http://membres.lycos.fr/zzozo2/simu/X-Plane-movie-take-2.mov

http://membres.lycos.fr/zzozo2/simu/X-Plane-movie-take-1.mov

HI EVERYBODY!
 
OK, I have finished re-writing X-Plane's entire  
file-reading-and-writing system from the inside out to be faster,  
smaller, and tighter, turningthe file i-o system from a big spongy  
Cadillac into a tight little Ferrari! Where we used to have many  
different types of file i-o systems, we now have ONLY ONE TYPE:  
Memory-maps: the fastest and shortest and smallest and tightest file  
i-o we can devise.
 
As well, I have made much more of the code object oriented, and moved  
many more variables to be local, const, and private... making it  
impossible for them to be corrupted by mistake. This is the equivalent  
of a tight new suspension: No chance for any play or slop or error!  
Even though you will not SEE a big difference in the sim, the code is a  
bit SMALLER AND FASTER TO LOAD, with lots less chance for anything to  
go wrong.
 
Of course, there are TONS of new features as well, but the BIG news  
here is what you CAN'T see: Incorruptable variables streamed through a  
small, hi-speed file i-o system.
 
Now, with a whole new chassis inside the frame, we need to test-drive  
this thing hard, so X-Plane 8.20 is now ready for  
"DOUBLE-SECRET-PROBATION-BETA-TESTING"!
 
Here's what "DOUBLE-SECRET-PROBATION-BETA-TESTING" means: I do NOT want  
to do a public beta yet.. I only want to hand the beta out to a good  
handful of beta-testers that will NOT share it with anyone else, but  
still test the sim carefully to make sure everything is running at  
100%.
 
SOOOOOOO here is how we will handle this... I want to test the MAC  
version FIRST, then do windows once the mac version is a bit  
well-tested. So, if you are a MAC user and want to do  
double-secret-probation-testing, JUST EMAIL ME TELLING ME THAT, AND  
TELL ME WHAT FEATURE OR FEATURES YOU WANT TO TEST. If you are on a Mac,  
and list a feature or two that I want to see tested, then I will email  
you the 8.20 beta installer... just run it like you would the installer  
at x-plane.com, and point the installer at your 8.17 folder if you want  
to make it a really fast download, since the installer will only grab  
the new files it needs to upgrade your 8.17 folder to 8.20 beta 1.
 
So, if you think you have what it takes to be a  
double-secret-probation-tester, email me now and I will give you the  
mac installer! (i'll just email it to you... it's only a meg or so)
 
 
NOW, here's whats new for 8.20, besides the new variable and file  
systems:
 
The Big Features:
 
Completely overhauled variable-storage andf file-io systems designed to  
be more robust, fast, error-proof, and RAM-efficient.
You will not really SEE this, except in faster load-times, and faster  
loading of objects, preferences, situation files,
situation-movie files, FDR-file, logbooks, and everything else you  
could ever load! And you will have some small RAM savings too.
 
You can now GRAB AND MOVE ALL THE COCKPIT CONTROLS WHEN THE COCKPIT IS  
IN 3-D MODE!
This applies to EVERY plane, whether the basic "default" 3-D panel, or  
you have a fancy custom cockpit!
How do you do this? Go to the joystick screen and set the joystick  
buttons to pan the 3-d cockpit around... and choose a different button  
to center it.
Then, hit those joystick  buttons to look around the cockpit...
Then, while doing so, use the mouse button to click on controls! Cool!
Of course, you can also hit "Control-O" to look around the cockpit with  
the MOUSE, but that makes clicking pretty tricky, as you will see! ;-)
As well, the full 1024x1024 panel can be used in 3-D cockpits, even if  
the sim is only in 1024x768 resolution!
 
Choose slung load OBJECTS in the Weight and Balance screen by choosing  
a Slung Load Object!
The object format now has a label called "slung_load_weight"... see the  
EXAMPLE PLANE for an example.
So now, you can design slung load objects with any textures and shape  
you like, and any weight you like!
Then, just attach them to the craft in the Weight and Balance screen!
You can store your slung load objects anywhere you like in the X-System  
folder, and name them anything you like...
The same folder as the aircraft itself is a handy, and recommended,  
location.
Specify the Slung Load Attach Point in the Weight and Balance screen in  
Plane-Maker.
How much weight can you lift in a Blackhawk, or drag behind you into  
the air in a Boeing 777?
 
You can now change the Autopilot and Artificial Stability system  
constants WHILE YOU FLY!
Do this and watch the control deflections that result as you fly along!  
Cool!
Access the various windows for this in the Special Menu.
 
In the various WINGS screen in Plane-Maker, you can hit a little  
checkbox to tune the planform of each wing!
This lets you get all your little wingtip and curved wings and stuff  
without having to link together a bunch of litle wings.
 
 
 
New Instruments:
 
Thermometer to show atmospheric temperature WITHOUT considering  
compression heating.
(Unlike the default thermometer which is affected by the compression  
and resultant heating of the air hitting the plane)
...As well, set the custom limits of the thermometers in the "Custom  
Limits" window in Plane-Maker to get them scaled as you like.
 
Afterburner level: Put the burners on lo or hi with this switch, found  
in the "Engine" folder in Plane-Maker.
 
Generator power switch for APU... let the APU have a generator to power  
electrical systems, or not.
 
New buttons in Plane-Maker: Magneto switches!
Turn the left and right mags on and off with switches, like in the  
Piper Malibu.
 
Engine fire extinguisher button... Hit it to put out those pesky  
smoking engine fires.
Of course, once you've hit it, don't plan on getting any power out of  
that engine!
 
 
 
 
Flight-Model Enhancements:
 
Refined Reciprocating Engine model... The engine DRAG is what we are  
really tweaking here to get the power-OFF descents just right.
 
Seaplane water dynamics improved to understand the "slicing" effects of  
v-hulls thru the water.
 
Manifold Pressure and Fuel Flow tweaks now done to be a bit more  
accurate, based on Cirrus flight-testing.
 
More accurate indicated airspeed at high altitudes and Mach numbers...  
the TRUE airspeeds and Mach numbers remain un-changed,
but we now have a more accurate airspeed INDICATOR model that considers  
the compression on the pitot tube due to compression effects
as you approach the speed of sound, as airliners do.
 
Zone of confusion! Huh?
In a 10-degree wide cone over the VOR you will not get any signal from  
the VOR, just as in the real plane!
 
Specify the minimum prop governor RPM now in the Engines screen in  
Plane-Maker!
(No, you do NOT enter 0 here if the prop feathers... you enter the RPM  
achieved when the prop is pulled as far back as you can WITHOUT  
feathering it).
 
More realistic downwash modeling... small things like antennae, for  
example, will NOT create too much downwash on large things like wings.
You should be able to have plenty of large wings and small antennae  
without creating any flight model problems.
As well, PARTIAL-ELEMENT downwash is now simulated, where only PART of  
a wing element is in the downwash of the wing in front of it.
This takes Blade-Element-Theory modeling up to a new level, as we break  
the model down to even little PARTS of elements.
 
Better Biplane-Interference modeling... We even handle biplane VERTICAL  
STABILIZERS now! (uhhh.. if you ever have one).
 
You can now specify whether weapons are external or internal stores in  
Plane-Maker, to get them tucked inside with zero drag
on the B-1 and planes like that, and external on planes like an F-16.
 
Auto-Flaps-Near-Stall option in Plane-Maker now better: The flaps  
deploy at the speed specified in Plane-Maker, and near the stall,
and still deploy if you lower the flap handle as well, so the actual  
flap deployment will the be the maximum of the flap-handle request
and the flaps needed to help avoid a stall... limited by the flap-motor  
speed as specified in Plane-Maker.
 
 
Speed Improvements:
 
Scenery-loading should be faster because X-Plane now only loads  
textures when they are needed in flight, lowering load times.
The texture-loading has been made as fast as possible, making the  
load-time in flight very minimal... try it out!
Now here is where it gets REALLY good: If you have TWO processors, or a  
DUAL core, then the SECOND CPU will load textures
while the FIRST CPU runs the simulator! Therefore, you can load scenery  
and fly at the SAME TIME, really lowering scenery-load pause times.
(Hint: to get the fastest load times from DSF, shut off roads and  
objects.)
 
Object-loading is now faster... up to 10x faster for really really  
LARGE objects.
 
Even faster real-weather scan by over 40%!
 
 
 
 
Visual Enhancements:
 
Better HUD and runway lighting effects in bright-light (daytime)  
conditions.
 
Reduced-res textures (if you do not have the Extreme Res" rendering  
option) are now reduced via linear instead of nearest filtering.
This looks better.
 
Texture Compression! This may improve your framerate, but it may not.
It may let you run at higher texture resolution, getting crisper  
graphics.
Your OGL card must support this.
 
Graphics in the Data Output screen automatically scale to maximize  
visibility of the variables THAT YOU HAVE SELECTED.
This is used by the National Test Pilots School for data acquisition  
and training!
As well, open the Data Output Screen on second (or third or fourth etc)  
computer that is set up as an "External" anything
and check the data you wish to see, and then go to the "Data See" tab  
to watch the data come across in real-time as you fly!
(NOTE: For some of the more obscure data selections, you may need to  
select that data for output to the IP address of the External machine  
from the master machine)
 
Stratus cloud layers can now be any thickness.
This lets you do West-Coast style IFR, where you go into a layer of  
some thickness, and then pop our right on top exactly where you  
expect...
unlike the Cumulus overcast you find in the SouthEast, where the tops  
are variable by 10,000 feet on summer days.
 
 
 
General Enhancements:
 
LOTS of autopilot tuning to fly LOTS better.
The default constants should work pretty well for a very wide variety  
of planes...
Try those default constants if your plane does not handle to well on  
autopilot now with custom constants.
The whole new autopilot customization theory is now much better  
thought-out and organized...
The constants now make more sense, give you more control, and have less  
modifications performed by the sim
so that what you ENTER is exactly what you GET in the sim.
As well, the auto-throttles are a bit smarter now: They will not bust  
your N1 or EPR or RPM limits as set in the Limits tab in the Engines  
screen in Plane-Maker.
 
 
All the runway lights lights phase out smoothly as you fly off-axis and  
out of their visible cone, as in reality.
The propeller rendering is a bit different for any failed engines that  
are windmilling to give a visual indication of a failed engine.
(This is something that you would be able to feel in the real plane,  
and possibly see as well, depending on the conditions).
 
New tab in the Engine screen in Plane-Maker to set the color of each  
arc, if you like.
 
New options in Special Controls screen in Plane-Maker:
-Auto rudder deflection on engine failure.
-Auto-stabilizer-deflection with flaps.
 
X-Plane should be more robust at finding real-weather to download even  
if the NOAA is putting up 0-size files for the current weather, as they  
do sometimes.
 
Plane-Maker: "Make Ellipse" button under each body section to get a  
quick round section.
 
Landing Gear screen in Plane-Maker: Specify the wheel separations in  
both the lateral and longitudinal directions for multi-wheel trucks.
This lets you tune the gear for the 777, C-5, or whatever other plane  
you are modeling.
 
Choose the frequency to output data to both the disk output and the  
internet UDP output in the Data Output screen.
 
The IOS has a new option: Show Basic Flight Instruments.
This lets the instructor see what the student is doing in real-time...  
kind of nice.
 
Support for the Garmin GPS-3 pilot... Try it out if you have one and  
let me know how it goes.
 
X-Plane will now do physics calculations with multiple hard polygons -  
straddle a Helicopter between two roofs if you can!
 
Better syncing of External Visuals to the Master Machine... allows for  
smoother external visuals in the really big multi-machine setups.
 
Marker Beacons are now fully displayed on the map.
 
Click on the map to place a compass rose on an airport or NAVAID or  
anything you like...
and then the specs for that airport, NAVAID, or fix will appear in the  
upper-right of the map!
 
FMS/autopilot interaction tweaked a bit to be more accurate.
 
Many aircraft tweaked and refined a bit, especially the B-2 and the  
National Aerospace Plane...
Can you get the B-2 around the Country? Can you get the NASP to a  
stable orbit? I can!
 
You can now label the Misc Bodies in Plane-Maker so you can easily see  
what all those little misc bodies are in Plane-Maker.
 
Replay mode is now accessible through Map screen... it's kind of cool  
to watch your little plane creep across the map replaying a flight you  
just flew!
 
More information is tracked in the situation movies, situation files,  
replayed flights, and external cockpits...
much of it being increased detail for FAA-certification.
 
Hit "control-x" to leave little "markers" in your data output graphs...  
the National Test Pilot's School wants this to mark when various  
manuevers were performed,
and you can use it too!
 
New Artificial Stability option: Deflect pitch surface with alpha.
Choose this option and the pitch controls (elevator or stabilator) will  
track the angle of attack of the airplane,
naturally-stabilizing a Canard configuration.
This will work best for an all-moving stab, so the surface can really  
track the wind.
 
Enter your callsign for ATC to use in Plane-Maker, Viewpoint screen, if  
you like.
Even though your plane might be a Cirrus SR-22, and the ICAO code might  
be SR-22, every controller on the planet will just call you "Cirrus"...
Enter that in the new "call-sign" box.
 
 
Really Tiny Enhancements:
 
Custom Cockpits, and weapons, show on OTHER planes than yours now.
Rendering Option to lock the Master Machine to a forwards-only view or  
not.
You can now control the rotor pitch by UDP on helos.
Up to... ummm... 99 blades per propeller now allowed. Set in the  
Engines Screen in Plane-Maker.
3-decimal precision in texture-coordinate selection lets you get  
texture-selection to the pixel.
The chronometer in the King-Air gets the date exactly right.
Default texture regions in the Visual Texture Regions editor are now  
tweaked a hair to match the Instructions texture perfectly.
All the direct trim-control axis with joystick are now fully  
auto-scaled to perfectly match the trim authority of each individual  
aircraft.
The Custom Digital Limits screen in Plane-Maker now applies to the  
digital fuel gages as well.
If you have the speedbrakes set up as a joystick axis, then you get  
infinitely-variable control whether in a glider or not.
OK, fine. The little yaw string hangs DOWN now when there is no  
airspeed.
Engines have to spin at least 25% N1 to keep the pressurization system  
going.
QuickTime movies auto-scale for you so the image is never distorted...  
the aspect ratio always matches your resolution.
 
 
Bug-Fixes:
 
Real-Time-Tracking-Offset in Time window changes local but not zulu  
time.
"!" key disconnects the autopilot.
ITT responds to fuel-flow only when the engine is actually running.
Old v-7 panels can handle higher-than-standard res.
Autopilot does NOT auto-set the heading whenever you engage it unless  
your plane lacks any sort of autopilot setting bug.
Tail-wheel lock operative.
All types of clouds should be synced across external visuals... Let me  
know if you can find a case where they are not.
You can now grab all the throttles and props with the mouse just by  
clicking in the center of the group even at hi resolutions.
Localizer back-course now has non-reversed deflection when the BACK  
COURSE autopilot button is hit.
More graphics features work on more video card.
Old Version-7 scenery works more like it USED to... with no impact on  
Version-8 scenery, thus giving the same terrain and no "floating  
roads".
IMPORTANT NOTE! HELOS WITH CCW MAIN ROTORS WILL HAVE TO FLIP THEIR TAIL  
ROTORS TO A LATERAL HEADING OF -90, NOT 90, TO GO IN THE RIGHT  
DIRECTION!
THIS IS NEEDED FOR THE MIN AND MAX TAIL-ROTOR PITCH AND THE TAIL-ROTOR  
CAMBER TO BE RIGHT FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS!
 
 
 
austin