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falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 06:29
Like I don't have enough other stuff to work on, I went looking for a spot to put a small airstrip and found one. Located on the eastern edge of the Catskill Mountains overlooking the Hudson River and the towns of Tannersville, Clermont, Germantown and Green Acres. It has South Mountain Lake just below it to the north.

I'm populating the autogen right now, then add some buildings and it'll be pretty much complete. I may work this area with some other airports to the west as this is nice mountain terrain and there actually are quite a few small airstrips all through this range.:salute:

falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 08:51
A few screens before I place objects and a bit more vegetation.

MCDesigns
January 17th, 2010, 08:58
Nice strip, is it fictional? I take it this is in upstate NY since you mention the Hudson, correct?

Seeing how prolific you (and some others) have become, I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time with custom objects since that is what takes the most time on a project.

falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 09:16
Nice strip, is it fictional? I take it this is in upstate NY since you mention the Hudson, correct?

Seeing how prolific you (and some others) have become, I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time with custom objects since that is what takes the most time on a project.
Yea, this is a fictional strip Michael, right on the eastern edge of the Catskills. Nice area and a lot of small airstrips dotted around the mountains.

As far as wasting your time, I don't see it that way because I wish I could do custom objects. Even if it was just small buildings that actually reside at some of these airstrips. . .something that makes it recognizable is always a plus.

2Low
January 17th, 2010, 09:46
As it is with cars ,motorcycles, computers and pistol grips, custom is never a waste of time!

We are talking two different levels of design here. One may be a stepping stone to the other. Both are wanted and needed to populate our virtual world.

3D modeling is a whole other skill to learn and it takes time. I think there has to be that artist in you that needs to create from scratch to keep at it. Is it worth it? Depends if you are getting satisfaction enough from creating it.

What Ed and others are doing is great as it spruces up lots of smaller fields for us, or gives us historic or fictional fields. I'm trying to figure it out myself. Problem is if everyone switched to this method is it would all start looking simular. We also need those with the skills to create libraries and objects.

We need both styles of design so get back at it! :icon_lol: Both of you.:ernae:

MCDesigns
January 17th, 2010, 10:06
Thanks guys, I guess I am just envious at how much Ed can get done when I am slaving away in gmax, LOL. Makes the 4+ hours I put into my doggie Fido today worthwhile, LOL (the scenery is a custom airstrip in TongassX)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1384/fido.jpg

Marvin Carter
January 17th, 2010, 10:23
Hi Michael, there is always a place fore your work. I for one appreciate what you do,I would love to be able to make custom objects, especially buildings but don't have the means nor patience for it. as a fan Keep up the good work!!!

dharris
January 17th, 2010, 11:02
2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyVJ_p3WU&feature=related

falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 15:48
2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyVJ_p3WU&feature=related
I took a look at the video, then went into FSX to have a look. No grade obviously and not much else there. . .nothing at all like the real thing. I played with some sloped flattens in SBuilderX and got a decent grade (46' drop when you approach from 14). The problem is, I've done so much in photoreal (which this has nothing usable) that I'm unsure as to how to apply a landclass poly and get it to show, lol.

As for South Mountain Air Strip (2NYS), I just did a redimentary AFCAD, finished applying objects and I'll post it here in a bit. It's perfect for Mike's Super Cub. As short as the rwy appears from the air, you could shoot several "bounce" landings and take off's before having to go around in the Cub, lol.

Rezabrya
January 17th, 2010, 15:55
Hey Ed, strip looks nice. How close are you getting to being through with KCID?

falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 16:47
First off, here is an interim link to the Air Strip until it's posted here.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/08v9r7obh1.zip


. . . . .How close are you getting to being through with KCID
I'll post some shots in the morning!:salute:

cheezyflier
January 17th, 2010, 18:29
this is great news! i loved the last one you did! i fly in and out of there almost every day since then :applause:

spotlope
January 17th, 2010, 20:40
Not to hijack this thread (sorry, Ed), but I love that dog, Micheal! I've been meaning to do some canines myself, but you really did a beauty.


Thanks guys, I guess I am just envious at how much Ed can get done when I am slaving away in gmax, LOL. Makes the 4+ hours I put into my doggie Fido today worthwhile, LOL (the scenery is a custom airstrip in TongassX)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1384/fido.jpg

NoNewMessages
January 17th, 2010, 22:50
2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyVJ_p3WU&feature=related

One of my favorites too!

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_3.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_4.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_5.html

My first flight with the Quest Kodiak was up to Mountain Air. I was so caught up in the views that I forgot about .... Well, the insurance company did pay for the total loss. :mixedsmi:

falcon409
January 17th, 2010, 23:15
Were you able to get the incline as well? I tried and it seemed to work, but I got lost in trying to apply a LC poly and gave up for now, lol.

Nice job though, sure does beat the default, which as your first pic shows is pretty drab.:applause:

dharris
January 18th, 2010, 06:29
Thanks for the post Lance, I purchased the 2.38 M North Carolina and th e 10 M West Virginia mesh, which should go a long way to help especially with the files to be added later. Are you thinking of doing Tennessee? It would be a natrural to link the others together, that and I have some property in Tennessee, near the N. Carolina border.


One of my favorites too!

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_3.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_4.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_5.html

My first flight with the Quest Kodiak was up to Mountain Air. I was so caught up in the views that I forgot about .... Well, the insurance company did pay for the total loss. :mixedsmi:

cheezyflier
January 18th, 2010, 07:16
Thanks for the post Lance, I purchased the 2.38 M North Carolina and th e 10 M West Virginia mesh, which should go a long way to help especially with the files to be added later. Are you thinking of doing Tennessee? It would be a natrural to link the others together, that and I have some property in Tennessee, near the N. Carolina border.

maybe somewhere near wautauga lake? a beautiful area that would be great to have some little bush strips and maybe even a floatplane base

NoNewMessages
January 18th, 2010, 08:26
Were you able to get the incline as well? I tried and it seemed to work, but I got lost in trying to apply a LC poly and gave up for now, lol.

Nice job though, sure does beat the default, which as your first pic shows is pretty drab.:applause:

Thanks! Didn't mean to hijack your thread, sorry.

Mountain Air would be a great first Gmax project for you, Ed. Get that little swale in the middle nailed and the world will beat a path to your door...

falcon409
January 18th, 2010, 09:51
Thanks! Didn't mean to hijack your thread, sorry.

Mountain Air would be a great first Gmax project for you, Ed. Get that little swale in the middle nailed and the world will beat a path to your door...
Hey Lance, ya didn't hijack anything, you're a contributor, lol.

As for GMax. . .just the name brings a shudder to my bones, lol. I've tried it on occasion, but I never could even get through the tutorials. I purchased FSDS a long time ago and even kept it updated just in case. I actually almost got through the Terminal at Yellowknife before finally giving up.

But scenery, wouldn't even have a clue how to start, but I know that for sloped runways and such, that's about the only way I'm going to accomplish anything like that.

MCDesigns
January 18th, 2010, 10:08
As for GMax. . .just the name brings a shudder to my bones, lol. I've tried it on occasion, but I never could even get through the tutorials. I purchased FSDS a long time ago and even kept it updated just in case. I actually almost got through the Terminal at Yellowknife before finally giving up.


C'mon Ed, modeling is the fun part, it's the texturing that will make you pull your hair out, LOL. :applause:

falcon409
January 18th, 2010, 10:14
C'mon Ed, modeling is the fun part, it's the texturing that will make you pull your hair out, LOL. :applause:
Ahh, easy for you to say Michael, I've seen your stuff and it's excellent. I will have to learn it if I plan on continuing with scenery, but it's so much easier to do the scenery work I'm doing than to labor over trying to get one simple plane to move the way you want it in FSDS or GMax, lol.

NoNewMessages
January 18th, 2010, 11:53
Watch how easy I make this sound....

Bill Womack made a nice tutorial on making Gmax runways, using some FS2002 tweaks. There's also some writings about using FSX and Gmax to work around the curved earth syndrome. At a location like Mountain Air the runway isn't that long or wide to make it a "major job", in that it's pieces are many, but not unmanageable. Someone correct me, but a runway only needs the top textured. And it's the layers in the texture that apply the effects, ie. tire markings, runway numbers and the sorts.

So *if* you ever decide to jump off that cliff, LMK. It would be a learning process for me also. And I could build a little mesh area just for the top of the hill!

And I'm following your thread with Arno about using his Model Converter X to get rid of the debris trail on photo work. I'm buried in a project (or two), but can offer some help on the decompiling and other stuff.

spotlope
January 18th, 2010, 13:05
Ah, but here's the rub with my tutorial: it's designed for use only on flattened surfaces. So if you're looking to do a sloped, hardened runway with it, it won't do you much good.

falcon409
January 18th, 2010, 13:51
Ah, but here's the rub with my tutorial: it's designed for use only on flattened surfaces. So if you're looking to do a sloped, hardened runway with it, it won't do you much good.
Phew!! Thanks Bill, I just dodged a bullet there, lol I thought I was actually gonna have to fire up GMax, lol.. . .man that was close!:kilroy:

spotlope
January 18th, 2010, 13:54
Hey Ed, I've seen what you can do with photoreal terrain and autogen. The last thing I want you to do is learn Gmax, or I'm out of a job. :kilroy:

falcon409
January 18th, 2010, 14:51
Hey Ed, I've seen what you can do with photoreal terrain and autogen. The last thing I want you to do is learn Gmax, or I'm out of a job. :kilroy:
lol, works for me Bill, lol. I'm happy just doin' what I'm doin':salute:

MCDesigns
January 18th, 2010, 21:47
Hey Ed, I've seen what you can do with photoreal terrain and autogen. The last thing I want you to do is learn Gmax, or I'm out of a job. :kilroy:

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....LOL :running:

dharris
January 20th, 2010, 06:30
I will just say this, with lcsims 2.38 mesh installed, it has made a world of difference flying in and out of these small mountaintop strips. The added dimension of the 2.38 meter resolution adds just the right atmosphere. Would like to see more work done on small airfields like this, where you can get mesh that is this good. I would do the developement myslef but unfortunetly my keyboard only is a beginner one, with only one key. Thanks LC.:applause:

falcon409
January 20th, 2010, 06:59
I will just say this, with lcsims 2.38 mesh installed, it has made a world of difference flying in and out of these small mountaintop strips. The added dimension of the 2.38 meter resolution adds just the right atmosphere. Would like to see more work done on small airfields like this, where you can get mesh that is this good. I would do the developement myslef but unfortunetly my keyboard only is a beginner one, with only one key. Thanks LC.:applause:
Can you post a few pics of what you see with the airstrip with that mesh installed?

dharris
January 20th, 2010, 07:22
As soon as I can, a little tied up right now

falcon409
January 20th, 2010, 07:27
As soon as I can, a little tied up right now
Oh, no hurry on this "D", just curious to see what it looks like. Any time you can is fine.:salute:

dharris
January 20th, 2010, 14:31
Here you go Falcon 409

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_17-53-2-609.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_18-3-25-578.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_18-3-44-46.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_18-4-58-828.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_18-5-14-15.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/dharris1_photo/2010-1-20_18-5-53-250.jpg

NoNewMessages
January 20th, 2010, 16:11
As I go through the airports in a state project, I have a IE window open to Airnav to make sure I'm up to date on any changes. Mountain Air's listing includes a link to their web site, which includes flying instructions and a video that must, I repeat MUST, be watched by any pilot wanting to get approval for landing. Looks like a cool place to fly into and one pilot who has flown into Mountain Air felt I captured it a little better, especially compared to default.

http://www.mtnair.org/

Glad you're enjoying the scenery, Don. Don't forget to throw in a crosswind to enhance the experience... :ernae:

falcon409
January 20th, 2010, 16:41
Nice video Lance. Apparently the ones I watched on youtube were from a very long time ago, because what I saw in this video, looks nothing like those others. All the more reason to stay away from this one entirely.

Thanks for the pics dharris:salute: