Websocket-To-Me Time

Besides fixing bugs, X-Plane 12.1.1 enables X-Plane’s web API*. Basically we were asked for this so many times at FSExpo that Chris and Daniela put the remaining work on the fast track.

Our plan is to build several services into the web server; the web APIs will not be exact mirrors of the plugin SDK, but will cover enough functionality to build wide range of apps. We have plans for:

• Datarefs (shipping now)
• Commands (in developement)
• Initiializing Flights (in development)

Documentation on the new web APIs can be found here.

Doc-It-To-Me Time

X-Plane alum and fellow X-Plane-10-survivor Tom Kyler is back working on developer documentation for us, and has finished a first release on some of the new X-Plane 12.1.0 features:

• Windshield Rain Effects and Wipers
• Windshield Ice Effects and Defrosting
• Detail textures (both albedo and normals).

Tom has big plans for X-Plane’s documentation; one thing that’s great to see in these docs is really good illustrations based on real sample 3-d models and test projects.

The Devil Is In the Details

A detail texture is a repeating, high detail pattern that adds high-res detail to an otherwise lower resolution texture. Detail textures let us add fine detail at high resolution without using a ton of extra VRAM efficiently. We use detail textures with bits of “gravel” to make the runways look more realistic.

We introduced detail textures over a decade ago in X-Plane 10 to enhance ground detail around airports and in the new (at the time) autogen cities.

What we did not do was give them a good name. At the time we called them “decal” textures. This has turned out to be incredibly confusing, because in every other game engine ever, a high-res texture applied over the entire material (which is what we have) is called a detail, and a decal basically means “sticker that you stick on somewhere”. Detail textures make the ground look more rocky, decals add blood spatter and bullet holes to the walls in your zombie-shooter game.

So moving forward, we are going to try to call detail textures “detail textures” wherever possible, to be consistent with the norms of content creation. Tom and Maya will be updating labels in Blender and doc to be consistent about this.

For X-Plane 12.1.1, Maya has extended the detailing system in two ways:

• Detail textures work on OBJs and not just in the scenery system, so aircraft authors can add detail too.
• Detail textures can affect the bumpiness of normal maps and not just the color of albedo textures, so detail textures now interact with the lighting model in realistic ways.

You can get the 4.3.3 beta XPlane2Blender plugin here to use the new detail textures. Maya is planning on a release Real Soon Now.

* Please note that while the dataref API does use websockets, most of our web APIs are conventional REST requests over HTTP. I did consider “The X-Plane developers never REST..until now” as a section title.

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New Plugin SDK: version 3.02 adds the new modern 3-d drawing callback for OpenGL/Vulkan, and deprecates the drawing callbacks that are unavailable in Vulkan/Metal. Download it here.

(Updating to the new SDK is not mandatory for your add-on to be Vulkan-compatible, but it can help catch drawing callbacks that will not work, and it is necessary to use the new 3-d drawing tech.)

Plugin Compatibility Guide: a short guide that focuses on issues existing plugins might have with X-Plane 11.50. If you are updating a plugin, read this!

OpenGL Drawing Guide: complete documentation for all aspects of drawing using OpenGL with X-Plane. If your plugin uses OpenGL, this is a must-read.

Drawing Over 3-d in 2-d: this sample code shows how to draw in a 2-d window or drawing callback with coordinates that match the 3-d world. Many 3-d plugins that draw need this kind of drawing, e.g. to label routes or aircraft with UI that matches the 3-d world.

Instancing Example Plugin: a sample plugin that draws objects using the XPLMInstancing APIs. Many add-ons will need to transition from object drawing to instancing to be compatible with Vulkan. We strongly recommend moving to instancing – it provides the fastest, most compatible drawing path, particle system support, and in the future will support FMOD sound.

Instancing is actually much easier to use than XPLMDrawObject and bypasses a lot of complexity and chaos. Instancing works with all versions of X-Plane 11, and the sample has everything you need.

The post Updated Plugin SDK, Docs and Sample Code for Vulkan/Metal appeared first on X-Plane Developer.

We are going to be releasing the XPlane2Blender 3.4 beta soon, and with it, a refresh of the UI and documentation. Thanks to a great e-mail about a lack of documentation, it was put as an important part of 3.4 release roadmap. It goes to show… we can’t fix it if we don’t know what’s wrong, even if its not a code problem. And we do want to fix it, I swear!

In addition, I want to remind everyone a core part of the Laminar Research philosophy, identity, and business plan is a thriving modding and third-party plugin ecosystem. Aside from build scripts and the like, Laminar Research employees use the same scenery development tools that are available to all. This is was a deliberate choice that elevates everyone to the same level – except when there is a gap of knowledge. This is never intentional, and never benefits anyone in the long run, especially third-party-devs. If your work is suffering because we forgot that not everyone knows what every little checkbox means, tell us! We’ll put it in the bug queue like everything else, and try to get back to you, personally, quickly.

The post Request for XPlane2Blender Documentation Improvements appeared first on X-Plane Developer.