TrueFlight

TrueFlight is a native C++ flight game/runtime built on SDL3, Vulkan, ImGui, and procedural world simulation.

This repository currently contains:

• A playable Windows native executable target: TrueFlight
• A native smoke-test target: TrueFlightNativeSmoke
• Procedural terrain/world generation and persistent world storage
• Flight, walking, terraforming, paint, HUD, instrument, and online/Steam menu systems
• Asset loading for built-in, .glb, .gltf, and .stl models

Current Scope

The native port in this repo already implements these major systems:

• SDL3 windowing, input, audio, and GPU/Vulkan rendering
• Procedural terrain with chunk streaming, caves, tunnels, water, biome coloring, terraces, craters, and decoration controls
• Native flight dynamics, atmosphere/wind, propulsion, collision/crash handling, and live tuning
• Chase/cockpit flight camera plus on-foot walking mode and terrain editing tools
• Runtime model loading and per-model paint overlays saved as PNGs
• Configurable HUD and instrument panels
• World instance creation, selection, deletion, and persisted terrain/world metadata
• Native networking/replication foundations plus optional Steamworks integration

Dependencies

Not everything is handled the same way:

• SDL3 is fetched automatically by CMake with FetchContent
• Dear ImGui is expected in NativePort/third_party/imgui and is already referenced by the build
• glslangValidator must be available from a Vulkan SDK install or on PATH
• Steamworks is optional, Windows-only, and only enabled when you provide a valid SDK

The build does not vendor the Vulkan SDK or Steamworks SDK.

Build

From the workspace root:

cmake -S . -B build/workspace-layout -G "Visual Studio 18 2026" -A x64
cmake --build build/workspace-layout --target TrueFlight --config Release

Or use the helper script:

python NativePort\build_trueflight.py

Useful script options:

• --ctest: builds TrueFlightNativeSmoke and runs ctest
• --enable-steamworks: forces Steamworks on if a valid SDK is available
• --disable-steamworks: forces Steamworks off
• --steamworks-sdk-root <path>: points at a Steamworks SDK root or sdk directory
• --no-package: skips staging build/package/<config>/TrueFlight

Build outputs are staged under:

• build/workspace-layout/NativePort/Release/TrueFlight.exe
• build/package/Release/TrueFlight/

Runtime Requirements

• Windows
• A Vulkan-capable GPU/driver stack that SDL3 can use through the Vulkan backend
• Shader compilation support via glslangValidator during build

If Steamworks is enabled, the build script/CMake flow also stages steam_appid.txt and steam_api64.dll beside the executable.

Run

.\build\workspace-layout\NativePort\Release\TrueFlight.exe

The executable also accepts a Steam lobby launch argument:

.\build\workspace-layout\NativePort\Release\TrueFlight.exe +connect_lobby <lobby_id>

Controls

Default flight controls:

• W / S: pitch forward/back
• A / D: roll left/right
• Q / E: yaw left/right
• Up / Down: throttle up/down
• Mouse move: flight stick input
• Mouse wheel: throttle
• Ctrl + mouse wheel: elevator trim
• [ / ]: rudder trim left/right
• Right mouse: zoom
• Space: air brakes
• C: chase/cockpit camera
• M: map toggle
• F3: debug toggle
• R: reset flight
• Esc: menu/pause

Walking and editing:

• W / A / S / D: move while on foot
• Mouse move: look
• Shift: sprint
• Space: jump
• T: toggle terraform mode
• LMB: fire projectiles
• B: drop bombs
• A: afterburner

Paint editing:

• 1: brush mode
• 2: erase mode
• F: fill
• Ctrl+Z: undo
• Ctrl+Y: redo
• P: commit paint

Voice:

• V: push-to-talk when the online voice mode uses PTT

All bindings are configurable in-game.

In-Game Menus

The pause/menu flow currently includes:

• Main
• Settings
• Characters
• Paint
• HUD
• Instruments
• Controls
• Help

Settings sub-pages currently include:

• Graphics
• Camera
• Sound
• Flight
• Terrain
• Lighting
• Online

Character and paint tools are split across:

• Plane
• Player
• Enemy
• Target

Persistence

The game uses SDL preference paths under:

• SDL_GetPrefPath("Don Reagan", "TrueFlight")

The runtime stores data there, including:

• native_settings.ini
• HUD-settings.ini
• paint/
• worlds/
• terrain_chunk_cache/

Assets

Included sample assets currently include:

• portSource/Assets/Models/DualEngine.glb
• portSource/Assets/Models/DualEngine2.glb
• portSource/Assets/Models/DualEngine.stl

The runtime supports loading:

• .glb
• .gltf
• .stl

If no external model is selected, the game can fall back to built-in/native visual defaults.

Testing

There is a native smoke-test executable and a registered CTest target:

python NativePort\build_trueflight.py --ctest

At the time of this README update, the smoke-test target builds successfully, but the current ctest run is not fully passing.

Repository Notes

• The top-level CMakeLists.txt is a workspace wrapper that builds NativePort
• Third-party license notices are collected in licenses/THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.txt
• Main project license text is in LICENSE.txt
• Forks and sumbissions of changes are encouraged but must have permission given prior to posting of said submissions.
• This is Source-Availabe Not Open-Source.