FAQ

Welcome to the Open-CGF Frequently Asked Questions page. If you can't find the answer here, or in any of our other documentation, please create an issue with your questions and we'll respond as soon as we can.

General

What's a CGF?

A CGF (Computer Generated Force) is a computer program that allows virtual forces to be used in simulations. These forces are made up of entities and are not necessarily military in nature. CGFs are the backbone of many simulations and provide the logic and guidance for the rest of the simulators to follow.

OK, but why do we need an open-source one?

Great question! The vast majority of CGFs are closed and proprietary. This basically excludes small businesses and academia from making use of them. In essence, it creates an artificially high barrier for entry. We believe that creating a basic, generic CGF for all will stimulate the growth of a wide range of other simulation systems which will benefit the field in the long-run.

I already use 'x'-CGF why should I change to yours?

The short answer is: you don't have to. We plan on sitting alongside the big players to provide a basic service that you can use to develop your own application/systems. As we use open standards (DIS & HLA), anything that works with us, will work with anyone else. We don't want to tie you in with proprietary systems that don't play nice. All we want is for you to have access to a CGF that won't break the bank.

Sounds good, but what's the catch? How do you make money?

There's no catch. Open-CGF is free and always will be, simple really!

Installation

'Place Holder'

DIS

What's DIS?

Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) is a communication protocol that allows simulations to interact. It is a broadcast-style protocol which is filtered via exercise ID. A typical communication packet is called a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) tells a simulator where a given entity is, what the entity is, where it is heading, etc... DIS is commonly found in military simulations, but is gaining popularity outside of the defence sector.

Why do you use it?

DIS is our protocol of choice, as it is the de-facto standard for 99% of military simulations. It's also very easy to implement and requires no third-party software. This makes it very attractive for an open-source system, such as Open-CGF.

What versions of DIS do you support?

We support DIS 5, 6 and 7.