July 15th, 2021 Development Update

Screenshot by Wisse06

PArtNERSHIP SERIES: INTRODUCING ORBIS INTERNATIONAL

We are delighted to announce today that we are partnering with Orbis International, a non-profit organization transforming lives through the treatment and prevention of avoidable blindness, to give flight simmers the chance to virtually explore the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.

Orbis is making a profound impact on people’s lives and we’re proud to support their fight against avoidable blindness; a large but solvable problem that affects millions of people around the world who don’t have access to eyecare. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness there are 43 million people living with blindness, and 295 million with moderate-to-severe vision loss, 77% of which is completely avoidable.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a one-of-a-kind aircraft and an incredible feat of engineering. A converted MD-10 cargo plane, it’s now a fully accredited teaching hospital, equipped with a state-of-the-art operating room, laser treatment room, simulation center, classroom and AV suite, that conducts training programs across the globe.

We recognized an opportunity to raise awareness for Orbis’s cause by incorporating the Flying Eye Hospital into the Microsoft Flight Simulator experience.

Microsoft Flight Simulator users can tour the Flying Eye Hospital in full hospital mode with stunningly authentic detail and learn more about Orbis’s mission to train and inspire local teams to save sight in their communities by accessing the plane free-of-charge through an in-game news link or directly via Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace. The plane, however, is not currently available for flight.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital demonstrates how aviation can be a force for good in the world. Since their first generation DC-8 took off in 1982, the Orbis plane has flown to 97 countries to carry out sight saving programs. This third generation MD-10 that Microsoft Flight Simulator users can experience was donated by FedEx employees and launched in 2016.

The aviation sector first pioneered simulation technology; now Orbis and the wider medical community are fast adopting it. Just as simulation has been teaching pilots how to fly for decades, it is now helping doctors, anaesthesiologists and nurses to save sight and improve patient care. On board the plane, Orbis uses simulation to teach and train eye care teams around the world – using virtual reality, artificial eyes and mannequins. Simulation has proven even more vital during a global pandemic as opportunities for hands-on training have decreased.

A passion for aviation and realistic simulation are the threads that tie Orbis, Microsoft Flight Simulator together, so we’re proud to showcase this unique aircraft.

The Flying Eye Hospital is available as a free download to all Microsoft Flight Simulator users to tour on July 27. The sky is calling! Visit orbis.org to learn more about their mission or visit orbis.org/FlyingEyeHospital to learn more about the plane.

DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

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FEEDBACK SNAPSHOT

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KEY:

SU = Sim Update (3, 4, etc.)

WU = World Update

ASAP = As Soon as Possible

TBD = To Be Determined

Several Releases = Fixes will come over a series of updates

Ongoing Fixes = An item we will continually be working on

Planned = Scheduled to be worked on

Under Investigation = The team is currently looking into the issue

Not Planned = We will likely not work on this

SDK UPDATE

• General:
  • We are currently investigating the last remaining issues for the upcoming update.
• Dev Mode:
  • General
    • Console icons are now properly reloaded after the icons package has been mounted.
    • Tools are now properly shut upon closing the sim.
    • We now support ILS reference for runways.
  • Project Editor
    • We fixed the disabled “next” button in the asset selection wizard when creating a new asset group.
  • Visual Effects Editor
    • We added a ColorSpaceConversion node to allow you to work either with RGB or HSV.

3rd Party Update

• As of 07/11, we have now approved 199 (+0) third parties into the in-sim marketplace and – so far 112 (+1) have released 490 products (+14).
• In total, 1,140 products (+23) have already been released in 3^rd party stores and the in-sim marketplace. Beyond that, another 357 products (+7) from 3^rd party developers are in production (225 announced, 132 unannounced). In total, over 1,497 3^rd party products (+30) are either released or are in development.
• Airports:
  • 940 airports (+17) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 726 airports (+17) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 408 airports (+6) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 105 airports (+1) beyond the released airports have been announced.
    • 109 airports (-1) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an airport is in production.
• Aircraft:
  • 185 aircraft (+9) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 55 aircraft (+2) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 33 aircraft (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 107 aircraft (+6) beyond the released aircraft have been announced.
    • 23 aircraft (+1) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an aircraft is in production.
• Scenery:
  • 333 sceneries (+4) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 320 sceneries (+4) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 29 sceneries (-3) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 13 sceneries (+0) beyond the released scenery have been announced.
• Mission Packs:
  • 39 mission packs (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 39 mission packs (+0) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 4 mission packs (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 0 mission packs (+0) beyond the released missions have been announced.

MARKETPLACE

Today there are 8 new products and 15 updated products in the Marketplace.

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