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Scenery Design Basics

R

RGS

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unitedkingdom
Ok, so I know there are lots of posts everywhere asking about the basics of how to make a scenery, I've read a load of them already!

The problem I'm having is there appear to be so many different tools and opinions on how to do it that seem to conflict. 6 part tutorials which only consist of 4 parts, redundant packages etc, etc...

I don't mind doing research at all, but can't afford the time to read up all about a package, just to find that it doesn't support resolutions greater than 1.2m/pixel or other limitations.

I'm hoping if I explain what I intend to make someone here can tell me exactly which tools I will need to use, and very loosely the process.


I'm hoping to create a small airport along the lines of the old GeoRender product range (Orcas, Flying M etc.). The closest current representation would be Aerosoft/Bill Womack's Dillingham.

I have very high resolution aerial photography to use for the ground. I want to be able to blend this perfectly by hand with the default tile based ground solution.

I want to use specific detail maps for the ground as in the sceneries mentioned (not totally vital).

I will need obtain + use high detail mesh + have that blend with the default. For the time being this could just be an existing payware or freeware mesh package.

Target Platform is FSX (+FSX Acc). Though please advise if other programs are required for FS9.

My main problem is really how to get the airport from Max into the simulator. I've worked in the games industry on the art side for many years so am totally up to speed with Max, Photoshop etc. I can't program at all.

I haven't yet started the project.

Any help much appreciated as always,


Robert
 
Hi Robert,

For the terrain part I would use the FSX SDK tools (resample mainly) directly. If you have the source data in the proper format I think that is the easiest. Another option would be to use a graphical tool like SBuilderX for this. The FSX resampe allows you to place photos up to a resolution of 7 cm. And by using the blend channel you can blend it very nicely with the default landclass around.

For creating your 3D objects if you know 3DS Max that is a good choice. In the SDK exporters to the FSX MDL format are supplied. For people without access to 3DS Max, using GMax is probably the best choice.

For these two things using the FSX SDK means that the scenery will not work in FS2004. But I think the new features of the FSX SDK are more important than that limitation.

The only tricky part is the ground layout of your airport. The BGLComp XML code for that as supplied by the SDK is a bit limited to high detailed addons. So a lot of people still use the FS2002 gamepack for GMax for that, so that they can make proper ground polygons with high resolution textures. This can probably best be used for taxiways, aprons, etc. While resample does the rest of the photo scenery.

Hope this helps you a bit,
 
Hi Arno,

Thanks for the swift response, yes very helpful.

I have the source as a number of jpeg images, scenery res will probably be between 15/30cms/pixel.

Yup have no probs with creating the airport buildings/details in 3DSMax or GMax.

Can you confirm that this would be roughly the best approach for me to do this:



I can accurately place the photo scenery ground textures in the game by using 'resample' supplied in the FSX SDK (though I will need to breakup/combine the images and re-save in an FS friendly texture format, DXT or similar). I can then blend them manually with the default tiles also using this tool (think I've read a tutorial on this, basically a mask).


After this stage I will be able to see the scenery in FS, sans 3D buildings + high detail runways etc. (I guess I will need to remove the default FS airport also, using another tool?)




Once the photo ground textures are placed correctly I can then build the 3D objects in Max, using the photo ground scenery at the correct scale as a template for placement. I can then export the 3D meshes either separately or together using the FSX Max exporters (which I already have installed). Once I have the .mdl files I assume I can then place them accurately in game with another FSX SDK tool?


This will then give me the airport, with high res ground textures blending with the defaults + 3D objects correctly placed.




If I wish to add higher detail runways, taxiways etc (higher than 7cm/pixel) I need to install the FS 2002 SDK (should have those disks around somewhere!) and export these 3D (planar) elements separately as 'ground polygons' and place them ingame using the same tool as with the 3D buildings or another one supplied with the 2002 SDK?


Then aside from animations that's pretty much it, process-wise?


Thanks again for the help, sorry for being all questions right now! I do REALLY appreciate all the help.

Cheers,


Robert
 
Hi Robert,

RGS said:
I can accurately place the photo scenery ground textures in the game by using 'resample' supplied in the FSX SDK (though I will need to breakup/combine the images and re-save in an FS friendly texture format, DXT or similar). I can then blend them manually with the default tiles also using this tool (think I've read a tutorial on this, basically a mask).
Click to expand...

If you use the FSX resample tool, the texture files are contained inside the BGL file. So there is no need to convert them to DXT or so, the tool does all that.

If you want to blend (and add water masks as well), you would need to create these as channels in your input source files. That is no possible with JPG, so you might have to convert the sources to another format.

Personally I prefer to use GeoTIFF files, because then the position information is also stored in them and I do not have to enter that information again.

RGS said:
After this stage I will be able to see the scenery in FS, sans 3D buildings + high detail runways etc. (I guess I will need to remove the default FS airport also, using another tool?)
Click to expand...

You can not completely remove the default airport, as you need some XML (BGLComp) elements in place for the AI to work. So you still need that kind of runway and taxiways. But you can cover it with more detailed polygons if that is what you need.

RGS said:
Once the photo ground textures are placed correctly I can then build the 3D objects in Max, using the photo ground scenery at the correct scale as a template for placement. I can then export the 3D meshes either separately or together using the FSX Max exporters (which I already have installed). Once I have the .mdl files I assume I can then place them accurately in game with another FSX SDK tool?
Click to expand...

Yes, best practise is to make every building is a separate MDL file, each with their origin at the centre of that object. All these MDL files are then put into an object library. With a placement tool (WhisPlacer is a nice one), you can then place these objects at the location where you want them.

RGS said:
If I wish to add higher detail runways, taxiways etc (higher than 7cm/pixel) I need to install the FS 2002 SDK (should have those disks around somewhere!) and export these 3D (planar) elements separately as 'ground polygons' and place them ingame using the same tool as with the 3D buildings or another one supplied with the 2002 SDK?
Click to expand...

If you want custom runways in any resolution you need the FS2002 gamepack. This is because the default XML based runway will always show on top of the resample photo scenery. With that old gamepack you can create ground polygons that can cover the XML stuff, but that also means you loose some FSX functionality, like the rain reflections.

The process is that you export as BGL from GMax with the FS2002 gamepack and keep the ASM source files as well. In these sources you make some tweaks to make them proper ground polygons. After that you recompile the BGL file with BGLC. This process is explained on the Wiki in quite some detail.
 
Thanks very much Arno. I do have a few more questions, but will take a look at all the tools you've suggested before posting further. Very busy right now, so might take me a few days.

Just to say thanks for the help, I'll be back ;)


Robert
 
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