18 replies to this topic

[wantok_YSCB]

I've put together a first cut of my first (hopefully OZx) airstrip: YTBG Talbingo, in the Snowy Mountains of southern NSW. I've sent Mark a link to the files.

The real airstrip is apparently closed now, though it seems to be still regularly used as an unofficial landing point for hang gliders, paragliders, gliders and ultralights - and perhaps for takeoff too by ultralights.

It's located about 100 km SW of Canberra, at alt 1320', between Blowering Reservoir and Talbingo Reservoir. Some pretty interesting terrain here.


I've moved the strip a little bit from reality - it's now a couple of hundred metres further west, to fit in with the FTX town landclass (which would be covered by the eastern part of the strip if it were in its exact location), and the road, which is a bit further north than reality.

In reality the whole slope between the strip and the lake is treeless, but the FTX landclass is currently forest. I was thinking initially of trying to do PR for the whole section between the strip and the lake, but I'm concerned about trying to get a tight fit along the coastline and, since I've put in an issue report to Orbx, I figured it would be better to cover a minimal area and let the LC be updated independently.

The strip is curious in that it has a short (300m) and very narrow section of bitumen in the middle of a longer 04/22 grass strip.


It also has a helo pad marking at one end of the bitumen. I didn't want to place static GA but I think it's sometimes used for glider landings.


BTW I did the object placement with Whisplacer, just to check whether it worked - it's worked out reasonably well so far though I am having trouble using some of the libraries.

[aussiecop]

Someone say Helipad? sweet!!

[wantok_YSCB]

Hi Matt,

We've had a bit of a look - very nice little strip.

A couple of little things to tweak .. and all will be very nice.

Just a question, are you running FSX-SP2 - because the fence mdl (an FSX generic one no less {SMILIES_PATH}/icon_rolleyes.gif ) has some transparency problems and will need to be replaced {SMILIES_PATH}/icon_rolleyes.gif

As you noted on the Orbx forums the shoreline and Landclass around this area is a little lacking - so we might have to see what can be done in that department.

Hi Ian,

I'm running Acceleration here. Was thinking the fence looked a bit jaggy but hadn't seen transparency probs in Accel. Thanks for the feedback - I'll change the fence.

Oh yes forgot to mention the shoreline. I did report the landclass to Orbx, but as you say the shoreline is pretty rough. Come of think of it, that's the main reason I didn't want to try to PR the surrounding area - in case the shoreline changed later.

I haven't done any flattens on the runway, so it's nice and bumpy, though this does seem a bit weird with bitumen. Don't have any non-distant photos of the bitumen section - only the grass further west. Goes with the sense of an officially-closed and unmaintained strip, I suppose, but if you think one or more flattens would be better, I'm happy to do that.

In the same vein I've made the buildings just little storage sheds rather than hangars or similar.

Any and all comments/suggestions/criticism welcome.

[Suburpy]

Matt I like em bumpy, even the bitumen ones (long as they are not OTT). kadina is bitumen and has a big rise in the middle, so much so that you cant see the other end of the runway, I thought it was odd at first, but a site visit confirmed that was exactly how it was in real life. Great effort mate.

[jgruschow]

As I said on the "new scenert" forum.

Get rid of all fences. They spoil the whole thing.

Lower both sheds. They are floating.

Apart from that it is a very pleasant strip and is just about ready for release.

But I query the placement of the heli-pad. Is it realy in that position?
I don't know any chopper pilot who would dare to use it. Let alone leave his machine parked on an active runway.

[markwlee]

What the Hell!! {SMILIES_PATH}/icon_evil.gif

Using the Real World to refute Jack?
Actually clicking on your Google Earth to check something?
Hardly fair!
{SMILIES_PATH}/lol.gif

I've had quite a few complaints about the touchdown pads at YBAF - from people too lazy to do their research - and complaints about trees too tall at YRIO when the real ones are taller and closer, "etc, etc and so on and so forth..."*

*Remembered very roughly from "The King and I"

[wantok_YSCB]

Thanks for the kind words, fellas.

Good idea to remove the fences, Jack - makes things simpler.

Re the sheds appearing to float - curious, I don't see that here (with FSX Acceleration). I've lowered them a bit (30cm) now in the hope that that resolves it.

Re the helipad - quite right to raise it, Jack, it is a bizarre location. I can only think that the helipad marking was added after the strip was closed to GA. BTW it seems YTBG is now classed as an ALA (Aircraft Landing Area, previously known as Authorised Landing Area).

I've done a version 2 and given Mark the link. In it I've removed the fences, lowered the two sheds slightly, and added some soft shadowing to the PR at object locations to simulate ground shadows (e.g. under cars).

[Dexdoggy]

That looks really nice, and anywhere that has camping is always welcome!

[markwlee]

Wantok, can you PM the link to meatycus, kman, hrcornea, etc so one of them can link in the Dev section. I'm off to work, now.

[Suburpy]

[quote="wantok_YSCB"]Thanks for the kind words, fellas. Re the sheds appearing to float - curious, I don't see that here (with FSX Acceleration). I've lowered them a bit (30cm) now in the hope that that resolves it. [quote]


I don't know how much of an issue this floating shed stuff is. I sometimes get floating buildings at many strips not just ozx (happens at Adealide Airport), but ONLY if I taxi in too close, where I wouldn't be anyway. When you go a little further back the objects appear to move'as the sim places them. and then the small gap disappears, I had always thought this little oddity was just a factor of the way the sim worked. You can bury your sheds a little, but you don't wanna loose too much height or they look strange. Unless the whole shed is clearly floating two metres of the ground then i personaly think this is a smallish issue, if you look at autogen it often has houses etc floating until you move to a new spot and then they suddenly are at ground level. Willing to stand way corrected, help me someone computer literate and who understands how fsx works?

[jgruschow]

V2 is very good.
I think it passes scrutiny.
No one can blame you for the surrounding landclass

[wantok_YSCB]

V2 is very good.
I think it passes scrutiny.
No one can blame you for the surrounding landclass

Cheers, Jack, much appreciated.

Overall - a very fine effort - and a proud addition to OzX I think.

Thanks, Ian!

Ideally we'll get the landclass revised by Orbx in their next round of LC revisions for Blue; if the shoreline can be improved (by Orbx? OZx?), all the better.

BTW there's a modelling challenge up for grabs nearby: just around the corner to the south is a massive hydro-electric station (Tumut 3, part of the Snowy Mountains scheme)... {SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif If anyone feels like taking it on, great, otherwise I'll take a look after I've done the next couple of strips.

[Anthony31]

Thanks for the kind words, fellas. Re the sheds appearing to float - curious, I don't see that here (with FSX Acceleration). I've lowered them a bit (30cm) now in the hope that that resolves it.

I don't know how much of an issue this floating shed stuff is. I sometimes get floating buildings at many strips not just ozx (happens at Adealide Airport), but ONLY if I taxi in too close, where I wouldn't be anyway. When you go a little further back the objects appear to move'as the sim places them. and then the small gap disappears, I had always thought this little oddity was just a factor of the way the sim worked. You can bury your sheds a little, but you don't wanna loose too much height or they look strange. Unless the whole shed is clearly floating two metres of the ground then i personaly think this is a smallish issue, if you look at autogen it often has houses etc floating until you move to a new spot and then they suddenly are at ground level. Willing to stand way corrected, help me someone computer literate and who understands how fsx works?

It may cause a problem with scenery shadows though. I remember for FS9 I stuck an object a bit into the ground (it was a fence made of a treated pine log on a low post and I was trying to get a bit of variation in the row of logs by changing the height) and its shadow disappeared. This was a while ago so I could be completely mistaken in which case I apologise in advance.

[markwlee]

It may cause a problem with scenery shadows though. I remember for FS9 I stuck an object a bit into the ground (it was a fence made of a treated pine log on a low post and I was trying to get a bit of variation in the row of logs by changing the height) and its shadow disappeared. This was a while ago so I could be completely mistaken in which case I apologise in advance.

We don't recommend turning shadows on. Too many problems - like square shadows from masked non-square objects.

Hey Anthony, if you've started developing for FSX, could you keep us advised of what you have planned or even come on board here? As soon as your up-to-speed with the new tools, advances and limitations - you'll have a ball!

[Anthony31]

Yes Mark

I've noticed that some of the trees cast nasty square shadows. I don't know whether these are the ORBX models or the default vegetation. I've also noticed that open hangars can cast some odd shadows.

It is possible though to modify the "Enhanced Parameters" of the model so it doesn't cast any shadows. Don't know if the GMAX plugin includes this option (having troubles getting GMAX to work with the FSX plugin) but it can be done by editing the .x file.