11 replies to this topic

[Matthew Hampton]

This is a link to a flash-based flight simulator that uses Google's imagery. Yes, you can even shoot at things.

[benbakelaar]

awesome! the banking/diving along with the image scaling is really good, for all the limitations this game has... it is totally believable flying. well, from me as a non-pilot anyways.

[frax]

reminds me of Blue Max (commodore 64 computing game). The creator should change the graphic to a spaceship on the Moon and Mars instead of a bi-plane!

[Kartograph]

Blue Max was soo much fun. I never made it past a certain point though. Quite difficult! Does anybody know a good explanation of making Flash do stuff like this?

[benbakelaar]

Well there are a few pieces of this:

1 - Loading up the Google tiles, scrolling and scaling them
2 - Loading up the 3d model of the biplane
3 - Keyboard controls

As for 1 - http://www.flashearth.com was the first one I saw that did this.
2 seems like it would be a standard plugin.

Sorry I don't actually know Flash code

[MapMedia]

I played BlueMax too!

This one is great - but it needs a little sound effect - I didn't hear anything.

Cute plane. I especially liked the little explosion when I ditched it in the San Francisco bay.

How long would it take the little plane to circumnavigate the globe?

[Kartograph]

In Google Map Hacks, it says:

with fscommand (flash) you can invoke Javascript code, and those pass the query variables.

Here is a tutorial on Javascript/Flash interaction:
http://www.adobe.com...d=tn_15683#jtfc

mmm...must go reading...

[Nick Springer]

As interesting as this is I would not call it either a flight simulator or a game. It is merely a continuously panning and zooming map.

If they transformed the image tiles into a perspective view and rotated them so you were always moving forward, THAT would be impressive!

Seems like you could make a good flight simulator out of Google Earth. And if any one has ever seen Microsoft's most current version of Flight Simulator (2004 I think) the terrain detail is pretty amazing.

[Matthew Hampton]

The creator should change the graphic to a spaceship on the Moon and Mars

With this "fly though" gamey thing you can at least fly your airplane on the Moon or Mars.

If they transformed the image tiles into a perspective view and rotated them so you were always moving forward, THAT would be impressive!

That would be very cool - probably have to wait a year or so until COLLADA gets on its feet.

And if any one has ever seen Microsoft's most current version of Flight Simulator (2004 I think) the terrain detail is pretty amazing.

Evidentally Flight Simulator can be linked to Google Earth using MyFsGoogleEarth.

[MapMedia]

Imagine what sort of simulators the military currently has.

It would be neat to create a script to track my FedEx and UPS packages on the map - so I can see where they are, and their next move, etc.

[benbakelaar]

Imagine what sort of simulators the military currently has.

I can't find the original page I saw it on, which was much closer to military application, but this http://www.gizmag.com/go/4833/ almost certainly came out of military R&D. Or at least, the military implemented this idea years ago. I'll keep searching.

EDIT: Hah, right on their homepage. http://www.virtusphe...et/military.htm

[benbakelaar]

Boy, today must be military simulator day.

http://www.engadget....ario-simulator/