An Interesting Future for Outerra

[wolke85 150]

OMG how can this be possible?  How would this run on my machine on Win 7?  Does it run on Win 7?

 

If You mean Outerra, then You can be assured:

Works perfectly fine on Win 7!

[Noel 4,501]

Well, what I mean is how the heck is it possible to get this sort of depth & quality w/ current hardware?  Is it just so much more efficient than the core engine for FS or even XPlane?

[wolke85 150]

 ... the technical background, i can barely explain.

And if i tried, i sure couldn't do better than it was outlined here in various posts already.

But very simplified speaking:

It's all pretty new stuff being used there in Outerra and so it's really doing a great job for what it offers so far!

[HiFlyer 9,359]

Is it just so much more efficient than the core engine for FS or even XPlane?

 

For certain things, yes. Think about the size and complexity of a traditional cloud program for a flight sim. Not the weather calculations, but just the size of the textures. Then Imagine them not only moving with the wind, but darkening in real time before a storm; moving before your eyes from a light overcast to heavy storm-clouds. (What do you think SkyMaxx is?)   :ph34r:

 

How much of a frame hit and drain on resources would that pull away from your average traditional sim?

 

This demo is running on A Nvidia 260. The entire executable, land, sky and all is less than 300kb, and runs entirely on the GPU. It uses no textures at all, its all math, and gives you an idea of the possible efficiency if used correctly and in the right place. Try it yourself! http://www.quikquak.com/media/DH_Terrain_2.exe

 

Note the demo is without storms. The author no longer gives away stuff, since someone was stealing his code and claiming they had done it.

 

 

Now look at this little trip in Outerra, and try to imagine what it would take to repeat it in your favorite sim of choice. You can create a road/path like this yourself in a few minutes in Outerra. Fly to your destination, hop out into a car, then drive to the beach and jump on a boat, or walk/drive up to a secluded mountain and maybe hang-glide!

 

Possibilities.......

 

 

Boating. Showing the upcoming clouds (WIP)

 

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

Well, what I mean is how the heck is it possible to get this sort of depth & quality w/ current hardware?  Is it just so much more efficient than the core engine for FS or even XPlane?

 

You'd be surprised at what today's hardware can do without overheads.

[Noel 4,501]

 

 

Boating. Showing the upcoming clouds (WIP)
 

 

Good Lord!  I give, why hasn't someone picked up this core and ran with it all the way to an incredible flight sim that would leapfrog everything in its path?!

[HiFlyer 9,359]

Good Lord!  I give, why hasn't someone picked up this core and ran with it all the way to an incredible flight sim that would leapfrog everything in its path?!

 

Well....... Skepticism, inertia, unfamiliarity...... probably any number of reasons. And to be fair, the hardware to make the tech really come into its own is just recently available in the last few years. My take is that Outerra is still small and young enough that even this relatively tiny niche is very attractive (plus the developers seem temperamentally inclined this way) but as the product gains momentum, that might not always be the case.

 

Will we establish a firm flight simulation framework and relationship with Outerra while the iron is hot? Well....... who knows whats going on in the background, but from here it seems we might well wait around for much too long.  :unsure:

 

So, people like the OP and others nudge it out into the open occasionally and speak of possibilities, lest the community let a potential opportunity of a lifetime pass by because we are too distracted reading 1000+ page flight manuals (or because it doesn't look and smell quite like what we are accustomed to) 

[HughesMDflyer4 470]

Well, what I mean is how the heck is it possible to get this sort of depth & quality w/ current hardware?  Is it just so much more efficient than the core engine for FS or even XPlane?

 

Many flight simmers are actually unaware of what can be done with a modern graphics engine, as FSX and even P3D and X-Plane don't at all show what is possible and some even never play "games" other than flight simulators. A modern graphics engine can render some pretty insane scenes very efficiently. Take a look at Battlefield 4 or Grand Theft Auto V. The graphics engines powering those games are built for rendering realistic scenes with as much detail as possible and with the best performance.

[HiFlyer 9,359]

People who want to really be shocked should see Outerra in 3D.

 

This engine is much more than fast enough for Oculus rift, and I am one of those mutants that can look at the split Youtube vids and easily see the image in 3D. Its amazing! can you imagine the potential for flight?

 

[Noel 4,501]

So, people like the OP and others nudge it out into the open occasionally and speak of possibilities, lest the community let a potential opportunity of a lifetime pass by because we are too distracted reading 1000+ page flight manuals (or because it doesn't look and smell quite like what we are accustomed to) 

 

We have a business model to copy that's very proven:  MSFS franchise.  Just look at what businesses were spawned from this model of building a core engine, creating SDKs for content, and so forth.  We got out of this model:

1.  Multiple content vendors for scenery, aircraft, weather, ATC, utilities, and more.

2.  Multiple websites dedicated to supporting the model

3.  Multiple hardware device vendors from home cockpit to  controller, etc etc etc.

 

So following this arguably proven model someone who embraced Outerra's engine could run for I would venture to say a full decade or more on this as the core engine w/ robust SDKs, being able to keep the core relatively unchanged and have it scale into the future very well.   I guess the real reason is that there isn't anyone w/ the venture capital w/ the passion for FS to develop it.  I think the market for one done right would be much larger than for MSFS.   For starters, you have to be an 'enthusiast' to get the bloody thing to run well!  Yes, the vision and execution has to be just right as well, but if that's done well, then I see the market as potentially much larger than what MSFS enjoyed.  If I'm not mistaken MSFS is one of the longest running pieces of 'entertainment' software ever created.    

Edited February 21, 2014 by Noel

[HiFlyer 9,359]

 

 

I see the market as potentially much larger than what MSFS enjoyed

 

I think that it almost cant help but be larger. There are just so many things this could be. 

 

Aviation? Check

Train/Railroad? Check

Naval? Check

Racing and off-road? Check

Fishing? Kyaking? Check

Exploration? Check

Scientific? Check

Military? Check

Education? Check

Kerbals? Check!!  :lol:

 

And whatever I missed. It just requires Imagination, (partners and resources of course) and a broad focus.

[HiFlyer 9,359]

Suspension of disbelief.

 

Future clothing? (Its not only X-plane that has Jspahns!)  :lol:

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2014 by HiFlyer

[Noel 4,501]

Hard to believe this is happening today, and yet as I say, it's just the core and no one has yet turned it into the complete flight simulation environment.  Really, it could be part of a suite of simulators all 100% interconnected, a virtual reality of the whole planet & universe!  I want one!

[CyberMike 18]

The problem is that the SDK for Outerra is not yet ready. Otherwise surely some talented programmers would jump on Outerra projects.

[Noel 4,501]

There is no question in my mind someone will use this for a killer, strong, elegant, flexible platform that is an absolute game changer compared to the best we have now.  Exciting stuff and I sure hope I get to see it come to fruition ;o)