Visuals, Rendering & Atmospheric Pipeline
Atmospheric Lighting, Post-Processing & Tonemapping
We have completely overhauled the tonemapping and color grading pipeline to eliminate washed-out highlights and deliver rich, accurate color reproduction across all lighting conditions. Post-processing has been fine-tuned for nighttime operations, alongside reworked airport lighting for enhanced visibility. Ambient light calculations have also been restructured to ensure natural, realistic shading transitions during critical periods such as sunrise and dusk. Additionally, atmospheric rendering and terrain reflectivity have received a comprehensive polish pass.
Water Simulation & Gerstner Wave Integration
Water rendering has taken a major step forward with a full rework incorporating Gerstner wave simulation and real-time underwater caustics. These improvements deliver dynamic, lifelike water surfaces that react naturally to wind, weather, and light.
Texture Streaming & Macro Textures
To optimize memory bandwidth while maximizing visual fidelity, dynamic texture streaming with scalable in-game quality presets has been introduced. This drastically reduces VRAM overhead depending on aircraft complexity and scene density. Furthermore, macro texturing has been integrated to blend and mask lower-resolution satellite imagery at varying altitudes.
Physics, Flight Model & Cockpit Immersion
Physics Engine & Flight Assists
Major backend architectural updates have landed for the physics engine, resolving collision calculation issues and stabilizing overall flight dynamics. A new Coordinated Turns Assist has been implemented, automatically driving rudder inputs during turns for a smoother handling experience.
Webcam-Powered Head Tracking & Cockpit Dynamics
Immersion in the cockpit has been elevated with the addition of native head tracking. Using standard webcams without the need for dedicated external hardware (such as TrackIR), players can naturally look around the cockpit. Cockpit movement freedom has been expanded, complemented by dynamic G-force-based head wobble effects.
World Scenery & Global Data Expansion
Massive Global Airport Dataset
Our global airfield network has seen a massive expansion. The spawnable airport database has been increased tenfold—jumping from approximately 8,000 to 85,836 functional airports worldwide, giving pilots unprecedented global coverage.
High-Altitude Weather Interaction & Ground PBR
Weather rendering and high-elevation terrain systems have been tightly synchronized so that mountainous regions interact seamlessly with cloud layers and atmospheric effects. Ground and runway PBR texturing continues to receive refinements for enhanced procedural surface depth.
Platform, Tools & Fleet Expansion
Marketplace Ecosystem Overhaul
The built-in Marketplace has been rebuilt from the ground up. The new ecosystem introduces a rigorous review process for all community submissions, a dedicated "Coming Soon" showcase for upcoming aircraft, in-app reporting, and streamlined refund requests, significantly improving collaboration between third-party creators and the core development team.
Multi-Language Localization
Work on native localization is underway to support a broader international audience, beginning with full integration of the German language pack.
Aircraft Editor QoL & Fleet Progress
The Aircraft Editor received several quality-of-life enhancements, including precise measurement tools accurate to the hundredth of a meter and a reworked in-cockpit screen system featuring full custom texture support. On the fleet side, we are thrilled to preview our upcoming first full-sized airliner, the 777, currently in active development.
https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images/45994345/b068ebd8b1ef66992b131b945616308c2ea0b8a9.png