Version history for RealFlight G4

Version History

4.50.050

Changes:

• Multiplayer: Voice chat connections are more reliable
• Multiplayer: Voice chat mic indicator light is more reliable for speech originating on the same computer
• Multiplayer: Fixed some potential crashes
• Test Microphone dialog's indicator light works
• Test Microphone dialog's instructions warn when simulation sounds are muted
• Airport Editor: Fixed a potential crash

4.50.048

Changes:

• Heading hold gyro gain works as expected, allows gyro to function in rate mode only
• Aircraft Editor: Added adjustable tail rotor blade weight (advanced option)
• Aircraft Editor: Added adjustable visual hub and blade connector component weight (advanced option)
• Aircraft Editor: Added adjustable aerodynamic frontal drag factor for wheels (advanced option)
• Aircraft Editor: Resolution of units displayed increases for very light component weights
• Airport Editor: Choosing "Save As..." after creating a new airport correctly saves the new airport
• Multiplayer: User is notified if connection to directory server is lost
• Propellers have more thrust and more drag when turning at very low RPM
• Improved support for long custom colorscheme names
• Improved electric motor calculations for very small motors
• Fixed specs for ElectriFly Ammo GPMG5215 electric motor
• Variometer gadget displays tenths of meters when metric units are selected
• Quick Select menu's MRU mode always lists aircraft in ascending alphabetical order
• Submerging a turbine engine kills it
• Max speed underwater is more realistic
• Particle velocity never increases after impact with the terrain
• Added support for Expansion Pack 6

Aircraft:

• AeroCat (EP2): Removed unused electronics component
• AH-64 Apache (EP5): Fixed improperly named fuselage component
• Big Stik Float Plane: Struts break off properly
• F-22 (EP2): Leading edge flaps behave properly after breakapart
• F5D Pylon Racer (EP1): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• Fundango: Airplane rests normally on the runway
• Fun Force P-51 (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• Fun Force Zero (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• Furion 450: Physics and graphical meshes are properly aligned
• Griffin Combat VTOL (EP3): Removed unused electronics component
• Harrier: Corrected slight physics and graphical mesh misalignment on wing support wheels
• Heli-Max Kinetic 50 (EP3): Removed unused electronics component (both variants)
• KEtana (Glow) (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• Lawnmower (EP1): Fuselage does not sink into ground after breakapart
• Maelstrom Marauder (EP5): Removed unused electronics components
• Nieuport 28C-1 (EP1): Fixed aircraft description errors
• P-6E Hawk (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• PT-17 Stearman (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• PT-40: Physics and graphical meshes are more closely aligned, visual engine is no longer part of the fuselage
• Python Biplane (EP4): Fixed excessive smoke
• Republic RC-3 Seabee (EP5): Fixed improperly named retracts servo
• RF-97 Sailplane (EP5): Fixed improperly named retracts servo
• Schweizer (both variants): Fixed tail rotor graphical issue
• Super Sportster Float Plane: Struts break off properly
• Synergy N9 (EP5): Centered trim settings
• Top Flite Beech Staggerwing (EP3): Aircraft description now includes instructions for enabling/disabling smoke
• Top Flite Cessna 310 (EP3): Removed unused electronics components
• Ultrafly Radix (EP2): Fixed improperly named aileron servo
• WildRC's Mini IFO: Tweaks to setup and flight characteristics
• X-29 (EP1): Removed unused electronics component, added expo on some channels

Airports:

• Alpine Meadow: Default wind direction is correct
• Gold Country Aeromodeler Park: Airport object/terrain material types set to better values
• Sub Base (EP5): Helis spawn on platform properly

4.50.047

Changes:

• Multiplayer: Eliminated bleedthrough between separate sessions
• Multiplayer: Made connection process more stringent to prevent improperly configured users from adversely affecting sessions for everyone else
• Multiplayer: Eliminated "cloning" (duplicate instances of self in a session)
• Multiplayer: Numerous voice chat fixes
• Multiplayer: mpKick console command accepts an IP address in lieu of a name
• Multiplayer: Crash sounds and blade sounds are muted for a player who is being ignored
• Multiplayer: Many other improvements
• Fixed numerous crash bugs based on automated crash logs submitted by users
• Normal maps are turned off in this build for all users regardless of prior setting; they can be reenabled in the settings dialog
• Import/Export: selecting Cancel from the file conflict dialog does not prevent subsequent new import operations
• Chaff particles account for wind resistance
• Helis are more stable while at rest on top of objects
• Untitled airports are not added to the MRU list
• Trainers: Throttle stick flashes in the Welcome dialog when it does not meet that trainer's startup requirements
• Aircraft preview generation zooms the camera farther out for larger aircraft so they will fit in the preview image
• Alt-F4 exits the sim even if a trainer is running
• Radio gadget shows control movements while in hand launch mode
• Basic tab completion added to console
• Quick look camera mode applies as long as key is held and ends when key is released
• Misc. UI improvements
• Misc. aircraft and airport description improvements

Aircraft:

• Dolphin: Fixed canopy collision mesh
• Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (EP5): Left landing gear strut breaks off with wing
• Great Planes 38% Extra (EP5): Seam where canopy joins fuselage does not cast a jagged shadow
• Ion-X (EP1): Electric heli does not need a governor
• RAH-66 Comanche (EP3): Reduced tendency to pitch up during forward flight
• RAH-66 Comanche (EP3): Removed unused electronics components
• Seawind: Left flap is properly aligned with wing
• Seawind: Reintroduced missing servos in art
• Simple Flier: Fixed incorrect servo setup
• Skyship: Engine pods are fully enclosed by the collision mesh
• Synergy N9 (EP5): Aileron Servo electronics component is spelled correctly

Airports:

• Alpline Meadow: depth buffers are not rendered
• Buena Vista: some aircraft spawns have more descriptive names
• Joe's Garage: full scale AT-6 wing does not penetrate building wall
• Helis spawn tail-in at following airports:
• College Park (EP4)
• Obstacle Course 5 (EP4)
• Superstition Airpark (EP5)
• Tarmac (EP4)
• Default wind direction is now correct at the following airports:
  • Great Planes E-Fest (EP2)
  • Practice Field (EP1)

4.50.036

Changes:

• Added support for Intel's GMA series of integrated graphics adapters
• Unsupported graphics cards cause a descriptive, user-friendly error message instead of a DirectX error
• Improved caching of crash sounds for better collision performance (partial fix; further improvements are planned)
• New warning message displayed for helicopters with unsupported skid component pivot points
• Helis with invalid skid component pivots have their skids locked in place to prevent unreliable physics response (bouncing/jittering) while at rest
• Normal and specular maps are included for custom airport objects that are packaged with an exported airport
• Multiplayer: new "player sync" feature provides better reliability when hosting or joining a session
• Multiplayer: host ignores error conditions that only affect clients establishing a connection
• Multiplayer: connections are only allowed between compatible versions
• Multiplayer: only the host can change airports via the airport QuickSelect menu
• Improved handling of imported airports based on a scene the user doesn't have
• Wind speed is displayed in kilometers per hour (KPH) when metric units are selected
• Radio gadget always appears on screen when opened
• Variometer gadget displays altitude above sea level ("ASL") correctly
• Undo/Redo hot keys work regardless of which airport editor pane has focus
• Numerous minor aircraft and airport art fixes
• Numerous minor aircraft setup fixes (unused servo components removed, etc.)
• Fixed several multiplayer gadget bugs
• Fixed several UI bugs in the airport and aircraft editors
• Fixed several issues with the QuickLook features
• Added Spanish translation (selectable via Settings dialog)

4.50.025

Fixed Bugs:

• Fixed a crash bug related to collisions
• Splash sounds do not cause a crash when too many other sounds are playing simultaneously
• Fixed two potential crash bugs related to a large number of sounds playing simultaneously
• The heli rotor speed governor allows a faster spoolup for some throttle curves, and is more consistent on resets
• Electronics components and servos reset properly when the aircraft is reset
• Smoke servos do not get stuck on
• Quick Select airport selection gadget tab is disabled during multiplayer
• Disabling normal maps reduces the amount of RAM used
• Helicopter rotor blades take their strength modifier into account when determining when to break off
• Aircraft parts that break off are affected by the wind
• Scrape sounds stop playing when the airport is changed
• KEX Import Wizard does a better job auto-detecting the type of object being imported
• Imported windsock objects display properly
• Pylon Racing event ends after being completed successfully in single player mode

Aircraft:

• Albatros DVa: G4.5 version overrides the Albatros in Add-Ons 4 if AO4 is installed
• Dominion 3D: Headspeed governor's Idle Up 1 RPM is lower than Idle Up 2
• Furion 450: Flight mode selection switch behavior is consistent with other helis
• Griffin Combat VTOL (EP3): spawns at airplane spawns instead of helicopter spawns
• Harrier: G4.5 version overrides the Harrier in Add-Ons 4 if AO4 is installed
• Yak 54 (all variants): Airplanes break apart as expected after a forceful crash

4.50.021 - Initial release of G4.5

Aircraft:

• All G4.5 aircraft now improved with greater detail
• Redone: Finch
• Redone: Schweizer
• Redone: Fundango
• Redone: Huey
• Redone: WattNot
• New Airplane: Harrier
• New Airplane: Albatros DVa
• New Airplane: AR-6 Endeavor
• New Airplane: ElectriFly Edge 540T
• New Airplane: FlyZone Beechcraft Staggerwing
• New Airplane: FlyZone Diablo Ducted Fan Sport
• New Airplane: FlyZone Diablo Ducted Fan Trainer
• New Airplane: FlyZone SkyFly 2
• New Airplane: Gee Bee R-2
• New Airplane: Great Planes Yak-54 Foamy
• New Airplane: Schneider Cup Racer
• New Heli: Furion 450
• New Heli: Heli-Max Axe 400 3D EP RTF
• New Heli: Schweizer Float Heli
• New Color Scheme: Jason Noll Extra 300L

Airports:

• New PhotoField: Gold Country Aeromodeler Park
• New PhotoField: Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark

Collision:

• Better heli collisions in general. Blade disks can now penetrate the ground slightly, which allows users to recover from brief collisions with the ground
• New Material system assigns a material type to every collidable surface. This material governs particles, friction, sounds, and other characteristics, which makes the collisions sound, look, and feel more realistic
• Collision response is more accurate

Console:

• New commands to enable/disable rendering features
• showMeTheMoney command: lets you see how much RealFlight saves you when you crash
• timeStamp command
• New checkKex command allows custom content creators to check their work

Editors:

• New "Apply to All" feature makes it easier to make a change to all components
• Cut/Copy/Paste support added
• Undo/Redo added

Flight Model:

• New "Difficulty" setting allows users to choose between Beginner, Intermediate (the default), and Advanced
• New Engines added
• Flybarless heli support
• New gyro code
• New head speed governor code
• New engine torque code, stall code, and other important improvements available in "Advanced" mode for airplanes
• New rotor drag code and other improvements available in "Advanced" mode for helis

Ground Handling:

• Much improved ground handling in general
• Better brake code
• Support for different gear types
• Heli skids now flex realistically
• Aircraft now sink into grass

Import/Export:

• New import wizard makes it much easier to import items
• Users can now import custom airport objects
• Normal/Spec map support

Localization:

• French translation added
• Italian translation added

Multiplayer:

• Voice Chat
• Ignore Player
• Mute Player
• Simpler to set up and works with most routers without having to open up ports, etc.
• Improved code for spawning players (reduces bottlenecks near the spawn point)
• New multiplayer gadget

Quickselect:

• More scalable for users with large numbers of custom items
• Graphical aircraft and airport selection dialogs allow use of these features without leaving full screen.

Rendering:

• Normal Maps and Specular Maps add tremendous detail to aircraft, objects, and terrain
• Depth of Field
• Airport Objects show (static) reflections
• Improved shadows
• Better vsync code makes the sim look smoother when this feature is enabled
• Better blade disc and propeller blur effect
• Better rendering of semi-transparent objects, like smoke and clouds
• Trees and clouds now show some movement even at zero wind, by popular request

Sounds:

• Servos now make sounds, and their sound depends on their type
• Scrapes, dings, and bumps
• Gear and wheel
• Prop and blade strikes

Trainers:

• New Heli Autorotation Trainer
• Added "Welcome" and "Get Ready" Dialogs to improve usability

VFIs:

• New Jason Noll VFIs

4.00.054

Changes:

• Added Italian translation (selectable via Settings dialog)
• RPM Sensor: symmetry labels in Component for RPM dropdown box are correct for non-symmetrical components
• RealFlight Airliner (EP5) is listed under the correct airframe in the aircraft selection dialog

4.00.052

Changes:

• *Added support for Expansion Pack 5
• Added support for repackaged RealFlight Add-Ons Volumes
• Shadow calculation no longer causes intermittent crash
• Certain graphics cards that do not meet minimum requirements cause the sim to display a message and exit normally instead of crashing
• Aircraft Editor: Setting wing component weight to 0 is allowed (fixes crash)
• Aircraft Editor: Streamer components are selectable in the Visual Mesh tree (fixes crash)
• *Changing the aircraft selection dialog's grouping setting with no aircraft selected does not crash the sim
• Multi-file EA/AV import finishes processing and renaming all .rfvehicle files
• Multi-file import properly imports .TGAs after a file conflict occurs and the user selects "Do not import" and checks "Apply to all files"
• Multi-file import processes all files properly after the user chooses to import some of the files that have a conflict and not others
• Variometer: Switching between metric and SI units while the gadget is active works as expected (fixes crash)
• Variometer: Tone is muted correctly after turning gadget off and back on while sound is disabled
• Variometer: Tone plays properly after changing airports while it is below the cutoff (e.g., the plane is in a steep dive)
• Variometer: Tone is now disabled along with the gadget in the various trainers
• Application volume setting persists between sessions
• Radio gadget trim tabs honor the radio gadget mode setting
• Hand launched aircraft remain in hand when the landing gear is cycled
• Blur disks work properly for heli mechanics that are mounted on a movable pod
• Heli-Max Axe EZ spawns on top of the dock at Lake Douglas
• Picklist properties display the correct default value instead of mirroring the currently selected value
• Product version is always reported correctly in About dialog and in exported .RFX files
• All references to current RealFlight generation say "G4"
• Launcher: Online updates to previous versions that require deleting a .DCK now clean up the associated .ADJ (fixes crash)
• Launcher: Single version of serial number entry dialog no longer crashes on Windows 2000
• Default wind direction is now correct at the following airports:
  • Air Race Stadium
  • Carnival
  • Evergreen Airport
  • Grass Flatlands (Night)
  • Obstacle Course
  • Obstacle Course (Night)
  • Waco Field
  • Obstacle Course 2 (EP1)
  • USAF Museum Outside (EP1)
  • Obstacle Course 3 (EP2)

4.00.051

Changes:

• Added support for repackaged RealFlight Add-Ons Volumes
• Shadow calculation no longer causes intermittent crash
• Certain graphics cards that do not meet minimum requirements cause the sim to display a message and exit normally instead of crashing
• Aircraft Editor: Setting wing component weight to 0 is allowed (fixes crash)
• Aircraft Editor: Streamer components are selectable in the Visual Mesh tree (fixes crash)
• Multi-file EA/AV import finishes processing and renaming all .rfvehicle files
• Multi-file import properly imports .TGAs after a file conflict occurs and the user selects "Do not import" and checks "Apply to all files"
• Multi-file import processes all files properly after the user chooses to import some of the files that have a conflict and not others
• Variometer: Switching between metric and SI units while the gadget is active works as expected (fixes crash)
• Variometer: Tone is muted correctly after turning gadget off and back on while sound is disabled
• Variometer: Tone plays properly after changing airports while it is below the cutoff (e.g., the plane is in a steep dive)
• Variometer: Tone is now disabled along with the gadget in the various trainers
• Application volume setting persists between sessions
• Radio gadget trim tabs honor the radio gadget mode setting
• Hand launched aircraft remain in hand when the landing gear is cycled
• Blur disks work properly for heli mechanics that are mounted on a movable pod
• Heli-Max Axe EZ spawns on top of the dock at Lake Douglas
• Picklist properties display the correct default value instead of mirroring the currently selected value
• Product version is always reported correctly in About dialog and in exported .RFX files
• All references to current RealFlight generation say "G4"
• Launcher: Online updates to previous versions that require deleting a .DCK now clean up the associated .ADJ (fixes crash)
• Launcher: Single version of serial number entry dialog no longer crashes on Windows 2000
• Default wind direction is now correct at the following airports:
  • Air Race Stadium
  • Carnival
  • Evergreen Airport
  • Grass Flatlands (Night)
  • Obstacle Course
  • Obstacle Course (Night)
  • Waco Field
  • Obstacle Course 2 (EP1)
  • USAF Museum Outside (EP1)
  • Obstacle Course 3 (EP2)

4.00.035

Changes:

• Added support for Intel 900 series integrated graphics chipsets
• Helis rest normally on ground
• Helis with wheels remain stationary after reset
• Multi-file import now supports very large numbers of files
• Aircraft imported from .G3X files are converted to behave like they did in G3 with regard to switch behavior
• Aircraft imported from .G3X files will display their colorscheme properly (if one exists)
• Heli blades are always positioned at the proper angle after crash and reset
• Heli flybar weights are scaled properly when broken off
• Opening the console will not cause a crash regardless of main app window size
• Heli physics quality setting defaults to Highest instead of High
• Setting descriptions no longer reference G3