Create CIGI-compatible IG systems with FLAMES and Unreal Engine
The Common Image Generator Interface (CIGI) is an open data protocol that allows communication between a host simulation and an image generator (IG). Information about CIGI can be found on SourceForge.
The FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin for Unreal is a FREE plugin for Unreal Engine that is a part of the FLAMES Unreal Engine option. This plugin supports the creation of CIGI-compatible IGs and integrated computer generated forces (CGF) simulations using FLAMES and Unreal Engine.
How it Works
- The free FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin for Unreal is an open, customizable plugin that manages all CIGI communications between an Unreal Engine-based IG and a host simulation.
- Some CIGI packets, such as “Start of Frame” and “IG Control”, are sent and/or processed automatically by the plugin.
- When information on a new Entity ID is received by the plugin, a new Actor is spawned automatically in the IG, the IG Server, and all other IGs that are connected to the Server.
- Most packets are processed by the plugin by calling overridable Blueprint functions. This allows packet processing to be fully customizable.
- Example Blueprint functions for processing Entity Control, Articulated Part Control, Component Control, HAT/HOT Request, and other packets are provided in the free Unreal CIGI IG Game Project.
Features and Benefits
The FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin is much more than a simple plugin for Unreal. It is fully integrated with the FLAMES Unreal Engine option. This provides many features and benefits, including the following:
- Every IG acts as a client to an Unreal game server (shown in the figure above as the “IG Server”).
- IG Clients and the IG Server communicate using Unreal Engine multi-player communications. This provides full support for multiple IG clients. This also allows detailed and high-performance communications of entity state and effects between the server and the clients.
- The IG Server is fully integrated into a FLAMES-based computer generated forces (CGF) simulation. The IG ownships are active participants in the CGF scenario, and the entities in the CGF are present and displayed in the IGs.
- The IGs and the CGF use the exact same Unreal Engine virtual world and terrain database. Therefore, there are no “terrain correlation” issues.
- The host on-board systems, such as sensors and weapon systems, can be modeled in the CGF together with the systems on-board all the constructive entities in the CGF. This allows higher fidelity and higher performance modeling of complex processes, such as weapon engagements and electronic warfare.
- The CGF supports communications with legacy simulations using DIS and HLA. Therefore, there is no need to support DIS or HLA in the IG or the host simulations.
Example CIGI IG and CGF Simulation
An example CIGI-compatible IG and a FLAMES-based CGF simulation are available for FREE in the Unreal CIGI IG Content in the FLAMES Store. The Unreal Engine game project for the IG, including the FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin for Unreal, is available for FREE in the Unreal CIGI IG Game Project.
Licensing
The FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin for Unreal and the Unreal CIGI IG Content are free, and you can try them out using the free Trial Version of the FLAMES Engine, which includes the fully functional CIGI Option. A license to the CIGI Option must be purchased to use the FLAMES CIGI IG Plugin for Unreal with the unrestricted version of the FLAMES Engine.