Android Status Update – Testers Wanted!

[alulekk 3]

The fun thing is that if you are capable of making a weather engine and are proven in the x-plane community, you can contact austin and offer to work for them. I mean this is pretty much simplified and not literarly that easy but Laminar is basically alot of people working remote.

The only problem is that nobody's actually doing it...

 

Also, it's my understanding that doing a new weather module is so integrated into the core of the Sim that really only LM knows how to do it or can enable the ability to do it perhaps?

[airlinejets 709]

The only problem is that nobody's actually doing it...

 

Also, it's my understanding that doing a new weather module is so integrated into the core of the Sim that really only LM knows how to do it or can enable the ability to do it perhaps?

...the real problem is a missing SDK, no?

[alpha12125 213]

Been there, done that, it was called 'Flight'...

 

Sorry that is not completly correct. Flight in itself was very capable. The problem was/is that Microsoft thought they can make an ecosystem all by themselves and shove something cylindrical into 3rd party developers rear end. THats why it felt dumbed down but only because there was nothing capable availabe.  The fun thing is the new simulator that dovetail announced based on flight will have the same closed ecosystem and probably be a huge success. MS was just 10 years early

The only problem is that nobody's actually doing it...

 

Also, it's my understanding that doing a new weather module is so integrated into the core of the Sim that really only LM knows how to do it or can enable the ability to do it perhaps?

Well if you would work for Laminar you would get more access. But anyhow that is just guessing about something noone has insight I just got form the interview with the german developer how he got into Laminar

[alulekk 3]

...the real problem is a missing SDK, no?

Again, Laminar needs to do that (if they want to)

 

And we keep getting away from the core problem which is making money.

 

Creating an SDK that allows a third-party to make a new weather engine isn't a new first party add on that LM gets to charge money for and thus not focus on silly games.

 

I want to find a way for them to make more money on desktop so that they keep focusing on desktop

[airlinejets 709]

 

 

I want to find a way for them to make more money on desktop so that they keep focusing on desktop

 

A robust SDK is the solution. The more developers involved, the more software Laminar sells. If it works for FSX, it's bound to for X-Plane also.

[tonywob 4,769]

There is already an SDK. The issue is that X-Plane internally doesn't support enough to allow more complicated simulation of the weather (3 Cloud Layers and wind layers for a start).

 

I think someone clever enough could get round it and simulate the weather outside the sim. What I mean by this is simulating the effects of multiple weather layers externally (since the SDK allows reading and controlling various parameters from the user's plane). Since Skymaxx Pro can already display weather separately from the sim, I think if someone worked with these guys, we'd see something like this. Plus, isn't this basically what people have been doing with FSX/P3D, i.e. Moving things out of the sim to make it do things it can't do?

[RichUK 474]

I was going to jump ship from P3D, but reading you guys posts I don't think I'll bother!

[deetee 164]

Out of frustration of 10.40's non-appearance I have been spending more time in P3D than in XP recently, but it may be a good time to take an extended break from flight-simming. Perhaps a couple of years will be enough for LR to wrap up their "mobile phase" (once they're done with the Windows Phone version haha), but I do look forward to what XP11 may bring.

 

Anyway there are a lot of good games out or coming out at the moment which deserve attention, and my train-simming has also been getting a bit neglected! :wink:

[tonywob 4,769]

It's always a good thing to step away from flight simulation for a while, as it always seems nicer when you come back. I've done the same, I'm not using any flight sim at the moment for the enjoyment of it, the only reason I fire up X-Plane is to test scenery I'm making, etc.. But, even now, I'm ready to step away and take a month away from it to refresh my brain. As boring as it is to some, I actually like Euro Truck Simulator 2 :-)

[deetee 164]

 

 

As boring as it is to some, I actually like Euro Truck Simulator 2 :-)

Not boring at all mate, I have put many hours into virtual trucking; have you tried ETS2MP?

[tonywob 4,769]

 

 

have you tried ETS2MP?

 

I'd love to, but problem is I'm using the Mac OS version, and they haven't created a client for it yet (and don't seem to want to). Since I'm on Steam, I can probably fire it up in bootcamp on Windows though and try

[RichUK 474]

So we have FSX / SE which is essentially a dead sim. P3D which is pretty regularly updated, but is still 32 bit and is plagued by OOM. Finally, X Plane, which people are complaining isn't being updated. Great days for FS!

[alulekk 3]

Well, I echoed this comments on the same named thread on the Dev forum.

Chris' response, was really more confusing to me than anything

 

He said Mobile isn't about cash so much as adding and trying features, many of which are behind the scenes.  He said mobile is easier to develop for since there's no concerns about "backwards compatibility" and since they (LM) have "full control over everything with no 3rd party worries".

 

...which to me sounds like they like mobile because it doesn't allow for the exact things that even have XPX around and to the point where it is.  (3rd party planes, scenery and plugins).

 

I wouldn't even *dream* of using default XPX for anything other than a doorstop - I hope they recognize how woefully incomplete their product currently is at stock as it comes out the door.

 

..Also, these type of comments I'm sure scare off some 3rd party plane/scenery devs (paid) as you just never get a sense what way the wind will truly blow moving forward with XPX.

Has always been a concern -- Just frustrating to me.

[tonywob 4,769]

 

 

So we have FSX / SE which is essentially a dead sim. P3D which is pretty regularly updated, but is still 32 bit and is plagued by OOM. Finally, X Plane, which people are complaining isn't being updated. Great days for FS!

 

Indeed. I'm sitting in the dark waiting for the next big thing to come along and blow us all away ;-)

[marty2756 65]

Altought sometimes I would like to....At least I feel that I shouldn't complain about "missing-never-coming updates", as every update after I bought x-plane could be considered as free or a "gift". (With one exception: ATC, which in practice its not usable still today).