June 24th, 2021 - Development Update

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

JUNE 24TH, 2021 DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Posted by: Microsoft Flight Simulator Team

Lego House – Screenshot by ArcanePython931

 

If you missed Dev Q&A: Part 1 or the SDK Q&A last week, you can now view them on Youtube here. Our biggest Q&A yet is next Wednesday, June 30th at 10:30am PDT as we meet with the devs for Part 2 – Xbox/PC Improvements and Updates! We can’t wait to meet with you and answer some of the questions we’ve seen floating around the community.

Our next flighting opportunity is beginning soon through the Xbox Insider Hub. Exact timing and details are being finalized, but you should expect a post from us soon with details on what our goals are, who will be invited to participate, and more.

– The MSFS team

 

DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

Click here for the web-friendly version.

 

FEEDBACK SNAPSHOT

Click here for the web-friendly version.

 

SDK UPDATE

• General
  • Thank you very much for your engagement with the SDK DevSupport platform! Over 220 active users on https://devsupport.flightsimulator.com, are already sharing ideas and helping each other, which is great to see. We know some of you struggle with validating your email which seems to get lost … we are investigating this issue.
• Dev Mode
  • General
    • We fixed a crash that could happen when reloading assets.
  • In the Project Editor:
    • We now prevent generated airport package names from containing illegal characters.
    • We’re making some changes on the different wizards, in order to define the package’s name after the definition of the assets (ie: after choosing an ICAO for an airport).
  • In the Scenery Editor:
    • We fixed a crash that could happen when reloading jetways.
    • We removed the ghost objects that could remain after loading a project.
  • In the FX Editor:
    • We fixed the focus that would reset when editing a node in the nodegraph.
    • We fixed a crash when opening Items Tree without having selected an node in the nodegraph.
    • We fixed a crash that could happen when closing the sim while FX were playing.
    • We now expose the particles’ color.

 

3RD PARTY UPDATE

• As of 06/19, we have now approved 199 (+2) third parties into the in-sim marketplace and – so far 108 (+2) have released 459 products (+24).
• This week, many of us were delighted to try PMDG’s DC-6 … it’s an awesome plane. Great job by the team!
• In total, 1,079 products (+16) have already been released in 3rd party stores and the in-sim marketplace. Beyond that, another 347 products (-3) from 3rd party developers are in production (215 announced, 132 unannounced). In total, over 1,426 3rd party products (+14) are either released or are in development.
• Airports:
  • 899 airports (+12) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 685 airports (+12) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 384 airports (+20) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 104 airports (+1) beyond the released airports have been announced.
    • 110 airports (-2) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an airport is in production.
• Aircraft:
  • 167 aircraft (+1) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 50 aircraft (+1) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 29 aircraft (+1) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 95 aircraft (-1) beyond the released aircraft have been announced.
    • 22 aircraft (+1) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an aircraft is in production.
• Scenery:
  • 322 sceneries (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 306 sceneries (+2) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 29 sceneries (+2) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 16 sceneries (-2) beyond the released scenery have been announced.
• Mission Packs:
  • 38 mission packs (+1) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 38 mission packs (+1) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 4 mission packs (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 0 mission packs (+0) beyond the released missions have been announced.

 

MARKETPLACE

Today there are 6 new products and 18 updated products in the Marketplace.

6 NEW PRODUCTS

 

18 UPDATED PRODUCTS

 

TWITCH UPDATE

Check out our upcoming streams! Follow our Twitch channel here.

Join us on June 30th, 2021 at 10:30 am PDT for our next Live Developer Q&A stream as we answer questions about the upcoming Xbox and PC improvements!

 

COMMUNITY VIDEO

A time-lapse of the latest landing challenge in Ísafjörður, Iceland:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftFlightSim/comments/o2bxz4/landing_challenges_are_now_multiplayer_so_i_made/

 

FEATURED FREEWARE MOD

We Love VFR – Region 2, developed by PuffinFlight, was released this week.

As quoted from the download page, “We Love VFR is a free add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator that adds thousands of new VFR-friendly objects. In this beta version, you get communication, radio, and tv antennas, chimneys, radar domes, construction cranes, and satellite/radio telescope dishes. I have plans for many, many more.”

Here is a link to the first We Love VFR – Region 1, if interested!

 

SCREENSHOT CHALLENGE

This past week we challenged you to take a screenshot of “The Nordics“. The winner is featured above. Below are our runner up choices! This week’s Screenshot Challenge: Rivers

Last challenge’s Finalists:

Screenshot by ScenicAtol3300

 

Screenshot by YusufWardana

 

Screenshot by Perretoso

 

Screenshot by Gebetho

 

Screenshot by Wh1te506

 

Screenshot by canuck695

 

Screenshot by FTLG1174

 

Screenshot by Voyager4871

 

Screenshot by OldpondGL

 

Screenshot by Jannik207

 

NEXT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BLOG – July 1st, 2021

Sincerely,

Microsoft Flight Simulator Team

Edited June 24, 2021 by ChaoticBeauty

[Tuskin38 6,489]

That Reddit post auto plays the video when embedded. So maybe just have it as a link?

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

2 minutes ago, Tuskin38 said:

That Reddit post auto plays the video when embedded. So maybe just have it as a link?

I'm not getting that issue (on Chrome at least). But for any case I'll avoid the embedding from now on.

[Ianrivaldosmith 5,317]

Those freeware vfr mods are brilliant. Remind me of the Xeurope scenery in xplane. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Ianrivaldosmith

[pmb 5,137]

Thus, we're not worth a word on today's mini-update?

And what became of the announced next beta round?

Kind regards, Michael

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

2 minutes ago, pmb said:

Thus, we're not worth a word on today's mini-update?

And what became of the announced next beta round?

Jayne in the forums:

Quote

A few clarifications:

The flighting opportunity that we announced several weeks ago for Steam isn’t happening as the build came in hot a little too close to this new flight. So, we are moving on with with the new flight very soon.

As far as the seemingly random mystery update, I’ll post here when I know more about the origins.

Would've been nice if they had let the community managers know about it earlier today though.

[pmb 5,137]

53 minutes ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

Jayne in the forums:

Would've been nice if they had let the community managers know about it earlier today though.

 Thanks for sharing. Although it's  🙄 🙄 🙄.

Kind regards, Michael

 

[styckx 1,871]

Keep in mind.. A piece of software backed by a billion dollar company looking to make money off its product is actively featuring a freeware product that their own product can't do yet..  This isn't a complaint, this is awesome.. Congrat @PuffinFlight

Edited June 25, 2021 by styckx

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

More 🌲🌲🌲

[honanhal 1,420]

That incredible finalist screenshot of a foggy Bergen was robbed! 😮

[spacedyemeerkat 421]

1 hour ago, honanhal said:

That incredible finalist screenshot of a foggy Bergen was robbed! 😮

Yes! Couldn't agree more!

[TENPATROL 138]

11 hours ago, pmb said:

Thus, we're not worth a word on today's mini-update?

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/602375-msfs-new-update-available/?do=findComment&comment=4559462

[PuffinFlight 302]

10 hours ago, styckx said:

Keep in mind.. A piece of software backed by a billion dollar company looking to make money off its product is actively featuring a freeware product that their own product can't do yet..  This isn't a complaint, this is awesome.. Congrat @PuffinFlight

Thank you. I was really surprised and happy at the same time. I plan to contact Asobo, so maybe they will use my data, or even all package. So far it's still a bit too early as first I have to cover the whole World. But with every update of one region I create tools that help other regions.

Even if this won't ever get into the sim, and Asobo will add their own antennas or chimneys, I still believe that with as many variables I take into account, my add-ons will recreate these objects better and stay relevant.

[Dominique_K 10,138]

Do I understand it well ? They have forced upon us half a gig of useless liveries instead of putting them  optional in the content manager ? 

@ChaoticBeauty, my friend, tell me I am wrong ! 

And what about the lightnings, lightnings, lightnings, lightnings, lightnings, lightnings.... ?

[TENPATROL 138]

3 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

Do I understand it well ? They have forced upon us half a gig of useless liveries instead of putting them  optional in the content manager ? 

Yes.

Aviator’s liveries now included in the install. Before, you needed to go to the content manager and download/update them.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/602375-msfs-new-update-available/?do=findComment&comment=4559462