Extract default airport to drop back on top of photoreal scenery

[fppilot 4,346]

I have had success identifying files from Orbx Worldwide airports, placing the related files into sets of scenery and texture folders in Add-on Scenery, adding them to the library, and aligning them above Megascenery in scenery library sequence.  It eliminates the flattening that occurs at eye level from the cockpit at default airports.  That's great for airports that Orbx has provided in their freeware offerings, like my home airport of KESN (Easton-Newnam, Maryland).  There are other airports I would like to "rescue" so to speak, from the FSX default scenery, and reposition as separate scenery items in Addon Scenery so that they are not flattened by photoreal regions.  I understand that some scenery editors may have the ability to do extractions, but cannot find a specific tutorial on which ones have the ability, and how to best accomplish my goal.  Can someone steer me in the right direction to accomplish this?  

[fppilot 4,346]

Taking a second shot at this. Wanting to pull a couple of airports out of native FSX scenery, create from the extraction an add-on airport, then drop it on top of Megascenery (higher in priority in Scenery LIbrary), so that its buildings do not disappear when using Megascenery.  

Anyone provide some guidance on how to do this?

 

[fs4fun 366]

Do you have Airport Design Editor (ADE) (and the SDK)?

In ADE, do Open Stock Airport, then compile and save the BGL to a scenery folder that's above your other scenery.

I don't really understand why it would be necessary, but that sounds like what you want.

[fppilot 4,346]

6 hours ago, fshobby said:

I don't really understand why it would be necessary, but that sounds like what you want.

There are several airports (FSX stock) I frequent where if located in an area of Megascenery that is loaded. from the cockpit all of the buildings at the airport disappear. If I switch to outside view and raise the eyepoint of the outside view the buildings reappear.  But is it frustrating that they disappear when sitting in the cockpit. 

Addon airports can be layered in sequence above the megascenery in the scenery library and that eliminates the issue at those airports.  But there is one airport in particular that I cannot find an addon scenery for.  

Edited April 20, 2018 by fppilot

[fs4fun 366]

Thanks for the explanation, I've also seen issues with buildings disappearing at certain viewing angles, it didn't occur to me that it might be related to using photoreal textures. When I saw this issue it was at an airport that included photo textures just around the airport. It seems to be an FSX bug and not limited to Megascenery.

[fppilot 4,346]

On 4/20/2018 at 11:56 AM, fshobby said:

Thanks for the explanation, I've also seen issues with buildings disappearing at certain viewing angles, it didn't occur to me that it might be related to using photoreal textures. When I saw this issue it was at an airport that included photo textures just around the airport. It seems to be an FSX bug and not limited to Megascenery.

I believe you are spot on, but what befuddles me is that it happens at some airports and not at others.  KBMG is an airport I frequent, having graduated from the university there and that I follow the universities sports teams and with simulation fly from there to away games, and back.

I finally installed SDK and over the past two days plowed through a learning curve with ADE.  I have ended up with a respectable KBMG airport where none of the buildings or airport elements disappear.  Huge accomplishment for me.  My scenery buildings and hangars are all pretty much true to scale and position and mostly representative, but as a novice I have not found enough library objects more accurate in design and color that do not do the disappearing act.  So I am still looking for more building and hangar  library objects. I tried Scruffyducks large selection of generic library objects, and though there were some buildings and hangars I liked and that were closer, but for some reason his generic objects all still did the vanishing act based on eye point.

Here is how it is looking at this time. Just noticed that I woefully under-scaled the building to the left of the tower.  It's actually the same building object as the building to the right of the tower, just turned in a different orientation. Evidence of my failure to find a building more suitable.....  See the third image to cofirm,

Here is a side view of what that building to the left of the tower looks like.  So it's narrow from front to back and white in color. 
Should look much like this from the eyepoint of the airplane in my first screen shot above.  And I have no idea how to make the tower taller
and eliminate the windows on the sides.

The airport ops building off the airplane's tail in the second screen shot is of nice character, but also not well representative of the  actual building
at the airport.  At least it does not disappear on eye point change!  At least it adds character,

The lestmost of the two hangars in the second shot is not true to shape either, but it works.

[fs4fun 366]

Looks like good progress after just a couple days. Fiddling with the SDK can greatly eat into flying time, so beware. 

The CountryFlyBoy channel on YouTube has a good tutorial series on ADE.

 

[fppilot 4,346]

1 hour ago, fshobby said:

Fiddling with the SDK can greatly eat into flying time, so beware. 

The CountryFlyBoy channel on YouTube has a good tutorial series on ADE.

Can vouch for that.  Made huge progress but I still need some guidance. The buildings/structures that I am using are all non-generic scenery objects and overcome the issue of vanishing buildings when using Megascenery.  But I am still searching for more representative objects.  One in particular is T-Hangars. In the following three image set, the top image shows the non-generic row of hangars I found in ADE. They do not disappear when using Megascenery.  Fine for a first attempt but they are not the true to this airport T-Hangars I want, which you can see in the second image in that three image set.  Those in the second frame are a generic T-hangar row I imported from another default airport.  Great! But as you can see in the third frame, if you change the eyepoint just slightly they disappear.

What I am looking for is a good non-generic T-hangar that does not disappear.

 

Next what I am looking for is a bit of the same.  Toward the left of the image below you can see a large round top hangar with wide abutments that I have circled. Found this one and I am using it in three locations at my KBMG.  Not generic so does not disappear.  But all three such hangars at KBMG have peaked roofs, not rounded.  And only one of the three at real-life KBMG has the wide abutments.  So I am looking for something similar, non-generic, at least with peaked rooflines.

Then finally, if you look at my previous message above you will see a photo of an actual modular type building up next to the control tower at KBMG.  In the photo below you can see what I am currently using, circled on the right in the image.  Red brick and nothing like the true image from the airport.  So I am also looking for a non-generic white modular type building to place accordingly.  I spent way too much time searching, and came up empty on these.  Any suggestions on where to look?

 

[fppilot 4,346]

Here is what the stock FSX KBMG looks like:

[fs4fun 366]

I've never found any really good source of scenery objects. You can browse what's available in stock libraries here: http://lc0277.gratisim.fr/sceneobjects/

Only third party libaries I can suggest are the Sidney Schwartz libraries, eg https://simviation.com/1/search?submit=1&keywords=Sidney+Schwartz&categoryId=100

Beyond that the only option I know is to create building models for your scenery if generic buildings are not working. Actually the geometry for most of these buildings is pretty simple (quite easy with a program like Sketchup), much of the work is in creating the textures. I use textures.com and then end up spending a lot of time in photoshop making textures.