BaseIG Overview FlightIG communicates with one or more host computers (e.g., aerodynamics, weapons, and tactical simulations) via Ethernet, shared memory, or another transport layer. A Communication Layer provides FlightIG with a consistent API for any communication medium. This layer is responsible for retrieving incoming host data from the medium, and for transmitting data from the IG back to the host. These data transmissions are performed independent of the format or contents of the data. The Communication Layer operates either synchronously or asynchronously within the main update loop. When operating asynchronously, the real-time rendering loop is not affected by a lack of host data; FlightIG continues rendering frames using extrapolated ownship and entity positions.

Read more in-depth information on FightIG: BaseIG Overview Standard & Optional Features Broad User Configurability Environment Effects Special Effects Lights/Light Systems Mission Functions Transport Delay Overload Prevention/Management

BaseIG provides the following functionality:

Ownship		Manages the position and definition of the eyepoint and ownship. Supports all the capabilities of entities in general, plus ownship-peculiar capabilities.
Entities		Manages the positioning and state changes of moving models. Entities can move in six degrees of freedom, or can be clamped to the ground and controlled in the remaining five. Entities can have switches, articulations, and damage states. Entities (including stores) can be attached to one another and controlled as a single model. Special effects can be attached to entities. Entities can be individually prioritized under host control for load management.
Intersection tests		Supports mission functions, including ownship collision detection, line of site ranging, and height above terrain.
Environments		Provides environment simulation such as multiple cloud layers, horizon simulation, fog/haze, star field, and ephemeris-controlled effects including time of day, horizon glow, star field, Sun position, and Moon position and phase
Light systems		Provides control over specialized lighting systems like airport lights (VASI, PAPI, RAIL, REIL, approach lights, beacons, Aldis lamps, FLOLS, etc.)
Special effects		Provides a wide variety of special effects definitions and control over their positions and states. Effects include explosions, missile trails, smoke, flak, gun flashes, tracers, and flares. Many others can be easily created without writing additional code. Effects can be attached to entities.
Base application		Contains the basic infrastructure common to most FlightIG instances. Includes generic structures for specifying positional attachments and for extending the system in a highly modular fashion.
Dispatch		Provides a general-purpose mechanism for mapping incoming host packets to back-end 'Commands'.

An Interface Layer maps incoming host packet data to function calls in BaseIG. This layer is the implementation of a particular Interface Control Description. A set of specific Commands are created in this layer that get installed automatically with the BaseIG Dispatch mechanism. When host packets are received, they are routed to the set of handlers defined in this layer. Responses to the host are managed in similar fashion.

FlightICD is the default set of interfaces provided by FlightIG, and is maintained to take full advantage of all FlightIG features.

The Specific Application is unique to each instance of FlightIG. It ties together all the necessary pieces from the other IG layers required by a particular user, specifying the components of the BaseIG, the communication medium used by the Communication Layer, the ICD implemented by the Interface Layer, and all the Vega modules needed for a particular system.

This design makes FlightIG a versatile application readily configured to each user's requirements.

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