Improvements in version 6.8 (September 23, 2004)

Improvements in version 6.8 (September 23, 2004):

General program features:

1. Improved boat simulation.
2. Improved submarine simulation.
3. Improved sky graphics.
4. Improved water graphics.
5. Improved user interface.
6. Additional scenery objects.
7. Night scenery objects.
8. Improved map and radar display.

Boat simulation:

All modes of boat simulation were completely re written, using correct mass and inertia, and enabling boats to jump above waves.

Boats now have correct wave response and behavior.

Submarine simulation:

Submarine simulation was re written, includes now ballast which can be controlled using a ballast panel, this enables to control the submarine in a realistic manner.

Sky and sky graphics:

Weather, sky hemisphere and weather effects were re written, including ambient hemispheric lighting model, glowing fog above and below water level, and underwater particles, plants and rocks.

Water animation:

The deep ocean water waves have replaced all previous wave models, the sea mesh was made seamless with changing level of detail.

New refraction model shows actual underwater view and reflection can be combined to create a complete water rendering view.

Improved user interface:

Many dialogs have been re written, and new ones were made such as the ballast, the controls and the sails dialog, usability was improved for these dialogs.

The map view was re written making it more powerful and similar to conventional marine charts, additional accuracy was added in high zoom which shows the objects in the waterline in the map and in the radar view.

Boat design features:

1. Boats can have outboard engines, in such a case a line in boat.cfg (attach_props 1) must exist, and props are attached to the rudder.x part, coordinates of props are measured from rudders origin. ( see Tiny_Racer sample )
2. Additional hydro dynamic parameters added to increase realism when boat is planning, these are ( hydro_rise, hydro_cruise, hydro_propoise, hydro_alfa, etc.. )

Scenery design features:

1. Additional object types were added, Road, Patch, Array, LightArray, FixedArray.
2. All objects are reloaded at night, it object name with "_n" is found, it is loaded at night and textures are glowing. ( example hous1.x , house1_n.x )
3. All arrays are reloaded at night, it array name with "_n" is found, it is loaded at night and textures are glowing. ( example array1.x , array1_n.x )
4. FixedArray is an array which is not wind flexible, suitable for creating buildings etc.
5. Roads and patch objects are created with lights along them which are lit at night.

List of parameters in boat.cfg

"has_sails"

"has_sails "

"has_engine"

"has_hydrofoil"

"attach_props"

"boat_length"

"boat_alt"

"sur_sailb"

"sur_sails"

"cdf"

"mass"

"cross_section_sur"

"cross_section-sur"

"max_tilt"

"stability_factor"

"stabilityFactor"

"hydro_rise"

"hydro_cruise"

"hydro_alt"

"hydro_cdf"

"hydro_angle"

"hydro_stability"

"hydro_propoise"

"hydro_omega"

"max_fuel_time"

"motor_hp"

"bridge_x"

"bridge_y"

"bridge_z"

"sailb_x"

"sailb_y"

"sailb_z"

"spin_x"

"spin_y"

"spin_z"

"sails_x"

"sails_y"

"sails_z"

"sails_dx"

"sails_dy"

"sails_dz"

"sails_ux"

"sails_uy"

"sails_uz"

"helm_x"

"helm_y"

"helm_z"

"helm2_x"

"helm2_y"

"helm2_z"

"helm3_x"

"helm3_y"

"helm3_z"

"helm_dx"

"helm_dy"

"helm_dz"

"helm_ux"

"helm_uy"

"helm_uz"

"has_prop"

"has_rudder"

"has_elevator"

"sur_spin"

"prop_x"

"prop_y"

"prop_z"

"prop_dx"

"prop_dy"

"prop_dz"

"prop_ux"

"prop_uy"

"prop_uz"

"rudder_x"

"rudder_y"

"rudder_z"

"elev_x"

"elev_y"

"elev_z"

"has_sailb2"

"has_main2"

"has_sails2"

"has_jib2"

"sailb2_x"

"sailb2_y"

"sailb2_z"

"sails2_x"

"sails2_y"

"sails2_z"

"sails2_dx"

"sails2_dy"

"sails2_dz"

"sails2_ux"

"sails2_uy"

"sails2_uz"

"has_sailb3"

"has_main3"

"has_sails3"

"has_jib3"

"sailb3_x"

"sailb3_y"

"sailb3_z"

"sails3_x"

"sails3_y"

"sails3_z"

"sails3_dx"

"sails3_dy"

"sails3_dz"

"sails3_ux"

"sails3_uy"

"sails3_uz"

"sails_seperate"

"sails2_seperate"

"prop2_x"

"prop2_y"

"prop2_z"

"prop2_dx"

"prop2_dy"

"prop2_dz"

"prop2_ux"

"prop2_uy"

"prop2_uz"

"rudder2_x"

"rudder2_y"

"rudder2_z"

"prop3_x"

"prop3_y"

"prop3_z"

"prop3_dx"

"prop3_dy"

"prop3_dz"

"prop3_ux"

"prop3_uy"

"prop3_uz"

"rudder3_x"

"rudder3_y"

"rudder3_z"

"prop4_x"

"prop4_y"

"prop4_z"

"prop4_dx"

"prop4_dy"

"prop4_dz"

"prop4_ux"

"prop4_uy"

"prop4_uz"

"radar_x"

"radar_y"

"radar_z"

"radar2_x"

"radar2_y"

"radar2_z"

"radar3_x"

"radar3_y"

"radar3_z"

"crew_mass"

"dagger_area"

"clmax_sailb"

"clmax_sails"

"panel_number"

"panel_scale"

"panel_x"

"panel_y"

"panel_z"

"panel_dx"

"panel_dy"

"panel_dz"

"panel_ux"

"panel_uy"

"panel_uz"

"has_windows"

"weapon_number"

"weapon_x"

"weapon_y"

"weapon_z"

"can_fly"

"wing_sur"

"wing_cd0"

"wing_cla"

"wing_ki"

"wing_al0"

"wing_alm"

List of parameters in scenery def files:

"Sphere"

"Blink"

"Night"

"Beam"

"LightArray"

"Light"

"Float"

"Sub"

"Smoke"

"Array"

"FixedArray"

"Road"

"Patch"

"Matrix"