Enhanced TerraScene Tutorial

[Pascal_LSGC 298]

Finally here!Go to [http://ftp.avsim.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=635&forum=DCForumID14]Cheers!Pascal[http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cd0002a7874a59f.jpg]

[dkohl 0]

I recently posted a scenery/render pack to the forum and received some inquiries that more or less said, "I just downloaded TS2.1, how do I get up and running with your scenery pack really fast?" I thought I'd post my response here, which provides a few tips from a frequent TerraScene user for first-time TerraScene users....Before getting started with TerraScene, read the manual and follow the instructions on installation. There is no excuse for not reading this relatively short, but very important manual. Follow the instructions step by step to install and configure TerraScene on your PC. If you do not wish to read the manual, please do not read the remainder of this post - it assumes you've already read the manual!After you've read the manual and followed directions (don't forget to "intergrate with Fly!2", which is an option under the file menu), you're ready to create scenery.But.... before you begin, go to your Fly!2 directory and temporarily rename "DATA" to something else like "Production DATA". You'll want to keep your DATA folder separate for housekeeping sake later - this will make your life easier after you've rendered and are ready to fly. I'll come back to this at the end of this post.Once you've got this done, launch TerraScene. If you're creating your own scenery, select "New" and continue as per the manual. If you want to use an existing project, select Open. You may want to load scenery render options -- go under the Render menu and load the options if they differ from the defaults.The following notes/tips relate to creating US scenery. I've not attempted non-US scenery yet, so please forgive the lack of a more global perspective.Rendering is fully automated for US areas. If you're rendering anything significant - more than a small square around an airport - wait until you're about to go to sleep since your PC and phone line will be busy for a while.When you're ready, hit RENDER. For an explanation of all the options, read the manual. For US scenery, the render process will start by connecting to the Internet to download all sorts of data. The downloading will probably take an hour or two depending on how much scenery you're rendering and your modem connection speed. After the download, the remaining render process also takes a long time. On my PC, a full globe tile can take four or five hours. This is why you should go to sleep and leave the work to your PC.Note also that TerraScene scenery takes up quite a lot of disk space. Some of my single-tile PODs are 300MB to 500MB in size. Other related "temporary" files can easily be three to five times that size. So if you're short on HD space, buy another!If you get any errors during the render process, you may need to do some memory adjustments. See the TerraScene manual which will guide you on these adjustments. Again - its all in the manual.Assuming everything worked, you can quite TerraScene. You'll have new PODs sitting in uniquely named subfolders inside your Fly!2Scenery subdir. You can leave them there or consolidate the files into one subdir. I do this to help me keep track of things. For example, I consolidated three different directories TerraScene created for the Grand Canyon into a single "GrandCanyon AZ" subfolder inside my Fly!2Scenery subdir. The directory name makes no difference as long as the PODs and SCFs are in a folder that itself is within the Fly!2scenery subdir. Do not change the names of the POD's or SCF's.You'll also have a whole slew of DXXXYYY directories in your Fly!2DATA subdir. Now you'll see the benefit of the first housekeeping step. Take the entire DATA directory and move it to the trash. It contains the raw data that was used to build the PODs. If you fail to remove the contents of DATA, when you fly, the simulator will stutter. So get rid of the DATA directory. Then go back and rename the "Production DATA" directory (or whatever you called it) back to its original name: DATA. Optional last step: Go into your TerraScene directory. Open the "Output" subdir and remove all the files (to trash). These are the original graphic images used to create the files inside DATADXXXYYY which you have trashed. This will give you back hard disk space if you need it.Go fly!-DK----David KohlFly! II v230Dell 8200 P4/1.8G, 512MB RAM, Nvidia GF4 Ti4600 v28.83, WinXP Home Edition.CH Pro Pedals and Yoke USB.

[Guest]

What Maual are you refering to the Enhanced Terroacene Tutorial? or the orignial manual for TerraScene II.? Wha about the Dem 7.5 files in The Terrascene Directory they seem to realte to the project I made, can they be deleted. They are in A through Y folders? How about the DLG and Lulc folders?

[Pascal_LSGC 298]

Gents, if you look for my tutorial, it's here:http://saltydogfly2.avsim.net/pascal/index.htmland the french version:http://fly.simvol.org/telechargement_fly2/...cene/index.htmlBe aware it's NOT a tutorial for standard TerraScene use. It requires advanced Photoshop knowledge and a good TerraScene practice.If you look for a good TerraScene tutorial, it's included in your TS installation: the TS manual. After that, read David's important advices in this thread!Best regards!Pascal