NAS Miramar- Mile High Simulations

[gray eagle]

Thought I'd start a thread here on the Mile High Simulations scenery NAS Miramar as the Key West thread looked like it was going from NAS Key West to NAS Miramar.

Here is the link to the folks that make this scenery if you are interested.


http://mhsims.blogspot.com/


I got a response from SIMMARKET about the 5 activations limit and they said "
"simply contact us when you have reached the activation limit."

I have sent a few emails to the mile high simulations for a few issues noted in the thread http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...Is-it-worth-it

email address for mile high simulations: MileHighSims@gmx.us

[WarHorse47]

Good idea. And thanks.

I'm hoping we can post various issues and feedback for improvements as the scenery has potential. I'm also hopeful the developer will respond to our e-mails on support issues, and perhaps correct or update some of the items posted.

I'd also be curious to know if anyone has tried the MAIW AI flight plans to add a little activity to the scenery.

[fsafranek]

Very good looking scenery.

If anyone has either of them, how are they on frame rates? I've got a fast machine these days
but sometimes an individual airport/airbase can become a navigation aid just by the jitters it
causes when you turn towards it. Hopefully none or minimal here because the Miramar looks
tempting. The real one is about 15 minutes south of me on the I-15.

[gray eagle]

Very good looking scenery.

If anyone has either of them, how are they on frame rates? I've got a fast machine these days
but sometimes an individual airport/airbase can become a navigation aid just by the jitters it
causes when you turn towards it. Hopefully none or minimal here because the Miramar looks
tempting. The real one is about 15 minutes south of me on the I-15.

I was stationed there in the '60's and early '70's. My folks use to live in POWAY in the 60's when it was a backwater town. In '66 , I bought my first Honda 450 in Escondido. That was a little town then.
Imagine it's overgrown with people and houses by now. Left there in '75 and haven't been there since.

The frame rates for NAS MIRAMAR are OK. I have mine locked on 30FPS. With that said, I've seen the FPS vary from 19.1 to 24.5 depending on where I am located withing the scenery i.e., near a hanger or on the runway away from the hangers. I taxied in the A2A J3 cub around the hangers and noticed the FPS cycle like I previously mentioned at 19.1 - 24.5 ~

I guess your mileage may vary.

[gray eagle]

Good idea. And thanks.

I'm hoping we can post various issues and feedback for improvements as the scenery has potential. I'm also hopeful the developer will respond to our e-mails on support issues, and perhaps correct or update some of the items posted.

I'd also be curious to know if anyone has tried the MAIW AI flight plans to add a little activity to the scenery.

I'd like to see if the FLOLS trailer function. I think some one mentioned that they might could get it to work
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...worth-it/page2

see #38 about that.

[henrystreet]

Very good looking scenery.

If anyone has either of them, how are they on frame rates?

Frank, I have KNQX and it is a good looking scenery but not so good FPS on my AMD 4.0ghz machine. Really comes down to a couple of things.

The static objects are very detailed and there are a lot of them. Luckily, the way the objects are compiled into separate bgls, it is easy to selectively remove them by backingup/deleting individual libraries.

The other problem is not so easy to solve. The buildings use multiple texture sheets per model. This really increases the drawcalls...a typical, single hangar will have 30-40 drawcalls. There are a lot of buildings on the scenery. Very similar effect when using FS9 sceneries in FSX (and for similar reasons).

Overall, a beautiful scenery and I didn't ask for a refund but you may have to work with it a little.

[gray eagle]

Here is what my rig uses




And the video info

[gray eagle]

Here in Word (DOC) form is info on the MAIW TOP GUN Miramar scenery. This scenery installed as its own scenery so, I think it will be independent of the Mile High SIM NAS Miramar.
I sent the author an email asking him about this. After I installed this scenery, I could not find it in the airport listings.

this is a readme for the MAIW Top Gun Miramar scenery

http://www.filedropper.com/note




This is link to the MAIW scenery file for NAS Miramar

http://www.militaryaiworks.com/packages/unitedstatesofamerica.html

[henrystreet]

Have you seen this one?

<center>FSX - FSX Scenery</center> <center>FSX Scenery--MCAS Miramar
</center> <center> [ Download | View ] </center>
Name: knkx_fsx.zip
Size: 55,654,241 Date: 10-29-2012 Downloads: 2,532



FSX Scenery--MCAS Miramar (Mitscher Field). 1n 1996, The USMC abandoned the cramped quarters of MCAS El Toro and MCAS Tustin and moved into the newly redesignated MCAS Miramar. The 3rd Marine Air Wing relocated and flew its flag at MCAS Miramar in 1999. Home of many FA-18 attack squadrons, MCAS Miramar and Mitscher Field has recently undergone changes to support deployment of the V-22 Osprey and will receive one of the first operational squadrons of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. There is a mockup of an LHD flight deck in the southeast corner of the field. Miramar is a pretty big place. Scenery was kept to the south side of Boyington, Sidewinder, and Raven roads just to minimize the number of models. There are some very recent changes to the field without enough info to model. There's a new Hangar 7 and some tarmac changes. The octagonal fueling area is being removed to make room for more vertical lift equipment. The old runway 10-28 has given way to two vertical landing areas. By Jim Dhaenens.

[modelr]

Be sure you convert the MAIW flightplans from FS9 format to FSX format, or ALL your FSX plans will suddenly quit working!!

[WarHorse47]

I have converted and used several MAIW flight plans for several stock airfields including McChord and Whidbey Island NAS without problems.

The Mile High Sims NAS Miramar is different. I'm not sure if the AFCAD will work with the MAIW flight plans that have the ai aircraft taxiing and parking.

And yes, I've already downloaded and extracted the MAIW Miramar packages, but am not ready to convert for FSX until I better understand how the flight plans would or would not work with this product.

Just sharing what I know... Maybe after a glass of wine I might think differently..

[modelr]

I am in the process of checking out the MAIW Top Gun package first, before loading the Mile High Sims version. Once my sim loads, that is.

If you have installed most/all of the Megascenery Earth packages, without turning off the ones away from where you are flying, and have the FSGenisis complete mesh packages, the sim takes 1/2-3/4 hour to load. It stops at 6% (not hangs or freezes,) for 85% of that time. Then the next 2-3% (7-10%) takes 10%, and the remaining goes real fast. The colored portion of the load bar's animation keeps working, so I know it's not a hang. When it finally loads, the first thing I will do is shut off most of the country. Then activate the Top Gun scenery and check it out.

Will report back later on what I find.

I just realized I need to go in and remove the AFCAD/ADE for the Traffic 360 version.

[TARPSBird]

I've had the Mile High Sims Top Gun Miramar installed for a while now and I don't see a big hit in frame rates on my rig which is by no means cutting-edge technology. On take-offs I am usually in spot view on the plane's port side using Rwy 24R/L so the entire hangar and flight line complex is in my field of view. I get an occasional hiccup in the video during the take-off roll but nothing major. It's the more detailed planes like the Iris F-14 or Vertigo F9F that drop my frame rates, not the scenery. Almost everybody has a higher-end sim PC than mine so I don't think most people will have a problem with this package.

[gray eagle]

I installed the MAIW TopGun scenery into FSXA and now I wonder if this is a scenery that I select or ???
I already have Mile High Sim NAS MIramar installed. I hate to sound like I'm lost (actually I am) but how do I benefit from the
MAIW Top Gun Miramar? There is a readme that states that at certain times you will see Maverick ride his bike around the base,
a VF-24 F-14 flyover and other things going on. That sounds nice but will I see that in the Mile High scenery? I don't see the MAIW
Miramar as a scenery selection even though I loaded that scenery.

Just trying to figure out how this works. Need someone to add this up for me please.

[TARPSBird]

Gray Eagle,
I installed the MAIW Top Gun scenery into FS9 a little while ago and now I have a whole flight line of AI F-14's and A-4's coming and going and a physical plant that is an improvement over the default scenery (Hangars 1 and 2 look good) but nowhere as complete as the Mile High Sims package in FSX. Mile High gives you aircraft on the flight line and an excellent rendition of all the major buildings (the Air Terminal is especially well done) but no AFCAD so all those planes just sit there. I suspect if you install both packages into FSX you'll end up with duplicate buildings and MAIW's AI aircraft taxiing through Mile High's parked jets.

[mikewmac]

Gray Eagle,
I installed the MAIW Top Gun scenery into FS9 a little while ago and now I have a whole flight line of AI F-14's and A-4's coming and going and a physical plant that is an improvement over the default scenery (Hangars 1 and 2 look good) but nowhere as complete as the Mile High Sims package in FSX. Mile High gives you aircraft on the flight line and an excellent rendition of all the major buildings (the Air Terminal is especially well done) but no AFCAD so all those planes just sit there. I suspect if you install both packages into FSX you'll end up with duplicate buildings and MAIW's AI aircraft taxiing through Mile High's parked jets.

Guys,

I placed the scenery objects, created the AFCAD2 airport file with drive through parking, created Maverick's motorcycle ride and created the AI FDE's for all the NBAI aircraft for the MAIW TopGun package. Back when Nick Black and I created this FS9 package for MAIW our focus was on the AI aircraft, not on creating highly detailed scenery that might impact the FPS too much when observing the TopGun AI air operations at NAS Miramar.

My suggestion would be to try merging the two packages by removing the scenery bgl file containing the static aircraft from the NAS Miramar - Mile High Simulations scenery, copying the AFCAD2 file for NAS Miramar and all the traffic files from the MAIW TopGun scenery (converted to FSX format) into the NAS Miramar - Mile High Simulations scenery and copying all the aircraft from the MAIW TopGun package into FSX and see how they work together.

Since the MAIW TopGun AFCAD2 file was based off the default FS9 NAS Miramar airport and the NAS Miramar - Mile High Simulations scenery was probably based off the default FSX NAS Miramar airport, the two may not line up properly with one another. I'd check their compatibilty myself, but I don't have the NAS Miramar - Mile High Simulations scenery, yet.

As far as the Maverick motorcycle ride in the MAIW TopGun package is concerned, it has its own invisible overlay AFCAD2 file that aligns with the visible roads in the MAIW TopGun scenery, which probably won't align well with the NAS Miramar - Mile High Simulations scenery's roads.

[gray eagle]

Gray Eagle,
I installed the MAIW Top Gun scenery into FS9 a little while ago and now I have a whole flight line of AI F-14's and A-4's coming and going and a physical plant that is an improvement over the default scenery (Hangars 1 and 2 look good) but nowhere as complete as the Mile High Sims package in FSX. Mile High gives you aircraft on the flight line and an excellent rendition of all the major buildings (the Air Terminal is especially well done) but no AFCAD so all those planes just sit there. I suspect if you install both packages into FSX you'll end up with duplicate buildings and MAIW's AI aircraft taxiing through Mile High's parked jets.

As I read your and Mike's inputs (Below) I'm actually interested in something that would add a few AI aircraft to depart/arrive at predetermined times. From what Mile has stated about his MAIW Top Gun
scenery, I figure that was a FS9 thing and really not meant for FSX nor assimilate with the new MILE HIGH NAS Miramar scenery. It sounds like there is no guarantee that his MAIW scenery will work
if parts of it are blended with the Mile High scenery. I have mental reservations about doing so therefore, I will just leave things the way they are. Hopefully, AI aircraft (F-14s etc) can be added to
the mile high scenery (I don't know how) to enhance this scenery. Oh well.......

[mikewmac]

As I read your and Mike's inputs (Below) I'm actually interested in something that would add a few AI aircraft to depart/arrive at predetermined times. From what Mile has stated about his MAIW Top Gun
scenery, I figure that was a FS9 thing and really not meant for FSX nor assimilate with the new MILE HIGH NAS Miramar scenery. It sounds like there is no guarantee that his MAIW scenery will work
if parts of it are blended with the Mile High scenery. I have mental reservations about doing so therefore, I will just leave things the way they are. Hopefully, AI aircraft (F-14s etc) can be added to
the mile high scenery (I don't know how) to enhance this scenery. Oh well.......

If you convert the MAIW TopGun Traffic Files from the FS9 format to that for FSX, there is no reason that they shouldn't work with the Mile High NAS Scenery provided that there is a default airport file or either an ADE or AFX airport file with appropriate parking spots available. You can't hurt anything by trying it and as long as you do it just for your own use you are not violating the MAIW TopGun package EULA.

I'd test the compatibility for you myself, but as I said before I don't have the Mile High scenery yet and unless I decide to buy the Aerosoft F-14A/B to fly from there I probably won't buy it.

[mikewmac]

Below are a few teaser screenshots of the MAIW TopGun package in FS9 that show what its traffic files converted to the FSX format could do for the Mile High scenery in FSX using an appropriate airport file:









BTW...The handsome 'Wizzo" in the backseat of the VF-111 Sundowner TomCat is yours truly.

[mikewmac]

Then one could go a step further and place a carrier nearby for the TopGun students to use for advanced carrier training.

But of course that would be just asking for Maverick and Iceman to do their thing as shown below:

[WarHorse47]

Great shots, Mike W.

Which MAIW package did you use? There are eight different traffic files to chose from.

And what appropriate airport file did you use??

[gray eagle]

Mike,
I'm impressed with the photos Don't know at this time if I'll make attempt to consolidate your scenery with the Mile High one but at least I know what yours looks like.

How do I go about converting the FS9 files to FSX? Are we talking BMP to DDS format?

Wonder if your FS9 traffic and AI files will even show up in FSX?

[Victory103]

WarHorse47,

You will want the NAS Miramar Tog Gun package with this filename: maiw_top_gun.zip

gray eagle,

I use one program to convert all my MAIW and WOAI FS9 traffic bgl's to FSX standard: AIFP2. As Mike mentioned, as long as the parking is coded and sized correctly, your "retro" Tomcats will show up on the Mile High scenery. I'll look but I thought there was already a converted airfield file to allow the MAIW to park in this scenery.

[mikewmac]

Great shots, Mike W.

Which MAIW package did you use? There are eight different traffic files to chose from.

And what appropriate airport file did you use??

The NAS Miramar screenshots were all taken back when we first created the MAIW TopGun package and the scenery and aircraft were the result of a standard installation into FS9 per the ReadMe enclosed in the maiw_top_gun.zip file including all the traffic files.

The screenshots taken aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln off San Diego were using some of my own unreleased personal creations in concert with some of Nick Black's unreleased models.

[WarHorse47]

@Vistory: Yes, I already have the the package "maiw_top_gun.zip " and have extracted it to a bogus FS9 directory per the instructions.

@greay eagle: If you look around the Owl's Nest site there are instructions on how to convert the FS9 MAIW scenery to FSX. I've converted the flight plans and associated ai aircraft for Whidbey Island NAS and McChord already, so it works fine. You will need to use AI Planner 2 for the flight plan conversions.

@mikemac: The "maiw_top_gun.zip" as extracted has eight different flight plans (traffic files) which is why I'm curious to find out what works with the Mile High scenery. I see now your screenshots are from FS9, not FSX. My bad.

*This package contains various traffic .bgl files that depict different units that were stationed at NAS Miramar circa 1986, below is a quick summary of each bgl so you can decide which ones you would like to use:


Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_RAG: This file depicts VF-124, which was the west coast F-14 replacement squadron tasked with training pilots and radar intercept officers on how to fly and operate the Tomcat.

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_NSAWC: This file depicts the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center and their operations during the mid 1980s and contains the Top Gun movie themed aircraft

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_KNKX: This file depicts VF-301, VF-302, VX-4 and Tomcats assigned to NASA and Grumman Aircraft Corporation

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_AirWing2: This file depicts the squadrons VF-1 and VF-2

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_AirWing9: This file depicts the squadrons VF-211 and VF-24

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_AirWing10: This file depicts the squadrons VF-191 and VF-194

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_AirWing11: This file depicts the squadrons VF-114 and VF-213

Traffic_MAIW_TOPGUN_AirWing15: This file depicts the squadrons VF-51 and VF-111

Just so you know....

And while we're on this discussion, has anybody (besides me) encountered the flickering/disappearing Tomcats with the Mile High Miramar scenery?? I would think that I could disable the specific *.bgl since they are broken downing into individual sets, but no time at the moment to experiment. And I have not received a response from the developer as yet.