South Mountain Air Strip

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 06:29

Like I don't have enough other stuff to work on, I went looking for a spot to put a small airstrip and found one. Located on the eastern edge of the Catskill Mountains overlooking the Hudson River and the towns of Tannersville, Clermont, Germantown and Green Acres. It has South Mountain Lake just below it to the north.

I'm populating the autogen right now, then add some buildings and it'll be pretty much complete. I may work this area with some other airports to the west as this is nice mountain terrain and there actually are quite a few small airstrips all through this range.:salute:

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 08:51

A few screens before I place objects and a bit more vegetation.

MCDesigns · January 17th, 2010, 08:58

Nice strip, is it fictional? I take it this is in upstate NY since you mention the Hudson, correct?

Seeing how prolific you (and some others) have become, I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time with custom objects since that is what takes the most time on a project.

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 09:16

Originally Posted by MCDesigns

Nice strip, is it fictional? I take it this is in upstate NY since you mention the Hudson, correct?

Seeing how prolific you (and some others) have become, I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time with custom objects since that is what takes the most time on a project.

Yea, this is a fictional strip Michael, right on the eastern edge of the Catskills. Nice area and a lot of small airstrips dotted around the mountains.

As far as wasting your time, I don't see it that way because I wish I could do custom objects. Even if it was just small buildings that actually reside at some of these airstrips. . .something that makes it recognizable is always a plus.

**2Low** · January 17th, 2010, 09:46

As it is with cars ,motorcycles, computers and pistol grips, custom is never a waste of time!

We are talking two different levels of design here. One may be a stepping stone to the other. Both are wanted and needed to populate our virtual world.

3D modeling is a whole other skill to learn and it takes time. I think there has to be that artist in you that needs to create from scratch to keep at it. Is it worth it? Depends if you are getting satisfaction enough from creating it.

What Ed and others are doing is great as it spruces up lots of smaller fields for us, or gives us historic or fictional fields. I'm trying to figure it out myself. Problem is if everyone switched to this method is it would all start looking simular. We also need those with the skills to create libraries and objects.

We need both styles of design so get back at it!

Both of you.:ernae:

MCDesigns · January 17th, 2010, 10:06

Thanks guys, I guess I am just envious at how much Ed can get done when I am slaving away in gmax, LOL. Makes the 4+ hours I put into my doggie Fido today worthwhile, LOL (the scenery is a custom airstrip in TongassX)

**Marvin Carter** · January 17th, 2010, 10:23

Hi Michael, there is always a place fore your work. I for one appreciate what you do,I would love to be able to make custom objects, especially buildings but don't have the means nor patience for it. as a fan Keep up the good work!!!

**dharris** · January 17th, 2010, 11:02

2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyV...eature=related

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 15:48

Originally Posted by dharris

2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyV...eature=related

I took a look at the video, then went into FSX to have a look. No grade obviously and not much else there. . .nothing at all like the real thing. I played with some sloped flattens in SBuilderX and got a decent grade (46' drop when you approach from 14). The problem is, I've done so much in photoreal (which this has nothing usable) that I'm unsure as to how to apply a landclass poly and get it to show, lol.

As for South Mountain Air Strip (2NYS), I just did a redimentary AFCAD, finished applying objects and I'll post it here in a bit. It's perfect for Mike's Super Cub. As short as the rwy appears from the air, you could shoot several "bounce" landings and take off's before having to go around in the Cub, lol.

**Rezabrya** · January 17th, 2010, 15:55

Hey Ed, strip looks nice. How close are you getting to being through with KCID?

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 16:47

First off, here is an interim link to the Air Strip until it's posted here.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/08v9r7obh1.zip

. . . . .How close are you getting to being through with KCID

I'll post some shots in the morning!:salute:

**cheezyflier** · January 17th, 2010, 18:29

this is great news! i loved the last one you did! i fly in and out of there almost every day since then

**spotlope** · January 17th, 2010, 20:40

Not to hijack this thread (sorry, Ed), but I love that dog, Micheal! I've been meaning to do some canines myself, but you really did a beauty.

Originally Posted by MCDesigns

Thanks guys, I guess I am just envious at how much Ed can get done when I am slaving away in gmax, LOL. Makes the 4+ hours I put into my doggie Fido today worthwhile, LOL (the scenery is a custom airstrip in TongassX)

NoNewMessages · January 17th, 2010, 22:50

Originally Posted by dharris

2nco is a nice strip, one of my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvyV...eature=related

One of my favorites too!

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_3.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_4.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_5.html

My first flight with the Quest Kodiak was up to Mountain Air. I was so caught up in the views that I forgot about .... Well, the insurance company did pay for the total loss. :mixedsmi:

***falcon409*** · January 17th, 2010, 23:15

Were you able to get the incline as well? I tried and it seemed to work, but I got lost in trying to apply a LC poly and gave up for now, lol.

Nice job though, sure does beat the default, which as your first pic shows is pretty drab.

**dharris** · January 18th, 2010, 06:29

Thanks for the post Lance, I purchased the 2.38 M North Carolina and th e 10 M West Virginia mesh, which should go a long way to help especially with the files to be added later. Are you thinking of doing Tennessee? It would be a natrural to link the others together, that and I have some property in Tennessee, near the N. Carolina border.

Originally Posted by LCSims

One of my favorites too!

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_3.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_4.html

http://www.lcsims.com/html/nc1_5.html

My first flight with the Quest Kodiak was up to Mountain Air. I was so caught up in the views that I forgot about .... Well, the insurance company did pay for the total loss. :mixedsmi:

**cheezyflier** · January 18th, 2010, 07:16

Originally Posted by dharris

Thanks for the post Lance, I purchased the 2.38 M North Carolina and th e 10 M West Virginia mesh, which should go a long way to help especially with the files to be added later. Are you thinking of doing Tennessee? It would be a natrural to link the others together, that and I have some property in Tennessee, near the N. Carolina border.

maybe somewhere near wautauga lake? a beautiful area that would be great to have some little bush strips and maybe even a floatplane base

NoNewMessages · January 18th, 2010, 08:26

Originally Posted by falcon409

Were you able to get the incline as well? I tried and it seemed to work, but I got lost in trying to apply a LC poly and gave up for now, lol.

Nice job though, sure does beat the default, which as your first pic shows is pretty drab.

Thanks! Didn't mean to hijack your thread, sorry.

Mountain Air would be a great first Gmax project for you, Ed. Get that little swale in the middle nailed and the world will beat a path to your door...

***falcon409*** · January 18th, 2010, 09:51

Originally Posted by LCSims

Thanks! Didn't mean to hijack your thread, sorry.

Mountain Air would be a great first Gmax project for you, Ed. Get that little swale in the middle nailed and the world will beat a path to your door...

Hey Lance, ya didn't hijack anything, you're a contributor, lol.

As for GMax. . .just the name brings a shudder to my bones, lol. I've tried it on occasion, but I never could even get through the tutorials. I purchased FSDS a long time ago and even kept it updated just in case. I actually almost got through the Terminal at Yellowknife before finally giving up.

But scenery, wouldn't even have a clue how to start, but I know that for sloped runways and such, that's about the only way I'm going to accomplish anything like that.

MCDesigns · January 18th, 2010, 10:08

Originally Posted by falcon409

As for GMax. . .just the name brings a shudder to my bones, lol. I've tried it on occasion, but I never could even get through the tutorials. I purchased FSDS a long time ago and even kept it updated just in case. I actually almost got through the Terminal at Yellowknife before finally giving up.

C'mon Ed, modeling is the fun part, it's the texturing that will make you pull your hair out, LOL.

***falcon409*** · January 18th, 2010, 10:14

Originally Posted by MCDesigns

C'mon Ed, modeling is the fun part, it's the texturing that will make you pull your hair out, LOL.

Ahh, easy for you to say Michael, I've seen your stuff and it's excellent. I will have to learn it if I plan on continuing with scenery, but it's so much easier to do the scenery work I'm doing than to labor over trying to get one simple plane to move the way you want it in FSDS or GMax, lol.

NoNewMessages · January 18th, 2010, 11:53

Watch how easy I make this sound....

Bill Womack made a nice tutorial on making Gmax runways, using some FS2002 tweaks. There's also some writings about using FSX and Gmax to work around the curved earth syndrome. At a location like Mountain Air the runway isn't that long or wide to make it a "major job", in that it's pieces are many, but not unmanageable. Someone correct me, but a runway only needs the top textured. And it's the layers in the texture that apply the effects, ie. tire markings, runway numbers and the sorts.

So *if* you ever decide to jump off that cliff, LMK. It would be a learning process for me also. And I could build a little mesh area just for the top of the hill!

And I'm following your thread with Arno about using his Model Converter X to get rid of the debris trail on photo work. I'm buried in a project (or two), but can offer some help on the decompiling and other stuff.

**spotlope** · January 18th, 2010, 13:05

Ah, but here's the rub with my tutorial: it's designed for use only on flattened surfaces. So if you're looking to do a sloped, hardened runway with it, it won't do you much good.

***falcon409*** · January 18th, 2010, 13:51

Originally Posted by spotlope

Ah, but here's the rub with my tutorial: it's designed for use only on flattened surfaces. So if you're looking to do a sloped, hardened runway with it, it won't do you much good.

Phew!! Thanks Bill, I just dodged a bullet there, lol I thought I was actually gonna have to fire up GMax, lol.. . .man that was close!