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A New Simulator (May edition)


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Hello,

with a great interest I went through all the pages which are full of valid points.

Generally, we all agree on 4 basic elements. Framerates, Scenery, ATC and Weather. The real problem that appears, is the huge data that it has to be stored in our computers and the massive memory. Considering only the Scenery, that we purists ask, it might take amounts of DVDs. The list is very long. Realtime Lighting, different landglass according to the country we overfly, to mention some. Roads that do look actually like roads and not just a white stripe on the ground and the list goes on and on, plus complicated shading and the like.

Im not a computer graphic expert but a central database with terrabytes in memory that we all can connect in it, could be a good idea. That said, I can imagine that no Scenery Add-ons exist anymore but all the Add-on developers (Im talking only about scenery) can join forces and we can have updates within that Central Scenery Database on a regular basis. Other Add-ons will keep existing either in boxed or downloaded versions.

Now, using Google Earth as a scenery I dont think it is something special. Flying at 40.000 ft of course it looks really spectacular but when descending and preparing for landing, then the world looks totally flat but this is just my opinion.

Congratulations to Aerosoft.

Regards,

Panos

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Hi Mathijs,

I have been using MSFS since FS4 and am very pleased to see what you are doing. From my point of view, I would like to see flight models based on Computational Fluid Dynamics rather than the MS method. This could make life difficult in terms of porting old MSFS addon aircraft over to the new sim. I would also like to see support for TrackIR. I cannot do without it. My other firm favourite is photographic scenery - I have spent a fortune over the years on photographic scenery and detailed UK airports.

Just a top level list. Best of luck with the venture.

Tom.

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Hi,

The first I wish is,

Hardware compatibility!!!

More suport to graphic acceleration cards, to save CPU power!

64bit and multi Core CPU compatibility!

And enough freedom to creat freeware and 3th party payware addons.

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Hello brand new here but I am extremely interested in a new simulator. I have been using FS9 for 3 years and FSX for 2 years but FS9 just doesn't look good enough for me and FSX has horrible performance issues. My computer isn't horrible but not really the best for FSX. In the new sim I would really enjoy:

Better/more realistic ATC with the voices and the procedures

Also Better ground textures for cities and rural areas like roads houses trees farms etc.

Also the idea for a realistic ground crew is also nice at the actual airports

Finally more realistic systems in aircraft including Airliners <(my biggest hope) and military and General Aviation

Anyways I really am looking forward to this project just like everyone else because these older sims just don't cut it anymore. Thanks a lot and I should be around more often!!! :D

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It should be possible nowadays to include an NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) model in the new flight simulator. It would take care of computing the wind shear, turbulence, cloud base, cloud water and ice density, rain, ... Unless you want to hire a person who can write one from scratch, have a look at e.g. WRF (http://www.wrf-model.org/index.php).

Good luck!!! Mark

Let me start with two things I feel are seriously missing in FSX.

Vectored thrust. Currently there is no way that we can do Harriers or aircraft that can change the thrust vectors.

Moisture model. FSX weather does not know how moist the air is and yet it is an important aspect. It affect icing, available power, visibility etc. Ideally we would like to CALCULATE and not SET visibility.

See this post as an example how to send us your ideas. When we need more info we'll sure ask you!

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Well, as an FS fan and also a coder I would suggest first of all to use hardware resources (CPU, GPU, multicores) at 100%, obviously DX9 and DX10. Then create a game which can be easly expanded with plugin logic, following the idea of FS9 (sceneries, models...).

Concerning the world, well, should be a must to create the correct orography of each nations, I mean rivers, mountains, cliff and so on. Please consider that a photoreal coverage of whole world would means terabyte of data, a good mix of photoreal and synthetic can be a good solution.

Now a personal list of most wanted features! :)

  • SKY: 3d clouds! we want the sensation to pop outside a carpet of clous, so no planar texture! would be nice also to have a light reflection of clouds itself, especially during sunset.
  • WEATHER: please incluse also hail, realistic thunderstorm, ice and other effects. Would be nice to have airport closed due heavy fog or bad weather conditions.
  • LAND: realistic orography, rivers, cliff, mountains. Customized autogen based on countries. More type of autogen buildings with seasonal textures.
  • PHYSICS: please use a x-plane like physic engine which seem to be more realistic.
  • EFFECTS: reaslistic breaking action on runways during ice or heavy rain conditions. Heavy wind should move the trees while (and only) you're on ground. Realistic de-ice tractor with effects as well as pb.
  • AI: ai traffic should follow SID & STARS based on AIRAC circle and also perform holding pattern. More clever ATC with regional accent and able to manage heavy traffic on major airports (such rush hour in Gatwick). The ai traffic should have more "effects" such pushback with tractor, more realistic landings and so on...
  • AI FLIGHTPLAN: a more complex and flexible tool to create AI fl, including possible SID & STARS and realistic FL.
  • SDK: please...a very flexible SDK with good docs! and keep an exporter for most of 3d modeling program, such GMAX or MAYA.
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Dear Mathijs,

Great to hear this great news coming from the Aerosoft camp, which I believe is a huge excitement for many virtual and real pilots everywhere!

Here are a couple of things I'd like to see in your flight sim project:

1. One thing that I think needs a lot of attention is that the sim should be frame rate friendly, many fellow simmers would fly even more or even take on the whole concept of virtual flying if the sim would have a lesser impact on their computers. Some have even given up virtual aviation due to the high demand on their computers!

Of course I'm talking here of the mid-range computers with at least a dual core processor, 512MB video card and 4GB o RAM which most people have!

2. A more realistic ATC (if that is even possible)

3. A flight simulator that gives you that REAL feeling at the airport and in the air!

4. A flight simulator that gives you more control prior to flying i.e. performing a spot check around the plane, engine & hydraulics checks, tire pressure etc.......

5. Realistic looking AI aircraft & liveries!

6. A general global texture that looks realistic enough for those who can't afford to purchase addon sceneries, like many can't do!

7. More realistic and precisely positioned airports (GA & International airports)!

8. Realistic night lighting!

9. More realistic trees and other vegetation (global)

10. Aviation tutorials for beginners or people new to a flight simulator!

I know that there is more, but at this moment I'll just leave it with these suggestions that probably already have been talked about in this thread.

The best of luck to Aerosoft with the realization of this awesome project, I can only speak for myself and say that I'm really looking forward to hearing more on this possible project!

With regards

Ludo Lambrechts

Sr. Admin Canadian Pilots

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I'm in agreement, thrust vectoring is needed to be a part of a new FS landscape. This would create much more realistic modeling not only of fixed wing aircraft, but rotorwing aircraft as well. The modeling of most helicopters in FSX is atrocious. Effects of manual throttle control are barely recognized and most aerodynamics surrounding helicopters (which are totally different than planes) are even addressed, whether talking translating tendency, loss of tail rotor effectiveness, effects of hovering and effective translational lift. . . let alone settling with power or even a decent auto-rotational glide.

Spectacular crashes!!! There is no reason we can't have an arcade type element to the game when it comes to crashing the bird - the exploding airframe, from buckling of the fuselage, flaps ripping from the trailing edge of the wings when dropped too early (at too high a speed) and who wouldn't love to see their landing grar come up through their wings with too hard of a landing.

Damage Modeling. . . This has been mentioned, but I think it would be cool if when you first started flying each bird, you could set the "N" number and that would start a comprehensive "damage" file for that particular ship every time you flew it. Not just merely something that allows for programmed failures, but a system by which failures may actually occur with over time.

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As commercial scenery developer very familiar with the South Pacific region, I would be interested in producing 3d objects for this new platform. I would certainly hope that you guys have "specialists" from different regions of the globe that knows their background too well to replicate sceneries more realistically. Enough with this MS generic-looking buildings, objects and surroundings that really do not represent what the actual environment looks like in real third world region. This would give a new meaning to the term "As real as it gets."

Wantok

islandsim.com

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Also, I think the following should go in a FS wishlist rather than a request for FS11 (possibly):

Ability to easily customize ATC without going into a bunch of code that only developers can understand.

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Mathijs,

Looks like one awesome project.  I wish you well on it and that its a great success.

You asked about issues that FSX has that you might steer clear of.  Here are a couple that I found 'difficult' with FSX;

*  Frame rates were very poor, requiring a person to run the sim with most sliders at the left, meaning you didnt get to see the new features of the sim.

*  FSX requires extreme efforts to create planes for.  Simplicity is a key element to developers that would make freeware.  Even payware developers can only handle so much, as you can see by the huge drop in dev groups.  With FS9 we had hundreds of people designing planes, now in FSX, there are very few.

*  Scenery is massively important.  My thoughts are that the FSX scenery was never finished and is nothing compared to FS9.  FS9 had some realism, but could not be increased in resolutions.  FSX has resolution, but has no blending, appearing to look like cookie-cutter 'cut-n-paste' style terrain zones.  (Desert on the Alps is another).  You guys at Aerosoft make some amazing scenery (like Germany Airports) where the land is even redone.  Amazing and I can see that in a sim and it would be a major component to its success.

*  Airfliles or Config files that are on 'one' sheet would be very good.  Also a 'simplicty over-ride' that would enable basic settings (such as max speed, stall speed with full flaps, etc) to be able to be programmed in, instead of tons of mathmetical equations would enable a basic entry developer to simply set up his aircraft and it would instantly do what it needs to do.  This would be similar to the 'Flight Tuning' section of the present FS config file, but would include speeds and other base level tunes.  These could be left blank (in such a settings atmosphere) and then the more sophisticated settings could be engaged so that extreme aerodynamics could be explored and used.  (Some devs are not engineers in aerospace.  Thus simplicity in this field would enable plane makers to quickly get their planes flying properly without having to spend several weeks, time in forums, reading books to get the plane to fly right).

*  Simplistic user interface as like FS has.   X-Plane's number one issue with FS people is setting up the controls and surroundings.  With simple setup controls, one can quickly get into a flight and you are flying more then setting things up.

I think Frame Rates was a massive issue with FSX.  Here is a new sim with all these new gizmos' that had to be turned off to fly the sim.  That means  you might as well have FS9 with all the gizmos going and smooth frame rates if you cannot run the effects in FSX.  Also sophistication to make things for it (planes, not scenery).

I look forward to seeing what your team come up with.  I am sure it will be awesome!

William Ortis

Lionheart Creations Ltd.

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Great news... hope you are not trying to eat more than you can swallow on that one...

1) Hardware compatibility: My humble cockpit use vri M panel, saitek switch panel, saitek pro yoke, ch pro pedals, geixsoft GA panel, geixsoft GA radio, FSMap and FSXamp. I am sure everyone has the same mess of hardware / software combinaision using FSUIP and SimConnect. A lack of compatibility would be a killer.

2) FSX DX10 scenery addon compatibility: Being french I mostly fly France VFR sceneries + Aerosoft (Germany) + Swiss Pro CH real scenaries on GA aircraft. I wouldnt like to have to rebuy them.

3) Just provide a bare bone simulator with real leverage of current multi core / multi GPU technology. Addon providers will provide the rest :)

Good Luck!

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Reflection - at least the aircraft, reflect the ground, lights and the clouds. (everything! :lol: )

3D Clouds - i HATE flat Clouds.

Clouds cast shadows - cast shadows in the ground and in the aircraft. So you can see the difference between the brightness of a CAVOK day and a OVERCAST!

Better flight dinamics - Well in the FSX you can put a 200KT wind and you can still land the aircraft!

Some effects like: when you pass into a cloud, the glass mat

Ok i finished.

If you need any help just tell us!

GOOD LUCK!

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I think the single greatest thing about flight sim is the community of hobbyist developers who have sprung up out of the woodworks to create and model and shape the terrain of flightsim. Aerosoft, you don't have to actually create the world here, just create a reasonably user-friendly development kit and people will gladly do it for you for free! As long as it allows the use of geographic industry standard data, then it's all good (SRTM data for example). That might save some money in the development process actually. With the amount of work I've done on my own FSX install, I could easily hand over several countries to you :)

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I thought of a few more :) :

It might seem trivial, but I'd like to see a starting menu that conveys a sense of the magic of aviation. Believe it or not, I think Simcopter did this really well: it started you behind a desk in an old dusty hangar with a variety of classic aircraft and other things strewn about to give it character. You used the menu by interacting with things on the desk. For the purposes of the Aerosoft FS, clicking on a chart might bring up the flight planner. Clicking on a pile of books could lead you to the help/information section. Clicking on a computer could bring up the game's settings. Etc. Just a thought.

Someone else mentioned a modular system for the program; I like this idea too. A basic release of the core features of the game would help get it out the door sooner and would provide a platform for subsequent updates. The initial release could feature the basic world, with a non-region-specific ATC system, a limited set of aircraft, and few, if any, detailed sceneries. Subsequent Aerosoft-provided addons could include a region-specific ATC module; seperate career modules for Airline Pilot, Bush Pilot, Helicopter Pilot, Combat Pilot, etc; a Flight School module; scenery modules covering large areas in more detail; etc. I think this would help people tailor the sim to their interests and desired complexity. This is similar to what addons do for MSFS, but the modules would expand functionality beyond what simple addons could do. The idea is that the programmers would be able to focus on one thing at a time to maximize quality in each module. Plans for each module would be clearly stated in advance to allow them to work in harmony with 3rd party developers.

I hope these ideas are of use. If done properly, this sim could provide a revolutionary leap from what the MSFS franchise provided.

-Scott

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Thanks for asking for community input.

A couple comments - The one thing MS DID do well was keeping things relatively simple by way of using easily editable bitmaps and so forth for textures. Nothing had to be taken apart within the file system - you could simply open the bitmap in Photoshop or whatever your favorite graphics program was. I would encourage Aerosoft to continue this type of format. It makes things easy for those who wish to repaint aircraft.

The same goes for the instrument panels and VC's. Again, those were simple bitmaps. Here is a fresh idea, though. How about considering making the gauges within the panels more easy to edit? Perhaps an easy way to strip the bitmaps out of them to repaint them, thus giving the gauges a whole new appearance. Eons ago I did a Super Cub panel for a freeware Super Cub (FS 2000/FS2002) where I used mostly default gauges, repainted to look "aged" and more correct for a Super Cub. Likewise, I managed to do the same for a Cessna 206 panel.

You have my best wishes in your efforts. I truly do hope it all works out!

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Judging by the number of messages in this thread, you may be sure that customers ( the lack of) won't be a problem. I wish you success. Now, some simple common sense sugestions.

1) If it is to replace FSX, start where FSX stopped and improve from there. It has its flaws but is a pretty good sim

2) Keep the user interface simple as in MSFS.

3) Provide an SDK that is simple for the casual freeware developer with free or low cost tools ( neither the freeware developer nor the small payware group will ever buy 3DSMax at 3K+ USD ) and yet powerful enough so the professionals can do their 'magic'.

4) Good FPS should be in the minds of the devs from moment zero.

5) some kind of model converter is needed so that developers can convert their work to the new format without having to rebuild the whole thing

Thanks for letting us know your intentions and in some way be part of the process. MS behaves as a secret society, I think they never realized how important the communication with the customers is.

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A few random ideas (some of which have already been mentioned, and are repeated here for additional stress):

* Cross-platform support - I'm sure there is a market for another commercial Mac OS X flight sim. If you have that, Linux support isn't far.

* Instruments have to move smoothly for serious instrument flying. X-Plane does this extremely well, FSX does not at all.

* Ability to fly through clouds, as opposed to the cloud-free donut surrounding the aircraft in FSX; also, if I set a cloud base of 200 ft AGL, I'd like to get something around 200 ft AGL (with some variation up and down of course), not a couple thousand ft AGL. These three flaws make FSX meaningless for me for any serious IFR work.

* Not only do clouds cast shadows, but mountains do, too. Also, ambient light should reflect the variable atmospheric conditions (ie. bright and very directional in clear blue sky, dark and almost non-directional below an overcast)

* Integrated support for multi-channel visual systems, with support for multiple flat, angled displays arranged in a circle, or a continuous cylindrical or dome projection surface, as well as the TripleHead2Go-style flat, non-angled super-wide display possible with FSX. It should be possible to have separate PCs for each channel, or run all channels from one super-powerful PC with multiple graphics cards. This would include the ability to directly specify the FOV as well as the camera rotation and offset for each display.

* More detailed malfunctions of both airborne and ground equipment. Ie. things like the left main gear actuator randomly fails (maybe within a set mean time before failure, adjusted for the number of hard landings already endured), or the DME part of a VOR becomes inoperative at a specified time (eg. because a NOTAM says it will).

* Better radiation patterns of nav-aids, including more accurate ranges, as well as things like side lobes of localizers and glideslopes, terrain shadowing, precipitation/lightning static, etc. Also, non-perfect reception, eg. needles swinging around near the range limit, in turbulence or at certain RPMs, ADF needles dancing around for no apparent reason, etc. OK, some of that might be a bit esoteric and hard to implement, but how about voice IDs, HIWAS, etc. where applicable?

* How about using the nav data, airport layout and obstacle databases of X-Plane and Flight Gear? This data is far from perfect, but is regularly updated, and it's free. Since any flight sim needs this data anyway, why not exploit synergy effects between the different communities? Along with a airport building database (to be newly created), that would provide a central, integrated repository for freeware airport scenery.

By the way, speaking about synergy effects, have you considered teaming up with the Flight Gear or X-Plane guys to have a solid basis from where to start, instead of having to develop everything from scratch?

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1. Ground should become larger/bigger the closer you get to the ground.

2. Some nice effects, like the Bernoulli effect would be appreciated.

3. Snow should fill the world in winter, and the airport too. Aircrafts staying on the Ground should be piled with snow (also runways and taxiways). airport workers should then clear the taxiways and the runway.

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  • Aerosoft

As I hate topics that are too long I decided to close this and start a new one: http://www.forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?showtopic=26062

Do be assured that all is being read and that a large database of all your comments has been made.

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