+Version 2.0.0 - February 25, 2010
+
+ FlightGear 2.0.0. reflects the maturation of the OpenSceneGraph port
+ that started with the previous 1.9.0 release. In addition to many
+ internal code improvements, FlightGear 2.0.0. marks the introduction
+ of many new exciting improvements in the graphics and sound system,
+ as well as improved usability of key features, and improved behavior
+ of exsisting features. Highlights of this new version include:
+ Dramatic new 3D clouds, dramatic lighting conditions, improved
+ support for custom scenery, and many many new and detailed aircraft
+ models.
+
+ Sound
+ * Complete overhaul of the sound code
+ * doppler effects
+ * distance attenuation
+ * 3D positional sound sources
+ * assignment of sound sources to external objects (i.e. AI controlled
+ aircraft)
+ * User selection of the sound device
+
+ Visual Effects
+ * Use of Shaders for dynamic textures
+ * Use of Effects files
+ * Improved 3D clouds
+ * Color changes based on humidity and other weather effects allow for very
+ dramatic lighting conditions
+ * Dynamic water textures
+ * Text animation based on OSGText
+
+ Usability
+ * Allow screenshots in more common file formats
+ * User selectable sound device
+ * More intuitive selection of the weather settings through the GUI and/or
+ commandline
+
+ Infrastructure
+ * Airport geometry data can be read from the scenery, allowing for more
+ flexible regeneration of terrain tiles
+
+ Internals
+ * Improved efficiency of the property tree
+ * A more efficient ground cache
+ * Many improvements to the route management code
+ * Removed many compiler warnings
+ * More realistic atmosphere model
+
+ Behavior
+ * More realistic ILS behavior
+ * Autopilot improvements
+ * A generic autobrake function
+ * Winds over mountainous areas cause up- and downdrafts that can be used
+ for gliding
+ * More realistic behavior of the route manager
+ * Wild fires, which can be extinguished by firefighter aircraft operating
+ across the multplayer server
+ * Navaid frequencies and radials can be transmitted to Atlas
+
+ Utilities
+ * A python script to visualize Yasim configuration files in Blender
+
+ AI
+ * Allow traffic departing and arriving at the same airport
+ * Add Ground Vehicles - including automobiles, trucks, articulated trucks,
+ trains (including high speed trains)
+ * ATC interactions between AI aircraft and ground controllers
+ * Performance characteristics of AI aircraft can be specified in a
+ performance database
+ * Push-back vehicles are available for a selected number of aircraft
+ * Add escorts for AI carrier - frigates, guided missile cruiser, amphibious
+ warfare ships now make up the Vinson Battle Group
+ * Improved radar functionality - now detects AI escorts etc.
+ * AI objects are now solid (i.e. users can collide with them)
+ * Some preliminary support for SID/STAR procedures for AI aircraft
+
+Version 1.9.0
+* December 20, 2008 (source code snapshot release)
+
+
+New in 0.9.10
+* April 5, 2006
+
+* Many improvements to the multi-player mode. Other airplanes are now
+ updated smoothly. There is a really nifty google maps based moving
+ map that anyone can use to track all online activity.
+* AI planes have improved ground following and are smarter about
+ selecting the active runway.
+* Include the ability to send ATC and AI aircraft communication to a
+ local festival server to be converted to spoken speech output.
+* Added a detailed model of the Honeywell MK VIII EGPWS ground
+ proximity warning system.
+* Complete overhaul/redo of terrain textures based on USGS satellite imagery.
+* Added background ATC chatter.
+* Updated/improved rain cone rendering.
+* Updated manual.
+
+* Upgraded to JSBSim v2.0
+* Fix a discrepancy in sign of twist and incidence values in YASim
+ between code and documentation.
+* Updates to YASim for more fine grained propeller modeling.
+* UFO will now honor elevator trim value so that it will respond to
+ the autopilot altitude hold module.
+* UFO can adjust it's speed range so you can use it for super high
+ speed world exploration, or extremly fine grained precise positioning.
+* Much work and progress with carrier interaction and launch/recovery
+ modeling.
+
+* Add a feature that allows the end user to click any where on the
+ terrain. The system will compute a ground intersection and report
+ back the lon, lat, and elevation of the click point. The click
+ point is reported in the property system so it can be read by just
+ about anything including external programs. Later we added the
+ ability to place an object at the click point as well.
+* Add a feature to play one-off wav files. These are qeued and played
+ sequentially. This was then leveraged to build an ATC background
+ chatter module in nasal that can be turned on/off at run time. This
+ could also be leveraged for tutorials or other interactive type
+ scripts to play prerecorded messages at specific times or under
+ specific conditions..
+* Allow clock to report local time as well as universal.
+* Add a model of a KLN89 GPS.
+* Allow nav radios to be slaved to the gps.
+* Allow enabling/disabling of menu entries.
+* Replace old hardcoded frame rate display with a much more flexible
+ nasal/gui version.
+* Add a listener function to properties so that nasal code can be
+ triggered whenever a property changes. This is more efficient than
+ polling.
+* Add a save-on-exit option to save user preferences.
+* Add support for point sprites.
+* Add support for emissive layers (such as lights) on 2d panels.
+* Updated gui styles.
+* Updated airport and navaid data.
+* Added a new Nasal/XML based tutorial system.
+
+* Fix a bug in the metar (real weather) threading that could lead to
+ long pauses and even crashes.
+* Various compiler/platform fixes.
+* Fix various valgrind complaints.
+* Better use of exceptions in places.
+* Fix the 2d compass texture handling.
+* Many tweaks and improvements to our keyboard input handling system.
+* Added a first attempt at MS-VC8 project files.
+
+* Updated aircraft:
+ - A4/A3F (cleanups and updates, functional drag chute)
+ - A-10 (3d cockpit, fdm tuning, munitions, drop tanks)
+ - AN-225 (fdm tuning)
+ - B1900D
+ - BO105 Eurocopter (new livry/logo options.)
+ - B-29
+ - B-52F (major overhaul)
+ - Boeing 314 (3d cockpit, fdm updates)
+ - 747 (modeling fixes)
+ - Cirrus SR20 (improve interior a bit)
+ - C172 (added KLN89 gps)
+ - C310 (many modeling updates)
+ - Citation Bravo (many modeling updates, Primus 1000 PFD)
+ - Concorde (updated to v2.1, new views, sounds autopilot, fdm
+ updates, new systems)
+ - DHC2 Beaver
+ - F-16 (modeling and munitions updates)
+ - Hurricane
+ - Hunter
+ - MiG-15bis (adds some 3d cockpit instruments)
+ - PC7 (various cleanups)
+ - Seafire/Spitfire
+ - Seahawk (general tidy up, cannon, heat haze, catapault launch strop)
+ - T37 (geometry, sound, fdm updates)
+ - YF-23 (misc model updates)
+
+* New aircraft available:
+ - Boeing 707
+ - 737-300 (Brand new version)
+ - Canberra BI8
+ - English Electric Lightning (F.1A)
+ - Lockheed 1049 Constellation
+ - Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star
+ - Messerschmitt Bf 109
+ - Ogel (a for-fun fantasy airplane.)
+ - New OV-10 with Clickable 3D cockpit
+ - Piper PA24-250 Comanche 250 (N7764P)
+ - Piper Aerostar 700
+
+
+New in 0.9.9
+* November 17, 2005
+
+* New well integrated volumetric clouds by Harald Johnsen
+* Removed 'old' 3D clouds code.
+* Fixed the jitter problem with 3d cockpits.
+* Volumetric shadows are now supported so that aircraft can cast
+ shadows upon themselves as well as the ground.
+* Better support for redoing livery textures on an individual aircraft.
+* Support for seasonal terrain textures. (Updates to summer textures
+ plus new winter textures added.)
+* Carrier - added working arrester wires and catapults. The carrier is
+ selectable as a starting position. AI has been added to the
+ carrier in the form of an operating box and an automated turn
+ into/out of wind. TACAN beacon added.
+* Extensive revisions to the Multiplayer code. Multiplayer servers are
+ now available. A Google-based map server is also available
+* Enhanced weather modeling (lightning and rain.)
+* Support for high G redout/blackout effects.
+* Add status updates to the initial splash/startup screen.
+* Allow switching the tower view location at any time.
+* Add support for configuring views with asymmetric view frustums.
+* Many updates to gui/dialog box infrastructure. Ability to alter
+ border thickness, change fonts, dialog boxes are draggable across
+ the screen, you can enable automatic line wrapping, select
+ colors, and allow key presses to be bound to widgets.
+* Replaced many hardcoded dialog boxes with xml configurable dialog boxes.
+* Support for xml configurable gui themes.
+* Help dialog boxes supported for each aircraft listing special keys,
+ global keys, procedures and performance data.
+* Updates and enhancements to many of the dialog boxes to fix problems,
+ expose new features, enhance usability, etc.
+* Added a generic, XML configurable, autopilot framework, and several
+ high level, configurable filter implementations for use by autopilot
+ designers.
+* Added a transponder and Altitude encoder.
+* Made the instruments code much more configurable, it is now possible to
+ only include instruments that are actually present.
+* Implemented the groundcache code which made it possible for aircraft
+ to follow the ground precisely and, as a result, made it possible to
+ land on aircraft carriers.
+
+* Updated JSBSim version since the last release. (More updates
+ pending after this release.)
+* YASim: expose "spool-time" of a jet engine as a config parameter,
+ add an oil temp model, support gear compression along any arbitrary axis,
+ reworked MP calculations for super/turbochargers.
+* Allow setting individual sample/update rates for any of the PID
+ autopilot stages.
+
+* Support TACAN instruments. And an IVSI instrument.
+* Support for new animations and effects such as heat-haze and chrome.
+* Dynamic taxiway following at airports equipped with a logical ground
+ network.
+* Ability to define "AI" scenarios with scripted moving objects that
+ interact intelligently with the environment and the simulator state.
+* Depricated old (somewhat less the spectacularly conceived)
+ electrical system model in favor of a much more flexible script based
+ system that can be tailored to any individual aircraft.
+* Include an external utility that can feed saved nmea tracks back
+ into FlightGear. If you take a gps on a real flight with you and
+ capture the output, you can replay your flight in FlightGear.
+* Added a function that can intersect any arbitrary vector with the
+ loaded scenery and return the hit point.
+* Many updates and fixes to the joystick configuration files, many new
+ joysticks directly supported.
+
+* Removed all lingering dependencies on plib's SL sound library.
+* Add support for OpenAL 1.1 and alut. OpenAL is a 3d sound system supporting
+ directional sound and doppler effects.
+
+
+* Better cross platform compatibility with our standard network structures.
+* More cpu friendly frame rate throttling code that can leave more cpu
+ available for other apps.
+* Various Nasal (scripting) bug fixes and language improvements.
+* Various bug fixes, various platform/compiler compatibility fixes,
+ several memory leaks fixed.
+
+* New aircraft available (in various stages of developement): A380,
+ Boeing 314 (seaplane), Citation Bravo (glass cockpit), Hurricane IIb,
+ MiG-15bis, TU-114, B29, C150, and SR20.
+
+* Aircraft that have had updates since the last release: 737, A-10,
+ AN-225, B-52F, BAC-TSR2, Citation-II (550), Comper Swift, Concorde,
+ Hunter, OV10, Spitfire, T37, B1900d, bo105, C172 et. al., C182, DHC2F
+ (Beaver), F16, Fokker DR1 Triplane, Fokker 50 (turboprop), Fokker
+ 100 (jet), J3 Cub, P51, Santa, Seahawk, and 1903 Wright Flyer.
+
+
+New in 0.9.8
+* January 18, 2005
+
+* Added an encoder and transponder to the available avionics modules.
+
+* Updates to the AI traffic manager.
+* Updates to the submodel system. This allows things like contrails,
+ payload dropping, projectile firing, and aircraft carrier landings.
+* Added some controls for aircraft carrier operations.
+* Updated to sync with latest JSBSim developments.
+* YAsim adds support for contra-rotating propeller pairs as well as
+ crude models for ITT, Oil Temp and Oil Pressure in the jet turbine
+ engine model.
+* Instruments, avionics, and subsystems are now configurable per
+ aircraft. You can assemble the correct componets available for each
+ particular aircraft.
+* Updates to the wet compass to make it behave much more like a real
+ wet compass including various errors and motion effects.
+* Make display list usage optional since these can be a net
+ performance loss on some older or low memory platforms.
+* Make sound inaudible until after the scenery is loaded.
+* Make sure the ATIS reports surface winds at airports above sea-level
+* Default C172 3d model has been completely reworked and many things
+ have been fixed or sized or placed more accurately.
+
+* Move radio stack and avionics code from cockpit library to
+ instrumentation library.
+* Added several digital filters to the autopilot: exponential, dobule
+ exponential, moving average, and noise spike. These are available
+ to aircraft designers via the autopilot config file.
+* Replace old basic.dat.gz and runways.dat.gz with apt.dat.gz (x-plane format)
+
+* Fix a crash that could occur when the joystick config specified more
+ buttons or axes than the physical hardware provided.
+* Fixes to make FlightGear work with 16bpp visual depth.
+
+* Various FreeBSD fixes.
+* Various MSVC fixes.
+* Various Mac OS X fixes.
+* gcc 2.95 and 4.0 fixes.
+
+* Updated aircraft: 737, A-10, AN-225, B-52, BAC-TSR2, Concorde,
+ Spitfire, BO-105 Eurocopter, DHC2, F-15 (updated flight control system),
+ Fokker DR1, Fokker 50, Fokker 100, OV10, Seahawk made carrier
+ capable (working arresting hook),
+
+* New aircraft: Cessna Citation-II (wip), Beech 1900D, DHC-2 Beaver
+ (on floats)
+
+* Updated KAP140 autopilot instrument (used in default C172.)
+
+* Updated Nimitz model (aircraft carrier), updated radio tower models,
+ added Oracle head quarters to bay area scenery, added Dumbarton
+ bridge at the south end of the SFO bay, added a model of Alcatraz,
+
+
+New in 0.9.6
+* October 12, 2004
+
+* Added some initial support for "submodels" which can be used to
+ impliment things like contrails, flares, tracers, etc.
+* Make real world weather fetching a bit more robust and network friendly.
+* Ensure the entire world is initially loaded before initializing the
+ flight dynamics (avoids wildly varying frame rates at a time when
+ the FDM might be trying to do various initialization steps that
+ might benefit from consistent and fast frame rates.)
+* Other various (and minor) code cleanups, tweaks, and fixes.
+* Fixed ATIS voice file.
+* Updated aircraft: A320, Bo-105, Comper Swift, Concorde, F16,
+ Fokker-50, Fokker-100, Hunter, MD11, PC7, Spitfire, adjust
+ C172 cockpit sound levels, and Sgs-233.
+* Updated joystick configs: CH pro yoke usb, Cyborg Evo, Thrustmaster FCS.
+* Fix a bug in the nasal fuel tank management code.
+* Return Canadian ILS's to nav data.
+* Cleaned up some of the 3d models around the bay area.
+* Add support for display list based rendering which yields
+ substantial performance gains for many systems.
+* Synced with latest JSBSim code.
+* Fixed a reference point bug in YASim.
+* Revived the hi-res (tiled) screen shot code so you can again produce
+ insanely and arbitrarily large resolution screen shots.
+* Beefed up the tile pager so it can more sensibly handle insanely
+ rapid motion.
+
+
+New in 0.9.5
+* July 29, 2004
+
+* New AIModel based air traffic subsystem (Durk Talsma)
+* Updates to the AIModel subsystem.
+* Switched audio subsystem from plib's "sl" to OpenAL.
+* Added support for SDL (pre-compile time configuration option.)
+* Threaded tile loader now enabled by default.
+* Overhauled Nav database code to directly support Robin Peel's default format.
+* Synced with latest JSBSim developments.
+* YASim now supports a nasal (script) based fuel management system.
+* YASim adds a simple turbo prop engine model.
+* Added an xml based gui/widget layout system for building dialog boxes.
+* Make gui windows dragable/repositionable.
+* Hide the mouse pointer when it sits idle. Mouse pointer reappears
+ on any mouse motion.
+* The GPS module has been overhauled.
+* New joystick configurations added: Cyborg Evo, Top Gun Fox2 Pro USB,
+ MacAlly iStick USB, SideWinder Precision Pro (on Windows.)
+* Updated aircraft: 747 flight dynamics model, A-10, AN-225, B-52F, BAC-TSR2,
+ T-37, T-38, YF-23, Beech-99, BO-105 (helicopter), DC-3, F-104, F-16,
+ Fokker 50, Fokker 100, Pilatus PC-7.
+* New aircraft: Concorde, MD-11, Spitfire IIA, TU-154.
+* Updated airport, runway, taxiway, windsock, beacon, and tower data.
+* Updated world scenery based on SRTM terrain data. New scenery includes
+ accurate radio towers for the USA.
+* Fix a small bug in the "generic" export protocol.
+* Fix (workaround) the shrinking dialogs bug.
+* Delay FDM initialization until initial scenery is fully loaded.
+
+New in 0.9.4
+* March 26, 2004
+
+* Impliment SimGear's (aka Andy's) Nasal scripting language in
+ FlightGear and integrate with the FG property system.
+* Many updates from David Culp and David Luff to the AI aircraft and
+ ATC modules.
+* Complete overhaul of the autopilot system. The new system uses a
+ much more advanced PID algorithm, is much more flexible, and is
+ completely reconfigurable for each aircraft.
+* Added the ability to fetch current weather in real time during a
+ flight (via a thread) from the weather.noaa.gov web site and update
+ the current weather conditions in the sim.
+* Added properly working VASI/PAPI lights.
+* Make the ground intersection code smart so allow flying under
+ bridges, taxiing on the lower level of the bay bridge, taxiing into
+ hangers, etc.
+* Added a utility to automatically manage scenery installation and
+ removal.
+* Several updated ground textures, plus a variety of new random
+ scenery objects.
+
+* Much additional work on the San Francisco area buildings and bridges.
+
+* Added a Comper Swift (nice), a Hawker Hunter (nice), added a T37 Tweet,
+
+* Updates to the 737 (nice panel, 3d model, and flight model), updates
+ to the 747 flight dynamics, updates to the OV10, T38, AN-225, bo105
+ (helicopter), better sounds for the DC-3, updates to f104 model,
+ many updates to the F16, updates to the J3 Cub, 3D cockpit added to
+ the pa28-161, updates to the sgs233, overhaul of the tsr2 and yf23
+ models.
+
+* The UFO became Santa Claus over the holidays, but it is back to
+ being extra terrestial.
+
+
+* First stab at a weather radar instrument.
+
+* Added a number of basic 3d instruments to the instrument library
+ that could be reused used for any general aviation cockpit.
+
+* Clean up much of the extraneous alias system entries for aircraft.
+ Generally this means that if there is only one version of an
+ aircraft, there is only one entry and no aliases. If there are
+ multiple versions of an aircraft, we may still have an alias to
+ point to the prefered or default version.
+
+* Added RedHat packaging files.
+* Added some perl script utility functions which are useful when
+ writing remote perl scripts that interact with a running copy of
+ FlightGear. Includes routines to facility remote control of data
+ logging and even some simple graph plotting.
+* Updates to OpenGC interface.
+* Various JSBSim updates.
+* Various YASim updates.
+* Various UIUCsim updates.
+* More work on the native multiplayer system.
+
+* Sorted out the confusion between left, right, and parking brakes
+ vs. the cockpit controls vs. the wheels they apply to.
+* Much infrastructure added to support future GPS instruments.
+* Fixed a meter/feet conversion problem in DME distance calculations
+ which would cause it to often read quite high.
+* Fixes to nmea output so it can better trick a moving map software
+ application into thinking it is talking to a real gps.
+
+* Fixed a subtle problem with our star database that has been lurking
+ for many years, but it took an astronomy expert to spot the subtle
+ misalignments.
+
+* Add support for Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, thrustmaster top gun
+ afterburner USB, Logitech WingMan Force 3D, Logitech Extreme 3D Pro
+ USB, and Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro joysticks.
+
+* Removed the old WeatherCM module (it can be resurrected from CVS if
+ any one ever wants to do that.)
+* Removed the NetworkOLK module (it can be resurrected from CVS if
+ any one ever wants to do that.)
+* Removed support for the PSL scripting language.
+
+
+New in 0.9.3
+* October 24, 2003
+
+* Added a flight "replay" system.
+* Many updates to the ATC and AI aircraft subsystem. (David Luff)
+* Add support for moving cloud layers.
+* New "symbolic" time of day dialog box for easily setting dawn, dusk,
+ noon, etc.
+* Aircraft are now each self contained in their own individual
+ subdirectories for easier end user addition and removal.
+* Many improvements to scene lighting throughout the day->night range
+ including more realistic sky and fog colors, more realistic scene
+ illumination, better dusk/dawn sky coloring, better specular
+ lighting support.
+* A nice new chase view has been added.
+* Added displaced thresholds on all runways that have them.
+* Updated default scenery for the KSFO area.
+* Many buildings and bridges added in the San Francisco area.
+* Updated airport and navaid database, many new taxiways, many
+ corrected runways, many new airports (especially outside the USA.)
+* Updates to the man page.
+* Better Win32 packaging (more standardized installer, plus a launcher
+ which allows selection of starting location and starting aircraft.)
+* Added an initial cut at modeling helicopters.
+* Support multiple inside the cockpit views.
+* Updated FlightGear Flight School tutorial.
+
+* Use the field elevation for GS when no specific altitude listed in
+ FAA/DAFIF data
+* Fix to translate DME and TACAN X/Y channels to paired VHF frequencies
+ correctly. Thanks to Jorge Van Hemelryck <ml@jvh.net> for the fix.
+* Fixes to runway search routines (didn't always work correctly under
+ some circumstances.)
+* Many fixes and updates to the autopilot. Autothrottle tracks speed
+ much better with much less jumping around.
+* Expose the tuned navaid via the property system to support building
+ more advanced avionics.
+* Improvements to the environment manager and gui's, more control over
+ turbulence, ability to specify boundary condition layers as well as
+ aloft condition layers.
+* JSBSim updates including a new turbine engine model that supports
+ things like starting and stopping procedures and thrust reversing.
+* UIUCsim updates (compiler warning and namespace conflict fixes.)
+* YASim updates (fix drag from shutdown engine, helicopter support,
+ better in air startup support.)
+* Support for "clock" instruments that operate independently of
+ computer system time.
+* Annunciators shouldn't work if electrical system not serviceable.
+* A few updated splash screens.
+* Added various fields to net_ctrls and net_fdm to include various
+ failures, faults, control surface positions, and other interesting
+ things.
+* A few updated joystick definition files.
+* Various keyboard mapping tweaks and changes.
+* Many updates and tweaks to default material properties and random
+ land cover objects.
+* Updated aircraft: 747, A320, T-38, A-10, B-52, F-104, Fokker 50,
+ Fokker 100, Piper Cub, P-51, UFO, YF-23, Ornithopter, A-4, C172,
+ and F-16
+* New Aircraft: J-22, Paraglider, SGS-126 Sailplane, ASW 20, and
+ AN-225 aircraft; Bell 206 JetRanger, CH-47 Chinook, and Ecureuil
+ AS-350 helicoptors.
+* Updated cloud textures.
+
+* Removed dependency on Metakit. The airport and runway databases are now
+ stored in a simple flat file ascii database.
+
+* FreeBSD, Solaris, MSVC, Irix, Mac OSX, cygwin, and mingwin fixes.
+
+
New in 0.9.2
-* June 4, 2002
+* June 4, 2003
* New aircraft available: P51-D (w/ full 3d cockpit), Sea Hawk
(WV908), a research ornithopter (propelled by actual flapping
projects / flightgear.git / blobdiff