Jump to content

** AJS-37 Viggen Update! New Afterburners & Features! **


Cobra847

Recommended Posts

banner.jpg

 

 

 

Dear All,

 

Over the past few months we've been fairly silent due to the ongoing pre-release crunch on the F-14. During this time however, the Viggen team has continued to improve the aircraft as we head towards release status and total feature completion.

We still expect this to happen this year, and do not foresee any changes in this schedule.

 

Over the next several patches we will be introducing some of the final "major" items remaining: e.g.: the Ram Air Turbine, in-cockpit pilot, PBR overhaul of both cockpit and exterior, new custom soundset, new missions and campaigns, performance improvements, and plenty more. Once the F-14 launches, we'll also be working on backporting several new, exciting features that we've built for the F-14. We're excited to reveal these together with the F-14 - and we feel that they will bring the Viggen to another level.

 

For now, however, the next beta branch patch will launch a number of new, work in progress features and bugfixes:

 

Changes for next patch

  • Fixes to generated data cartridge, including: only planning for non-infantry units and fixes to broken SKU-planning.

     

     

  • New!
    Flight planner now also uses terrain to plan for least exposed approach to target while still allowing for pop-up maneuvers.

     

     

  • New WiP Feature!
    generated data cartridges after ELINT has been collected. Is selectable in kneeboard and will generate a flight plan with a search pattern for the radar transmitter. You can select a stand-off range or to overfly the area.

     

     

  • Sidewinder fix: T1 to Radar-lock instead of TV, and the missile is now not re-caged when setting safety armed.

  • Fix to the HUD presenting wind compensation incorrectly when in a bank.

  • New
    !
    Callsigns (including your own) are now displayed in the kneeboard.

     

     

  • RPM in outside view adjusted to say 100% when at max RPM instead of 97%.

  • Corrected AI Afterburner sounds.

  • Fixed flight-envelope values for AI.

  • Introduced a weight on wheels workaround to fix thrust reverser issues.

  • Corrected ability to re-fix MÅL-points.

 

 

Changes for patch after next

 

For the subsequent major patch, we will be introducing a significant number of art changes! Chief among them:

 

 

New: New and Improved Afterburner Effects

We've done a stop-gap pass (until F-14 developments are backported) on our afterburner effects for the Viggen!

These now look far more realistic, are appropriately scaled and bright. The afterburner will now also cast light inside the exhaust as well as on surrounding objects and terrain.

 

Click to enlarge

AB1_Thumb2.jpg
AB2_Thumb2.jpg

 

 

 

New: RAT (Ram Air Turbine)

 

This little spinny boi can help keep you alive in a pinch! This has actually been active in our simulation since launch, but we've been lagging behind on implementing the visuals.

Cute, isn't it?

 

Click to enlarge

RAT1_Thumb.jpg

 

RAT2_Thumb.jpg
RAT3_Thumb.jpg

 

 

New: Original, 32bpp uncompressed normalmaps!

 

We felt that VRAM was at a great premium on the launch of our Viggen. Lately, however, we've reevaluated VRAM usage of the Viggen and the impact on performance.

This has allowed us to now ship uncompressed, high quality normalmaps for the exterior.

 

This change has also been necessary due to the discontinuing of support for swizzled XY BC5 normalmaps in the core engine.

 

Enjoy those sculpted rivets in all of their glory!

 

Click to enlarge

Normals2_Thumb2.jpg

Normals_Thumb.jpg
Normals3_Thumb.jpg

 

Other Changes

 

The current, non-exhaustive (this will grow) list of changes due for that patch is as follows;

 

  • Exterior mirrors now reflect the environment

  • Fixed various clipping and shine-through issues in exterior (esp. Cockpit)

  • Sculpted new normalmap for exhaust nozzle and area

  • Sculpted new normalmap for exterior exhaust shell

  • Added RoughMet textures for the exhaust shell

  • Added turbine texture for better deep engine detail

  • Metal elements on wings now have appropriate material definitions

  • Animated engine exhaust fan

     

     

  • New!
    Significantly improved visual fidelity of afterburner

  • Afterburner now cast lights inside engine exhaust pipe

  • Afterburner now cast lights on surrounding objects and terrain

  • Corrected afterburner z-fighting

  • Afterburner planes do not render at high viewing angles.

  • Corrected afterburner self-illumination

     

     

  • Fixed glass in LoD (distant) models turning opaque and bright.

     

  • New!
    Added significantly better quality uncompressed normal maps for entire exterior

  • Light domes are now appropriately shiny

  • Fixed wheel/tire animation values so they spin at correct speeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Latest Changes

 

And in case you missed it; the latest patchnotes for the Viggen were as follows:

 

  • SPA-mode: Fix of adding more than 9 MALs should reset count + manually entered MALs shouldn’t be overwritten.

  • SPA-mode: Info about fix (target heading and speed) wasnt displayed after a SKU-fix was taken and then it was also immediately overwritten in AKTPOS.

  • Other various fixes to SPA-mode

  • Bombing: Added bomb-rate "catch-up" on first bomb impulses: improves bombing accuracy

  • Bombing: DYK/dive bombing mode changed so release is begun at later time making the sight more centered in view and easier to use

  • Custom cartridges: Automatically generated mission plans improved with additional info in kneeboard

  • Custom cartridges: ability to automatically generate mission for MÅL and SKU targets by landing and setting master mode BER.

  • Custom cartridges: for dynamically generated cartridges the time-on-target can be changed with key command.

  • Other custom cartridge fixes

  • Added Quick Missions for Persian Gulf Map.

  • Changes to AI RB-04E definitions. AI now fire RB-04 and break away.

  • Updated RB04 / RB15 Warhead

  • Tweaked RB04E motor burntime.

 

 

 

 

 

As always, thanks for your support. We'll be working very hard and diligently to meet our goals for the Viggen and it's full completion by the end of 2018.

 

Sincerely,

The Heatblur Viggen team

Nicholas Dackard

 

Founder & Lead Artist

Heatblur Simulations

 

https://www.facebook.com/heatblur/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 133
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Awesome news! Many thanks to you guys for the ongoing work on the Viggen and the continuing commitment to this bird!! :thumbup:

Once the F-14 launches, we'll also be working on backporting several new, exciting features that we've built for the F-14. We're excited to reveal these together with the F-14 - and we feel that they will bring the Viggen to another level.

SwnK8GY.jpg


Edited by QuiGon

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent Update and again thank you so much with communicating with the community. Your hard work will soon pay off! Cannot wait for the Tomcat.

 

Thank you also for posting your changelogs and what your currentl changes were, and as well as what your currently working on. Much of the development community can follow this example!

 

Thank your whole team for your hard work and time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dayum, the updated visuals and afterburner effects, look sweet as **** :thumbup:

- Jack of many DCS modules, master of none.

- Personal wishlist: F-15A, F-4S Phantom II, JAS 39A Gripen, SAAB 35 Draken, F-104 Starfighter, Panavia Tornado IDS.

 

| Windows 11 | i5-12400 | 64Gb DDR4 | RTX 3080 | 2x M.2 | 27" 1440p | Rift CV1 | Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS | MFG Crosswind pedals |

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks a lot for keeping us updated ... I flew the Viggen a lot on its first 8 months since release, but afterwards turned my focus to other modules .. will have to check back on the Viggen and re-learn her :)


Edited by Rudel_chw

 

For work: iMac mid-2010 of 27" - Core i7 870 - 6 GB DDR3 1333 MHz - ATI HD5670 - SSD 256 GB - HDD 2 TB - macOS High Sierra

For Gaming: 34" Monitor - Ryzen 3600X - 32 GB DDR4 2400 - nVidia GTX1070ti - SSD 1.25 TB - HDD 10 TB - Win10 Pro - TM HOTAS Cougar - Oculus Rift CV1

Mobile: iPad Pro 12.9" of 256 GB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How does the RAT work? I thought it would deploy when the engine fails to offer electrical power. If that's true is it run by passing air?

 

That's correct. In fact; that's exactly what RAT stands for. Ram. Air. Turbine. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...