Airport terrain slope

[MD_04]

Hey guys,

if this has already been answered please redirect me to the thread.

So I created a photoscenery using SbuilderX and everything works fine. But one thing got me really frustrating. At the end of the runway a small slope goes right into the water ( 2 or 3 meters). But in P3D it looks like a giant hill. I tried it with polygons and variable altitude but it didn´t work. So if you guys have any suggestions how to do it properly I would be very thankful.

Cheers,
Max

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

IIUC, this is Reykjavik Domestic (RKV) aka ICAO BIRK ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reykjavík_Airport

https://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Reykjavík_Airport&params=64_07_48_N_021_56_26_W_type:airport


Are you wanting more gradual slopes from shorelines up to the airfield boundary ?

NOTE: The stock BIRK Altitude is 13.716 Meters AMSL, and the real world "official' Altitude is 14 Meters AMSL.

If you use 1 big central airport flatten to enable Ground Vehicle and AI Traffic to navigate over the entire airfield, you will have to make CVX vector sloped flattens to blend that "flat" / "level" flatten into the surrounding sloped terrain.

GaryGB

 

[MD_04]

Hey Gary,

correct it’s Reykjavik. And yes I want a more realistic and less steep slope to the shoreline. May you can send me a link to a tutorial for cvx vector flattens? Never heard of it before

Thank you so much

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

I am working on a prior commitment for someone at the moment, but perhaps this may help in getting started:

I suggest that you first review "Sloped Polygons" in this tutorial by Luis Feliz-Tirado:

Terrain Design

File Description:
Terrain Design for Flight Simulator X

This simple illustrated document explains the basic concepts in Flight Simulator X terrain, and how to change them using SBuilder for FS X. Make new water bodies, roads, vehicle traffic, airport flattens, remove autogen, add more detail - anybody can do it easily and quickly.
My most sincere apologies - I am unable, for lack of free time, to offer support of any kind. For questions or problems, please post in the Avsim scenery design forum.

Filename: terrain_design_for_flight_simulator_x.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 14th December 2009, 13:29:15
Downloads: 16648
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 3991kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=141643


...some additional pertinent links:

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...&ved=0ahUKEwjE1d_XuKPkAhVMRa0KHZgoDEAQ4dUDCAs

GaryGB

 

[MD_04]

Thank you so much. Will definitely have a look at that!

 

[MD_04]

Ok, so, I read the tutorial and did everything I needed for my project (roads, flattens, custom altitude vertices) but it didn’t work. So if you have another advice I would be very happy.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

In SBuilderX, please export your project as a SBuilderX EXchange format file aka "*.SBX" file) and attach or link to it here.

Also, please post a screen shot of the area which "did not work" via the tasks you have performed thus far.

Perhaps then I can provide some additional- / more specific- individual advice for a 'successful' work-flow.

GaryGB

 

[MD_04]

Hey Gary,

thanks for being so patient with me. I´m still a newbie to SbuilderX. I sent you the google drive link in a private conversation.
What I did was, I created a polygon for the airport area and assigned AB_Flatten_Exclude_AutoGen to it. Set the altitude to 13.716 meters and created another poylgon for the sand or the shoreline. The vertices from the shoreline that were touching the airport area were given a altitude of 11 or 12 meters. The one in the water 0 meters. That´s what I´ve done. I then compiled it with Photo Scenery and Terrain Vector checked and dragged the CVX and Photo file into the P3D Scenery folder.
If you need more just ask. Thanks again

Max

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

The linked file is a SBuilderX Project File *.SBP which AFAIK does not contain all required CVX vector source data that would otherwise be in a SBuilderX EXchange (aka "*.SBX") format file used for Import / Export of complete project data sets (except for imagery tiles which are linked to where they are stored within a SBuilderX sub-folder).


I'll glad to see what I can with a SBuilderX Project File *.SBP, but I may be better able to help based on the SBuilderX EXchange (aka "*.SBX") format file, if you would make that available.

SBuilderX Menu > File > Export > SBuilderX SBX...

GaryGB

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

Apparently all required CVX vector source data for the particular types of objects you created were actually saved in the linked *.SBP file, so I can utilize this to advise you on further procedures to follow.


FYI: Vertices of sloped flatten triangles must overlap edge vertices of a "flat" / "level" central airport flatten polygon ...to more aesthetically "blend" the 2 types of flattens into each other, and also into the surrounding FS terrain mesh vertices ...without creating terrain anomalies.

Additionally, vertices of sloped flatten triangles must be assigned the same Altitude value as the underlying vertices of a "flat" / "level" central airport flatten polygon ...where any such overlap of sloped and level airport polygon vertices occurs.

The vertices of sloped flatten triangles must be assigned the same Altitude value as the underlying terrain mesh if on land (or shoreline / water surface) above- or below- a "flat" / "level" central airport flatten polygon.


You may first try to:

Select all vertices of the 'intended' sloped flatten polygon (which, IIUC, is currently a Line object), then:

1.) Right-click > Convert to Polygon

2.) Set vertex Altitude to a value AMSL matching the "flat" / "level" central airport flatten polygon

3.) Drag sloped flatten vertices into position over adjacent vertices of the central airport flatten polygon

4.) Do the same with the upper / inland individual vertices of the shoreline texture polygon


NOTE: Before attempting to perform the above described tasks, you may wish to study these threads for details on how to make triangular polygons between edge vertices of the central airport flatten polygon and the shoreline:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...-blend-into-ftx-eu-england-mesh.445544/page-3

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/terrain-slope-flatten-poly.443818/

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/elevation-capture-for-sbuilder-x.436879/


One can use and modify CVX vector objects in SBuilderX Polygon or Line Tool mode with context menu choices and/or letter Key presses to convert Polygons to Lines, Break, Join, Insert vertex points, Delete vertex points etc.

If an isolated Poly-line segment can be safely deleted without losing other connected portions of the overall larger vector object, be certain that it is selected properly (the Poly-line turns Green with Red vertex points), then press < Delete > Key.


You will find more details on the SBuilderX Polygon or Line Tool mode special functions accessed from context menu and letter Key presses in the SBuilderX 'Help' *.CHM file via:

SBuilderX Menu > Help > {Search Tab} query string: Polygon > click: "Working with Points, Lines and Polygons"


PS: For more info, refer to the SBuilderX Help *.CHM file via:

SBuilderX Menu > Help > {Search Tab} query string: Polygon > click: "Working with Points, Lines and Polygons"


Hope this helps a bit more.

GaryGB

 

[MD_04]

Thank you Garry. The result of your tips is not perfect but definitely pointed me in the right direction. Thank you so much again! The topic is now closed

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Max:

IIUC, you have an 'acceptable' result that you are willing to work with.

Sorry I did not have more time available right now to prepare a more individualzed work-flow for you.

I did a fairly extensive search to see if there was any high resolution elevation data online for that area of Iceland, but found nothing acceptable; AFAIK, Iceland has thus far only generated a higher resolution GIS elevation data set for a few areas of the country, but not at that airport location.


So, IMHO, one would have to do a modified version of the approach your files (linked in a PM) showed you were starting to implement in SBuilderX.

A modified version of the approach you had already begun to implement based on the visual demarcation of shoreline and terrain at the edge of the airfield seen in background imagery, would involve expanded extent- and/or increased numbers of- vector object TIN surfaces.


IIUC, you had planned to exclude and replace the FS default central airfield flatten in order to achieve a more gradual slope for the terrain between the airfield and shoreline.

If you wanted a single slope that was less steep but with a straight surface, you could use a single row of triangles between the central airfield flatten and the shoreline.

Otherwise, if you wanted to have a curved slope, you would likely need to use 2 or more rows of triangles between the central airfield flatten and the shoreline in oder to implement a desired ground surface 'shape'.


Doing these types of sloped flattens manually is labor-intensive, and there are other semi-automatic ways to do this with several FS utilities, and either a GIS or 3D modeling application.

Alternate options for further reducing workload may use a graphics application which can create and save discrete vector "Paths" generated from color-based selections of landmark areas in imagery by a "Magic Wand" feature.

Those "Path" vector objects may then be further processed via other software to make a more accurate interpretation of sloped terrain areas via processing of contour lines with assigned elevations into TIN 3D mesh surfaces, which can then be converted into a CVX vector sloped flatten BGL by Arno's MCX.

Hopefully I will find some time in the future to create a step-by-step guide to make such sloped flattens via ex: SBuilderX, a color selection-to-vector Path output capable graphics application, and Sketchup.


As you may now be satisfied with having been 'pointed in the right direction, any step-by-step guide to make such sloped flattens I might eventually create will likely be posted elsewhere, but would likely be found via a Google Search of these forums such as I linked you to above, so if you are inclined to work with a "sloped flatten" in the future, perhaps even more helpful info may be available at that time.

GaryGB

 

[MD_04]

Yes, it is acceptable to work with. Definitely! But don’t stress yourself for this tutorial. Take your time So now I can just say: Thank you, thank you and thank you!!!