FSX demo & add-on developers

[Guest Joris]

Hi everyoneI just checked out the FSX demo and here are some thoughts. I paid special attention to what might belong in this forum.Things I like so far about the demo:- New internal communication between modules. They're no longer using the complex 'Linkage' structure, but instead each function is exported now the way its supposed to be done. That means that it will be easier for developers now to receive and send pretty all sorts of data from/to the simulation; especially things that aren't listed in the SDK. This has a downside though: it forces a complete rewrite of some extensions and I doubt Pete Dowson will find the energy to redo FSUIPC all over.- If they do a good job of optimizing and sorting bugs, I think the final version might be a fine and stable release.Things I don't like:- What is actually new? Ok, FS got a new layout and some better graphics, they reorganised the folder structure, but what does that add for the player? Online play was available before through IVAO/VATSIM (hurray now we got yet another system) and the 'missions' are a fallback to the FS98-days (our good old 'adventures'). Instead of adding customized missions (that require a lot of specific programming and will probably only be played once => != profitable) they had better put some work into the atc engine. (The ATC got a horrible new window by the way.)- The developers spent a considerable amount of time tidying the code, without probably rewriting the base structure. I read somewhere that the FS9 gaming/graphics engine was very inefficient and that it definitely didnt compare to more productive techniques used in other recent games. I don't know whats true about all this, but if it is true, then it seems that Microsoft is putting yet another layer over the old engine.- The menu bar. We didn't need the clich

[n4gix 4,949]

>- New internal communication between modules. They're no>longer using the complex 'Linkage' structure, but instead each>function is exported now the way its supposed to be done. That>means that it will be easier for developers now to receive and>send pretty all sorts of data from/to the simulation;>especially things that aren't listed in the SDK. This has a>downside though: it forces a complete rewrite of some>extensions and I doubt Pete Dowson will find the energy to>redo FSUIPC all over.I'm not sure hou you made this determination based only on the "Pre-Release Demo," but yes there in fact is a new method that's much more open ended, and better still - scalable. They plan quarterly releases to keep it updated.I can assure you that Pete's already all over this. FSUIPC for FSX will be ready whenever FSX is RTM.>- The developers spent a considerable amount of time tidying>the code, without probably rewriting the base structure. I>read somewhere that the FS9 gaming/graphics engine was very>inefficient and that it definitely didnt compare to more>productive techniques used in other recent games. I don't know>whats true about all this, but if it is true, then it>seems that Microsoft is putting yet another layer over the old>engine.They cannot modify the 'core engine' which remains as pure assembly language code, and remains copyrighted by Bruce Artwick.>What are your first impressions? Can't wait to start>developing or put off?Been working on it for some time already... ;)