ClearView ver. 4.10 released

[skirtz]

ClearView v. 4.10 is posted now for download at http://rcflightsim.com

3 main changes comparing to 4.09:

- Menu to import panoramic flying fields. Support for hi-res flying field provided as well. Now all http://rc-sim.de flying fields can be used in ClearView.

- Next level plane flight model changes applied

- Calibration option added

Stefan

[Y2kGTP]

I just ran across this software the other day, and think I'm going to get it.....any issues, or problems with it ? for 30$ it seems like a great deal

[Y2kGTP]

Eh......30$ via paypal is no big thing, so I will give it a try.....just bought it

[skirtz]

We have 15 days 100% satisfaction guarantee. Enjoy flying it, and let me know if you have any problem by e-mailing support@rcflightsim.com

Thanks,
Stefan
http://rcflightsim.com

[Y2kGTP]

Ohh....newer version out :D

New: Version 4.11 now with Panorama Scenery Import.
Models added: Huey Scale Helicopter and 3 Edge 540 planes: - electric, 25% scale and 33% scale. All Edge 540 models are set for all out 3d and are great for learning to hover.

[skirtz]

I would add that ver. 4.12 is now the newest, due to bug I found in 4.11
The free plane in 4.12 is Edge540 25% scale in mild setup. The heli is as always Raptor 60 and the flying field is my local school soccer field. The demo flight time is limited as usual.

[RANSWrench]

Any micro electric cp heli's?

[skirtz]

There is one micro electric that flies like Trex. The curent version includes 23 models - 7 helicopters and 16 planes.

Stefan
http://rcflightsim.com

[Buckey29]

What hardware is everyone using? I tried the latest version on my HP w/3.2 Ghz proc on XP. Got the latest video driver and sound driver. It still takes 90-96% cpu. I LOVE the sim but it seems to be a hog.

[Y2kGTP]

What hardware is everyone using? I tried the latest version on my HP w/3.2 Ghz proc on XP. Got the latest video driver and sound driver. It still takes 90-96% cpu. I LOVE the sim but it seems to be a hog.

I have run it on both a AMD 1.47ghz, 512M, Geforce 5200 card, and a P4 2.4Ghz, 512M, geForce 4 card, and it runs great on both. I'll check CPU usage next time I pull it up.

What video card are you running?

[skirtz]

The simulator is designed to cooperate with other programs in terms of sharing the CPU load; If you start and run another program, you will be able to work with the new program with no delays, because ClearView will release some CPU time. When there are no other programs, ClearView maximize the frame rate, hence CPU goes to 96%.

I can make an option to work with fixed framerate, but tell me why is this important for you.

Stefan
http://rcflightsim.com

[Buckey29]

Skirtz - Thanks for the info. Usually anything using that much CPU is a bad thing, but if your program can dynamically allocate CPU cycles, thats cool. I'll play around with it.

As for a feature that would support a fixed framerate? I guess its really not neede then based on the info you just gave.

[skirtz]

I try to keep the user interface simple. If I had fixed rate, many people will ask themselves -what is this and why I need it, and why I don't see any difference etc.

I want to improve the simulator, so I appreciate your concern for the CPU utilization. I will think about it – may be when there is no stick control change, ClearView can slow down the frame rate or something in that respect.

[Willard]

I tried the demo of this on my laptop and am having alot of issues:

Centrino 1.7ghz, ATI mobility 9600 pro turbo 128mb, 1 gig ram.

It loads, the simulator window appears on the desktop and I can see the raptor but it keeps freezing up. The blades on the heli spin for 4 or five seconds then freeze for 4 or 5 seconds, then spin for 4 or five seconds then freeze etc. Its not a framerate issue, because the ENTIRE program is hanging. When it is freezing, I can move the muse over the menus but they do not respond when I click them.

Any ideas?

[bluesky123]

Willard,

The freezing you are seeing is a result of a conflict between the video driver and OpenGL library. Older ATI drivers didn't have this problem, but all recent drivers apparently suffer from it...
I gave up trying to figure out how to resolve it and simply upgraded my Radeon based video card to a newer nVidia card (that's the advantage of a desktop).

Boris

[Willard]

Willard,

The freezing you are seeing is a result of a conflict between the video driver and OpenGL library. Older ATI drivers didn't have this problem, but all recent drivers apparently suffer from it...
I gave up trying to figure out how to resolve it and simply upgraded my Radeon based video card to a newer nVidia card (that's the advantage of a desktop).

Boris

Way over my head, but thanks for letting me know there isnt much I can do about it.

Thats a big drawback for this simulator then, because ATI are at least on a par with, if not ahead of Nvidia in the graphics and gaming caliber of homecomputer.

I used to play alot of videogames before I got into rc helicopters, still do a bit, and I still keep my finger somewhat on the pulse as Im going to build a gaming desktop sometime in the near future.

And none of nvidias latest offerings have really held a torch to ATI's latest cards for framerate benchmark tests.

My friend, who worked for Jim Hensons as a computer animator told me that ATI isnt up to the standard of Nvidia at the moment when it comes to performing the advanced transform and lighting that they use in their animation programs (houdini and all that)

So I guess the bottom line is if you have an ATI card this simulator aint going to work?

[bluesky123]

May be Stefan has an ace in his sleeve and he may find a workaround for this problem. Don't know...

I don't want to start ATI vs. nVidia war here (G3 vs. AFPD vs. XTR is enough). I can say that I'm continuosly upgrading several of my home PCs as well as occasionaly assemble computers for friends and relatives. I've used many video cards, both with ATI and nVidia chips, they are all good cards. From time to time, one company gets ahead, but the other catches up quickly. But one thing I can say for sure is that nVidia drivers are much more stable that the ones from ATI. Have you tried installing ATI drivers for Windows 9x lately(one of my boxes has a multi-boot into several OSs, including 98, which I need for some older software, working directly with PC hardware)? ATI Win9x drivers suck big time, while nVidia 9x drivers install like charm and work flawlessly.

Any way, it's a shame that ATI is having this compatibility problem with some OpenGL based graphics engines--there are quite a few system with decent ATI video around...

Boris

[Willard]

yeah agreed it is a shame whichever way you look at it

[skirtz]

I was finally able to reproduce the screen freezing with the last version of ATI drivers on my Dell 8600 laptop with Radeon 9600 card. The problem is purely driver related and unfortunately showed in the latest crop of ATI drivers. So far the only cards affected are 9600 and only some of them. I have had few than 5 complaints of this issue. The animation freezes when the mouse pointer is moved over the sim window. Once you stop the pointer, or the pointer is outside the window, there is no freezing. This makes very hard to select and work with the menus, so it is unacceptable. I am looking into it. For now, for ATI 9600 the best bet is older driver (all they work fine). For all other cards, if the sim can't work, in 99% installing the newest driver removes the problem.

[skirtz]

I would like to add that the next version will be able to import all free FMS models from the net, planes and helicopters. The flight model will be ClearView based, so the par file will not be imported or used.

Stefan
http://rcflightsim.com

[Willard]

I was finally able to reproduce the screen freezing with the last version of ATI drivers on my Dell 8600 laptop with Radeon 9600 card. The problem is purely driver related and unfortunately showed in the latest crop of ATI drivers. So far the only cards affected are 9600 and only some of them. I have had few than 5 complaints of this issue. The animation freezes when the mouse pointer is moved over the sim window. Once you stop the pointer, or the pointer is outside the window, there is no freezing. This makes very hard to select and work with the menus, so it is unacceptable. I am looking into it. For now, for ATI 9600 the best bet is older driver (all they work fine). For all other cards, if the sim can't work, in 99% installing the newest driver removes the problem.

thats the same laptop and card i have! I tried updating to the latest dell drivers but it didnt help.

Your description of the problem is spot on, its whenever you move the mouse cursor over the screen. When you try to se the menus it freezes and then crashes.

How did you 'reproduce' the problem, what did you have to change and/or enable?

If i know how you 'reproduced' the problem, cant I just do the oposite and solve the problem?

[Willard]

Is this thing supposed to be running in JAVA, The window that eventually loads after FOREVER has a java sign in the top left hand corner.

First a msdos window opens and repeats this hardware check like 50 times. It says hardware acceleration-true9sometimes false, blaha blah

Well, guess Im uninstalling it. Never had a problem with any of the newer opengl games with this card, unreal tournament 2005 springs to mind (silky almost maxed out),-this is the first.