Board index FlightGear Development

Want to help, where to start?

FlightGear is opensource, so you can be the developer. In the need for help on anything? We are here to help you.
Forum rules
Core development is discussed on the official FlightGear-Devel development mailing list.

Bugs can be reported in the bug tracker.

Want to help, where to start?

Postby swwon » Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:42 pm

I was told by someone to post this here so I guess I'll give it a go. I downloaded Blender a while ago thinking designing something might be the easiest way to take "baby-steps" into getting involved, but I guess I couldn't "get it" as far as 3D modeling and drawing, so I eventually quit. Maybe that's not my thing. I have no background in any type of engineering, computer programming, graphics or script writing. I believe I can learn most things but I'm not sure if starting from "scratch" is the best way to be effective. But if I could, I'd really like to help make a few FG planes sort out their errors (747s, 787 etc.) maybe even build one from scratch if I got good at it... Basically without getting into specifics, I have a lot of knowledge of; and access to; experienced hands on knowledge on most of the airliners currently flying today (mostly Boeing). I kind of wanted to work in the background sorting things out and just "cleaning up things", but I don't know how to do that yet. Maybe input is all I'm good for at this point.

Where would you suggest I start learning about how to write commands for FG?
What software should I focus on learning how to manipulate?
I understand the github upload protocol I just don't know how to actually DO anything worthy. Where do I start?
Thank you so much for any input.

**Edit**
BTW, I've already gone through the Nasal and XML wikis. And getting started info, etc. I've downloaded Notepad++....... What do I do now?
swwon
 
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:32 am
Version: 2016.2.1
OS: Windows 10

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby jaxsin » Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:34 am

coming from someone with slightly more experience and I mean slight, find a problem and solve it. Being able to reason why stuff happens is a useful tool. Even if you do not know the fix, helping someone out who can fix it, but doesn;t understand the problem will eventually help you understand the methods involved in coding. It's an approach that doesn't require a start from scratch
If you want to fix bugs of any sort you have to be able to hack together some code in some form eventually.
jaxsin
 
Posts: 395
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 4:54 pm

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby swwon » Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:29 am

OK so lets say I want to make the instruments actually wok on the 747-400. You're saying, start with like one altimeter and go from there? Ask someone to point me in the direction of how to look at where it is in the code and on other properly working planes, then identify the differences and attempt to make the changes, is what I'd presume, correct?
swwon
 
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:32 am
Version: 2016.2.1
OS: Windows 10

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby legoboyvdlp » Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:06 am

Since they already work with the latest 747-400, and Gijs is already developing it, I think you should do another plane :)

If you have Mumble, why not go and talk to 411 in the 411 Lounge.

He is on the forums as it0uchpods,
User avatar
legoboyvdlp
 
Posts: 7981
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2014 2:28 am
Location: Northern Ireland
Callsign: G-LEGO
Version: next
OS: Windows 10 HP

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby swwon » Fri Apr 01, 2016 9:21 am

I has just downloaded the latest after I posted, jaja.
I just want to make the world a better place one day at a time. : )
swwon
 
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:32 am
Version: 2016.2.1
OS: Windows 10

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby Johan G » Fri Apr 01, 2016 10:42 am

The two biggest things I think are having a curious mindset and taking "baby steps". As you already have started to try to learn, on your own non the less, you are heading in the right direction. Reading in will help you ask more intelligent questions.

Some of the better ways to get to understand new concepts and topics is by looking at existing examples, like for example by trying to find them used in existing aircraft an analysing the implementation to pieces. (I am guessing you already are doing this.)

Tip 1: If you do not get a concept at first, either look at a smaller thing or give it a few days, during which you do something else, as that sometimes help. (Rinse and repeat.) ;)

Tip 2: If you are set on improving a specific aircraft, try figure out who the developer/maintainer is and take contact with him. Please understand that some of them either are not all that interested in help or can be rather strict about directories, file names, coding style etc, for ease of maintenance. I do think most of them would want to be contacted, at lest if there are issues, and would not mind help. ;)
Low-level flying — It's all fun and games till someone looses an engine. (Paraphrased from a YouTube video)
Improving the Dassault Mirage F1 (Wiki, Forum, GitLab. Work in slow progress)
Some YouTube videos
Johan G
Moderator
 
Posts: 6629
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 6:33 pm
Location: Sweden
Callsign: SE-JG
IRC name: Johan_G
Version: 2020.3.4
OS: Windows 10, 64 bit

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby swwon » Fri Apr 01, 2016 11:44 am

Thanks for the input. Greatly appreciated!
swwon
 
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:32 am
Version: 2016.2.1
OS: Windows 10

Re: Want to help, where to start?

Postby Octal450 » Sun Oct 09, 2016 3:49 am

A bit late, but I started by fixing bugs in Buckaroo's MD-81, and then began to improve it. Thus the MD-88 was born, and I learned how to make things from scratch.

If you do have Mumble, and have any questions, I would be happy to talk, and help you fix the 747, or another project, even if it is just by text.
Skillset: JSBsim Flight Dynamics, Systems, Canvas, Autoflight/Control, Instrumentation, Animations
Aircraft: A320-family, MD-11, MD-80, Contribs in a few others

Octal450's GitHub|Launcher Catalog
|Airbus Dev Discord|Octal450 Hangar Dev Discord
User avatar
Octal450
 
Posts: 5583
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:51 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL
Callsign: WTF411
Version: next
OS: Windows 11


Return to Development

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests