Thorsten wrote in Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:23 am:Though we do have several advantages - first, JSBSim and large aero databases from NASA combine into realistic flight and orbital dynamics quickly. Second, the way canvas allows screens by compositing elements means rapid advancement - I don't have all common elements to all screens going for instance, but it's a piece of cake just adding something to the common section.
Well, at the end of the day, we have a really large toolkit to get things done - JSBSim tags, property rules, Nasal, configurable effects and shaders,... so lots of things can be done rapdily without the need to learn how to code it in detail.
That is true, there are a number of highly configurable systems in place, which would otherwise require tons of C++ code to be written, especially the MFD stuff would require quite a bit of OSG/OpenGL knowledge if it wasn't Canvas based, i.e. using underlying primitives in the form of osgText, OpenVG paths and raster images - looking at the fate of other hard-coded ODGauge instruments in FlightGear, it really seems that Canvas is a huge technology enabler in comparison to the more traditional route.
The degree of Nasal used/needed to implement some features may admittedly be a little unfortunate for those wanting to run such systems in standalone mode.
Anyway, looking at the 6-year timespan, and the fact that the spaceshuttle simulator is a commercial project, it is pretty fascinating to see how much progress has been made over the course of ~6 months by a handful of volunteers in their spare time.