanks for appreciating ==
Hi, thanks for appreciating [[Howto:Convert objects with ModelConverterX]]. I recently posted a howto on [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22851 georeferencing OSM in WED], let me know if that could be added somewhere in the wiki, I'd be glad to, but I'm not sure if it's useful outside of Italy.--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 22:38, 26 April 2014 (UTC)

:You are very welcome. :-)
:About the howto, it could probably fit really well as an article on the wiki. My only concern there is using Google to check the taxiways. I am not sure or not that it is relevant, but Google's terms of use do not allow derivative works. Licenses can be a problem sometimes, and I am completely ignorant when it comes to Italian legislation on intellectual property, but I assume that most sources are copyrighted more or less automatically, but that there might be a few sources with less restrictive licenses.
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
:: I see. Well, in Italy (see elgaton's answer) we're allowed to trace over some nice aerial images in OSM, but that's all, so we have to go through OSM and its limitations (i.e. no Bezier). I can substitute that part with just a warning to check by other means what angles should be rounded, or suggest to make rounded corners stand out in OSM with more points. However blurry is the border with Google, I guess it could be considered as "getting the coordinates"* of rounded corners (*I've read it's considered ok here).
::It jumps to my mind that Bing has allowed use of its aerial images for OSM tracing - worldwide. They have a good detail but are not very precise, yet that's something a mapper can fix. I guess this changes the usefulness of the howto :D Let me know if there's a particular page/category where I can put this. --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:43, 28 April 2014 (UTC)
:::The juridical stuff can be a problematic at times. ;-)
:::A fitting category would be [[:Category:Scenery enhancement]] I think.
:::(On a side note that category page have turned into an article over time, which looks messy and wont turn up in a regular wiki search using the search box.)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:03, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

== A FlightGear help category ==

Today [[Unexpected Crashes with Scenery ver.2]] was added to [[:Category:Help]]. There's lack indeed of a FlightGear help category (into FlightGear of course). That sounds like a good name (place), but I won't add it until I know your opinion.
--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:49, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, thanks for asking. There is indeed lack of a FlightGear help category, but I'll get to that. The help category seem to only have contained pages in the help namespace, i.e. articles with help about using the wiki (i think that category page even states that).

: As for the FlightGear help pages, I have actually never really figured out if there originally was some kind of thought through structure there or if the whole thing was a bit haphazard turned into ad hoc. I.e. I have never really grasped how to use them in an intuitive way (for both me, other editors and the readers). There is a lot of categories that slightly overlap or are slightly vague, which does not help when trying to find articles or even categories. I think a lot of that mess should be discussed on the [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump|village pump]].

: In addition there are lots of annoying little technicalities, like that the search box auto-complete function is case sensitive and that some editors are very much into Camel Case Titles, something for example Wikipedia is recommending their editors to avoid. Speaking of that, the wiki could need a style guide, but that would take some extra maintenance to enforce.

: To be honest have been secretly wishing that you might be into trying to figure out a better structure and better category names, specially for the FlightGear related stuff. I have thought about it and figured that I would wish it would be better... but doesn't feel up to it. I spent most of my categorisation efforts on templates and images, unless pages was uncategorised.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Heh, and you picked your "dupe" very wisely. Your last phrase in parentheses, in the above topic, is the main reason for me being here. I'll definitely try that when I get more confidence. However there's a lot of automatable stuff, some of which should be done before to ease that part. Some I pointed out in the [[User talk:Bigstones/Essay:A plan for a reorganization of the wiki#Bot proposal (request?)|other discussion]], one is that of recategorizing other languages, one is fixing camel case (like for spaces with Howto). Much more might come out.
:: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 00:49, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

:: edit -- see [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Category:Support]] --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 14:48, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Good move. The more eyes, the better. :-)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 21:10, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

== Updated compile guide ==

[[User:Daemonburrito/Building FlightGear - Linux]]

Hello, Johan. As promised, a completely reworked compile guide. It makes a nice, clean, and safe environment. And it ''works''!

But it is a pretty big change to drop in there, so I'm leaving it on my user page for comments for a bit. Let me know what you think. [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 17:06, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: I am not really the right person to review it, except for copy editing (i.e. style/wiki markup) if that would be needed. In this case I think it might be better to mention it on the forum. I have very little experience with Linux, and on top of that it was quite some time ago (Red hat Linux, kernel 2.2 etc. on a ''way'' to weak box).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:40, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Will do. Thanks! [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 23:04, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

== On reorganization of [[:Category:Troubleshooting]] ==

Hi Johan, I hope I was not too messy yesterday. I'm sure I never broke a link, and neither lost any information (a huge amount was duplicated), although I also rewrote some parts. Actually, 2-3 redirects are still around only because I couldn't edit some Japanese/Chinese pages. The two deletions you postponed:
* [[Howto:Improve framerates]] - I didn't delete the content just to save one edit, but I did actually already move everything.
* [[Intel GMA cards]] - I've found that page by chance, and it wasn't referenced anywhere. The information it contains is already in the same place where I moved the forum ref.
I hope this can help for a future review. Also, in case you want to review my future plans, I wrote them in my user page.

--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 10:43, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

:: I think I may have been messier. In retrospect I might should have left the redirects for those that by habit look for those article titles when troubleshooting. Also a lot of posts on the forum point to those. I will probably restore those and try point them towards suitable pages.

:: That said, I think you have done a great job separating the information aimed at developers from the one aimed at users. It kind of makes me wonder why no one thought of that before.

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:59, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Let me know if I can help with redirects...
::: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 19:54, 19 May 2014 (UTC)

== DDS article moved ... ==
Not sure if you have been followin the discussion on the devel list or if I misunderstood something, but I don't think it's necessarily specific to just terrain textures ? Anyway, please keep the redirect either way because Thorsten already posted a link using the old name. So while the current name is definitely better, we should probably ensure that all links keep on working, while the website/forum can be updated, the devel archives cannot ... --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 23:28, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, my misunderstanding. Terrain textures was specifically mentioned in one of the sections/quotes so I thought it was about that specifically. I will move it to [[Switching default texture format to DDS]] instead.

: As for keeping the redirect, I am more cautious about deleting them due to some to eager deletions I have done in the past...

: Thanks for the heads up.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:40, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

== Improvements and cleaning of Wiki pages ==
Hi Johan_G! You seem to be very popular and loved. I'm here to thank you for your work on cleaning the article about the Mulhouse airport. I really like how it's cleaner and the templates, you seem to be good at it. I really don't have that much of an idea. Also cool that you're an admin. I may not be very popular and appear irregularly, but I do my best to help the wiki (also notice the problems I have with Flightgear in my User page, you may pass by and leave a message, it's so empty :'( ). I guess that's all for now

[[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 10:00, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

: As for the Mulhouse airport article, you are very welcome. Thanks also for the kind words.

: Making articles easier to read is one of my longterm goals on the wiki, but I am usually spending most of my time on improving stuff that would help other do the work, in essence structure and documentation on how to use the wiki. Have a look at the [[:Category:Help|help pages]] and the [[:Category:Templates|templates]] and their documentation, though there is still a lot of undocumented templates, including some important ones. The [[:Category:Wiki style guides|style guides]] are still in their infancy (and at the moment I feel the article style guide is a bit convoluted, but it can be improved).

: The templates I added, and most of the so called ''messagebox templates'' can be found at [[Help:Gallery of messagebox templates]]. Links to them can be found on [[Help:Templates]]. However, the quick way to find links to templates is by looking at the bottom of a page you are editing. Just click the text "Templates used on this page:" and you will see a list of links to the templates (and hopefully their documentation).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:13, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

:: Hey! Sorry for spamming your talk page. Just wanted to let you know that I'm running FlightGear again, and hell yeah is it smooth

:: [[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 12:40, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

::: Welcome back! :-)
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:48, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

== A300-600 ==
Hi thanks for doing that to my A300-600 page, it looks a lot more professional. I tried changing the name as well but couldn't figure out how :-) [[User:Airbus330|Airbus330]] ([[User talk:Airbus330|talk]]) 22:24, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

: You are very welcome. :-)
: You can change the name of a page by "moving" the page using the small menu accessible through the small down arrow to the left of the search box.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:05, 16 September 2014 (UTC)

== $FG_ROOT vs $FG_DATA ==

Hi Johan,

I think you missed my message (I agree it was somewhat hidden in an edit summary) about $FG_ROOT/$FG_DATA. $FG_ROOT is what we commonly refer to as the data directory/fgdata. There is no such thing as $FG_DATA. See the explanation at [[$FG_ROOT]].

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:04, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

: Thanks for pointing that out. I hope these two edits [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_ROOT&diff=79216&oldid=79213 diff] and [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_DATA&diff=prev&oldid=79217 diff] will make it more clear. I will hunt down individual links to [[$FG_DATA]] shortly.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:45, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

: {{done}} —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:03, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

== Space Shuttle designation ==

Hi Johan,

I'm actually not comfortable with a label like 'Thorsten's Space Shuttle' - AW isn't called 'Thorsten's Weather System' either, and ALS isn't called 'Thorsten's Rendering framework' - it's not mine in the first place, there are others contributing, and even if I would be the only contributor, I don't want to contribute this so blatantly linked to my name.

Could we find a different solution please?

* Thorsten

: Honestly neither was I (as well as 'HerbyW's Space Shuttle'), I just wanted to link between the two and had to differentiate them.
: I am a little out of good ideas at the moment though, so I will just use the page names for now.

: P.S. Please sign with four tilde characters (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) on discussion pages.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:21, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

== Names ==
Hi Johan,
Do you know if and how to edit wiki article names? The reason I ask is because Saitek in [[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]] is misspelled.
Thanks.
There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 12:12, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Oops. My mistake.

: You can change it right now. Look at [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Rename Template]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=86163#Rename_Template permalink]) to see how to do it. Please leave a short explanation in the edit summary

: A tip on leaving a redirect behind:

:: As that title only have been used less than a day, you probably will not break links if you do not leave a redirect behind, but in other cases you should really do that even if article names are misspelled.

:: While you can look at what wiki pages link to a certain page (for example [[Special:WhatLinksHere/User talk:Johan G]] list links to this page), there are other pages on the web that might be affected. I broke some links on the forum early on by not leaving redirects (thankfully someone noticed).

: By the way I noted the way you linked to the article. You do not need to do it like this <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>, it is sufficient to only use <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>. ;-)

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:32, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Thanks also for keeping an eye on things. The more eyeballs, the better. :-)
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:40, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

:: Ok, did it. Also redid the ORIGINAL page's redirect to the new page (saitek instead of saitec)
:: There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 13:11, 15 July 2015 (EDT)

::: Great! Thanks! :-)
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:42, 15 July 2015 (EDT)

== Shuttle Ambiguity ==

Hi Johan,
Is there anything that can be done about the current state of the names of the [[SpaceShuttle - Project Overview]] and [[Space Shuttle]] pages? Problem is, if you search for "Space Shuttle, you get HerbyW's shuttle. To get the article about Thorsten's, Richard's, wlbragg's & japreja's shuttle you need to type in "SpaceShuttle-project overview"
Thanks, [[User:Adam|Adam]] ([[User talk:Adam|talk]]) 14:35, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

User talk:Johan G

2015-07-15T17:11:01Z

Adam: /* Names */

== Swedish ==
Hi Johan,

thanks for starting translating articles to Swedish! Unfortunately, the wiki admin has to "add" this language to the system (therefore adding [[sv:Article]] does not work as of now). I've immediately asked him to do so, but it might take a while. In the meantime you can continue translating articles, it's just the linking that doesn't work.

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 08:36, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

:Ah, that explains why the language link doesn't seem to work. Thank you! I sent him a mail as well. Well, at least I can continue (in a slow pace). [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 08:43, 3 July 2011 (EDT)

== Don't be a stranger. ==
Jag hoppas att du kommer tillbaka snart. {{Unsigned2|11:45, 11 October 2011|PH-JBO}}

:Thank you for hoping for my return. Den som väntar på något gott... ''In other words, I'm back.'' [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 09:59, 5 December 2011 (EST)
::Du är inte ensam. Välkommen tillbaka! [[User:PH-JBO|PH-JBO]] 07:28, 6 December 2011 (EST)

== Test ==
A short thest to see if a new section added with the "+" tab is appended to the bottom of the page. [[User:Johan G|Johan G]] 07:32, 9 February 2012 (EST)

== Discussing new main page/portals ==
Hi,

would be nice if you could come on [[IRC]] this week. I'd like to discuss the new main page/portals that I've been working on ;)
You'll find me in [irc://#wiki@irc.flightgear.org #wiki@irc.flightgear.org]

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 12:27, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

: Hi, I should be in #wiki now as Johan_G. This will bee interesting. I have not used IRC before, and last time I watched it over someones shoulder was in <s>1999</s> 1998!
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:52, 19 March 2012 (EDT)

== Infobox aircraft changes ==
I thought, I'd better get in touch with the only wikimedia template guru that I know :-) I just added a handful of meta categories (inspired by [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=21431#p195109]), and now want to extend the infobox accordingly, including images for each supported features, see: http://wiki.flightgear.org/Template_talk:Infobox_aircraft Any ideas/preference how to implement this best? Images will probably be contributed by Michat. Thanks --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 18:33, 30 November 2013 (UTC)

:It is low on my to-do list, but see my answer at [[Template talk:Infobox aircraft]].
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 18:08, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

== Yes/no template ==

Hi Johan,

the yes/no template doesn't seem to work well on [[Photoscenery]], everything says "yes" now. Another issue is that the 1m/pixel text is no longer centered, as if it only applies to "texture materials", while it's supposed to cover "3D model" as well. And to be honest, I prefer the more pronounced colours that we had before... I'm all in for a yes/no template though, don't get me wrong ;-)

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 11:43, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Oops. I was updating the templates to be able to handle adding xhtml attributes and one the edits accidentally had "Yes instead of "No". Should already work as expected by now.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:51, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

: Made the colours quite a bit stronger, but black text should still be readable in the cells.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:20, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

== Thanks for appreciating ==
Hi, thanks for appreciating [[Howto:Convert objects with ModelConverterX]]. I recently posted a howto on [http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22851 georeferencing OSM in WED], let me know if that could be added somewhere in the wiki, I'd be glad to, but I'm not sure if it's useful outside of Italy.--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 22:38, 26 April 2014 (UTC)

:You are very welcome. :-)
:About the howto, it could probably fit really well as an article on the wiki. My only concern there is using Google to check the taxiways. I am not sure or not that it is relevant, but Google's terms of use do not allow derivative works. Licenses can be a problem sometimes, and I am completely ignorant when it comes to Italian legislation on intellectual property, but I assume that most sources are copyrighted more or less automatically, but that there might be a few sources with less restrictive licenses.
:—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
:: I see. Well, in Italy (see elgaton's answer) we're allowed to trace over some nice aerial images in OSM, but that's all, so we have to go through OSM and its limitations (i.e. no Bezier). I can substitute that part with just a warning to check by other means what angles should be rounded, or suggest to make rounded corners stand out in OSM with more points. However blurry is the border with Google, I guess it could be considered as "getting the coordinates"* of rounded corners (*I've read it's considered ok here).
::It jumps to my mind that Bing has allowed use of its aerial images for OSM tracing - worldwide. They have a good detail but are not very precise, yet that's something a mapper can fix. I guess this changes the usefulness of the howto :D Let me know if there's a particular page/category where I can put this. --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:43, 28 April 2014 (UTC)
:::The juridical stuff can be a problematic at times. ;-)
:::A fitting category would be [[:Category:Scenery enhancement]] I think.
:::(On a side note that category page have turned into an article over time, which looks messy and wont turn up in a regular wiki search using the search box.)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 14:03, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

== A FlightGear help category ==

Today [[Unexpected Crashes with Scenery ver.2]] was added to [[:Category:Help]]. There's lack indeed of a FlightGear help category (into FlightGear of course). That sounds like a good name (place), but I won't add it until I know your opinion.
--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 13:49, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, thanks for asking. There is indeed lack of a FlightGear help category, but I'll get to that. The help category seem to only have contained pages in the help namespace, i.e. articles with help about using the wiki (i think that category page even states that).

: As for the FlightGear help pages, I have actually never really figured out if there originally was some kind of thought through structure there or if the whole thing was a bit haphazard turned into ad hoc. I.e. I have never really grasped how to use them in an intuitive way (for both me, other editors and the readers). There is a lot of categories that slightly overlap or are slightly vague, which does not help when trying to find articles or even categories. I think a lot of that mess should be discussed on the [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump|village pump]].

: In addition there are lots of annoying little technicalities, like that the search box auto-complete function is case sensitive and that some editors are very much into Camel Case Titles, something for example Wikipedia is recommending their editors to avoid. Speaking of that, the wiki could need a style guide, but that would take some extra maintenance to enforce.

: To be honest have been secretly wishing that you might be into trying to figure out a better structure and better category names, specially for the FlightGear related stuff. I have thought about it and figured that I would wish it would be better... but doesn't feel up to it. I spent most of my categorisation efforts on templates and images, unless pages was uncategorised.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:30, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Heh, and you picked your "dupe" very wisely. Your last phrase in parentheses, in the above topic, is the main reason for me being here. I'll definitely try that when I get more confidence. However there's a lot of automatable stuff, some of which should be done before to ease that part. Some I pointed out in the [[User talk:Bigstones/Essay:A plan for a reorganization of the wiki#Bot proposal (request?)|other discussion]], one is that of recategorizing other languages, one is fixing camel case (like for spaces with Howto). Much more might come out.
:: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 00:49, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

:: edit -- see [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Category:Support]] --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 14:48, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Good move. The more eyes, the better. :-)
:::—[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 21:10, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

== Updated compile guide ==

[[User:Daemonburrito/Building FlightGear - Linux]]

Hello, Johan. As promised, a completely reworked compile guide. It makes a nice, clean, and safe environment. And it ''works''!

But it is a pretty big change to drop in there, so I'm leaving it on my user page for comments for a bit. Let me know what you think. [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 17:06, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

: I am not really the right person to review it, except for copy editing (i.e. style/wiki markup) if that would be needed. In this case I think it might be better to mention it on the forum. I have very little experience with Linux, and on top of that it was quite some time ago (Red hat Linux, kernel 2.2 etc. on a ''way'' to weak box).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:40, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

:: Will do. Thanks! [[User:Daemonburrito|Daemonburrito]] ([[User talk:Daemonburrito|talk]]) 23:04, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

== On reorganization of [[:Category:Troubleshooting]] ==

Hi Johan, I hope I was not too messy yesterday. I'm sure I never broke a link, and neither lost any information (a huge amount was duplicated), although I also rewrote some parts. Actually, 2-3 redirects are still around only because I couldn't edit some Japanese/Chinese pages. The two deletions you postponed:
* [[Howto:Improve framerates]] - I didn't delete the content just to save one edit, but I did actually already move everything.
* [[Intel GMA cards]] - I've found that page by chance, and it wasn't referenced anywhere. The information it contains is already in the same place where I moved the forum ref.
I hope this can help for a future review. Also, in case you want to review my future plans, I wrote them in my user page.

--[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 10:43, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

:: I think I may have been messier. In retrospect I might should have left the redirects for those that by habit look for those article titles when troubleshooting. Also a lot of posts on the forum point to those. I will probably restore those and try point them towards suitable pages.

:: That said, I think you have done a great job separating the information aimed at developers from the one aimed at users. It kind of makes me wonder why no one thought of that before.

:: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:59, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

::: Let me know if I can help with redirects...
::: --[[User:Bigstones|Bigstones]] ([[User talk:Bigstones|talk]]) 19:54, 19 May 2014 (UTC)

== DDS article moved ... ==
Not sure if you have been followin the discussion on the devel list or if I misunderstood something, but I don't think it's necessarily specific to just terrain textures ? Anyway, please keep the redirect either way because Thorsten already posted a link using the old name. So while the current name is definitely better, we should probably ensure that all links keep on working, while the website/forum can be updated, the devel archives cannot ... --[[User:Hooray|Hooray]] ([[User talk:Hooray|talk]]) 23:28, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

: Ah, my misunderstanding. Terrain textures was specifically mentioned in one of the sections/quotes so I thought it was about that specifically. I will move it to [[Switching default texture format to DDS]] instead.

: As for keeping the redirect, I am more cautious about deleting them due to some to eager deletions I have done in the past...

: Thanks for the heads up.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:40, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

== Improvements and cleaning of Wiki pages ==
Hi Johan_G! You seem to be very popular and loved. I'm here to thank you for your work on cleaning the article about the Mulhouse airport. I really like how it's cleaner and the templates, you seem to be good at it. I really don't have that much of an idea. Also cool that you're an admin. I may not be very popular and appear irregularly, but I do my best to help the wiki (also notice the problems I have with Flightgear in my User page, you may pass by and leave a message, it's so empty :'( ). I guess that's all for now

[[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 10:00, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

: As for the Mulhouse airport article, you are very welcome. Thanks also for the kind words.

: Making articles easier to read is one of my longterm goals on the wiki, but I am usually spending most of my time on improving stuff that would help other do the work, in essence structure and documentation on how to use the wiki. Have a look at the [[:Category:Help|help pages]] and the [[:Category:Templates|templates]] and their documentation, though there is still a lot of undocumented templates, including some important ones. The [[:Category:Wiki style guides|style guides]] are still in their infancy (and at the moment I feel the article style guide is a bit convoluted, but it can be improved).

: The templates I added, and most of the so called ''messagebox templates'' can be found at [[Help:Gallery of messagebox templates]]. Links to them can be found on [[Help:Templates]]. However, the quick way to find links to templates is by looking at the bottom of a page you are editing. Just click the text "Templates used on this page:" and you will see a list of links to the templates (and hopefully their documentation).

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 11:13, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

:: Hey! Sorry for spamming your talk page. Just wanted to let you know that I'm running FlightGear again, and hell yeah is it smooth

:: [[User:Thefan|Thefan630]] ([[User talk:Thefan|talk]]) 12:40, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

::: Welcome back! :-)
::: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 23:48, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

== A300-600 ==
Hi thanks for doing that to my A300-600 page, it looks a lot more professional. I tried changing the name as well but couldn't figure out how :-) [[User:Airbus330|Airbus330]] ([[User talk:Airbus330|talk]]) 22:24, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

: You are very welcome. :-)
: You can change the name of a page by "moving" the page using the small menu accessible through the small down arrow to the left of the search box.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:05, 16 September 2014 (UTC)

== $FG_ROOT vs $FG_DATA ==

Hi Johan,

I think you missed my message (I agree it was somewhat hidden in an edit summary) about $FG_ROOT/$FG_DATA. $FG_ROOT is what we commonly refer to as the data directory/fgdata. There is no such thing as $FG_DATA. See the explanation at [[$FG_ROOT]].

Cheers,
[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] ([[User talk:Gijs|talk]]) 16:04, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

: Thanks for pointing that out. I hope these two edits [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_ROOT&diff=79216&oldid=79213 diff] and [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=$FG_DATA&diff=prev&oldid=79217 diff] will make it more clear. I will hunt down individual links to [[$FG_DATA]] shortly.
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:45, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

: {{done}} —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 19:03, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

== Space Shuttle designation ==

Hi Johan,

I'm actually not comfortable with a label like 'Thorsten's Space Shuttle' - AW isn't called 'Thorsten's Weather System' either, and ALS isn't called 'Thorsten's Rendering framework' - it's not mine in the first place, there are others contributing, and even if I would be the only contributor, I don't want to contribute this so blatantly linked to my name.

Could we find a different solution please?

* Thorsten

: Honestly neither was I (as well as 'HerbyW's Space Shuttle'), I just wanted to link between the two and had to differentiate them.
: I am a little out of good ideas at the moment though, so I will just use the page names for now.

: P.S. Please sign with four tilde characters (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) on discussion pages.

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 12:21, 19 May 2015 (EDT)

== Names ==
Hi Johan,
Do you know if and how to edit wiki article names? The reason I ask is because Saitek in [[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]] is misspelled.
Thanks.
There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 12:12, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Oops. My mistake.

: You can change it right now. Look at [[FlightGear wiki:Village pump#Rename Template]] ([http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=FlightGear_wiki:Village_pump&oldid=86163#Rename_Template permalink]) to see how to do it. Please leave a short explanation in the edit summary

: A tip on leaving a redirect behind:

:: As that title only have been used less than a day, you probably will not break links if you do not leave a redirect behind, but in other cases you should really do that even if article names are misspelled.

:: While you can look at what wiki pages link to a certain page (for example [[Special:WhatLinksHere/User talk:Johan G]] list links to this page), there are other pages on the web that might be affected. I broke some links on the forum early on by not leaving redirects (thankfully someone noticed).

: By the way I noted the way you linked to the article. You do not need to do it like this <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control|Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>, it is sufficient to only use <code><nowiki>[[Using Saitec AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]</nowiki></code>. ;-)

: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:32, 14 July 2015 (EDT)

: Thanks also for keeping an eye on things. The more eyeballs, the better. :-)
: —[[User:Johan G|Johan G]] ([[User_talk:Johan_G|Talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Johan_G|contribs]]) 17:40, 14 July 2015 (EDT)
Ok, did it. Also redid the ORIGINAL page's redirect to the new page (saitek instead of saitec)
There's a mig29 pilot on the loose! 13:11, 15 July 2015 (EDT)

Aviator 2nd Throttle as pan speed control

2015-07-15T17:09:05Z

Adam: Redirect redirect

#REDIRECT [[Using Saitek AV8R second throttle as view pan speed control]]