[simpits-tech] OpenRJ

[dabigboy at cox.net]

---- Gene Buckle <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote: 
> On Sun, 31 Jul 2011, dabigboy at cox.net wrote:
> 
> > Interesting. FWIW, I'm working on a network-based OpenGL glass cockpit 
> > display (well, adaptable to simulated steam gauges too, of course), 
> > which is fairly far along now. It's also written in Python, 
> > coincidentally, making it wonderfully cross-platform. Most of my 
> > development work stopped/paused late last year because it's reached a 
> > point where it takes care of most of my immediate needs, but soon I will 
> > be moving ahead with engine instrumentation and more nav stuff.
> 
> That sounds pretty slick.  Are you using pygame for the graphics?  I'd 
> love to see screen shots. :)

You know, after incrementally improving it over months and months, now that I summarize everything, it DOES sound pretty darn cool. :) I'm using PyOpenGL for most of the stuff, but Pygame is used for setting up the OpenGL context, input handling, and a few other behind-the-scenes tasks. The actual drawing is all OpenGL, no Pygame surfaces are used. I made a couple of neat little modules that create display lists (I know, outdated now, but....) and create a usable OpenGL texture. The great thing is that I can update just a single module and my entire app will take advantage of new drawing routines (for instance, updating my surface creator to use something other than display lists).

Here's a screenshot of the progress so far:

http://68.12.192.171:8080/pics/sim/efis_8-01-11.jpg

The airspeed is in an odd location because for the longest time, I did not have a "real" airspeed indicator. I now have an analog custom-built ASI that uses a servo....travel is limited to 180* for now, but I will be trying out a winch servo soon. If that doesn't pan out, I will probably go to air core motors driven with an Arduino. This shot is just my current arrangement to match my simulator. The annunciators actually fall behind a rectangular cutout in the panel. The engine gauges are temporary but are fully functional, waiting to finish my center/avionics/engine panel to add more engine stuff.

Matt