(As usual, I preface this post with "Excuse me if this has been discussed and discussed and discussed before, but I'm new ....")

 

I just recently got back into flight simming (yeah, retirement is great) and scenery designing for my own needs (landable helicopter pad for practice, etc.).

 

 

 

 

 

It's simply amazing how Sketchup and a few other utilities make that so easy.

Here are the tools I use (many by the great Arno Gerretsen):

1. Sketchup

2. ModelConverterX

3. LibraryCreator XML

4. Airport Design Editor 9

 

And this great tutorial by Tom Gibson:

http://www.calclassic.com/sketchup_tutorial.htm

 

Anyway, it makes it fun.

(I've also found the trap I fell into the last time I did this simming thing -- I spend more time designing, tweaking, etc. than flying. There has to be some sort of "Syndrome" to fit this condition.)

Nice work, and thanks for the link!

 

I've also found the trap I fell into the last time I did this simming thing -- I spend more time designing, tweaking, etc. than flying. There has to be some sort of "Syndrome" to fit this condition

 

Know what you mean, I haven't done a flight in weeks. :mellow:

I won't bore everyone with constant updates (and it's not like Im tooting my own horn), but it's just way cool the way it all works. Guess it's those "Eureka" moments when you do something, step back and say, "Wow, that's kinda cool."

Anyway, here's alittle more work on my helipad. Maybe it'll inspire others...

 

 

 

Promise, this it.

Hi. Looks great. How did you add the sign? I want to add a sign to an existing building and so far have not had any luck. Regards, Bob.

I would recommend making a rectangle in Sketchup of correct dimensions, then extrude it by a nominal amount. Map your main texture on the front and something neutral on the back. Use a solid blending color on the edges (like gray). Note carefully where you place it relative to the coordinate origin in sketchup, as the origin will be the point which you use to place your sign in your sim world. Your hard part will be aligning the sign to the building. You might want to do something like model supports on the back side of the sign, say 0.5m long, and when you place it do it so the supports are "pushed into" the side of the building.

 

Don't forget to create a second texture for night lighting. Creating a good night texture is an art.

 

scott s.

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Hi Scott. Thanks. I have one now. What's the best way to add it to the airport scenery? Regards, Bob.

Hi Bob,

 

The best way is to export your Sketchup model into a DAE format.

Then you can import it in ModelConverterX and export it as a BGL file.

 

The next step is to use, for example, AirportDesignEditor to place it a a scenery.

 

That is only the guidelines, you can find a lot of turotials on the web that details the different operations.

Hi. Thanks. I'll try that. Best regards, Bob.

Note that in ADE (or anything, really) you have 2 options: You can add the model (the .mdl file that MCX creates) in which case the data in that file is part of the resulting airport BGL that you create in ADE, or you can compile the .mdl into an object library file (BGL) that you can then use by just creating the positioning info in the airport BGL and referencing the library file (by the GUID that is needed for each object). If you are going to reuse the object at different places it makes sense to go the library route, but for a custom object that's only going to be used in one spot, I prefer using the .mdl directly in ADE. That way, only the one BGL file is needed which I think is easier for users (you still need the textures of course).

 

One thing I've noticed, is that when models are placed in object libraries, FSX keeps reading the data over and over, regardless of where the fight is. I don't know if that makes a performance difference, but I figure every little bit helps. Models that are incorporated directly into scenery BGLs (such as ADE airport BGLs) are said to be "geo-locked" and are ignored when the flight is not in that area.

 

scott s.

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Hi Scott. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. Regards, Bob.