DCS: World

Now that we are getting very close to integrating EDGE into DCS, I can share a few more details.

1- DirectX 11 / DirectX 11 Windows 8 based.
2- Can support up to four GPU (either SLI or CF).
3- Uses clip maps.
4- Two cloud layers can be created with options for none, cumulous, cumulous nimbus, and stratus.
5- Terrain shadow projection is supported.
6- World can be as large as the designer wishes them to be, it is more of a question of development time / map detail.
7- Option to project map on globe surface.

Hey everybody!
Sven: We're kind of on the fence about this. By the way, you guys are really sharp. You pick up on important questions just about as soon as we do, and sometimes even earlier.
This is the very strange nature of the modular structure of the project.
What is DCS WWII? Surely it's the sum of all its parts, and taking the parts away destroys the whole? If seen this way, it's natural to sit on the planes that are ready, only make them available to kickstarter backers in alpha-beta, and launch another pledge drive for the B-17 in the interim.
But on the other hand, why not just release one or more of the new DCS WWII planes into DCS World, and use those funds to make the flyable B-17 instead?
This is something that requires a much larger backer-wide discussion I guess. We'll have it in a little while. In any case, we're months away from having any planes ready for release.
MP: I see multiplayer as a huge, huge part of any product's success. However it's not just the net code. It's the interface, the game modes, mission design, a gazillion components. Those of you who go back to the beginning of my early series will probably agree that the MP in Oleg's first flight sim was the bomb. It was so because Oleg had just created two absolutely amazing MP modes for his award-winning FPS titles (virtually unknown in the West, idolized alongside the likes of Doom and Duke3D in Russia). He had a whole crew of experienced MP programmers and designers that spent almost two years ironing out all the kinks.
So, we definitely have a long list of things we want to improve with multiplayer, but if we were to consider doing them for day 1 release of DCS WWII, we'd probably need to double our budget.
Since we didn't, the only thing I can really promise is that we'll try.
Also, trueSky looks really cool, but we're far too commited to making our own clouds and weather system to switch horses mid-jump.
Hopefully the stuff you'll see there will compare favorably to that video.
And regarding the Flight Sim show, we really should be doing a lot more stuff like that. There's always something happening somewhere, and a booth and some product boxes is a great thing to have. Unfortunately we just have no resources to attend most of them, no people to arrange and set up and man a booth, literally no one. So for the time being we'll probably just do a few major airshows, especially those connected with TFC and Duxford.

You think that Mk IX will make you an absolute winner?
I have bad news for those who consider P-51 too stick sensitive and thus prone to stall...
As Spitfire has neutral stability there is only 3/4" of stick travel to stall as it was reported by NACA. Really silk hands or full scale joystick required...
It will be no mercy, hardcore only - all will be as Mitchell designed.

¿Crees que Mk IX le hará un ganador absoluto?
Tengo malas noticias para aquellos que se consideran a P-51 tiene un stick demasiado sensible y por lo tanto propensos a entran en perdida ...
Como Spitfire tiene una estabilidad neutra de sólo 3/4 "de recorrido del stick hasta la perdida, ya que fue reportado por NACA. Se requiere realmente manos de seda o un joystick de escala completa ...
Esto será sin piedad, sólo para Hardcores - todo será asi, como fue diseñado por Mitchell.

La imagen anexa muestra el area cubierta por el mapa de Nevada en DCS. Este cubre un area de 300x300 km que incluyen tres aerodromos funcionales: Nellis AFB, Creech AFB, and Groom Lake (aka Area 51 / Dreamland).

Las areas inmediatas a las tres bases aeresa esta realizadas a un metro de resolución, la areas exteriores del mapa estan a una resolución de 16 metros, y el area entre ellas estan entre 2 y 4 metros de resolución. A nosotros nos hubiera encantado cubrir todo el mapa a 1 metro de resolución, pero teníamos que balancear la resolución contra el tamaño del archivo del mapa. Aun usando texturas de baja resulucion en algunos lugares, el mapa tiene como 26 GB de tamaño.

Despues de que el mapa sea released, es muy posible que nosotros lo expandamos, con con detalles adicionales, nuevos aerodromos, etc. Tal como nosotros hemos hecho en el mapa del mar negro.

Como mencionamos antes, nosotros estamos cerca de mover EDGE y este pama a DCS. Cuando esté hecho, nosotros empezaremos el proceso de debug y tuneado. Dar el primer mapa basado en EDGE en DCS, nosotros no estamos seguros cuanto tiempo podrá tomar este proceso.

Hola a todos,
Yo pienso que vamos a hacer dos actualizaciones de desarrollo a la semana.

El Viernes serán nuestras actualizaciones 3D de desarrollo: aviones, cabinas, vehículos, etc.

Martes habrá nuestras actualizaciones de desarrollo del escenario en donde vamos a estar mirando en nuestra Normandía, ya que toma forma.

Tenemos un montón de cosas que no has visto todavía, especialmente en la categoría 3D, así que espero que estos no resultar aburrido o pasado un tiempo.

Hoy: primer vistazo a nuestro tanque Tiger I.

Today the new F-15C advanced flight model (AFM) went into beta testing. This new flight model for the F-15C will be used for both Flaming Cliffs 3 and F-15C: DCS Flaming Cliffs. This short little video is provided to show some off the new landing physics (no more glued wheels to the runway!).

https://youtu.be/CS4tdMTEfZQ

Hello folks,

I’ve been absolutely swamped these past few days. Catching a plane to Moscow in a couple of hours, so I probably won’t respond to any questions or comments on this update for at least 24 hours.

Here’s where we are with Normandy today.

We started working on a 1:1 recreation of Utah beach. It’ll be one of the areas recreated down to each street, each object. It’s obviously in the very early stages.

We’re playing around with the representation of the areas with German defensive flooding, and trying to get it so you can still see the fields and villages underneath the floodwaters.

We’re also just generally laying out all the important areas, roads, bridges, villages, and so on.

Finally, we’re also working on different types of coastal cliffs.

I received word today that they decided to terminate the project.

DCS 1.2.6.19532.290 Update 3 - Change Log for Update 3

DCS World:
Fixed static aircraft submerged in ground on some airfields.
FARP ATC will now respond to "Abort Takeoff" if the player starts with engines running.
Fixed GUI error after attempting to delete a unit under some conditions.
A Ground Vehicle Group can now be placed from ME menu.
Multiplayer: Fixed crash when one player performs belly landing.
Su-25T: Fixed crash when Kh-25MPU is launched when seeker deflection is too great.
New Su-25T quick missions has been added (EN).
Flaming Cliffs 3:
The Kuznetsov aircraft carrier ATC will now give permission for landing.

Su-25: DCS Flaming Cliffs
Interactive training lessons has been added (EN).

DCS: A-10C Warthog:
Fixed missing texture for LITENING II IR pointer beam.
Yaw SAS channels will no longer disable when switching between EGI and HARS.
Fixed A-10C landing gear damage (main tire and rim were removed while main gear was floating as if it was still there)

DCS: UH-1H Huey (Beta):
Fixed typo and changed picture in UH-1H module installer.
Fixed crash when firing Miniguns if "Lights=1" set in options.lua file.
Fixed loss of ADF indication with no change in signal strength.
Added input command for controls of the pilot's sight*

* You may need to delete the user input files for UH-1H for these changes to take effect

This video was baked very, very fast. So fast, that it was finished in California just before all necessary video content was transferred from Moscow. Anyway, if nobody does not mnd, we plan to make director's cut with right video and added P.S. material.

Here's another small update on the Frontpanel. I thought I could finish it last week but I had a lot of work in my company

A little update:

A couple of weeks ago myself and the other producers got access to the current build of the map within the terrain viewer (hence the new images recently). In the process, we were able to identify half a dozen areas that did not meet our visual quality goals. We are now in the process adjusting the visual quality, while balancing it with file size and game performance. Once these improvement efforts have been completed, I will post some new images.

Matt

Areas in regards to map content (textures, elevation mesh, etc.), not geographic areas.

A fly through of Nellis AFB as part of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) map coming for DCS. This is a work in progress and the video is taken from the terrain viewer tool and not within DCS yet.

ok I have been givin permission to post this very early WIP video of the T-2 Buckeye Audios ingame.

all authentic engine audios.

video below.. enjoy all.

Update:

Today we incorporated the new trees and high elevation forests into the map (once the map is in DCS, we can evaluate the performance impact of tree collision and decide what we will do). We are also in the process of now converting the 100 meter per pixel elevation mesh to 10 meter. Once that is done, we will recalculate all the terrain shadow projections, normal maps, and object shadows. Today the team also started to set up the ground shading and sun lighting color parameters that we believe will start to give the world a much more natural look. The biggest challenge has been finding the right balance of ground textures between visual detail and map file size.

Not a promise, but if all goes well, I hope to have some new images or a video for you all on Friday.

Early implementation of stereo view. Once the team in Moscow gets their SDK, progress should move forward enabling OR.

DCS: F-15C Eagle. Advanced flight model development overview
Dynamics modeling experts at BelSimTek are completing work on advanced flight and engine models of the F-15C Eagle for the upcoming module for DCS World.

The current model featured in DCS was originally developed over a decade ago and represents an earlier generation of technological potential and resulting model accuracy and performance. Despite exhibiting generally correct aerodynamic properties under normal flight conditions, by today’s standards the model falls short of increased user expectations, computing power, and experience gained by the developers over time. In an effort to meet these demands, we have begun to develop new flight and related component models as upgrades to some of the existing DCS aircraft. As the primary U.S. jet fighter in DCS and indeed one of the premier fighters of the world in reality, the F-15C Eagle will be the first DCS aircraft to receive this upgrade.

The flight model has been through over eight months of development and is now undergoing initial external (closed beta) testing. The complete aerodynamics model accounts for the entire spectrum of mass, force, and moment interactions of the aircraft as a physical object subjected to airflow. Unlike the mathematical approach of the previous model, which regarded the aircraft as a single point of focus, the new flight model consists of individual aircraft elements carefully tuned to reflect their unique aerodynamic characteristics and joined together to determine the sum vector of the airframe’s momentum. Such an approach makes it possible to accurately recreate the specific performance of the F-15C Eagle airframe throughout the entire flight envelope, including critical regimes like high angles of attack, stalls, spins, as well as specific flight conditions such as ground effect. Additionally, a new engine model is also created on par with the flight model to provide more realistic and accurate performance, for example featuring effects like negative G loading. The flight control system is modeled realistically, for example including input authority coefficients dependent on speed and altitude scheduling, the Aileron/Rudder Interconnect (ARI), Control Augmentation System (CAS), as well as Attitude and Altitude autopilot modes.

F-15C refuel

DCS: F-15C refuel
The new model significantly improves the entire flight control experience making special flight conditions like air to air refueling, landing, and edge of the envelope flying far more dynamic, exciting, and possibly even more challenging. Even straight and level flight loses the old feeling of flying on rails.

We are considering the possibility of creating a complete avionics model with clickable cockpit and accurate systems modeling. This would be a major development however, so a final decision has not yet been made.

The estimated release date for the advanced flight model for F-15C Eagle DCS module is end of November, 2013.

Looks like the BST site is down, so I will re-post their news about the F-15C AFM. Note that BST is developing the F-15C AFM and Yoyo at Eagle is developing the Su-27 AFM.

We have been busy. Here is a video of the latest test of the AFM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRFLnTT-tU

at the risk of my head . Picture from the flooded area. As usual WIP. We're working.

to The Carrier - F/A-18E Video

Check out the first video in a series of videos featuring the F/A-18E landing on our very own USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) carrier! These videos will be released on a monthly schedule and will be showcasing some of our new (work in progress) features.

The post processing is the style that our video producer enjoys creating. Some may like it and some may not. We plan to release more "raw" videos later on. As for the intro, there isn't really a intro but the first half of the video is showing the Super Hornet taking off from main land and returning to the carrier. If your looking for more technical stuff then this video isn't it. I don't want to give too much away for our next video but it will feature more technical footage from inside the cockpit.

Friday, and 1st November...WOW!!
The past year has really flown by, excuse the pun.

Looking back over the last year we've had some great victories and some major setbacks but we're pushing through those to come out on top.
If you have a dream, follow that dream and work damn hard to achieve it.
The Hawk development is testament to that and what an amazing team we have.

For those that don't know I started this project over 8 years ago after a discussion with the late great Jim Mackonochie and we had a collective vision; to allow members of the public to fly in a Hawk jet in the simulator so they can get one step closer to being in the Red Arrows.
With Jim's enthusiasm and support from himself, Wags, Nick Grey and the guys at ED we have achieved that vision.

But not just achieved it, we're going the next step and allowing you, the DCS community to fly this beautiful bird.
The public feedback we have had over the past month has been amazing and very uplifting.
The team take great pride in our work down to the last rivet on the paintwork to the meticulous 3d model and the last line of code keeping us up till the early hours of the morning and it's great to see you enjoying our product.

To that end, I have extended the public testers licences through to the end of November and am extending an invitation to the first 30 people to email me at ells@veaosimulations.co.uk to receive a limited time alpha licence.

The screenshot competition has now officially closed and we've had some amazing shots taken of the Hawk with other aircraft.
I'll be processing the images over the weekend and early next week into a voting system so you, the community, can pick some winners for the full product when released.

As a little added extra I've been speaking with the Virtual Red Arrows sponsor Thrustmaster and have secured some products to give away for Christmas. Details will be posted soon so keep an eye out here or on our Facebook page.

I also received an email from Tango last night wanting to add one final screenshot to the competition.
For the keen eyed of you out there you'll notice that the Sidewinder weapons panel is active and a distant explosion
Suffice to say I can't wait to get back home to test it out to get it ready for the public testers to start deploying them in the air.

Again I'd like to thank all of you for your amazing support and comments about our product and wish you a happy November.

Chris and the VEAO Team

We have listened to the majority of the community, and have decided to remove this video. Our next update will feature technical information and only "raw" footage of our module. Thank you for your patience, and support. -Chris