Simviation Forum - FSX Demo has thermals !?

Aug 27^th, 2006 at 11:46am

Daube Offline
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Hi all,

I've just read on another forum that there are thermals in the demo of FSX. Those thermals can even be displayed via the menu (don't remember the path), they are shown by some kinf of 3D spiral (same kind of object as the green arrow for missions, I supposed), black because the textures are not there.

The info was confirmed by one of the ACES guys.

Did anybody tried thermal soaring in FSX ? The ACES guys gave no details at all on the modelling of those thermals...

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Reply #1 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 1:19pm

flyboy 28 Offline
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Jacksonville, FL

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The soaring mission is not available in the demo.

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Reply #2 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 1:23pm

RollerBall Ex Member

It's dead easy to add thermals anywhere you want in the FSX Demo or FS2004 using XML code and BglComp. There's a guy whose name I've forgotton who has made soaring sceneries for all over in FS2004 and they will work in FSX as well.

There is separate code for thermals and ridge lift so if you want you can make some quite interesting glider scenery.

If you make the thermals visible in FS2004 they show as blocks of transparent green in the positions you set them up to the the height you made each one. The idea is so you can get used to the idea of how to recognise the feel of a thermal and how to stay in them to gain height, just as you have to in real life.

Obviously they will be of special interest in FSX because of the new glider tow plane that will be in the sim.

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Reply #3 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 1:25pm

SkyNoz Offline
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Quote:

It's dead easy to add thermals anywhere you want in the FSX Demo or FS2004 using XML code and BglComp. There's a guy whose name I've forgotton who has made soaring sceneries for all over in FS2004 and they will work in FSX as well.

There is separate code for thermals and ridge lift so if you want you can make some quite interesting glider scenery.

If you make the thermals visible in FS2004 they show as blocks of transparent green in the positions you set them up to the the height you made each one. The idea is so you can get used to the idea of how to recognise the feel of a thermal and how to stay in them to gain height, jusy as you have to in real life.

Just curious Roller, are you a beta tester? You seem to know plenty more then any of us right now... lol? Grin

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Reply #4 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 1:34pm

RollerBall Ex Member

Quote:

Just curious Roller, are you a beta tester? You seem to know plenty more then any of us right now... lol? Grin

Nah - wish I was but I don't have a rig that would be up to it.

Thing is though, the XML scenery technology that was launched in FS2004 is directly transferrable to FSX and this is one of the things that you could do with it.

I put a thermal just to one side of the 'straight out' in an unpublished version of my Ipswich scenery. I have quite a few gliders in my hangar and it's great fun to use the map to 'winch launch' up to a 1000' just short of the thermal, head into it and climb to about 3000 feet. You can then fly all around the scenery making sure you head back into the thermal whenever you need to regain height, and then do a proper glider approach and landing (I've done a bit of gliding in real life).

Not everyone's cuppa tea but different and enjoyable. As we've said time and time again, there's something for everyone in this sim Wink

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Reply #5 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 1:37pm

RollerBall Ex Member

Anyone who knows how to use BGlcomp and wants to put some thermals around the Ipswich (UK) area, here's the XML code for ya.. Anyone else, if you read it you get the idea.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd" >

<SceneryObject
lat = "52.0261663592008"
lon = "1.21378176230876"
alt = "150.0" altitudeIsAgl = "TRUE"
pitch = "0.0"
bank = "0.0"
heading = "0.0"
imageComplexity = "VERY_SPARSE">
<Trigger type = "WEATHER" triggerHeight = "650.0">
<Vertex biasX="350.0" biasZ="350.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="350.0" biasZ="-350.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-350.0" biasZ="-350.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-350.0" biasZ="350.0"/>
<TriggerWeatherData type="THERMAL"></TriggerWeatherData>
</Trigger>
</SceneryObject>

<SceneryObject
lat = "52.0355"
lon = "1.21183"
alt = "275.0" altitudeIsAgl = "TRUE"
pitch = "0.0"
bank = "0.0"
heading = "0.0"
imageComplexity = "VERY_SPARSE">
<Trigger type = "WEATHER" triggerHeight = "790.0">
<Vertex biasX="550.0" biasZ="550.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="550.0" biasZ="-550.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-550.0" biasZ="-550.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-550.0" biasZ="550.0"/>
<TriggerWeatherData type="THERMAL"></TriggerWeatherData>
</Trigger>
</SceneryObject>

<SceneryObject
lat = "52.032"
lon = "1.21833"
alt = "250.0" altitudeIsAgl = "TRUE"
pitch = "0.0"
bank = "0.0"
heading = "0.0"
imageComplexity = "VERY_SPARSE">
<Trigger type = "WEATHER" triggerHeight = "750.0">
<Vertex biasX="450.0" biasZ="450.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="450.0" biasZ="-450.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-450.0" biasZ="-450.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-450.0" biasZ="450.0"/>
<TriggerWeatherData type="THERMAL"></TriggerWeatherData>
</Trigger>
</SceneryObject>

<SceneryObject
lat = "52.012167"
lon = "1.2290"
alt = "195.0" altitudeIsAgl = "TRUE"
pitch = "0.0"
bank = "0.0"
heading = "0.0"
imageComplexity = "VERY_SPARSE">
<Trigger type = "WEATHER" triggerHeight = "785.0">
<Vertex biasX="650.0" biasZ="650.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="650.0" biasZ="-650.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-650.0" biasZ="-650.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-650.0" biasZ="650.0"/>
<TriggerWeatherData type="THERMAL"></TriggerWeatherData>
</Trigger>
</SceneryObject>

<SceneryObject
lat = "52.004"
lon = "1.2860"
alt = "230.0" altitudeIsAgl = "TRUE"
pitch = "0.0"
bank = "0.0"
heading = "0.0"
imageComplexity = "VERY_SPARSE">
<Trigger type = "WEATHER" triggerHeight = "760.0">
<Vertex biasX="600.0" biasZ="600.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="600.0" biasZ="-600.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-600.0" biasZ="-600.0"/>
<Vertex biasX="-600.0" biasZ="600.0"/>
<TriggerWeatherData type="THERMAL"></TriggerWeatherData>
</Trigger>
</SceneryObject>
</FSData>

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Reply #6 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 7:23pm

tdragger Offline
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Posts: 9

Quote:

Hi all,

I've just read on another forum that there are thermals in the demo of FSX. Those thermals can even be displayed via the menu (don't remember the path), they are shown by some kinf of 3D spiral (same kind of object as the green arrow for missions, I supposed), black because the textures are not there.

The info was confirmed by one of the ACES guys.

Did anybody tried thermal soaring in FSX ? The ACES guys gave no details at all on the modelling of those thermals...

Yes. FSX has auto-generated thermals based on landclass, temperature and time of day.

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Reply #7 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 7:37pm

thebrelon Offline
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Quote:

Yes. FSX has auto-generated thermals based on landclass, temperature and time of day.

glad to see you posting at simV, Tdragger... you will enjoy that place, the best FS site.... welcome!!

and now, when will the beta be released?

txs

vince

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Reply #8 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 8:40pm

RollerBall Ex Member

Quote:

Yes. FSX has auto-generated thermals based on landclass, temperature and time of day.

Ahhh that's a big improvement then over the FS2004 XML 'scenery placed' thermals. Looking forward to that one. Presumably this will mean that the thermals will die away at night which of course they didn't with the original XML method.

That's a very nice touch.

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Reply #9 - Aug 27^th, 2006 at 9:25pm

Daube Offline
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Quote:

Yes. FSX has auto-generated thermals based on landclass, temperature and time of day.

Hi tdragger, glad to see you here.
In fact, I was talking about you in this post Wink

I was not aware of this new feature about the thermals auto-generation. That sounds absolutely great, thanks for the info, you just gave me one more good reason to buy FSX as soon as possible !

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Reply #10 - Aug 30^th, 2006 at 2:29pm

Moach Offline
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São Paulo, Brazil

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hi there, Tdragger, welcome to SimV Wink

lil´ question about them tow-planes,

will we be able to customize the tow-plane? as in making addons of different tow-plane models?

i´ve flown real sailplanes before so i´m really excited about the auto-thermals and towplanes Grin

this is gonna be a hoot!

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Reply #11 - Aug 30^th, 2006 at 2:59pm

Joe_D Offline
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landings are mandatory!"
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Yes, welcome tdragger.

It's great to hear the news about the thermals! Grin

I wonder if ridge thermals will be possible based on rock LC ridges etc?

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Reply #12 - Aug 30^th, 2006 at 3:04pm

JBaymore Offline
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tdragger,

Good to have you here at SimV. Thanks.

This kind of autogenerated air movement (based on world/weather dynamics) sounds VERY interesting. Has this concept been extended further into the weather engine? Can we expect other more realistic environmental effects that might impact flight dynamics / characteristics?

best,

.......................john

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