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FSX Trying To Make A Photorealistic Scenery Of Ikaria Island

Messages
15
Hey Guys I am trying to creat a photorealistic scenery of Ikaria Island in Greece , yesterday i was trying to do it for like 5 hours . But it didn't work , i watched like 10 tutorials of how to use the program , since i am new , i've also read the manual of ADE a bit but i wasn't able to do what i wanted the tutorials didn't help me at all . I mean yes i was able to add extra objects to the airport like antennas and stuff. But i wasn't able to see the photorealistic scenery i added , I would like to create realistic runway too , like it is in reality in that specific airport . So guys i am posting a picture , can you help me ??? . How to make the photorealistic scenery work ?? , and how to make realistic runway like the real thing ?? . ( by the way i noticed in these tutorials that on the folder they were making for the scenery they had 2 folder ,Scenery and Texture , i don't have one called texture , maybe that's the issue ?? )
1551449140747.png
 
Messages
840
Country
indonesia
Nowhere in the ADE manual will you find how to add photorealistic scenery since ADE is not designed for that.
Try SBuilderX.
 

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,327
Country
us-california
As Chris says, that image you created is only for use in ADE, it cannot be transferred into FS. You need SBuilderX to convert that image into photorealistic scenery.

BTW, you should expand your photo coverage so the coastlines in this area are all covered, to make it look better.
 
Messages
15
Nowhere in the ADE manual will you find how to add photorealistic scenery since ADE is not designed for that.
Try SBuilderX.
Thanks for the reply mate , I created this thing , i don't even know if it an be called as an airport with SBuilderX and i have it installed on my laptop , but when you say try SBuilderX ? . Again i saw lots of tutorials with this programs but none of them specify exactly what to do , and how to save the files . Do you know maybe how to make it in SBuilderX Or maybe even a good youtube tutorial video i might have missed ?? :) . Thank you
 
Messages
15
As Chris says, that image you created is only for use in ADE, it cannot be transferred into FS. You need SBuilderX to convert that image into photorealistic scenery.

BTW, you should expand your photo coverage so the coastlines in this area are all covered, to make it look better.

Thanks for the reply mate , as i said to Chris above , i have SBuilder X and i created those satellite pics based on SBuilderX but even with these tutorials i saw ( and trust me i saw tons of them ) they aren't being clear about what to do and some tutorials stop right where they should explain . For example how you create this texture folder on your scenery . Do you know any good youtube tutorial video that might help me and that i might've missed ?? . Thank you very much for trying to help me , i really appreciate it :)
 
Messages
258
Country
us-california
There's a wonderful set of written terrain design tutorials here: https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=tirado&CatID=fsxsd&Go=Search, which includes a tutorial on how to make photoreal ground textures. Photo-scenery goes into BGL files generated by the resample.exe program that is part of the FSX SDK. The resample program takes in a ".inf" file that references the images making up your photo textures and describes their geographic positions/sizes and also describes the BGL output files to generate. To see the textures in the sim you copy the BGL files to your scenery folder with the other BGL files such as the ones ADE generates.

To use SBuilderX once you have downloaded the tiles you press the compile button and it generates the ".inf" file and runs the resample program for you automatically, but it's just automating work that you can do manually. Note the photo textures need to be in the proper projection and coordinate reference system (ie. latlong and WGS84). SBuilderX takes care of that for you as well.

The help file for SBuilderX is also very well written and worth a look: https://ptsim.com/sbuilderx/SBuilderX313.chm?phpMyAdmin=01c4476891da969292ac4eb1006b1c3e
 
Messages
15
There's a wonderful set of written terrain design tutorials here: https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=tirado&CatID=fsxsd&Go=Search, which includes a tutorial on how to make photoreal ground textures. Photo-scenery goes into BGL files generated by the resample.exe program that is part of the FSX SDK. The resample program takes in a ".inf" file that references the images making up your photo textures and describes their geographic positions/sizes and also describes the BGL output files to generate. To see the textures in the sim you copy the BGL files to your scenery folder with the other BGL files such as the ones ADE generates.

To use SBuilderX once you have downloaded the tiles you press the compile button and it generates the ".inf" file and runs the resample program for you automatically, but it's just automating work that you can do manually. Note the photo textures need to be in the proper projection and coordinate reference system (ie. latlong and WGS84). SBuilderX takes care of that for you as well.

The help file for SBuilderX is also very well written and worth a look: https://ptsim.com/sbuilderx/SBuilderX313.chm?phpMyAdmin=01c4476891da969292ac4eb1006b1c3e


Oh thank you so muchhh for your help , i never thought about searching in Avsim for that :) . I will read these , thanks a lot mate , really appreciate it :D :D
 
Messages
258
Country
us-california
Hope you have fun with it. You also mentioned making realistic runways (and presumably taxiways/aprons). This is commonly done using Ground Polygons. There is a Ground Polygon editor built into ADE, or you can make them using 3D modeling software (such as Sketchup or Max) and convert to ground polygons using ModelConverterX (using the GP wizard). This type of work has a bigger learning curve than some other types of scenery development.
 
Messages
15
Hope you have fun with it. You also mentioned making realistic runways (and presumably taxiways/aprons). This is commonly done using Ground Polygons. There is a Ground Polygon editor built into ADE, or you can make them using 3D modeling software (such as Sketchup or Max) and convert to ground polygons using ModelConverterX (using the GP wizard). This type of work has a bigger learning curve than some other types of scenery development.

Οh i see , well at the moment i just want to create a photorealistic scenery with realistic runways and taxiways . Sadly i don't know how to use Sketchup or any programs like that , if i knew how to model objects there , i would also make the Terminal too , which is really cool but i can't :( . So i will try my best to make this :)
 
Messages
898
Country
denmark
Οh i see , well at the moment i just want to create a photorealistic scenery with realistic runways and taxiways . Sadly i don't know how to use Sketchup or any programs like that , if i knew how to model objects there , i would also make the Terminal too , which is really cool but i can't :( . So i will try my best to make this :)
Let us know how it goes with the Photoscenery - just had a look at the terminal - it is quite simple to model, so when you get that far, there should be options for more help :D We all started the same way...
 
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15
Let us know how it goes with the Photoscenery - just had a look at the terminal - it is quite simple to model, so when you get that far, there should be options for more help :D We all started the same way...

Aww that's so nice , thank you very much mate , i will let you guys know . The thing with modeling objects is that, even though i really like it , and also my university has to do with animations , ( i am studying Audio & Visual Arts ) but i can't make them , i am sure modeling an object has lots of maths involved and trust me mate , i am soooooooooo bad at maths :( . The lessons i am better at are Philosophy and things like that haha :D :D
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Sketchup was designed by people already intimately-experienced with complex 2D CAD and 3D modeling applications like AutoCAD and 3DSMAX with a purposeful intention to make Sketchup very easy to use. :idea:

The number of functions performed internally to make the user work-flow as convenient and un-burdened by details is extensive. :pushpin:

[EDITED]

There is no 'math' required (other than typing in an assigned size when you want to set dimensions); otherwise, you can merely Push-Pull ('extrude') Faces of ex: Rectangles drawn on the 'ground' plane of the work-space to create buildings, and just stop the movement of the cursor when you see the size you want to use in the cursor tool-tip status display.

[END_EDIT]

You can then just 'paint' a color, or map a texture onto those Faces.

https://www.youtube.com/user/aidanchopra/videos

Good Luck with your project ! :cool:

GaryGB
 
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Messages
898
Country
denmark
Aww that's so nice , thank you very much mate , i will let you guys know . The thing with modeling objects is that, even though i really like it , and also my university has to do with animations , ( i am studying Audio & Visual Arts ) but i can't make them , i am sure modeling an object has lots of maths involved and trust me mate , i am soooooooooo bad at maths :( . The lessons i am better at are Philosophy and things like that haha :D :D

Sketchup was designed by people already intimately-experienced with complex 2D CAD and 3D modeling applications like AutoCAD and 3DSMAX with a purposeful intention to make Sketchup very easy to use. :idea:

The number of functions performed internally to make the user work-flow as convenient and un-burdened by details is extensive. :pushpin:

There is no 'math' required (other than typing in an assigned size when you want to set dimensions); otherwise, you can mereley Push-Pull Faces of ex: Rectangles drawn on the 'ground' plane of the work-space to create buildings, then paint a color or texture onto those Faces.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0OiVdh0CL4Qib-_UZfAVg


Good Luck with your project ! :cool:

GaryGB

Fully agree - the most important is to have some decent drawings or pictures and some basic measures - often Google Earth can give you some of the basic measures on the foot print of buildings. And if your models are not exact often doesn't really matter that much. Almost whatever you do will be better than default...
 
Messages
15
Hey guys . So i was able to get the photo real scenery to appear in FSX but it appears that i do have some issues that i have no idea how to fix hahah :D
1551569910490.png
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi again:

Now that you have utilized the info in this this tutorial:

https://library.avsim.net/search.ph...und_textures_in_fs_x.zip&CatID=root&Go=Search


...you will next need to use the info in this this tutorial:

https://library.avsim.net/search.ph...r_flight_simulator_x.zip&Sort=Size&ScanMode=0


...then you will be ready to use the info in this this tutorial:

https://library.avsim.net/search.ph...gen_annotator_264833.zip&CatID=root&Go=Search



You may also wish to review at least the first few pages of this (long) tutorial / discussion thread:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?250762-How-to-create-photoreal-scenery-for-FSX


Keep up the good work ! :cool:

GaryGB
 
Messages
15
I am actually watching this tutorial , it's helpful since by following that guys steps i was able to make the scenery appear in FSX ;) ;)
 
Messages
15
Trying to make the airport's Terminal in Sketchup . It's the first time ever i tried to make a 3D model , and i honestly have no clue what i am doing . I just wish there was a simple terminal tutorial on youtube . Do you guys know how you can make windows with sketchup and how to make the surface bend a bit ??
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1551624476548.png
 
Messages
258
Country
us-california
Nice progress!

I haven't used Sketchup in years but I would make the tower go straight up, then scale up the top part horizontally, my guess is that would angle out the window part.

To make windows, I assume what you want is to make them transparent? To do so you need to set up a different material for glass so it has transparency. Normally you would use an alpha channel in the glass texture which represents how opaque the texture should be (white = fully opaque, black = fully transparent, or use gray values to represent something in between).

Look here and search for "Glass": https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/microsoft-esp/cc526974(v=msdn.10)

You control the material settings in ModelConverterX after importing the sketchup model.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hello:

Looks like you're off to a good start. :)

You can also scroll through Sketchup's "Paint Bucket Tool" (aka "Material" Tool) pick-list and use ex: "Translucent_Glass_Sky_Reflection" :idea:


PS: Please tell us which numeric / year version of Sketchup are you using ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 
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