Jon - Regarding your Clare's Valley

[Guest Dann]

Jon,Just to let you know, I love the Clare's Valley airport, simply beautiful. I've had it installed for quite some time, but I'm really finding the frame rate hit unacceptable...using a Voodoo 5 5500 and Windows 98SE on a Gigahertz processor, the frame rates are still making the landings a slideshow.Are all the gorgeous trees the culprit? I hope not; and I'm really wondering of you could recommend a quick fix, removing something perhaps that would never be missed (as if that can really happen!).It's a work of art, that airport, but I find myself avoiding it, and I don't really want to do that!Dan

[Guest jonpoint]

Dan,Thanks for the complements - a few people have found CVA (and 0jdp) to suit their style ;)The trees aren't really the culprit here! Well, they sort-of are because there's so many but, if you wish to reduce the framerate hit without killing it, firstly, turn off or reduce the AI. There are two airports in close proximity and you can easily have 4 AIs in the valley at once! If this doesn't help (much);Remove (in order):1. Aircraft (>1000 polygons!)2. Some moving objects (there are a lot) There are a few cars - you could lose one or two. Then there's the cows. Also note that some trees near the FBO move (!!?!) as they have bird sounds attached to them. There are a lot of environmental sounds (mostly buried in swaying trees. The noises themselves don't seem to affect anything but the movement might. Using trees (few polygons) seemed to help when I was constructing it.3. Extra buildings - remove some warehouses?4. 1kft wire fence. There are a few of these. Maybe take the fences from beside the runway but leave them at the ends for effect.5. Take every second tree (but leave a few gaps for realism) out of the 'creek' running up the center of the valley.I hope this helps. I only had an overclocked Celeron 366 when I created it although I often turned the AI off to get acceptable framerates. Nowadays with my 1700+/GE4 I still only get 15-18fps with everything on.A second note (and this may have something to do with the BIG delay experienced in Sanfran). For the best framerates, wait some time after starting FU3 before flying! Huh? Well, if you jump in the plane, hit 'e', release the brakes, yodel at ATC and move off (pant, pant...) - the scenery hasn't loaded yet...At CVA it can take up to 1 minute for all the mountains to be rendered - until then, the trees float in the sky. I noticed this because I seemed to get worse framerates when leaving CVA (especially from a runway start) than when arriving there. Then I noticed the floating trees. I attributed it to my archaic PC but my new one does it too!Regards, :-waveJon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************

[Guest Dann]

Jon,Excellent advice, and thanks for getting back to me so fast.I really would like to leave the trees...and the fences, and the buildings.Hmm, moving objects...those I can live without, and the AI seems the easiest. I really want to preserve as much of the feel as possible...it is such a gorgeous airport.All item removal through FLED, I assume?Thanks again,Dan

[Guest jonpoint]

Dan,No worries - I just logged-in and there it was on top of the list!There are some cars, a bus and a motorcycle - I'd leave the bus for effect! There are lots of cows (moving and mooing). You may choose to delete most of these, even though the effect (visual and audible) creates a great rural atmosphere ;)Try just taking out the AI parking spots and moving models first - check in FLED, there are quite a few! Watch the trees - you may have to put some fixed ones back after removing the 'moving' ones. Again, you lose the twittering birds and Glidernut's heavy-handed mechanic :-(I'd be interested to know how much difference it makes. Maybe you could copy the package and edit the copy, then you could try a comparison. This is not a bad idea anyway, as FLED can have the habit of destroying airports :-( :-(PS Don't forget to set FLED for 'Seattle' when you open FLED or... :-grrPPS I would love to see people doing similar things within the 'normal' regions too - that was the purpose of my releasing it! It would be great if people would even just do their favourite spot and post that. We need some creativity happening here! Rob did Forest Falls on this basis. We have so many smalll strips that just need some trees, fences, a few roaming cows, the twitter of birds... Sounds like CVA!Maybe we should have a competition??:-waveJon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************

[Guest Allan_D]

Hi Jon,Competition ? I end with so many things moving and flying around that a few folks have asked me to reduce it. They tell me it's not safe to fly there :-lolI have a lot of fun with fled and the ease of adding moving things with sounds, Flying objects are also very easy for me to add. Makes for a lot of added fun within the game, Moose Hunting Lodge was the first package I built, It's still in the library, quite a few have tried that one. It's a fun place, If you'd you'd like more action, my Oswald Field and it's fun pack are in Hennies last big scenery package. I have never seen a FU3 package with that much action before,It really adds some life to my game.He pulled the airport ID but that's easy for me to send if you'd like it, I use that Airport for a screen saver quite often :-lol I believe I have 33 moving things, about half of them are flying.My Yelm WA package is also in there and I don't think you'll ever find a FU3 package with more items added to such a large area, I never have so if you find one please advise me were that happened.Have Fun :-newburnAllan and Puppyhttp://avsim.com/hangar/air/bfu/logo70.gif

[Guest jonpoint]

Allan,I know what you mean about not being safe! In fact, it was some of your work which first made me realise that we needed a lot more models to play with :-)Clare's Valley was really just the place I used to test models in. I selected OT to avoid any impact from other packages. My choice to locate it where I did was also to avoid common AI routes (it doesn't avoid them all as I found out later...) but it proved to me that framerates could still be reasonable with lots of models. Bad weather causes a bigger f/r hit :-(I have Moose and I'm sure I have Oswald too however I don't remember it so maybe a visit is in order ;)My thoughts were simply that if we each did just one or two 'gems', it would make the whole region(s) more interesting. For example, I have a rather busy Skykomish, Coupville and Easton State however there are plenty of these available (not to mention my Great Falls - similar to Clare's Valley but on a HUGE scale - talk about framerates...).BTW, I heard a rumour that Horizon are 'loaning' a Dash8-300 to BFU as a trial to augment the DC3 to shorten route times and carry more people. Just a rumour, of course... We will have to wait and see ;):-waveJon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************

[Guest Allan_D]

Hi Jonin fact, It was some of your work which first made me realise that we needed more models to play withThanks for that, and also thank you big time for your added Models I will get some time again to play with the excellent user friendly Fled program that is built in our game, I've never had a problem with the way it works. I've added your models as fast as you've built them.I just haven't made the time to use them, I also have the scenery from the other side of the pond but I don't have the drive space to add it yet. Someday soon I hope. It was Frank Betts that inspired me, Of course at that time he was under the witness protection program, so he had a different name :-lolIf you don't have my Oswald field feel free to send me a note if you'd like it.Remember that not all folks like this same thing, In fact I sent this package to some old timer in the Colorado area and he sent me several E-mails asking how to stop some of my flying stuff :-lolI guess them old guys can't take ithttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/12459.jpgLots of fun things happening in this area of FU3, gives it characterhttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/12461.jpgHave Fun :-newburnAllan and Puppyhttp://avsim.com/hangar/air/bfu/logo70.gif

[Guest R_Driscoll]

I have never used this one (Oswald Field) either! But I think I will go hunting for it on AVSIM - it looks excellent. Have you loaded UK-South yet? agtim has created an amazing packge there where he has rescultured the coastline! i.e. changed the terrain to match reality (IOW package), and we've got island gliding packages (Glidernut of course), Southampton, Plymouth etc etc looking better every day. Maybe we need you to show us how to make a real bush airport for England. But some of these new packages put a lot of stuff into the air too - you might have more competition than you think Allan! I loved FirstAir and Harvey Field when they came out - who did those?RobD.

[Guest Allan_D]

Hi Rob,My Oswald field and lots of my other packages ( Including Yelm the largest package I ever built ) are in the last set of packages that Hennie added, There's 4 packages in his zip that you need to make it work correctly,First is the Airport Package Oswald field ( I can send you the airport ID if you like)Then the fun pack for that area Hindenburg and Ultra for all the flyablesAnother fun package Speed boat races adds a lot of fun in the Commencement Bay area just N of the airstripAlso a package called scenery Clover Park ( BY Pete) That adds nice scenery to the So.There all in Hennies zip but lacking the Airport IDI haven't added the UK yet, I don't have enough open space on my HD.I'll either add another drive someday or buy a new machine.Competition is a good thing :-lol . It usually gives folks lots of choicesI'm not using the firstair package, but the Harvey field package that I use was built by Ken Meire, (Hope I spelled his name correctly)I also use all of Bjorn's, Pete's, Naji's, Franks, and a few others that all work well together with my own.Have Fun :-newburnAllan and Puppyhttp://avsim.com/hangar/air/bfu/logo70.gif

[Guest R_Driscoll]

I'll look for it. I remember that Hennie produced some comprehensive sets for Seattle - I think I have some of his downloads without installing them because I already had so many - I felt I was just collecting bush strips without getting to know them at all. Frank published many good scenery packages too. I downloaded most of them.You should make haste to install UK-South. Its developing at a frightening rate. I know we can't compare it to the FS2002 packages, but for sure its cheaper! See mu pics on another thread.RobD.