Status Of Scenery Projects

[falcon409]

I've decided to put a hold on any release of the scenery projects I'm working on. I'm going to continue to work on them and tweak them but no releases any time soon.

I've run into a few realizations. One is that even after thinking I could do the Tangier Island scenery without having to require that folks download any scenery object libraries I ended up using 7 different object libraries. Based on previous forum threads I know the consensus is that most folks don't want to have to spend time downloading or even installing a bunch of extra objects. With a lot of folks doing custom scenery design, both freeware and payware, the need for scenery object downloads in order to enjoy the scenery is pretty nonexistent. The chances of me learning GMax any time soon are also nonexistent so I won't be doing any custom buildings and will continue to rely on ez-scenery type object libraries.

I have also discovered that when you remove an entire Island chain and replace it with photoreal scenery. . .that Island no longer shows up on any map. I assume it's because I removed the landclass designation and in doing so removed it's place on the map. Gotta figure that out.
Another thing I did not consider was night texturing. Non of the photoreal scenery I've done to date is modified for night textures, so they kinda glow in the dark. That has to be corrected.

Another thing for the good, is that since I figured out the Autogen Annotator, I want to go back and remove all the scenery object trees and replace them with true autogen so that they will be seasonal and match the rest of the terrain. So I have a lot of work to do to redo all 16 Maine airports and a lot of work overall to get anything I've done to a point where I can be confident that I've done everything I can to make it as close to "complaint free" as possible.

I want to thank kjb, smoothie, meshman, lionheart, jdhaenens, Michael, joe and a few others who gave me some much needed and appreciated insight into scenery design, the SDK and the use of photoreal tiles in scenery work.:ernae:

[Snuffy]

Ain't mud moving a treat?!? :D

I know ... I move mud occassionally.

[kjb]

If you'd like some help with the night textures, let me know. I could put it together and send back the version with layers and the final bmp or tif.

[JoeW]

Falcon ...... I run into problems just with the default libraries. I can load several objects from the accleration addon and get about a dozen complaints about that not being in their sim. Just make sure that the libraries are included.

[falcon409]

Falcon ...... I run into problems just with the default libraries. I can load several objects from the accleration addon and get about a dozen complaints about that not being in their sim. Just make sure that the libraries are included.
Yep, and I guess that's part of the frustration of it all Joe. I can continue to do scenery enhancements on airports all over the world really. . .and never release them but post shots and say "see. . .doesn't that look great?", lol. Part of the enjoyment I get from doing this though is that I can share my work with other simmers and make the FS world a little nicer.

Like I said in an early post when I first started doing a few Maine Airports. . . .unless you are able to do custom buildings w/custom textures and supply everything in a few bgl and agn files then you can't really guarantee anyone that it'll work on their system. There are so many variations of FSX out there now, not just the base program, but addons that adjust the mesh that what works for one, may not work for anyone else.

[MCDesigns]

Don't let it get you down or frustrated Ed, you are doing great. As long as you supply the info on where to get all the extras/objects that you used for your scenery then the blame is on the user for not being able to see it like you do. Just imagine how many users that actually have the objects you used enjoying your work!

That is the great thing and the down side of using an object library. In the old days we had individual API Scasm macros and the only thing a user would find missing was a texture or two, LOL

[kjb]

Speaking of libraries, I'm toying with making a static aircraft library if anyone's interested. I have no idea when it will be done. So far I have a King Air, 2 C172s and a C421. It's a process since I've never attempted to model aircraft :isadizzy:

[gera]

Falcon49...I understand how you feel but you might try using FSDS instead of Gmax for your own objects. The learning curve of FSDS is not bad, you can easily make an original warehouse and other buildings in very short time, most airport buildings follow the same pattern anyway. I have had the same problem that people don´t want to download packages besides yours. This is also solved by writting the authors and asking their permission to load their objects on your zip package, they usually agree and only ask to let you know they are theirs in your "read me file".....anyway have fun and do let us know how you progress in your project.

[gera]

Speaking of libraries, I'm toying with making a static aircraft library if anyone's interested. I have no idea when it will be done. So far I have a King Air, 2 C172s and a C421. It's a process since I've never attempted to model aircraft :isadizzy:

Looks great!!!!..would like to use it on my Bhutan Mission airfields!!! where do I get it and will you let me pack it in my zip???

[Henry]

For myself having dabbled in scenery design for a few years
its one of the hardest things to make a scenery that matches
everyone's system, different mesh, terrain etc etc
it is frustrating! if i have to download umpteen different files
i probably will not, then i may have it on my system and not know it
it is tough but you have talent ( i do not):kilroy:
so dont give up please
H

[Lionheart]

Falcon,

Relax.. Just a couple of more things to learn. You are getting near the top of the mountain! Almost there...


First; Can you pull out the needed parts textures and library files from each version and just include those in your download? I believe its perfectly fine if you are keeping this freeware and A; notify the groups, and B; give them proper recognition in the ReadMe documentation.


Second; Cant you include the original file or a repair file for reversing the package? Then if they say "Hey, I want the old one back", can they reverse it easily? (I know nothing about FSX scenery, so its only a question).


Third; Figure you can have some real fun with night maps for your scenery. I found some fast ways of making light maps for planes interiors. You simply reuse the actual daytime texture, rename to a lightmap version texture, add a black 'layer' over the top, adjust opacity to see through it a bit, add another layer, start puttind down lights and things. Duplicate the layer and add 'Blurr/Gausian' to make the lights look like they are fuzzy and illuminated slightly foggy like, to appear that they are lighting up the ground around them. (red and green street lights are also cool, at intersections, etc). Also some cars lights (beams from headlights on the streets).



When I was making planes, I didnt think about how you had to paint them. Then I found out about gauges and code... Then I learned about airfiles... Then I found out about sound packs and editing sounds not to mention messing them up with tunes to the airfiles that cause them to nullify at certain RPM's, lololol... So much to do... arrgh.. :banghead:



Bill

[kjb]

Looks great!!!!..would like to use it on my Bhutan Mission airfields!!! where do I get it and will you let me pack it in my zip???It's not done yet, but when it is you can do anything you want with it. I figure my stuff is public domain when I release it. I'll post a note here when I get it finished.

[IanP]

All I'll add to this conversation, falcon, is that the Ted Andrews scenery libraries are actually downloaded more frequently from my site than my sceneries are...

...although CBris will probably be pleased to know that his RN and RAF SAR textures are currently being downloaded at a mere four times the rate of anything else. :icon_lol:

Seriously, people don't seem to mind downloading scenery libraries and installing them, provided they don't have to download too many. Single figures seems to be the limit, from what I've seen so far.

[Bjoern]

Well, as long as you exactly state what libraries you used in your Readme file I don't have a problem with huntintg down an extra one or two downloads.

If you're good, you also include an object list, so one can eliminate unused objects from the libraries.

If you're really good, you email the library creators and just ask them for permission to include them in the download.