World Database project

[Guest Drizzt]

Hi all.It's been a few years I've wanted to start these, but never found the time.Now I can, so...I like VFR flights for it allows me to "see" part of the world I'll probably never see. However, even if current flight sims are really good, they are not that much for VFR flight.Principally because they lack a lot of low level detail, like most roads, most "tipical buildings", and so on.Now, the "World Database Project"I was thinking about1) building up a database for containing informations coming from everywhere and about all the world.2) Writing a little software capable of doing graphical "path-following"3) Writing a little software capable of building "repeated-scenery".Something like...if someone has a detailed roadmap of his country, or region, or province, or city, scan it and put it on-line. Then I can use the proggie at 2) to extract the road in a vectorial format, and everyone can use it to insert the data into its preferred Flight Sim.What if some flight simmer works at Mac Donald as some kind of manager? Maybe he can gather the lat/lon location of all the Mac Donalds in his country, put it on the DB, and then I could use 3) to convert it to a bgl for FS2k4, or pass the datas to everyone who want to use it into another sim.And those where only two examples, but maybe we can do much more...So, before I'm going on: is this a good idea? Is there something like this already? Will people contribute, or it's time wasted?Please, comment :-)

[Guest papa.looser]

Hi for sure a interessting but also a big challenge.But why not try it.If the contributions to this database will be big enough,it's a big competitor to even payware-products.But it also depends on the quality of the additons.Won't be possilbe to verify each of them.Also intense PR will be necessary to keep it aliveand make it familiar to the community.I have been working on point 3 of your topics for acouple of weeks and was positive surprised someone alreadyhad a similar thought.It's a script currently, reading a textfile filed with coordinates, modelnames etc., that compiles objects like churches,houses and some helipad, etc. in my home-area for FS9 usingan existing 'default'-library of objects, that I created in gmax.The results are looking good a this time, will only take a couple of additional days to get it running.How will your world-database look like?Any plans about how to realize it yet?Regards,Papa Looser

[Guest Drizzt]

>Hi >>for sure a interessting but also a big challenge.>>But why not try it.>[cut]>How will your world-database look like?>Any plans about how to realize it yet?>Sorry for the late reply, I was a little busy.I wanted to keep it as simple and low-profile as possible.Problem is, it's the n-th time I start talking of this idea, and get no reply or interest. So I can't decide what to do...However, the basic idea was simply to gather "massive information". Don't want to build a DB for each object in the world. I wanted to build up group of objects like McDonald, WallMart, Ikea...all those objects that can use a single model and are replicable all over the world. A list of churches for example, or a list of all the world's hospitals.I wanted to do it so:Initially, I lay down a list of categories.Then each user can log on, choose a category and add one or more element to it by listing one or more couple of lat long.Then, apart from this, I wanted to build a repository of a lot of other things like roads, railways, trainstations...And, my dream is to:Build a list of city styles (example: Italian medieval village)For each style, build a bunch of models depending of the size of the city and the density. (each model beeing the entire city made of a few polys and a couple of textures)Then, allow people to insert into a DB the place where they live choosing the city style and model by the two above lists...(where I live, for example, there are tenths of small medieval villages everywhere on the mountains...)After all, I think I will begin it by myself. Maybe I'll do a work good enough and people will begin to contribute...

[Guest papa.looser]

Hi,the feedback is indeed very disappointing.It's a project that the whole community can benefit ofand it's a projects that depends on the community.So without active support it will become very hard to realize.But if you don't try it will never become reality.Best is to build it step by step and report yourprogress, so it remains in everybodys memory.At some point, as soon as it's accepted,there will be more and more contributers.So much about my personal theory.What I can contribute to your databaseis plenty of 'German obstacles' likewindpower, towers and chimney etc. that aremore than 100ft above ground, from I listI found on the internet.That has been also the source for my script,which works meanwhile pretty well.There is also info about cableways and powerlines,but I have no idea how to get that automated.So I'm not sure if that's what your interessted in.Also it would require a method for mass-im- and export of dataAbout the list of roads, railways, etc.could be easier to receive data from any 'autoroute-tool'instead of opening just another datacollection.Sounds somehow like reinventing the wheel.Your list of city styles sounds interessting.Maybe there should be some more parameters for definingthe shape of a city. The bigger challenge will be to get it back into FS.If it's possible, there will be a great enhancement for quickly realizing the look of certain landscapes,supposing it will reach a reasonable coverage by it's contributers.After all, we can only benefit from this project.Great idea!I will contribute whatever I have to keep it running.Regars,Papa