Converting CFS2 scenery

[huub vink]

In the FSX forum I saw Papi's request to make new FSX WWII Luftwaffe scenery available for FS2004. As there are too many differences this is very hard to do or perhaps even nearly impossible.

As there are Luftwaffe airfields available in the CFS2 library, I was wondering whether it is possible to use these in FS2004 or whether these is an easy way to convert then into something usable in FS2004.

Thanks for your answers,
Huub

[Motormouse]

In the FSX forum I saw Papi's request to make new FSX WWII Luftwaffe scenery available for FS2004. As there are too many differences this is very hard to do or perhaps even nearly impossible.

As there are Luftwaffe airfields available in the CFS2 library, I was wondering whether it is possible to use these in FS2004 or whether these is an easy way to convert then into something usable in FS2004.

Thanks for your answers,
Huub

Hi Huub,

Quite a lot of cfs2 scenery drops straight into Fs2004 with no adjustments; however the scenery coordinates used between the 2 platforms are not exactly the same, so some element of trial and error is needed; and Fs2004 does not seem to support the later GSL type of Cfs2 scenery.

Hope this helps

Ttfn

Pete

[huub vink]

Hey Pete,

Thanks for your fast reply . It sounds a bit like Greek to me, but I do understand that it more or less should work (like most CFS2 aircraft work in FS2004 as well).
Its also clear that some object can be misplaces do to a difference in coordinates.

Now if I only knew where to find these coordinates and how to change them .

Cheers,
Huub

[eddie]

Huub, a friend of mine from my CFS2 days, Ted Miller (crossram), had started to do a beta of Gilze-Rijen when the Germans occupied it during the war, just a basic runway layout, with one building near it. I just tried to see if it works on FS9, and it did, but since Gilze is an airfield already in the sim, the overlays of the runways are way off from what they are now and what they were like during the war. So its a mess in that department,the WWII runways lay over the top of the modern one's, but it does show up without a problem. He did a WWII version of Bassingbourn in the UK, but its not showing up at all, probably need the correct coordinates, because when it loads in the sim, you are out over the ocean some where, no land in sight,lol

[Mick]

When we converted Maskrider's CFS2 NAS Glenview we found that it works but with a couple glitches.

One is that the runways for some reason are numbered backwards, with the arrival/departure headings the opposite of what they really are, and it couldn't be fixed in the AFCAD file as you might expect.

The other is that from certain low angles of view, the ramp pavement flickers and the underlying ground textures show through. That can't be fixed by fiddling with elevations in the AFCAD either. It's an issue that was common in FS2002 but never, to my knowledge, showed up in FS9 before.

If one can live with those glitches, the scenery works in FS9. I know I'm not the only one who's had fun with it.

On the other hand, when I tried Maskrider's CFS2 Solomon Islands the result was awful. Islands were in short supply but there were stretches of coastline all over the place. Not even remotely useful.

I seems to be a matter of trial and error to see what works and what doesn't.

[huub vink]

Thanks for your replies guys. It sounds like it is at least worth to try.

There is a airfield package by Achim27619 in the CFS2 library, which covers 10 airfields in Belgium and the Netherlands, when they were in use by the Luftwaffe. I will try some of the airfields from this package and report back

@Eddie, When WWII was over the Royal Dutch Air Force, just kept using the airfields which were constructed by the Germans during the war. So in nearly all cases the post war runways are in the same position as they where during the war. The Luftwaffe parked their aircraft at quite a distance from the runways. This way the Allied bombers, could not destroy a large amount of aircraft and airfield infrastructure in one run.
When the Dutch took over the Luftwaffe airfields, they often abandoned the remote hangars, shelters and taxi tracks to reach these. When I served in the Dutch Air Force during the 70-ties and 80-ties many of the original Luftwaffe buildings were still in use. They were designed to look like local farmhouses and looked great and had walls over 3ft thick. Over the years these buildings were all replaced.
But as said in most cases the Dutch kept the old runways, which where extended in some cases. so runways should be in the same position and direction, however could have become a bit longer over the years.

Cheers,
Huub

[kdriver]

Hi Huub,

All of the CFS2 scenery done in recent years, including Achim's work, uses the Global Scenery Layer (GSL) for the objects. This means only the airfield background bitmaps, runways, navaids, flattens and AFD entries are contained within the BGL files. The buildings won't show up, as FS2004 has no provision for GSL objects.

Over the last few years Cees Donker's API objects for CFS2 and FS2004 have been converted to GSL destructible objects by a number of talented people. I've been converting his FS2004 1940 era Dutch airfields for CFS2 use. This involved making a new background bitmap as well as converting the objects. In addition, I've made 1940 era renditions of Schiphol, Ypenburg, Ockenburg and De Zilk. I can send these to you if you wish, although they will be devoid of buildings.

Cheers,
Kevin

[eddie]

Huub, Ted's Gilze was a pre-Alpha, very early in its design stage. When I tried it, his runway layout was turned to the right a bit. So the single runway there had 2 runways which looked like the shape of an X. Hard to match up CFS2 land class with FS9, especially when CFS2 didn't ship with Europe included, which was added in years later. But, if nothing else, we can just use the stock Gilze as a Luftwaffe base I suppose, beats not having it at all.

I did get the CFS2 GZR Calais Water Base to work, so have a regular runway there, plus the sea plane base to take off from. Now I can use Shessi's Do 24 from there,lol

[huub vink]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the clear explanation and thanks for your generous offer. Your rendering of Schiphol looks very nice. But these are all airfields which are also done by Cees Donker. As they were done for FS2004 they include all the buildings and static models, so I prefer to stick with them. BTW Cees Donker did a very nice version of Fliegerhorst Katwijk, as it looked during the German occupation.
It seems when I want to have more Luftwaffe airfields in FS2004, I need to find a good tutorial somewhere .

Eddy, hopefully Ted will succeed to finish his work one day, and as you already mentioned, default Gilze-Rije (or in my case the Golden Wings version) will do as well.

Cheers,
Huub

[kdriver]

Hi Huub,

Yes, I've converted Katwijk and the other Dutch airfields posted by Cees on this website. Do you know which website his FS2004 versions of Schiphol, Ypenburg, Ockenburg and De Zilk are found?

Thanks,
Kevin