XC Skies V3 Coming Soon

The new Version 3 of XC Skies is coming soon. Many components have been rewritten from the ground up in order to optimize old prototype code and allow for a smooth migration into the Cloud. Because of the expanded resources available by using Cloud Compute clusters, we are able to finally implement many of the features that were previously too costly in the old environment.

Over the next bit we will be showcasing some of these new features. For example, one issue with using XC Maps for many users is the slow downloads of individual map tiles, which then stack onto each other. For users with fast Internet connections this is not an issue, but when dozens of pilots are sharing a single wireless connection, this makes for a frustrating experience.

The main problem is that each tile set increases the number of image downloads by a factor of 4 depending on the data being viewed.

We are now pleased to announce Collapsible Layers. This feature will handle the image merging for you on the server side and return one set of images, compressed and optimized as best as possible. This not only decreases the download sizes, but also minimizes the amount of images 'gets' to our servers. All of this makes for a better experience and happier pilots.

Here's the idea of Collapsible Layers:

Users will now be able to select which layers to merge, in what order, and the transparency desired of each layer.

More examples and details of other development items will be shared shortly.