FSX | FSX-SE Scenery Design Forum - How To

Hi AllI have been trying to address the the inclusion of vehicles into my scenery design and have found designing the shapes fair straight forward, given the simple nature of the accepted form at present.However, it is in the preparation of the textures where the time and effort seems to be required. With reduction and erasing around the the vehicle profile. Although it is easy enough to create different vehicle shapes, it is the creation of several textures for different vehicles which seems an enormous task.So far I have only taken pictures of my own vehicle and erased around the profile/shape and reduced down to 512x512 although I don't percieve this as the final siz…

After seeing the prior post on the ships available for fs2002, I d/l the WWII ships and am ready to go sailing. Actually, I would like to go flying while the ships are sailing themselves.How do I animate them. I tried to treat them like aircraft, set up a little harbor runway and sent them off to parts unknown, but they never showed up to make the trip. Also, how would I get them to avoid crashing into islands?(I would be almost as happy if they were api's - since I want to set them in a harbor- but was unable to convert them from mdls to apis.)So many challenges, so little time.Thanks.Phil Crowther

Hi AllReally confused about what is causing the different lighting effect, as we pan round, the sides don't seem to be affected in the same wayIs it to do with the Texture DXT1(A), or the Texpoly() command?I am using the loadbitmap() and Texpoly( m ? ? ? ? ) commands, is it likely to be caused by the values in "?" and might I be better to use the "a"/"ai"The other question I have is why, or is it necessary to apply the texture to both sides of the polygon, even if it is not visable!!!Hoping someone can help me waste my time effectively, rather than the way I choose to spend it, not getting anywhere!!!RegardsDave

I've been testing out a custom runway i've made and have a misterious problem.Here's how the runway is constructed:Invisible FS2k2 runway with 2 texture mapped polys layered over to show the asphalt. Surrounding land is flattened used two flatten areas at 12ft MSL with a gap between. In the gap is another flatten area at -8 feet MSL which creates a trench running under the runway. Unfortunately, since i added the texpolys, the land stretches up to meet one where it crosses the ditch, but i don't mind this too much.I then tested this to make sure the planes don't fall through or anything. I did a circuit in the Dreemfleet Archer, FSD Seneca and LAGO twotter. No problems. T…

Today I found the solution for analyzing MS files with VTP polygons like the nph****.bgl files, which contain polygons for non permanent water bodies. According to MS SDK there is a reserved bit in the VTPPolyCount record. I found that when this bit is set, the next byte that follows (usually 0x01 or 0x02) is part of the VTPPolyCount record: to the number of polygons given in bCount we must add the number contained in that byte multiplied by 128. This way it is possible to have more than 127 polygons with the same layer in the same texture in one VTPDataArea. So the VTPPolyCount macro in TDFMacros.inc should be rewritten, probably with a conditional assembler instruction,…

I was the one that ask a week ago about tips for designing a fence.With the advises and a little bit of tweak, this is what I came up with.It is done using a single serie of poligons cloned (normals flipped) and with an array effect, very low poligon as there are no other things but just simple poligons.on the "metalic" section a 30% opacity material with a little bit of color, to give a good environmental effect. (Gmax 100%)

Having viewed several tutorials dealing with creating reflective textures, I am still having problems. I am using PSP7.0 to create basic textures and DXT3 to combine basic and alpha to create extended textures. I do my design in FSDS2.11 then creating an API macro and using Airport to place objects in FS2K2. I understand that textures need to be 256 colors and 256x256 or up to 1024x1024. I also understand that FSDS needs the basic "unaplpha'd" BMP.What am I missing? I am either seeing an object in FS that views the alpha side of the texture or if not the alpha image then the basic texture having been labled in FSDS as a reflective texture is transparent. Help!

Just wanted to say thanks to the several macro creators/artists that have given us dozens of "things" to populate our scenery creations. I had, until recently, not tried including macros since it seemed yet another arcane excercise. Well it was not crystal clear but I eventually figured out where the three files should go in FS Scenery Creator, my latest favorite airport (scenery) creator.I do wish that Avsim would create a seperate place/category for macros. Right now they are scattered around several areas within the Library.Dick

3 unrelated questions for you guys.1 Has someone made, or could someone make a simple GUI tool to place the new bglc taxilines? (please)2 Is it possible (i'm not very hopeful for this) to "unflatten" the MS ocean? I am redefining a coastline using Ground2K put the horrible inland cliffs of LAGO's terramesh are still there where the sea used to flatten them. I'd like to redefine the boundary of the flatten to match my coastline and reveal the 'hidden' terramesh.3 How can i make a 'hard' surface in FSDS2 or Airport 2.60 (build 160) that a plane can taxi over (like a bridge or something)?Thanks for your help, Mark

I made a wind generator in GMax and am able to rotate the three bladed prop using the Beacon3 label. It works fine. I then decided to make the unit rotate to face the wind so I used the tip from Arno's site (I have used this before for windsocks with no problems).A problem then arises.I end up with 2 sets of rotating blades, one always faces the original direction, 0 degrees) and the other faces the wind direction.I am attaching a screenshot. In this case the two sets of blades are about 90 degrees apart.How do I fix this???Thanks for any help,Ted

Anyone trying to accurately model Canadian cities may find this site useful. Lots of oblique aerial photos from across the country.Calhover long and prosper

Hey everybody, I am looking for detailed military scenery of airforce bases, naval air stations and such, Primarily in the United states.. I got a great B1 and no where to fly it LOLAny one got any ideas???Don Harrison

Is it possible to exclude the default airport runways, buildings, etc. without excluding my anootated autogen?

Hi, this is mainly for Christian, but if anyone else can help..Firstly thank you for a wonderful program. It's about time something like this came out!1. A couple of language issues. I think where you use the word "suppress" in the English version, it should say "delete". At least that's what it seems to do when i click it! Also, could someone explain a bit clearer what "imbrication" means? I hear it's an English word but i haven't heard of it in my 20 years of life in England!2. Could you make a mode stay selected until you press another button? It takes ages to move points on a line when you have to keep clicking the 'select point' button.3. Ever since i tried (and fail…

Are there any real airline pilot's here who fly into Nice (LFMN)?I'm trying to design a freeware scenery and have some questions which i think only pilots (or maybe some local people?) will know.1. I need some advice on taxiway sign placement. What is displayed at the runway holding points? Because i can't tell from the Jeppesen chart what catagory ILS is available. Also i know that near the southern end of the airport, between the two runways is a green sign with white letters/numbers, but what does it say? Lastly, are there any special signs like RAMP, FUEL, or CARGO and where are they?2. Could someone e-mail me the chart or tell me some other way what the gate position…

I'm looking for someone to help me design a couple of customized airport terminals and airports. I'm willing to pay and i have sketches of the designs for FS2002. e-mail me at [email protected]

Sorry to post here again fellow FS2002 users, but I have another question regarding my scenery I am developing for the UK for X-Plane. The reason I ask here is that there is a fountain of knowledge and also that I have used the same data sources as those used in FS2002 scenery :-I have now got my software to create X-Plane scenery from the Global Land Characterization data and GTOPO30 DEMs. All is well except that some (most?) airports in X-Plane now appear to be slightly raised on small hills above the surrounding terrain. I suppose I could adjust the airfield altitudes but I would like to know why the discrepancy in the airfield data and the terrain data. As I have said…

I have for the moment resigned to TerraScene 2.1 scenery untill I find a method of using this data to build FS2002 texture scenery. I am wondering how I can rebuild my local airport.I have a DXF file of the upgrade of my local airport KCKB, the default position is off, the taxiway is also wrong. 1. What is the best program to useto create the file.2. How do I replace the default asirport.Richard;

Hi,When I try to create VTP-polygons, which cross/overlap each other, Ground2k generates an error while trying to export, saying that they are "crossing" each other, exactly like they do to. But apparently VTP-polys should have no such restriction. So this is a restriction in the otherwise so wonderful program, Ground2k?/Sebastian

Hi all.I was wondering if anyone has come across a runway texture or just a bmp texture that has only the displaced threshold of a aslphalt runway on it.I know you can get one's scenery design program to put them on, but I am designing an airfield which has the following because it is shared with a gliders clib.Runway has displaced thresholds at each end of nth/sth and east west runways. but it also has a thinner part of the runway between the thresholds of the noth /south one.And the east / west runway has part of it as gravel.Any suggestions most welcomed.U can email me at [email protected] if you like.Thanks in advancePhil

I have just attempted to flatten an area outside Kahului airport on Maui, Hawaii just to familiarize myself with the methodology.I used SCASM 288 and submitted the following code:Header( 1 20:52.50 20:52.00 -156:26.8 -156:26.3)Area16N Flatten ( 1.61 20:52.00 -156:26.8 20:52.00 -156:26.3 20:52.50 -156:26.3 20:52.50 -156:26.8 )End16SCASM said it compiled OK in scaerrorlog.I put in the Header information to get rid of the scaerrorlog warning that I had no header, and I didn't know how to define the header extents here.I placed the single BGL in its own Scenery directory and put it at the top of the FS2k2 list.When I start up FS2k2, …

Hi,I've made an airport in gMax (3d objetcts that is) and used the fsregen method to make an api and call the object from the software. When I load FS, everything's fine, but when I add other sceneries, therefore taking that one out of the top layer, the buildings lose their texture and they become white. I put the scenery back in layer 1, restart the sim and the textures show up again. What is going on here? anybody have this problem? anobody please have a solution??Thanks so much,BlazerBR

Hello scenery designers wizards !You could have certainly sometimes observed autogen flying trees in FS2002.Can someone can be kind enough to explain why ? Is it related to third party meshs or due to a lack of the computer memory ?ThanksTony

Is anyone planning on doing Anchorage? It's one of the busiest with all kinds of pacific traffic.Secondly-Does FSDS (for FS2000) make compatable FS2002 scenery?

While I cannot determine how to fix an existing shoreline, I have been very successful at repairing the FS2002 roads. As the picture below illustrates the highway (East of Salt Lake) now follows the valley. It used to stumble atop the mountains. Although not visible,at the end of the highway, I also created a small lake with a landclass that depicts a village.These functions of Ground2K are easy to learn and reap quick rewards. Some of the more esoteric items are of no interest to me at this time until I stumble across a need. Darn shorelines are my only problem right now.Dick