Hello Folks

I'm working on an open source combat flight simulation called SimuLab and pleased to announce that early technology demonstrator is available for download and test. Besides realistic flight dynamics and terrain based on real world height data, don't expect too much from the game right now. I'm the only developer of the project for now.

Screenshots accumulated during development:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43342833@N04/
Same Screenshots parked on the website:
http://cms.simtechnologies.de/screenshots.html
Download:
http://www.simtechnologies.de/pub/sl/release.exe

Installation:
1. Install Sun Microsystems JRE 1.6.++ http://www.java.com/de/download/manual.jsp
2. Unpack release.exe on a path without spaces ("My Documents" might be problematic)
3. start run.bat with doubleclick to start in gui mode
4. start simulab.bat to begin simulation

Usages:
1. In the gui, only configuration and exit buttons usable. Options of the config menue have no effect yet.
2. Joystick support in simulation: currently disabled (the next thing i address soon)
3. Arrow keys control pitch and roll
4. Comma and dot control rudders
5. "A" and "Y" control thrust
6. "B" should control brake
7. "F" should control flaps (cycles 3 positions from fully retracted to fully extended)
8. Click and drag mouse to change view orientation
9. Wheel mouse controls the "zoom" (culling frustum view angle)
10. "C" cycles pre-defined camera locations mounted on the aircraft
11. "W" toggles wire frame mode of terrain presentation
12. "D" controls terrain model quality
13. "ESC" leaves simulation

Key Features:
1. Multi-Plattform: works with Windows 32bit, Linux 32bit (tested with XP SP3, Vista and Ubuntu 9.04, 9.10)
2. Java Based, technologies: Java3D, JOAL, JInput, Batik
3. (still) native flight simulation engine also in use with FlightGear (the JSBSim)
4. CLOD Terrain Optimizing Engine
5. Real World height data from SRTM GTOPO 30 v.4 Dataset (world height data packed qualityloss in 13GB)
6. Commercial models for most aircraft and some vehicles consdered for use (model protection must be implemented)
7. Aircraft performance described in XML format (very accessible)
8. SVG Renderer for GUI (entire gui is implemented in XML + JavaScript). If you can paint with inkscape or Aodbe AI + have JavaScript skills, you can do anything from styling to additional features in the GUI without touching base application.
9. Visual model from F-16D (my old model)
10. Flight dynamics from F-22A (so don't wonder about performance :D)
11. Database modelling 95 aircraft, Indian, Pakistani aund USAF Europe Airforces
12. Serial Numeber for all AFs listed above

Planned Features:
1. Multiplayer also with copilot mode (pilot + wso mode for example)
2. Toolset for experimenting with avionics, performance, engines etc.
3. Configurable avionics assets
4. possibility to program guidance logic for guided missles
5. full freedom of movement (you can leave aircraft, try yourself as FAC etc.)
6. Carrier operations
7. Realistic, NATOPS-based F/A-18C/D simulation as initial aircraft (after this stage, any aircarft should be model-able)
8. Multy-Crew aircaft modelling (f.e. AWACS)
9. Carrier operations, also with under-deck operations, mission planning rooms for online preflight breefings
10. community integration consisting from PHP/MySQL based server (any virtual squad may have own host) with integration into application gui for modelling virtual squad operation schedule, awards, mission history and so on
11. Extensive campaign logistic, personal and finite aircraft, personnel, weapon ressources
12. ground units integration (control SAM site f.e.)
13. artifical intelligence (my primary interest and focus on release 2 or 3)
14. weighted network play mode based on UDP and multicasting


This message is also a call for help: Modellers, Skinners and OF COURSE programmers asked to join the project and make the planned feature list reality. Skills required for programmers (at least one):
- Java (Multithreading skills desired)
- C++ and C (temporary reqirement)
- C# (questionable but may be desicussed)
- JavaScript + SVG/XML (the gui part)
- PHP + MySQL (no html and javascript here, pure JSON service)

Regards
Paul aka "Outlaw" admin AT simtechnologies.de

Hi Outlaw, is this intended to be a FlightSim like FS or a Combat Flight Sim?

It is a military simulation.

Sounds promising. Will be keeping an eye on this. Keep up the good work!

Impressive, great work. I have always wanted to make a flight simulator, but currently I am developing a ship simulation. I am more of a C++ programmer, but I do Java for my dayjob.
Just curious, why the choice of Java for the code?
Anyway, I look forward to seeing more development on this project.

Hello gtdelarosa,

why Java? Superior performance, language features, libraries, profiling tools, static code analysis tools, superior IDEs (both NetBeans and Eclipse), ultra simple build process, simple library interop. All in all i have better control of performance and greater maintainability of the code base.

I know, "superior performance" tangents mainstream opinion, but my point is: having to care of large code base, you need clean syntax which just prevents you from producing unmaintainable stuff. Have you seen MiG Alley, Comanche Hokum or Falcon4 code?
MiG Alley: template classes realized via macros, mixed with assembler, macros for producing bit arrays
Comanche Hokum: type casting written in C, huge share of copy/paste code
Falcon 4: very messy code base, funky macro use

Which projects have used profiling for trimming performance? Which code based remained maintainable?

The primary intention behind .NET and Java is to create stable and simple platform which allows you to create huge software packages and keep them both maintainable and stable at execution time.

As for the performance: tuned & trimmed Java code is fast or even faster then untuned C++ code. Before i launched the SL devlopment, i ran some of my own performance comparison tests of Java vs. C++ in use cases of matrix computations. Java won against CPU specific and optimized C++ builds (both g++ and MSVS).

Sure, overall performance of java programs will consume more memory, is slower on startup and so on. On the other hand we have code base which is more flexible and maintainable. This is actually exactly the same discussion as in the 80ies as the C came up against assembler. As the story goes, C won the competition due better suitability for large scale projects. Java and .NET is the next iteration of the same development improvement process: more stability, more readability and distinct syntax at price of performance.

I programmed pretty much with C++ and C and 1 1/2 years ago changed my mind and got in love with Java . I also prefer C# syntax over Java (unmanaged blocks, overloaded operators), but the libraries available for .NET are far from Java availability and limitation to MS platform is huge minus.

For myself i noted, that with Java + NetBeans i reach the greates productivity. It just feels good .

Regards
Paul

W O W!!!!

I see the times for Hardcore-simmers are getting better!!!!




I have one wish for christmas... please leave modelling the F-18 and model a F-14 instead. She deserves it....



blue_plasma

Yes, I have seen the Mig Alley and Hokum code but I have never been able to find the Falcon4.0 source. And you are right, they are a horrible mess, unmaintainable and non-extensible, but that is mostly due to their being written in C with no object-orientation, generic programming techniques, or design patterns. I always strive to write code with those characteristics in my own projects and this can easily be done in C++ without having to go all the way to Java or C#. And I have always heard that C++ is faster than Java but I have never tested that for myself. Also, Direct3D is my API of choice and I think it is much more robust than Java3D but I could be wrong.

However, if you like Java then that's great, all the more power to you. I find it interesting to see a whole flight sim written in that language and I imagine it makes cross-platform development a breeze compared to C++.

I like your website too, it's very good, I especially like the way you provide the UML for the whole application, that's a nice feature.

Thank you for kind words, gtdelarosa! I forgot to mention, that SL is already OS independent: MS 32 Bit (2000, XP, Vista) and Linux 32 Bit (Ubuntu 9.04, 9.10) systems have been tested so far with success.

Java3D is pretty old, but it has clean specs provided and implemented by Sun supported group. It works with 5 threads and they are fine tuned. I also have the J3D code base in my project and plan to extend or modify it as needed.

F4 source is frustrating as well: not so clean design, mixed with assembler, partially procedural (C) and yes, very buggy (i have only the original 1.18 base).

I actively use profiling with my sim: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43342833@N04/3992130465/sizes/l/ . And have actually pretty expensive dependency on native aerodynamics library (JSBSim, also in use with FlightGear). I allready tried to port it to Java but messed up the memory management. In JSBSim you will find all possible kinds of overloaded operators.. "=" and "->" killed my first porting attmept. Later i will try a workaround with C# which supports at least som of the operators. The MSIL produced from C# is in turn automatically portable to Java bytecode and then decompile-able to java code. Long way to get the thing done .

Kind regards
Paul

Nowdays Java applications can be compiled to native code. I gave a try to Excelsior Jet and produced faster application with lower memory impact. No more JRE dependency, runs ot of the box (Windows ONLY):
--------------- The setup package requires additional DLLs and dependencies, this download won't run on your PC for now -------------------------
http://www.simtechnologies.de/pub/sl/release_win.exe

Paul,

Your example is a jet, but I'm assuming you have no issues with prop based planes..

I know of an existing Mod team that are at present looking to move from their existing sim engine to one run by a more open minded developer.. A developer sympathetic to the bomber air war of the WWII era.

Their interest is accurate simulation of the bomber crews experience... not just the pilots but everyone on board.

Their primary skill set is 3d and 2d but once established could if the situation arises lay their hands on a couple of coders.

They have existing 3d models, in various stages of development from the Lancasters, B17s, B24s, targets such as the Bismark, subpen etc..
Their goal would be to populate the theatre with objects and work alongside the sim engine developer to develope the next step forward in online combat flight simulation.

Would you find any of this of interest to yourself ?

Regards

Simon

I'm with Simon/Bomber_T4T!

I see in your future plans Outlaw, a need for PHP/MySQL assistance. What areas would you need covered?

Wow Outlaw78, i've been following this project since it was publicly announced for the first time, and I'm really impressed that you were able to put up something like this so fast! I find the choice to build it with Java and thus to make it run on all the different platforms is just wonderful. Since I saw this early presentation, I'm sure this project will be able to play in the top league of simulations one day, I wish you and all the other people involved in Simulab project good luck!

Best regards,
bwRavencl

The Simulab will feature fully integrated community area. The community area will enable Simulab to move virtual fighter wing/squadron live INTO the sim. The community area can present any required aspects: High Score List, Top Gun Ladder, Flight Schedule, Squadron News, Internal Forum, Personal Messages, the squadron CO may assign special roles to his pilots, honour them with custom achievment ribbons and so on. The gui itself can be styled according to the squardon mate taste etc. etc.

This feature requires central communication platform and asynchronous messaging. I decided to implement this part as PHP/MySQL webservice. Most VFS probably have some hosted solution where they could install the required components. The squad member now only have to provide correct URL and he gets the news, flight plans, private messages and so on at any time he gets online.

Feature layout:
Server Side:
PHP/MySQL application, which accepts GET requests and responses with JSON data structures
Client Side:
Desktop simulator which renders SVG based gui scripted with JavaScript. JS makes AJAX calls, evals recieved data and draws required parts in the gui.
Feature State:
I implemented basic proof of concept with a GUI screen initiating AJAX request against local host as well as a very basic PHP/MySQL server app, which reads some data from database converts the information int JSON and returns to the client.
Many widgets like table, input fields, buttons already implemented

Skills required:
PHP, Javascript, SVG+XML (Inkscape or Adobe AI for drawing)

Thank you for your kind words, bwRavencl!

Java offers best FREE static code analysis and performance evaluation and refactoring utilities. I noticed for my self, that i reach the highest productivity with Java. This is the explanation of the choice. I would love to see the development advancing faster. For now i'm the only developer and the time i can put into the project is very rare. I plan and program the simulab almost exceptionally on my long daily trips to the office. Thus means 41-42 hours per month.

Simulab needs more developers!

Hello Simon,

i have no plans to limit the sim just to the modern era . The flight dynamics engine supports already prop and turboprop aircraft modeling with any given number of engines. The aircraft performance data is stored on XML files (i.e. editable with notepad), flight performance values are exported to CSV and can be analyzed with Excel.

Simulab supports scenery for the entire earth (13GB height data). This raw material should be skinned either with dedicated or procedural textures, the terrain needs buildings, airports, airfields and so on and so on. Of course we need skilled modelers for this tasks. And i would be happy to see advances in this area.

The only problem i see for the moment: the application itself misses currently many required features and their implementation will proceed very slowly!

We need:
1. Animation tool you can use to load up the model and animate it OR export plugin for Max or Blender (skeleton animation, not frame based)
2. Proper coordinate system conversion from Lat/Lon to Grid tile to load into the sim and vice versa
3. Scenery editor (god mode for going around and dropping buildings :D)

Multiple crew in the same aircraft flying online is on of my PRIMARY interests in the development. The network play will be the next topic i address (all requirements and considerations already stepped through my mind).

The most missed feature in the sim for now: good looking gui and with all the views required for configuration and so on. In simulab, it's an artist task. You can draw the views with inkscape, Adobe AI or any other vector based drawing tool capable of SVG export. I'm programmer and bad designer, it would be a pity to have a poor gui with all the capabilities the program already offers for drawing.

Currently i try to provide the configuration view for the sim. SL can map any given application event to any keyboard OR controller key OR axis, but there is no ready configuration view for this! Very frustrating.

Well it sounds like you have a Mod team then...

http://target4today.co.uk/

First task for me will be to ensure clear lines of communication... once bitten twice shy on that subject

A developement forum is required.

In the past T4T has had 20+ contributors... we're a lot reduced in numbers at present, as a mod leader it's like herding cats sometimes, take your eye off the ball and they're off doing other things.

I do however expect that a fair few are waiting in the wings for a new sim engine.

Regards

Simon

I just installed the BB plugin in my Joomla! based CMS. Register yourself on cms.simtechnologies.de I will grant you admin privileges.

I've just seen this!

I'll download the demo later, but I have a quick question:

How are you handling (or plan to handle) events going on outside the immediate vicinity of the player?
For instance, in a campaign you might have a tank battle going on 200 miles away. To simulate this properly, each tank needs access to the terrain database but you're hardly likely to have the whole terrain in memory at the same time.

Thanks Paul,

Wow... I've just seen your web site..... is that a co-incidence or what ?

You and Mekgp have got to talk website stuff..

Regards

Simon