| Just saw the note - and I've been waiting for someone else to see the
potential of the FLIGHT simulator. While I have not imagined the
ability to create a 'world' that the previewer could work with, (an
amazing idea!) what I'd like to see is the use of the simulator widgets
as a control panel for various pieces of equipment. I imagine a
toolkit with gages, dials, switches, joysticks, indicator lights, and
such - like are already there for the cessna, F16, saturn 5, etc. Each
technology expert would define a 'control panel' made up of the
widgets, and tie each to counters, attributes, calculations, alarm
thresholds, etc. Once stable, a user could modify the control panel or
design their own. FLIGHT is VERY object oriented - as one can see by
reading the modeling language for different aircraft. It is technology
that is within this corporation, and could go a long way in putting MCC
quantums ahead of the competition - where it belongs.
bill (a lunchtime dogfighter)
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| From: ALOSWS::MULLER 26-MAR-1991 14:35:51.42 To:
MSBCS::KOENIG CC:
LASSONDE,SONATA::IDEASCENTRAL,QUEEN::BUEHLER,LHOTSE::DAHL,MULLER Subj:
FLIGHT
Stephan M. Koenig
Market Development Manager
Mid-Range Systems Business
Digital Equipment Corporation
85 Swanson Road, BXB1-1F11
Boxboro, MA 01719-1326
(508-264-5859)
Dear Steve,
After your Client/Server Presentation at the "On Tour 1991" show in
Saratoga Springs, NY in January I mentioned a program called "FLIGHT"
which some of us (not necessarily any of the above CC:'s) consider to
be the best example of "Digital's Way of Computing" using the
client/server approach. Sorry for this promised reply being so belated.
Your presentation in Saratoga, and the entire morning session at that
customer presentation has stimulated this communication. If I may
comment on that MORNING's session: technically it was superb, but
needed some "jazzing up". It was long and slow moving for much of the
audience.
Since seeing a "live music" client/server demo at last November's
Stockholder's Meeting, I have been wondering how or to whom to address
the idea that FLIGHT could possibly be an effective demo. Also, I saw
a picture of that music demo on page 13 of the October, 1990 issue of
"DECWORLD". I guess it was used at the last series of DECworlds. More
about this later.
I am presenting the following information from a background that
includes over 5000 hours of Certified Flight Instructor experience,
over 10 years of Digital Software Services experience (PSS/EIS) and
seven years as an Assistant Professor at a major US university; also,
from more than a year of using all aspects of the FLIGHT program and
some contact with the program authors.
The FLIGHT program is a "midnight special" mainly by two principals,
John Buehler and Tom Dahl in Spitbrook, at the above VAXmail addresses.
They started it three or four years ago. There is an extensive
VAXnotes conference, QUEEN::FLIGHT, with reference to the kit source in
note #507. I am sending you an extract of that note in a following
VAXmail. Corporate legal has recently approved its public release. I
have heard that it has been a very popular unofficial demo at many past
DECworlds and DECUS meetings. I hope John and Tom will not think I am
sticking my nose in where it does not belong. I hope I have the facts
right too.
Please skip the next few paragraphs to the one marked by "***" if they
are too complicated.
The FLIGHT program has three parts: (1) a server "vehicle" simulator
(FLT$SIMULATOR); (2) a server "environment" simulator (FLT$WORLD); and,
(3) the client DECwindows display. (1) and (2) are co-operating
servers, for example: one or more aircraft flying in a world. It has a
lot of the aspects of the new field called "Virtual Reality". It is
not restricted to airplanes and airspace. Since the FLIGHT program
has, in addition to its real time simulation capability, object editors
and compilers, users can design any type of real or imaginary vehicles
to interact in surface, air, extra-terrestrial space, water and
underwater environments. Everything looks as real as you can design it
within the confines of wire and stick modelling. Aircraft are built
with the actual NASA airfoil designs if desired. The F/A-18 Hornet
flys like I would imagine a real one does. It catapults from the
aircraft carrier "USS Carl Vinson" in the FLT$SOUTH-PACIFIC.WORLD just
like I would expect it to from TV and the movies. Wait till you get
good enough to do a carrier landing and catch an arresting wire! The
Cherokee-140 does fly like the real one from many hours of personal
experience.
Presently (1) and (2) above are restricted to VMS platforms and (3) to
any DECwindows display. {{Sentence deleted at John's request - FAM
911017.}} Each user of a vehicle (1) can be on a separate CPU - or on
the same CPU as the common environment CPU (2) which co-ordinates the
various vehicle interactions (flying, driving, shooting, crashing,
etc).
***
This makes FLIGHTsound exclusively like a game. From my (and others)
flight instruction experiences, I claim it is much more. So do the
authors. Admittedly, it is used as a game or learning experience which
requires whatever level of expertise one wishes to apply to it. To
those so inclined it is almost as addicting as the real thing.
Hopefully, you have the idea by now for your purposes. Now I would
like to return to the "live music" client/server demo I saw at the
Stockholder's Meeting. It probably applies just as well to some ideas
I may have already stimulated you to think about.
First, a critique of that demo. I am going to assume you have seen it
somewhere. The use of two experienced musicians was a good attempt to
make it a live demo. They did a good job. Music appeals to everyone.
But what I saw did not correlate well with what I heard.
The large projection screen was not synchronized with the live
presentation; it was just something in the background somehow related
to music in general. And of course it was colorful. The fireworks
might have been appropriate to the 1812 Overture if it had been used.
The two PC's and the MAC in front were an effort to show that they were
integrated into the system and were doing something. It did not impress
me. If I remember correctly, they sat there showing a constant screen.
Also, the consoles, VAX's and/or MIP's, I forget which, the
musician/programmers were using did not present anything I recognized
having to do with music.
What I am now going to suggest may sound far out. Like the above demo,
it would take some experienced folks. But, I am sure we have some real
current pilots, ex-airline and ex-military pilots, and maybe even a few
layed-off air traffic controllers in the company who would just love to
put something like this together. I know of one other pilot in the
company - our own Ken Olsen. No, I do not expect he would participate,
but he might like to see it.
I am thinking of two approaches, one a serious "real" approach and one
a less serious "game" approach. Both of these suggestions could be
implemented with current hardware and the FLIGHT program.
The serious "real" one:
Use the MASSACHUSETTS world which is the eastern part of Massachusetts
with almost all airports and lots of visual reference points. All
communication should be played over a loudspeaker. A large projection
screen with an ATC radar screen located at Boston Logan with an air
traffic controller controlling aircraft through headsets. Several
aircraft cleared for landings and approaches. These aircraft being
flown by pilots on display clients around the room. Landings and
takeoffs are seen live on the displays. Radar returns move live on the
ATC radar. Maybe a 747 taking off for Europe; a Cherokee-140 taking
off from Boston and landing at Hanscom; an F/A-18 leaving Weymouth for
a practice bombing run out in the Atlantic. Even a DEC Bell JETranger
helicoptor taking off from The Mill for a trip to Logan. The Mill is
there complete with the bell tower. I will bet that we have enough
bandwidth over the Atlantic so that one of the airplanes could be flown
by someone in Europe.
I have tested the 2 plane + ATC radar concept using two VS2000's
and a uVAX.
The fun "game" one:
Under somewhat the same physical setup as the above use the MIDWAY
world which is a reconstruction of the Battle of Midway. The correct
Japanese and US carriers are there along with Midway Island. Japanese
Zero and American Hellcats take each other on in a real time
reconstruction of part of that battle with machine guns, bombs and
torpedos.
If we are sensitive to our Japanese friends, use the South Pacific
world and just fly around the three islands and the aircraft carrier.
Nothing would prevent both of the above occuring simultaneously on
opposite sides of the room.
Fred
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