Locher Sarntal airfield in the making

[Dimus]

This place was discussed previously here:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/97125-I-can-t-decide-which-is-more-beautiful?highlight=LOCHER

I just wished to let SOH members know that development is proceeding. I had put this on the backburner but the offer from Cees to make the building objects sparked my interest again. So, development is now in the phase where the local mesh and photoreal textures are done, including seasonal variations and hand placed autogen completed. Cees has also done the first version of the main buildings and is working on improving them.

Here is a video of testing the Milviz Beaver (Also WIP and shown after kind permission from Colin) taking off and landing on Locher at an early development stage:


https://youtu.be/sL_HoTGxFKg

The notorious taxiway is also under preparation as a 3d object and tested for stability, still untextured (just painted bright green to work on fitting it on the ground):

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=49421&stc=1

The cavern hangar will be placed next to it when done.

Winter textures:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=49422&stc=1

Overall pics:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=49423&stc=1

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=49424&stc=1

I'll keep you posted on progress.

[roger-wilco-66]

Interesting and good work!
I have a soft spot for sloped runways or any terrain on airfields which is not perfectly flat.

Edit: Just watched the video. The Beaver is great, I love the throaty sound! Also, good flying! That scenery is right up my alley!



Cheers,
Mark

[mgr]

This airport is crazy... mind the cables (3 times) on approach... :engel016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43OXzp40Y_A

Marcel

[roger-wilco-66]

Holy cow, there are three power cables passing over that valley! Be sure to include them :-)
The approach is along the side of the valley to avoid flying over them, but cable #3 must be overflown shortly before landing.

See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24fa_2CkqRo


Edit: Ahhh Marcel was faster! :ernaehrung004:

[Dimus]

Holy cow, there are three power cables passing over that valley! Be sure to include them :-)


They will be included.:wavey:

The photoreal ground covers much of the approach from the south. I also chose to hand place individual autogen trees rather than polygons to have more dense coverage. So far FPS are good.

[scotth6]

Very interesting , and challenging, for the pilots and the designer!

Great work Dimus, good luck with the project.

[mgr]

Hiya,

Edit: Ahhh Marcel was faster! :ernaehrung004:

Only 7 minuts ;-)

Thought due to the registration of the PC-12 the airport was in the USA, yet it's in Europe, 100 km south of Innbruck in Italy.

Nice shot of the factory and underground hanger:
http://www.locher.eu/uploads/pics/halle2b_01.jpg

His PC-12 barely fits the ramp-up taxiway... he must have done this one then one time, it shows. The PC-12 seems to have a special 5 blade prop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP-9mWqFh3c

Marcel

PS
If you need a beta-tester without all the ORBX stuff let me know.

[Roger]

Great work Dimus:ernaehrung004:

[Dimus]

That is a very good photo Marcel, probably more recent than the ones I had. It shows fresh tarmac applied. Maybe I need to darken my GP textures.

I am mostly developing this having the ORBX stuff in mind and P3D. Color matching of the photoreal ground was done to Global texture shades. I also have a bare bones default FSXSE install for testing and I'll do what I can to match default too. Another issue is the mesh. So far I have matched my flatten polygons to surrounding FreemeshX mesh. I intend to try and match it to default too. Thank you for the offer test, I might take it up later.

Last evening I was testing various planes up the ramp. Some can simply not make it. You need a powerful and/or light plane to climb it. A Cessna 172 can't do it while a Pou de Ciel can!

[strykerpsg]

Hiya,


Only 7 minuts ;-)

Thought due to the registration of the PC-12 the airport was in the USA, yet it's in Europe, 100 km south of Innbruck in Italy.

Nice shot of the factory and underground hanger:
http://www.locher.eu/uploads/pics/halle2b_01.jpg

His PC-12 barely fits the ramp-up taxiway... he must have done this one then one time, it shows. The PC-12 seems to have a special 5 blade prop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP-9mWqFh3c

Marcel

PS
If you need a beta-tester without all the ORBX stuff let me know.

Interesting project and really love the videos. Especially like the PC12 maneuvering around the field. I know it was designed for STOL but wondered how it would fare in a wet filed like that without a larger tire footprint to prevent sinking.

Out of curiosity, what sort of factory is there? I look forward to adding this to my collection, especially if there's a hangar one can taxi into since the above mentions an underground hangar. Sounds cold war-ish....

[Bjoern]

Out of curiosity, what sort of factory is there?

http://www.locher.eu/en.html

That'd make it a company airfield.

And that's most likely its owner:
https://www.youtube.com/user/feldwies/featured

[strykerpsg]

http://www.locher.eu/en.html

That'd make it a company airfield.

And that's most likely its owner:
https://www.youtube.com/user/feldwies/featured

Wow! Would give everything to have the PC12! A most fortunate gentleman indeed. Interesting factory mated with the airfield....fortunate again. Thanks for the info Bjoern. Looking forward to see this airfield in my library.

[mgr]

Just found out that google-streetview works at this location:
https://www.google.nl/maps/@46.6050204,11.3795901,3a,75y,216.04h,75.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEh2erBwKjD4AtyfL6piM3w!2e0!7i1 3312!8i6656

For some more details, like streetsigns :very_drunk:

Marcel

[Dimus]

Wow, thanks Marcel! I haven't though of that. This will help me with some stuff I did not have info for like the small house at the edge. Can't promise you roadsigns though, we'll see.:biggrin-new:

Yesterday I tried the LH Kodiak and it worked great climbing the ramp and the runway. Seen this video?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrWJVKHwVso

[scotth6]

There seem to be quite a few videos showing Locher Airfield on Youtube. This is an interesting one. A landing guide showing the powerlines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43OXzp40Y_A

Cheers,

[Cees Donker]

Just found out that google-streetview works at this location:
https://www.google.nl/maps/@46.6050204,11.3795901,3a,75y,216.04h,75.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEh2erBwKjD4AtyfL6piM3w!2e0!7i1 3312!8i6656

For some more details, like streetsigns :very_drunk:

Marcel

With that material I made the buildings.... :untroubled: Didn't you know that Dimus?

:wavey:

Cees

[Dimus]

I know google streetview but it never occurred to me to use it for Locher. :banghead:

After I saw it I realized where you sourced your textures from and they are great, really!

I have now finalized the runway and taxiway slopes. The basic spec for being able to climb the taxiway and the uphill runway is a 150HP SuperCub. The 172 still can't make it, while a microlight like a Pou de Ciel can. The A2A 182 is marginal while all the metal Pipers (A2A Cherokee, Comanche, JF Arrow) can't make it. It is a piece of cake for the Beaver and all of the turboprops like the Kodiak. I think it makes good sense so I'll now proceed with the rest of the modelling and texturing.

[gribouil]

Fantastic project!!!
Many thanks Dimus and Cees... :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.

[Dimus]

I finally managed to blend the 3d object that includes the taxiway on the left, the hangar and the right side wall into the terrain. The rocky side texture is just a placeholder as is the hangar concrete. I will develop better textures for those areas as well as for the taxiway concrete.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii181/VDimus/VDimus155/2017-5-4_23-39-45-422_zpsxn7qo31b.jpg~original (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/VDimus/media/VDimus155/2017-5-4_23-39-45-422_zpsxn7qo31b.jpg.html)

Now I can further detail the hangar and the add little goodies like fence around the edge, refine the smoothness on the rocky sides and add more vegetation. As you can see you will have the cavern hangar to taxi in and out of.

[Bjoern]

Would be interesting to see if AI can be made to play along with all the peculiarites of this airfield.

[Dimus]

I do not intend to add the minimum requirements for AI to this airport like runways, taxiways, hold short points etc. so sorry, no AI in this one. It will just be a playground for the simmers.

[vora]

Also, AI is strictly 2D on the ground, it needs a plain field to work. This scenery seems to be all slope.
Looks great, Dimus. Actually, it already looks like a good competitor to the LLH altiports which are favourits of mine. :applause:

[Bjoern]

I thought it was possible with an invisible taxi network, but a quick search tells me otherwise. Meh.

[TiAr]

Yes, I investigated a lot about it when I did sloped runway/airfield for german Mainbullau EDFU - released at flightport.de some years ago for FSX/P3D. The only way seems to create shore/offshore ramps to the whole airfield. But at least I never tried it out...

my poor 2 cents

Thomas

[vora]

Yes, I investigated a lot about it when I did sloped runway/airfield for german Mainbullau EDFU - released at flightport.de some years ago for FSX/P3D. The only way seems to create shore/offshore ramps to the whole airfield. But at least I never tried it out...

my poor 2 cents

Thomas

Shore/offshore ramps? Neat trick! Never thought of that.
Surely too much effort for a sloped runway but that could have worked for Russ White's Ketchikan where a flat runway and a flat terminal are on different levels.

[scotth6]

Nice job so far! That is great blending of the model.

[Dimus]

Very slow progress due to work and life...

Done some stuff texturing the taxiway and working on the hangar doors. Still many textures are just placeholders (rocks and hangar walls).

http://i.imgur.com/jKvpEEP.jpg

[Bjoern]

Those placeholders are better than I could ever do with a full blown effort.

[gribouil]

Very slow progress due to work and life...

Done some stuff texturing the taxiway and working on the hangar doors. Still many textures are just placeholders (rocks and hangar walls).

http://i.imgur.com/jKvpEEP.jpg

Speechless!!!
This place looks so real...
Cheers,

Stéph.

[Dimus]

Those placeholders are better than I could ever do with a full blown effort.

I was hoping to get good quality pictures of the real rock walls to use but was not able so far so I may as well adapt these old ones from my previous project.

[PeteHam]

Locher Sarentino Airfield Landing Guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43OXzp40Y_A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43OXzp40Y_A)

[expat]

Locher Sarentino Airfield Landing Guide

Superb video, thanks. Anyone know if on takeoff they also make it over the the "killer" cable set no. 3 or under?

[falcon409]

I was hoping to get good quality pictures of the real rock walls to use but was not able so far so I may as well adapt these old ones from my previous project.
Dimus, the video that PeteHam posted above. . .at the very end as the pilot is coming off the ramp at the bottom there is a very good view of the rock wall that remains in view until the fisheye effect starts to really distort. I have gotten some very good textures for airport buildings that way. Could you capture a decent section from that and then work some texture magic to put together enough to tile in?

UPDATE: Maybe not, lol. . .even with the video set to Hi-Res, there's enough movement in the aircraft that the wall is never really in a static state where it isn't blurry. Another option (which you probably have checked, but just in case):
https://www.textures.com/

[Mach3DS]

Dimus that looks amazing! Great job!

[Dimus]

Thanks guys! Time is at a premium with work lately and this project is going very slowly.

Ed, I tried the videos, indeed the resolution is bad. I am using textures.com a lot. I got those rock textures from there. I'll probably adapt these somehow.

[roger-wilco-66]

Great work, looking very much forward to this.

A bump (normal) map would look great on these stones, and also the grass and pebble ground :-)


Cheers,
Mark

[Dimus]

Mark, I will certainly add a bump on the stones once I adapt them. The grass uses whatever detail.bmp is in the sim, in my case the REX4 one. This is to make it compatible with the rest of the ground where the model blends in. I am also trying to add a custom detail texture on the taxiway but get this weird effect:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=50618&stc=1

The detail shows when near but the far part is black. The black recedes as you move. If I use the default taxiway_detail.bmp file as detail texture in mcx there is no issue. Any idea?

[roger-wilco-66]

I don't exactly know what's wrong with the detail map (resolution??) , but I could have a gander at it! I made 3 or 4 myself and know they can be a bitch to adjust.


Cheers,
Mark

[Dimus]

The texture I use for detail map is 1024x1024, indexed color 8bit. This is the same as the taxiway detail used by REX4. I also make sure that the scale figure setting in MCX is a power of 2.

[Dimus]

Some slight progress in texturing. Also edited the rocks and added a first attempt at normal maps.
Cees, sorry, still haven't tried your latest buildings...

http://i.imgur.com/6CAMIGR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PJb7hOo.jpg

[Cees Donker]

I'm in no hurry Dimus. Take your time.

:untroubled:

Cees

[Cees Donker]

And the field looks great btw.

Cees

[mgr]

Some slight progress in texturing. Also edited the rocks and added a first attempt at normal maps.
Cees, sorry, still haven't tried your latest buildings...


Looking great! Really looking forward to it!

Marcel

[Dimus]

Took a break from the rocks and tried the cables. Here's barely passing Cables 3 on finals:

http://i.imgur.com/q5uiPdo.jpg

The cables and balls on them will be made reflective to aid being able to see them. This is P3D v4 btw.

[Cees Donker]

The new buildings will look better!:biggrin-new:

:applause:

Cees

[Manschy]

Wow - what a challenge to land there....Impressive work so far!!!

[mgr]

COOL!! can't wait to try my Pc-12 there :jump:

Marcel

[Daube]

This is so cool I can't even describe it :dizzy:

[Roger]

Great work there Dimus:applause:

[gribouil]

Looks TERRIFIC Dimus!!! :ernaehrung004:

[Dimus]

Been slowly working on this, mainly adding stuff inside the hangar, finalizing the rock textures and planting some grass, bushes and trees, all WIP:

http://i.imgur.com/6zweyEC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UGPOp4I.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CYigUrF.jpg

Factory is from Cees, also WIP, grass from falcon409. The last set of ''killer'' wires can also be seen.

It seems I won't be able to finish this before summer vacations, so hopefully by Fall...

[Bomber_12th]

Really fantastic work, gentlemen, and such an interesting and unique subject matter! I'm really itching to try out this airfield as soon as it is finished.

[scotth6]

That is amazing work. You guys make it look easy. :applause:

[falcon409]

You've done an amazing job of integrating all the nuances of this unique airfield into a beautiful scenery masterpiece Dimus. You should be very proud of what you've created.

[gribouil]

Hi Dimus,
holidays well deserved after all your work on that spectacular scenery!!! :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.

[Dimus]

Thanks so much guys!

This is a classic case of a project that was supposed to be a "break" from one that was taking months and proved to be much bigger than expected. It does not help to keep studying those videos out there, one always finds cool stuff to add.

I could not bear to have an ugly FSX default windsock on top of that rock so I created a custom one, together with a weather station. No animation or code behind it though so no real wind info from that one. Well, I though since ORBX does it why not.

http://i.imgur.com/aH72n2h.jpg

The funny thing with this place though is that regardless of the wind, one has to take off downhill and land uphill. Nothing else will work.

[Dimus]

I feel like I just completed a thesis on rock formations and how to build on them as well as bush types and how they grow between rocks:

http://i.imgur.com/jDHBwu3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mmpgb8t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PXYeAcg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sf20yib.jpg

I'll do some more work on tire marks and more dirt on the tarmac before moving away again in the immediate area of the place to work on the landmarks of the approach.

[Bjoern]

Dang, that's detailed!


Any plans for some SODE-driven objects, e.g. static aircraft?

[cavaricooper]

Dimus-

Really great stuff! Enjoy your hols and know we are looking forward to your return!

Best- Carl

[Dimus]

Dang, that's detailed!


Any plans for some SODE-driven objects, e.g. static aircraft?

Well, now you got me intrigued! I need to investigate this.

[speedy70]

Sode for the Hanger doors and lighting the area?

Cheers Chris

[Bjoern]

Well, now you got me intrigued! I need to investigate this.

http://sode.12bpilot.ch/

Never dealt with it myself, but I hear it offers all kinds of magic for scenery design. The SODE SDK documentations does look like there's a bit of a learning curve though.

[Dimus]

Well, I had a brief look and first feeling. Certainly opens up a lot of possibilities that would be beneficial for this project. I can think of opening hangar doors, seasonal trees and textures and maybe a working windsock. It does need a lot of study though so maybe in a future update, if I find my way around it. Thanks for the pointer though!

[speedy70]

The scenery of Saint Pons, Barcelonette just released by FSX3D has fine examples of the use of sode.

See here:= http://www.fsx3d.com/


Cheers Chris

[Cees Donker]

Wow! That is really looking good!

:applause::applause::applause:

Cees

[Dimus]

Finished painting and weathering the tarmac.

http://i.imgur.com/hzS0F6d.jpg

[Roger]

Wow!:applause:

[mgr]

More and more impressed by this work, looking amazing!

One small thing, is the Truck not too close to the ramp?

Can't wait to fly there!

Marcel

[Dimus]

It actually is too close! Taxi carefully!:biggrin-new:

http://i.imgur.com/SLakdHH.jpg

[mgr]

It actually is too close! Taxi carefully!:biggrin-new:



LOL, nice shot of the real-one. :biggrin-new:

Marcel

[scotth6]

It actually is too close! Taxi carefully!:biggrin-new:

http://i.imgur.com/SLakdHH.jpg

Geez! That truck and the rest of the scene really put the size of the PC-12 into perspective. That thing is huge.

[gribouil]

Finished painting and weathering the tarmac.

http://i.imgur.com/hzS0F6d.jpg

TERRIFIC WORK Dimus!!! :ernaehrung004:

[cavaricooper]

Absolutely STUNNING STUFF.... ta!

C

[Edfern]

Hi
Gephard (the owner) has added a new hangar at the bottom of the tarmac area to the right of the ramp as you taxi down it... should take the Pilatus and the Kodiac.
I think he banged his head on the digger as he's now put a bloody great big rockery in front of the old hangar! Barely enough room to taxi a Husky on one side, and a tight squeeze for his other aircraft on the ramp size! Completely unfathomable decision!

Hope you enjoyed my landing guide to Locher on YouTube. One thing to add to the modelling is that there is often an anabatic wind in the morning/early afternoon that accelerates at the bottom of the valley just coming past the third set of cables.. If its 5 knots at the valley entry, it can be 20 knots at 100; AGL!...

[Dimus]

Your landing guide is a prime source of info for this project. Thank you Sir!

The news about the new hangar though is alarming. Is there any photo or video reference for this structure?

[falcon409]

Your landing guide is a prime source of info for this project. Thank you Sir!
The news about the new hangar though is alarming. Is there any photo or video reference for this structure?
Dimus, I think he's talking about the first photo as showing the new hangar. It appears the owner has revamped that end of the long building and opened it up to become a hangar, as it looks very different from what you currently show for that area.

[Dimus]

Thanks Ed. I don't see that picture on my phone. I'll check it next week when back home. I hope I can gather enough info to make this right as I would hate to release it in non-current state.

[Edfern]

Your landing guide is a prime source of info for this project. Thank you Sir!

The news about the new hangar though is alarming. Is there any photo or video reference for this structure?


I attached a couple of images in the previous post... were you able to open them? The new hangar is apparently the same width as the old factory, and extends towards the old apron area to about 4 metres from the bottom end of the taxiway.
I'm probably going there again next month... I'll take some video and post it here.

Im really impressed at the quality of the work done on the simulator!

[Dimus]

I'm returning from vacation tomorrow and apparently my phone could not see the attached pictures. As I will be wrapping up all things left to be done for this scenery, I will leave this part for last. Thank you very much for this last minute info and your kind words!

I am also happy to report that Massimo replied to my request and I have his permission to use the SM1019 model, so there will be a warbird parked deep inside the hangar.

[cavaricooper]

Vassilis-

Looking forward to this very much! Welcome back!

C

[Dimus]

Oh dear!

Just managed to see the pics! That's quite a change and it even does not seem complete! He seems to have taken space out of the factory building. How are the doors going to be? He also leveled the apron and it is now flatter. If it's still incomplete, I guess this is going to have to wait until the structures get their final form.

And what is the purpose of that "island" in the tarmac?!!! :dizzy:

Edfern, would you be kind enough to share pics of the place from various angles, mainly the new structures?

[Lawman]

Dimus, I personally think the "old" version of the real world airfield (the one that you are currently modelling) looks way better than the "new" one. It would also be more handy in the sim. Why let your hard (and beautiful BTW) work go to waste? There are tons of (payware) airports out there that don't or no longer reflect the current status of the RW-airport.

[Cees Donker]

Dimus, I personally think the "old" version of the real world airfield (the one that you are currently modelling) looks way better than the "new" one. It would also be more handy in the sim. Why let your hard (and beautiful BTW) work go to waste? There are tons of (payware) airports out there that don't reflect the current status of the RW-airport.

My thoughts exactly!

Cees

[scotth6]

Yeah I would agree with the above. Particularly if the real world renovations are incomplete, then you would just be chasing your tail trying to model them.

Your decision entirely of course Dimus. Maybe you could even add the new features later on, when the renos are complete.

Cheers,

[mgr]

Hi,

For what it's worth agree with the posts above. In either way still love to get my Pc-12 into this airport, really looking forward to this scenery, already looking GREAT!

Kind regards,

Marcel

[Dimus]

I guess you're right. I'll finish it as it was before and when there is enough info maybe I'll revisit it. Still can't understand that obstacle right there in the middle...

[scotth6]

I guess you're right. I'll finish it as it was before and when there is enough info maybe I'll revisit it. Still can't understand that obstacle right there in the middle...

:biggrin-new: Maybe a garden?

[updraft]

Hi Dimus

I'll be in that area in the week following September 10 and I have been at that airfield a couple of times already.
Would it be of any service to you to take newest pictures and maybe getting answers from the Locher guys on some questions?
I'd be glad to do so, if it helps your work on this really amazing project!

Best regards
Ernst

[michaelvader]

Good evening,
would be exactly the right airfiled for a Fieseler Storch.
but I presume that old FS2004 users just can forget it ?
Yours
Papi

[Dimus]

Ernst, it seems that I will probably finish this in its prior form. However, I would really appreciate info on how it progresses as well as pictures of the changes, and yes, an answer to what the purpose of the "garden" is would be welcome. I may think of offering an upgrade at a later stage to those wishing to update the site to the current state.

Papi, unfortunately the scenery will be for FSX/P3D only.

[updraft]

Hi Dimus

I will let you know of all the inormation I can gather and try to feed you with pictures of the actual status.
Around second half of September.

Very much looking forward to the release of your very promissing scenery!

Ernst

[Dimus]

As the decision taken is to finish this as it was before, I added the static SM1019, courtesy of Massimo:

https://i.imgur.com/MR6dfcX.png

I then expanded to add all the landmarks shown in Edfern's landing guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43OXzp40Y_A

Church hill:
https://i.imgur.com/7qNukGs.jpg

Double pylon "entry point":
https://i.imgur.com/mCYH1oU.jpg

Cables1:
https://i.imgur.com/Z4esaWD.jpg

[Dimus]

Cables2:

https://i.imgur.com/cNE9qju.jpg

And finally the "killer Cables 3":

https://i.imgur.com/AbutzaB.jpg

Now it is just some work to finalize the factory building and it's done.

I have to say that I primarily develop this in P3Dv3/4 and ORBX Global/Vector/OpenLC EU. I am also testing it on a default FSXSE install just to make sure nothing glaring comes up but the color matching and vegetation chosen is to match these packages.

[Bjoern]

Aww yisss!


Is the mesh also default?

[Dimus]

Quite a large area around the field has been hand meshed using Terrainsculptor. I an using FreemeshX in these shots. I have also tested in default FSXSE. It is not that nice but at least my terrain merges without notable issues and the cables fit.

[falcon409]

Outstanding work Dimus!!:applause:

[Bjoern]

Quite a large area around the field has been hand meshed using Terrainsculptor. I an using FreemeshX in these shots. I have also tested in default FSXSE. It is not that nice but at least my terrain merges without notable issues and the cables fit.

Sounds great!

[speedy70]

Looking fantastic Dimus great work.

Cheers Chris

[Dimus]

Here's how it looks in FSXSE, all default:

Church hill:
https://i.imgur.com/3BqcjCS.jpg

Cables 2:
https://i.imgur.com/FJIhTHl.jpg

Cables 3:
https://i.imgur.com/xTIjOYn.jpg

There is also vehicle traffic on the roads, so people will be watching you land and grade you.:encouragement:

[falcon409]

Dimus. . .There is a saying that goes. . ."Close enough for Government work". . .I believe the general appearance in FSXSE is befitting of that generalization, lol. . .Very nice indeed.

[Dimus]

Ed, a couple of years back I tried to cover all cases and offered choice of textures with color matching for both ORBX and default. After that I follow your tactic of developing mainly for what I have installed.

Btw, there are also seasonal textures for winter and fall. The winter ones show the area around the hangar clear of snow. This is simply because I can not with my current knowledge switch the textures for the 3d object making up the hangar and ramp with winter ones. Maybe if I master SODE... Let's just say that the owner cleans the snow around the place:

https://i.imgur.com/iYhoMC9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xcKZ6BP.jpg

[Bjoern]

There is also vehicle traffic on the roads, so people will be watching you land and grade you.:encouragement:

Well, that will pose a problem to those who can't do anything while others are watching. :biggrin-new:

[gribouil]

Hi Dimus,
your scenery sounds very nice even in the default FSX environment!!! :applause:
Best regards,

Stéph.

[updraft]

Hi Dimus,

Can't wait the release of your scenery!

I've visited Locher Sarntal airfield last week and tried to get information on the rockery mentioned by Edfern's post #74.
Nobody really could give me any further information, somebody guessed it's for any underground tanks...
But it is there for good and to me it seems to still allow for ample space.

The 2 pics added show the new situation with the new building which might finally serve as new hangar (no aircraft was parked in there however).
In case of interest I have some more, not much different pics, which I could send to you.

I'll probably be in that area next spring again...

Best regards
Ernst

[Cees Donker]

That's very different from how it was!

:wavey:

Cees

[Dimus]

Thanks very much Ernst! I will take any pics you have. I'll pm you my email.

As much work has already been done to show the previous condition, I think I will keep those and wait until all works have been completed to, maybe, issue an update in the future. For the moment the release will be in the previous state, not much work left to finish that.

[updraft]

I agree with you, Dimus!

My pics are out to you.
Before I'll spend a couple of days again in this great area around Bolzano, I'll ask you for any specific need of pictures.

Now I am really impatiently waiting your release!

Best regards
Ernst

[expat]

Am a huge fan of PC-12's - real and virtual - and a long time and frequent visitor to Switzerland, so been following this thread with great interest.

If you have not checked out the You Tube videos of the Pilatus ops taking off and landing here IRL you must do so. The whole thing is pretty hair raising and about as thin a margin for error as anything one can come across short of carrier ops.

[Dimus]

Expat, which PC-12 are you using? I do not seem to actually have an appropriate aeroplane to test this scenery.

I have good friends in Lausanne and also visit often. This place is however in Italy, and closer to the Austrian border. If you have ORBX Innsbruck, it is a nice relatively close destination, over some very scenic mountain tops. I made this flight last evening and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Erns, thanks for the pics, got them all and they are very helpful, even for the current release.

[Dimus]

Just to let you know that production work is finished and the scenery is now in testing and readme writing phase. If no serious bugs are found it will be posted in the library soon.

[expat]

Dimus,

I moved recently from the F1 Pilatus PC-12 to the excellent Carenado PC-12 - highly recommended.

expat

[speedy70]

Excellent news Dimus.Looking forward to it.

Cheers Chris

[cavaricooper]

If you have ORBX Innsbruck, it is a nice relatively close destination, over some very scenic mountain tops. I made this flight last evening and thoroughly enjoyed it.

V- Salivating at the thought.... sounds simply lovely.... thanks for your work on this, it will be a route I believe I shall often fly.....

Best- C

[Dimus]

Done! Thanks to Cees for the very effective testing and squashing of several bugs! It is now uploading but it is a large file so it will take some time. Have a look at the readme file while waiting:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3byczs9x16ckgcq/readme.pdf?dl=0

A few pics of the finished version:

https://i.imgur.com/3udLfvz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LZ9AwW3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rNmNa5C.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kkIgSbF.jpg

[Dimus]

https://i.imgur.com/gL41fzQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sWayfQj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3LYmeXG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/adnRO66.jpg

[Seahawk72s]

Well done. This looks incredible..!
Just like the YouTube videos.....:encouragement:

[Dimus]

I just realized that I have included textures that should not be there in the uploaded zip. Rami, can you please delete it? I'll upload a new one tomorrow. I'll PM you.

[Daube]

This is probably the coolest scenery I've ever seen !
I wish I had a good photoscenery for Switzerland (no, Switzerland pro is not acceptable anymore) to blend it into :/

[Roger]

I would so love to download this scenery, but when I click direct download it says failed. Perhaps you have used up your Dropbox bandwidth?

Edit: getting it from SOH downloads. Many thanks Dimus:applause:

[Bjoern]

A+ work, Dimus!

Hope the download isn't too large.

[Dimus]

Thanks guys!

The problem with the uploaded file is that I have included with it my detail1.bmp file which is the REX one for grass. As mentioned in the instructions you are supposed to replace it with whatever you have in your install. I just did not want to have it in the package as it is a payware file. I have PMed Rami for this. Hope he sees it soon so I can replace it.

[Dimus]

This is probably the coolest scenery I've ever seen !
I wish I had a good photoscenery for Switzerland (no, Switzerland pro is not acceptable anymore) to blend it into :/

This is Northern Italy Daube, close to Austria. The scenery is made to blend well with ORBX Global + OpenLC EU. Oh, and thanks for the kind words, hope you enjoy it.

[Penz]

Such a special and wonderful place, thank you very much Dimus! :ernaehrung004:

- JP

[falcon409]

Darn, missed the initial upload. I'll catch it on the next go-around. Thanks for the superb job on this scenery Dimus.

[Dimus]

Fresh file has just been uploaded to the library. Thanks Rami for clearing the old one.

Try your luck on the slopes and beware of the cables!:wavey:

Strangely, the last set of cables, just before landing, both in reality and in the scenery, has marker balls on the lowest cable and not on the highest. :banghead:

Any type of feedback is welcome. I learned an awful lot of new stuff making this.

[gribouil]

Hi Dimus,
not able to dwonload your scenery yet but it looks SOOOOOOO promising!!! :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.

[updraft]

Hi Dimus,

What a great scenery! A piece of art!

With my set-up I just have the problem of a black "collar" around the parking/hangar area on the sorrounding grassland.

Reason might be your mentioned detail1.bmp which is not part of my downloaded texture folder and has to be placed into the world/texture folder.
I copied the contained details.bmp instead, to no effect.
My world/texture folder already has a detail1.bmp dated 5.10.2013 which might not be compatible.

Can you please provide me with your correcting file?

Thank you for your great work!

Best regards

Ernst

(Specs: FSXA, Steves DX10 fixer, i7700K, 1070 vc)

[Cees Donker]

Ernst,

You should copy the detail1.bmp from scenery/world/texture and place this in the texture folder of the Locher scenery. Not the other way around!

Hope this helps!

Cees

[Dimus]

What Cees said is correct. It is in the setup instructions. My problem is that I had to include some ground areas in the 3d object that represents the hangar and the rocks around it. These surfaces have been assigned with the ground detail texture of the sim to make them blend nicer. I could not find a way to point to this texture in its default location. The object always looks for it in the scenery's texture folder, so this is why it has to be copied over.

Btw, the 172 does not have enough power to climb that taxiway.

[falcon409]

Ernst,
You should copy the detail1.bmp from scenery/world/texture and place this in the texture folder of the Locher scenery. Not the other way around!

Hope this helps!
Cees
I had to go to FSX/Accel to get that replacement file as my P3D_V4 did not have it. I had a "Details", but no "Detail1".

[gribouil]

Beautiful and challenging!!!
I can't thank you enough Dimus for what you've managed to achieve... To me it's the perfect VFR scenery... :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.

[Dimus]

I had to go to FSX/Accel to get that replacement file as my P3D_V4 did not have it. I had a "Details", but no "Detail1".

That is strange. I need to investigate, however my install had the REX detail texture in there. Any other P3D v4 users with no REX textures installed have this issue?

[updraft]

Ernst,

You should copy the detail1.bmp from scenery/world/texture and place this in the texture folder of the Locher scenery. Not the other way around!

Hope this helps!

Cees

Thanks Cees, everything all right now.
Perfectly expalined in the instructions, but the art of reading....

I have just made two landings with a SuperCub, next time I'll try with PC-12 from Bolzano.

The approaches into Sarntal are so real, absolutely exciting!

Ernst

[sidler]

Count me in! I don't have that detail1.bmp in V3.4 or V4!


Dick

[fuzz1]

A highly entertaining location beautifully designed. Many thanks for your considerable efforts Dimus.
You do have an evil streak however, as I've discovered. On one of my approaches I veered
too far right and encountered a strategically placed 'bump of doom' just off the runway, that I hadn't noticed before,
causing my C208 to flip. The repair bills are considerable.

This has always been one of my favorite areas to fly. Nearby Bolzano and Asiago make for a very scenic
circuit.

Out of several aircraft I've already tried I think I like my Carenado C337 the best. Seems perfectly suited for this
fun strip.

[Dimus]

Count me in! I don't have that detail1.bmp in V3.4 or V4!


Dick

I'm puzzled here as I have it in both v3.4 and 4.0 installs. On the other hand I do not have a "details.bmp" anywhere. The folder is \Scenery\World\Texture right? I thought it was a fundamental FSX/P3D texture. It is the same texture controlled also by the FTX Aero tool to make the ground coarse or detailed.

Ed, if you could please check what happens if you rename that details.bmp into detail1.bmp and put it in the Locher texture folder? (backup the one you have from FSXA before doing that of course).

[Dimus]

You do have an evil streak however, as I've discovered. On one of my approaches I veered
too far right and encountered a strategically placed 'bump of doom' just off the runway, that I hadn't noticed before,
causing my C208 to flip. The repair bills are considerable.


The instructions clearly state "stay on the flat part". I won't be accepting that bill...:biggrin-new:

Seriously, it has been a tedious process of trial and error to establish the elevation mesh in this field. I could not avoid a few such bumps on the edges so do avoid the part on the east side close to the road. Also try to touch down as early as possible, preferably just after the hangar roof, or even on the grass on the right of the hangar, as the slope rises afterwards.

[fuzz1]

Just to be clear Dimus, I love those those bumps! Just adds to the challenge and entertainment value. I've already spent
hours at and around this fantastic creation; all your efforts are most certainly appreciated. Off to LIDA now for a
cargo run...double cappuccinos and cannoli's for the Locher workers.

[speedy70]

The new CRI CRI and the freeware Bush C152 by lagaffe work well here.

The legaffe bush 152 is available free from French vfr.

Here http://frenchvfr.free.fr/download.php?lng=fr&tconfig=0

Cheers Chris

[falcon409]

. . . . . . Ed, if you could please check what happens if you rename that details.bmp into detail1.bmp and put it in the Locher texture folder? (backup the one you have from FSXA before doing that of course).
Will do Dimus!

Ok, "details" is an entirely different image. Not at all related to the effect that "Detail1" provides.

[cavaricooper]

https://i.imgur.com/3sFp9JA.jpg

Just got back and this is the FIRST THING I downloaded.... wrapping my head around this fantastic package..... WOW!

Ta V- C

[sidler]

Even though I could not locate Detail1.bmp or Detail.bmp, I installed the scenery into both Sim's v3.4 & v4 and it to work just fine! Excellent, Excellent, scenery..love it!


Dick

[Dimus]

Good news! I have put a texture.cfg file in there that actually does that, but only works in P3D, not FSX. Great to hear!

I also realized I have left a scenery.zip file inside the Locher\scenery\ folder. That does nothing and you can delete it.

Tinight I finally managed to just fly around the place without making or correcting stuff. I still see some bugs but will probably not do anything about them.

I also made a video, flying the less than idel for Locher Cessna 182 from A2A. Outside views are from the designated "tower" view:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEeTsKwYx7Y

[Cees Donker]

Great video Dimus!

:applause:

Cees

[roger-wilco-66]

Good news! I have put a texture.cfg file in there that actually does that, but only works in P3D, not FSX. Great to hear!



Great work!

And wow, did LM finally allow to individualize addon sceneries apart from the global default setup? That would be a great step for adding custom autogen / vector elements without having to fiddle with the global terrain.cfg.
Gotta check this.

Cheers,
Mark

[Dimus]

Actually, Mark, I was looking for a way to point to the detail1.bmp that is supposed to exist in the Scenery\World\Texture\ folder and is called by a couple of objects without the need to copy it in my scenery's texture folder. So I used a texture.cfg text file similar to what the airplane addons use for repaints to define fallback folders. It seemed to work in P3D but not in FSX. This is why I ask users to manually do this copying in the install instructions.

[Bjoern]

Interesting that the detail1.bmp is simply ignored when used by a third party scenery. I thought it was always loaded into the VAS.


Want to give Bill's Kodiak a try on the field, but I need to fix it up a bit first.

[Dimus]

It is not ignored. It is indeed always loaded and used on top of the ground textures. However, in my case I needed to apply it on surfaces that belong to 3d models that blend into the ground. This way, the textured 3d model and the ground where it blends into look similar in texture and detail. There is still some difference as the sim renders the ground different than 3d model but at least not much. See below:

https://i.imgur.com/wPiQZaB.jpg

I could have used a detail texture of my own, like I did on the taxiway, but since users have all kinds of detail1.bmp versions like ORBX, REX etc, besides the default one, it is better for each one to use what they have installed.

[Bjoern]

True that.

[TeiscoDelRay]

Got it and love it and even managed to land there (VR really helps landing at this field) but got stuck right after the walkway that goes across the runway. I had to skew around and then got it rolling again.

https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-c8dQxKz/0/d4afb26c/X3/loch-X3.png (https://paulgrubich.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-c8dQxKz/A)

[Dimus]

It's tricky once you end your landing run, you have to keep your revs up and turn immediately or you might indeed get stuck.

I decided to get the Carenado PC-12 just to try it for size. It barely fits in the hangar:

https://i.imgur.com/Ezm2zyn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n9MoV6u.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/naxJLze.jpg

Take off is also marginal but landing is relatively easy. I noticed in the videos that Gebhard's PC12 has a five bladed prop, maybe optimized for short grass field operations.

[Bjoern]

His PC-12 is most probably a NG.

[mgr]

Hi,


His PC-12 is most probably a NG.

Based on the movies from himselve it's a classic one, with a retrofitted prop and maybe even also a upgraded engine.
This prop: http://hartzellprop.com/hartzell-introduces-5-blade-carbon-fiber-propellers-for-pc-12-fleet/

Regards,

Marcel

[jmbiii]

Really super scenery !

Took off from Bolzano to the south. Turning back north I picked the wrong valley.
Once I found the correct valley, it was a piece of cake landing.

https://i.imgur.com/NCqjSfw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nTUrwSF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lrONzMC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5dvthDS.jpg

[TeiscoDelRay]

Cool but isn't a helicopter cheating :) Try it in a Lear some time.

Another great thing about this scenery is that is near some other very cool airports including LOWI.

[falcon409]

Just one observation concerning the approach. . .I've taken several trips from Bolzano up the Valley and the landmarks are all there and easy to spot. The wires are actually easier to spot than they appear to be in the videos I've watched (thank goodness, lol) however in the videos it seems that the progression from Church Hill down the valley is a steady descent as each set of wires is passed. However I found that the descent took a sharp drop from the second set to get low enough to make a smooth transition for landing. The runway seems to come up much quicker than the videos show it. It was actually better to overfly the first set, descend "under" the second set which put me on a much smoother approach to the runway and still allowed me to overfly the last set of wires.

[Dimus]

Somehow it feels that way for me too Ed. It seems that the real obstacle is cables 2. In the approach instruction video you can see cables 2 standing high over the valley at around 1:40 when the cable 3 callout is made. Cables 3 are actually quite low and not really an obstacle when you're descending from the church. It would be good if we could see inside the cockpit during that approach and check if the rate of descend increases after cables 2. I usually start my descend from the church aiming to barely pass cables2, which is what seems to be the case also in the video. So far I have flaps one notch before full. After cables2 I drop my last notch of flaps and stay on the right. After cables 3 i make a small S turn which helps kill some more altitude for touchdown.

The height of cables 2 is not hard to get right as their 2 ends lie on very specific points on the photoscenery. I have arranged for the cable object to be placed using AGL height of the pylon on the right side. This way it depends on each user's mesh but does not change much. I would say that the height of cables2 is pretty much accurate. I could not accurately measure the height of cables 3 so used my best judgement just looking at the videos. At first they were placed a bit higher but I had to lower them as it was close to impossible to cross them and land safely.

Off to LOWI from Locher in the PC12.:wavey:

[jmbiii]

Cool but isn't a helicopter cheating :) Try it in a Lear some time.


Having been a 'rotorhead' since 1962 I would say it's just second nature. Not cheating. :biggrin-new: Lears don't really excite me.
However I am enamored with aircraft made in Switzerland. I have a PC-6, PC-7, PC-12, PC-21 and PC-24.
The 24 supposedly been designed as a rough field small jet. Perhaps I shall see if they have fudged a little in the advertising.:eagerness:

[expat]

Keen to hear how the IRIS PC-24 performs at Locher. Am a big Pilatus fan too and that jet is on my list.

[lownslo]

Hi Dimus,

Finally had a chance to fly your brilliant creation this morning... been a mixture of giggling and a bit of (virtual) terror! Just wanted to offer my thanks and appreciation for all your effort and time. Locher is truly a work of art!

Congrats and thanks,

Greg

[jmbiii]

Keen to hear how the IRIS PC-24 performs at Locher. Am a big Pilatus fan too and that jet is on my list.

Okay, I managed to land the PC-24 twice. The first time wasn't pretty. Just barely missed the third set of wires. Full flaps, spoilers and gear, stall speed is 81k. It took a bit to keep it in the air at 105k. Was like a carrier landing. Second time was smoother but nothing to write home about.
Take offs were hairy. Full power, 2/3 flaps and at 120k (just at the end of the flat by the hangar) pulled the stick back and flipped the gear up.
Both times just barely cleared the trees and third wires (both times went back to the pilot lounge in Bolzano and changed shorts :biggrin-new:).
No pictures - too busy flying! The IRIS PC-24 is pretty nice and works in P3D v3.4, too.

That is really some neat scenery. Will try with a few more of my planes - PC-6, Wilga, Super Cub and some old timers.

I don't think anyone would really try it in a new expensive PC-24.

[fuzz1]

I can see that the 'What You Shouldn't Fly At Locher But Do" thread is not far behind :highly_amused:

[Dimus]

A gang of ultralights flew to Locher from south Germany (Kempten) a month ago:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jEjjFr31g0

and then went on to Jonathan airfield in Treviso:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5I9yU_zHm4

and then to Zell am Zee in Austria:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ19sqz1Bcc

A nice close destination is also Asiago LIDA, which is an ORBX freeware. I'm currently trying to get a taste of Gebhard's life by flying the PC-12 out of Locher and back. The trip to Innsbruck was a quickie and had a blast! Dubrovnik and Corfu are on the list now, longer trips of course.

[Dimus]

I thought this is a big no-no at Locher but Gebhard proves otherwise in his Pocket Rocket here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDioNyOiGYM

Still haven't found a plane in my hangar powerful enough to do this. In the scenery however, that part of the runway is accessible and you can try your luck.

[RKinkor]

Love the scenery! Hopefully somebody will make a Pocket Rocket someday.

[MZee1960]

Just flew in from LOWI, today. Great work, Dimus ! Love this little airstrip.


https://i.imgur.com/DbM9UFH.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/tiLEFdZ.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/YQsQoFX.jpg

[MZee1960]

All parked up now, and ready to explore this breathtaking area !


https://i.imgur.com/QY4wfJY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/04ksHoj.jpg