Scenery sneak peek

[MCDesigns]

I had a burst of inspiration today, I guess it's because I finally finsihed one of my non FS projects and it was a load off my mind. I got quite a bit done on one of my (many) FS projects and figured I post a sneak peek.

Anyhoo, the project takes place in Holger and Bills beautiful Tongass area, nestled in a valley. It has a sloped runway, a dock for float planes and features mostly custom objects with some subtle animations (sign sways with the wind), etc. I like creating the little details that make things more visually realistic at ground level, so I am open to suggestions on any of these things. The ground textures are done by using a photoreal map with my own custom texture since there is no sat imagery in this area. This way I can be assured everyone will see the same thing and it will look better than just custom landclass. I still have a few objects to create and then finish the seasonal textures, but it's coming along nicely.

this is just the dock area, it will have a couple of more buildings and the path you see leads to the larger area with the aircraft parking, office, rental cabins, etc.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6752/otterrun.jpg

[spotlope]

It's looking fantastic, Michael. Excellent work!

[stovall]

Beautiful, simply beautifull!!!!

[wallyboard]

Looks right at home. Purty!

[hey_moe]

Looks nice Mike and also a lot of hard work :ernae:

[lawdawg]

Very nice scenery. Lookin forward to using it.

[BOOM]

Wow!!! Michael I'm floored by the atmosphere you've created!! I can almost hear the low whine of outboard motors and Eagle's Screaming!!:ernae:
Very Nice!!

[Lionheart]

Looks awesome Michael!

Great work on the textures and sign.

:applause:


Bill

[stiz]

The ground textures are done by using a photoreal map with my own custom texture since there is no sat imagery in this area.

how'd you do that if you dont mind me asking?? :) i've been trying to figure it out for ages but all the tuts are just "go to blah blah server, save sat image, done" all well and good if there is sat imagery but useless if there isnt :isadizzy:

[MCDesigns]

how'd you do that if you dont mind me asking?? :) i've been trying to figure it out for ages but all the tuts are just "go to blah blah server, save sat image, done" all well and good if there is sat imagery but useless if there isnt :isadizzy:

Hey stiz, as long as you can get a "image not available" screen, then you can save it. All the sat image is, is a big BMP depending on resolution. I just get a zoom of around 17 or better, save it and then do the custom texture deal on it and add a blend, some autogen and seasons. Helps if you are artistic, LOL.

As for size, I can usually get a street view map and this helps with size of the map. If not, a normal zoom setting of 14 is about right for a runway.

[harleyman]

That is looking amazing.......

I am with BOOm..Its almost as if you expect to hear motor boats and wildlife about...

[falcon409]

Hey stiz, as long as you can get a "image not available" screen, then you can save it. All the sat image is, is a big BMP depending on resolution. I just get a zoom of around 17 or better, save it and then do the custom texture deal on it and add a blend, some autogen and seasons. Helps if you are artistic, LOL.

As for size, I can usually get a street view map and this helps with size of the map. If not, a normal zoom setting of 14 is about right for a runway.
I remember you telling me all about that and I still don't comprehend how you can take a blank screen and create an entire scenery. That's obviously what separates the quick stuff I do with the amazingly creative work you do Michael. You create truly "custom" scenery, just as Holger and Bill do. I take a bitmap and put default objects on it, lol.

The few things I've seen you do are beautifully done and this one is no exception. Amazing work.:ernae:

[cheezyflier]

i agree with the others. my first thought was "man, if i was there, i'd totally be reelin in a big smallmouth or a northern"
:applause:

[JayKae]

That is looking amazing mate, also again very glad to have you with us at OZx, I cannot wait for PNW to be released so that we can have a look at stuff that can added by OZx to the PNW package :)

[stiz]

Hey stiz, as long as you can get a "image not available" screen, then you can save it. All the sat image is, is a big BMP depending on resolution. I just get a zoom of around 17 or better, save it and then do the custom texture deal on it and add a blend, some autogen and seasons. Helps if you are artistic, LOL.

As for size, I can usually get a street view map and this helps with size of the map. If not, a normal zoom setting of 14 is about right for a runway.

never knew you could do that ta!, gonna have ta play around this evening! :jump:

[JoeW]

Looks Great, Michael :applause:

[Seaking055]

Holy Cow Michael, you another winner there for sure, outstanding work.

[jdhaenens]

Looks great, Michael. Did you use DXT1 or DXT5 for the cattail transparencies? Or are they made up of discrete planes?

Jim

[MCDesigns]

Looks great, Michael. Did you use DXT1 or DXT5 for the cattail transparencies? Or are they made up of discrete planes?

Jim

Thanks Jim. If by discrete, you mean separate, they are double sided, crisscrossed planes. I had them doubled up, but couldn't lose the odd angled shading even though they looked fuller. Texture is DXT3, I find that 1 compromises the IQ to much and 5 gives me some artifacts between the image and the alpha. The cattails are actual 3D objects I have used for CGI renderings, much to heavy for FS, but they render into PNG form in poser very well, LOL.

[WF442]

Outstanding work! Can`t wait to get my hands on this one. :applause:

regards
Bjørn Erik Henriksen

[jdhaenens]

I have that problem with DXT5 transparencies as well even if I set an alpha level for transparency. I find myself editing the alpha on the .dds itself. The only thing I've found that helps is to get rid of the mips.

Thanks!

[GaryGB]

Looks great, Mike ! :applause:

< NOTE TO SELF > When this becomes available, ya' "Oughta' Run" and get it ! :icon_lol:

GaryGB

[Boomer]

Great stuff Michael!:applause:

[Marvin Carter]

Wow!!!

[Snuffy]

Nice cabin there Michael ... the only thing that would make it complete would be a nice FSX capable 6x6 (read duce and a half,) sittin in the yard. :)

:mixedsmi:

[Nick C]

Looking great Michael. :applause::applause:

[BOOM]

Hey Michael!!! You've made it into Bill Womacks Blog!!! and well deserved!!! How Cool!!!
Check it out here......
http://iblueyonder.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/fanboy-friday-the-buzz-of-saws/
:applause:

[MCDesigns]

Thanks for the HU Patrick, that is pretty cool of Bill. Even more incentive to 'get'r done"!

Speaking of blogs I actually started one a couple of weeks ago, it's linked as my homepage and I'll be posting more updates on this and my other projects.

[Paul Kane]

Wow..Looks great Mike!!

[MCDesigns]

Wow..Looks great Mike!!

Paul, dude, how's it going? How's the family??!! Don't be a stranger bro! :ernae::ernae:

[alexf]

Beautiful! I definitely want this one too!

[EgoR64]

:wavey:

Very Nice, I can almost see a Big ole Northern Pike swimming in there - Great Job -

Very excited for what you make of this - :ernae:

Cheers !!:icon29:

[crashaz]

Wow Mike.... your work just keeps on progressing.... really looks professional quality!!:applause:

[OBIO]

If there were to be a single reason for me to trade one of my kidneys for a puter that would run FSX well enough for me to install it....the screen shot at the beginning of this thread would be that reason. That is beautiful! I can almost feel the boards of that dock under my feet as I stand there with my fishing pole catching bass and blue gills, can almost hear the dragonflies zipping past my ears, can almost smell the sun-warmed rubber of the tire on the edge of the dock. That is the single most stunning scenery shot I have seen EVER! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!

OBIO

[MCDesigns]

Thanks OBIO, that is probably the best endorsement I have heard for any scenery package.
I'm trying to come up and implement things that would make the experience here different from a regular scenery. I take small flights with each test to see what the ambiance is like. Right now I am modeling some elk and actually have a pretty cool bull bugle call that I hope add.

Dragonflies, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[fsafranek]

I can just imagine a Cub on floats attached to the dock just out of view.
:ernae:

[falcon409]

never knew you could do that ta!, gonna have ta play around this evening! :jump:
Hey stitz, when you figure it out, let me know. . .I don't comprehend that process at all. You're basically taking a blank screen and creating a landscape from scratch. . .beats me:isadizzy:

[bushpilot]

Wow looks extremely cool:salute::salute::salute:. Great eye for detail:applause:

[chaders]

Simply stunning! I'd better load up the fishing gear for this one.

[JamesChams]

Mr. Michael "MCDesigns,"

Very Nice! :applause:
All I want to see, when my A2A Cub (Floats) or Lionhearts' Kodiak (Floats) is parked near that dock, is some ducks on the water and a frog or two on/near those rocks/reeds. :bump:

Keep up the good work! :wavey:


Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (http://www.lionheartcreations.com/Spiritual_Journey.html)

Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
From,
James F. Chams

[MCDesigns]

Mr. Michael "MCDesigns,"

Very Nice! :applause:
All I want to see, when my A2A Cub (Floats) or Lionhearts' Kodiak (Floats) is parked near that dock, is some ducks on the water and a frog or two on/near those rocks/reeds. :bump:

Keep up the good work! :wavey:

I can probably do that, but for now, you'll have to settle for elk, hope you packed a gun or camera, LOL.

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/403/elky.jpg

[MCDesigns]

Ok James, here's your duckie, well goose and he even swims around, LOL. I tried attaching a wake effect to him, but the effect was way to big, will play with it some more.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8568/cangoose.jpg

[Railrunner130]

Very nice!!

:ernae:

[stiz]

now your just showing off! http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/Stiz987/bek056.gif

[falcon409]

now your just showing off! http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/Stiz987/bek056.gif
Dang Michael. . . .I think I'll put Instant Scenery away and just take up needlepoint:isadizzy:

[MM]

Superb!

[TheOptimist]

Soon we'll all be having discussions about the effects of ducks on frame rates.

[lawdawg]

That is very nice, with the elk, ducks and all around.
Crackin stuff bud!

[2Low]

Soon we'll all be having discussions about the effects of ducks on frame rates.

Or if it can be made user pilotable.:icon_lol: Extreme STOL!

Looks great so far MCD.

[BOOM]

The Alaskian Game and Wildlife Comission would like to know if there is a "Damage" model for the Duck?:icon_lol:

[MCDesigns]

The Alaskian Game and Wildlife Comission would like to know if there is a "Damage" model for the Duck?:icon_lol:

LMAO, too funny!


Soon we'll all be having discussions about the effects of ducks on frame rates.

It's like that with any scenery, the more polygons you have to display in front of you, the more of a hit on performance. I'm not a master modeler, but I do try to keep it as least complex as possible with FSX objects, even though FSX allows for some amazing detail. Here is a pic of the mesh and the MDL is just under 20 kb (I use 100 kb as a limit). All the animals will be in a separate BGL for two reasons, one for performance and the other for when the user has the lake frozen.
Thanks for the support guys, it coming along faster than expected.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/8794/goosemesh.jpg

[Daveroo]

will a person need tongas fords(sic) to use this vecy cool scenery?

[spotlope]

That's a nice looking goose mesh, Michael. Very minimal, but it gets the job done nicely. Kudos.

[Francois]

Suweeeeeeet !!! :jump: