Solomon Sea, Milne Bay, & Buna-Dobodura by UT released!

[UncleTgt]

I started a project to revamp the scenery & islands in the Solomon Sea area between Papua New Guinea (Milne Bay area) & New Britain.

This area has numerous coral heads, yet the stock waterclass is quite bland.

Major islands are:
Woodlark
Kiriwina
Goodenough
Fergusson
Normanby

The install follows a similar structure to that used for my New Britain & New Ireland sceneries, I'm hoping to build on that to combine everything into a SWPTO scenery "region", as this should make it easy to add to in a modular fashion as I complete more areas (hopefully).

Some screengrabs ...

[Worthless]

Thrilled to see you are back at it UT. Just got Wake, Marcus and the Marshall's loaded. Really super upgrades. Works very well with MaskRider's Gilberts. Many thanks!

[The B24 Guy]

Looks great.

Regards,
B24Guy

[Captain Kurt]

Awesome work UT. The Pacific is a big place and trying to update it like the ETO and MTO were done has been a big issue. If you keep this up it won't be long before that will be solved

[Shadow Wolf 07]

As always, you've done a magnificent job!!!

[stuart277]

Hi UncleTgt
Super work!
Looks great.
Take Care
Stuart

[UncleTgt]

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Scenery Add-Ons

Description: Solomon Sea Scenery for CFS2 by UncleTgt


This is a reworking of the stock sceneries for the Solomon Sea area between PNG & New Britain. It is designed for use with Rhumbas mesh, but the scenery excludes provided should mean this works well in a stock mesh install too.


Contents:
New Ground2K scenery for each, including fringing reefs.
New airbase scenery, made using FSSC.
New gsl infrastructure.
New custom Landclass & Waterclass.
Some simple missions using the stock F4U-1A Corsair for viewing the gsl airbases & scenery


The sceneries are as developed during late 1943 & encompass the Trobriand & Dentrescasteaux island chains:-


Known conflicts:


Installing this scenery pack will require the archiving of some airbases from Maskrider's Papua New Guinea scenery.


Vivigani:- My version is a more developed base layout than Maskrider's
Vivigani FB: - I can find no evidence of this as a formal seaplane base, so it is removed from this scenery
Salamo:- Similarly I struggled to find any reference to ww2 airstrip activity at Salamo, though there was a PT Boat base built nearby. I replaced MR's airbase with a simple jungle runway & seaplane moorings instead.
Guasopa:- I only found a single b&w photo showing a less developed base than Maskrider's, so this Guasopa is replaced by Narewa from this scenery set.

Installing this scenery pack


The G2K scenery included in this package requires copying contents of your scenedb/world/texture folder to your main CFS2 texture folder. (see SECTION A: TEXTURE PREPARATION)


SECTION A: TEXTURE PREPARATON
1. Highlight all files in your SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
2. Copy and paste them to your main CFS2/TEXTURE folder
3. If asked to overwrite click “no”
4. Hi-lite all files in the Solomon_Sea_UT/TEXTURE folder
5. Copy and paste them to your main CFS2/TEXTURE folder
6. If asked to overwrite click “no”.
7. Highlight all files in the Solomon_Sea_UT/SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
8. Copy and paste them to your your CFS2/SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
9. If asked to overwrite click “no”


SECTION B: ADDING NEW SCENERY & GSL
12. Drop the folder "SWPTO_Islands_UT", "SWPTO_Reefs_UT", "SWPTO_River_Deltas_UT" & "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" into your main CFS2 folder, or wherever you pull your add-on scenery from.
13. Next, drop the content of the gsl folder along with GSLMan.exe into your CFS2/GSL folder. If asked to over write click “Yes”.
14. Make a back-up copy of your current cfs2.gsl file. Its OK to leave it in the GSL folder- just rename it.
15. Open GSLMan.exe from inside your CFS2/GSL folder.
16. From the "Available Custom Gobs" list hi-light marshalls_airbases_UT.gsl Click the "ADD" button.
17. Wait until GSLMan.exe says it's thru then…
18. From the "Available Custom Gobs" list hi-light marshalls_eyecandy_UT.gsl Click the "ADD" button.
19. Close GSLMan.


SECTION C: ACTIVATING & ARRANGING THE NEW SCENERY IN CFS 2


20. Activate the "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" scenery. Put this low down in your Library listing, just above the "Runways" (stock runways layer)is a good location.
21. Activate your "SWPTO_Islands_UT" scenery. This can be quite high in the listing, way above any mesh, watermasks or exclude layers, BUT CERTAINLY ABOVE the "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" layer! I put my G2K sceneries below the "Airport Facilities Data" layer.
22. Activate your "SWPTO_Reefs_UT" scenery. This needs to sit above the "SWPTO_Islands_UT" layer. You may see unusual display effects if this sits below the "SWPTO_Islands_UT" layer.
23. Activate your "SWPTO_River_Deltas_UT" scenery. This needs to sit above the "SWPTO_Reefs_UT" layer. As above, you may see unusual display effects if this layer ordering is not followed.


The screengrab of my own Scenery Library order is included in this zip & should help with clarification.


The scenery is installed.


NOTE: To make the runways available in MB enter the runway entries listed in the SolomonSea_UT/airbase_entries.txt file into your airbases.dat file which can be found in your CFS2/INFO folder. Be sure to back up your current airbases.dat file first.


Credits
Thanks to:
Jean Bomber for his inspiration, advice & support. He talked me through getting to grips with G2K & more…
Maskrider for all his airbase packages & the blended airbase tutorial. This set the standard for airbase sceneries for the game.
Rhumbaflappy for the new more accurate world mesh – it was a desire to make best use of this development that is the driver for many of my scenery projects. He also developed the vtp1 fixer programme to fix display errors in vtp bgls compiled from Ground2K.
GavinC for his reworking of the stock airbases, making individual base reworking/ revision much easier
Shessi for his water textures, that were the inspiration for my reworking of Jimkos Pacific Blues, & indirectly lead me to develop this latest set of water textures.
Lindsay Watt for all of his scenery objects & innovations.
Wolfi for his scenery objects.
Xavier for all his scenery objects & airbase sceneries, opening up a larger world for us all to fly in
Martin Wright for all the various software tools that are so useful!
Russell Dirks for his EZ landclass programme, making large scale land/ water class adjustments possible
Christian Fumey for his excl8 & Ground2K programmes, making the creation of completely new scenery possible for CFS2.


UncleTgt
AUG 2020

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Solomon Sea UT
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[Rami]

UncleTgt,

Wow... This is certainly an unexpected, yet very welcome addition to the Pacific! Thank you!

[Sarg Willy]

Thank you Uncle , out standing work ,

[blohmundvoss]

Thank you Unc!

Taking us back to where it all started (or at least in Mission Builder ) . . .

Great work as always.

Cheers
BuV

[Worthless]

Ok, somebody's got to help me out. Regarding the new addition by UT: SolomonSea

Under SECTION B: ADDING NEW SCENERY & GSL...... lines 16 thru 19.....what's "marshalls_airbases_UT.gsl and marshalls_eyecandy-UT....got to do with this scenery install? Just asking/

[Worthless]

No problem. I see what happened and can figure it out. I think.

[Devildog73]

U.T.,
Looking forward to those whenever I get back into the Pacific Theater.....

Thanks for all of your excellent contributions!

[p14u2nv]

Looks great, thank you sir.

[The B24 Guy]

Looks like I will have to start a Rumba_UT PTO install.

Thanks UT,
B24Guy

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Looks like I will have to start a Rumba_UT PTO install.

Thanks UT,
B24Guy

I know I could use one of those.

Thanks again UT!

SW07

[UncleTgt]

So I'm spending time expanding this scenery to incorporate Milne Bay & the offshore islands, as far north as Cape Vogel ...

Some screengrabs of progress so far.

[Rami]

UncleTgt,

Outstanding work...almost photorealistic! Looks like a vacation advertisement from a tourism agency.

[Worthless]

Can't wait.

[UncleTgt]

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Scenery Add-Ons

Description: Milne Bay Scenery for CFS2 by UncleTgt


This is a reworking of the stock sceneries for the Milne Bay area at the SE end of PNG. It is designed for use with Rhumbas mesh, but the scenery excludes provided should mean this works well in a stock mesh install too.


Contents:
New Ground2K scenery for each, including fringing reefs.
New airbase scenery, made using FSSC.
New gsl infrastructure.
New custom Landclass & Waterclass.
Some simple missions using the stock F4U-1A Corsair for viewing the gsl airbases & scenery


The sceneries are as developed during late 1943 & encompass the immediate offshore islands. It includes a new seaplane base on Samarai island. This was developed by US Seebees in July 1943, & was an active base from the Autumn of that year.


Known conflicts:


Installing this scenery pack will require the archiving of some airbases from Maskrider's Papua New Guinea scenery.
Gurney:- My version is a more developed base layout than Maskrider's, from mid-1943
Turnbull:- My version is a more developed base layout than Maskrider's, from mid-1943
Milne Bay No2:- My version is at a slightly different location to Maskrider's
Dogura:- I struggled to find any reference to ww2 airstrip activity at Dogura, though there was a small runway used to service the Catholic "cathedral" built nearby. I replaced MR's airbase with a simple cleared short runway instead.

Installing this scenery pack


The G2K scenery included in this package requires copying contents of your scenedb/world/texture folder to your main CFS2 texture folder. (see SECTION A: TEXTURE PREPARATION)


SECTION A: TEXTURE PREPARATON
1. Highlight all files in your SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
2. Copy and paste them to your main CFS2/TEXTURE folder
3. If asked to overwrite click “no”
4. Hi-lite all files in the MilneBay_UT_UT/TEXTURE folder
5. Copy and paste them to your main CFS2/TEXTURE folder
6. If asked to overwrite click “no”.
7. Highlight all files in the MilneBay_UT/SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
8. Copy and paste them to your your CFS2/SCENDEB/WORLD/TEXTURE folder
9. If asked to overwrite click “no”


SECTION B: ADDING NEW SCENERY & GSL
12. Drop the folder "SWPTO_Islands_UT", "SWPTO_Reefs_UT", "SWPTO_River_Deltas_UT" & "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" into your main CFS2 folder, or wherever you pull your add-on scenery from. Note: If these folders already exist, because you already have my Solomon Sea scenery installed, then simply copy the contents & if asked to overwrite click "yes" - this pack has the latest version of these files.
13. Next, drop the content of the gsl folder along with GSLMan.exe into your CFS2/GSL folder. If asked to over write click “Yes”.
14. Make a back-up copy of your current cfs2.gsl file. Its OK to leave it in the GSL folder- just rename it.
15. Open GSLMan.exe from inside your CFS2/GSL folder.
16. From the "Available Custom Gobs" list hi-light the gsl version you want. "Lite" is the air facilities only, "full" includes eye-candy. Select the MilneBay_UT (full or lite).gsl & click the "ADD" button.
17. Wait until GSLMan.exe says it's thru then…
18. Close GSLMan.


SECTION C: ACTIVATING & ARRANGING THE NEW SCENERY IN CFS 2


(NOT REQUIRED IF MY SOLOMON SEA scenery is already activated in CFS 2 & you added these new files to the relevant folder contents)


20. Activate the "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" scenery. Put this low down in your Library listing, just above the "Runways" (stock runways layer)is a good location.
21. Activate your "SWPTO_Islands_UT" scenery. This can be quite high in the listing, way above any mesh, watermasks or exclude layers, BUT CERTAINLY ABOVE the "SWPTO_Excludes_UT" layer! I put my G2K sceneries below the "Airport Facilities Data" layer.
22. Activate your "SWPTO_Reefs_UT" scenery. This needs to sit above the "SWPTO_Islands_UT" layer. You may see unusual display effects if this sits below the "SWPTO_Islands_UT" layer.
23. Activate your "SWPTO_River_Deltas_UT" scenery. This needs to sit above the "SWPTO_Reefs_UT" layer. As above, you may see unusual display effects if this layer ordering is not followed.


The screengrab of my own Scenery Library order is included in this zip & should help with clarification.


The scenery is installed.


NOTE: To make the runways available in MB enter the runway entries listed in the SolomonSea_UT/airbase_entries.txt file into your airbases.dat file which can be found in your CFS2/INFO folder. Be sure to back up your current airbases.dat file first.


Credits
Thanks to:
Jean Bomber for his inspiration, advice & support. He talked me through getting to grips with G2K & more…
Maskrider for all his airbase packages & the blended airbase tutorial. This set the standard for airbase sceneries for the game.
Rhumbaflappy for the new more accurate world mesh – it was a desire to make best use of this development that is the driver for many of my scenery projects. He also developed the vtp1 fixer programme to fix display errors in vtp bgls compiled from Ground2K.
GavinC for his reworking of the stock airbases, making individual base reworking/ revision much easier
Shessi for his water textures, that were the inspiration for my reworking of Jimkos Pacific Blues, & indirectly lead me to develop this latest set of water textures.
Lindsay Watt for all of his scenery objects & innovations.
Wolfi for his scenery objects.
Xavier for all his scenery objects & airbase sceneries, opening up a larger world for us all to fly in
Martin Wright for all the various software tools that are so useful!
Russell Dirks for his EZ landclass programme, making large scale land/ water class adjustments possible
Christian Fumey for his excl8 & Ground2K programmes, making the creation of completely new scenery possible for CFS2.


UncleTgt
JAN 2021

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Milne Bay UT
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[Worthless]

Just got it. Thanks UT. I'll be up and running this afternoon.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you, UncleTgt! I just downloaded it and your Solomons and Cloud Textures too.

[Ravenna]

Brilliant work, and I'm sure you won't mind my swapping a Kitty for the Corsair in the mission

[Worthless]

One of the simplest installs I've every done. No problems. Just added it to "Solomon Sea". Took a tour last night. Don't recommend trying to land at Dogura. Love the islands and reefs. I also opted for one of your (Oct 2020 released) RAAF P-40 Kitty's in place of the Corsair. Great work and much appreciated.

[UncleTgt]

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Scenery Add-Ons

Description: Buna-Dobodura Scenery for CFS2 by UncleTgt


This is a reworking of the stock sceneries for the Buna-Dobodura area at the SE end of PNG. It is designed for use with Rhumbas mesh, but the scenery excludes provided should mean this works well in a stock mesh install too.
This scenery builds on & extends the areas covered in my previous Solomon Sea & Milne Bay sceneries, but it should work as a stand-alone scenery as well.


Contents:
New Ground2K scenery for each, including fringing reefs.
New airbase scenery, made using FSSC.
New gsl infrastructure.
New custom Landclass & Waterclass.
Some simple missions using the stock F4U-1A Corsair for viewing the gsl airbases & scenery


The sceneries are as developed during mid-1943, & the gsl reflects this. I have provided an earlier gsl gob for those wishing to depict Buna as a Japanese operational airbase, you need to install this gob last of all if that's what you want.


As the Japanese only operated aircraft there for a short time (between May & October 1942), I imagine most people will want the scenery as per mid-'43, which is after the US/Australians had battled across the airstrip - the Allies built the Dobodura complex of airfields for operations instead of fixing up the Buna strip(s).


Known conflicts:


Installing this scenery pack will require the archiving of some the airbases from Maskrider's Papua New Guinea scenery.


Maskriders Dobodura complex was built as a single airbase with multiple runways. As such all the runways had to be modelled at a single altitude - a necessary compromise at the time. Dobodura underwent many changes during it's active life, & Maskrider's layout seems to be from the latter half of 1943 & into 1944.


I decided to model each runway separately, & went for a more spartan mid to fall of '43 appearance, mainly to keep the object count manageable! The advantage of this approach is I could put each runway at an altitude to match the mesh better.


PNG-Dobodura_Horanda_Embi_GSL - replaced by Raways(1), Dobo(2), Horanda(4), Borio(10/11/15) & Nth Embi(12)
PNG_Dobodura_Popondetta_GSL - replaced by Girua(7) & Popondetta
PNG_Dobodura_Soputa_GSL - I struggled to find any reference other than it's use for air-dropping supplies during the advance towards Buna. I downgraded it to a small grass landing ground


PNG_Cape_Rodney_GSL - All the references I found suggested this was only built in 1945, so I did not depict an airstrip at this location.


Kokoda_Track_Set_3 - these are small sceneries depicting Buna Mission & the Japanese perimeter west of Buna. Some of the GSL scenery gobs included here supercede this bgl.


Credits
Thanks to:
Jean Bomber for his inspiration, advice & support. He talked me through getting to grips with G2K & more…
Maskrider for all his airbase packages & the blended airbase tutorial. This set the standard for airbase sceneries for the game.
Rhumbaflappy for the new more accurate world mesh – it was a desire to make best use of this development that is the driver for many of my scenery projects. He also developed the vtp1 fixer programme to fix display errors in vtp bgls compiled from Ground2K.
GavinC for his reworking of the stock airbases, making individual base reworking/ revision much easier
Shessi for his water textures, that were the inspiration for my reworking of Jimkos Pacific Blues, & indirectly lead me to develop this latest set of water textures.
Lindsay Watt for all of his scenery objects & innovations.
Wolfi for his scenery objects.
Xavier for all his scenery objects & airbase sceneries, opening up a larger world for us all to fly in
Martin Wright for all the various software tools that are so useful!
Russell Dirks for his EZ landclass programme, making large scale land/ water class adjustments possible
Christian Fumey for his excl8 & Ground2K programmes, making the creation of completely new scenery possible for CFS2.


UncleTgt
MAY 2021

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Buna-Dobodura Scenery UT
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.