Angrypig finally managed to implement collision detection for JSBSim planes along with the joystick support, so we created a short test flight video with Cessna.
Here it comes.
Planetary engine that can be used with real elevation data of arbitrary resolution, while being progressively enhanced by fractal algorithms. The fractal algorithms refine and introduce details down to centimeter resolution and can be parametrized by elevation and land class data. A completely random fractal terrain is possible too, or a terrain can be sketched in rough resolution with fractal generating the details. Level of detail ranges from thousands of kilometers down to centimeters, with full visibility. The engine is fully asynchronous, majority of the algorithms running on the GPU while the rest is distributed to multiple CPU cores.
This engine needs two things: lightmapping on terrain and use of sprites in the way the engine of Operation Flashpoitn: Dragon Rising does.
It's looking great!
It's strange how a terrain with so much detail still looks so boring. It's probably because there is only 1 texture used over the entire terrain and the terrain doesn't cast shadows onto it'self. Those are the biggest problems.
Nice work, you should use a UFO though, not a cessna!
just wondering, will space travel be available? also will there be city/ space stations? also will there be realistic water, terrain elements (such as water resistance, craters etc)?
oh and uh, nice graphics! but i forgot one thing, is it possible that you could make planes that when landed you can press a button and turn into a building? if you could implement something like that it would make rts/fps/tps hybrids awsome!