Ant's Airplanes Releases Tecnam Sierra

[anthony31]

Thanks for the comments fellows

I have updated my webpage so you can download the demo now.

http://antsairplanes.com/sierralsa.html

The limitations on the demo are the prop doesn't spin, there is demo written everywhere, the sounds are the default trike sounds and there is only the white paint.

The specs I gave where basically I what I have and it works on my system . If you want to know how it will run on your system, download the demo. You should get pretty much the same FPS and resource use as the full version.

Sorry your having probs with the link Craig, have you tried the flightsimstore front page? At some time in the future I will look at other vendors but at the moment it is just the flightsimstore.

[SADT]

Hi ant,

Yes its also flightsim store front page as well.

[LonelyplanetXO]

ok, firstly congrats Ant! I've sure it's been a long road. I've been looking forward to this one since your first teaser pics, which seems like yonks ago. My worry was my framerate limited system might struggle, so thanks muchly for the demo. Downloaded it, flew a 25 minute hop to um, not very far away ...15-20fps, no worries-and she's sooo purty (the plane, too). Downloading the pay version now. Looks great!

oop! Download's finished. Goin Flyin'

LPXO

Edit...Just did a hop in the payware model - this is just great! So high-fidelity. I really like it. Did notice one tiny thing - the canopy kept snapping shut after shift+e was used to open it. Maybe I pressed a wrong key somewhere?
Edit again - Must have. can't reproduce the problem.

[oldpropfan]

Downloaded the demo, played around with it for 30 minutes, had to go buy it. Not what I would normally fly for low and slow but it's so nicely done I had to make space in the hangar as this plane will get frequent use, especially for those spur of the moment hops.

And also, thank you Anthony for the great freeware that you've put out over the years.

Al

[Snave]

To see how close to the real thing try this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mr1FX0iBWg

(Groove warning! OST - Floyd! Rocks! Play LOUD...!)

[anthony31]

To see how close to the real thing try this vid:

Or this comparison pic between the sim and real life. The plane is the same one in the vid (although the light sport decal has been changed since the vid was taken), the airfield is the same one in the vid.

Attachment 17011

[kcgb]

Which pic is in the sim:iidea:

[Cleartheprop]

To see how close to the real thing try this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mr1FX0iBWg

(Groove warning! OST - Floyd! Rocks! Play LOUD...!)

Isn't it YBOA airfield ?

[ryanbatc]

Did notice one tiny thing - the canopy kept snapping shut after shift+e was used to open it. Maybe I pressed a wrong key somewhere?
Edit again - Must have. can't reproduce the problem.

This will happen if you're parked at a fuel box or sometimes if you're parked on an official parking spot where a fuel truck could service you.

[Txmmy83]

ok will definately purchase the Tecnam next month

another Italian Light Plane I would love to see in FSX
http://www.alpiaviation.com/eng/pr_p300_hawk.php

aerobatic team flying P300
http://www.pioneerteam.it awesome paint in my opinion

Best Regards
Tom

[Snave]

I just spent three hours doing patterns/circuits in this bird... no problem except, I didn't start FSX until well after midnight and it was 4.00am before I got to bed this morning.

I'm gonna need help at a meeting or something...

"Hi. My names Simon, and I'm an Antoholic..!"

Lawd noze what'll happen when the new Diamond Katana comes out, or Bills Dynamic...

[Fireball6]

It is a great addon - thanks for that Anthony. During my first flights i notice that sometimes, if i fly turns or change the view, some parts of the interior (compass, chokes, panel) are disappear for a few seconds - in the outside-view. Someone else notice this ?

[Snave]

It is a great addon - thanks for that Anthony. During my first flights i notice that sometimes, if i fly turns or change the view, some parts of the interior (compass, chokes, panel) are disappear for a few seconds - in the outside-view. Someone else notice this ?

Not happening here on my feeble back up computer (thinks: Must get round to sorting out the hard drive in the other...), what you've got sounds like texture exhaustion.
Probably caused either by a weak graphic card or some tweak or modification to your FSX.cfg.

[Fireball6]

Hi Snave - it is the first time I notice this - all other addons did not have this "fault".

Edit: Just find out that it only happens when i zoom out in the Spotview

[Snave]

Hi Snave - it is the first time I notice this - all other addons did not have this "fault".

Edit: Just find out that it only happens when i zoom out in the Spotview

Then don't zoom out in spot view! Problem solved! :salute:

Next I shall solve World Hunger - "Oi! You! Fat bloke. Give that burger to the skinny bird next to ya..!"

[Alan_A]

It is a great addon - thanks for that Anthony. During my first flights i notice that sometimes, if i fly turns or change the view, some parts of the interior (compass, chokes, panel) are disappear for a few seconds - in the outside-view. Someone else notice this ?

Ant's (really excellent) Tecnam seems to be pretty demanding of the video card. On mine - an EVGA GTX 480 SC - I noticed some lagging VC views when using Track IR (view would seem to "stick" when panning, then catch up) and also rippling scenery textures when panning vertically - looked a little like the tearing you get when Vsync is off, but this was a vertical, not a horizontal distortion. I solved it by reintroducing the HIGHMEMFIX=1 tweak to the fsx.cfg (under the GRAPHICS heading). Try that and see if it addresses the spotview problem.

Simon is right - this plane is addictive. Has that hard-to-define "you are there" quality. And yes, I'm also dreading what the Katana will do to the remaining shreds of my free time...

[Fireball6]

Hello Alan_A, thanks for your suggestions - at my end it is only this plane where I can notice the "phenomenon" of short-term "invisibility" of VC-Parts from the outside. Scenery, other airplane, Sky - all is fine. So I am not sure that it would help me if I change my FSX.cfg which works well at least.

I like the Sierra a lot and could live with "do not zoom out, that solve the problem"

Maybe - Anthony has a solution for it. I send him a mail and wait what he will answer me.

KR

Dirk

[anthony31]

Hi Dirk

Answered your email. It may be the LODs kicking in. As you zoom out you will notice the compass disappear and that is a sure sign that a LOD is switching.

I use three LOD for the exterior. The first one (closest) has all the detail from the VC so you can see the gauges in the external view (which I like). The second one replaces the detailed panel with a simple polygon which frees up a heck of a lot of polygons and thus improves framerates. The third one (furthest) removes a lot more detail.

You really need to use LOD models to get good multiplayer performance and not all payware aircraft use LODs (all the default aircraft do).

I will look at the LOD levels I am using in the 1.1 update and will probably increase the distance that the second LOD kicks in.

[Fireball6]

Hi Anthony, thanks for your explanation - now I understand what happens. You did a great job with this aircraft. It is one of those "jump in and fly"-aircrafts which i love so much.

Dirk

[Snave]

Hi Dirk

Answered your email. It may be the LODs kicking in. As you zoom out you will notice the compass disappear and that is a sure sign that a LOD is switching.

I use three LOD for the exterior. The first one (closest) has all the detail from the VC so you can see the gauges in the external view (which I like). The second one replaces the detailed panel with a simple polygon which frees up a heck of a lot of polygons and thus improves framerates. The third one (furthest) removes a lot more detail.

You really need to use LOD models to get good multiplayer performance and not all payware aircraft use LODs (all the default aircraft do).

I will look at the LOD levels I am using in the 1.1 update and will probably increase the distance that the second LOD kicks in.

Any ideas yet on what 1.1 will contain..? I'd like to suggest some wind sounds when the canopy is opened in flight, perhaps when the air vents are open too...

[Alan_A]

Hello Alan_A, thanks for your suggestions - at my end it is only this plane where I can notice the "phenomenon" of short-term "invisibility" of VC-Parts from the outside. Scenery, other airplane, Sky - all is fine. So I am not sure that it would help me if I change my FSX.cfg which works well at least.

I like the Sierra a lot and could live with "do not zoom out, that solve the problem"

Maybe - Anthony has a solution for it. I send him a mail and wait what he will answer me.

KR

Dirk

Agreed - I don't much like tweaks and had stripped all of them out. I tried HIGHMEMFIX only because it's never cause me any problems and it seems to help with VC-related issues. Yours are different, and obviously Anthony's advice is going to be a lot more on-point than mine.

I still need to do some testing and see if my distortions were scenery (ORBX PNW)-related or cause by some other add-on (I recently installed Cumulux X to help with the Aerosoft Discus). But as noted, the HIGHMEMFIX tweak seems to work so far.

Hope you get yours sorted via 1.1 or by avoiding zoom, whichever seems best...

[anthony31]

Any ideas yet on what 1.1 will contain..? I'd like to suggest some wind sounds when the canopy is opened in flight, perhaps when the air vents are open too...

Bug fixes mostly.

I spent 3 hours today and generated 30 models trying to track down the first problem I listed in the FAQs and I still haven't solved it.

Wind sounds would be really nice but I have to learn to program C to do that. I've donwloaded the MS C++ package and it all looks greek to me so don't hold your breath on that one.

I will also try to get the wheel chocks and tie downs saveable. I have a few ideas on that but am yet to try them.

I was also watching Top Gear last night and there are a few things I want to try with the exterior windows to get them looking more realistic. What does this have to do with Top Gear? Well, I was carefully watching the light reflections of a car going around the track trying to see how I can get the same effect in FSX.

[n4gix]

I will also try to get the wheel chocks and tie downs saveable. I have a few ideas on that but am yet to try them.

That will require a C "helper gauge" that will read/write state data to an .ini file. Contact me if you wish to discuss the idea.

n4gix@comcast.net

[Jigsaw]

Congrats on a great little plane, Anthony. The second I saw it I knew that I wanted it and my gut feeling was right. It looks great, flies great, has great features and is just fun all around.

Oh, one question that doesn't really have anything to do with the Sierra but with FSX GPS that you used for it: is there a way to get a cursor in order to jump to certain waypoints with that GPS? I certainly can't seem to find it.

Wind sounds would be really nice but I have to learn to program C to do that. I've donwloaded the MS C++ package and it all looks greek to me so don't hold your breath on that one.

Hehe, I can imagine what you mean. Mike over at Lotussim is in the process of learning C++ for his MiG-29 and by the looks of it this learning process will delay development for weeks if not months.

I was also watching Top Gear last night and there are a few things I want to try with the exterior windows to get them looking more realistic. What does this have to do with Top Gear? Well, I was carefully watching the light reflections of a car going around the track trying to see how I can get the same effect in FSX.

Aaaah... Top Gear. Love that show. I find myself copying their style of making car videos more and more in my FSX videos.

[bushpilot]

Great looking plane Ant:salute: I hope you'll have huge success with it.