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FSX Cell towers and tower lights

Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
I would like to improve on the stock FSX/P3D towers, which look pretty sad. Is there a way to replace stock towers with something custom that looks more realistic while keeping accurate heights? And how about lighting them more realistically? They should be red at night and white during daylight hours (and less intense at dawn/dusk), but my sim just has low intensity red lights that are hard to see unless you are close.

Also, I would like to create cell phone towers, and I have seen mention of a FCC database of towers here and there, but haven't been able to track down any data that I can make any sense out of. Has anyone else been down this road before?

Thanks,
 

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,324
Country
us-california
If you wanted them changed automatically around the world you would need to create your own tower models (MDL files), use ModelConverterX to replace the stock towers in the generic.bgl file (I believe), making sure that the GUID stayed the same. Don't forget the attachpoint for the beacon. The lighting would be up to you, in your new models.
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Does anyone know how to import the FAA Digital Obstacle File (.DAT file) into QGIS? I found a comma-separated value version that is supposed to be GIS-friendly, but I'm lost. Towers look like they will take quite a bit of work, but importing windmills from this FAA data should be relatively easy.

Now that I found the obstacle file, I think I should be able to exclude stock towers and replace them with a different GUID (a custom-made object) using points from the FAA data.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Does anyone know how to import the FAA Digital Obstacle File (.DAT file) into QGIS?

I found a comma-separated value version that is supposed to be GIS-friendly, but I'm lost. Towers look like they will take quite a bit of work, but importing windmills from this FAA data should be relatively easy.

Now that I found the obstacle file, I think I should be able to exclude stock towers and replace them with a different GUID (a custom-made object) using points from the FAA data.

Hi Chris:

Here's some potentially useful links: :idea:



Importing such data for use in creation of placement info via ScenProc 'may' involve use of QGIS to convert data into a file format that ScenProc can utilize such as OSM etc:





PS: Autogen placement is more FPS efficient, but "obstacles" are relatively few and far between, so could instead be placed as BGLComp-compiled XML library objects. ;)


GaryGB
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Gary, thank you very much. I searched before asking, but I should have noticed when I tried plugging the obstacle file into QGIS that, instead of inserting the comma-separated file like I thought I had, I loaded the .DAT file and that is why I wasn't getting anywhere. I am quite familiar with exclusions for lines and polys but is there a default file I need to exclude to place new autogen objects like windmills and radio masts/towers and so on?
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
I am quite familiar with exclusions for lines and polys but is there a default file I need to exclude to place new autogen objects like windmills and radio masts/towers and so on?


Hi Chris:

Ordinarily one would have to edit the FSX Default.XML file on one's own FSX installation to do this globally.

In this scenario, one would be seeking to exclude and replace specific 3D object GUIDs when placed via Autogen methods, with definitions for placement of such default 3D objects otherwise left intact within the Default.XML file.

I'm not sure if one can make a CONUS-size SDK SHP2VEC-compiled CVX vector exclude polygon targeting specific default 3D objects by GUID. :scratchch


IIUC, a concept for a SDK BGLComp-compiled XML exclusion rectangle targeting a specific default 3D object by GUID was alluded to by Jim Vile ...here: :wizard:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/taxiway-signs.3751/post-23695

GaryGB
 
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