Saab 340A Release Info

[Cameron]

Goran or Theo-

Do any of the displays use plugin/vector graphics? Just curious. I have just started poking into vector displays, and I'm curious who else is doing it.

There is plug-in interaction with the displays.

They are NOT using vector.

[ARTIK]

Your displays looks "vector like" already in Sundowner & Dutches - crisper than CRJ's... Your cockpits sets the highest possible standard in X-Plane IMO ! Still waiting for your Saab...

regards

arti   

[Goran_M]

Wow, thanks. 

I sure hope the Saab lives up to expectations.

We've had some great feedback so far.

[flyinhawaiian]

Wow, thanks. 

I sure hope the Saab lives up to expectations.

We've had some great feedback so far.

The CRJ is certainly going to be a benchmark to aim for!  Along that front, are you all going to try and optimize the Saab to take advantage of multi-core systems like the CRJ, or have you been able to work the aircraft so the framerates are high out of the box?

[Ben Russell]

The Saab is based around Gizmo. There is no multi-core optimisation for the parts of Gizmo they're using.

Or perhaps you'd like to wait an extra year? mmm? Seriously dude. That's twice I've caught you at this now.

[flyinhawaiian]

The Saab is based around Gizmo. There is no multi-core optimisation for the parts of Gizmo they're using.

Or perhaps you'd like to wait an extra year? mmm? Seriously dude. That's twice I've caught you at this now.

Whoa there big-guy... caught me at what?  I asked a question to see how it worked.  Not sure where the harm is in that...

[Ben Russell]

Customer expectations. -sighs-

The CRJ does some very interesting things with a whole suite of very interesting software. vasFMC, etc.

The Saab is based around an entirely different suite of software, being Gizmo.

vasFMC's aim in life is to be, well, an FMC. It's good to see it go modular and embeddable at last.

Gizmo's aim in life is to unlock X-Plane from the hands of elitist programmers and arcane, horrible, taxing, boring, horendously over-burdended C.

It aims to let you express your systems ideas as quickly as possible.

We don't write web pages and DHTML in C/C++ or even Java applets, we use JavaScript and DOM, or Flash.

For the record, there are parts of Gizmo that are multi-threaded, scripters in general don't know or care which parts.

I would like to eventually add a facility where Gizmo scripters can;

A: Draw using a nice friendly graphics API to a texture in RAM that in a way that can be threaded. This would be similar to what the CRJ does. (I think... not sure on the gory tech details tbh.)

B: Provided dedicated "worker thread" spawning api's with as many useful tools exposed as possible so that scripters can be artistic and push Gizmo and its facilities in ways I've not anticipated.

The reality is that it's relatively slow progress. I've got a new job and I'm trying to rack up as many hours as I can to prove worthy to the management -and- save my a$$ off.

So while the CRJ has just blown the lid off the the benchmarks for X-Plane, please do not simply assume that every product is going to hit that mark in the same ways.

I'm doing what I can, when I can, to make Gizmo as potent as possible in every way. It's pretty much the only I.T. work I do anymore.

I'm working a boring as hell "freight" job to pay for it too.

On the upside, I don't need a Gym membership.

It's 00:21 here, the end of my day, apologies if I'm worn a little thin here and there. Opinions are my own. Bla bla bla.

Can't speak for the performance of the Saab, haven't flown it.

[flyinhawaiian]

Not a problem Ben, I more than understand.  That was an excellent explanation and and made a lot of sense.  That said, I can't wait to also experience the Saab and its systems in the same way I was excited for the CRJ.  What you all do with 1s and 0s I will probably never understand, but the end result never ceases to amaze me.

As for your workplace woes, I can relate more than you know.  Before I moved here to Florida for flight school, I worked 3 jobs totaling to around 80 hours/week as well as was in the middle of finishing my instrument airplane rating.  My nerves and patience was frayed beyond all belief, and like you, I certainly didn't need the gym membership from all the running around (and working a warehouse job) either.

Best of luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've accomplished.

-Jeff

[Ben Russell]

To quote the late, great, Randy Pausch;

"The brick walls are there to keep the other people out... the ones who don't want it bad enough."

Congrats on smashing through at least some of your own.  8)

I look forward to my own break-through parties.

[flyinhawaiian]

Let me know when you do, I'll be happy to raise a toast with you

[Goran_M]

Jeff, we all love Ben.  He's full of character.

I can tell you that I have gotten feedback from a select few people and they have given me very positive feedback on the Saab.  In appearance, flight model, systems modelling and performance.

However, it's very different to the CRJ (obviously) in many ways.  

In any case, we're confident people will enjoy it.

The manuals will be available to download soon and you'll get to see everything that's in it.

It's testament to how powerful Gizmo really is.  And we're still only scratching the surface.

[woweezowee]

I'm really looking forward to it, even ordered the video I linked to a few days ago

[ARTIK]

Goran, do you need any basic help in sound editing (looping, filtering)? Do you use Gizmo sound?

arti

[Goran_M]

Goran, do you need any basic help in sound editing (looping, filtering)? Do you use Gizmo sound?

arti

Sent you an email.

[woweezowee]

another intersting cockpit video

[steven winslow]

edit

[woweezowee]

sure. here:

. the link to their site is in the description.

[NGC007]

Wow, just got back from working abroad (USA) and I thought this A/C would have been released long ago!  At least that's the distinct impression I had when I left.  What's up?

[Goran_M]

Wow, just got back from working abroad (USA) and I thought this A/C would have been released long ago!  At least that's the distinct impression I had when I left.  What's up?

More coding and we're giving way to the CRJ EXPRESS.

[NGC007]

Wow, just got back from working abroad (USA) and I thought this A/C would have been released long ago!  At least that's the distinct impression I had when I left.  What's up?

More coding and we're giving way to the CRJ EXPRESS.

Understood.  Saab looks more fun though!

[MaidenFan]

You guys are finding more and more to program! ;D

I'm excited to see how it runs on my 1GB videocard!

[karingka]

How's it coming? Very quiet... must mean something! After all, no news is good news!

[NGC007]

Wow, just got back from working abroad (USA) and I thought this A/C would have been released long ago!  At least that's the distinct impression I had when I left.  What's up?

More coding and we're giving way to the CRJ EXPRESS.

Giving way to the CRJ EXPRESS?  More like giving up!

[Nicola_M]

No. Have patience. There's so much going on with new aircraft coming out, and guys like Cameron trying to do several things at once - last I read he was doing the Saab manual, now there's the Nimitz fracas, plus updating the website etc for the T38 coming out, etc etc.

Only so much can happen at once.

Be patient, these things are worth waiting for.

[Goran_M]

Giving up?  I started this project 18 months ago.  I was getting up at 9am and going to sleep at 3am (now I get up at 8am and go to sleep at 3am because I take my daughter to school).  7 days a week.  Reading Saab documentation.  Downloading photos (Well over a thousand at last count).  3D modelling.  Making sure the 3D model was efficient enough for Theo to work with.  Theo was still working on textures and panel regions in the middle of a fatal earthquake in New Zealand followed by several thousand aftershocks.

To say we are giving up doesn't really motivate us.  No...we haven't given up on this project.  If Cameron turned around and told me he wasn't interested in selling it, I would sell it on my own.  I have invested far too much time in this project to even contemplate giving up.  Cameron is doing things with the programming that have never been done before in x plane.  Very close to all the systems are getting programmed with Gizmo. 

In addition to this, Cameron cannot dedicate all his time to the Saab programming as the CRJ was a very big deal to Javier and a HUGE seller.  It is now Number 2 on XA's top sellers behind the MU-2 and that has now been selling for over 3 years.  Cameron was helping out there with support so he could maintain prompt and efficient customer service.

Many times, people have asked me in private how the Saab was coming along and why was it taking this long.  I always told them that Cameron is doing the programming but he has his hands well and truly tied with CRJ support atm.  It's settled down recently and he is back to programming a lot more on the Saab.  Even Ben Russell offered his time on the project to help it get finished sooner.

It's hard enough to manage the people that are working with me (5 people have worked on the Saab).  It doesn't really help when people think we're giving up.

And no, Cameron is not doing the documentation.  I am doing it all.  The different sections of the doc's are:

Intro and Settings

Systems Description

Charts and Procedures

and 2 typed tutorials

These are not manuals with about 10 pages each.  These are very in depth manuals and have been revised at least 5 times.

I hope this answers peoples questions.

Forgive me if I come across as harsh but I have a slight fever, sore throat and have just woken up.