Vehicle Simulator Update

The most recent version is 1.8.5, released on Wednesday, February 17, 2010

If you have an older version download the small update below.

File	Size	Download
Vehicle Simulator 1.8.5	5.0 MB	Download
Vehicle Simulator 1.8.5	5.0 MB	Download

Changes for version 1.8.5

Generic:

• Door parts added and improved, usable part names are:
  doorl, doorr, pdoorl, pdoorr, sweepr, sweepl,
  paramters added to vehicle.cfg for doors are:
  [doors_angle], [doors_move], [sweeps_angle].
  doors and swept wings can be picked and moved individually.
  pressing control+D opens all doors.
  
  
• Added one user animation called anim.x, activated by control+A.
  
  
• Weapon base angles made compatible with VS and MF using weapon.cfg paramters.
  weapons are oriented by weapon angles on startup.
  weapon sectors are working well allowing back facing guns and weapon sectors.
  
  
• Weapons can be aimed and shot in groups, allowing multi barrel weapons,
  new parameter added for weapon.cfg [weapon_group].
  
  
• Weapons added as individual masses, allowing asymetric flight and as some weapons are fired.
  
  
• Propeller specular reflection and bump added, using effects.cfg.
• Drag chute added for planes, using D toggles the drag parachute.
• Starting and stopping sounds of some engines types fixed.
  
  
• crew_weight added to boats, added also as parameter in vehicle.cfg
  [crew_weight] can be used to simulate additional boat loading.
  
  
• Sails can be controlled by hand, spinnaker control made manual.
  pressing S toggles spinnaker.
  goose winged sails are possible using manual picking and moving of sails.
  added sail flapping and manipulation sounds.
  
  
• Wind shadow between boats added, added option for this on the weather and atmosphere options screen.
• Waypoints at sea have bouys with stobe lights.
  
  
• Replay and netplay covers all reefing and sail manipulation.
• Added capsize and collision limit checks for boats.
• Added [max_tilt] parameter to the vehicle.cfg.
  
  
• All panel types can be used, pressing Control+P shows new panel selection dialog.
• Window size and screen mode saved and restored upon startup.
  
  
• Sail boats updated correctly beyond visual range.
• Auto pilot modes organized and prioritized.
• Auto sail added to auto pilot screen.
  
  
• Scenery lights adjusted to be seen always even if more than 8 specified.
• Mouse panning is possible in object design mode.
• Reflection artifact fixed for objects seen in reflection.
• Thermals generated by the program will not be saved as user made objects.
• Collision check and land upon objects optimized to give better frame rates.
  
  
• Bow waves adjusted slightly,
• Water waves shaders improved a little.
  
  
• Updated docking drawing, and point of view drawing.
• Added one small sail boat ( Finn ) with pilot and crew mass.
  

Changes for version 1.8.2

Bug fixes:

• Reverse function restored to boats and cars using joystick and Shift+E button.
• Gama_base, Beta_base switched for static weapons to keep VS compatibility.
• Reflections enabled on transparent boat parts.
• Throttle instruments set to correct range always to keep VS compatibility.
• Boat and car engines using elements updated to include proper reverse controls.
• Hydro drag always read when importing VS boats, allowing good match of performance.

Changes for version 1.8.1

Generic:

• Engine controls using 5,6, Shift+Up, Shift+Down for multi engines.
• Towing options improved and expanded on vehicle dialog.
• Windows made transparent from inside cockpit (parts with opacity < 0.5).
• Gallery view improved with smooth scolling.

Changes for version 1.8.0

Vehicle Dynamics:

• Helicopter effects updated. ( TLE + Ground + Sink Under Power)
• Multiple engine controls for planes and boats.
• Right and Left engine axes added to joystick.
• Right and Left engine controls using [ , ] keys, and Shift + [ , Shift + ].
• Right and Left parachute brakes added to joystick axes.
• Twin panel type added for planes with multiple engines.
• Boat throttle changed for single and multi engine to include reverse in range.
• Reverse button active for cars only, for boats it is controlled by throttle.

Vehicle Parts:

• Canopy and door parts, pickable and movable. (doorl, doorr, pdoorl, pdoorr)
• Control + D key to open and close doors.
• Simple damage model for vehicles using "broken.x" file for broken vehicle.
• Sonic boom improved, sound is not heard ahead of supersonic plane.
• Engine start and stop sounds added for each type, using "start.wav", "stop.wav".
• String instrument added and also added to glider panel by default.
• Vehicle shaders render at night.
• Rope texture added for cables and moorings, using "rope.dds", "rope.bmp".
• Effects added for panels and instruments using effects.cfg in panel directory.
• Maximum number of instruments in panel increased 128.
• Unlit mesh part for boats and subs using "lights.x" added.

Scenery Parts:

• Simple damage model to land objects, using "_b.x" to mark broken part.

Weapons:

• Weapons move and shoot independently.
• Weapon angles and limits added, using "beta_base_min", "beta_base_max",
• "gama_base_min", "gama_base_max", "beta_base", "gama_base".
• Current weapon can be aimed without using HUD or Telescope.
• Limited Ammo mode added to vehicle options dialog.
• Ammo limits added to weapon.cfg file using "max_rounds" parmeter.
• Weapons mass and innertia are calculated when loading and firing weapons.
• Refule & Reload button added to vehicle controls dialog.
• Ammo counts added to HUD and RADAR weapons screen.

Generic:

• Situation dialog shows locations and titles on scenery maps and allows selection.
• Gallery view for selection of vehicles, press Q to show gallery or menu icon.
• Flood light added for special lighting, using Shift + L, and menu icon.
• Flood added instead of spot light, because of shaders used for vehicles and scenery.
• Free View HUD option added vehicle options to select vehicle angles or camera angles.
• Splash screen made square to work with Vista and Windows 7 Aero mode.

Changes made on version 1.6.5

• Boats use normalized cross section surface.
• Propeller moment added for airplanes.
• Wave height is depends upon wind when forecast is generated.
• Glider yaw string direction fixed.
• Elements property editing fixed.
• Compass added as default panel and also as toggle between boat panel and compass.
• Objects view added in map for easy scenery design and scenery finding.
• Dynamic weather and weather forecast added.
• Added option for using weather forecast.
• Added weather forecast dialog.
• Added tide and low using weather forecast.
• Scale factor effects gear and wings as well.
• Fixed navigation bug of boats and land vehicles.
• Fixed bug of vehicles moving higher when my camera is very high.
• Sails reef position is saved.
• Engine stops working when vehicle is shot.
• Increased maneuverability for boats and subs to overcome dampening.
• Boats can be docked, using Shift + D.
• Added option for object interface, on vehicle options dialog.
• This option allows the vehicle to detect object and land upon them.
• Added script language for vehicles, documentation and samples are
• available inside the scripts directory of the program.
• Added some script demo situations to show elaborate scripted scenarios.
• New vehicles can be created and saved.
• New vehicle editor for vehicle made of components.
• All major types of components added.
• Vehicle samples added for vehicles made of components.
• Additional rotating wheels added ( maximum 8 ).
• Object interface detection separated from collision detection.
• Boat path made visible.
• Improved vegetation collisions.
• Collision detection improved, landing on anything is possible.
• Vehicle lights and sectors improved.
• Engine in reverse possible for all types of boats.
• Auto Objects filtered from runways and patches.
• Bow wave size reduced for boats.
• Multiple sails bug fixed.
• New vehicle adjustment screen.
• Sails can be picked and moved.
• Matrix Editor improved depth map is exported and imported.
• Situation creation from main screen.
• Default values for sail areas.
• Multiple sails bug fixed.
• Guided weapons effected by gravity.
• Sails problem fixed.
• Automatic objects filtered from patches and runways.
• Animated pilots using frame animation added.
• Sail control added using sail instruments.
• Additional sailboat panel added.
• Sails and sailboats added.
• Bow wave position fixed.
• Waypoint markers fixed.
• Attach props for boats enables thrust vectoring.
• Unguided torpedo option added.
• Guided bomb option added to weapons.
• Element orientation editing fixed.
• Panel lighting improved.
• Underwater particles.
• Underwater plants.
• Underwater lighting improved.
• Vegetation appears even if greater than 300 meters.
• Depth reading fixed.
• Depth instrument added to boat panel.
• Map expanded to marine and aerial map types.
• Contour and topographic maps added.
• Vegetation appears gradually.
• Dampened rotations for smoother flight of fast jets.
• Grass does not appear on runways.
• Option for moving to point on ground or in air.
• Navigation beacons show in day time.
• Collision detection fixed for all vehicles.