FlightGear wiki - User contributions [en]

Building FlightGear - Linux

2011-07-18T20:49:45Z

RatOmeter: change case on fgdata path

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Linux system.

Compiling FlightGear is not a task for novice users. Thus, if you're a beginner (we all were once) on a platform which binaries are available for, we recommend postponing this task and just starting with the binary distribution to get you flying.

Or if you develop on Ubuntu or Debian, consider trying the script described in [[Scripted Compilation on Linux Debian/Ubuntu]].

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

'''C++ compiler'''

These are: c++, cpp, gcc, g++ found under the /usr/bin directory. You will also need to have the tools '''autoconf''' and '''automake1.9''' installed.

'''GIT'''

See [[FlightGear and Git]].

'''[[OpenGL]] support'''

More specifically, your system needs the support for hardware accelerated graphics. You can check for this by running the following in a [[command line]]:

glxinfo | grep direct

Note: To run the above command, you need to have the tool '''mesa-utils''' installed.

You should then see:

direct rendering: Yes

This means you are good to go as far as OpenGL support is concerned.

If you see:

direct rendering: No

Don't panic yet. This may just mean some required libraries for hardware accelerated graphic are missing. Go ahead and try installing plib 1.8.5 and its dependencies first. If you still get the above message, then you will need to do some googling and troubleshoot yourself.

== Dependencies ==
FlightGear is dependent on quite a few number of libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed. For example, the development version for package plib1.8.5 is plib1.8.5'''-dev'''.

The dependency is summarized in the following tree. Please note that each library has its own dependencies, and most of these are not shown here.

* FlightGear
** [http://kcat.strangesoft.net/openal.html OpenAL]
** SimGear
*** [http://plib.sourceforge.net/ PLIB]. Since march 2008, you will need version 1.8.5 - your distro probably supplies 1.8.4 still.
**** For versions pre march/2008: (Free)GLUT or SDL (We recommend the use of SDL over Free/GLUT, [http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg16153.html however since march 2008, FreeGLUT as well as SDL are both considered depreciated, please only use --enable-osgviewer during configuration instead])
*** [[OpenSceneGraph]] (check link for compatible versions)
*** You also need the development files for several basic libraries to build the software, among them the following (the package names are for Debian and derivatives(?)):
**** libfreetype6-dev
**** libjpeg62-dev
**** libungif4-dev
**** libtiff4-dev
**** libpng12-dev
**** libxmu-dev
**** libxi-dev
**** zlib1g-dev
**** libglut3-dev

If you attack the above dependencies in the order listed below, you should be good:

1. Glut. Most distributions include glut packages, although you may have to hunt for them. Make sure you install both the glut and glut-devel packages, otherwise FlightGear may be able to compile but won't run correctly.

2. Zlib. Most distributions install the basic zlib libraries by default, but not the development portions. If you don't have zlib.h, you probably need to install the zlib-devel package for your distribution.

3. Plib - portability libraries and scene graph.

4. [[OpenSceneGraph]]

5. SimGear - Simulation support libraries. If you are building FlightGear from Git, you need the Git version of SimGear. If you have strange build errors, one of the first things to check is that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

==== APT-GET List ====
This is a list of all the apt-get commands I had to do while compiling FG, SG, and OSG on a mostly clean Ubuntu 64 system. It is a list of all the libraries you and your computer needs to compile FG, SG, OSG, and PLib. All you have to do is copy the full command, paste it in Terminal, enter your password, and it will download all the packages for you, and install them too. The full command is at the bottom, and I hope someone finds it useful :) sub-dependencies (dependencies of the dependencies) are not included as they are installed automatically by apt-get. If anyone sees something missing, please add it.

git - to get SG and FG 
subversion - to get OSG 
build-essential - to build (includes GCC, and other build tools) 
cmake - OSG Uses this 
cmake-curses-gui -- OSG Uses this 
libpng-dev - to enable FG to use PNG textures 
libfreetype6-dev - fonts 
libjpeg-dev 
libungif4-dev 
libtiff-dev 
libxmu-dev 
libxi-dev 
libglut3-dev 
libalut-dev - sound 
libboost-dev - makes coding for some developers easier 
automake - needed by ./autogen.sh files 
autoconf - needed by ./autogen.sh files 
libfltk1.1-dev - You will need this if you will be using FGRun 
-----------
<pre>
sudo apt-get install git subversion build-essential cmake cmake-curses-gui libpng-dev libfreetype6-dev
libjpeg-dev libungif4-dev libtiff-dev libxmu-dev libxi-dev libglut3-dev libalut-dev
libboost-dev automake autoconf libfltk1.1-dev
</pre>
-----------
Total size is about 230 MB, depending on what you already have from other applications.

This list might seem a bit short, but the sub-dependencies all add up :) The dependencies will be listed by apt-get when you use the command.
-----------
NOTE: On a Linux Mint 9 (Ubuntu 10.04) system this is the command I used:
<pre>
sudo apt-get install git-core subversion build-essential cmake cmake-curses-gui libpng-dev libfreetype6-dev libjpeg-dev libungif4-dev libtiff-dev libxmu-dev libxi-dev libglut3-dev libalut-dev libboost-dev automake autoconf libfltk1.1-dev libplib-dev libopenscenegraph-dev
</pre>
libopenscenegraph-dev
You just need to copy that long line into a terminal and you should have all the packages you need to compile Flighgear and Simgear.

== Compiling ==
Assuming you are root, do:
cd /usr/local/src

'''Note:''' When tracking a fast changing software like FlightGear/Git it is highly advisable to install it in a separate directory. That way one can also easily build and reinstall without being root, which greatly reduces the risk of messing up one's system.
To install in a directory of your choice add the <tt>--prefix</tt> argument to configure. E.g. <tt>./configure --prefix=$HOME/FlightGear</tt>. I would recommend installing all of OSG, plib, SimGear and FlightGear with the same prefix.

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

'''Step 1:'''

Clone the SimGear git repository and set it up to track the 'next' branch.
git clone git://gitorious.org/fg/simgear.git

By default after cloning you should have a local next branch that tracks the master next branch. It can be updated it with git pull.

'''Step 2:'''

The source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''simgear'''.

Next, go into the directory and make preparations for the compilation:
cd simgear
./autogen.sh
./configure

'''Note''' that if you don't want to install simgear globally on the system but in a specific directory, you can do so by adding --prefix=/path/to/your/fgInstallation to the ./configure command

'''Step 3:'''

Compile and install SimGear by doing:
make; make install

''Note:'' with gcc 4.2 or later,on some platforms, you can get compiling errors about alc.h like:

'<anonymous>' has incomplete type
take a look at http://bugs.gentoo.org/166723

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===

'''Step 1:'''

Clone the FlightGear git repository and set it up to track the 'next' branch.
git clone git://gitorious.org/fg/flightgear.git

By default after cloning you should have a local next branch that tracks the master next branch. It can be updated it with git pull.

'''Step 2:'''

Next, go into the folder and make preparations for the compilation:
cd flightgear
./autogen.sh
./configure

Note that if you don't want to install simgear globally on the system but in a specific directory, you can do so by adding --prefix=/path/to/your/fgInstallation to the ./configure command.
If you didn't install OSG globally or in the same prefix as SimGear and FlightGear, you have to pass the OSG directory to the configure-command like this:
./configure --prefix=/path/to/fgInstallation --with-osg=/path/to/osg/installation --enable-osgviewer
In this case you have to tell your system where to find the OSG libraries before you can run flightgear:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/osgInstallation/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

'''Step 3:'''

Now you can compile and install Flightgear by:
make; make install

'''Step 4:'''

Clone the data directory:
git clone git://gitorious.org/fg/fgdata.git

The data directory is large (almost 2.5GB) so it will take considerable time to download.
There mirror of fgdata that might be faster to download from:
git clone git://mapserver.flightgear.org/fgdata

The mirror is synchronized with the master so either will do.

And install it in (or as) /usr/local/share/FlightGear
mv fgdata /usr/local/share/flightgear

== Distro-specific instructions ==
=== Debian/Ubuntu ===
* You can use the [[Scripted Compilation on Linux Debian/Ubuntu]] script to have Flightgear compiled in one shot under both Ubuntu and Debian systems.
* Debian users who prefer to build it without script may look at [[Building Flightgear - Debian]].
=== Gentoo ===
* Gentoo users can also use overlays to build FlightGear without much hassle: [[Building Flightgear - Gentoo]].

== External links ==
=== Instructions ===
* [[MSYS]]
* [[MinGW/cross-compiler]]
* [[CodeBlocks IDE]]
* [[OpenSUSE 10.1 10.2]]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/fgmsvc7.htm MSVC7 *.Net]
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/oflebbe/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]
* [http://macflightgear.sourceforge.net/home/documents/ Mac OS X]

{{Building}}

FGX

2011-06-07T13:41:21Z

RatOmeter: Created page

Note: this page has just been started and is not yet complete. Come back later to check for updates or to make updates yourself!

'''Fgx'''

Fgx is an Open Source graphical launcher application for FlightGear Flight Simulator that is built using Qt from Nokia. Development began in the first quarter of 2011 with the purpose of creating a fast and easy to use tool to manage your FlightGear preferences and to start the flight simulator application.

While initial development targeted the Apple Mac architecture, the Qt development environment allows for cross-platform compatibility between Windows, Mac OS and various Linux distributions. At this time, it has only been tested on Mac, CentOS 5.5 i386 and Fedora 14 i386.

'''Getting Fgx'''

Fgx source code is available at git://gitorious.org/fgx/fgx.git

'''Supported Systems'''

Note that Fgx has been tested using the prerequisites listed below and may actually work with different OSes and versions. Feel free to update this list if you have additional information.

. Mac OSX
. Fedora Linux 14
. Windows XP/Vista/7 (not tested)

'''Building Fgx'''

1. Install Qt 3 SDK
2. Use Qt Creator to open the project file fgx/src/fgx.pro
3. In Qt Creator, use Build->Build All to build the project.

Frequently asked questions

2010-09-01T14:26:25Z

RatOmeter: /* Why won't the latest versions of some aircraft work in Flight Gear 0.9.10? */

Common help destinations: [[Aircraft]], [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer Help]], [[Installing Scenery]], and [[Flying the Helicopter]].

'''This FAQ has not been significantly updated since 2006.''' 

''' Feel free to make additions, changes, or corrections.'''

== The FAQ ==
=== Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ? ===
http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/FAQ

=== Who do I contact if I have comments about this FAQ? ===

Add your comment to this FAQ's discussion page [[Talk:FAQ]]

=== How old is this document? ===

Click the History button in the menu on the left.

=== What other important documentation should I read? ===

* [http://flightgear.org/Docs/getstart/getstart.html Getting Started Guide]
* [[New to FlightGear]]
* Also see the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory in the source distribution for various other helpful documents.
* Also see the other [http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/FAQ.shtml FAQ]

== Distribution ==

=== Where can I get FlightGear? ===

The official download page is http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/. Source code is our primary form of distribution, but precompiled binaries are available for Windows and SGI IRIX.

Alternatively, FlightGear is packaged for Linux by SuSE, Debian (sid), and Mandrake (Cooker) and can be directly installed through those distributions.

=== How do I install Flight Gear on Ubuntu? ===

Flight Gear can be installed directly from the Synaptic Package Manager.
Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for Flight Gear and follow instructions. For Ubuntu 9.10 you will be able to install Flight Gear 1.9.1

=== What is the password for the FTP server? ===

The FTP server uses standard anonymous login procedures. Login with the username "anonymous" and use your email address as the password. Most FTP clients and web browsers will do this automatically for you.

=== Why won't the FTP server let me in with the right login info? ===

This generally means that the server is at it's capacity. You should receive a message saying such, but your FTP client may be hiding it from you. Your options are to keep trying until a slot opens up or try connecting to one of our FTP mirrors listed at http://flightgear.org/mirrors.html.

=== Where can I find the latest development source code? ===

The latest development code is available for everyone through our Git repository. See [[Git]] for details.

Otherwise, you can get relatively up-to-date snapshots of the development tree at ftp://flightgear.sourceforge.net/pub/flightgear/Devel/Snapshots/.

=== What is SimGear, and why do I need it? ===

[[SimGear]] is a library of supporting code. SimGear is only needed if you plan on compiling FlightGear -- it is not needed to run precompiled binaries. For more information see http://www.simgear.org/. Note: When compiling FlightGear it is very important to have the matching version of SimGear.

=== Where can I fly and where do I get the scenery? ===

While the base package only comes with scenery for the San Francisco Bay area, you can currently fly just about anywhere in the world. See the "Additional Scenery" section of http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ for more information or go directly to our graphical downloader at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/scenery-1.0.1.html

Also visit our "Places to Fly" section of the website (http://www.flightgear.org/Places/) for some help navigating to some awesome locations. (see also [[Installing Scenery]])

=== Where can I get different 3D models for my plane? ===

Official FlightGear aircraft can be found at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ . Other aircraft in development can be found on [[CVS]], and some other aircraft can be found on 3rd party [FlightGear hangars]].

=== How current is the data in FlightGear compared to the real world? ===

We use the same navaid and airport dataset that X-Plane uses. The current dataset can be found in the $FGROOT/Navaids/ and $FGROOT/Airports/ directories. If you have updates or corrections to the dataset, see http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html for instructions on contacting the database maintainer.

=== Where is the moving map? ===

A popular moving map display is available under a separate project called [[Atlas]] (See http://atlas.sf.net/) Also, [[MPmap]] is an online map for multiplayer.

If you like an alternative to Atlas with updated graphics and mapping provided by the openstreetmap project, then check out Flightgear Mapping [[http://rubyforge.org/projects/fgmap fgmapping]]

=== Why don't you charge money for this? ===

FlightGear can be downloaded for free from many locations including the FlightGear website, but can also be bought on a CD. Although we offer that service (see the website), we encourage other groups to redistribute it for their users, especially within an operating system distribution which makes installation even faster and easier for new users.

Occasionally you may see FlightGear for sale on auction sites or commercial websites under some other name. This can be done quite legitimately as long as the terms of the license are upheld and might be worth the cost if some value-added features such as additional scenery, aircraft or after-sale support are included. Unfortunately, most cases seen to date appear to be just someone trying to make money selling something that is free and providing no real added value.

===How can I get started with FlightGear===

FlightGear [[FlightGear 1.0.0|version 1.0]] can be downloaded at [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ Download Central], but most [[aircraft]] need to be separately downloaded [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ Here] and installed manually (see also [[FlightGear 1.0 default aircraft]]). Be aware of system requirements! Also, check out [[New to FlightGear]].

== Compiling ==
{{main article|Building Flightgear}}

=== Why won't FlightGear compile? ===

Well, that depends. First make sure you are using the appropriate versions of FlightGear, [[SimGear]], plib, zlib. If any of the packages are out of sync with the others, compilation may fail. See also [[Building FlightGear]]

The FlightGear Downloads page (http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/) should tell you what versions you need if you are trying to compile the latest stable release. If you are using a development snapshot, make sure all three packages are up-to-date.

Also ensure that you have some implementation of OpenGL with glut support with the appropriate header files. Linux users with nVidia cards should make sure you have the latest drivers from nVidia. Other Linux users make sure you have Mesa3D (http://mesa3d.org/) and your X server installed correctly.

If your problems persist, subscribe to our FlightGear-Users mailing list and let us know what problem you're having. See http://www.flightgear.org/mail.html for help with this.

=== I'm using RedHat 7, and ...? ===

Update your gcc packages. See http://redhat.com/errata/ to fix it and http://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/gcc-2.96.html for an explanation why.

== Configuring ==

=== How do I install new scenery? ===

The scenery archive files (ie. w100n30.tar.gz) should be untarred into the Scenery/Terrain directory in your $FG_ROOT.

=== How do I setup my joystick(s)? ===

FlightGear should come with a helpful program called `fgjs` that can help configure your joystick. Run `fgjs` and then copy the dot file it created into your home directory or add its contents to your existing rc file.

Also, see the README.Joystick file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution and the [[Joystick]]-page on the wiki.

=== What format should my personal .fgfsrc file be in? ===

Your .fgfsrc file should simply be a list of [[Command Line Parameters|command line options]] with one option per line. The file is not an XML file.

If you would rather use an [[XML]] configuration file, you can add something like the following in your .fgfsrc

<code> --config=/path/to/my/config.xml</code>

Almost every option corresponds to a property, so you can choose to use whichever method best suits your needs.

== Running ==

=== Why do I get an error loading libopenal.so.0? ===

With the default installation, libopenal.so.0 is installed into /usr/local/lib. You need to ensure that that path is listed in /etc/ld.so.conf, then run `ldconfig`as root.

=== Why do I get "ssgInit called without a valid OpenGL context"? ===

In short, your GL libraries are broken. So far only Red Hat 7.x users have experienced this (see http://www.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=18867). The only solutions are possibly complicated ones: you can either change distributions (most of us prefer Debian) or upgrade/downgrade your Mesa libs.

Why do some other GL applications work though? Well, Steve Baker (Mr. PLIB) has explained this on the plib-users list (http://www.geocrawler.com/lists/3/SourceForge/1867/0/6470648/).

=== What happened to the panel, keyboard, etc? ===

The problem is almost certainly that your base package is out of sync with FlightGear. Many configurable parts of FlightGear are defined in [[XML]] files contained in the base package.

=== Why doesn't audio work properly under Irix? ===

FlightGear (as of June 2001) uses the Portable Libraries ([[PLIB]]) for playing audio. The audio queue implementation of PLIB is far from optimal (in fact it's just wrong). This seems to work on other platforms quite well, but Irix expects things to be programmed properly.

There has been discussion about using OpenAL (http://www.openal.org/) for the next release of both PLIB and FlightGear. Tests show that the OpenAL audio implementation does the job right, meaning that these audio problems should be gone by then. In the mean time it is best to disable audio on Irix completely (by adding --disable-sound either on the command line or to your $HOME/.fgfsrc file).

=== Why is FlightGear so slow? ===

FlightGear supports hardware acceleration, but it seems not to be activated. Make sure you have OpenGL libraries installed and configured properly and make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card.

Linux users: If you are an nVidia user, follow their directions on getting your card working. For most other users, make sure Mesa is installed property and ensure that you have the appropriate kernel device drivers for your card. Most people (and distributions) use modules for their video card device drivers; run `lsmod` as root to see what modules are loaded. You should also make sure that you are loading the appropriate modules in your XF86Config and that your video device section is correct. Now try running an OpenGL application (other than FlightGear) to see how it performs. You can try the gears demo from Mesa or something like Quake3.

=== Why is my SGI machine so slow? ===

First of all, one of the most common mistakes on SGI hardware is to forget to specify --fog-fastest. On most SGI machines the EXP2 shading model isn't hardware supported resulting in frame rates below 1 frame per second (fps).

FlightGear makes extensive use of the OpenGL z-buffer feature,which on most older SGI hardware is only supported in software. This means that the CPU has to do all the z-buffer calculations in addition to the other tasks FlightGear involves (flight dynamics, scenery tracking, pushing commands into the graphics queue, etc). The following features are software rendered on low-end SGI machines (like Indy and Indigo):

* stencil and accumulation buffer
* depth queuing and depth buffering
* fogging, lighting, clipping and transforms
* texturing

This means that running FlightGear with the following options may not even get the desired result:

<code> ./runfgfs --fog-disable --shading-flat --disable-skyblend --disable-textures --disable-clouds --disable-sound --disable-panel --enable-hud --disable-anti-alias-hud </code>

I could even imagine that adding --enable-wireframe doesn't work on these machines (I would be happy to be proven wrong though).

On a machine like O2 the following options give an acceptable result:
<code>./runfgfs --fog-fastest --disable-sound</code>

Since I don't have access to other SGI hardware I can't tell which options would be appropriate for your situation.

=== How do I see the frame rate? ===

On the menu select View, Rendering Options , then check the box
that says Show Frame Rate

=== How do I toggle panel settings? ===

There are two ways. One way is to hide the panel without the HUD showing. To hide the panel, use Shift+P; To make the HUD disappear, use H. The second way is to use the alternative HUD by Shift+I (Use I to switch back).

=== Stuck upside down after "crash"? ===

In his infinite wisdom the FlightGear Grand Master decided that planes were too valuable to allow them to be destroyed by novice pilots who seemed to crash a lot. The fact that nobody has bothered to model crashes may have something to do with it too. :-)

The result of this as you have noticed is that with a little practice an ingenuity you can trim the ship to fly inverted along the ground.

The quick answer is to hit Ctrl+U (with the default key bindings) to warp the plane up 1000ft.

For the stubborn people out there: The trick to learn is to roll back to normal (non inverted) do this by nursing the elevator to get to about 500 feet or so and use the ailerons to snap roll 180*. This is all good avionics except for the plane not destroying itself. Remember the controls work in reverse when you are inverted and keep that airspeed up!!!

=== Why does FlightGear die on startup saying "time zone reading failed"? ===

This is probably caused by a line-ending problem in the timezone files. Win32 users can resolve the problem by downloading a DOS to UNIX conversion utility available at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~eazdluf/d2u.zip. Run as `d2u *.tab` from within the timezone directory to fix your timezone files.

=== Why won't the latest versions of some aircraft work in my (older) version of FlightGear? ===

Often new aircraft development keeps pace with the latest FlightGear code development. New or newly modified aircraft may rely on files (such as new instrument files) or features only available with newer versions of FlightGear. If you are stuck with an older version of FlightGear, you can try downloading an earlier version of the aircraft here : http://web.archive.org/web/20060204211745/www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/
or here:http://ftp.riken.go.jp/pub/FreeBSD/distfiles/flightgear-aircrafts/

== Hacking ==

=== What language is FlightGear written in? ===

Mostly C++ with some supporting C code that's primarily contained within SimGear.

=== How do I design a flight dynamics model for a new aircraft? ===

To define an aircraft for FlightGear's primary FDM ([[JSBSIM]]), see http://jsbsim.sf.net/.

If you want a simpler FDM to work with, try your hand at [[YASim]], an alternative FDM. For an guide on creating a YASim aircraft, look in the FlightGear base package for Aircraft-yasim/README.yasim.

=== How do I import planes from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

You can import planes by using the 3D Convert utility which will convert
the MSFS 3d model to a format used by Flight Gear. You have to add the
animations and parts.

Also, although you can import the 3D model and textures, the flight dynamics (the .AIR file) must be completely redone for FlightGear.

If you wish to import a model made with gmax, you will need to convert it to .MDL format using Microsoft's MakeMDL SDK which is available at http://zone.msn.com/flightsim/FS02DevDeskSDK08.asp.

=== How do I import BGL scenery from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

See http://chiangt.virtualave.net/BGL/bgl_index.html.

=== How do I design or modify a panel? ===

See the README.xmlpanel file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution.
----

=== How do I place objects, like buildings, into FlightGear? ===

First, ensure that you have v0.7.7 or later, the scenery files where you plan to place the object, the actual model, and the longitude and latitude where you plan to place the object.

Now get the altitude for your point. If you don't want to calculate this yourself, start FlightGear at your location and take note of the altitude. Here's an example command:

fgfs --lat=45.50 --lon=-75.73 2>&1 | tee fgfs.log

The altitude is probably in feet, so divide the starting altitude by 3.28.

Search the output log file for the first occurrence of the string "Loading tile" and take note of the filename. In the above example, the output line looks like:

Loading tile /usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601

Copy a 3D model in a format that Plib understands to the same directory as the tile file. Edit the text file in that directory consisting of the tile name with the extension ".stg". The file will already exist if there is an airport on the tile; otherwise, you can create it from scratch. In our example, the filename is:

<code>/usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601.stg</code>

At the end of the file, add a new entry for your object, consisting of the word "OBJECT_STATIC" followed by the model name, the longitude in degrees, the latitude in degrees, the altitude in meters, and the heading in degrees. In our example the line looks like:

OBJECT_STATIC Towerax.ac -75.73 45.40 60 0

Save the changes to the .stg file, restart FlightGear, and enjoy.

NOTE: The above information was taken from the following mailing list post: http://www.geocrawler.com/archives/3/11854/2001/6/0/5991409/. See that page if this one doesn't make sense.

An alternative approach using PPE is described at http://mail.flightgear.org/pipermail/flightgear-devel/2001-December/002239.html by Norman Vine.

With Flightgear 0.9.10 there is an easy way for [[ Placing 3D Objects with the UFO ]]

See also [[ FlightGear Scenery Designer ]].

=== Where can I learn 3D programming and how do I get involved? ===

Contributing to the 2D panel doesn't require any coding at all, just a minimal knowledge of [[XML]] syntax (i.e. five minutes' worth) and good skills with drawing and/or paint programs. Every instrument on the current panel, with the partial exception of the magnetic compass, is defined entirely in XML with no custom C++ code. If you want to get started, take a look at John Check's excellent intro (http://rockfish.net/fg/README.xmlpanel).

Likewise, if you want to create a 3D cockpit for FlightGear, or to create buildings, external aircraft models, etc., your help is *desperately* needed. The only rule is to go easy on the triangles -- a model with 50,000 triangles probably won't be usable in FlightGear, and one with 5,000 triangles, only marginally. If you can design a nice 3D cockpit interior for in a 3D design program such as [[AC3D]] or [[PPE]], there may be coders who will be happy to add the support code in the C++.

If, on the other hand, you really want to get your hands dirty with C++ coding, you'll have to buy a good [[OpenGL]] book eventually. However, FlightGear uses a high-level library, [[PLIB]], that hides most of the details of OpenGL. To get started with 3D C++ coding, you can take a look at the plib documentation and learn only as much OpenGL as you need, when you need it.

=== How do I add an airport? ===

You can add your airport to the $FGROOT/Airports/default.apt.gz file, but to get the airport to show up visually, you will have to rebuild the scenery around the airport. The format of the default.apt file is documented at http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html.

=== Can I generate my own scenery? ===

Yes, though it can be a difficult task. FlightGear's scenery generation is handled by a sister project, [[TerraGear]]. For more details, see http://terragear.org/.

== Flying ==

=== Why won't my engine(s) start? ===

====Starting engine in single-engine aircraft====
Aircraft vary in their starting procedure. Some may have an auto-start sequence menu entry or instructions in the aircraft help menu (Press "?").

But in general to start the engine on a piston-engine type aircraft, you need:

# Fuel - You can run out of fuel, of course, but for certain aircraft, FlightGear may load it with no fuel, making it impossible to start the engines. Check this in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.
# Correct mixture (generally "rich", ie red knob all the way in)
# Magnetos on (R, L, or both--generally select "both")
# Throttle (some engines start better with a little gas)
# Hold starter for sufficient time.

You may be able to do all these functions with the standard 2-D panel or your aircraft's built-in panel. However using the standard key bindings is more reliable:

# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set it somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magneto to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little.
# Press "s" to run the starter. For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.

====Starting engine in multi-engine aircraft====
Starting all engines in a multi-engine aircraft is similar to the single engine--except you must follow the same start sequence for each and every engine. Flightgear provides a convenient way to do this for all engines at once.

Note that the default 2-D panel is connected to ''only one engine''. So if you try to start the engines using the 2-D panel controls you will most likely start only one engine.

Instead, use the keyboard to start all engines at once:

# Press "~" (select all engines)
# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set the mixture somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magnetos to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little (it now controls all engines).
# Press "s" to run the starter (it now runs the starter on all engines). For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.
# Rev the engines a little with your throttle and check your tachometers and/or visually to be sure all engines are running.

If the engines won't start, make sure you have fuel. Some aircraft have switches to control which fuel tanks feed which engines, so check these.

Make sure each engine you want to start is connected to a tank that has fuel. Check fuel tanks in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.

=== Where can I learn about instrument flying and navigation? ===

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ is a very good site for learning techniques for navigation.

[http://www.av8n.com/how/ See How It Flies] a very nice book by John S. Denker, freely accessible online

Please see [[Understanding Navigation]]

=== What is the difference between Aileron and Rudder? ===

There is a bit of info on aileron vs. rudder in the very same book...

=== Is there support for multi-player flying? ===

Yes. Both the Windows and *nix versions of FlightGear are capable of multi-player flying on FlightGear servers.

Wiki: [http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Multiplayer_Howto Multiplayer_Howto]

A map showing players aircraft online in real time is available:
[http://pigeond.net/flightgear/fg_server_map.html FlightGear Online Server Map] (see also [[MPmap]])

=== Where are the best places to fly in FlightGear? ===

FlightGear scenery covers the whole world, but thanks to the FlightGear user community, certain airports and areas are more detailed than others. For a full list of airports with buildings available in the default scenery, visit the forum's [http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4700&st=0&sk=t&sd=a|list of improved airports].

* There are a lot of high-quality scenery models around Paris, France.
* EHAM Amsterdam Schiphol, EGKK London Gatwick and LFPG Paris Charles de Gaulle are some of the highest quality airports in FlightGear.
* TNCM St. Maarten is a popular destination, and the surrounding islands (Anguilla, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barthélemy, St. Kitts, and Nevis) are all well-modeled.

=== Where can I find airport info and aeronautical charts online? ===
Airports:
* [http://www.airnav.com/airports/ AirNav.com]

Charts:
* [http://skyvector.com/ SkyVector.com]

=== Is there support for any military scenarios like dog fighting or bomb dropping? ===

Most of our developers are primarily interested and focused on civilian aviation. We aren't explicitly excluding these features -- we just haven't had anyone who has done much development in these areas until recently. Now there are third-party bombing scenarios for the [[A-10]] and other aircraft with armament, like the [[North American OV-10A Bronco]], [[General Dynamics F-16]] and [[F-117 Nighthawk]].

[http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5742 A new add-on (9/2009)] adds support for dogfighting (including multiplayer dogfighting) and bombing scenarios.

== FlightGear v0.7.6 ==

=== Why do I get an error in viewer.cxx about `exit' being undeclared? ===

This error cropped up after the release of v0.7.6. To fix the problem, add "#include <stdlib.h>" to the top of viewer.cxx.

== FlightGear v1.0.0 ==

=== How could I be ATC? ===
It's not yet possible to be an [[ATC]] with the stable version, you should download the CVS version.

[[es:Preguntas frecuentes]]
[[fr:Foire aux questions]]
[[pl:FAQ]]

Frequently asked questions

2010-09-01T14:23:39Z

RatOmeter: /* Why won't the latest versions of some aircraft work in Flight Gear 9.10? */

Common help destinations: [[Aircraft]], [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer Help]], [[Installing Scenery]], and [[Flying the Helicopter]].

'''This FAQ has not been significantly updated since 2006.''' 

''' Feel free to make additions, changes, or corrections.'''

== The FAQ ==
=== Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ? ===
http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/FAQ

=== Who do I contact if I have comments about this FAQ? ===

Add your comment to this FAQ's discussion page [[Talk:FAQ]]

=== How old is this document? ===

Click the History button in the menu on the left.

=== What other important documentation should I read? ===

* [http://flightgear.org/Docs/getstart/getstart.html Getting Started Guide]
* [[New to FlightGear]]
* Also see the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory in the source distribution for various other helpful documents.
* Also see the other [http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/FAQ.shtml FAQ]

== Distribution ==

=== Where can I get FlightGear? ===

The official download page is http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/. Source code is our primary form of distribution, but precompiled binaries are available for Windows and SGI IRIX.

Alternatively, FlightGear is packaged for Linux by SuSE, Debian (sid), and Mandrake (Cooker) and can be directly installed through those distributions.

=== How do I install Flight Gear on Ubuntu? ===

Flight Gear can be installed directly from the Synaptic Package Manager.
Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for Flight Gear and follow instructions. For Ubuntu 9.10 you will be able to install Flight Gear 1.9.1

=== What is the password for the FTP server? ===

The FTP server uses standard anonymous login procedures. Login with the username "anonymous" and use your email address as the password. Most FTP clients and web browsers will do this automatically for you.

=== Why won't the FTP server let me in with the right login info? ===

This generally means that the server is at it's capacity. You should receive a message saying such, but your FTP client may be hiding it from you. Your options are to keep trying until a slot opens up or try connecting to one of our FTP mirrors listed at http://flightgear.org/mirrors.html.

=== Where can I find the latest development source code? ===

The latest development code is available for everyone through our Git repository. See [[Git]] for details.

Otherwise, you can get relatively up-to-date snapshots of the development tree at ftp://flightgear.sourceforge.net/pub/flightgear/Devel/Snapshots/.

=== What is SimGear, and why do I need it? ===

[[SimGear]] is a library of supporting code. SimGear is only needed if you plan on compiling FlightGear -- it is not needed to run precompiled binaries. For more information see http://www.simgear.org/. Note: When compiling FlightGear it is very important to have the matching version of SimGear.

=== Where can I fly and where do I get the scenery? ===

While the base package only comes with scenery for the San Francisco Bay area, you can currently fly just about anywhere in the world. See the "Additional Scenery" section of http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ for more information or go directly to our graphical downloader at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/scenery-1.0.1.html

Also visit our "Places to Fly" section of the website (http://www.flightgear.org/Places/) for some help navigating to some awesome locations. (see also [[Installing Scenery]])

=== Where can I get different 3D models for my plane? ===

Official FlightGear aircraft can be found at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ . Other aircraft in development can be found on [[CVS]], and some other aircraft can be found on 3rd party [FlightGear hangars]].

=== How current is the data in FlightGear compared to the real world? ===

We use the same navaid and airport dataset that X-Plane uses. The current dataset can be found in the $FGROOT/Navaids/ and $FGROOT/Airports/ directories. If you have updates or corrections to the dataset, see http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html for instructions on contacting the database maintainer.

=== Where is the moving map? ===

A popular moving map display is available under a separate project called [[Atlas]] (See http://atlas.sf.net/) Also, [[MPmap]] is an online map for multiplayer.

If you like an alternative to Atlas with updated graphics and mapping provided by the openstreetmap project, then check out Flightgear Mapping [[http://rubyforge.org/projects/fgmap fgmapping]]

=== Why don't you charge money for this? ===

FlightGear can be downloaded for free from many locations including the FlightGear website, but can also be bought on a CD. Although we offer that service (see the website), we encourage other groups to redistribute it for their users, especially within an operating system distribution which makes installation even faster and easier for new users.

Occasionally you may see FlightGear for sale on auction sites or commercial websites under some other name. This can be done quite legitimately as long as the terms of the license are upheld and might be worth the cost if some value-added features such as additional scenery, aircraft or after-sale support are included. Unfortunately, most cases seen to date appear to be just someone trying to make money selling something that is free and providing no real added value.

===How can I get started with FlightGear===

FlightGear [[FlightGear 1.0.0|version 1.0]] can be downloaded at [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ Download Central], but most [[aircraft]] need to be separately downloaded [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ Here] and installed manually (see also [[FlightGear 1.0 default aircraft]]). Be aware of system requirements! Also, check out [[New to FlightGear]].

== Compiling ==
{{main article|Building Flightgear}}

=== Why won't FlightGear compile? ===

Well, that depends. First make sure you are using the appropriate versions of FlightGear, [[SimGear]], plib, zlib. If any of the packages are out of sync with the others, compilation may fail. See also [[Building FlightGear]]

The FlightGear Downloads page (http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/) should tell you what versions you need if you are trying to compile the latest stable release. If you are using a development snapshot, make sure all three packages are up-to-date.

Also ensure that you have some implementation of OpenGL with glut support with the appropriate header files. Linux users with nVidia cards should make sure you have the latest drivers from nVidia. Other Linux users make sure you have Mesa3D (http://mesa3d.org/) and your X server installed correctly.

If your problems persist, subscribe to our FlightGear-Users mailing list and let us know what problem you're having. See http://www.flightgear.org/mail.html for help with this.

=== I'm using RedHat 7, and ...? ===

Update your gcc packages. See http://redhat.com/errata/ to fix it and http://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/gcc-2.96.html for an explanation why.

== Configuring ==

=== How do I install new scenery? ===

The scenery archive files (ie. w100n30.tar.gz) should be untarred into the Scenery/Terrain directory in your $FG_ROOT.

=== How do I setup my joystick(s)? ===

FlightGear should come with a helpful program called `fgjs` that can help configure your joystick. Run `fgjs` and then copy the dot file it created into your home directory or add its contents to your existing rc file.

Also, see the README.Joystick file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution and the [[Joystick]]-page on the wiki.

=== What format should my personal .fgfsrc file be in? ===

Your .fgfsrc file should simply be a list of [[Command Line Parameters|command line options]] with one option per line. The file is not an XML file.

If you would rather use an [[XML]] configuration file, you can add something like the following in your .fgfsrc

<code> --config=/path/to/my/config.xml</code>

Almost every option corresponds to a property, so you can choose to use whichever method best suits your needs.

== Running ==

=== Why do I get an error loading libopenal.so.0? ===

With the default installation, libopenal.so.0 is installed into /usr/local/lib. You need to ensure that that path is listed in /etc/ld.so.conf, then run `ldconfig`as root.

=== Why do I get "ssgInit called without a valid OpenGL context"? ===

In short, your GL libraries are broken. So far only Red Hat 7.x users have experienced this (see http://www.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=18867). The only solutions are possibly complicated ones: you can either change distributions (most of us prefer Debian) or upgrade/downgrade your Mesa libs.

Why do some other GL applications work though? Well, Steve Baker (Mr. PLIB) has explained this on the plib-users list (http://www.geocrawler.com/lists/3/SourceForge/1867/0/6470648/).

=== What happened to the panel, keyboard, etc? ===

The problem is almost certainly that your base package is out of sync with FlightGear. Many configurable parts of FlightGear are defined in [[XML]] files contained in the base package.

=== Why doesn't audio work properly under Irix? ===

FlightGear (as of June 2001) uses the Portable Libraries ([[PLIB]]) for playing audio. The audio queue implementation of PLIB is far from optimal (in fact it's just wrong). This seems to work on other platforms quite well, but Irix expects things to be programmed properly.

There has been discussion about using OpenAL (http://www.openal.org/) for the next release of both PLIB and FlightGear. Tests show that the OpenAL audio implementation does the job right, meaning that these audio problems should be gone by then. In the mean time it is best to disable audio on Irix completely (by adding --disable-sound either on the command line or to your $HOME/.fgfsrc file).

=== Why is FlightGear so slow? ===

FlightGear supports hardware acceleration, but it seems not to be activated. Make sure you have OpenGL libraries installed and configured properly and make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card.

Linux users: If you are an nVidia user, follow their directions on getting your card working. For most other users, make sure Mesa is installed property and ensure that you have the appropriate kernel device drivers for your card. Most people (and distributions) use modules for their video card device drivers; run `lsmod` as root to see what modules are loaded. You should also make sure that you are loading the appropriate modules in your XF86Config and that your video device section is correct. Now try running an OpenGL application (other than FlightGear) to see how it performs. You can try the gears demo from Mesa or something like Quake3.

=== Why is my SGI machine so slow? ===

First of all, one of the most common mistakes on SGI hardware is to forget to specify --fog-fastest. On most SGI machines the EXP2 shading model isn't hardware supported resulting in frame rates below 1 frame per second (fps).

FlightGear makes extensive use of the OpenGL z-buffer feature,which on most older SGI hardware is only supported in software. This means that the CPU has to do all the z-buffer calculations in addition to the other tasks FlightGear involves (flight dynamics, scenery tracking, pushing commands into the graphics queue, etc). The following features are software rendered on low-end SGI machines (like Indy and Indigo):

* stencil and accumulation buffer
* depth queuing and depth buffering
* fogging, lighting, clipping and transforms
* texturing

This means that running FlightGear with the following options may not even get the desired result:

<code> ./runfgfs --fog-disable --shading-flat --disable-skyblend --disable-textures --disable-clouds --disable-sound --disable-panel --enable-hud --disable-anti-alias-hud </code>

I could even imagine that adding --enable-wireframe doesn't work on these machines (I would be happy to be proven wrong though).

On a machine like O2 the following options give an acceptable result:
<code>./runfgfs --fog-fastest --disable-sound</code>

Since I don't have access to other SGI hardware I can't tell which options would be appropriate for your situation.

=== How do I see the frame rate? ===

On the menu select View, Rendering Options , then check the box
that says Show Frame Rate

=== How do I toggle panel settings? ===

There are two ways. One way is to hide the panel without the HUD showing. To hide the panel, use Shift+P; To make the HUD disappear, use H. The second way is to use the alternative HUD by Shift+I (Use I to switch back).

=== Stuck upside down after "crash"? ===

In his infinite wisdom the FlightGear Grand Master decided that planes were too valuable to allow them to be destroyed by novice pilots who seemed to crash a lot. The fact that nobody has bothered to model crashes may have something to do with it too. :-)

The result of this as you have noticed is that with a little practice an ingenuity you can trim the ship to fly inverted along the ground.

The quick answer is to hit Ctrl+U (with the default key bindings) to warp the plane up 1000ft.

For the stubborn people out there: The trick to learn is to roll back to normal (non inverted) do this by nursing the elevator to get to about 500 feet or so and use the ailerons to snap roll 180*. This is all good avionics except for the plane not destroying itself. Remember the controls work in reverse when you are inverted and keep that airspeed up!!!

=== Why does FlightGear die on startup saying "time zone reading failed"? ===

This is probably caused by a line-ending problem in the timezone files. Win32 users can resolve the problem by downloading a DOS to UNIX conversion utility available at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~eazdluf/d2u.zip. Run as `d2u *.tab` from within the timezone directory to fix your timezone files.

=== Why won't the latest versions of some aircraft work in Flight Gear 0.9.10? ===

The latest FlightGear aircraft need to use some files such as new instrument files only released with [[FlightGear 1.0|version 1.0]]. If you are stuck with an older version of FlightGear you can try downloading an earlier version of the aircraft here : http://web.archive.org/web/20060204211745/www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/
or here:http://ftp.riken.go.jp/pub/FreeBSD/distfiles/flightgear-aircrafts/

== Hacking ==

=== What language is FlightGear written in? ===

Mostly C++ with some supporting C code that's primarily contained within SimGear.

=== How do I design a flight dynamics model for a new aircraft? ===

To define an aircraft for FlightGear's primary FDM ([[JSBSIM]]), see http://jsbsim.sf.net/.

If you want a simpler FDM to work with, try your hand at [[YASim]], an alternative FDM. For an guide on creating a YASim aircraft, look in the FlightGear base package for Aircraft-yasim/README.yasim.

=== How do I import planes from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

You can import planes by using the 3D Convert utility which will convert
the MSFS 3d model to a format used by Flight Gear. You have to add the
animations and parts.

Also, although you can import the 3D model and textures, the flight dynamics (the .AIR file) must be completely redone for FlightGear.

If you wish to import a model made with gmax, you will need to convert it to .MDL format using Microsoft's MakeMDL SDK which is available at http://zone.msn.com/flightsim/FS02DevDeskSDK08.asp.

=== How do I import BGL scenery from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

See http://chiangt.virtualave.net/BGL/bgl_index.html.

=== How do I design or modify a panel? ===

See the README.xmlpanel file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution.
----

=== How do I place objects, like buildings, into FlightGear? ===

First, ensure that you have v0.7.7 or later, the scenery files where you plan to place the object, the actual model, and the longitude and latitude where you plan to place the object.

Now get the altitude for your point. If you don't want to calculate this yourself, start FlightGear at your location and take note of the altitude. Here's an example command:

fgfs --lat=45.50 --lon=-75.73 2>&1 | tee fgfs.log

The altitude is probably in feet, so divide the starting altitude by 3.28.

Search the output log file for the first occurrence of the string "Loading tile" and take note of the filename. In the above example, the output line looks like:

Loading tile /usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601

Copy a 3D model in a format that Plib understands to the same directory as the tile file. Edit the text file in that directory consisting of the tile name with the extension ".stg". The file will already exist if there is an airport on the tile; otherwise, you can create it from scratch. In our example, the filename is:

<code>/usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601.stg</code>

At the end of the file, add a new entry for your object, consisting of the word "OBJECT_STATIC" followed by the model name, the longitude in degrees, the latitude in degrees, the altitude in meters, and the heading in degrees. In our example the line looks like:

OBJECT_STATIC Towerax.ac -75.73 45.40 60 0

Save the changes to the .stg file, restart FlightGear, and enjoy.

NOTE: The above information was taken from the following mailing list post: http://www.geocrawler.com/archives/3/11854/2001/6/0/5991409/. See that page if this one doesn't make sense.

An alternative approach using PPE is described at http://mail.flightgear.org/pipermail/flightgear-devel/2001-December/002239.html by Norman Vine.

With Flightgear 0.9.10 there is an easy way for [[ Placing 3D Objects with the UFO ]]

See also [[ FlightGear Scenery Designer ]].

=== Where can I learn 3D programming and how do I get involved? ===

Contributing to the 2D panel doesn't require any coding at all, just a minimal knowledge of [[XML]] syntax (i.e. five minutes' worth) and good skills with drawing and/or paint programs. Every instrument on the current panel, with the partial exception of the magnetic compass, is defined entirely in XML with no custom C++ code. If you want to get started, take a look at John Check's excellent intro (http://rockfish.net/fg/README.xmlpanel).

Likewise, if you want to create a 3D cockpit for FlightGear, or to create buildings, external aircraft models, etc., your help is *desperately* needed. The only rule is to go easy on the triangles -- a model with 50,000 triangles probably won't be usable in FlightGear, and one with 5,000 triangles, only marginally. If you can design a nice 3D cockpit interior for in a 3D design program such as [[AC3D]] or [[PPE]], there may be coders who will be happy to add the support code in the C++.

If, on the other hand, you really want to get your hands dirty with C++ coding, you'll have to buy a good [[OpenGL]] book eventually. However, FlightGear uses a high-level library, [[PLIB]], that hides most of the details of OpenGL. To get started with 3D C++ coding, you can take a look at the plib documentation and learn only as much OpenGL as you need, when you need it.

=== How do I add an airport? ===

You can add your airport to the $FGROOT/Airports/default.apt.gz file, but to get the airport to show up visually, you will have to rebuild the scenery around the airport. The format of the default.apt file is documented at http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html.

=== Can I generate my own scenery? ===

Yes, though it can be a difficult task. FlightGear's scenery generation is handled by a sister project, [[TerraGear]]. For more details, see http://terragear.org/.

== Flying ==

=== Why won't my engine(s) start? ===

====Starting engine in single-engine aircraft====
Aircraft vary in their starting procedure. Some may have an auto-start sequence menu entry or instructions in the aircraft help menu (Press "?").

But in general to start the engine on a piston-engine type aircraft, you need:

# Fuel - You can run out of fuel, of course, but for certain aircraft, FlightGear may load it with no fuel, making it impossible to start the engines. Check this in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.
# Correct mixture (generally "rich", ie red knob all the way in)
# Magnetos on (R, L, or both--generally select "both")
# Throttle (some engines start better with a little gas)
# Hold starter for sufficient time.

You may be able to do all these functions with the standard 2-D panel or your aircraft's built-in panel. However using the standard key bindings is more reliable:

# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set it somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magneto to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little.
# Press "s" to run the starter. For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.

====Starting engine in multi-engine aircraft====
Starting all engines in a multi-engine aircraft is similar to the single engine--except you must follow the same start sequence for each and every engine. Flightgear provides a convenient way to do this for all engines at once.

Note that the default 2-D panel is connected to ''only one engine''. So if you try to start the engines using the 2-D panel controls you will most likely start only one engine.

Instead, use the keyboard to start all engines at once:

# Press "~" (select all engines)
# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set the mixture somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magnetos to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little (it now controls all engines).
# Press "s" to run the starter (it now runs the starter on all engines). For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.
# Rev the engines a little with your throttle and check your tachometers and/or visually to be sure all engines are running.

If the engines won't start, make sure you have fuel. Some aircraft have switches to control which fuel tanks feed which engines, so check these.

Make sure each engine you want to start is connected to a tank that has fuel. Check fuel tanks in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.

=== Where can I learn about instrument flying and navigation? ===

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ is a very good site for learning techniques for navigation.

[http://www.av8n.com/how/ See How It Flies] a very nice book by John S. Denker, freely accessible online

Please see [[Understanding Navigation]]

=== What is the difference between Aileron and Rudder? ===

There is a bit of info on aileron vs. rudder in the very same book...

=== Is there support for multi-player flying? ===

Yes. Both the Windows and *nix versions of FlightGear are capable of multi-player flying on FlightGear servers.

Wiki: [http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Multiplayer_Howto Multiplayer_Howto]

A map showing players aircraft online in real time is available:
[http://pigeond.net/flightgear/fg_server_map.html FlightGear Online Server Map] (see also [[MPmap]])

=== Where are the best places to fly in FlightGear? ===

FlightGear scenery covers the whole world, but thanks to the FlightGear user community, certain airports and areas are more detailed than others. For a full list of airports with buildings available in the default scenery, visit the forum's [http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4700&st=0&sk=t&sd=a|list of improved airports].

* There are a lot of high-quality scenery models around Paris, France.
* EHAM Amsterdam Schiphol, EGKK London Gatwick and LFPG Paris Charles de Gaulle are some of the highest quality airports in FlightGear.
* TNCM St. Maarten is a popular destination, and the surrounding islands (Anguilla, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barthélemy, St. Kitts, and Nevis) are all well-modeled.

=== Where can I find airport info and aeronautical charts online? ===
Airports:
* [http://www.airnav.com/airports/ AirNav.com]

Charts:
* [http://skyvector.com/ SkyVector.com]

=== Is there support for any military scenarios like dog fighting or bomb dropping? ===

Most of our developers are primarily interested and focused on civilian aviation. We aren't explicitly excluding these features -- we just haven't had anyone who has done much development in these areas until recently. Now there are third-party bombing scenarios for the [[A-10]] and other aircraft with armament, like the [[North American OV-10A Bronco]], [[General Dynamics F-16]] and [[F-117 Nighthawk]].

[http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5742 A new add-on (9/2009)] adds support for dogfighting (including multiplayer dogfighting) and bombing scenarios.

== FlightGear v0.7.6 ==

=== Why do I get an error in viewer.cxx about `exit' being undeclared? ===

This error cropped up after the release of v0.7.6. To fix the problem, add "#include <stdlib.h>" to the top of viewer.cxx.

== FlightGear v1.0.0 ==

=== How could I be ATC? ===
It's not yet possible to be an [[ATC]] with the stable version, you should download the CVS version.

[[es:Preguntas frecuentes]]
[[fr:Foire aux questions]]
[[pl:FAQ]]

Building FlightGear - Windows

2010-09-01T14:21:26Z

RatOmeter:

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: Some parts of these instructions do not work correctly at this time, due to changes in the underlying software libraries. This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===Git===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear Git on Windows|Git]] for hosting the source code. You will need a Git client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but msysGit provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://code.google.com/p/msysgit/downloads/list msysGit], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* [http://www.boost.org/users/news/version_1_39_0 Boost 1.39.0]
* [http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/Downloads/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2fopenal%2fDownloads%2fALUT ALut (OpenAL Utility Toolkit)]
* [http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/Downloads/Forms/AllItems.aspx OpenAL CoreSDK]
* [http://sourceware.org/pthreads-win32/ pthreads]
** The latter 3 are available as one single package by a FlightGear project member
* [http://www.zlib.net/ zlib]
* [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/jpeg.htm GnuWin's JpegLib]
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph
* [http://subversion.tigris.org/servlets/ProjectDocumentList?folderID=8100 Subversion Headers and Libraries] - To get [[TerraSync]] compiled using svn for synchronizing scenery data. Make sure to pick actual "development libraries"
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

* '''Step 3''' - As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

* '''Step 2''' - This is a simple way to compile that should work with all versions of MSVC.
Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have extracted the sources.
Type the following commands:
<pre>
copy jconfig.vc jconfig.h
copy makefile.vc makefile
</pre>
(this will copy the preconfigured Visual C configuration and makefile).

Then on the same command prompt type the following command to build the library:
<pre>
nmake nodebug=1
</pre>

Make sure that other projects will find your new files: Either copy '''jerror.h, jmorecfg.h''' and '''jpeglib.h''' to an include folder which is already defined (e.g. 3rdparty/include) or modify the individual project settings by adding the directory where you unpacked the jpeglib sources. The latter method is not advised.

Finally if you get the error:
<pre>
makefile(11) : fatal error U1052: file 'win32.mak' not found
Stop.
</pre>

then you need to add the switch '''/f <path>''' to point to the file Win32.Mak which resides in the above mentioned Platform SDK directory\Include. Make sure to enclose this path into double quotes if the path contains spaces. Or you may just want to copy win32.mak to the folder and run nmake.

If you get cl.exe not recognized, you will need to go to your VC/Bin folder and run vcvars32.bat to set the environment settings.

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

The above plib package does not include debug libaries, only release. There have also been some bug fixes and changes to since that package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version from SVN which you may download here http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest plib source tarball from http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''trunk''' which you may wish to rename to '''plib-svn'''. The remaining instructions assume that you did name it '''plib-svn'''

* '''Step 2''' - Double-click the file '''plib-svn\plib.dsw'''. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

* '''Step 3''' - Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

* '''Step 4''' - Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

* '''Step 5''' - Copy all of the files in your '''plib-svn'' directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting SVN headers ==

[[TerraSync]] is a convenient method to get actual scenery data without the need for download many megabytes of data before flying by synchronizing in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Subversion SVN manner]. TerraSync is part of the FlightGear sources and will be compiled by default with the other FlightGear binaries. To get TerraSync compiled properly you need to get the above mentioned "SVN developer library files". Extract the library and header files into your 3rdparty folder to the corresponding subfolders.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

* '''Intro'''
To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice.

* '''Fetching "cutting edge" sources from SVN head'''
Use [http://tortoisesvn.net/ Tortoise SVN] to fetch the lastest source of OSG. The URL for the project archive is http://www.openscenegraph.org/svn/osg/OpenSceneGraph/tags/OpenSceneGraph-2.9.6. The destination folder should be '''OpenSceneGraph''' under your FlightGear project root directory. All other options can be left alone and are good to go as default. Wait until all files are downloaded from SVN.

* '''Dependencies''' 
OSG depends on some external libraries from the GnuWin project 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/jpeg.htm Jpeg] 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/libpng.htm Png] 
- [http://www.zlib.net/ ZLib] 
Download these packages and unzip them (including the folder structure) to your FG project folder\3rdparty. If you do not intend to create debug versions of OSG you can remove all links to debug files and *-bcc.lib in ...\3rdparty\lib.
A ready-to-use 3rd party archive, a detailed list of single dependencies and an explanation of the different dependencies can be found [http://www.openscenegraph.org/projects/osg/wiki/Downloads/Dependencies here].

* '''Preparing sources with CMake (generating project and solution files)'''
Get [http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html CMake for Windows]. Extract all files from the archive to a folder of your choice (e.g. C:\DEV\CMake). Go to C:\DEV\CMake\bin and start '''cmake-gui.exe'''. Browse for the OSG source code (e.g. FlightGear project root\OpenSceneGraph) and enter this to the first line. Below this you'll find the path '''where to build the binaries'''. After entering the path to the souce code you'll find the same path here. Just add '''\build''' to this and you are now good to press '''Configure'''. If it did not happen before you'll now receive an information that your buld-folder was not found and cmake-gui asks you if it should be ceated for you. Press '''yes''' to do so.
Next specify you installed compiler (e.g. '''Visual Studio 9 2008'''). Set '''Use default native compiler''' and press '''Finish'''.

cmake-gui is now configuring everything so that you can use VC9 with OSG sources. But before you can go on you'll need to tweak cmake a little bit. After pressing Configure the first time, many red lines will appear in the middle window which points you to settings where you can customise your build. Chnage the view from '''Simple view''' to '''Advanced view''' to achieve more detailed settings. Some settings must be reviewed (e.g. ACTUAL_3RDPARTY_DIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, etc.).

In permission-restricted environments (like Vista or Windows 7) do '''not''' set CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to a restricted folder like c:\program files as this will not work and lead to many '''permission denied''' messages as cmake can't elevate your rights. Use a permission free folder instead.

If you are satisfied with your cmake-options press configure 2, 3 or 4 times until '''Generate''' becomes active. Press it and wait until cmake-gui has finished to creat all neccesary folders/files for proceeding in Visual Studio (VC).

* '''Building in VC9'''
Switch to the folder '''Where to build binaries''' named before in cmake-gui and open the file '''OpenSceneGraph.sln''' with VC. Select your desired build type (Debug, Release, RelWithDebugInfo, MinSizeRel) and press '''F7''' to build the project. It's time for some coffee as this process will take some time. After all is done (hopefully) without errors right click the INSTALL project and build it. This will copy your compiled files to their correct locations (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX). Before you do that all files reside in your build folder and it's not recommende to use them from there.

* '''Some additional words'''
The first compile run will take certain long time. After you finished the first build all further builds will work much faster. So updating SVN and recompiling the sources will not take too much time in the future. Just make sure: '''ALWAYS BUILD THE INSTALL PROJECT''' as this is part of the complete process. Without this your newly built files will stay in your build but not in your install folder.

* '''Stable releases'''
You can however try and follow the building instructions from above to bet "cutting edge" with OSG.
Or you can download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

* '''Step 2''' - Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

* '''Step 3''' - Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.
* '''Step 4''' - Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

This method is much more simple but the stable releases are far behind the actual development.

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

* '''Step 1''' - Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

* '''Step 2''' - Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

* '''Step 3''' - Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

<s>''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.</s> 
''Note:'' Fortunately due to the efforts of developing the amount of warnings is getting less and less. Actually (June 2010) not more than 30 warnings should come up during compiling under Windows.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==

* '''Step 1'''
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

* '''Step 2'''

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

* '''Step 3'''

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/ Microsoft Visual C++ (Express) Download page]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/index.htm FlightGear Build Centre]

{{Building}}

Frequently asked questions

2010-09-01T14:17:37Z

RatOmeter: /* Where can I find the latest development source code? */

Common help destinations: [[Aircraft]], [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer Help]], [[Installing Scenery]], and [[Flying the Helicopter]].

'''This FAQ has not been significantly updated since 2006.''' 

''' Feel free to make additions, changes, or corrections.'''

== The FAQ ==
=== Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ? ===
http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/FAQ

=== Who do I contact if I have comments about this FAQ? ===

Add your comment to this FAQ's discussion page [[Talk:FAQ]]

=== How old is this document? ===

Click the History button in the menu on the left.

=== What other important documentation should I read? ===

* [http://flightgear.org/Docs/getstart/getstart.html Getting Started Guide]
* [[New to FlightGear]]
* Also see the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory in the source distribution for various other helpful documents.
* Also see the other [http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/FAQ.shtml FAQ]

== Distribution ==

=== Where can I get FlightGear? ===

The official download page is http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/. Source code is our primary form of distribution, but precompiled binaries are available for Windows and SGI IRIX.

Alternatively, FlightGear is packaged for Linux by SuSE, Debian (sid), and Mandrake (Cooker) and can be directly installed through those distributions.

=== How do I install Flight Gear on Ubuntu? ===

Flight Gear can be installed directly from the Synaptic Package Manager.
Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for Flight Gear and follow instructions. For Ubuntu 9.10 you will be able to install Flight Gear 1.9.1

=== What is the password for the FTP server? ===

The FTP server uses standard anonymous login procedures. Login with the username "anonymous" and use your email address as the password. Most FTP clients and web browsers will do this automatically for you.

=== Why won't the FTP server let me in with the right login info? ===

This generally means that the server is at it's capacity. You should receive a message saying such, but your FTP client may be hiding it from you. Your options are to keep trying until a slot opens up or try connecting to one of our FTP mirrors listed at http://flightgear.org/mirrors.html.

=== Where can I find the latest development source code? ===

The latest development code is available for everyone through our Git repository. See [[Git]] for details.

Otherwise, you can get relatively up-to-date snapshots of the development tree at ftp://flightgear.sourceforge.net/pub/flightgear/Devel/Snapshots/.

=== What is SimGear, and why do I need it? ===

[[SimGear]] is a library of supporting code. SimGear is only needed if you plan on compiling FlightGear -- it is not needed to run precompiled binaries. For more information see http://www.simgear.org/. Note: When compiling FlightGear it is very important to have the matching version of SimGear.

=== Where can I fly and where do I get the scenery? ===

While the base package only comes with scenery for the San Francisco Bay area, you can currently fly just about anywhere in the world. See the "Additional Scenery" section of http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ for more information or go directly to our graphical downloader at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/scenery-1.0.1.html

Also visit our "Places to Fly" section of the website (http://www.flightgear.org/Places/) for some help navigating to some awesome locations. (see also [[Installing Scenery]])

=== Where can I get different 3D models for my plane? ===

Official FlightGear aircraft can be found at http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ . Other aircraft in development can be found on [[CVS]], and some other aircraft can be found on 3rd party [FlightGear hangars]].

=== How current is the data in FlightGear compared to the real world? ===

We use the same navaid and airport dataset that X-Plane uses. The current dataset can be found in the $FGROOT/Navaids/ and $FGROOT/Airports/ directories. If you have updates or corrections to the dataset, see http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html for instructions on contacting the database maintainer.

=== Where is the moving map? ===

A popular moving map display is available under a separate project called [[Atlas]] (See http://atlas.sf.net/) Also, [[MPmap]] is an online map for multiplayer.

If you like an alternative to Atlas with updated graphics and mapping provided by the openstreetmap project, then check out Flightgear Mapping [[http://rubyforge.org/projects/fgmap fgmapping]]

=== Why don't you charge money for this? ===

FlightGear can be downloaded for free from many locations including the FlightGear website, but can also be bought on a CD. Although we offer that service (see the website), we encourage other groups to redistribute it for their users, especially within an operating system distribution which makes installation even faster and easier for new users.

Occasionally you may see FlightGear for sale on auction sites or commercial websites under some other name. This can be done quite legitimately as long as the terms of the license are upheld and might be worth the cost if some value-added features such as additional scenery, aircraft or after-sale support are included. Unfortunately, most cases seen to date appear to be just someone trying to make money selling something that is free and providing no real added value.

===How can I get started with FlightGear===

FlightGear [[FlightGear 1.0.0|version 1.0]] can be downloaded at [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/ Download Central], but most [[aircraft]] need to be separately downloaded [http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/ Here] and installed manually (see also [[FlightGear 1.0 default aircraft]]). Be aware of system requirements! Also, check out [[New to FlightGear]].

== Compiling ==
{{main article|Building Flightgear}}

=== Why won't FlightGear compile? ===

Well, that depends. First make sure you are using the appropriate versions of FlightGear, [[SimGear]], plib, zlib. If any of the packages are out of sync with the others, compilation may fail. See also [[Building FlightGear]]

The FlightGear Downloads page (http://www.flightgear.org/Downloads/) should tell you what versions you need if you are trying to compile the latest stable release. If you are using a development snapshot, make sure all three packages are up-to-date.

Also ensure that you have some implementation of OpenGL with glut support with the appropriate header files. Linux users with nVidia cards should make sure you have the latest drivers from nVidia. Other Linux users make sure you have Mesa3D (http://mesa3d.org/) and your X server installed correctly.

If your problems persist, subscribe to our FlightGear-Users mailing list and let us know what problem you're having. See http://www.flightgear.org/mail.html for help with this.

=== I'm using RedHat 7, and ...? ===

Update your gcc packages. See http://redhat.com/errata/ to fix it and http://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/gcc-2.96.html for an explanation why.

== Configuring ==

=== How do I install new scenery? ===

The scenery archive files (ie. w100n30.tar.gz) should be untarred into the Scenery/Terrain directory in your $FG_ROOT.

=== How do I setup my joystick(s)? ===

FlightGear should come with a helpful program called `fgjs` that can help configure your joystick. Run `fgjs` and then copy the dot file it created into your home directory or add its contents to your existing rc file.

Also, see the README.Joystick file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution and the [[Joystick]]-page on the wiki.

=== What format should my personal .fgfsrc file be in? ===

Your .fgfsrc file should simply be a list of [[Command Line Parameters|command line options]] with one option per line. The file is not an XML file.

If you would rather use an [[XML]] configuration file, you can add something like the following in your .fgfsrc

<code> --config=/path/to/my/config.xml</code>

Almost every option corresponds to a property, so you can choose to use whichever method best suits your needs.

== Running ==

=== Why do I get an error loading libopenal.so.0? ===

With the default installation, libopenal.so.0 is installed into /usr/local/lib. You need to ensure that that path is listed in /etc/ld.so.conf, then run `ldconfig`as root.

=== Why do I get "ssgInit called without a valid OpenGL context"? ===

In short, your GL libraries are broken. So far only Red Hat 7.x users have experienced this (see http://www.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=18867). The only solutions are possibly complicated ones: you can either change distributions (most of us prefer Debian) or upgrade/downgrade your Mesa libs.

Why do some other GL applications work though? Well, Steve Baker (Mr. PLIB) has explained this on the plib-users list (http://www.geocrawler.com/lists/3/SourceForge/1867/0/6470648/).

=== What happened to the panel, keyboard, etc? ===

The problem is almost certainly that your base package is out of sync with FlightGear. Many configurable parts of FlightGear are defined in [[XML]] files contained in the base package.

=== Why doesn't audio work properly under Irix? ===

FlightGear (as of June 2001) uses the Portable Libraries ([[PLIB]]) for playing audio. The audio queue implementation of PLIB is far from optimal (in fact it's just wrong). This seems to work on other platforms quite well, but Irix expects things to be programmed properly.

There has been discussion about using OpenAL (http://www.openal.org/) for the next release of both PLIB and FlightGear. Tests show that the OpenAL audio implementation does the job right, meaning that these audio problems should be gone by then. In the mean time it is best to disable audio on Irix completely (by adding --disable-sound either on the command line or to your $HOME/.fgfsrc file).

=== Why is FlightGear so slow? ===

FlightGear supports hardware acceleration, but it seems not to be activated. Make sure you have OpenGL libraries installed and configured properly and make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card.

Linux users: If you are an nVidia user, follow their directions on getting your card working. For most other users, make sure Mesa is installed property and ensure that you have the appropriate kernel device drivers for your card. Most people (and distributions) use modules for their video card device drivers; run `lsmod` as root to see what modules are loaded. You should also make sure that you are loading the appropriate modules in your XF86Config and that your video device section is correct. Now try running an OpenGL application (other than FlightGear) to see how it performs. You can try the gears demo from Mesa or something like Quake3.

=== Why is my SGI machine so slow? ===

First of all, one of the most common mistakes on SGI hardware is to forget to specify --fog-fastest. On most SGI machines the EXP2 shading model isn't hardware supported resulting in frame rates below 1 frame per second (fps).

FlightGear makes extensive use of the OpenGL z-buffer feature,which on most older SGI hardware is only supported in software. This means that the CPU has to do all the z-buffer calculations in addition to the other tasks FlightGear involves (flight dynamics, scenery tracking, pushing commands into the graphics queue, etc). The following features are software rendered on low-end SGI machines (like Indy and Indigo):

* stencil and accumulation buffer
* depth queuing and depth buffering
* fogging, lighting, clipping and transforms
* texturing

This means that running FlightGear with the following options may not even get the desired result:

<code> ./runfgfs --fog-disable --shading-flat --disable-skyblend --disable-textures --disable-clouds --disable-sound --disable-panel --enable-hud --disable-anti-alias-hud </code>

I could even imagine that adding --enable-wireframe doesn't work on these machines (I would be happy to be proven wrong though).

On a machine like O2 the following options give an acceptable result:
<code>./runfgfs --fog-fastest --disable-sound</code>

Since I don't have access to other SGI hardware I can't tell which options would be appropriate for your situation.

=== How do I see the frame rate? ===

On the menu select View, Rendering Options , then check the box
that says Show Frame Rate

=== How do I toggle panel settings? ===

There are two ways. One way is to hide the panel without the HUD showing. To hide the panel, use Shift+P; To make the HUD disappear, use H. The second way is to use the alternative HUD by Shift+I (Use I to switch back).

=== Stuck upside down after "crash"? ===

In his infinite wisdom the FlightGear Grand Master decided that planes were too valuable to allow them to be destroyed by novice pilots who seemed to crash a lot. The fact that nobody has bothered to model crashes may have something to do with it too. :-)

The result of this as you have noticed is that with a little practice an ingenuity you can trim the ship to fly inverted along the ground.

The quick answer is to hit Ctrl+U (with the default key bindings) to warp the plane up 1000ft.

For the stubborn people out there: The trick to learn is to roll back to normal (non inverted) do this by nursing the elevator to get to about 500 feet or so and use the ailerons to snap roll 180*. This is all good avionics except for the plane not destroying itself. Remember the controls work in reverse when you are inverted and keep that airspeed up!!!

=== Why does FlightGear die on startup saying "time zone reading failed"? ===

This is probably caused by a line-ending problem in the timezone files. Win32 users can resolve the problem by downloading a DOS to UNIX conversion utility available at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~eazdluf/d2u.zip. Run as `d2u *.tab` from within the timezone directory to fix your timezone files.

=== Why won't the latest versions of some aircraft work in Flight Gear 9.10? ===

The latest FlightGear aircraft need to use some files such as new instrument files only released with [[FlightGear 1.0|version 1.0]]. If you are stuck with an older version of FlightGear you can try downloading an earlier version of the aircraft here : http://web.archive.org/web/20060204211745/www.flightgear.org/Downloads/aircraft/
or here:http://ftp.riken.go.jp/pub/FreeBSD/distfiles/flightgear-aircrafts/

== Hacking ==

=== What language is FlightGear written in? ===

Mostly C++ with some supporting C code that's primarily contained within SimGear.

=== How do I design a flight dynamics model for a new aircraft? ===

To define an aircraft for FlightGear's primary FDM ([[JSBSIM]]), see http://jsbsim.sf.net/.

If you want a simpler FDM to work with, try your hand at [[YASim]], an alternative FDM. For an guide on creating a YASim aircraft, look in the FlightGear base package for Aircraft-yasim/README.yasim.

=== How do I import planes from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

You can import planes by using the 3D Convert utility which will convert
the MSFS 3d model to a format used by Flight Gear. You have to add the
animations and parts.

Also, although you can import the 3D model and textures, the flight dynamics (the .AIR file) must be completely redone for FlightGear.

If you wish to import a model made with gmax, you will need to convert it to .MDL format using Microsoft's MakeMDL SDK which is available at http://zone.msn.com/flightsim/FS02DevDeskSDK08.asp.

=== How do I import BGL scenery from Microsoft Flight Simulator? ===

See http://chiangt.virtualave.net/BGL/bgl_index.html.

=== How do I design or modify a panel? ===

See the README.xmlpanel file located in the FlightGear/docs-mini/ directory of the source distribution.
----

=== How do I place objects, like buildings, into FlightGear? ===

First, ensure that you have v0.7.7 or later, the scenery files where you plan to place the object, the actual model, and the longitude and latitude where you plan to place the object.

Now get the altitude for your point. If you don't want to calculate this yourself, start FlightGear at your location and take note of the altitude. Here's an example command:

fgfs --lat=45.50 --lon=-75.73 2>&1 | tee fgfs.log

The altitude is probably in feet, so divide the starting altitude by 3.28.

Search the output log file for the first occurrence of the string "Loading tile" and take note of the filename. In the above example, the output line looks like:

Loading tile /usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601

Copy a 3D model in a format that Plib understands to the same directory as the tile file. Edit the text file in that directory consisting of the tile name with the extension ".stg". The file will already exist if there is an airport on the tile; otherwise, you can create it from scratch. In our example, the filename is:

<code>/usr/local/Scenery/w080n40/w076n45/1712601.stg</code>

At the end of the file, add a new entry for your object, consisting of the word "OBJECT_STATIC" followed by the model name, the longitude in degrees, the latitude in degrees, the altitude in meters, and the heading in degrees. In our example the line looks like:

OBJECT_STATIC Towerax.ac -75.73 45.40 60 0

Save the changes to the .stg file, restart FlightGear, and enjoy.

NOTE: The above information was taken from the following mailing list post: http://www.geocrawler.com/archives/3/11854/2001/6/0/5991409/. See that page if this one doesn't make sense.

An alternative approach using PPE is described at http://mail.flightgear.org/pipermail/flightgear-devel/2001-December/002239.html by Norman Vine.

With Flightgear 0.9.10 there is an easy way for [[ Placing 3D Objects with the UFO ]]

See also [[ FlightGear Scenery Designer ]].

=== Where can I learn 3D programming and how do I get involved? ===

Contributing to the 2D panel doesn't require any coding at all, just a minimal knowledge of [[XML]] syntax (i.e. five minutes' worth) and good skills with drawing and/or paint programs. Every instrument on the current panel, with the partial exception of the magnetic compass, is defined entirely in XML with no custom C++ code. If you want to get started, take a look at John Check's excellent intro (http://rockfish.net/fg/README.xmlpanel).

Likewise, if you want to create a 3D cockpit for FlightGear, or to create buildings, external aircraft models, etc., your help is *desperately* needed. The only rule is to go easy on the triangles -- a model with 50,000 triangles probably won't be usable in FlightGear, and one with 5,000 triangles, only marginally. If you can design a nice 3D cockpit interior for in a 3D design program such as [[AC3D]] or [[PPE]], there may be coders who will be happy to add the support code in the C++.

If, on the other hand, you really want to get your hands dirty with C++ coding, you'll have to buy a good [[OpenGL]] book eventually. However, FlightGear uses a high-level library, [[PLIB]], that hides most of the details of OpenGL. To get started with 3D C++ coding, you can take a look at the plib documentation and learn only as much OpenGL as you need, when you need it.

=== How do I add an airport? ===

You can add your airport to the $FGROOT/Airports/default.apt.gz file, but to get the airport to show up visually, you will have to rebuild the scenery around the airport. The format of the default.apt file is documented at http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/AirNav/AptNavFAQ.FlightGear.html.

=== Can I generate my own scenery? ===

Yes, though it can be a difficult task. FlightGear's scenery generation is handled by a sister project, [[TerraGear]]. For more details, see http://terragear.org/.

== Flying ==

=== Why won't my engine(s) start? ===

====Starting engine in single-engine aircraft====
Aircraft vary in their starting procedure. Some may have an auto-start sequence menu entry or instructions in the aircraft help menu (Press "?").

But in general to start the engine on a piston-engine type aircraft, you need:

# Fuel - You can run out of fuel, of course, but for certain aircraft, FlightGear may load it with no fuel, making it impossible to start the engines. Check this in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.
# Correct mixture (generally "rich", ie red knob all the way in)
# Magnetos on (R, L, or both--generally select "both")
# Throttle (some engines start better with a little gas)
# Hold starter for sufficient time.

You may be able to do all these functions with the standard 2-D panel or your aircraft's built-in panel. However using the standard key bindings is more reliable:

# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set it somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magneto to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little.
# Press "s" to run the starter. For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.

====Starting engine in multi-engine aircraft====
Starting all engines in a multi-engine aircraft is similar to the single engine--except you must follow the same start sequence for each and every engine. Flightgear provides a convenient way to do this for all engines at once.

Note that the default 2-D panel is connected to ''only one engine''. So if you try to start the engines using the 2-D panel controls you will most likely start only one engine.

Instead, use the keyboard to start all engines at once:

# Press "~" (select all engines)
# Press/hold "m" to set mixture to rich (m=rich, M=lean--if you are at a very high elevation you may need to set the mixture somewhere besides full rich)
# Press "}}}" (three times) to set magnetos to R, L, and finally "Both".
# Open throttle a little (it now controls all engines).
# Press "s" to run the starter (it now runs the starter on all engines). For some aircraft you may have to hold "s" as long as 10 seconds before the engine starts.
# Rev the engines a little with your throttle and check your tachometers and/or visually to be sure all engines are running.

If the engines won't start, make sure you have fuel. Some aircraft have switches to control which fuel tanks feed which engines, so check these.

Make sure each engine you want to start is connected to a tank that has fuel. Check fuel tanks in the menu Equipment/Fuel and Payload.

=== Where can I learn about instrument flying and navigation? ===

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ is a very good site for learning techniques for navigation.

[http://www.av8n.com/how/ See How It Flies] a very nice book by John S. Denker, freely accessible online

Please see [[Understanding Navigation]]

=== What is the difference between Aileron and Rudder? ===

There is a bit of info on aileron vs. rudder in the very same book...

=== Is there support for multi-player flying? ===

Yes. Both the Windows and *nix versions of FlightGear are capable of multi-player flying on FlightGear servers.

Wiki: [http://wiki.flightgear.org/flightgear_wiki/index.php?title=Multiplayer_Howto Multiplayer_Howto]

A map showing players aircraft online in real time is available:
[http://pigeond.net/flightgear/fg_server_map.html FlightGear Online Server Map] (see also [[MPmap]])

=== Where are the best places to fly in FlightGear? ===

FlightGear scenery covers the whole world, but thanks to the FlightGear user community, certain airports and areas are more detailed than others. For a full list of airports with buildings available in the default scenery, visit the forum's [http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4700&st=0&sk=t&sd=a|list of improved airports].

* There are a lot of high-quality scenery models around Paris, France.
* EHAM Amsterdam Schiphol, EGKK London Gatwick and LFPG Paris Charles de Gaulle are some of the highest quality airports in FlightGear.
* TNCM St. Maarten is a popular destination, and the surrounding islands (Anguilla, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barthélemy, St. Kitts, and Nevis) are all well-modeled.

=== Where can I find airport info and aeronautical charts online? ===
Airports:
* [http://www.airnav.com/airports/ AirNav.com]

Charts:
* [http://skyvector.com/ SkyVector.com]

=== Is there support for any military scenarios like dog fighting or bomb dropping? ===

Most of our developers are primarily interested and focused on civilian aviation. We aren't explicitly excluding these features -- we just haven't had anyone who has done much development in these areas until recently. Now there are third-party bombing scenarios for the [[A-10]] and other aircraft with armament, like the [[North American OV-10A Bronco]], [[General Dynamics F-16]] and [[F-117 Nighthawk]].

[http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5742 A new add-on (9/2009)] adds support for dogfighting (including multiplayer dogfighting) and bombing scenarios.

== FlightGear v0.7.6 ==

=== Why do I get an error in viewer.cxx about `exit' being undeclared? ===

This error cropped up after the release of v0.7.6. To fix the problem, add "#include <stdlib.h>" to the top of viewer.cxx.

== FlightGear v1.0.0 ==

=== How could I be ATC? ===
It's not yet possible to be an [[ATC]] with the stable version, you should download the CVS version.

[[es:Preguntas frecuentes]]
[[fr:Foire aux questions]]
[[pl:FAQ]]

Talk:Google Summer of Code

2010-03-25T19:10:06Z

RatOmeter: /* Talk */

= TODO =
* there should probably be a new GSoC category to easily find all related pages

= Talk =
http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php/Talk:GSoC:_2011

23. We're mixing up related projects and systems here - taxidraw and FGMS are not FlightGear
:That should not be a problem at all, there are a number of open source projects that were repeatedly accepted for GSoC, but which mostly served as "proxies" for other related projects, i.e. the KDE project serves as an umbrella for all sorts of KDE related tools. This also applies to Mozilla. The same could be said for FlightGear. It would probably be a good idea to write down all FlightGear related projects (atlas, fgrun, fgsd, terragear, taxidraw etc) and list ideas/feature requests for possible projects. A good start might be to look at the sourceforge trackers of each project.

8. Add to list of ideas for student projects

:One easy thing to do would be to encourage people to start their own wiki pages with project ideas or even run a forum poll for viable GSoC projects. The same could be done to get a list of people who might be interested in mentoring or participating as students. There should probably be a sticky topic (announcement) posted to the forums, because these are more available to the average user than the mailing lists are.

9. Question: Not everyone has time to camp out on IRC all day, Curt votes for IRC being an option

:IRC should definitely be optional, posting IRC transcripts seems like a good idea - it is probably better to use primarily the wiki for all GSoC related communications, or maybe even set up a subforum for the GSoC 2011 application/participation that allows people to easily keep track of all conversations going on, which would also have the benefit of being automatically "logged" and easily accessible. Calls for project ideas, mentors and ideas could similarly be posted to such a sub forum, collected there and evaluated to be incorporated here.

: BZFlag (whom I've referenced before) use IRC almost exclusively for their dev talk even outside of GSoC activity, so it was natural for them to use it. The key is that the mentors and, especially, students be easily accessible. Email can be used to get someone's attention, but the dev discussions need to be in the open. I guess Wiki pages, if they are advertised to the devel mailing list and IRC, should be visible enough too.
:[[User:RatOmeter|RatOmeter]] 19:10, 25 March 2010 (UTC)

13. OK so we missed the bus this year - why don't we offer our own code bounty similar to GSoC?
On a much smaller scale with smaller rewards. People have been asking how they can contribute monetarily to FG. A few folk chipping in 20 EUR, GBP or USD would make a decent bounty. We'd need to choose the student and mentor him/her just like in GSoC. They'd learn, we'd learn, we'd (hopefully) get useful code AND we don't need to wait till next year.

: The idea is interesting, but there is another option to really test the infrastructure in place and see how things can be improved for GSoC 2011, by simply applying at http://www.nlnet.nl for sponsorship. The next deadline for "small projects" is April, 1st: http://nlnet.nl/news/2010/20100201-call-en.html There is also the possibility to get funded without any deadlines for applications: http://nlnet.nl/foundation/can_do.html

Discuss. [An issue here is to set up the FlightGear Foundation/Trust]

: There are various things here to keep in mind, an FG Foundation/Trust would be desirable, but from a coding point of view it is not as important as the project's infrastructure itself, i.e. migrating the CVS repository to a git repository, providing also the base package via git, as well as splitting off the aircraft folder from the base package, would surely help improve the situation significantly.

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T17:42:37Z

RatOmeter: /* Google Summer of Code */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

We would like to emphasize that the monthly newsletter can not live without the contributions of FlightGear users and developers. Everyone (with a wiki account, free to register) can edit [[FlightGear Newsletter {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}|the newsletter of next month]] and every contribution is welcome.

==From the developers==
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|250px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
===Shader experiments===
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

[[File:map1.png|thumb|250px|Basic [[map]] display.]]
===Map Dialog===
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. In its current form this is not meant to render terrain like in [[Atlas]], but instead shows a navigational display (ND) which is already useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or navaid, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel "glass cockpit"-style displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

===Google Summer of Code===
GSoC is an effort by Google, Inc. to promote Open Source Software and education by bringing students together with experienced developers as their mentors for the summer (northern hemisphere). Google pays the student a stipend, the student learns by participating in real software development, the project gets code and maybe a new developer who'll stay around and benefit the project into the future.

It seems like each year since GSoC started, someone says "Hey, wouldn't it be great if FG participated?" Then several people agree but all quickly realize it's too close to the application deadline to get anything done. Curt agrees that we should make a serious effort to prepare for the 2011 GSoC well in advance, stating "We need a couple dedicated people to step forward and take charge here. Otherwise we'll be sayin' the same things at this time next year."

Willie has stepped forward in an organizational role, forming a sister IRC channel, #FG-GSoC at irc.flightgear.org, looking around for would-be mentors and working on our [[GSoC]] participation strategy.

[[Image:F-117_light_cones.png|thumb|250px|The [[F-117 Nighthawk|F-117 ''Nighthawk'']] with the experimental lights.]]

===Light cones===
Until now, aircraft landing lights in FlightGear were not much more than a decoration since they did not cast any light on objects in their path. Lauri has implemented experimental light cones which illuminate everything within their range. It's a great step forward for realism, but there is still some work to be done. For example, other aircraft turn white when they enter a light cone. This is still an exciting development and we can be sure that the dev team will work out the kinks in short order.

==In the hangar==
===New aircraft===
The following aircraft were added to [[CVS]] in March and will be available for the masses with the next stable release of FlightGear. Some of them might be available in private hangars; downloads links are between brackets.
* Dewoitine D.520 ([http://helijah.free.fr/flightgear/les-appareils/d520/appareil.htm download])
* Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 ([http://helijah.free.fr/flightgear/les-appareils/ms406/appareil.htm download])
* Piper Pa 18 ([http://helijah.free.fr/flightgear/les-appareils/pa18/appareil.htm download])

[[Image:Concorde-Qantas.png|thumb|250px|The [[Concorde]] in the new Qantas-Livery.]]

===Concorde liveries===
EA-7201 worked on extra liveries for the [[Concorde]], making the liveries of''' almost all Concorde operators''' available! If you have the newest version of the Concorde (version 2.6) you are able to use them. See the Concorde in new liveries from airliners like Lufthansa, United Airlines, Japan Airlines and even Air Canada! You can download all these beautiful liveries at [http://www.mediafire.com/?ndj5ntyiwth this link].

===A New Old Cub===
Don Lavelle (aka karla) has been updating the Piper J-3 Cub which was initially built by David Megginson and Jim Wilson in 2002. Don has totally rebuilt the aircraft using Blender 2.49a knowing that most FlightGear users' PCs can accommodate models with a high vertex count and he has also made minor changes to the xml files. A great deal of detail has been added with a high (4096 by 4096 pixel) texture map which adds greatly to the realism of this aircraft; approximately 65 hours has been spent on it so far. Don is a previous user of FSX and wanted his Cub "to equal - or better - the offering from Micrsosoft". We'll have to wait until April for the release but Don has promised us a 'plane that he "is proud to offer to the FlightGear world".

Features include: animated pilot (slightly modified Baranger and Augras' version), detailed cabin interior, detailed canvas wings, 'high tech' fuel indicator, optional anti-collision strobe, optional tyre smoke, spinning wheels, tailwheel and rudder link, undercarriage suspension, user input registration markings, paint guide and water spray on wheels.

Creation of the livery is continuing and images will be uploaded to the forum shortly (unless someone can help upload here) http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6890.

===Decal Editor in Planning===
Planning has started for a flightgear decal editor. rico001 has made an algorithm for a decal editor and livery templates to be used on existing aircraft or vehicular models. Kyokoyama has drafted a picture of the conceptual layout as well.

More info can be found in the official flightgear forums at: http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7075

==Scenery Corner==
[[Image:Dubai_scenery_1.png|thumb|250px]]
===Dubai is coming up===
Thanks to a couple of inovative projects, including the Palm Islands (islands in the shape of a palm) and The World (islands together forming a worldmap), Dubai has one of the most recognisable coastlines in the world. In FlightGear none of this was visible though. Gijs started drawing these islands and the ever growing populated areas, to be used in FlightGear. A preview of the yet to be released [[scenery]] can be seen in the screenshot on the right.

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Many FG wiki users have recently been annoyed by frequent 503 errors when attempting to view a page. The reason for this was the large number of daily visitors to the wiki. Many visitors is a great sign of health for the project, but it was just more than the server could handle. After three months of this, the wiki was moved to a new server on the 10th of March. This appears to have eliminated the 503 errors. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they or any other problems with the wiki occur.

==Virtual Airline News==
===Atlas Virtual Airlines talks and hearings begin===

Well, folks, the talk of the Multiplayer forums for the past month or two has been revolving around the new, "super-VA" of FlightGear: Atlas Virtual Airlines. Intended to solve the increasing issue of underpopulation throughout the FlightGear Virtual Airline world, Atlas Virtual Airlines (AVA) has merged almost all active/idle VAs into one, drastically lowering the number of Virtual Airlines. AVA is now well into the planning stage, and many important aspects of the airline have been decided; the original hub, for instance, will be Frankfurt am Main (EDDF). Talks have now moved off-forum to a different location, but discussion still takes place occassionally on-forum. Another huge step was made in the purchasing of a domain, atlasvirtualairlines.com, which will be worked on in the coming months.
If AVA is successful, the VA community will likely be left with three VAs: TransGear Airways, Star Alliance, and Atlas Virtual Airlines.
The project is currently being overseen by SkyWlf77, Armchair Ace, and Kyokorama.

A sneak preview of the current livery for (if chosen) the Beechcraft B1900d:
[http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4386802750_e053a48108_o.png]

===TransGear Airways Last Vintage Event Held===

In other news, TransGear Virtual Airways (TGA) held possibly its last, original-format event on March 13th. Despite being plagued by new glitches in 2.0 and the MP server, the event was a technical success. Organizer Rob Shearman (MD-TERP) plans for a bold, new format for upcoming events, involving two, intermediate-stop airport hubs instead of one, final destination hub. Alternatives had been looked at, such as a European Hub, but the airline is now committing itself to the new format. Updates can be found at [transgear.treborlogic.com].

===New VAs Spring Up On Forums===

Two new VAs, independent from the new Atlas Virtual Airlines, have emerged: Triangle Airlines, run by user Jericho, and Sandy Oceania Airlines, COed by QF52. Both promise expanded fleets and will operate the Airbus A380, and livery designs are in the making. Progress can be followed on the Forums.

==Community News==

===Changes in the forum===
Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forum]. In addition to moderating the forums (surely a maddening task at times), Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the forum organization. A re-styling of the -currently default- forum look is in the works.

===Another multiplayer server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T17:32:41Z

RatOmeter: /* Virtual Airlines */

=== Dubai ===
I'm not sure what the second 2 sentences in the "Dubai" section are trying to say.
* Looks good now, Gijs

=== Virtual Airlines ===

Uh, this stuff looks very gossipy, referring to bickering in the forums, etc. I don't think that looks very good in a newsletter. I vote for either just a couple of sentences, sans gossip or outright deletion of this section before "publication"
: Ok, I cleaned it up. The newsletter is not meant for publicising personal opinions or mysterious stuff. The current paragraph gives a summary of the progress that has been made, as that is excactly the kind of things people expect to read in a NEWSletter.
: Feel free to improve anything else.
: [[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 16:50, 25 March 2010 (UTC)
: PS: RatOmeter, please sign your messages on talk pages with four tildes (~), so we know who said what and when ;)
:: Not neccessary, Gijs!
::: Can you please explain why you think it should be kept? I had responses from multiple people (including respectable FG developers), who did not like the paragraph and said it doesn't fit the newsletter's purpose, as explained by me above...
:::[[User:Gijs|Gijs]] 17:09, 25 March 2010 (UTC)
::: Statements like "The disease that is sucking the life out of the FlightGear Virtual Airline industry" cast a very negative tone in what has been (and IMO, should remain) a newsletter about the '''positive''' developments in and around FlightGear.

:::[[User:RatOmeter|RatOmeter]] 17:18, 25 March 2010 (UTC):
It is not your right or power (even though you are a mod) to warp the newsletter to the way you want it to be. You have not contributed to the AVA discussion, and thus cannot speak or represent the VAs progress. I have edited it to make it less controversial (as you pointed out, the "disease" statement was a bit much, but you are trying to propogandize the Newsletter. We do not live in a perfect forum world! Setback will occur; but you can't just pretend they never happened. But we have shown we can overcome them, and that makes a good story. Please stop interfering with reporting on this topic, as I have spent a good time editing it, writing it, and cleaning it up. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
: Did you start the newsletter? Didn't think so. The newsletter started as a means to communicate the progress of FG '''development''' to the world in month-sized chunks. I think it should stick to that. If that means dropping '''all''' "community" related stuff, especially if the "community" is about bickering and in-fighting, then so be it.
:[[User:RatOmeter|RatOmeter]] 17:32, 25 March 2010 (UTC)

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T17:18:38Z

RatOmeter: /* Virtual Airlines */

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T17:18:17Z

RatOmeter: /* Virtual Airlines */

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T13:32:02Z

RatOmeter: /* Virtual Airlines */

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-25T13:29:49Z

RatOmeter:

Google Summer of Code

2010-03-25T13:10:51Z

RatOmeter: /* Google Summer of Code */

=Google Summer of Code=

GSoC is an effort by Google, Inc. to promote Open Source Software and education by bringing students together with experienced developers as their mentors for the summer (northern hemisphere). Google pays the student a stipend, the student learns by participating in real software development, the project gets code and maybe a new developer who'll stay around and benefit the project into the future.

It is generally agreed in the FlightGear development community that the project is an excellent candidate for acceptance as a GSoC mentoring organization and could see long term benefits if accepted. To be accepted, we must first develop a plan, get commitments from specific mentors and prepare an application. Since we missed the 2010 application deadline pretty badly, we are starting '''now''' to prepare for GSoC 2011.

NOTE:
Please try and use the '''"GSoC:"''' namespace/prefix

* [[GSoC:_2011|2011]] - this page is a copy of the "participating organisation template" that needs to be and is being filled in
* [[GSoC: Candidate_Projects]] - this need to be a list of project/tasks that require student help
* [[GSoC: Mentors]] - a list of mentors (in fact this may end up being a who's who)
* [[GSoC: Student_Applications]] - A template for student applications

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-24T19:30:29Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear Launch Control (fgrun) */

FlightGear history

2010-03-24T13:15:51Z

RatOmeter: /* Version 2.0.0 (2010) */

[[FlightGear]] development started with an online proposal in 1996, using custom 3D graphics code. Development of an [[OpenGL]] based version was spearheaded by Curtis Olson starting in 1997. Many people have contributed to the project in the years since its inception.

FlightGear incorporated other open-source resources, including the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, and freely available elevation data. The first working binaries, using OpenGL for 3D graphic code, came out in 1997. Enthusiastic development of newer versions for several years resulted in progressively more stable and advanced versions. By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly, and by 2005, the maturity of software lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity. 2007 marked a formal transition out of beta development with the release of version 1.0.0, ten years after FlightGear's first release in 1997.

In 2008, version 1.9.0 of FlightGear included a major change from [[PLIB]] to [[OSG]], which caused the temporarily loss of some features like 3D clouds and shadows, while newly added features, such as particles, imparted another degree of realism to the simulation.

===Beginnings (1996-1997)===
Development formally started in the late-1990s with an online proposal and code being written in 1996, but using custom 3D graphics code. Development of an [[OpenGL]] based version was spearheaded by Curtis Olsen starting in 1997, after the initial start in 1996. A large community response lead to many contributing to the project from its start in late '90s up to the present.

Rather than start entirely from scratch, FlightGear developers made use of the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, with OpenGL for 3D graphic code, and freely available elevation data. First working binaries came out in 1997, with an intense updating of newer versions for several years resulting in progressively more stable and advanced programs.

===Versions 0.7–0.9 (2001–2003)===
By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly (0.7.x, 0.8.0, over 2001-2003) and with 0.9.xx (2003-2006). Later in the decade, the rate of final public releases slowed, but had larger amounts of content (0.9.10, 1.0.0 etc.). The maturity of software by 2005 lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity.

===Version 0.9.0-0.9.11 (2002-2007)===
The use of version numbers slowed dramatically after the late 2002 release of version 0.9.0. Versions 0.9.9 (2005) and 0.9.10 (2006) had about 8 all-new or redone [[aircraft]] adding to a total of 70-90 aircraft. FlightGear 0.9.10 won Softpedia's "Pick" award (5 out of 5 stars) on June 3, 2006 as well as the "100% CLEAN" Softpedia award.

Behind the scenes there was a 0.9.11-pre1 released in 2007 that ended up being superseded by FlightGear 1.0. The pre-version had about 33 new or redone aircraft.

[[Image:FG-A-10.jpg|thumb|270px|3D Cockpit panel for [[A-10]] in version 1.0.0 in 2008]]
===Version 1.0 (2008)===
The version number marked a formal transition out of beta development since software's first release in 1997, ten years prior.

===Version 1.9.0 (2008)===
At the time version 1.9.0 was released FlightGear switched from [[PLIB]] to [[OSG]], which caused the temporarily lost of some of the features like 3D clouds and shadows. On the contrary new features such as particles add another degree of realism to the simulation. Most aircraft developed for OSG do not work with older versions. The users is able to choose out of 230 aircraft provided with 1.9.0, altough only a few are included in the base package.

===Version 2.0.0 (2010)===

TODO

===Release timeline===
Final build code release dates by year.

{| class="vatop"
|width="500" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Version
|-
|July 17, 1997 || First major code release
|-
|September 23, 1997 || 0.12
|-
|December 9, 1997 || 0.15
|-
|December 17, 1997 || 0.18
|-
|December 30, 1997 || 0.19 (first binaries)
|-
|January 6, 1998 || 0.22
|-
|Mar 11 98 || 0.37
|-
|April 8, 1998 || 0.41
|-
|April 14, 1998 || 0.42
|-
|April 23, 1998 || 0.43
|-
|Apr 28, 1998 || 0.44
|-
|May 7, 1998 || 0.45
|-
|May 11, 1998 || 0.46
|-
|May 18, 1998 || 0.47
|-
|June 9, 1998 || 0.48
|-
|June 27, 1998 || 0.49
|-
|July 13, 1998 || 0.50
|-
|July 21, 1998 || 0.51
|-
|August 15, 1998 || 0.52
|-
|September 2, 1998 || 0.53
|-
|September 25, 1998 || 0.54
|-
|October 23, 1998 || 0.55
|-
|November 23, 1998 || 0.56
|-
|January 21, 1999 || 0.57
|-
|February 10, 1999 || 0.58
|-
|March 31, 1999 || 0.59
|-
|May 26, 1999 || 0.6.0
|-
|June 21, 1999 || 0.6.1 (Stable)
|}
|width="500" |
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! Version
|-
|rowspan=2 | September 11, 1999 || 0.7.0 (Development)
|-
|0.6.2 (Stable)
|-
|October 22, 1999 || 0.7.1 (Development)
|-
|February 17, 2000 || 0.7.2 (Development)
|-
|May 18, 2000 || 0.7.3 (Development)
|-
|July 20, 2000 || 0.7.4
|-
|September 18, 2000 || 0.7.5
|-
|December 19, 2000 || 0.7.6
|-
|June 20, 2001 || 0.7.7
|-
|July 13, 2001 || 0.7.8
|-
|February 16, 2002 || 0.7.9
|-
|April 20, 2002 || 0.7.10
|-
|September 7, 2002 || 0.8.0
|-
|December 3, 2002 || 0.9.0
|-
| December 5, 2002 || 0.9.1
|-
|June 4, 2003 || 0.9.2
|-
|October 24, 2003 || 0.9.3
|-
|March 26, 2004 || 0.9.4
|-
|July 29, 2004 || 0.9.5
|-
|October 12, 2004 || 0.9.6
|-
|January 18, 2005 || 0.9.8
|-
|November 17, 2005 || 0.9.9
|-
|April 5, 2006 || 0.9.10
|-
|May 2007 || 0.9.11-pre1
|-
|December 17, 2007 || 1.0.0
|-
|December 22, 2008 || 1.9.0
|-
|January 25, 2009 || 1.9.1
|-
|February 25, 2010 || 2.0.0 (latest release)
|}
|}

==Sources==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlightGear Wikipedia]
* [http://www.flightgear.org/proposal-3.0.1 Original Flight Gear Proposal] by David L. Murr (Revision 3.0.1)
* [ftp://flightgear.wo0t.de/flightgear-ftp/ FlightGear FTP Archive]

FlightGear history

2010-03-24T13:15:32Z

RatOmeter: /* Version 1.9.0 (2008) */

[[FlightGear]] development started with an online proposal in 1996, using custom 3D graphics code. Development of an [[OpenGL]] based version was spearheaded by Curtis Olson starting in 1997. Many people have contributed to the project in the years since its inception.

FlightGear incorporated other open-source resources, including the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, and freely available elevation data. The first working binaries, using OpenGL for 3D graphic code, came out in 1997. Enthusiastic development of newer versions for several years resulted in progressively more stable and advanced versions. By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly, and by 2005, the maturity of software lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity. 2007 marked a formal transition out of beta development with the release of version 1.0.0, ten years after FlightGear's first release in 1997.

In 2008, version 1.9.0 of FlightGear included a major change from [[PLIB]] to [[OSG]], which caused the temporarily loss of some features like 3D clouds and shadows, while newly added features, such as particles, imparted another degree of realism to the simulation.

===Beginnings (1996-1997)===
Development formally started in the late-1990s with an online proposal and code being written in 1996, but using custom 3D graphics code. Development of an [[OpenGL]] based version was spearheaded by Curtis Olsen starting in 1997, after the initial start in 1996. A large community response lead to many contributing to the project from its start in late '90s up to the present.

Rather than start entirely from scratch, FlightGear developers made use of the LaRCsim flight model from NASA, with OpenGL for 3D graphic code, and freely available elevation data. First working binaries came out in 1997, with an intense updating of newer versions for several years resulting in progressively more stable and advanced programs.

===Versions 0.7–0.9 (2001–2003)===
By 2001, the team was releasing new beta versions regularly (0.7.x, 0.8.0, over 2001-2003) and with 0.9.xx (2003-2006). Later in the decade, the rate of final public releases slowed, but had larger amounts of content (0.9.10, 1.0.0 etc.). The maturity of software by 2005 lead to more widespread reviews, and increased popularity.

===Version 0.9.0-0.9.11 (2002-2007)===
The use of version numbers slowed dramatically after the late 2002 release of version 0.9.0. Versions 0.9.9 (2005) and 0.9.10 (2006) had about 8 all-new or redone [[aircraft]] adding to a total of 70-90 aircraft. FlightGear 0.9.10 won Softpedia's "Pick" award (5 out of 5 stars) on June 3, 2006 as well as the "100% CLEAN" Softpedia award.

Behind the scenes there was a 0.9.11-pre1 released in 2007 that ended up being superseded by FlightGear 1.0. The pre-version had about 33 new or redone aircraft.

[[Image:FG-A-10.jpg|thumb|270px|3D Cockpit panel for [[A-10]] in version 1.0.0 in 2008]]
===Version 1.0 (2008)===
The version number marked a formal transition out of beta development since software's first release in 1997, ten years prior.

===Version 1.9.0 (2008)===
At the time version 1.9.0 was released FlightGear switched from [[PLIB]] to [[OSG]], which caused the temporarily lost of some of the features like 3D clouds and shadows. On the contrary new features such as particles add another degree of realism to the simulation. Most aircraft developed for OSG do not work with older versions. The users is able to choose out of 230 aircraft provided with 1.9.0, altough only a few are included in the base package.

===Version 2.0.0 (2010)===

===Release timeline===
Final build code release dates by year.

{| class="vatop"
|width="500" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Version
|-
|July 17, 1997 || First major code release
|-
|September 23, 1997 || 0.12
|-
|December 9, 1997 || 0.15
|-
|December 17, 1997 || 0.18
|-
|December 30, 1997 || 0.19 (first binaries)
|-
|January 6, 1998 || 0.22
|-
|Mar 11 98 || 0.37
|-
|April 8, 1998 || 0.41
|-
|April 14, 1998 || 0.42
|-
|April 23, 1998 || 0.43
|-
|Apr 28, 1998 || 0.44
|-
|May 7, 1998 || 0.45
|-
|May 11, 1998 || 0.46
|-
|May 18, 1998 || 0.47
|-
|June 9, 1998 || 0.48
|-
|June 27, 1998 || 0.49
|-
|July 13, 1998 || 0.50
|-
|July 21, 1998 || 0.51
|-
|August 15, 1998 || 0.52
|-
|September 2, 1998 || 0.53
|-
|September 25, 1998 || 0.54
|-
|October 23, 1998 || 0.55
|-
|November 23, 1998 || 0.56
|-
|January 21, 1999 || 0.57
|-
|February 10, 1999 || 0.58
|-
|March 31, 1999 || 0.59
|-
|May 26, 1999 || 0.6.0
|-
|June 21, 1999 || 0.6.1 (Stable)
|}
|width="500" |
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! Version
|-
|rowspan=2 | September 11, 1999 || 0.7.0 (Development)
|-
|0.6.2 (Stable)
|-
|October 22, 1999 || 0.7.1 (Development)
|-
|February 17, 2000 || 0.7.2 (Development)
|-
|May 18, 2000 || 0.7.3 (Development)
|-
|July 20, 2000 || 0.7.4
|-
|September 18, 2000 || 0.7.5
|-
|December 19, 2000 || 0.7.6
|-
|June 20, 2001 || 0.7.7
|-
|July 13, 2001 || 0.7.8
|-
|February 16, 2002 || 0.7.9
|-
|April 20, 2002 || 0.7.10
|-
|September 7, 2002 || 0.8.0
|-
|December 3, 2002 || 0.9.0
|-
| December 5, 2002 || 0.9.1
|-
|June 4, 2003 || 0.9.2
|-
|October 24, 2003 || 0.9.3
|-
|March 26, 2004 || 0.9.4
|-
|July 29, 2004 || 0.9.5
|-
|October 12, 2004 || 0.9.6
|-
|January 18, 2005 || 0.9.8
|-
|November 17, 2005 || 0.9.9
|-
|April 5, 2006 || 0.9.10
|-
|May 2007 || 0.9.11-pre1
|-
|December 17, 2007 || 1.0.0
|-
|December 22, 2008 || 1.9.0
|-
|January 25, 2009 || 1.9.1
|-
|February 25, 2010 || 2.0.0 (latest release)
|}
|}

==Sources==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlightGear Wikipedia]
* [http://www.flightgear.org/proposal-3.0.1 Original Flight Gear Proposal] by David L. Murr (Revision 3.0.1)
* [ftp://flightgear.wo0t.de/flightgear-ftp/ FlightGear FTP Archive]

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-24T13:01:58Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear JSBsim */

{{Stub}}

TODO: copy/paste feature requests and mini projects from other wiki pages that might make for good candidate projects, for a possible application/participation. Update this page to show that we will be applying for participation in '''2011'''

= Related Wiki Pages =
* [[Google Summer of Code 2011]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Mentors]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Student_Applications]]

Wiki pages containing possible inspirations for candidate projects:
* [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]]
* [[FGFS Todo]]
* [[Bugs]]

= Project Application =
Mentor projects need to provide a minimum level of info about the project as detailed at http://code.google.com/soc/2008/org_signup.html
This section is meant to provide copy/paste text that may be pasted into the aforementioned application form, please feel free to populate with contents.

== Describe your Organization ==

* http://www.flightgear.org/introduction.html
* Open Source flight simulator framework
* written in C++
* multi-platform simulator
* has been in development for over a decade now
* licensed under GNU GPL
* framework used for various efforts (science, educational etc)
* recently released version 2.0
* goals of the project: [[Long Term Goals]]
* developed by contributors from all over the world
* many contributors have a professional background in aviation, sciences, maths etc.
* has created a wealth of related sub projects
* major features (property tree, highly configurable, XML-based configuration files, fully exposed internals)
* link to good reviews

== Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2011? What do you hope to gain by participating? ==
* increase awareness of the project
* get new contributors interested in the flightgear project
* recruit additional manpower
* achieve specific project goals that require full-time effort

== Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional) ==

No, the FlightGear project has not previously participated in GSoC.

== If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional) ==
No, there have been no previous applications.

== What license does your project use? ==
The GNU GPL

== URL for your ideas page ==
Link to this wiki page and appropriate subsection

== What is the main development mailing list for your organization? ==
flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

== Where is the main IRC channel for your organization? ==
#flightgear irc.flightgear.org

also the very new #FG-GSoC on irc.flightgear.org to co-ordinate our GSoC participation

== Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional) ==
Not yet, still needs to be created - can be done on this wiki page, and then be linked to directly.

== Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional) ==

== Mentors ==
=== What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible. ===

=== Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional) ===

== About the Program ==

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students? ===

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? ===

=== What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? ===

=== What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes? ===

= People supporting a possible application & participation =
'''Add your name here to join the committee'''

Curt Olson -- BDFL

Willie Fleming -- willing to assist with organising mentors, students and projects. Ensure correct documentation is completed and submitted in a timely fashion.

= Eligible community members who would like to participate as students =
= Volunteer Mentors =
People who'd be willing to mentor a possible project:

* Have you previously contributed to the FlightGear project or any of its affiliated projects?
** If so, which ones and how exactly?

* How familiar do you consider yourself with the FlightGear project? (0-10)

* Do you have experience working with CVS?

* Why are you interested in contributing to FlightGear?

* What would be your preferred working area in FlightGear?

* Have you previously interacted with the FlightGear community? If so, how?

* Are you currently subscribed to the FlightGear Devel mailing list?

= FlightGear Candidate Projects =

TODO: put here suitable ideas for projects

== [[FlightGear Multiplayer Server]] ==

* reduce bandwidth used by not relaying information to server "N" about aircraft that are not visible to any fliers on server "N"

== FlightGear [[TerraGear]] - Scenery Compiler ==
== [[FlightGear Scenery Designer]] ==
== [[FlightGear Launch Control]] ==

* offer (via checkbox option) automatic selection of nearest MP server based on geographic location (by IP address), lowest lag (ping time) or server bandwidth usage

* place commonly used (or as added by user) command line options as individual items in a listbox with a checkbox or radio button for each such that they can be easily found and turned on/off individually and their values easily changed.

== FlightGear [[TaxiDraw]] ==
== FlightGear [[JSBsim]] ==

== FlightGear [[YASim]] ==

* improve interaction of aircraft with the ground. Helicopters tend to rotate (rotor torque?) and/or slide around when on the ground.

= [[Useful Links]] =

GSoC User Guide 2010 [http://socghop.appspot.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2010/userguide]

What the BZFlag project learned a couple of years back [http://my.bzflag.org/gsoc/bzflag_gsoc2007_post_mortem.pdf]

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-24T13:00:11Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear Multiplayer Server */

{{Stub}}

TODO: copy/paste feature requests and mini projects from other wiki pages that might make for good candidate projects, for a possible application/participation. Update this page to show that we will be applying for participation in '''2011'''

= Related Wiki Pages =
* [[Google Summer of Code 2011]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Mentors]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Student_Applications]]

Wiki pages containing possible inspirations for candidate projects:
* [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]]
* [[FGFS Todo]]
* [[Bugs]]

= Project Application =
Mentor projects need to provide a minimum level of info about the project as detailed at http://code.google.com/soc/2008/org_signup.html
This section is meant to provide copy/paste text that may be pasted into the aforementioned application form, please feel free to populate with contents.

== Describe your Organization ==

* http://www.flightgear.org/introduction.html
* Open Source flight simulator framework
* written in C++
* multi-platform simulator
* has been in development for over a decade now
* licensed under GNU GPL
* framework used for various efforts (science, educational etc)
* recently released version 2.0
* goals of the project: [[Long Term Goals]]
* developed by contributors from all over the world
* many contributors have a professional background in aviation, sciences, maths etc.
* has created a wealth of related sub projects
* major features (property tree, highly configurable, XML-based configuration files, fully exposed internals)
* link to good reviews

== Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2011? What do you hope to gain by participating? ==
* increase awareness of the project
* get new contributors interested in the flightgear project
* recruit additional manpower
* achieve specific project goals that require full-time effort

== Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional) ==

No, the FlightGear project has not previously participated in GSoC.

== If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional) ==
No, there have been no previous applications.

== What license does your project use? ==
The GNU GPL

== URL for your ideas page ==
Link to this wiki page and appropriate subsection

== What is the main development mailing list for your organization? ==
flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

== Where is the main IRC channel for your organization? ==
#flightgear irc.flightgear.org

also the very new #FG-GSoC on irc.flightgear.org to co-ordinate our GSoC participation

== Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional) ==
Not yet, still needs to be created - can be done on this wiki page, and then be linked to directly.

== Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional) ==

== Mentors ==
=== What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible. ===

=== Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional) ===

== About the Program ==

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students? ===

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? ===

=== What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? ===

=== What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes? ===

= People supporting a possible application & participation =
'''Add your name here to join the committee'''

Curt Olson -- BDFL

Willie Fleming -- willing to assist with organising mentors, students and projects. Ensure correct documentation is completed and submitted in a timely fashion.

= Eligible community members who would like to participate as students =
= Volunteer Mentors =
People who'd be willing to mentor a possible project:

* Have you previously contributed to the FlightGear project or any of its affiliated projects?
** If so, which ones and how exactly?

* How familiar do you consider yourself with the FlightGear project? (0-10)

* Do you have experience working with CVS?

* Why are you interested in contributing to FlightGear?

* What would be your preferred working area in FlightGear?

* Have you previously interacted with the FlightGear community? If so, how?

* Are you currently subscribed to the FlightGear Devel mailing list?

= FlightGear Candidate Projects =

TODO: put here suitable ideas for projects

== [[FlightGear Multiplayer Server]] ==

* reduce bandwidth used by not relaying information to server "N" about aircraft that are not visible to any fliers on server "N"

== FlightGear [[TerraGear]] - Scenery Compiler ==
== [[FlightGear Scenery Designer]] ==
== [[FlightGear Launch Control]] ==

* offer (via checkbox option) automatic selection of nearest MP server based on geographic location (by IP address), lowest lag (ping time) or server bandwidth usage

* place commonly used (or as added by user) command line options as individual items in a listbox with a checkbox or radio button for each such that they can be easily found and turned on/off individually and their values easily changed.

== FlightGear [[TaxiDraw]] ==
== FlightGear [[JSBsim]] ==

= [[Useful Links]] =

GSoC User Guide 2010 [http://socghop.appspot.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2010/userguide]

What the BZFlag project learned a couple of years back [http://my.bzflag.org/gsoc/bzflag_gsoc2007_post_mortem.pdf]

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-24T12:59:57Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear Multiplayer Server */

{{Stub}}

TODO: copy/paste feature requests and mini projects from other wiki pages that might make for good candidate projects, for a possible application/participation. Update this page to show that we will be applying for participation in '''2011'''

= Related Wiki Pages =
* [[Google Summer of Code 2011]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Mentors]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Student_Applications]]

Wiki pages containing possible inspirations for candidate projects:
* [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]]
* [[FGFS Todo]]
* [[Bugs]]

= Project Application =
Mentor projects need to provide a minimum level of info about the project as detailed at http://code.google.com/soc/2008/org_signup.html
This section is meant to provide copy/paste text that may be pasted into the aforementioned application form, please feel free to populate with contents.

== Describe your Organization ==

* http://www.flightgear.org/introduction.html
* Open Source flight simulator framework
* written in C++
* multi-platform simulator
* has been in development for over a decade now
* licensed under GNU GPL
* framework used for various efforts (science, educational etc)
* recently released version 2.0
* goals of the project: [[Long Term Goals]]
* developed by contributors from all over the world
* many contributors have a professional background in aviation, sciences, maths etc.
* has created a wealth of related sub projects
* major features (property tree, highly configurable, XML-based configuration files, fully exposed internals)
* link to good reviews

== Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2011? What do you hope to gain by participating? ==
* increase awareness of the project
* get new contributors interested in the flightgear project
* recruit additional manpower
* achieve specific project goals that require full-time effort

== Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional) ==

No, the FlightGear project has not previously participated in GSoC.

== If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional) ==
No, there have been no previous applications.

== What license does your project use? ==
The GNU GPL

== URL for your ideas page ==
Link to this wiki page and appropriate subsection

== What is the main development mailing list for your organization? ==
flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

== Where is the main IRC channel for your organization? ==
#flightgear irc.flightgear.org

also the very new #FG-GSoC on irc.flightgear.org to co-ordinate our GSoC participation

== Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional) ==
Not yet, still needs to be created - can be done on this wiki page, and then be linked to directly.

== Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional) ==

== Mentors ==
=== What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible. ===

=== Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional) ===

== About the Program ==

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students? ===

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? ===

=== What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? ===

=== What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes? ===

= People supporting a possible application & participation =
'''Add your name here to join the committee'''

Curt Olson -- BDFL

Willie Fleming -- willing to assist with organising mentors, students and projects. Ensure correct documentation is completed and submitted in a timely fashion.

= Eligible community members who would like to participate as students =
= Volunteer Mentors =
People who'd be willing to mentor a possible project:

* Have you previously contributed to the FlightGear project or any of its affiliated projects?
** If so, which ones and how exactly?

* How familiar do you consider yourself with the FlightGear project? (0-10)

* Do you have experience working with CVS?

* Why are you interested in contributing to FlightGear?

* What would be your preferred working area in FlightGear?

* Have you previously interacted with the FlightGear community? If so, how?

* Are you currently subscribed to the FlightGear Devel mailing list?

= FlightGear Candidate Projects =

TODO: put here suitable ideas for projects

== [[FlightGear Multiplayer Server]] ==

* reduce bandwidth used by not relaying information server "N" about aircraft that are not visible to any fliers on server "N"

== FlightGear [[TerraGear]] - Scenery Compiler ==
== [[FlightGear Scenery Designer]] ==
== [[FlightGear Launch Control]] ==

* offer (via checkbox option) automatic selection of nearest MP server based on geographic location (by IP address), lowest lag (ping time) or server bandwidth usage

* place commonly used (or as added by user) command line options as individual items in a listbox with a checkbox or radio button for each such that they can be easily found and turned on/off individually and their values easily changed.

== FlightGear [[TaxiDraw]] ==
== FlightGear [[JSBsim]] ==

= [[Useful Links]] =

GSoC User Guide 2010 [http://socghop.appspot.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2010/userguide]

What the BZFlag project learned a couple of years back [http://my.bzflag.org/gsoc/bzflag_gsoc2007_post_mortem.pdf]

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-24T12:57:32Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear Launch Control */

{{Stub}}

TODO: copy/paste feature requests and mini projects from other wiki pages that might make for good candidate projects, for a possible application/participation. Update this page to show that we will be applying for participation in '''2011'''

= Related Wiki Pages =
* [[Google Summer of Code 2011]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Mentors]]
* [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Student_Applications]]

Wiki pages containing possible inspirations for candidate projects:
* [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]]
* [[FGFS Todo]]
* [[Bugs]]

= Project Application =
Mentor projects need to provide a minimum level of info about the project as detailed at http://code.google.com/soc/2008/org_signup.html
This section is meant to provide copy/paste text that may be pasted into the aforementioned application form, please feel free to populate with contents.

== Describe your Organization ==

* http://www.flightgear.org/introduction.html
* Open Source flight simulator framework
* written in C++
* multi-platform simulator
* has been in development for over a decade now
* licensed under GNU GPL
* framework used for various efforts (science, educational etc)
* recently released version 2.0
* goals of the project: [[Long Term Goals]]
* developed by contributors from all over the world
* many contributors have a professional background in aviation, sciences, maths etc.
* has created a wealth of related sub projects
* major features (property tree, highly configurable, XML-based configuration files, fully exposed internals)
* link to good reviews

== Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2011? What do you hope to gain by participating? ==
* increase awareness of the project
* get new contributors interested in the flightgear project
* recruit additional manpower
* achieve specific project goals that require full-time effort

== Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional) ==

No, the FlightGear project has not previously participated in GSoC.

== If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional) ==
No, there have been no previous applications.

== What license does your project use? ==
The GNU GPL

== URL for your ideas page ==
Link to this wiki page and appropriate subsection

== What is the main development mailing list for your organization? ==
flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

== Where is the main IRC channel for your organization? ==
#flightgear irc.flightgear.org

also the very new #FG-GSoC on irc.flightgear.org to co-ordinate our GSoC participation

== Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional) ==
Not yet, still needs to be created - can be done on this wiki page, and then be linked to directly.

== Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional) ==

== Mentors ==
=== What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible. ===

=== Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional) ===

== About the Program ==

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students? ===

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? ===

=== What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? ===

=== What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes? ===

= People supporting a possible application & participation =
'''Add your name here to join the committee'''

Curt Olson -- BDFL

Willie Fleming -- willing to assist with organising mentors, students and projects. Ensure correct documentation is completed and submitted in a timely fashion.

= Eligible community members who would like to participate as students =
= Volunteer Mentors =
People who'd be willing to mentor a possible project:

* Have you previously contributed to the FlightGear project or any of its affiliated projects?
** If so, which ones and how exactly?

* How familiar do you consider yourself with the FlightGear project? (0-10)

* Do you have experience working with CVS?

* Why are you interested in contributing to FlightGear?

* What would be your preferred working area in FlightGear?

* Have you previously interacted with the FlightGear community? If so, how?

* Are you currently subscribed to the FlightGear Devel mailing list?

= FlightGear Candidate Projects =

TODO: put here suitable ideas for projects

== [[FlightGear Multiplayer Server]] ==
== FlightGear [[TerraGear]] - Scenery Compiler ==
== [[FlightGear Scenery Designer]] ==
== [[FlightGear Launch Control]] ==

* offer (via checkbox option) automatic selection of nearest MP server based on geographic location (by IP address), lowest lag (ping time) or server bandwidth usage

* place commonly used (or as added by user) command line options as individual items in a listbox with a checkbox or radio button for each such that they can be easily found and turned on/off individually and their values easily changed.

== FlightGear [[TaxiDraw]] ==
== FlightGear [[JSBsim]] ==

= [[Useful Links]] =

GSoC User Guide 2010 [http://socghop.appspot.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2010/userguide]

What the BZFlag project learned a couple of years back [http://my.bzflag.org/gsoc/bzflag_gsoc2007_post_mortem.pdf]

Talk:FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:49:54Z

RatOmeter: Created page with 'I'm not sure what the second 2 sentences in the "Dubai" section are trying to say.'

I'm not sure what the second 2 sentences in the "Dubai" section are trying to say.

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:47:44Z

RatOmeter: /* Light cones */

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:46:33Z

RatOmeter: /* Concorde liveries */

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:45:04Z

RatOmeter: /* Light cones */

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:44:39Z

RatOmeter: /* Light cones */

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-24T12:43:52Z

RatOmeter: /* Light cones */

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-22T20:11:45Z

RatOmeter: /* Google Summer of Code */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

==From the developers==
===Shader experiments===
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|270px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

===Map Dialog===
[[File:map1.png|thumb|Basic map display]]
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. The results aren't as beautiful as [[Atlas]], but are useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or VOR, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel cockpit displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

===Google Summer of Code===
GSoC is an effort by Google, Inc. to promote Open Source Software and education by bringing students together with experienced developers as their mentors for the summer (northern hemisphere). Google pays the student a stipend, the student learns by participating in real software development, the project gets code and maybe a new developer who'll stay around and benefit the project into the future.

It seems like each year since GSoC started, someone says "Hey, wouldn't it be great if FG participated?" Then several people agree but all quickly realize it's too close to the application deadline to get anything done. Curt agrees that we should make a serious effort to prepare for the 2011 GSoC well in advance, stating "We need a couple dedicated people to step forward and take charge here. Otherwise we'll be sayin' the same things at this time next year."

Willie has stepped forward in an organizational role, forming a sister IRC channel, #FG-GSoC at irc.flightgear.org, looking around for would-be mentors and working our [[Google_Summer_of_Code_Candidate_Projects | GSoC wiki page]].

==In the hangar==

==Scenery Corner==

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Many FG wiki users have recently been annoyed by frequent 503 errors when attempting to view a page. The reason for this was the large number of daily visitors to the wiki. Many visitors is a great sign of health for the project, but it was just more than the server could handle. After three months of this, the wiki was moved to a new server on the 10th of March. This appears to have eliminated the 503 errors. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they or any other problems with the wiki occur.

==Community News==

===Changes in the Forums===

Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forums]. In addition to moderating the forums (surely a maddening task at times), Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the Forum organization.

===Another multiplay server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-22T20:10:08Z

RatOmeter: /* Map Dialog */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

==From the developers==
===Shader experiments===
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|270px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

===Map Dialog===
[[File:map1.png|thumb|Basic map display]]
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. The results aren't as beautiful as [[Atlas]], but are useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or VOR, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel cockpit displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

===Google Summer of Code===
GSoC is an effort by Google, Inc. to promote Open Source Software and education by bringing students together with experienced developers as their mentors for the summer (northern hemisphere). Google pays the student a stipend, the student learns by participating in real software development, the project gets code and maybe a new developer who'll stay around and benefit the project into the future.

It seems like each year since GSoC started, someone says "Hey, wouldn't it be great if FG participated?" Then several people agree but all quickly realize it's too close to the application deadline to get anything done. Curt agrees that we should make a serious effort to prepare for the 2011 GSoC well in advance, stating "We need a couple dedicated people to step forward and take charge here. Otherwise we'll be sayin' the same things at this time next year."

Willie has stepped forward in an organizational role, forming a sister IRC channel, #FG-GSoC at irc.flightgear.org, looking around for would-be mentors and working our GSoC wiki page.

==In the hangar==

==Scenery Corner==

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Many FG wiki users have recently been annoyed by frequent 503 errors when attempting to view a page. The reason for this was the large number of daily visitors to the wiki. Many visitors is a great sign of health for the project, but it was just more than the server could handle. After three months of this, the wiki was moved to a new server on the 10th of March. This appears to have eliminated the 503 errors. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they or any other problems with the wiki occur.

==Community News==

===Changes in the Forums===

Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forums]. In addition to moderating the forums (surely a maddening task at times), Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the Forum organization.

===Another multiplay server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-22T19:47:16Z

RatOmeter: /* Changes in the Forums */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

==From the developers==
===Shader experiments===
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|270px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

===Map Dialog===
[[File:map1.png|thumb|Basic map display]]
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. The results aren't as beautiful as [[Atlas]], but are useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or VOR, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel cockpit displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

==In the hangar==

==Scenery Corner==

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Many FG wiki users have recently been annoyed by frequent 503 errors when attempting to view a page. The reason for this was the large number of daily visitors to the wiki. Many visitors is a great sign of health for the project, but it was just more than the server could handle. After three months of this, the wiki was moved to a new server on the 10th of March. This appears to have eliminated the 503 errors. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they or any other problems with the wiki occur.

==Community News==

===Changes in the Forums===

Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forums]. In addition to moderating the forums (surely a maddening task at times), Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the Forum organization.

===Another multiplay server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-22T19:44:20Z

RatOmeter: /* FlightGear wiki moved to a new server */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

==From the developers==
===Shader experiments===
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|270px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

===Map Dialog===
[[File:map1.png|thumb|Basic map display]]
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. The results aren't as beautiful as [[Atlas]], but are useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or VOR, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel cockpit displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

==In the hangar==

==Scenery Corner==

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Many FG wiki users have recently been annoyed by frequent 503 errors when attempting to view a page. The reason for this was the large number of daily visitors to the wiki. Many visitors is a great sign of health for the project, but it was just more than the server could handle. After three months of this, the wiki was moved to a new server on the 10th of March. This appears to have eliminated the 503 errors. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they or any other problems with the wiki occur.

==Community News==

===Changes in the Forums===

Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forums]. As well moderating the forums, Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the Forum organization.

===Another multiplay server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

FlightGear Newsletter March 2010

2010-03-22T19:35:44Z

RatOmeter: /* Shader experiments */

{{newsletter}}

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of the [[FlightGear]] Newsletter.

==From the developers==
===Shader experiments===
[[Image:Experimental_Shaders_Urban.jpg|thumb|270px|The experimental urban effect. Notice how the 2D city textures appear to be 3D!]]
FlightGear developer Fred has been experimenting with the [[shaders]] recently. Although he is not yet completely satisfied with the results, the video examples below are worth watching.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUyH-4c0-qM Landmass effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb1Vy-uTS0 Urban effect]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OeU80vtR8 Urban sunrise to sunset]

===Map Dialog===
[[File:map1.png|thumb|Basic map display]]
James is working on a GUI navigational map, which shows information from the GPS and navigation/airport database in a dialog box - similar to the map windows in other flight-simulators. The results aren't as beautiful as [[Atlas]], but are useful for quickly finding a nearby airport or VOR, and for graphically showing waypoints from a route. The code is also a test platform for creating in-panel cockpit displays using similar technology in the near future, and it's already possible to switch the map to show the aircraft track (from the GPS) heading 'up' the screen. In the mode the map can be used as simple navigation display, to stay on a route or align with a localizer.

See [[Map|this wiki page]] for further information on the current status (and bugs) of the code, and some basic instructions.

==In the hangar==

==Scenery Corner==

==Wiki News==
===FlightGear wiki moved to a new server===
Probably all of you have noticed the fast amount of 503 errors that showed up lately. The reason for this was that we received a lot of visitors each day, more than the server could handle. After three months, the wiki was finally moved to a new server on the 10th of March. From now on, there should be no more 503 errors popping up. Please [[Help:Contents|contact the wiki admin]] if they do, or if any other problems arise.

==Community News==

===Changes in the Forums===

Gijs de Rooy has become an administrator at the [http://flightgear.org/forums/index.php FlightGear Forums]. As well moderating the forums, Gijs has already made some significant improvements to the Forum organization.

===Another multiplay server===
Thanks to Charles Ingels (cbz026), there is another [[Howto: Multiplayer|multiplayer]] server in France! This brings the total number of servers to 13, of which 10 in Europe, two in North-America and one in Asia.

Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of connecting to the correct server. The multiplayer servers are interconnected, so you do not need to connect to a specific server in order to see other pilots who are on that server. However, since server02 is overloaded (too many people use that one), not all pilots are shared between the servers. For best performance it is very important connect to the server that is geographically closest to you, has the lowest latency (ping time) or is the least busy.

The complete list of servers and more information about multiplayer is available in the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer howto]].

[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 03]]

GSoC: Candidate Projects

2010-03-22T13:04:52Z

RatOmeter: /* Describe your Organization */

{{Stub}}

TODO: copy/paste feature requests and mini projects from other wiki pages that might make for good candidate projects, for a possible application/participation. Update this page to show that we will be applying for participation in '''2011'''

= Related Wiki Pages =
Wiki pages containing possible inspirations for candidate projects:
* [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]]
* [[FGFS Todo]]
* [[Bugs]]

= Project Application =
Mentor projects need to provide a minimum level of info about the project as detailed at http://code.google.com/soc/2008/org_signup.html
This section is meant to provide copy/paste text that may be pasted into the aforementioned application form, please feel free to populate with contents.

== Describe your Organization ==

* http://www.flightgear.org/introduction.html
* Open Source flight simulator framework
* written in C++
* multi-platform simulator
* has been in development for over a decade now
* licensed under GNU GPL
* framework used for various efforts (science, educational etc)
* recently released version 2.0
* goals of the project: [[Long Term Goals]]
* developed by contributors from all over the world
* many contributors have a professional background in aviation, sciences, maths etc.
* has created a wealth of related sub projects
* major features (property tree, highly configurable, XML-based configuration files, fully exposed internals)
* link to good reviews

== Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2011? What do you hope to gain by participating? ==
* increase awareness of the project
* get new contributors interested in the flightgear project
* recruit additional manpower
* achieve specific project goals that require full-time effort

== Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional) ==

No, the FlightGear project has not previously participated in GSoC.

== If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional) ==
No, there have been no previous applications.

== What license does your project use? ==
The GNU GPL

== URL for your ideas page ==
Link to this wiki page and appropriate subsection

== What is the main development mailing list for your organization? ==
flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

== Where is the main IRC channel for your organization? ==
#flightgear irc.flightgear.org

also the very new #FG-GSoC on irc.flightgear.org to co-ordinate our GSoC participation

== Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional) ==
Not yet, still needs to be created - can be done on this wiki page, and then be linked to directly.

== Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional) ==

== Mentors ==
=== What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible. ===

=== Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional) ===

== About the Program ==

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students? ===

=== What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? ===

=== What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? ===

=== What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes? ===

= People supporting a possible application & participation =
'''Add your name here to join the committee'''

Curt Olson -- BDFL

Willie Fleming -- willing to assist with organising mentors, students and projects. Ensure correct documentation is completed and submitted in a timely fashion.

= Eligible community members who would like to participate as students =
= Volunteer Mentors =
People who'd be willing to mentor a possible project:

= Template for Student Applications =
TODO: revamp, modify/add questions for possible students applications.

Please provide answers to the following questions:

* Have you previously contributed to open source projects?
** If so, which ones?

* Please provide some information about your programming background?

* What are your main interests in computers, aviation, flight simulation?

* Please state which of the following technologies you are familiar with and how proficient you consider yourself:
** C++ programming
** XML
** OpenGL
** TCP/IP networking
** cross-platform programming

* Have you previously contributed to the FlightGear project or any of its affiliated projects?
** If so, which ones and how exactly?

* How familiar do you consider yourself with the FlightGear project? (0-10)

* Do you have experience working with CVS?

* Why are you interested in contributing to FlightGear?

* What would be your preferred working area in FlightGear?

* Have you previously interacted with the FlightGear community? If so, how?

* Are you currently subscribed to the FlightGear Devel mailing list?

= FlightGear Candidate Projects =

TODO: put here suitable ideas for projects

== [[FlightGear Multiplayer Server]] ==
== FlightGear [[TerraGear]] - Scenery Compiler ==
== [[FlightGear Scenery Designer]] ==
== [[FlightGear Launch Control]] ==
== FlightGear [[TaxiDraw]] ==
== FlightGear [[JSBsim]] ==

= [[Useful Links]] =

GSoC User Guide 2010 [http://socghop.appspot.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2010/userguide]

What the BZFlag project learned a couple of years back [http://my.bzflag.org/gsoc/bzflag_gsoc2007_post_mortem.pdf]

Building FlightGear - Windows

2010-02-25T20:32:35Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting plib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: Some parts of these instructions do not work correctly at this time, due to changes in the underlying software libraries. This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

* '''Step 3''' - As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

* '''Step 2''' - This is a simple way to compile that should work with all versions of MSVC.
Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have extracted the sources.
Type the following commands:
<pre>
copy jconfig.vc jconfig.h
copy makefile.vc makefile
</pre>
(this will copy the preconfigured Visual C configuration and makefile).

Then on the same command prompt type the following command to build the library:
<pre>
nmake nodebug=1
</pre>

Make sure that other projects will find your new files: Either copy '''jerror.h, jmorecfg.h''' and '''jpeglib.h''' to an include folder which is already defined (e.g. 3rdparty/include) or modify the individual project settings by adding the directory where you unpacked the jpeglib sources. The latter method is not advised.

Finally if you get the error:
<pre>
makefile(11) : fatal error U1052: file 'win32.mak' not found
Stop.
</pre>

then you need to add the switch '''/f <path>''' to point to the file Win32.Mak which resides in the above mentioned Platform SDK directory\Include. Make sure to enclose this path into double quotes if the path contains spaces.

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

The above plib package does not include debug libaries, only release. There have also been some bug fixes and changes to since that package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version from SVN which you may download here http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest plib source tarball from http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''trunk''' which you may wish to rename to '''plib-svn'''. The remaining instructions assume that you did name it '''plib-svn'''

* '''Step 2''' - Double-click the file '''plib-svn\plib.dsw'''. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

* '''Step 3''' - Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

* '''Step 4''' - Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

* '''Step 5''' - Copy all of the files in your '''plib-svn'' directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

* '''Intro'''
To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice.

* '''Fetching "cutting edge" sources from SVN head'''
Use [http://tortoisesvn.net/ Tortoise SVN] to fetch the lastest source of OSG. The URL for the project archive is http://www.openscenegraph.org/svn/osg/OpenSceneGraph/tags/OpenSceneGraph-2.9.6. The destination folder should be '''OpenSceneGraph''' under your FlightGear project root directory. All other options can be left alone and are good to go as default. Wait until all files are downloaded from SVN.

* '''Dependencies''' 
OSG depends on some external libraries from the GnuWin project 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/jpeg.htm Jpeg] 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/libpng.htm Png] 
- [http://www.zlib.net/ ZLib] 
Download these packages and unzip them (including the folder structure) to your FG project folder\3rdparty. If you do not intend to create debug versions of OSG you can remove all links to debug files and *-bcc.lib in ...\3rdparty\lib.

* '''Preparing sources with CMake (generating project and solution files)'''
Get [http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html CMake for Windows]. Extract all files from the archive to a folder of your choice (e.g. C:\DEV\CMake). Go to C:\DEV\CMake\bin and start '''cmake-gui.exe'''. Browse for the OSG source code (e.g. FlightGear project root\OpenSceneGraph) and enter this to the first line. Below this you'll find the path '''where to build the binaries'''. After entering the path to the souce code you'll find the same path here. Just add '''\build''' to this and you are now good to press '''Configure'''. If it did not happen before you'll now receive an information that your buld-folder was not found and cmake-gui asks you if it should be ceated for you. Press '''yes''' to do so.
Next specify you installed compiler (e.g. '''Visual Studio 9 2008'''). Set '''Use default native compiler''' and press '''Finish'''.

cmake-gui is now configuring everything so that you can use VC9 with OSG sources. But before you can go on you'll need to tweak cmake a little bit. After pressing Configure the first time, many red lines will appear in the middle window which points you to settings where you can customise your build. Chnage the view from '''Simple view''' to '''Advanced view''' to achieve more detailed settings. Some settings must be reviewed (e.g. ACTUAL_3RDPARTY_DIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, etc.).

In permission-restricted environments (like Vista or Windows 7) do '''not''' set CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to a restricted folder like c:\program files as this will not work and lead to many '''permission denied''' messages as cmake can't elevate your rights. Use a permission free folder instead.

If you are satisfied with your cmake-options press configure 2, 3 or 4 times until '''Generate''' becomes active. Press it and wait until cmake-gui has finished to creat all neccesary folders/files for proceeding in Visual Studio (VC).

* '''Building in VC9'''
Switch to the folder '''Where to build binaries''' named before in cmake-gui and open the file '''OpenSceneGraph.sln''' with VC. Select your desired build type (Debug, Release, RelWithDebugInfo, MinSizeRel) and press '''F7''' to build the project. It's time for some coffee as this process will take some time. After all is done (hopefully) without errors right click the INSTALL project and build it. This will copy your compiled files to their correct locations (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX). Before you do that all files reside in your build folder and it's not recommende to use them from there.

* '''Some additional words'''
The first compile run will take certain long time. After you finished the first build all further builds will work much faster. So updating SVN and recompiling the sources will not take too much time in the future. Just make sure: '''ALWAYS BUILD THE INSTALL PROJECT''' as this is part of the complete process. Without this your newly built files will stay in your build but not in your install folder.

* '''Stable releases'''
You can however try and follow the building instructions from above to bet "cutting edge" with OSG.
Or you can download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

* '''Step 2''' - Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

* '''Step 3''' - Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.
* '''Step 4''' - Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

This method is much more simple but the stable releases are far behind the actual development.

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

* '''Step 1''' - Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

* '''Step 2''' - Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

* '''Step 3''' - Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==

* '''Step 1'''
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

* '''Step 2'''

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

* '''Step 3'''

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/ Microsoft Visual C++ (Express) Download page]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/index.htm FlightGear Build Centre]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Linux

2010-02-25T20:27:49Z

RatOmeter: /* Dependencies */

{{Languages|Building_FlightGear_-_Linux}}

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

__TOC__

This section describes how to build FlightGear on Linux system.

Compiling FlightGear is not a task for novice users. Thus, if you're a beginner (we all were once) on a platform which binaries are available for, we recommend postponing this task and just starting with the binary distribution to get you flying.

Or if you develop on Ubuntu or Debian, consider trying the script described in [[Scripted Compilation on Linux Debian/Ubuntu]].

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

'''C++ compiler'''

These are: c++, cpp, gcc, g++ found under the /usr/bin directory. You will also need to have the tools '''autoconf''' and '''automake1.9''' installed.

'''CVS'''

Yes, the program is called 'CVS'. This is used for downloading the latest set of source code. Windows developers may wish to see [[Using TortoiseCVS with FlightGear]].

'''[[OpenGL]] support'''

More specifically, your system needs the support for hardware accelerated graphics. You can check for this by running the following in a [[command line]]:

glxinfo | grep direct

Note: To run the above command, you need to have the tool '''mesa-utils''' installed.

You should then see:

direct rendering: Yes

This means you are good to go as far as OpenGL support is concerned.

If you see:

direct rendering: No

Don't panic yet. This may just mean some required libraries for hardware accelerated graphic are missing. Go ahead and try installing plib 1.8.5 and its dependencies first. If you still get the above message, then you will need to do some googling and troubleshoot yourself.

== Dependencies ==
FlightGear is dependent on quite a few number of libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed. For example, the development version for package plib1.8.5 is plib1.8.5'''-dev'''.

The dependency is summarized in the following tree. Please note that each library has its own dependencies, and most of these are not shown here.

* FlightGear
** [http://kcat.strangesoft.net/openal.html OpenAL]
** SimGear
*** [http://plib.sourceforge.net/ PLIB]. Since march 2008, you will need version 1.8.5 - your distro probably supplies 1.8.4 still.
**** For versions pre march/2008: (Free)GLUT or SDL (We recommend the use of SDL over Free/GLUT, [http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg16153.html however since march 2008, FreeGLUT as well as SDL are both considered depreciated, please only use --enable-osgviewer during configuration instead])
*** [[ OpenSceneGraph ]] (svn trunk for FlightGear/CVS and the latest preceding OSG release for a FlightGear release)
*** You also need the development files for several basic libraries to build the software, among them the following (the package names are for Debian and derivatives(?)):
**** libfreetype6-dev
**** libjpeg62-dev
**** libungif4-dev
**** libtiff4-dev
**** libpng12-dev
**** libxmu-dev
**** libxi-dev
**** zlib1g-dev
**** libglut3-dev

If you attack the above dependencies in the order listed below, you should be good:

1. Glut. Most distributions include glut packages, although you may have to hunt for them. Make sure you install both the glut and glut-devel packages, otherwise FlightGear may be able to compile but won't run correctly.

2. Zlib. Most distributions install the basic zlib libraries by default, but not the development portions. If you don't have zlib.h, you probably need to install the zlib-devel package for your distribution.

3. Plib - portability libraries and scene graph.

4. [[ OpenSceneGraph ]]

5. SimGear - Simulation support libraries. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange build errors, one of the first things to check is that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

==== APT-GET List ====
This is a list of all the apt-get commands I had to do while compiling FG, SG, and OSG on a mostly clean Ubuntu 64 system. It is a list of all the libraries you and your computer needs to compile FG, SG, OSG, and PLib. All you have to do is copy the full command, paste it in Terminal, enter your password, and it will download all the packages for you, and install them too. The full command is at the bottom, and I hope someone finds it useful :) sub-dependencies (dependencies of the dependencies) are not included as they are installed automatically by apt-get. If anyone sees something missing, please add it.

cvs - to get SG and FG 
subversion - to get OSG 
build-essential - to build (includes GCC, and other build tools) 
cmake - OSG Uses this 
ccmake-curses-gui -- OSG Uses this 
libpng-dev - to enable FG to use PNG textures 
libfreetype6-dev - fonts 
libjpeg-dev 
libungif4-dev 
libtiff-dev 
libxmu-dev 
libxi-dev 
libalut-dev - sound 
libboost-dev - makes coding for some developers easier 
automake - needed by ./autogen.sh files 
autoconf - needed by ./autogen.sh files 
libfltk1.1-dev - You will need this if you will be using FGRun 
-----------
<pre>
sudo apt-get install cvs subversion build-essential cmake libpng-dev libfreetype6-dev libjpeg-dev libungif4-dev libtiff-dev libxmu-dev libxi-dev
libalut-dev libboost-dev automake autoconf libfltk1.1-dev
</pre>
-----------
Total size is about 230 MB, depending on what you already have from other applications.

This list might seem a bit short, but the sub-dependencies all add up :) The dependencies will be listed by apt-get when you use the command.

== Compiling ==
Assuming you are root, do:
cd /usr/local/src

Note: When tracking a fast changing software like FlightGear/CVS it is highly advisable to install it in a separate directory. That way one can also easily build and reinstall without being root, which greatly reduces the risk of messing up one's system.
To install in a directory of your choice add the <tt>--prefix</tt> argument to configure. E.g. <tt>./configure --prefix=$HOME/FlightGear</tt>. I would recommend installing all of OSG, plib, SimGear and FlightGear with the same prefix.

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

'''Step 1:'''

Login to the cvs server and checkout the latest version of SimGear's source code with:
cvs -d :pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3 login
CVS passwd: guest

cvs -d :pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3 co source

'''Step 2:'''

Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename the directory into something more meaningful.

Rename the above directory by doing:
mv source simgear

Next, go into the directory and make preparations for the compilation:
cd simgear
./autogen.sh
./configure

Note that if you don't want to install simgear globally on the system but in a specific directory, you can do so by adding --prefix=/path/to/your/fgInstallation to the ./configure command

'''Step 3:'''

Compile and install SimGear by doing:
make; make install

''Note:'' with gcc 4.2 or later,on some platforms, you can get compiling errors about alc.h like:

'<anonymous>' has incomplete type
take a look at http://bugs.gentoo.org/166723

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===

'''Step 1:'''

To login to the cvs version and checkout the latest version of Flightgear's source code, use:
cvs -d :pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9 login
CVS passwd: guest

cvs -d :pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9 co source

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it.

'''Step 2:'''

To rename the above directory, use the following command:
mv source flightgear

Next, go into the folder and make preparations for the compilation:
cd flightgear
./autogen.sh
./configure

Note that if you don't want to install simgear globally on the system but in a specific directory, you can do so by adding --prefix=/path/to/your/fgInstallation to the ./configure command.
If you didn't install OSG globally or in the same prefix as SimGear and FlightGear, you have to pass the OSG directory to the configure-command like this:
./configure --prefix=/path/to/fgInstallation --with-osg=/path/to/osg/installation --enable-osgviewer
In this case you have to tell your system where to find the OSG libraries before you can run flightgear:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/osgInstallation/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

'''Step 3:'''

Now you can compile and install Flightgear by:
make; make install

'''Step 4:'''

Get the data directory:
cvs -d :pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9 co data

And install it in (or as) /usr/local/share/FlightGear
mv data /usr/local/share/FlightGear

== Ubuntu and Debian users ==
If you wish you can use the [[Scripted_Compilation_on_Linux_Debian/Ubuntu]] script to have Flightgear compiled in one shot under both Ubuntu and Debian systems.

Debian users who prefer to build it without script may look at [[Building_Flightgear_-_Debian]].

== External links ==
=== Instructions ===
* [[ MSYS ]]
* [[ MinGW/cross-compiler ]]
* [[ CodeBlocks IDE ]]
* [[ OpenSUSE 10.1 10.2 ]]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/fgmsvc7.htm MSVC7 *.Net]
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/oflebbe/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]
* [http://macflightgear.sourceforge.net/home/documents/ Mac OS X (0.9.10 and CVS)]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2010-02-15T17:05:08Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting plib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: Some parts of these instructions do not work correctly at this time, due to changes in the underlying software libraries. This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

* '''Step 3''' - As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

* '''Step 2''' - This is a simple way to compile that should work with all versions of MSVC.
Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have extracted the sources.
Type the following commands:
<pre>
copy jconfig.vc jconfig.h
copy makefile.vc makefile
</pre>
(this will copy the preconfigured Visual C configuration and makefile).

Then on the same command prompt type the following command to build the library:
<pre>
nmake nodebug=1
</pre>

Make sure that other projects will find your new files: Either copy '''jerror.h, jmorecfg.h''' and '''jpeglib.h''' to an include folder which is already defined (e.g. 3rdparty/include) or modify the individual project settings by adding the directory where you unpacked the jpeglib sources. The latter method is not advised.

Finally if you get the error:
<pre>
makefile(11) : fatal error U1052: file 'win32.mak' not found
Stop.
</pre>

then you need to add the switch '''/f <path>''' to point to the file Win32.Mak which resides in the above mentioned Platform SDK directory\Include. Make sure to enclose this path into double quotes if the path contains spaces.

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

The above plib package does not include debug libaries, only release. There have also been some bug fixes and changes to since that package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version from SVN which you may download here http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest plib source tarball from http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''trunk''' which you may wish to rename to '''plib-svn'''. The remaining instructions assume that you did name it '''plib-svn'''

* '''Step 2''' - Double-click the file '''plib-svn\plib.dsw'''. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

* '''Step 3''' - Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

* '''Step 4''' - Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

* '''Step 5''' - Copy all of the files in your '''plib-svn'' directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

* '''Intro'''
To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice.

* '''Fetching "cutting edge" sources from SVN head'''
Use [http://tortoisesvn.net/ Tortoise SVN] to fetch the lastest source of OSG. The URL for the project archive is http://www.openscenegraph.org/svn/osg/OpenSceneGraph/tags/OpenSceneGraph-2.9.6. The destination folder should be '''OpenSceneGraph''' under your FlightGear project root directory. All other options can be left alone and are good to go as default. Wait until all files are downloaded from SVN.

* '''Dependencies''' 
OSG depends on some external libraries from the GnuWin project 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/jpeg.htm Jpeg] 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/libpng.htm Png] 
- [http://www.zlib.net/ ZLib] 
Download these packages and unzip them (including the folder structure) to your FG project folder\3rdparty. If you do not intend to create debug versions of OSG you can remove all links to debug files and *-bcc.lib in ...\3rdparty\lib.

* '''Preparing sources with CMake (generating project and solution files)'''
Get [http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html CMake for Windows]. Extract all files from the archive to a folder of your choice (e.g. C:\DEV\CMake). Go to C:\DEV\CMake\bin and start '''cmake-gui.exe'''. Browse for the OSG source code (e.g. FlightGear project root\OpenSceneGraph) and enter this to the first line. Below this you'll find the path '''where to build the binaries'''. After entering the path to the souce code you'll find the same path here. Just add '''\build''' to this and you are now good to press '''Configure'''. If it did not happen before you'll now receive an information that your buld-folder was not found and cmake-gui asks you if it should be ceated for you. Press '''yes''' to do so.
Next specify you installed compiler (e.g. '''Visual Studio 9 2008'''). Set '''Use default native compiler''' and press '''Finish'''.

cmake-gui is now configuring everything so that you can use VC9 with OSG sources. But before you can go on you'll need to tweak cmake a little bit. After pressing Configure the first time, many red lines will appear in the middle window which points you to settings where you can customise your build. Chnage the view from '''Simple view''' to '''Advanced view''' to achieve more detailed settings. Some settings must be reviewed (e.g. ACTUAL_3RDPARTY_DIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, etc.).

In permission-restricted environments (like Vista or Windows 7) do '''not''' set CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to a restricted folder like c:\program files as this will not work and lead to many '''permission denied''' messages as cmake can't elevate your rights. Use a permission free folder instead.

If you are satisfied with your cmake-options press configure 2, 3 or 4 times until '''Generate''' becomes active. Press it and wait until cmake-gui has finished to creat all neccesary folders/files for proceeding in Visual Studio (VC).

* '''Building in VC9'''
Switch to the folder '''Where to build binaries''' named before in cmake-gui and open the file '''OpenSceneGraph.sln''' with VC. Select your desired build type (Debug, Release, RelWithDebugInfo, MinSizeRel) and press '''F7''' to build the project. It's time for some coffee as this process will take some time. After all is done (hopefully) without errors right click the INSTALL project and build it. This will copy your compiled files to their correct locations (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX). Before you do that all files reside in your build folder and it's not recommende to use them from there.

* '''Some additional words'''
The first compile run will take certain long time. After you finished the first build all further builds will work much faster. So updating SVN and recompiling the sources will not take too much time in the future. Just make sure: '''ALWAYS BUILD THE INSTALL PROJECT''' as this is part of the complete process. Without this your newly built files will stay in your build but not in your install folder.

* '''Stable releases'''
You can however try and follow the building instructions from above to bet "cutting edge" with OSG.
Or you can download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

* '''Step 2''' - Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

* '''Step 3''' - Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.
* '''Step 4''' - Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

This method is much more simple but the stable releases are far behind the actual development.

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

* '''Step 1''' - Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

* '''Step 2''' - Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

* '''Step 3''' - Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==

* '''Step 1'''
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

* '''Step 2'''

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

* '''Step 3'''

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/ Microsoft Visual C++ (Express) Download page]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/index.htm FlightGear Build Centre]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2010-02-15T17:03:38Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting plib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: Some parts of these instructions do not work correctly at this time, due to changes in the underlying software libraries. This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [http://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

* '''Step 2''' - Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

* '''Step 3''' - As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

* '''Step 2''' - This is a simple way to compile that should work with all versions of MSVC.
Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have extracted the sources.
Type the following commands:
<pre>
copy jconfig.vc jconfig.h
copy makefile.vc makefile
</pre>
(this will copy the preconfigured Visual C configuration and makefile).

Then on the same command prompt type the following command to build the library:
<pre>
nmake nodebug=1
</pre>

Make sure that other projects will find your new files: Either copy '''jerror.h, jmorecfg.h''' and '''jpeglib.h''' to an include folder which is already defined (e.g. 3rdparty/include) or modify the individual project settings by adding the directory where you unpacked the jpeglib sources. The latter method is not advised.

Finally if you get the error:
<pre>
makefile(11) : fatal error U1052: file 'win32.mak' not found
Stop.
</pre>

then you need to add the switch '''/f <path>''' to point to the file Win32.Mak which resides in the above mentioned Platform SDK directory\Include. Make sure to enclose this path into double quotes if the path contains spaces.

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

The above plib package does not include debug libaries, only release. There have also been some bug fixes and changes to since that package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version from SVN which you may download here http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

* '''Step 1''' - Download the latest plib source tarball from http://plib.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/plib/trunk.tar.gz and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''trunk''' which you may wish to rename to '''plib-svn''' or similar.

* '''Step 2''' - Double-click the file plib-svn\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

* '''Step 3''' - Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

* '''Step 4''' - Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

* '''Step 5''' - Copy all of the files in your plib-svn directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

* '''Intro'''
To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice.

* '''Fetching "cutting edge" sources from SVN head'''
Use [http://tortoisesvn.net/ Tortoise SVN] to fetch the lastest source of OSG. The URL for the project archive is http://www.openscenegraph.org/svn/osg/OpenSceneGraph/tags/OpenSceneGraph-2.9.6. The destination folder should be '''OpenSceneGraph''' under your FlightGear project root directory. All other options can be left alone and are good to go as default. Wait until all files are downloaded from SVN.

* '''Dependencies''' 
OSG depends on some external libraries from the GnuWin project 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/jpeg.htm Jpeg] 
- [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/libpng.htm Png] 
- [http://www.zlib.net/ ZLib] 
Download these packages and unzip them (including the folder structure) to your FG project folder\3rdparty. If you do not intend to create debug versions of OSG you can remove all links to debug files and *-bcc.lib in ...\3rdparty\lib.

* '''Preparing sources with CMake (generating project and solution files)'''
Get [http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html CMake for Windows]. Extract all files from the archive to a folder of your choice (e.g. C:\DEV\CMake). Go to C:\DEV\CMake\bin and start '''cmake-gui.exe'''. Browse for the OSG source code (e.g. FlightGear project root\OpenSceneGraph) and enter this to the first line. Below this you'll find the path '''where to build the binaries'''. After entering the path to the souce code you'll find the same path here. Just add '''\build''' to this and you are now good to press '''Configure'''. If it did not happen before you'll now receive an information that your buld-folder was not found and cmake-gui asks you if it should be ceated for you. Press '''yes''' to do so.
Next specify you installed compiler (e.g. '''Visual Studio 9 2008'''). Set '''Use default native compiler''' and press '''Finish'''.

cmake-gui is now configuring everything so that you can use VC9 with OSG sources. But before you can go on you'll need to tweak cmake a little bit. After pressing Configure the first time, many red lines will appear in the middle window which points you to settings where you can customise your build. Chnage the view from '''Simple view''' to '''Advanced view''' to achieve more detailed settings. Some settings must be reviewed (e.g. ACTUAL_3RDPARTY_DIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, etc.).

In permission-restricted environments (like Vista or Windows 7) do '''not''' set CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to a restricted folder like c:\program files as this will not work and lead to many '''permission denied''' messages as cmake can't elevate your rights. Use a permission free folder instead.

If you are satisfied with your cmake-options press configure 2, 3 or 4 times until '''Generate''' becomes active. Press it and wait until cmake-gui has finished to creat all neccesary folders/files for proceeding in Visual Studio (VC).

* '''Building in VC9'''
Switch to the folder '''Where to build binaries''' named before in cmake-gui and open the file '''OpenSceneGraph.sln''' with VC. Select your desired build type (Debug, Release, RelWithDebugInfo, MinSizeRel) and press '''F7''' to build the project. It's time for some coffee as this process will take some time. After all is done (hopefully) without errors right click the INSTALL project and build it. This will copy your compiled files to their correct locations (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX). Before you do that all files reside in your build folder and it's not recommende to use them from there.

* '''Some additional words'''
The first compile run will take certain long time. After you finished the first build all further builds will work much faster. So updating SVN and recompiling the sources will not take too much time in the future. Just make sure: '''ALWAYS BUILD THE INSTALL PROJECT''' as this is part of the complete process. Without this your newly built files will stay in your build but not in your install folder.

* '''Stable releases'''
You can however try and follow the building instructions from above to bet "cutting edge" with OSG.
Or you can download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

* '''Step 2''' - Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

* '''Step 3''' - Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.
* '''Step 4''' - Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

This method is much more simple but the stable releases are far behind the actual development.

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

* '''Step 1''' - Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

* '''Step 2''' - Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

* '''Step 3''' - Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==

* '''Step 1'''
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

* '''Step 2'''

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

* '''Step 3'''

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/ Microsoft Visual C++ (Express) Download page]
* [http://www.geoffmclane.com/fg/index.htm FlightGear Build Centre]

{{Building}}

Howto:Fly a helicopter

2010-02-12T12:09:54Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting started */

== Preface ==
'''First:''' in principle everything that applies to real helicopters, applies also to [[FlightGear]]. Fundamental maneuvers are well described on: http://www.cybercom.net/~copters/pilot/maneuvers.html Some details are simplified in FlightGear, in particular the engine handling and some overstresses are not simulated or are without any consequence. In FlightGear it is (up to now) not possible to damage a helicopter in flight.

[[Image:bo105_cockpit.jpg]]

Since the release of version FlightGear 0.9.10, important improvements have been made to the [[helicopter]] flight model. For this reason, version 1.0.0 or later should be used. With these improvements the helicopter flight model of FlightGear should be quite realistic. A notable exception is “vortex ring conditions”. These occur if you descend too fast and perpendicularly (without forward speed). The heli can get into its own rotor downwash causing the lift to be substantially reduced. Recovering from this condition is possible only at higher altitudes. On the Internet you can find a video of a SeaKing helicopter which got into this condition during a flight demonstration and touched down so hard afterwards that it was completely destroyed.

The parameters for FlightGear helicopters are not completely optimized and thus the performance between model and original may deviate. On the hardware side I recommend the use of a “good” [[joystick]]. A joystick without centering springs is recommended for cyclic control. You can achieve this with a normal joystick by by removing or disabling the centering spring(s) or you could use a force feedback joystick with a disconnected voltage supply. Further, the joystick should have a “thrust controller” (throttle). For controlling the tail rotor you should have pedals or at least a twistable joystick; flying helicopters by keyboard is very difficult. ('''hint:''' Flightgear supports more than one joystick attached at the same time.)

If using a mouse it's recommended to turn off the Auto-coordination in the [[FlightGear Wizard]].

== Getting started ==
The number of available helicopters in FlightGear is limited. In my opinion the [[Eurocopter Bo105|Bo105]] is the easiest to fly, since it reacts substantially more directly than other helicopters. As [[helicopter|helicopters]] have become more popular in FlightGear, many others have been developed. Each of them have their unique flight behaviour.

Once you have loaded FlightGear, take a moment to centralize the controls by moving them around. In particular the collective is often at maximum on startup.

[[Image:s76c_landed.jpg]]

The helicopter is controlled by four functions. The stick (joystick) controls two of them, the inclination of the rotor disc (and thus the inclination of the helicopter) to the right/ left and forwards/back. Together these functions are called “cyclic blade control”. Next there is the “collective blade control”, which is controlled by the thrust controller. This causes a change of the thrust produced by the rotor. Since the powering of the main rotor transfers torque (as a twisting or turning force) to the fuselage, this must be compensated by the tail rotor. Since the torque is dependent on the collective and on the flight condition as well as wind can add additional torque on the fuselage, the [[tail rotor]] is also controlled by the pilot using the the pedals. If you push the right pedal, the helicopter turns to the right (!). The pedals are not a steering wheel. Using the pedals you can yaw helicopter around the vertical axis. The number of revolutions of the rotor is kept constant (if possible) by the aircraft.

[[Image:ec135_in_the_air.jpg]]

== Lift-Off ==
First reduce the collective to minimum. To increase the rotor thrust, you have to “pull” the collective. Therefore for minimum collective you have to push the control down (that is the full acceleration position (!) of the thrust controller). Equally, “full power” has the thrust controller at idle. Started the engine with “}”. After few seconds the rotor will start to turn and accelerates slowly. Keep the stick and the pedals approximately centered. Wait until the rotor has finished accelerating. For the Bo105 there is an instruments for engine and rotor speed on the left of the upper row.

Once rotor acceleration is complete, pull the collective very slowly. Keep your eye on the horizon. If the heli tilts or turns even slightly, stop increasing the collective and correct the position/movement with stick and pedals. If you are successful, continue pulling the collective (slowly!).

As the helicopter takes off, increase the collective a little bit more and try to keep the helicopter in a leveled position. The main challenge is reacting to the inadvertent rotating motion of the helicopter with the correct control inputs. Only three things can help you: practice, practice and practice. It is quite common for it to take hours of practice to achieve a halfway good looking hovering flight. Note: The stick position in a stable hover is not the center position of the joystick.

Quick Reference:
# Press } to start the turbines
# Disengage parking or rotor brake. (If applicable)
# Wait for your turbine to come to full speed
# Push the throttle '''Down''', not up. Pushing up makes the chopper go down
# When at desired altitude, push throttle to about 60%
# Fly freely

== In the air ==
To avoid the continual frustration of trying to achieve level flight, you may want to try forward flight. After take off continue pulling the collective a short time and then lower the nose a slightly using the control stick. The helicopter will accelerate forward. With forward speed the tail rotor does not have to be controlled as precisely due to the relative wind coming from directly ahead. Altogether the flight behavior in forward flight is quite similar to that of an badly trimmed airplane. The “neutral” position of the stick will depend upon airspeed and collective.

Transitioning from forward flight to hovering is easiest if you reduce speed slowly by raising the nose of the helicopter. At the same time, reduce the collective to stop the helicopter from climbing. As the helicopter slows, “translation lift” is reduced, and you will have to compensate by pulling the collective. When the speed is nearly zero, lower the nose to the position it was when hovering. Otherwise the helicopter will accelerate backwards!

== Back to Earth I ==
To land the helicopter transition to a hover as described above while reducing the altitude using the collective. Briefly before hitting the ground reduce the rate of descent slowly. A perfect landing is achieved if you managed to zero the altitude, speed and descent rate at the same time (gently). However, such landing are extremely difficult. Most pilots perform a hover more or less near to the ground and then decent slowly to the ground. Landing with forward velocity is easier, however you must make sure you don't land with any lateral (sideways) component to avoid a rollover.

Quick Reference
# Get to the airport
# Throttle up slowly to about 80%
# Keep it level
# Don't come down too hard
# Land and turn your turbines off (key-{-)
# Have a nice day

[[Image:bo105_landed.jpg]]

== Back to Earth II ==
It is worth mentioning autorotation briefly. This is an unpowered flight condition, where the flow of air through the rotors rotates the rotor itself. At an appropriate altitude select a landing point (at first in the size of a larger airfield) and then switch the engine off by pressing "{". Reduce collective to minimum, place the tail rotor to approximately 0 degrees incidence (with the Bo push the right pedal about half , with Russian or French helicopters (like the [[Aérospatiale Alouette II|Alouette 2]]) the left). Approach at approximately 80 knots. Don't allow the rotor speed to rise more than a few percent over 100%, otherwise the rotor will be damaged (though this is not currently simulated). As you reach the ground, reduce the airspeed by lifting the nose. The descent rate will drop at the same time, so you do not need to pull the collective. It may be the case that the rotor speed rises beyond the permitted range. Counteract this by raising the collective if required. Just above the ground, reduce the descent rate by pulling the collective. The goal is it to touch down with a very low descent rate and no forward speed. With forward speed it is easier, but there is a danger of a roll over if the skids are not aligned parallel to the flight direction. During the approach it is not necessary to adjust the tail rotor, since without power there is almost no torque. If you feel (after some practice), that autorotation is too easy, try it with a more realistic payload via the payload menu.

[[Image:bo105_auto.jpg]]

'''Much fun with the Flightgear helicopters!'''

[[de:Fliegen mit dem helikopter]]
[[es:Volando el helicoptero]]
[[fr:Piloter l'hélicoptère]]

Howto:Fly a helicopter

2010-02-12T12:06:14Z

RatOmeter: /* Preface */

== Preface ==
'''First:''' in principle everything that applies to real helicopters, applies also to [[FlightGear]]. Fundamental maneuvers are well described on: http://www.cybercom.net/~copters/pilot/maneuvers.html Some details are simplified in FlightGear, in particular the engine handling and some overstresses are not simulated or are without any consequence. In FlightGear it is (up to now) not possible to damage a helicopter in flight.

[[Image:bo105_cockpit.jpg]]

Since the release of version FlightGear 0.9.10, important improvements have been made to the [[helicopter]] flight model. For this reason, version 1.0.0 or later should be used. With these improvements the helicopter flight model of FlightGear should be quite realistic. A notable exception is “vortex ring conditions”. These occur if you descend too fast and perpendicularly (without forward speed). The heli can get into its own rotor downwash causing the lift to be substantially reduced. Recovering from this condition is possible only at higher altitudes. On the Internet you can find a video of a SeaKing helicopter which got into this condition during a flight demonstration and touched down so hard afterwards that it was completely destroyed.

The parameters for FlightGear helicopters are not completely optimized and thus the performance between model and original may deviate. On the hardware side I recommend the use of a “good” [[joystick]]. A joystick without centering springs is recommended for cyclic control. You can achieve this with a normal joystick by by removing or disabling the centering spring(s) or you could use a force feedback joystick with a disconnected voltage supply. Further, the joystick should have a “thrust controller” (throttle). For controlling the tail rotor you should have pedals or at least a twistable joystick; flying helicopters by keyboard is very difficult. ('''hint:''' Flightgear supports more than one joystick attached at the same time.)

If using a mouse it's recommended to turn off the Auto-coordination in the [[FlightGear Wizard]].

== Getting started ==
The number of available helicopters in FlightGear is limited. In my opinion the [[Eurocopter Bo105|Bo105]] is the easiest to fly, since it reacts substantially more directly than other helicopters. Since helicopters get more and more popular in FlightGear, there are many other [[helicopter|helicopters]], all of them have their unique flight behavior.

Once you have loaded FlightGear, take a moment to centralize the controls by moving them around. In particular the collective is often at maximum on startup.

[[Image:s76c_landed.jpg]]

The helicopter is controlled by four functions. The stick (joystick) controls two of them, the inclination of the rotor disc (and thus the inclination of the helicopter) to the right/ left and forwards/back. Together these functions are called “cyclic blade control”. Next there is the “collective blade control”, which is controlled by the thrust controller. This causes a change of the thrust produced by the rotor. Since the powering of the main rotor transfers a torque to the fuselage, this must be compensated by the tail rotor. Since the torque is dependent on the collective and on the flight condition as well as wind can add additional torque on the fuselage, the [[tail rotor]] is also controlled by the pilot using the the pedals. If you push the right pedal, the helicopter turns to the right (!). The pedals are not a steering wheel. Using the pedals you can yaw helicopter around the vertical axis. The number of revolutions of the rotor is kept constant (if possible) by the aircraft.

[[Image:ec135_in_the_air.jpg]]

== Lift-Off ==
First reduce the collective to minimum. To increase the rotor thrust, you have to “pull” the collective. Therefore for minimum collective you have to push the control down (that is the full acceleration position (!) of the thrust controller). Equally, “full power” has the thrust controller at idle. Started the engine with “}”. After few seconds the rotor will start to turn and accelerates slowly. Keep the stick and the pedals approximately centered. Wait until the rotor has finished accelerating. For the Bo105 there is an instruments for engine and rotor speed on the left of the upper row.

Once rotor acceleration is complete, pull the collective very slowly. Keep your eye on the horizon. If the heli tilts or turns even slightly, stop increasing the collective and correct the position/movement with stick and pedals. If you are successful, continue pulling the collective (slowly!).

As the helicopter takes off, increase the collective a little bit more and try to keep the helicopter in a leveled position. The main challenge is reacting to the inadvertent rotating motion of the helicopter with the correct control inputs. Only three things can help you: practice, practice and practice. It is quite common for it to take hours of practice to achieve a halfway good looking hovering flight. Note: The stick position in a stable hover is not the center position of the joystick.

Quick Reference:
# Press } to start the turbines
# Disengage parking or rotor brake. (If applicable)
# Wait for your turbine to come to full speed
# Push the throttle '''Down''', not up. Pushing up makes the chopper go down
# When at desired altitude, push throttle to about 60%
# Fly freely

== In the air ==
To avoid the continual frustration of trying to achieve level flight, you may want to try forward flight. After take off continue pulling the collective a short time and then lower the nose a slightly using the control stick. The helicopter will accelerate forward. With forward speed the tail rotor does not have to be controlled as precisely due to the relative wind coming from directly ahead. Altogether the flight behavior in forward flight is quite similar to that of an badly trimmed airplane. The “neutral” position of the stick will depend upon airspeed and collective.

Transitioning from forward flight to hovering is easiest if you reduce speed slowly by raising the nose of the helicopter. At the same time, reduce the collective to stop the helicopter from climbing. As the helicopter slows, “translation lift” is reduced, and you will have to compensate by pulling the collective. When the speed is nearly zero, lower the nose to the position it was when hovering. Otherwise the helicopter will accelerate backwards!

== Back to Earth I ==
To land the helicopter transition to a hover as described above while reducing the altitude using the collective. Briefly before hitting the ground reduce the rate of descent slowly. A perfect landing is achieved if you managed to zero the altitude, speed and descent rate at the same time (gently). However, such landing are extremely difficult. Most pilots perform a hover more or less near to the ground and then decent slowly to the ground. Landing with forward velocity is easier, however you must make sure you don't land with any lateral (sideways) component to avoid a rollover.

Quick Reference
# Get to the airport
# Throttle up slowly to about 80%
# Keep it level
# Don't come down too hard
# Land and turn your turbines off (key-{-)
# Have a nice day

[[Image:bo105_landed.jpg]]

== Back to Earth II ==
It is worth mentioning autorotation briefly. This is an unpowered flight condition, where the flow of air through the rotors rotates the rotor itself. At an appropriate altitude select a landing point (at first in the size of a larger airfield) and then switch the engine off by pressing "{". Reduce collective to minimum, place the tail rotor to approximately 0 degrees incidence (with the Bo push the right pedal about half , with Russian or French helicopters (like the [[Aérospatiale Alouette II|Alouette 2]]) the left). Approach at approximately 80 knots. Don't allow the rotor speed to rise more than a few percent over 100%, otherwise the rotor will be damaged (though this is not currently simulated). As you reach the ground, reduce the airspeed by lifting the nose. The descent rate will drop at the same time, so you do not need to pull the collective. It may be the case that the rotor speed rises beyond the permitted range. Counteract this by raising the collective if required. Just above the ground, reduce the descent rate by pulling the collective. The goal is it to touch down with a very low descent rate and no forward speed. With forward speed it is easier, but there is a danger of a roll over if the skids are not aligned parallel to the flight direction. During the approach it is not necessary to adjust the tail rotor, since without power there is almost no torque. If you feel (after some practice), that autorotation is too easy, try it with a more realistic payload via the payload menu.

[[Image:bo105_auto.jpg]]

'''Much fun with the Flightgear helicopters!'''

[[de:Fliegen mit dem helikopter]]
[[es:Volando el helicoptero]]
[[fr:Piloter l'hélicoptère]]

Improving Helicopter Realism

2010-02-12T11:51:39Z

RatOmeter:

This page is meant to maintain a list of feature requests that are directly related to improving the realism of helicopters (rotorcraft) flight in FlightGear.
It is largely based on [[Feature Requests / Proposals / Ideas]] and [[FGFS Todo]].
Currently, this is work in progress, so your help in populating this page is appreciated.

== Physics of Helicopter flight ==

YASim does a pretty good job for helicopter realism in FlightGear. What is implemented is very accurate so far, but there are a few things not yet implemented or fully simulated. Missing features are listed below:

Vortex Ring State [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_ring Vortex Ring on en wiki]

LTE, not fully simulated due to missing Main-rotor vortex: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_of_tail-rotor_effectiveness LTE on wiki]

== Systems ==

A separate throttle control, and a governor which can be turned off and on

* To simulate emergencies such as loss of engine power better

* To practice manual throttle control

Engine support from YASim

== Damage ==

Rotor damage from

* Exceeding Vne

* Exceeding maximum rotor rpm

* Over pitching and excessive coneing

Engine/Transmission, damage/failure from

* Using excessive power (over torquing on a turbine helicopter, exceeding max MAP in a piston powered helicopter)

* Exceeding max engine RPM

== Known issues still to fix ==

Sliding over Ground- this is an issue not yet solved which makes helis slides over the ground even with stopped engines

Rotor blades seem to flex in the opposite direction while not moving at high altitude airports, 5000' and up its pretty obvious, does this on all helis iv tried

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-18T20:38:05Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting plib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

===Step 1===

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

===Step 2===

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

===Step 2===
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

===Step 3===
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

===Step 2===
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

The above plib package does not include debug libaries, only release. There have also been some bug fixes and changes to since that package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

===Step 1===

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

===Step 2===

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

===Step 3===

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

===Step 4===

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

===Step 5===

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

===Step 1===

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

===Step 2===

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

===Step 3===

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

===Step 4===

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

===Step 1===
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

===Step 2===
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

===Step 3===

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==
===Step 1===
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

===Step 2===

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

===Step 3===

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-18T19:56:49Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

===Step 1===

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

===Step 2===

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

===Step 2===
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

===Step 3===
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

===Step 2===
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

===Step 1===

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

===Step 2===

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

===Step 3===

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

===Step 4===

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

===Step 5===

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

===Step 1===

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

===Step 2===

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

===Step 3===

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

===Step 4===

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

===Step 1===
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

===Step 2===
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

===Step 3===

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==
===Step 1===
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

===Step 2===

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

===Step 3===

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-18T19:49:18Z

RatOmeter: /* Directory Structure */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\
C:\FlightGear\plib
C:\FlightGear\flightgear

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

===Step 1===

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

===Step 2===

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

===Step 2===
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

===Step 3===
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

===Step 2===
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

===Step 1===

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

===Step 2===

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

===Step 3===

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

===Step 4===

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

===Step 5===

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

===Step 1===

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

===Step 2===

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

===Step 3===

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

===Step 4===

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

===Step 1===
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

===Step 2===
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

===Step 3===

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==
===Step 1===
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

===Step 2===

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

===Step 3===

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-18T13:53:53Z

RatOmeter: /* Compiling */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdParty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ==

===Step 1===

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

===Step 2===

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ==

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

== Getting zlib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

===Step 2===
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

===Step 3===
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdParty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

== Getting jpeglib ==

===Step 1===
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

===Step 2===
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

== Getting plib ==

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

===Step 1===

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

===Step 2===

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

===Step 3===

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

===Step 4===

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

===Step 5===

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" to the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)==

===Step 1===

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

===Step 2===

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

===Step 3===

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

===Step 4===

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

== Getting and compiling SimGear ==

===Step 1===
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

===Step 2===
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

===Step 3===

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

== Getting and compiling FlightGear ==
===Step 1===
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Checkout". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

===Step 2===

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

===Step 3===

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-16T15:58:00Z

RatOmeter: /* Step 2 */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting jpeglib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

====Step 2====
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

I have no idea why that directory structure was chosen, but that's what the MS VC++ project file(s) in FG CVS expect.

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-16T15:55:50Z

RatOmeter: /* Step 5 */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting jpeglib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

====Step 2====
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 directory that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-16T14:38:37Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting jpeglib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting jpeglib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest jpeglib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

====Step 2====
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 director that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-15T20:10:35Z

RatOmeter:

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building jpeglib and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting jpeglib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

====Step 2====
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 director that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-15T20:09:34Z

RatOmeter: /* Getting zlib */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building OSG and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting jpeglib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib source package here http://www.ijg.org/

====Step 2====
TODO: Figure out to compile it :(

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 director that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}

Building FlightGear - Windows

2009-08-15T20:02:51Z

RatOmeter: /* Dependencies */

{{Main article|Building Flightgear}}

'''NOTE: This page is a work in progress. The instructions should now be usable for all but building OSG and installing FlightGear'''

This section describes how to build [[FlightGear]] on Windows using Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (the "free" for personal use version). These procedures will be very similar if you have the full Visual Studio 2008 and mostly similar if you're using older versions of Visual C++.

Keep in mind that FlightGear is a large project with external dependencies and compiling it is not a task for novice users. If you just want to fly, we recommend you get the binary distribution and have fun. If you intend to get hip deep in the code, please proceed...

== Requirements ==
Before you can compile FlightGear, you need to have the following installed on your computer:

===C++ compiler===
You may [http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall download] the Express ("free" for personal use) version of Visual C++ 2008 from Microsoft. C++ Builder and Turbo C++ Explorer (by CodeGear, formerly by Borland) should work as well with some effort. We have not tried this.

Please note that when using MSVC++ Express, you'll probably want to download the full '''offline''' installation image file (iso) which -unlike the web installation- doesn't require any complicated and long-winded registration process. The direct link to the latest version (as of 11/2008) is [http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/8/E/E8EEB394-7F42-4963-A2D8-29559B738298/VS2008ExpressWithSP1ENUX1504728.iso] - after having downloaded the iso image, you'll either have to burn it or simply mount it in order to execute the installation.

You will also need the Platform SDK (Software Developer's Kit).

You can download the PSDK from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F26B1AA4-741A-433A-9BE5-FA919850BDBF&displaylang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/psdk-full.htm

Detailed installation instructions are available [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1995837&SiteID=1 here] (and [https://forums.microsoft.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2888051&SiteID=1]).

===CVS===
FlightGear uses [[FlightGear CVS|CVS]] (Concurrent Versions System) for version control. You will need a CVS client if you want to download the latest (development) source code for both FlightGear and SimGear. Traditionally, these are command line tools, but TortoiseCVS provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://www.tortoisecvs.org/download.shtml TortoiseCVS], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you). It will ask you to restart the computer when it's finished <grumble>. Do that.

===SVN===
OpenSceneGraph (OSG) uses Subversion (SVN) for version control. You will need an SVN client if you want to use the latest (development) source code for OpenSceneGraph. TortoiseSVN provides a graphic interface for Windows users. Download the installer for the latest stable version of [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN], run the installer, using all of its default settings (the installation destination folder is up to you).

== Dependencies ==

FlightGear is dependent on quite a number of external libraries. You do not need to compile all of them yourself, but you will at least need to have their development version installed.

* Boost
* ALut, OpenAL and pthreads. These are listed here as one dependency because it's made available as a single package by a FlightGear project member.
* zlib
* jpeglib
* [[Plib]] - portability libraries and scene graph.
* [[OpenSceneGraph]]
* [[SimGear]] - Simulation support libraries that are developed mainly by the same people who develop FlightGear, though it can be and is used for other purposes. If you are building FlightGear from CVS, you need the CVS version of SimGear. If you have strange FlightGear build errors, check that you have an up-to-date version of SimGear built and installed.

The dependencies are introduced in the steps below in roughly the order that you will need to get them.

== Directory Structure ==

As noted above, FlightGear depends on several other software packages. The Visual C++ project files that are maintained in CVS for both SimGear and FlightGear assume that these dependencies can be found within a very specific directory structure. In these examples, the root of the FlightGear related directories is '''C:\FlightGear\'''. This part is actually up to you; you could choose a completely different name and drive location.

All other directories shown under this project root must follow the directory structure shown below:

C:\FlightGear\boost_1_39_0\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\simgear\simgear\
C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\OpenSceneGraph\include\
C:\FlightGear\3rdparty\include\

If you continue to follow the instructions in this wiki, you will end with the proper directory structure that is shown above.

== Compiling ==

=== Getting '''Boost 1.39.0''' ===

====Step 1====

Download Boost packaged release Version 1.39.0 (about 188 MB) from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.39.0/boost_1_39_0.zip/download (direct link) or from the project releases page at http://www.boost.org/users/download/#releases

====Step 2====

Extract the contents of the boost archive in your '''\FlightGear''' directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''boost_1_39_0''' where the boost libraries and include files reside.

=== Getting "3rdParty" ALut, OpenAL and pthreads ===

Olaf Flebbe has provided an archive containing the following FlightGear dependencies:

ALut
OpenAL
pthreads

Download the archive from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/3rdParty-2008-01-30.zip (direct link) or visit Olaffe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html

Extract the archive in your FlightGear project root directory, '''C:\FlightGear\''' in these instructions. This will create the directory '''3rdParty''' under your project root directory.

=== Getting zlib ===

====Step 1====
Download the latest zlib binary package here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/zlib-1.2.3-lib.zip/download (direct link) or view the release page here http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/zlib/1.2.3/

====Step 2====
Extract the archive you downloaded in Step 1 in the "3rdParty" directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

====Step 3====
As of zlib version 1.2.3, you must edit line 287 of the file "3rdparty\include\zconf.h" from "#if 1" to "#if 0" to avoid compiler errors when compiling SimGear against zlib.

=== Getting plib ===

You may download a prebuilt version of plib from http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/plib-2007-04-16.zip (direct link) or visit Olafe's Compiling FlightGear page at http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html If you use this prebuilt, just extract the archive file's contents in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create the subdirectory '''plib'''.

There have been some bug fixes and changes to plib since the above package was created, so you may wish to use the latest development version, 1.8.5-rc1 which you may download here http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ One annoying bug that was fixed caused joystick models to not be recognized automatically on Windows Vista (and maybe XP).

Going this route means that you must compile plib yourself by following the instructions below:

====Step 1====

Download the latest plib source tarball from http://sourceforge.net/projects/plib/ and extract it in some location that is NOT in your FlightGear project root directory. This will create a subdirectory named '''plib-1.8.5-rc1'''

====Step 2====

Double-click the file plib-1.8.5-rc1\plib.dsw. This should launch Visual C++ which will ask if you want to convert the project file; answer "Yes to all" at the convert prompt.

====Step 3====

Build the debug version of the plib libraries first by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Debug and hitting the F7 key.

Build the release version of the plib libraries next by setting the VC++ Solution Configuration for Release and hitting the F7 key.

NOTE: as of this writing, 5 compile errors in 4 files will occur. In each case, a typecast of '''(char*)''' must be added in order to compile without error using VC++ 2008 (VC90).

====Step 4====

Create the subdirectory '''plib''' in your FlightGear project root directory.

Example:
C:\FlightGear\plib

====Step 5====

Copy all of the files in your plib-1.8.5-rc1 director that have the extensions "h", "lib" and "pdb" the new plib directory under your FlightGear project root directory.

=== Getting OpenSceneGraph (OSG)===

====Step 1====

To build SimGear and FlightGear from CVS head, you'll usually need the latest version of OSG. OSG from SVN head might be the best choice, but we don't have OSG for Windows build instructions prepared yet.

Download the latest Windows binaries from this page: [http://www.openscenegraph.org/downloads/stable_releases/OpenSceneGraph-2.8.1/binaries/Windows/VisualStudio9/]

Get the archive(s) named "openscenegraph-all[...]". Get both the Release and Debug versions if you expect to do any debug builds of FlightGear. Otherwise, just the Release version should be fine.

====Step 2====

Create a the following directure structure under your FlightGear project root directory: "install\msvc90\"

Example:

C:\FlightGear\install\msvc90\

====Step 3====

Extract the OSG archive(s) you downloaded in Step 1 in the directory you created in Step 2.

====Step 4====

Rename the resulting "OpenSceneGraph-[version]" directory to simply "OpenSceneGraph".

=== Getting and compiling SimGear ===

====Step 1====
Navigate to the base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.simgear.org:/var/cvs/SimGear-0.3

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

====Step 2====
Since all the source code will be downloaded into a directory called '''source''', you will need to rename that directory to '''simgear'''.

Navigate to simgear\projects\VC90 and double-click on the file '''SimGear.vcproj'''. This should launch Visual C++ with the SimGear project loaded.

====Step 3====

Build SimGear, either Release, Debug or both using VC++ 2008 (9.0)

''Note:'' with the default settings, Visual C++ will yield many compiler warnings. Unfortunately, this is normal.

=== Getting and compiling FlightGear ===
====Step 1====
Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu, choose "CVS Update". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "source" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

A directory with the name '''source''' will then be created with all of Flightgear's source code downloaded into it. Rename this directory from '''source''' to '''flightgear'''.

====Step 2====

Build either the Debug or Release version FlightGear as desired.

====Step 3====

TODO: Installation.

==Checking out the FlightGear data==
The binary distribution package contains '''data''' for only a small subset of the existing aircraft and other objects. The instructions below tell you how to obtain the full set of data, in their latest, greatest form.

Make a base folder for your FlightGear stuff; In this example, we've chosen "C:\FlightGear"

In Windows Explorer, select the "C:\FlightGear" folder and right-click on it. From the resulting pop-up menu,
choose "CVS Checkout...". On the "Module" tab, enter the following in the CVSROOT field:

:pserver:cvsguest@cvs.flightgear.org:/var/cvs/FlightGear-0.9

At the "Module" section near the bottom of the "Module" tab, click the "Fetch List" button. You will see some brief action and may see an error and a prompt for a password. Enter "guest" for the password (without the quote symbols). From the drop-down "Module" list, select "data" and click the "OK" button to begin the checkout.

The result of the checkout is a directory called C:\FlightGear\data. To use this data directory with the FlightGear program, you can either (a) move it to C:\Program Files\FlightGear\ directory or (b) direct FlightGear to the actual location of this data directory from the command line or within the fgrun launcher application.

== External links ==
* [http://www.oflebbe.de/FlightGear/index.html MSVC8 aka Visual 2005]

{{Building}}