Asobo tech presentation at GDC on representing twin of earth

[lwt1971 7,469]

https://www.asobostudio.com/news/asobo-gdc-2022 ... Download the PDF or Powerpoint deck, some good insights on how it all works.

Edited May 20, 2022 by lwt1971

[Dermot McClusky 526]

Fascinating. There are so many improvements to be made to the global rendering process, but when you step back and look at the project as a whole, it's so incredibly impressive what they've been able to do so far.

Also, the job listing at the end made me chuckle.

[lwt1971 7,469]

40 minutes ago, Dermot McClusky said:

Fascinating. There are so many improvements to be made to the global rendering process, but when you step back and look at the project as a whole, it's so incredibly impressive what they've been able to do so far.

Indeed! Truly impressive achievement and hopefully a constantly evolving base for other simulation and software applications from MS/Asobo too (i.e. using the digital twin earth as a base platform)

I'm trying to scour thru it in detail to maybe explain the difficulties they sometimes have with water/shore boundaries, terrain deformities, trees, etc 🙂

[abrams_tank 7,490]

If your flight simulator is not using satellite & photogrammetry (plus a company to change 2D satellite objects to 3D objects like Blackshark AI), to recreate the real world, your flight simulator is simply behind the times.  To me, not using satellite & photogrammetry in the 2020s to recreate the world in a flight simulator, is just unacceptable. I can accept that this technology wasn't practical from 2000 to 2010.  I can even accept that if a company is slow to adopt new technology, they can be excused for not using satellite & photogrammetry from 2010 to 2020.

But after 2020?  Nuh uh.  That's not inexcusable anymore.  The technology is there, and has been there for a while, and not using that technology means a flight simulator is at least a decade old in technology, in my opinion.

Edited May 20, 2022 by abrams_tank

[ADamiani 470]

41 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

  To me, not using satellite & photogrammetry in the 2020s to recreate the world in a flight simulator, is just unacceptable.

I do not agree. While for VFR the photoreal scenery is really nice to have, I don't think it's the most important thing in a flight simulator. There are other things that I look for and are, in my opinion, much more important than visuals.

A.

[lwt1971 7,469]

Well, what's great about MSFS is that those who find the visuals/scenery important, and those who consider the actual flying and aircraft aerodynamics/systems important, will *both* be satisfied :))... as long as you get yourself some quality payware/freeware birds of course. And definitely AI and in-sim ATC all still need to improve, and proper ground physics (coming later this year), and helicopters/gliders (also coming later this year), etc.

All in all, MSFS is just an unbeatable overall experience that is also speeding ahead from month to month... for needs ranging from VFR to IFR, GA to tubeliner, and everything inbetween, even world photography simulation via slewing 🙂

Edited May 20, 2022 by lwt1971

[rick celik 1,252]

45 minutes ago, ADamiani said:

I do not agree. While for VFR the photoreal scenery is really nice to have, I don't think it's the most important thing in a flight simulator. There are other things that I look for and are, in my opinion, much more important than visuals.

A.

I think visuals are a very important factor, especially for pilots using it as a training tool at home.. visual cues etc etc. 

It’s now 2022 there’s no excuse to lack in visuals and tech… the hardware and software is there. 
 

If you just want the cockpit then stick to fs9 and use the 2D panels with pop outs. Fs9 even had some great add ons, I still have all the cds of my add ons… favourite being the 742 RFP

[ADamiani 470]

12 hours ago, Ridvan Celik said:

I think visuals are a very important factor, especially for pilots using it as a training tool at home.. visual cues etc etc.

Different priorities. Number one for me is the flight model, which includes absolute smoothness under all circumstances and the right feeling of inertia. Then Cockpit graphics and ergonomics, Systems, Airport and Runway visuals, ATC Simulation, Weather simulation with accurate clouds, rain, and seasons. 

Not saying that buzzing your own house or overflying some interesting places is not fun, because it is. But it's just that, fun. Which is something we also need after a stressful day, but is pretty limited. Unfortunately, it is also the most important attractor for big numbers, so the simulator of my dreams is probably never going to happen.

A.

[Ianrivaldosmith 5,317]

Photo textures don’t really work with seasons though? Not that I’ve seen yet anyways. I’m curious as to how the ‘2’ sims integrate proper seasons, and whom does it first…. 

[lwt1971 7,469]

23 minutes ago, Ianrivaldosmith said:

Photo textures don’t really work with seasons though? Not that I’ve seen yet anyways. I’m curious as to how the ‘2’ sims integrate proper seasons, and whom does it first…. 

Fair point, they mentioned this in the last dev Q&A about proper seasons support and how it goes beyond just changing colors of leaves/ on trees and fiddling with shaders.

See this point onwards in their Q&A sessions where they talk about seasons and weather/turbulance and what's coming: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1468514324?t=00h41m12s 

Some quick quotes:
- we have to paint in maps of sections of the planet based on season
- not just change trees, we want to do longer term things
- we want to talk to satellite providers (possibly to get different terrain photography per season)
- properly handle ice packs and snow
- we are looking at datasets for biomes, certainly in more detail than done before, etc
- it's under investigation, we will find bigger solutions, will take some time

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by lwt1971

[NZ255 312]

I wonder if there’s a recording?

[rayharris108 259]

Be really nice if X-plane had it. But really, I wonder who else could have done the same as MSFS has economically, for a price any of us would or could pay - and in any kind of reasonable timescale - they would be years behind Asobo?

With the weight of Microsoft who owns Bing and several hundred Asobo devs, BlackShark etc, who else would be able to find the resource, lease the imagery off say Bing or Google, the data storage and streaming bandwidth, then correct the imagery, develop the dynamic autogen placing etc? That's probably why no one else has done this yet... just a thought. 

Anyway not everyone puts a high value on scenery realism no doubt, but I really do...

[OzWhitey 3,353]

Important to note that there’s nothing new per se about using orthoscenery in a flight sim. I’ve been using it exclusively in my other sims for well over a decade.

Ortho has been very popular in X-plane for a long time now.

MSFS’s advantage is that you don’t have to download/buy/make it, it’s just there with the sim. Also, MSFS’s placement of objects is pretty good, always a challenge when using ortho.

[sidfadc 1,344]

I dont have Powerpoint on my PC but I did download the PDF, very insightful.  Its too easy to forget that we launch the sim, spawn at airfield and away we go - complain about a load of stuff but completely forget how much a fantastic technical achievement this sim really is.  

[lwt1971 7,469]

54 minutes ago, sidfadc said:

I dont have Powerpoint on my PC but I did download the PDF, very insightful.  Its too easy to forget that we launch the sim, spawn at airfield and away we go - complain about a load of stuff but completely forget how much a fantastic technical achievement this sim really is.  

Absolutely... the technology stacks involved and how MS/Asobo uses them together is top notch innovation and they don't seem to be letting up.

The fact that MS's CEO mentions Flight Simulator in quarterly earnings calls and such is in itself a big thing:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4503841-microsofts-msft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-q3-2022-results-earnings-call-transcript
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/19/microsoft-activision-what-satya-nadella-has-said-about-the-metaverse.html
https://www.ft.com/content/7d2a185c-7ab1-4fb2-80ca-aaa1fa7267ba