Well, I'll be darned! I managed to get LODs to work!Using:

HeloRamp_LOD_40....HeloRampHousing........Cone01........Cone02........Plane01........Plane02........Plane03HeloRamp_LOD_10....HeloRampHousing_01

The "ground splashes" disappear ~3500' AGL, which is about when they begin z buffer fighting with the ground polys.It also takes care of them showing up during the daytime!The trick I discovered is that -before LODs will work- one must "Populate the LODs" using the silly button on the "LOD Name Tool..."...which of course isn't mentioned at all in the SDK... <sigh> :( I changed the "in air beam" to a 1/2 cone, which I very carefully shaped, scaled, and UVW Mapped. Here's a shot from the tower to the NE Ramp at 33MO... :(

Hmm. .... excuse me? Did I miss something? Yes, LODs have always worked, and the default objects, for example the darn chicken shacks, have very annoying LOD model distances - you have to be right on top before you see the entire object. Will everybody please stop using LOD models for simple objects? Very annoying to see the details pop in and out.Lovely picture, by the way, Bill.Best regard.Luis

Hmm. .... excuse me? Did I miss something? Yes, LODs have always worked, and the default objects, for example the darn chicken shacks, have very annoying LOD model distances - you have to be right on top before you see the entire object. Will everybody please stop using LOD models for simple objects? Very annoying to see the details pop in and out.Lovely picture, by the way, Bill.Best regard.Luis

Thanks, Luis. I've only very recently gotten into "scenery design" myself, having started on a fictional infrastructure project with the real-world 33MO - Leaming Field which is owned by a distant cousin on my father's side of the bed. How could I resist? After all, how many simmers are fortunate enough to have a real world family airfield in the sim? :( So, having won the virtual lottery, I've bought up several surrounding farms and now have a 7500x150 foot runway, a tower staffed from 5am till 10pm with contract controllers, and am host to the Eagle's Nest Flying Club, which continues to use the recently surfaced original grass strip.I've been using this freeware project as a "learning process" whereby I can freely experiment with some new lighting techniques, among other things. In this instance, I've developed a 3D lighting process that actually casts "light" in the sim that will illuminate other objects in their path, such as the SR22 G3 in the image above.With this technique, even though the Helo/Ramp Lights will only illuminate during the non-day hours, at or above 3500' AGL the normally transparent polys on which the "light" is generated will seem to "appear" although it's really a case of z-buffer infighting that causes the annoying "flashing," hence my need to finally crack the LOD system. I did extensive research over the past few weeks and really found no answers. It was only a "hint" that I finally noticed in the ESP version of the FSX SDK that gave me the clue needed.