It is possible that my recollection is incorrect and it was the TAW code that was promised to the guy who disappeared (he had what sounded like a very weird female name, iirc). But since our D.I.D forum is locked away, we can't go all the way back and verify not only who it was but who or what entity supposedly licensed it to him. This was well before the era in which Mark and others began to make some mods for TAW, reviving it well after the initial release.

It was TAW, and there were two separate occasions where people kicked off this process, otto2 in about 2002 and some belgian guy whose name escapes me right now (but wasn't anna) in 2005.

anna! That's right - that was TAW? Not sure whether that is good or bad news re EF2000's source code. Might still NOT be reported by those involved with it as irrevocably lost?

Well, you never know. These games are so much older now, so their value from a corporate point of view should have diminished significantly. For the 2002 attempt, I still have a copy of the draconian contract we were supposed to sign somewhere, although things fizzled out before we saw any code.

Having access to the source code without any supporting documentation doesn't really help as much as most people think. If someone is proficient enough in C++ to understand how it goes together, it would be quicker for them just to create a new game.

Yes, this is exactly why I'm raising the idea now - we might be able to open-source the code, without any agreements, or closed development teams (with vanishing leaders).

EECH was open-sourced early on and various people made some tweaks, work died down and then Arneh added the Hind cockpit, rocket dispersion and a bunch of features. The goal should really be to open-source it if we can. This might be helped along if we can get GOG (or someone else) to purchase the distribution rights.

We also wouldn't be trying to massively improve the code. One major benefit is if we could get better access to the data files (eg. for providing tweaked gameplay) and possibly build in some compatibility settings (if there are obvious ways). Having the code helps ensure that we can keep the program running for the next decade (and who knows? - it might be documented).

Avimimus, I totally agree. Please make it so.

One thing I would love to see even more than the voodoo emulation running under openGL (the current software version looks good enough and runs fast enough for me) is some form of mouse look so I can use TrackIR.

I posted the following over at vogons but got no response (probably because they didn't undestand the post. Note to self dont drink'n post!).

How feasible do you think this would be in light of the attempt started by Carl Kenner I referenced?

Unfortunately I don't know any C++ (only done a little Java) so I'm out of my depth here

Reading all this it's quite impressive what kind of progress has been made with getting SC and even the graphics+ update to run on a modern system. I really appreciate the efforts and your willingness to share your findings. Though I have to admit that I'm somewhat lazy to replicate all this in fear that it won't offer that much more than what I'm used to in relation to the work required to get there in the first place. I'm currently running the Win95 version of EF2000 V2.0, use Revive and a programmable joystick to map the buttons as I want. I have no issues at all, revive is good enough and I rarely use it anyway except for more detailed debriefs. Still a great game and I know the aircraft there inside out. The graphics+ update would be the main thing interesting me, albeit the software rendered only graphics are no show stopper for me, I'm used to it ever since I first played EF2000 anyway.

Great to see this topic resurrected.

I find it's much more fun messing about with these old games than playing anything currently produced. The beauty of EF2000 is that you decide which mission you want to fly, then within seconds you're flying it. You can almost fly an EF2000 mission in the time it takes IL2 CloD or ROF to load.

Hi mike! Agreed.
Any news on progress on a newer modded dosbox for EF2000 graphics+/Glide? The choppy sound tradeoff with performance is still a hurdle for me, using that completed one you linked us to a while back.

There are still some graphical issues, but the performance is excellent.

There is a precompiled version of dosbox if you want to give it a go....it would be interesting to hear if it works for you:
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/download.php?id=9037

Since I'm only interested in EF2000, I should really learn what to do to finish it off. How hard can it be?

Hmmm. When I try and start this version, I get ...failed to start because SDL.dll was not found."

OK, got that sorted out and am trying the exe in my already modded for EF2000 dosbox that you provided months ago. Yes - graphical issues...an understatement. But the performance is much improved and the stuttering sound seems to be gone. Alas, so are all my instruments! No inside the pit graphics, just the HUD and 3D world outside (which has some artifacts but not too bad and muzzy fuzzy looking but liveable except no instruments).

What settings are using in DOSBOX? Did you change anything from the modded version settings?

No, I didn't change any settings.

I get the same problem with instruments, but if I start a new mission they sometimes come back looking perfect.

Check out the last couple of pages of this thread:
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=25606&sid=838a7bd9097985e03c921b2262dfa000

My username over there is 'bored'. I've put some screenshots up so maybe you can compare them with what you see.

He seems to have broken the back of the work, and only some tidying up needs to be done....but he's gone into hibernation again.

Hi mike - I found that if I hit the Del/period numpad key . which displays the map, and then go back to the pit, the instruments usually reappear.

Another problem - it runs normally in (very small!) window mode. But "alt entering" to full screen, depending upon the resolution selected and perhaps one or more of the other graphics options in dosbox, I get either a much larger window that is offset from my full screen - displays about half or so of the sim. Or I get a full screen mode but the sim portion is reduced to fairly small proportions. I realize this is normally a factor of higher rez choices in dosbox, but it appears to be the only alternative to the offset larger window when I select "original" for the resolution, or a 640 low rez.

Holding out hope though.

OK - read your posts over there, and you see much the same graphical issues as I see. I do find that you can often stick with a mission not only with the Map view and back to normal pit view (sometimes must do this more than once), but sometimes you can excape the dreaded "all white" screen event also. Same approach using Map, but also alt entering back to the window mode.

Full screen is also prone to far view anomolies at the horizon or near there to. If irc, either that is absent in the window view, or just less noticeable due to the size of the "screen." I also see no textures when starting at an airbase, similar to the loss of jet skin that I bleieve you posted.

This is really tantalizing though. So close to a pixel-smoothed version of the sim! No antialiasing and the like of course, but still...

The point is that apart from the screen mode switching and some graphical problems, it's fast and stable. Thanks for confirming my findings.

Did you see his screenshot of EF2000 upscaled to a full screen window? Epic.

This and some Glide wrapper experiments with TAW have opened up a whole new world for me. The prospect of taking these open source projects and modifying them for specific games is very appealing. Just wish I didn't suck at C++.

Btw is there a pdf version of the EF2000 strategy guide available somewhere? I already though about creating some flight guide for the virtual EF2000, but I think that it may not be worth the effort these days, given the rather small number of people still flying this great sim.

I REALLY hope you do work on this! Wiull have to doublecheck on his fullscreen shot. I was not aware last night of it, although saw some thumbnails of various games - iirc in one of his posts. Is it one of those? And if so, does he have the same problems as we do in full screen? And just captured a moment when all was well?

Mark who used to post here quite a bit has made pdf copies for download. He now hangs out over at CombatSim, since all our historical posts on research for both EF and TAW was dumped from here (to be fair, because at a late date in all those years of posts there were some links to the TAW mod that does not require a purchase and could have legally endangered SimHQ)). So look in both the TAW and EF2000 forums at CombatSim and you should find him and/or links to a lot of useful items for EF2000 and DID
sims.

You could search here, in this General Forum - he may have posted about his stuff in the past year or so.