Thomas Molitor's blog

FSMap v1.2 RC 1 released

2009-12-02T13:39:00.001+01:00

The RC adds support for some of the new Windows 7 taskbar features (e.g. jump lists). The final version should be out on Monday 07.12.2009.

FSMap v1.2 Beta 1 released

2009-11-11T11:19:00.001+01:00

I have just released Beta 1 of v1.2, which mainly solves problems with the new Windows 7.

Change Log

Added support for Windows 7 (mainly solves performance problems)
Added option to inverse the mouse wheel zoom direction
The load map for position feature now cycles through the available maps instead of using the only the first map found
Added FS2002 flight plan saving
Fixed aircraft panel configuration detection in the gauge manager
Fixed moving map focus handling when switching applications

The final version should be out within the next two weeks.

First implementation of Direct2D added to FSMap

2009-07-08T12:42:00.003+02:00

After some fight with the new API I finally implemented a first version of my new graphics engine that supports D2D in FSMap. Currently only the moving map drawing uses D2D under Win7, but this already increased the overall performance by nearly 50%. Working now on the rest of the gauge, so it fully uses D2D.

FSMap and Windows 7

2009-06-08T16:57:00.006+02:00

As some of you might have noticed FSMap performance under Win7 Beta/RC is currently very slow compared to XP or Vista. The problem is that some GDI+ functions (which FSMap uses) appear to be much slower under Win7 than with XP/Vista. The good news is that there is a good "workaround" that even supports hardware acceleration: The new Microsoft Direct2D (D2D) API. Using this API the moving map performance has been increased by a factor of ten. I am currently adding support for D2D to my libraries, so all my products will benefit from it. I hope to have a first public Beta ready before Win7 goes RTM. More to follow soon.

FSMap v1.1 published

2009-03-17T13:35:00.001+01:00

I have just released v1.1, which mainly adds some user requests and fixes some known issues.

Change Log

Added airport, navaid and city overlays to the moving map and the gauge
Added basic VFR flight plan editor
Added heading and distance measuring tool
Added right click context menu to moving map with some additional tools
Added an option to change the aircraft symbol on the moving map
Most colors of the moving map can now be changed and saved in themes
Font size for messages and TCAS altitude captions can be changed
Font size for map item labels can be changed
Informational text overlay now automatically refreshes in flight
Fixed several issues with the navigation database creation process
Fixed airport details page on the informational overlay did not stay selected and the gauge reverted to the first text page while in flight
Fixed possible crash if a runway has been defined for an airport with a length and/or width of zero feet
Fixed several minor GUI problems in the gauge manager
Fixed Helicopter traffic not displayed under FSX
Fixed VATSIM data feed status URL

Microsoft closes ACES Studio

2009-01-26T15:39:00.003+01:00

Yes it's true Microsoft is closing ACES Studio the developers of Flight Simulator. My feelings go to those which have been layoff. Hope they will find a new job asap. Only six members of the original team are left to archive the code and shutdown ACES.

So what does this mean at all? In short terms I don't expect any big changes in the scene. Third party developers still have some new exciting products in the pipe line and I think FSX now has a chance to become the number one flight simulator as hardware gets better and also developers will get the last things out of it. But if speaking in long terms, I really cannot predict anything. Microsoft could decide to continue the development of FS, but it could also happen that simulators like X Plane get more popular and developers switch over.

The one thing that makes me really upset is the way Microsoft has closed ACES and treated his own employees.

Personally I will of course continue to create products for FS. Next will be the minor update for FSMap and I am also starting to work on another new project.

Windows 7, Gadgets and UAC

2009-01-20T22:44:00.003+01:00

If you are a beta tester of Windows 7 (like me) and you have turned off UAC, then you might have noticed that your gadgets are not longer working. Today I found a nice tip on how to fix this problem:

Open Registry Editor
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Sidebar\Settings
Create a new dword Value called AllowElevatedProcess
Set the value to 1
Close the registry editor

Voila they are back again.

I am back

2009-01-20T22:26:00.002+01:00

After a long absence I am trying again to keep this blog active. A lot of good things happened during the last two years. I now have two daughters: Emily Sofie (born in October 2006) and Aurelia Luisa (born in last September). I will publish some new pictures soon and you will see why everything has been delayed so much in the last two years.

As some of you might have noticed FSFK v3.0.1 has been released and I am very happy with this release. I wanted two make the development a bit more public, but it turned out that due to the lack of time I was not able to do it the way I wanted it. Anyway I think that v3 really rocks and provides a lot of new tools for analyzing your flights. Check it out!

I am currently also working on FSMap v1.1, which will add some user requests and fix some minor bugs. It will hopefully ready within the next two months.

The year 2009 will also bring something new to my FS development: Team work. In the last six years in my FS career I was always developing everything on my own. Now I am starting to work on a new product with a very very talented group of coders and designers. I currently cannot give you more information, but it will rock!

FSFK v3.0 development progress

2006-10-25T17:45:00.001+02:00

Some really good news: I was able to nearly complete the required updates to FSFK for FSX. FSFK has not been updated yet to use SimConnect, so the first v3.0 Beta will require FSUIPC v4 but I do plan to move over to the new Microsoft API and I actually prepared FSFK internally which took me the last couple of months.

Overall it seems that everything can be ported to FSX with some small exceptions (e.g. menu manipulation for the VA templates which is currently not possible with FSX). I have also added some new exciting features (like displaying the World Map in the ACARS Device, saving and restoring a flight, etc.). I will try to post some preview screenshots asap and update the blog more frequently.

Another decision I have made is that I will split the addition of new features over the next v3.x versions. I really want to release v3.0 (thus support for FSX) as soon as possible (my current schedule is December 2006 or January 2007). The current feature wish list is so long that I can not add everything to the first version without delaying the release. The current plan is to add the most wanted features to v3.0. FSFK v3.1 will concentrate on the new VA features I have on my list (planned release is April or May 2007). Thereafter I will try to add the rest.

The first Beta will mainly concentrate on testing the FSX support and the partly recoded ACARS Device (e.g. map display with dual core support). In the meantime I welcome you to file your wishes in my Wish List forum (please only one suggestion per post and please check if your wish has not been already posted by another user!). VA related suggestions should be posted at a later time as they won't make it into v3.0.

Some new FSX Screenshots

2006-01-24T11:08:00.001+01:00

Just found some new official FSX Screenshots on a german site ...

Interesting post about FSX and Vista

2006-01-19T15:20:00.001+01:00

I just found an interesting post in Mike Gilbert's blog about the next FS version and some facts about the next Windows/DirectX version

Welcome!

2006-01-19T14:26:00.001+01:00

Welcome to my personal Blog.

Some of you might have noticed that I closed my original blog. This was due to many spam comments and so I decided to use Blogger to start a new weblog.

During the work on FS Flight Keeper v2.5 and v2.7 I decided that I will develop the next version in a more public way. This means that I will discuss new features not only with my testers, but also directly with the FSFK users. Therefore I will use this new Blog to present new ideas and also the development progress (with screenshots and comments).

So I give you all the opportunity to take part during this long period to direct influence a payware product.

Additionally I will post interesting links or freeware/payware products I like or anything else that comes into my mind.