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FSX Photo-real runways and taxiways...?

ozzman1997

ozzman1997

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us-illinois
I just started using ADE 9X it's pretty straightforward. I'm just wondering how I would be able to take photo scenery from SbuilderX and use the satellite imagery of the runways and taxiways instead of the default textures. I also need to make one end of one of my runways into a slight slope like the real one has, but I believe FSX does not have the ability to use sloped runways like X-Plane does. So would that mean that the runway would have to be part of the terrain mesh? :confused:
 
A friend of mine made a well-functioning sloped runway with gmax, and we successfully tested it with a C-17. But I ain't going into labour with this for my 34 airports anyway. In a few weeks, I will also continue to develop my ENHD photoscenery, using the photo runway. When doing this, you will get more smoke from the plane's wheels. It can be solved by making a polygon with hardened surface, and (if memory serves), make it curve to earth with Model Converter X.

Cheers,
:stirthepo
 
it can be made with Gmax. if you control de bender tool better, but it's a little of trial and error, because the measure not correspond exactly to that of the real world. Hey Andrew that tip could be cool , it's sure the somoke issue can be fixed in this way ?
An sloped runway make problem with the Ai traffic too, the airplanes will float above the sloped part of the runway when taxiing. but if your airplanes entry the platform and not taxi to the end will be fine. then the take off and the effect is not so annoying.
 
I forgot to say, that I know no method of hiding the afcad below a photo runway (guess you have to make a gmax one to do that). What I will do to ENHD is this: Tune the runway "shoulders" colour, so that it matches with an asphalt or bituminous afcad runway. Have done this to two of my photosceneries, and the result is great looking :)

So at ENHD I will keep the runway, but use paths for taxiways, and no aprons, letting the photo show. For those areas I will make this hardened surface to avoid wheel smoke/dirt (as FSX will see those areas as dirt).

Cheers,
:stirthepo
 
Isn't there the choice for making the ADE runway invisible? (FSX only)
 
Not in ADE 1.50. Dunno if it is in the new version, but don't have a chance to download it in the middle of the north sea :)

Cheers,:stirthepo
 
Well I and some others I've been reading about have had luck by setting runway width in ADE to "0", resulting in a "invisible" runway :)
The airport information in FSX will display as YYYYm x 0m, but it works ;)
 
You may need to use 0.2m, particularly if there are approach lights.

Also, some AI aircraft will "stall" on zero width runways. Something to do with contact points.
 
The runway can be set to zero but the runway centerline (has no texture) should have at least the width of the distance between left and right gear contact points so as not to confuse ATC. But as HCornea said you may have invisible runway and approach lighting if set to zero.
 
Update: :D

For my ENLI photoscenery, I set the runway width to zero. This is no problem here, as the (ex NATO) runway now is closed, and only used for micro planes and airshows now and then.

Then I solved the wheel smoke thingie. I made a poly covering the whole runway, in 25 100 x 100m sections (= 2500 x 100 meters). Done that way, it will form to the curved earth. As expected, the gmax Attach Tool failed to make a hardened surface. Could be because I forgot to set a GUID first?

Anyway...

The gem called Model Converter X did that for me, just by pushing a few buttons, and I reexported my poly from MCX with the same name.

Then I made a concrete texture with an alpha channel, for hiding my poly. I did something wrong with the gmax material settings (too easy to do!), so it showed in FSX. Again, MCX solved things for me. I opened the material there, and just pushed the "Set Default Transparent" button. Viola! :)

Now, how to make the taxiways invisible? I just made them Path instead of Taxi. How to hide the WW2 runway crossing the NATO runway? The same, made a 70m taxi path there too (That runway is not in the afcad, only in the photoscenery). Invisible taxipaths gives no wheel smoke, hence no need to make hardened surfaces.

Result: A very, very realistic ENLI.

So the good news here for high-rez photos, is one only need to make the hardened surfaces for the aprons...if the apron lines have a good enough sharpness. For photoscenerys where AI traffic is needed, I leave the default runway "as is", and tune the runway "shoulder" coulour to the runway colour. Mostly, I get a very nice blend this way.

Cheers,
:stirthepo
 
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