Outerra development news

[Acetone 34]

A thread for those who want to stay tuned about the engine progress.
Please remember, Outerra progress is slow, but it's always worth the wait.
 
Current branch : 0.8.4.3xxx
 
The next update is supposed to be released soon^TM. The second part of 2014 has been really quiet because of the release of TitanIM (using Outerra).
 
List of features (what we know so far, but some elements could be delayed for various reasons.

• Collision shape support in importer : will allow collisions with statics objects (and maybe trees)
• Lights support

• $include support for scripts
• uncached video capture (faster)

Clouds may also be released for the first time with this update, if Cameni manage to solve some of the remaining problems:
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421782837&v=laBpPERiCMM&x-yt-cl=84359240

Anyway, even though the thing is still not finished and it's not unlikely that it will be redone differently yet, I think there will be a testable ugly version soon™ to break the fast. A couple of things that prevent me from pushing it out now - rendering not working when you are inside the cloud, cloud cover missing after 100km, and various artifacts. I'd at least like to fix the inside rendering before the release, but I'm not sure what obstacles await me there yet.

 

About this video:

This is using a global cloud density map with resolution around 5km, which is driving the fractal cloud generator. Both the speed of clouds and dynamics of shape change are adjustable, although the wind speed is global and blowing always to the west.

 
 
Some additionnal informations:

How complex are the cloud formations that can be made? Or is it just a layer of clouds at a certain altitude?


Right now it's just a single layer. High altitude clouds will be in other (simpler) ones. Some other clouds will be probably created on top of this layer but using a different technique. The used fractal gives it somehow unified look, so I would like to use some predefined patterns broken by fractals in the future, but there's a problem how to map these onto a spherical world.

I have a hunch that the resources used here might be of use, Cameni: https://www.windyty.com/?surface,wind,now,42.064,-87.992,4


Yea that would be ideal as one of possible weather drivers. Right now we are using a single 8k*4k texture with cloud densities (~5km res), and rotating it. From weather plugins we would need at least two such maps, each representing a snapshot at different time. The density will be interpolated between them; meanwhile the plugin would prepare the next one. This would provide weather that predeterminedly lags behind the real one.
Another option, that also allows weather modification, is to simulate weather cells and precipitation transfers, winds, sources and sinks.

From the ground:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84359240&x-yt-ts=1421782837&v=TUOgf3YPgfw

[Muhamad Aliff 10]

this outerra really nice, if some developer can create one world, and add all simulator in it, its awesome,

[saed45 38]

i can't wait

[Pastaiolo 1,686]

Thanks for the update

[Baber20 1,438]

Pretty excited for the next update !

[HiFlyer 9,339]

Thanks for starting the thread, Acetone. I was thinking about doing one, but was dithering.  ^_^

[Acetone 34]

Thanks for starting the thread, Acetone. I was thinking about doing one, but was dithering.  ^_^

 

No problemo!

I think there are still various thread needed, like "Outerra community mods news" or other stuff related to content people where looking for in the main "everything" thread

[HiFlyer 9,339]

No problemo!

I think there are still various thread needed, like "Outerra community mods news" or other stuff related to content people where looking for in the main "everything" thread

 

Yup, it just seemed that I was the one starting all the threads, and it kind of doesn't work if it becomes "HiFlyers Outerra Forum" 

 

Maybe now that the guys are thinking of being more active with their blog, and maybe putting out more status updates, they might be interested in stopping in more frequently.

[HiFlyer 9,339]

UPDATE!    

 

Changes:

Version 0.8.4.5175 (30 Jan 2015)

• clouds (alpha)
  • visibility to 100km only, single layer
  • alt+left/right arrow adjust time, affects clouds as well
  • alt+up/down - days, different cloud cover
  • some blending artifacts up close and in clouds
  • missing more details when close to the clouds

• collision geometry support (TODO: link doc or wiki)
• collidable static objects
• lights support in vehicle and aircraft (see T817 script)
• vehicle script actions getting kbd modifiers to expand key actions
• T817 L - front lights, left-shift-L - cabin light
• added seat/camera switching support (key V)
• default tire lateral slip coefficient changed from 0.5 to 0.8 (better turning)
• added tags into models & objdef files (for upcoming searchable object browser)
• F2 location dialog updated, Google Maps search+map
• locations saved as jpg files with Exif (GPS info)
• screenshots saved with more Exif info (time, author), can be used to restore location and time
• objdef "parameters" field passed into initialize(params) event of aircraft
• aircraft preserve pitch&roll angles when setting rotation
• added concrete & yellow marking textures, double line markings
• less noisy road & marking shapes in distance
• fps camera attached joint preserved when toggling cameras
• direct disk video frame writing (faster)
• fixed lagging terrain shadow culling
• smooth lighting from fading sun
• enhanced object rendering CPU-side performance on large scenery
• fixed stars in fog
• added disable_aero config option (aero always disabled in Rift mode)
• perf log entries reporting abnormal gpu times in perf log
• error window popup can be disabled in eng.cfg disable_log_popup=true
• fixed 3D audio orientation
• fix for sound glitches (explosions)
• trees not rendered in map projection modes
• enabled alt+f4, ctrl+f4 to close html windows
• fixed material problem in multi object packages
• panning/rotating in wasd sandbox mode on left button
• tmp fix for tilting ufo camera
• -autologin command line switch support
• libovr 0.4.4 integrated
• HUD displays mouse world pos when mouse cursor is shown (sandbox) instead of the screen center

Previous version thread: 0.8.3.x

[Acetone 34]

 

(couldn't resist to post some of these, let me know if it's too much)

 

I have a full album here

[HiFlyer 9,339]

You know of course that with the lighting active now, there is going to be an explosion of people adding lights to everything. Add in the work being done on working Mfds and other things coming down the pike and there is about to be a sudden, very intense burst of creativity, in the next few months.......

[HiFlyer 9,339]

Things to come...........

 

[saed45 38]

im all excited about light stuff but the clouds. OMG they look so amazing. 

[HiFlyer 9,339]

Version 0.8.4.5179

• fixed shaders for Nvidia <400 series cards
• fixed location window opening from sandbox
• lights on SM11 (based on Uriah's code, fixed braking lights and key controls)

http://forum.outerra.com/index.php?topic=3151.0

[HiFlyer 9,339]

Actually I made a mistake. From now on I will place updates in development news and we can put all the mods using those updates here.

 

So the posts are a bit less random-seeming.

 

Sorry for confusing things!  :ph34r: