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P3D v4 How do I create smooth slopes?

Ols500

Ols500

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155
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unitedkingdom
Hi, I would like to make my airport look more realistic and would like to blend it into Orbx. Some parts of the exclude match up to the elevation, while other parts do not. I have read that you can create "edit individual points" or create "triangular polys". Would I need to do this?

-Thanks, Ollie
Screenshot (59).png
 
chris

chris

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840
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indonesia
That would be 'create triangular polys' AND 'edit individual points'.
And the answer is yes.
 
Ols500

Ols500

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unitedkingdom
How would I create these triangular polys in P3D? I've tried Sbuilder but it keeps giving me folder errors.
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
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ca-britishcolumbia
Try Terrain Sculptor Pro from http://stuff4fs.com.

TS Pro is intended for experienced users and has a significant learning curve. But, it will certainly do the job.

Don
 
Ols500

Ols500

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unitedkingdom
K, is there a tutorial for creating these triangular polygons, e.g. a youtube video?
 
FlyingAxx

FlyingAxx

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608
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germany
Probably, but I never looked for such. However, it's no rocket science doing it in ADE. You only would have to place polygons (in your pictured case I would use flatten triangles with ticked "individual points", indeed) fitting with one side to the edge of your airport flatten and having a common edge in their middle. Start your sim, connect ADE and place your aircraft right over the common vertices of both being not joint to the airport flatten. Select one vertex (not the whole triangle) and ADE will give you the opportunity setting its altitude as it is at the aircraft's position. Repeat this with the respective vertex of the second triangle.

Actually, I'm trying to avoid sharp corners of flatten polygons, allowing to use even rectangular polygons which worked well for me in most cases. In your example I would place a flatten triangle at airport level across the rectangular corner before trying to blend it as described before.

Don's Terrain Sculpture Pro is a mighty and complex tool, but it sometimes tends to react in an unexpected manner (@gadjets: Sorry Don, I didn't had the time for reporting and I even used the old TS from time to time.). I would use it in case of more complex terrain anomalies around the airport. Unfortunately it's still neither able reading nor writing ADE's file format directly. However, it allows importing BGL files containing all kind of polygons (usually having somewhere 'CVX' in their name).
 
G

GaryGB

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7,450
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us-illinois
Hi Ollie:

Certainly there can be some scenarios which call for the CVX vector "sloped" flattens described above.

However, a quick inspection in Google Earth Desktop Edition shows that is an area which is unlikely to require a terrain 'fix'.

https://www.google.com/earth/versions/#earth-pro


NOTE: Install Google Earth Desktop Edition and un-ZIP, then double-click the attached *.KMZ file to 'jump' to this area ;)

southdown_gliding_club_ge-jpg.48219


I believe you would be rather impressed with how that relatively small area could look with a custom photo-real imagery BGL.

You can use SBuilderX to create such a custom photo-real imagery BGL.


You would otherwise have the option to merely drape a custom photo-real texture layer onto the terrain mesh at that location (which would already be provided by either FS / P3D default or OrbX FTX scenery), and blend its edges into the underlying scenery.

You could then place custom annotations of Autogen on that custom photo-real imagery area.


FYI: A terrain mesh-clinging custom photo-real texture BGL is different than a flat 3D MDL 'Ground Polygon' (aka "G-Poly").


While you 'could' still use certain CVX vector objects at assigned elevations, they can otherwise be made so that they are terrain mesh-clinging ...in either ADE or SBuilderX.

You can also add airport objects via ADE, such as "Other Start" Locations to add Southdown into the FS / P3D airport list.


Hope this helps with exploring your options for a scenery at that picturesque location. :)

GaryGB
 

Attachments

  • Southdown_Gliding_Club_GE.jpg
    Southdown_Gliding_Club_GE.jpg
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Ols500

Ols500

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155
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unitedkingdom
Hi Gary I stopped working on this scenery because of the issue, however your post has inspired me to give it another go :D Thanks so much and will try this out!!
 
G

GaryGB

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us-illinois
Hi again:

Feel free to inquire further as you proceed; this looks like it will be a fun project location for you to develop ! :cool:

GaryGB
 
Ols500

Ols500

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155
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unitedkingdom
Hi Gary I have started reading your posts on getting SBX to work, but my path is still in red, do you know how I can fix, thanks!
 
Ols500

Ols500

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155
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unitedkingdom
I think I have gotten it to work, by copying over all the selected files in the SDK and selecting the path to SBX315/tools. The path is now black, which is good and all the files are sleected :D
 
Ols500

Ols500

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155
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unitedkingdom
Ok Gary,

h1.JPG


I have selected this photo-real from the map to export to a BGL file. I do have ORBX installed, so when I export this BGL do I need to do anything?
 
G

GaryGB

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7,450
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us-illinois
Hi again:

To display max visual quality with a minimal BGL size, backup into a ZIP, then edit a copy of the Photo[ # # ].INF file in:

[SBuilderX install path]\Tools\Work

...to read instead ex:

[Destination]
DestDir = "."
DestBaseFileName = "Photo01"
DestFileType = BGL
LOD = 6,Auto
UseSourceDimensions = 1
CompressionQuality = 100

...Now for those Blend and Water Masks, FS color palette matching of imagery, etc. ! :stirthepo

GaryGB
 
G

GaryGB

Messages
7,450
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us-illinois
Ols500 said:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/how-do-i-create-smooth-slopes.444906/post-822933

Ok how can I "Blend", is there a tutorial.
Click to expand...

Hi Ollie:

Indeed; it is cited in one of the threads I linked to above: ;)

GaryGB said:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/how-do-i-create-smooth-slopes.444906/post-822927

Hello:

Let me know if you need further assistance setting up SBuilderX version 3.15 for your project after reviewing this info: :idea:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fsx-terrain-under-photoreal-problem.444256/post-811828


GaryGB
Click to expand...

Make photo-real ground textures

sendfile.php


File Description:
It is very easy to create your very own high-resolution, custom (photo-real) ground textures. This document explains the concepts and techniques and illustrates the use of SBuilderX with which you can quickly and easily download aerial images and make this type of scenery. So, why hesitate? Make Flight Simulator scenery as real as it gets! Very sorry - no support of any kind is offered. Please do not write. For any questions, please post in the Avsim Scenery Design Forum.

Filename: make_photo-real_ground_textures_in_fs_x.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 21st November 2009, 23:20:06
Downloads: 17714
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 2143kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140539


PS: Once you undertake the processes presented within the tutorials by Luis Feliz-Tirado, since they work with SBuilderX, it would be more appropriate to post queries on those particular aspects of this project ...within the SBuilderX forum: :)

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/ground2k4-sbuilder-sbuilderx.33/
 
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