SubLOGIC
Encyclopedia
The subLOGIC Corporation is an American
software development
company. It was formed by Bruce Artwick
when he was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, and later incorporated
by Stu Moment
.
Artwick and Moment's ground breaking computer video graphics
programs combined with interest in flying led to producing a very successful flight simulation
, FS-1. It was then licensed by Microsoft
, improved, and released as Microsoft Flight Simulator
.
1978: Bruce Artwick and Stu Moment start subLOGIC to market graphics and systems software for microcomputers, amongst which the once famous "Night Mission Pinball" and the even more famous "Flight Simulator".
1980:
1980/81: New releases of FS 1 for the Apple II, with altitude-counter, enhanced terrain lay-out, "3D"-mountains and other structures. On 5¼" floppy disk.
1982:
1983: first release of FS II for the Apple II by SubLOGIC, comparable to PC-version, but 6-color, solid filled, 4 areas, now with 80 airports, more roads, rivers, mountains, buildings, bridges, ADF, simulated aircraft is a Piper Archer. Better manuals.
1984:
1985
1986:
1986: First add-on sceneries by subLOGIC, gradually covering the whole of the USA, compatible with both Microsoft and subLOGIC FS versions.
1987: First non-USA add-on scenery (Western European Tour, with special Paris, London and Munich scenery) by subLOGIC.
1988:
1992: AAF (Aircraft and Adventure Factory) by Mallard: including first "real" ATC.
in December 1995
.
SubLOGIC continued under the ownership of Moment, who produced Flight Assignment: A.T.P.
, which specialised in simulating passenger airliners. It used a scoring method to determine the performance of the user. SubLOGIC began a new flight simulator but was taken over by Sierra
who completed the program and released it as Pro Pilot. Moment continues to run the present subLOGIC corporation as a generic simulation company in addition to being an airshow display pilot with his Classic Airshow company.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
software development
Software developer
A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, developing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management...
company. It was formed by Bruce Artwick
Bruce Artwick
Bruce Artwick was the creator of the first consumer flight simulator software. His original Apple II software was purchased by Microsoft and eventually became Microsoft Flight Simulator...
when he was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and later incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
by Stu Moment
Stu Moment
Stu Moment is a software developer and pilot. Along with Bruce Artwick, he created the subLOGIC Corporation while he was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sublogic then created its highly successful flight simulator, which was licensed by Microsoft as Microsoft Flight Simulator...
.
Artwick and Moment's ground breaking computer video graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
programs combined with interest in flying led to producing a very successful flight simulation
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
, FS-1. It was then licensed by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, improved, and released as Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
.
Company flight simulator timeline
1975: "FS-0" — Engineering thesis by Bruce Artwick: 3D-graphics demo of the simulation of flight on the Apple II.1978: Bruce Artwick and Stu Moment start subLOGIC to market graphics and systems software for microcomputers, amongst which the once famous "Night Mission Pinball" and the even more famous "Flight Simulator".
1980:
- January: First generation: FS1 for the Apple II, 4 color/monochrome, with a 2-gauge panel (airspeed, altitude), on cassette tape.
- March: First release of FS1 for the Tandy TRS-80 (16 Kb), monochrome, without panel, on cassette tape.
1980/81: New releases of FS 1 for the Apple II, with altitude-counter, enhanced terrain lay-out, "3D"-mountains and other structures. On 5¼" floppy disk.
1982:
- New release of FS1 for the TRS-80 with enhancements, on 5¼" floppy
- November: Second generation: Microsoft releases FS 1.0 (created by subLOGIC) for the IBM-PC: 4 color (+ dithering), panel with 8 gauges, new coordinate system, 4 scenery areas (20 airports), 2 COM radios and DME (no ADF), 9 view directions, weather, slew, simulated aircraft is a Cessna 182.
1983: first release of FS II for the Apple II by SubLOGIC, comparable to PC-version, but 6-color, solid filled, 4 areas, now with 80 airports, more roads, rivers, mountains, buildings, bridges, ADF, simulated aircraft is a Piper Archer. Better manuals.
1984:
- New releases of FS II (8-color) for the Commodore 64 and Atari-800.
Several new releases with some added functionality for all processors follow. - Several new releases of MS FS 2.1x for the IBM PC with the same functionality as FS II, including a special version for Tandy computers.
Manuals for these versions were better.
1985
- Jet released in 1985 for DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and the Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, 1986 for the Apple IIApple IIThe Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, 1988 for the Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, and 1989 for the MacintoshMacintoshThe Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
and NEC PC-9801.
1986:
- Third generation: New releases by subLOGIC of FS II (some call it FS III) for the Amiga and Atari-ST with 320×240, 16-color display, new menu system and multiple windows and views (including spot view), an enhanced coordinate system and enhanced scenery (buildings, bridges) in 5 areas with 120 airports.
Autopilot and multiplayer option. Aircraft: Cessna 182RG and Learjet 25. - Microsoft releases FS 1.0 for Apple Macintosh. Functionally the same as the third generation Amiga and Atari versions, but high res, monochrome. Without multiplayer option. Also comparable to FS 3.0 for the PC (1988).
1986: First add-on sceneries by subLOGIC, gradually covering the whole of the USA, compatible with both Microsoft and subLOGIC FS versions.
1987: First non-USA add-on scenery (Western European Tour, with special Paris, London and Munich scenery) by subLOGIC.
1988:
- Bruce Artwick leaves subLOGIC and founds BAO Ltd (Bruce Artwick Organisation). He retains the copyright to Flight Simulator. subLOGIC goes its own way with the development of ATP (Airline Transport Pilot).
- June: FS 3.0 (part of third generation), created by BAO but released by Microsoft for the PC only: 16-color EGA (640×350), new panel, new high resolution scenery structure, better weather/time of day features, flight recording/analysis, multiplayer. Mediocre flight model. Comparable to FS II for Amiga and Atari ST.
1992: AAF (Aircraft and Adventure Factory) by Mallard: including first "real" ATC.
subLOGIC denouement
Bruce Artwick left subLOGIC to form the Bruce Artwick Organization, which was taken over by MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in December 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
.
SubLOGIC continued under the ownership of Moment, who produced Flight Assignment: A.T.P.
Flight Assignment: A.T.P.
Flight Assignment: A.T.P. was a flight simulator for personal computers released in 1990 by the now-defunct subLOGIC. It runs on MS-DOS based PCs. The simulation models the Boeing 737, 747, 767, Airbus A320 and Shorts 360. It features most major aviation beacons in the United States and about 30...
, which specialised in simulating passenger airliners. It used a scoring method to determine the performance of the user. SubLOGIC began a new flight simulator but was taken over by Sierra
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
who completed the program and released it as Pro Pilot. Moment continues to run the present subLOGIC corporation as a generic simulation company in addition to being an airshow display pilot with his Classic Airshow company.
See also
- Flight simulatorFlight simulatorA flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
- History of Microsoft Flight SimulatorHistory of Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator began as a set of articles on computer graphics, written by Bruce Artwick throughout 1976, about flight simulation using 3-D graphics. When the editor of the magazine told Artwick that subscribers were interested in purchasing such a program, Artwick founded subLOGIC...
- Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
External links
- subLOGIC company profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...