https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfuwiN5SqD-b-CwCJhWjGmiejs5p-QfYY?si=EMb_w2xpToYVl_nx

 

I wanted us to take some time to take a closer look at the MSFS 2024 hot air balloon demo MS/Asobo showed at last year's FSExpo during their keynote address.

As some of you may know, I was thoroughly impressed by what they showed and assuming they were not saying or showing anything misleading, I think we're in for something truly special when it comes to flight physics in the new sim.

Here are my takeaways:

1. Great collision detection. As Seb pointed out, the materials of the balloon do not clip into each other as it deflates. This is no small feat since the physics calculations needed to pull it off have to be hefty. Even in the most modern video games, collision detection of soft materials isn't the best because it would be very taxing on the CPU to get it done right. Think of characters walking right through foliage or capes going into the wearer for instance. I think Asobo knew they would have to get this right in order to make it look convincing and it looks like they've pulled it off. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it behaves in regular use within the sim. 
 

2. Aerodynamics. It just looks spot on! The way the material of the balloon reacts to air entering and leaving it, just looks so convincing! As the air is heated up you can see folds of material unraveling as they start to expand. When the balloon deflates, you can see the material pull at the stitching as it gets sucked in and there's even bulging towards the top of the balloon as it interacts with the ground. This is the most impressive videogame tech demo I've ever seen and I'm someone who has never missed an E3. I don't know what wizardry Asobo cooked up here but it just looks like how a hot air balloon would behave (assuming the inflation was sped up, of course).

3. The Bigger Picture. All of this was done via 2024's updated and far more detailed CFD tech and it is an indicator than we are in for a real treat when it comes to fixed wing aircraft behavior. Some have tried to say that this won't affect anything else but at the end of the day, physics is physics and a hot air balloon is material interacting with air pressure the same way a wing is. As of my typing, there is no other consumer sim capable of what is shown in the video so I'd say Asobo has really taken our calls for better physics to heart.

 

So, what do you guys think? Nine months on I'm actually surprised this hasn't been talked about more. @HPG I'd love to hear what you think since you guys have made the only hot air balloon in 2020 that has significant effort put into it. Also, I don't know if a certain @AnPetrovich would like to weigh in for whatever reason 😄

Edited April 3, 20242 yr by Krakin

Let's hope for the best regarding MSFS's flight dynamics update for 2024 !

I still hope that Petrovich having joined the team can bring improvements in various aspects of flight dynamics and overall physics modelling.

48 minutes ago, Krakin said:

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfuwiN5SqD-b-CwCJhWjGmiejs5p-QfYY?si=EMb_w2xpToYVl_nx

I wanted us to take some time to take a closer look at the MSFS 2024 hot air balloon demo MS/Asobo showed at last year's FSExpo during their keynote address.

I wanted to see more about the twisters.  I am totally deflated after that.  

1 hour ago, Krakin said:

3. The Bigger Picture. All of this was done via 2024's updated and far more detailed CFD tech and it is an indicator than we are in for a real treat when it comes to fixed wing aircraft behavior. Some have tried to say that this won't affect anything else but at the end of the day, physics is physics and a hot air balloon is material interacting with air pressure the same way a wing is. As of my typing, there is no other consumer sim capable of what is shown in the video so I'd say Asobo has really taken our calls for better physics to heart.

I think some have focused on the balloon part and dismissed it prematurely, but the key as you keenly observe Krakin is that's it a demonstration of the CFD tech in action along with the new abilities to define more precise geometry and surfaces in aircraft (or any object, balloon in this case). Seb started here https://youtu.be/VPhScg_FINE?t=778 where he briefly shows the Cessna and Cabri updated for more precise geometry and surfaces (but doesn't say more), and then goes on to show the balloon example.. where the balloon is modelled as a set of multiple tiny flat surfaces which together in that geometry setup forms a balloon shape, and then the CFD and airflow physics are applied to that and it behaves aerodynamically like it should depending on the airflow. Unsurprising the round of applause it received at the end of that demo 🙂 

Can't wait to hear more details and deep dives on the new aerodynamics engine and FDE in MSFS 2024, and how aircraft benefit from that (of course from what little MS/Asobo have revealed so far, we know at the very least aircraft devs will have to re-work their birds to take advantage of this more precise geometry/surface modelling capabilities before we see the true benefits I guess).

Seb and Andrey Petrovich taking the helm on this area of MSFS is the best thing that could happen to the sim!
 

Edited April 3, 20242 yr by lwt1971

15 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

Unsurprising the round of applause it received at the end of that demo

I loved Seb's "Voila!" just before that because he knew he just showed something really cool lol.

 

16 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

we know at the very least aircraft devs will have to re-work their birds to take advantage of this more precise geometry/surface modelling capabilities before we see the true benefits I guess).

What's great about that is the fact that Seb indicated that doing this won't take a lot of work. As he said in the clip you provided, it took him about five minutes to properly define the surfaces on the aircraft and have it ready to go. It seems the CFD tech is sort of a drag and drop application where things just work as long as the geometry is correct.

16 hours ago, jcomm said:

I still hope that Petrovich having joined the team can bring improvements in various aspects of flight dynamics and overall physics modelling.

I think we're long past needing to hope for that now.

 

15 hours ago, lwt1971 said:

Can't wait to hear more details and deep dives on the new aerodynamics engine and FDE in MSFS 2024

Speaking of which, I really hope when Jorg said we'd get more info in the spring that he wasn't talking about stuff like the payware level vision jet being a default aircraft. Its nice news but not really something for us to sink our teeth into. I hope they plan on SHOWING us something before June comes around.

I hope it comes with a modern G5000 fitted and with autothrottle.

6 minutes ago, peloto said:

I hope it comes with a modern G5000 fitted and with autothrottle.

 

fingers crossed!

1 hour ago, peloto said:

I hope it comes with a modern G5000 fitted and with autothrottle.

 

Well, MSFS has the best G5000 add-on. I am not aware that there is a better G5000 add-on out there for the other flight sims. So I think there is a chance that it will be fitted with a G5000.

Edited April 4, 20242 yr by abrams_tank

16 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

I wanted to see more about the twisters.  I am totally deflated after that.  

I just wanted to mention it was a joke.  Balloons...   Deflated...  Geddit? 

Never mind.  I'll get my coat.  Thanks for the video anyway!  

3 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

I just wanted to mention it was a joke.  Balloons...   Deflated...  Geddit? 

Never mind.  I'll get my coat.  Thanks for the video anyway!  

Yeah, I could tell lol. I'm also fully aware that Peloto is joking too. Auto throttle on a balloon would be dope tho lol

Edited April 4, 20242 yr by Krakin

Here's hoping they accompany that great balloon with some massaged scenery of Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque. Here's even further hoping they get the weather high-fidelity enough that the Albuquerque Box exists in game.

1 hour ago, eslader said:

Here's hoping they accompany that great balloon with some massaged scenery of Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque. Here's even further hoping they get the weather high-fidelity enough that the Albuquerque Box exists in game.

Interesting. I'd say you could be hopeful since ballooning has been confirmed as one of the career paths in the new sim and they consulted with professionals in the field who probably mentioned what you outlined to them.

8 hours ago, Krakin said:

Speaking of which, I really hope when Jorg said we'd get more info in the spring that he wasn't talking about stuff like the payware level vision jet being a default aircraft. Its nice news but not really something for us to sink our teeth into. I hope they plan on SHOWING us something before June comes around.

Ya hoping more info starts to roll around now that we're in Spring, but increasingly am thinking they might wait till June to reveal/show anything substantial.. given that the XBox 2024 showcase event is planned for June (https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-confirms-june-2024-xbox-showcase) and also FSExpo 2024 is June 21-23 where they're sure to give more details and actually probably show MSFS 2024 in action. Going by what they showed at FSExpo last year and the detailed interviews they gave, I'd want at least that level of info but new 🙂 , hopefully much more of course.
 

20 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

Ya hoping more info starts to roll around now that we're in Spring, but increasingly am thinking they might wait till June to reveal/show anything substantial.. given that the XBox 2024 showcase event is planned for June (https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-confirms-june-2024-xbox-showcase) and also FSExpo 2024 is June 21-23 where they're sure to give more details and actually probably show MSFS 2024 in action. Going by what they showed at FSExpo last year and the detailed interviews they gave, I'd want at least that level of info but new 🙂 , hopefully much more of course.
 

I think between now and June they'll announce a few more third party default plane partnerships if anything. The Xbox showcase will feature a trailer that will mainly sell the sim on its improved graphics then we'll get the real meat and potatoes via interviews around that time and of course, the FSExpo where they'll do a deep dive and perhaps even give attendees access to it.