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Arts and Entertainment => Hobbies and Photos => Topic started by: SGOS on October 10, 2013, 06:12:22 PM

Title: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on October 10, 2013, 06:12:22 PM
I'm a Flight Simulator fan, but airports in Microsoft FSX are generic things.  Some backwoods landing strip will always have pretty much the same modern cement block building, which is hardly realistic.  And while Microsoft provides a seaplane which of course lands on water, it provides no seaplane bases or realistic destinations to fly to and therefore lacks a sense of purpose.

I bought a cad draw program (FSDS) that allows me to create and install buildings, boats, docks... anything at all really, to spice up the simulator.  These are time consuming things to create, but I find it rewarding.  These are some of the bases, camps, and docks I've created along the Yukon River in Alaska.  These are all in a several hundred square mile area north of Fairbanks, so I can provide my own little charter flying service to take my imaginary friends on hunting and fishing adventures.   :-D

Sawmill at Fort Yukon
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/FortYukon3_zps2ad115d4.jpg)

Sawmill at Fort Yukon Different Angle
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/FortYukon1_zps8f4d0cc0.jpg)

Fish Lake Campsite
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/HammsBeer_zpsbcc40826.jpg)

Cozy Tent For the Discriminating Hunter
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/FlatCreekNight_zps0156752f.jpg)

Tug Boat at Beaver, AK on Yukon River
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/TugBoatLayOver2_zps52cb5ded.jpg)

Fishing Camp on a Lake North of Fairbanks
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/BeaverCamp_zps0c3f2d59.jpg)

Dock at Chandalar Lake
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/ChandalarDock_zpscdb180bf.jpg)

Fuel Dock and Machine Shop on Yukon River
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/Fuelandmachineshop_zpsa1600c1c.jpg)

Dock at Stevens Village, AK  (Centrally located and I use this as my main base)
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/StevensVillage_zps706d3d33.jpg)

Gravel Landing Strip for Wheeled Aircraft at Chandalar Lake, AK
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/Capture2_zpsbe8406e5.jpg)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: FrankDK on October 10, 2013, 06:35:10 PM
Great work.

What version of FS are you using?  I still have 2000, but have just ordered X Gold.

Frank
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on October 10, 2013, 07:18:05 PM
Quote from: "FrankDK"Great work.

What version of FS are you using?  I still have 2000, but have just ordered X Gold.

Frank
I use FSX Gold.  I used to make these things for 2000 and 2004 and upload them at various sites for others to download and use, but I lost all of my work in a hard drive meltdown.  FSX doesn't lend itself as well to such tinkering, but I did some research and found out I could buy the latest FSDS from a site called Abacus that works with FSX.  Although it's more difficult in FSX than it was in Versions 8 and 9.  This is reflected by fewer available freeware downloads for FSX.  

I also found a site that helped me learn how to use the FSDS cad draw program and place scenery in FSX.  It's a fairly steep learning curve.  I notice that many of the old scenery makers that used to hang out at AVSIM.com are no longer around.  But I still recognize some of the guys that make aircrafts from 10 years ago.

A lot of simmers complain about FSX, because it's not as open as the older versions were to tinkering.  It's most certainly a better program, with some cool stuff that the older versions didn't have, but it takes a lot of computing power, and almost 10 years after its release, the hardware hasn't really caught up with its demands.  I can't run FSX with all the settings on Max around busy metropolitan airports.  I have a fairly powerful computer, although hardly the best.  I'm seriously thinking about building a faster computer, but I really don't know how much better the results will be.

Part of the joy in Flight Simulator was in finding out about designing addons.  It opened a whole new area of interest for me, and expanded my interests in the program.  It's not really flying, but I'm reluctant to call it a "game" as some people do, because I think it does it a disservice.  I've been with the hobby for 15 years, and I'm still learning about some of the stuff that has been in the program that I never knew about.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: Johan on October 10, 2013, 07:33:52 PM
Awesome work.  :)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on October 10, 2013, 07:53:43 PM
Quote from: "Johan"Awesome work.  :)
Thanks.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: O.T. on November 17, 2013, 08:32:00 PM
Will it take Lightwave 3D assets ?, meaning meshes.

 I haven't played with a flight simulator since F-18 on the Amiga, but I've always wanted to get back into it.

 Can Flight Simulator run on an old Dell desktop ?  

 Details:

Dimension 2400  
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.66GHz
Processor Speed 2.60 GHz
Memory (RAM) 2048 MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Operating System Version 5.1.2600

 I really miss my old F-18 was kind of relaxing flying around San Francisco.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: aitm on November 17, 2013, 09:50:38 PM
Hamms beer? wtf?

[spoil:3bs7holh]jes kidding, great stuff[/spoil:3bs7holh]
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 17, 2013, 10:02:12 PM
Pretty spiffy.. :)
Now design a scaled up tea cup to land in complete with sexy broads with those fancy hats having tea and crumpets. Then you (the pilot) can hop out and say, "G'day ladies!"
I intentionally omitted 'tea party'. :-$
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 17, 2013, 10:13:55 PM
Quote from: "aitm"Hamms beer? wtf?

[spoil:3is6cxv5]jes kidding, great stuff[/spoil:3is6cxv5]
Hamms pays me for product placement in my scenery.... Kidding.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 17, 2013, 10:23:20 PM
Quote from: "SGOS"
Quote from: "aitm"Hamms beer? wtf?

[spoil:p9u4ijma]jes kidding, great stuff[/spoil:p9u4ijma]
Hamms pays me for product placement in my scenery.... Kidding.
Ask a tea company for endorsements...or maybe a brothel. :)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 17, 2013, 10:57:39 PM
Quote from: "O.T."Will it take Lightwave 3D assets ?, meaning meshes.
Third party mesh often ends up with structures buried in the ground or floating in the air.  This would only work with FSX, which actually improves the terrain over previous versions.  At least I've thought so, but I've never asked anyone about it.

However, your question just turned on a light in my head.  I re-installed FSX just recently and noticed that 3 out of 19 sites I created have docks submerged under water.  I couldn't figure out why, but it just dawned on me that FSX has a slider adjustment to raise or lower "mesh complexity".  It just might be that I need to adjust the slider up to where it was before the re-install, because the default settings are lower than where I like them.  I'll play with the slider tomorrow and see if that's what it is.

Quote from: "O.T."I haven't played with a flight simulator since F-18 on the Amiga, but I've always wanted to get back into it.
Can Flight Simulator run on an old Dell desktop ?  


 Details:

Dimension 2400  
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.66GHz
Processor Speed 2.60 GHz
Memory (RAM) 2048 MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Operating System Version 5.1.2600

FS2004 would probably work with your 2.66, but I would recommend more power for FSX.  I'm running at 3.2GHz and around metro areas running at higher resolutions frame rates are unacceptable, at least to me.  I also get  freezeups and have to reboot on longer flights.  XP should be fine.  FSX was written during XP before Windows 7 came out.  Who knows?  XP might be better.

I thing you're short on RAM for FSX, too.  I have 12 Gigs, I think.  It could be more than I need,... or not.

Flight Simulator has always been short of power.  It seems like every new release was demanding more than the current hardware technology.  And it's hard to get good information on what you need.  I've looked through forums and seen comments that FS doesn't need a good graphics card because it's processor dependent, and other guys say get the best graphics card you can.  There is a similar controversy over the desirability of multi core processors.  Some guys say FS is single threaded and gains nothing from an extra core.

However, multi cores were coming out just about the time FSX was being released, and after the fact, the Microsoft team tweaked FSX to utilize extra cores just before release, but how many cores?  2?  4?  8???  I can't find information on that, and I wonder if a 4, 6, or 8 core would run the program faster,... or slower?

But one thing Flight Simulator Fans pretty much agree on.  Flight Simulator is a power hog.

Quote from: "O.T."I really miss my old F-18 was kind of relaxing flying around San Francisco.
Yeah, I fly everyday.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 18, 2013, 08:04:12 AM
Quote from: "O.T."Will it take Lightwave 3D assets ?, meaning meshes.

Addendum:  Bingo!  The Terrain mesh sliders needed to be readjusted.  Everything is back to normal.  Thanks for bringing up the mesh question.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: Jason78 on November 18, 2013, 08:07:02 AM
They need these kind of mods for Kerbal Space Program.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 18, 2013, 08:15:02 AM
Quote from: "Jason78"They need these kind of mods for Kerbal Space Program.
I had to google that one.  Is that something you do?  The site says users can build their own addons, but it's one of their selling points, which may not mean what it means to me.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: Jason78 on November 18, 2013, 08:57:41 AM
I've not built any mods for Kerbal Space Program, but it is a game I play.  

It's still in the design stages, but it's quite playable.  You can even build space planes in it.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 21, 2013, 01:54:22 PM
I've shifted my focus to the Southeast Alaska Coast.  Here's my first scenery there:

Cannery at Petersburg, Southeast AK
(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/Petersburg4_zpsed768c06.jpg)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 21, 2013, 04:47:02 PM
I'm really disappointed in this anti tea cup crusade.. :)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 21, 2013, 05:02:43 PM
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"I'm really disappointed in this anti tea cup crusade.. :)
I know you've been lobbying hard and making a good case, but I'm still not sure what it is.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 21, 2013, 08:02:17 PM
Quote from: "SGOS"
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"I'm really disappointed in this anti tea cup crusade.. :)
I know you've been lobbying hard and making a good case, but I'm still not sure what it is.
Oh gawd..now people expect me to explain my dumb ideas? :roll: :)
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: Solitary on November 21, 2013, 09:21:58 PM
To think that atheists here expect a miracle is disturbing to me.  :shock:  :P  :lol:  Solitary
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 21, 2013, 10:51:44 PM
Quote from: "Solitary"To think that atheists here expect a miracle is disturbing to me.  :shock:  :P  :lol:  Solitary
That's right buddy.. Keep expecting! Just keep expecting.. Even if it takes like..I dunno.. A trillion years! The key is to never stop expecting.

Sorry SGOS.. I didn't mean for Solitary to get your thread off track, but some people.. Ya know? :lol:
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: FrankDK on November 27, 2013, 08:59:22 AM
I have FSX up and running.  I like the options.

How would I get the graphics you have created?  Do you sell them?  I suspect I'd need instructions on how to install them.

Thanks.

Frank
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on November 27, 2013, 09:41:40 AM
Quote from: "FrankDK"I have FSX up and running.  I like the options.

How would I get the graphics you have created?  Do you sell them?  I suspect I'd need instructions on how to install them.

Thanks.

Frank
No I don't sell this stuff, but you are welcome to use what I have.

The Yukon sceneries are grouped in a folder that currently measures 50MB.  I don't know if I can email that much in a zip file or not.  I used to upload large files using a process and tools that I can't remember.  But emailing 50MB might be a problem.

I've got Thanksgiving guests this week, so we could experiment with it next week.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on December 03, 2013, 07:51:12 AM
Hey FrankDK,  

I've sent you a personal message, but haven't heard back.  Since then, I've successfully emailed a large file to myself.  I think we are good to go.
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: FrankDK on January 01, 2014, 10:17:07 PM
The OP shared the scenery files with me, and with his help, I got them installed.  They are incredibly realistic, some even having animated figures waving to me as I glide up.

Really great artistic and technical work.

Frank
Title: Re: Scenery I Create and Add to Flight Simulator
Post by: SGOS on January 02, 2014, 01:05:11 PM
Thanks Frank,

Here is the Design Studio interface I use to construct objects for the scenery.  With the mouse, you can spin the work in progress around (shown in the upper right) and view it from any angle.  You start with basic objects as shown on the left, and then stretch, rotate, twist, shrink, etc as you want.  Textures, or parts of the textures, are then painted on the surfaces.  Virtually any shape you can think of can be created.  I tried making a cow once, but it drove me nuts and I gave up.  Boat hulls are about the most complicated thing I've made.  The animated objects are ready made, and I get them from a different source.

(//http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/Talaria_42/Capture_zpsae9e219c.jpg)