KSLE McNary Field

[aarque 11]

I recently completed this scenery and am uploading it to the Avsim library. I started this topic in case people have issues, however, there are things people might want to offer comment on. For example, the water level in the nearby lake is much lower than the surrounding terrain and I suspect this is due to interaction between the blend mask and terrain mesh I am using, because I notice that water bodies farther away have normal shores.

 I have pictures here:

http://s96.photobucket.com/user/aarque/media/KSLE%20McNary%20Field%20Salem%20Oregon%20USA/KSLE.jpg.html?sort=6&o=2

and I'll link the scenery after I get it uploaded.

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

Looks great! I live just outside of Portland, so McNary is in my neighborhood. Please don't break my heart by telling me your scenery is for FSX only.  :(

[aarque 11]

I believe DDS textures are FSX only, apologies. If I am mistaken, then perhaps try it - and - if nothing else, do this: take the file "Photo_KSLE_Ground.bgl" and drop it into the scenery folder of KSLE you use in FS9, or make a KSLE directory with the "Photo_KSLE_Ground.bgl" inside the scenery folder, declare that in the scenery and you can fly the photo scenery. The AFCAD and it's objects should work, yes?

 

So there's a conditional yes, or no, for you...

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

I'm very ignorant regardings FSX. Don't own it and never tried any FSX scenery in FS9. My impression from reading comments on forums is that it wouldn't work.

[aarque 11]

Well... I would say the biggest issue would be the textures. You are very skilled with basic FS tools, correct? It should be a simple matter to use a program like ModelConverterX to dig out the relevant models, recompile them with .BMP's, then recompile those into the library .bgl's. You should be able to spoof the GUID's from the old models so you can continue to use the placement .bgl. I know ModelConverterX has a FS9>FSX flat Earth converter and you can probably run that backwards for the placement bgl if you need to. If I'm not mistaken, Airport Design Editor also offers retro compatibility adjustments.

I can send you .mdl files or possible even .jpg/.bmp's if I have them.

 

I'm looking at your KPDX among other options for a current and quality FSX Portland airport. 3D Warehouse already has models for every single structure on the grounds. I live in the Gorge, near Hood River.

[scottb613 1,188]

Some mighty fine work there - sir...

 

Regards,

Scott

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

We're practically neighbors, Rick. I'm in Beaverton.

 

I used to use Sketchup for my modeling, so I've spent lots of time using MCX. I think I understand the process you're describing to convert FSX models for use in FS9, but I don't feel much motivation to put in the time. I always have several projects of my own that I'm working on...I imagine that's true of most scenery designers.  :rolleyes:

 

I looked at the 3D warehouse models of the KPDX buildings. Frankly, I don't think they're very good. Many of the textures look like they're melting. If you decide to use them, you'll have your work cut out for you. You're welcome to convert anything you want from my KPDX scenery, as long as you credit me for the original work. If memory serves (which it usually doesn't anymore), the terminal and the Horizon run-up pad are custom and photo textured. The rest of the buildings are probably generics from existing object libraries.

[aarque 11]

Thanks for the thumbs up.

 

Yes, the photo textures, by and large, are questionable. Then there is the other side of it; while doing my project, I was also adding similar models to the Google Earth 3D building Layer. About a week after I had added the KSLE terminal building and had it approved in a process I believed was automatic, if not routine, I noticed that my building had been removed! Some other identity with two backwards "N's" in his name had submitted a superior model. "#####?" I thought, "all these buildings yet to do and my only toe hold on Google Earth (at the time) has to be 'improved' upon?" ...but it was superior and I ended up using the Russian guy's model. I still intend to drive to Salem, obtain crisp and otherwise undownloadable texture images of that freaking terminal, use HIS model and upload it with my textures to knock the dude off my corner of Google Earth, the nerve. He is welcome to shoulder me out of Minsk or Chernobyl or wherever he hangs out in return.

 

My point is that there is usually at least one good face and I have learned tricks to smooth those grainy textures. Bottom line, the models are already geo located and assembled. So even if they need textures, one is still ahead, imo.

 

By the way, I've learned that the Blue Angels will perform at Hillsboro this year, perhaps our paths will cross.

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

The Cold War continues. Go get 'em!  :lol:

 

Have you tried Bing maps? At many locations it has an angled overhead view that, if you're lucky, can yield usable textures. Attached is the Bing view of McNary. Obviously perspective correction is required, but I find that Instant Object Studio does that very easily and well. And if the image itself is not usable, you still get to see all four sides of the building because the view rotates. It also has a straight down view. What it lacks is geo coordinates, so it's no good for creating background images in AFX, Sbuilder, etc. I still use Exploring Google Maps for that.

 

I've never made it to the big air show. I don't much care for crowds and noise and such. I've been to the air museums in McMinnville (home of the Spruce Goose) and Pearson (across the river from you). That's more my speed.  B)

 

 

 

[aarque 11]

Yes, exactly what I was thinking about my comrade. Thanks for the Bing Maps hook-up. Tell you what I really need is good imagery that isn't within US borders. I noticed Ray Smith had uploaded an AFCAD for Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China's...capital. He did an excellent job of mimicking the new international terminal using default buildings, but it turns out that T3 is currently the largest building in the world and it is really beautiful. They say it looks like a dragon, but  I think it looks more like an ant. It is absolutely stunning at night and of course there are several excellent models, all they would need is that beautiful night texture and placement on a halfway decent ground.

 

So far my technique to get that ground has been to get a reasonably good working map with SBuilderX, that comes out to about 175 mb; but I don't think it requires seasons because it is almost entirely concrete, dirt or grass -- then I go in with Google Sightseeing and scroll down real close until just before the digital distortion shows,  copy/paste that tiny swatch on the .bmp that is to be my photo ground, align it and so on. I try to get as much ground detail as I can onto that .bmp because it get's washed out somewhat compiling to .bgl. Better detail ground images than Google, or at least bigger pieces would be awesome. I don't know if they exist, even Terraserver can't help. What they offer doesn't even have T3 or even any evidence of the coming construction and they want $25 for that map. The "new" terminal was opened in 2008..

 

 

[Art_P 6]

 

 

there are things people might want to offer comment on. For example, the water level in the nearby lake is much lower than the surrounding terrain

 

You must have a whale of a computer to fly into this airport with all that scenery.  Mine just yields a series of stutters.  The pond can be brought up to the correct level with an airport flatten.

[aarque 11]

Thanks for the suggestion. To free up resources, you could remove some of the object .bgls from the scenery folder. KSLE_obj6.bgl contains extra hangars, vehicles for the FedEx building and a very minor building south of the GA hangars. Removing it would have minimal effect. KSLE_obj5.bgl is probably the biggest drain; many of the larger models incorporate volumes of polygons. Removing it will hide most of the custom ground vehicles, the airport terminal, the restaurant, several other key buildings and the single effect to illuminate the tower. This .bgl would be one to try to keep. KSLE_obj4.bgl has more ground vehicles, the static Blackhawk's and Kiowa's, the UAV, some hangars and the tower. Aside from losing the tower and leaving those lights hanging in mid-air, that could be one to remove. Lots of draw calls with those aircraft I think, they are colored and not textured. KSLE_obj3.bgl is almost entirely the north fuel depot, some ISU-80's and static GA planes. It could be removed and not missed. KSLE_obj2.bgl is mostly just Hummers, Hemtt's and the UAV station, it also could be removed. KSLE_obj.bgl was the first, mostly hangars and some of them are big. It's not terribly critical but also doesn't use much in terms of resources. One could remove it but I don't think it would help. Finally, security.bgl has four police cars and with the lightbars and eye candy are each almost 5 megabyte. Since they were made with Sketch-Up, they are likely packed with polygons so definitely take that one out.

 

See if that helps.

[1mikel151 71]

Finally, security.bgl has four police cars and with the lightbars and eye candy are each almost 5 megabyte. Since they were made with Sketch-Up, they are likely packed with polygons so definitely take that one out.

At 5 mb each, no kidding! The majority of the models at the warehouse are not suitable for FS use.

[aarque 11]

While there may be unusable models at the Trimble 3D Warehouse, my scenery stands to show that statistic is far from accurate. I found only one Oshkosh Mk48 and used it. I found only one M978A4 tanker and used it. By your reckoning, I should have had to discard more HEMTT's than I encountered and that is simply not the case. There was one, among all the Oshkosh HEMTT's, that I just couldn't use. All blacked out and rounded corners, it was styled from The Dark Knight; his mobile headquarters or something. I almost used it anyway but I just couldn't take the curves and besides, this is McNary not Bagram, I already had enough.

 

The fact that many of the models need to be thinned, or streamlined does not make them unsuitable. The work involved, to me, is worth the magnificent sense of immersion I get when I look around from the runway or tour the area and there were so very few times I said to myself, "I need to start from scratch in order to achieve that."

 

My scenery works pretty good in my system. Older i9, 580 GTX, pretty nice but definitely not "a whale." It works for me and it appears to be working for - to borrow your math - the majority of the 350 people that have downloaded it thus far, as every single one of them has a link to this thread, so...thanks for the perspective.

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

I have to vote with Michael on the issue of Warehouse objects. I've uploaded three or four collections of objects that I downloaded from the Warehouse and converted for use with FS9. I've also spent time looking for boats, tanks and other objects for fellow scenery designers. I consider myself lucky every time I find a model that is low poly enough to work in FS9 without me having to spend (waste) a great deal of time removing enough polys to make it useable. Sketchup was never intended for use with FS9, and I'd guess that 95% of the people who upload to the Warehouse don't even know what FS is. I've found some useable stuff on the Warehouse, but I usually only look there for objects I have no skill at making myself. I can't make a boat or a plane to save my life...looks like a monkey did it.