v813.4/5 Updates

Hi All

v813.4 & 5 were uploaded to the BETA and VR BETA channels recently. Work was focused on A/G weaponry. Updates included:

• AGM65 IR Maverick
• IRMAV MFD Display
• Target Lock
• Flight routine
• Launch FX
• STRS MFD Display
• HUD Displays
• IRMAV
• Cage/Uncage display
• A/G Guns & Rockets
• CCIP display
• Bombs
• CCIP offscreen indication, reflected cue
• Graphical 'tweaks'
• Cockpit mirror improvements

Bug fixes included:

• VR Pilot view black screen when using OpenVR/SteamVR
• Glitching cockpit shadows
• Flicker when using MFD containing a 3D Display

The next couple couple of minor updates (v813.6/7) will continue with A/G work. These will include:

• FLIR
• Heat based rendering rather than the current gray scale (which gets dark at night :) )
• HUD FLIR display
• with the 24hr rendering FLIR display becomes much more useful
• HARM
• HARM display of detected emitters/threats
• updated HARM flight code
• TDC (Target Designator Control)
• finalising TDC use and assignment between Radar MFD/ HUD/ IRMAV/ TPOD
• removal of target pod slew controls
• uses TDC when it is assigned to TPOD
• Weapon release tone
• enabled via TONE option in STRS
• volume set via rotary control on ACNIP panel
• Improved cockpit illumination
• AV8B cockpit updates

After the final A/G weapons/Avionics updates are released we'll move on to the v814 series updates which will add the in-mission tactical display. After that we're on to single missions.

Here are some screenshots of v813.4/5

Updated STRS (Stores) MFD display:

 IRMAV FLIR MFD display:

IRMAV locked:

Cockpit mirror reflection:

Cockpit glass reflection:

Gratuitous Shot of cockpit glass and helmet visor reflection:

Miscellaneous shots from v813.5 build:

v813.3

v813.3 is in the BETA channel now.

Main updates in this release are:

• A/A Radar updates
• Auto Acquisition modes
• Radar locks onto first target found, enters STT (Single Target Track) mode
• GACQ - Gun Acquisition
• radar scans HUD field of view
• WACQ - Wide Acquisition
• radar follows a wide scan pattern
• VACQ - Vertical Acquisition
• used in turning dogfights, radar scans forward and up
• BST - Boresight
• Radar points straight ahead
• A/A HUD updates
• A/A Gun symbology
• Gun Director Reticle
• displayed with radar lock
• AIM9 Symbology
• improved seeker code
• lock & launch without radar input
• SEAM mode ( Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode)
• AIM9 seeker nutates (wobbles) within an expanded forward view
• After lock is achieved the tone changes andce lock is
• NIRD display (Normalised In Range Display)
• A/A Radar MFD display updates
• Symbology updated for RWS,TWS,VSS and STT
• HUD RWR Threats
• display of current RWR threats on the HUD
• Improved HUD rendering
• Clearer display of HUD & HUD glass
• New controls added
• TMS FWD/AFT/LFT/RGT renamed to TDC (Target Designator Control)
• used to move the TDC cursor within the MFD radar display
• 
  
• TDC Select added
• used to select a target under the TDC cursor
• Cage/UnCage
• used to command AIM9 seeker caged straight ahead or free
• Undesignate
• breaks current lock
•  Sensor Select Switch
• In A/A master mode
• FWD
• Selects radar BST mode
• AFT
• Selects radar AACQ mode
• LFT
• Selects radar WACQ mode
• RGT
• Selects radar VACQ mode

• A/A Weapon Select Switch
• FWD
• Selects AIM9, radar BST mode
• AFT
• Select AIM9, SEAM mode
• LFT
• Select GUN, radar to GACQ mode
• RGT
• Select AIM120
• Bug fixes include
• distant terrain rendering issue
• AIM9 growl disabled in menus

Next update will address A/G HUD & MFD displays and weapon integration. This includes IR Mavericks, HUD symbology for CCIP, CCRP bomb release, ground target lock, A/G guns and rockets.

Beyond that the in-game tactical display will be added. This is a real-time extension of the current tactical display used in the mission planner.

Then we get into missions and the first of the campaigns.

Here are some screenshots from v813.3:

GUN Reticle with A/A lock

AIM9 SEAM Mode

AIM9 NIRD

RWR HUD Threats

v813.0

Thought I'd resurrect the blog again :)

v813.0 has been published to the BETA channel. This update has the full day/night sequence implemented. This is needed for the upcoming campaign mode as that runs minute by minute throughout the full 24 hour day. You'll be flying missions at various TOD and through transitions from light to darkness.

To model the day/night transition the atmospheric rendering has been massively improved. The pictures below show features such as:

• Accurate sky rendering due to atmosphere modelling
• Moon Display
• accurate rendering
• atmospheric fx during 'moon rise' & 'moon set' (red tinge)
• moon phases
• accurate orbital motion, speed
• Stars
• accurate rendering through atmosphere
• accurate motion
• Sun Display
• atmospheric attenuation
• Terrain/Objects 
• Generally improved environmental lighting from Sky rendering
• Improved aerial perspective (eg distant terrain and objects lighting, attenuation and in-scatter)

You can dynamically change the TOD during free flight & training missions so give that a go to see the update in action.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are ~50,000 words!: