Outerra progress update

[HiFlyer 9,343]

System would not let me make a new post, only ask a new question?

Anyway, lest one think things have utterly died, just updating a few of the things currently happening with Outerra. (And by the way, following the trend, Outerra is also going 64Bit)

Outerra Anteworld Forest Dataset Comparison

Bern with imported forest map applied. Using Global Forest Change dataset from UMD to get a global tree coverage.

Outerra F/A-18E/F Super Hornet MPCD / ATFLIR

Moonlight shadows

Dynamically controlled emissive textures

Enhanced car physics, controls. New OSM road import (Switzerland).

Early multiplayer test with aircraft. Server in Slovakia, two clients in France and Mexico.

 

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Hi  Flyer,

Isn't this the engine that NGIS was going to use, or is it the Aeroflyfs2 engine???

I think I read lately that NGIS has thrown its legs in the air and died a painful, expensive and protracted death. I may be wrong as there has been very little action from that arena lately.

It would be nice if P3D could utilise this engine in lieu of the old FSX one, however that may be a license issue.

Regards

Tony Chilcott

 

[pmb 5,137]

As far as I recall, NGIS never seriously considered Outerra, although there was discussion on this in the forum at a certain stage. Initially, NGIS was to be based on Unigine, later discarded for another engine, but I don't think it was Outerra either.

AeroflyFS2 is based on the AeroflyFS1 engine (2012) which by itself is based on ICARUS' RC simulator's engine developed earlier, to some degree.

Aside license issues, I doubt you simply can exchange a core engine by another one as all features (shaders, lighting, texturing, scenery...) are highly intermingled. Essentially this would mean kissing the ESP engine goodby and starting from scratch. Would you think LM giving off the ESP based (and highly successful) Prepar3d based on a valid MS license they hold for something completely uncertain (recall NGIS) and new to them based on a new license to acquire?

The best chance I see for Outerra is developing something by themselves. However, given their pace during the last years I doubt this will happen anytime soon. 

Kind regards, Michael

[HiFlyer 9,343]

3 hours ago, pmb said:

The best chance I see for Outerra is developing something by themselves. However, given their pace during the last years I doubt this will happen anytime soon. 

Yes, they are not fast. 

And no I don't think NGIS ever had any real intention to use the engine. They really really had their hearts set on Unigine.

[HiFlyer 9,343]

 

[Minos 26]

On 6/26/2017 at 9:15 AM, HiFlyer said:

Yes, they are not fast. 

This has to be the euphemism of the day

[Acetone 34]

It's been a while since I have posted here...

Just some info: there is now a OT Discord here for those interested.

The devs set up a dedicated Twitter account for developpement screenshots here.

Latest post shows Cap Canaveral with lakes, new forest mask (already released in the public build) and improved beaches:
http://imgur.com/Oa3VW77

http://imgur.com/osWgoqU

(for some reason, AVSIM doesn't see these as pictures).

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Watermasks added to Outerra, leading to much more accurate coastlines.

Parts of the Netherlands that are below sea level are no longer flooded using the new water mask data.

Florida with watermask and fixed beach rendering.

 

[HiFlyer 9,343]

UPDATED INTERNAL SCENERY PARAMETERS

Land of a Thousand lakes

Inland water now using different optical parameters than sea water TODO: water class dataset

Lake seasonality data used to produce shallow waters. Needs higher resolution & different water scattering/absorption params for lake water.

 

Test of Phase-Functioned Neural Networks for animation control in Outerra

 

[HiFlyer 9,343]

Some stats: new wip rendering pipeline. New terrain import with filtered and leveled urban areas, restored vegetation index and trees. Global city import (alpha). Here showing NY area with roughly 1.8mil buildings (rendered in various LOD stages) running on GTX 1080 @ 180fps

 

[HiFlyer 9,343]

 

[Acetone 34]

Woosh, I haven't been here in a while.

I see New York City, Bern, and Tokyo.

[pmb 5,137]

Excellent. However, as someone states on the tweet: "So much work during all these years for no game or software released :("

Kind regards, Michael

 

[Murmur 3,941]

Yeah, what a pity. There was a good opportunity in the market for a new flight sim, but you Outerra devs wasted the chance. You could have been competing with AeroflyFS2, FSW, XP and P3D by now.

 

[Minos 26]

Yes this is what is so disappointing with Outerra, So much potential wasted over the years. But hey, we receive postcards from twitter from time to time...