http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
Hi GaryGB:
Yes, Panorama is a great little airfield. It is used by a mix of small aircraft such as microlights, a gyrocopter, Piper Cub, Tri-Pacer and Sling 2 (LSA), and we also get the occasional Harvard (T6 Texan) and Tiger Moth doing touch-n-goes. It is right in a general flying training area, so shortly after take off, you can start maneuvers and don't have to fly somewhere far away for that.
At this stage, I have only saved a flight as the start location yes. I tried to create an airport with ADE but there was something that really annoyed me. Panorama has three runways that intersect each other, with 02/20 being the longest and widest and most commonly used. In real life, it is the one which stands out, but with ADE, the smaller intersecting runways overlay the main runway, so it looks like they are the most commonly used. For the life of me, I cannot get the main runway to lay "over" the two smaller runways when viewed in FSX, instead of "under" them. Any advice?
Unless you will create AI Traffic at your custom airport, I advise not using a terrain flatten and any airport objects such as RWYs, Taxiways, Taxiway Links / Paths, Parking Spots, Aprons, etc.; but I do advise to 'Add' a "
Start Location" at each end of all RWYs seen in custom photo-real aerial imagery.
Regarding the FSX local ground surface 'shape', note that the FSX default local terrain mesh in:
[FSX install path]\Scenery\0605\scenery\dem0605.bgl
...is only LOD-6, so I recommend downloading and installing a more accurate and realistic terrain mesh.
I suggest a new higher resolution 30 Meter / LOD-10 resolution
FreeMesh X Global package instead of the FS defauilt:
https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/467933-freemesh-x-global-10-release-announcement/
IIUC, your local project area may be covered with some- or all- of these FreeMesh X Global terrain mesh file sets:
Africa (2 Parts)
If you prefer to only download a smaller local part of the entire Africa data set, I can show you how to do that via the original and main Torrent-based access method to FreeMesh X Global files using
ex: "
U-Torrent" (aka "
micro-Torrent"); feel free to inquire further if that is your preference.
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
I also cannot find any hangars or buildings in ADE that nearly resemble those at Panorama, so I guess the solution is to learn Gmax and Photoshop, both of which I have zero knowledge.
Although there are many 3rd party freely downloadable FS scenery library object libraries that could be imported into ADE's GUI for use, if you wish to make 3D models, I recommend
Sketchup version-8 for ease of use and access to vast numbers of free plugins to save work (and it's "fun" to use !)
FYI:
Sketchup version-8 (32-bit) is the last version allowed to be used for both freeware and commercial purposes without a license.
The original version-8 package is the 'fastest' working build compared to newer "Make" or 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 and/or 64-bit versions, and can be downloaded here:
http://www.oldversion.com/windows/google-sketchup-8-0-16846
Sketchup version-8 also continues to have the largest quantity of (free) plugin Ruby scripts available to reduce one's work-load.
BTW: AFAIK, that is the last issued and most current updated Sketchup version 8 released:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=49608
NOTE:
Sketchup version-8 can run on Windows-XP if desired, although some (
optional) plugin Ruby scripts may use DLLs that require more recent Windows component functions, and some dialog GUIs may require newer versions of Internet Explorer.
PS: When Google transferred Sketchup to Trimble, some server addresses changed for the Geo-location feature, and a simple fix must be implemented by the end user in order for that to function properly:
https://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000180
CAVEAT: In May 2017, Trimble changed the Geo-location features and access rules for Sketchup; consequently type of features and access for Geo-location may vary by Sketchup version and currently applicable valid license.
Feel free to ask me for help getting started if / when you start doing any 3D modeling with Sketchup.
Both of Flight1's
AFX /
Airport Studio products and
ADE have unique features which I would not personally want to be without.
However, although
AFX makes it easy to create an airport, the
ADE live error-checking, manually-launched "Fault Finder", extensive user manual, and available online reference documents may make learning how to create more complex airports somewhat easier for newcomers to FS development.
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=afxv1
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=apstv1
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/airport-design-editor.95/
AFAIK, all the above "airport" utilities require a separate 1-time license fee for commercial projects; (no fee for use with freeware or personal projects)
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
As far as the ICAO code goes, your suggestion (FAPO) belonged to an airfield called "Pilgrims Rest" here in South Africa until recently. The airfield will most likely disappear and be re-developed at some point, but I believe it is still used by microlights. I'm just a bit cautious of using its old code and it may be safer to go with the code in your second link (ZA-0110), which also better represents Panorama's informal status and unlikely to be used by another "wannabe" like me
.
IIRC, all versions of FS require 4-alphanumeric character ICAO codes in Airport Facilities Data (aka "AFD") parameter values.
Perhaps
Z110 might work ?
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
Thanks very much for the other hints on SBuilderX, I don't seem to have ArcGISImagery in my selection of tile servers, only some Google ones, Yahoo, OpenStreetMap and Virtual Earth. The majority of them don't even work. Only about 2 or 3 out of the 11 give any kind of image, with Google_api_Satellite seeming to give the best results. Yes please tell me how to get
ArcGISImagery installed.
1.) Exit
SBuilderX
2.) Download
ArcGISserver.zip from:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/national-geographic-map-tiles-for-sbuilderx.266246/
3.) Extract [Download folder path]\arcgisserver.zip\ArcGisServer.dll into [SBuilderX install path]\Tiles sub-folder
4.) Start
SBuilderX
5.) SBuilder Menu > Edit > Preferences > {Background Tab} >
ArcGisImagery > click [OK]
NOTE: Although manually entering the
"Go To Position" coordinates and/or using SBuilder when 'connected' to a live FS flight session via FSUIPC can work to 'Center' the background image display at a 'start location', IMHO, it is preferable to also change the Geographic coordinates of that default "start location" in the SBuilder "initialization" file, as that helps SBuilder to 'manually' zoom / pan / scroll
properly when working with displayed scenery content within its work-space.
Otherwise, the Geographic extent to which one is able to successfully 'manually' zoom / pan / scroll is
limited when working with displayed scenery content within the SBuilderX work-space, and the requested area one attempts to visualize may not stay in view, as the work-space "background" keeps shifting back to a position closer to the default Geographic coordinates for a "
central start location" specified within the
SBuilder.Ini file.
To do this, one must edit the pertinent lines in the
SBuilder.Ini file to set the center of the Map background at the Geographic center of your own project area rather than the default one in Portugal via:
SBuilder Menu > Edit > Preferences > click [INI File] button < file opens in Windows NotePad >
[Main]
LonIniCenter=
28.069981 <-- Your project's central Longitude goes here
LatIniCenter=
-26.330155 <-- Your project's central Latitude goes here
DecimalDegrees=True
MeasuringMeters=True
BGLFolder=C:\MyPrograms\SBuilderX314\Scenery
<-- Your project's compiled BGL 'active' \Scenery folder path goes here
OriginalTerrainCFG=False
1.) When configuration of your
SBuilderX project is completed via editing "
SBuilder.ini" in
Windows NotePad:
a.) In
Windows NotePad Menu > File > Save As... > "Save as type" field, set to "
All Files (*.*)" (
do not click OK yet)
b.) In NotePad Menu > File > Save As... > "
Save In" field, browse to
[SBuilderX install path] folder; double-click to select it
2.) Back in NotePad Menu > File > Save As... browse dialog, click "OK"
a.)
When prompted to over-write Sbuilder.ini, click "YES" to save your edits to that file.
3.) Exit and re-start
SBuilderX (...or the above changes will
not yet take effect)
BTW: If you instead prefer starting at an airport in FS, then linking SBuilderX to FS via:
SBuilderX Menu > View > Show Aircraft
...be sure you have the latest
FSUIPC DLL installed:
http://forum.simflight.com/topic/80977-updated-modules/
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
Any help about how to "enhance" or "edit" such images will also be greatly appreciated, keeping in mind that I know very little about Photoshop, think I may have an old version (CS2) in a drawer somewhere, but never really used it.
Let us know when you are ready to start working with a graphics application to 'enhance' COPIES of your aerial imagery downloaded via SBuilderX.
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbuilderx-image-season.441212/#post-783158
GaryGB I just want to thank you again for your help so far. I'm always amazed and very appreciative of people like you who give so freely of their time and knowledge!
Thanks for the kind words.
I'm glad to be able to help; much of my knowledge was gained from others who took the time to post tutorials here and in other FS forums !
GaryGB