Demonstration of available SDK tools

Rodeo · November 11, 2017 at 1:09 PM

Hi,

let me show you some screenshots of Stuttgart airport demonstrating the capabilities of the SDK tools.

See the airport buildings and in the background the nice hills of the Swabian Alb.

1. Downloaded aerial images with FSET and converted with geoconvert.

2. Dowloaded OSM data and converted with scenProc to aerofly cultivation.

3. Downloaded free sketchup models, converted with ModelconverterX and placed in AC3D. Converted with SDK converter.

This scenery has been done in a very short time. Of course the scenery is not finished, the remaining work to fine tune the last 10% may even require more time than the first 90%.

And it cannot be done by just passing by without learning programs, coordinates, converters....

But: If you like to modify your scenery, if you are not afraid to learn some new things and if you find the time for all that stuff, give it a try. The tools are existing. The main thing is: Have fun with it!

Rodeo

Oldar · November 11, 2017 at 1:52 PM

Will you make the 90% version available to us duffers? The 90% version is 100% better than what I can do.

Rodeo · November 11, 2017 at 3:14 PM

Oldar,

generally I would like to do so. But an incomplete version may damage the reputation of aerofly and me. You know how some people act in internet discussions. Suddenly this scenery shows the limitation of either the aerofly tools or the creator's capabilities ignoring everything what has been said before.

So if I find the time to improve it in the next weeks, I will publish it.

Rodeo

Oldar · November 11, 2017 at 9:45 PM

Ok, thanks.

I am just finding it instructive that after all of this time no one has posted a new airport. It must be fairly arduous work.

Jetjockey10 · November 12, 2017 at 12:44 AM

Awesome potential. I do hope we find a simple method of sharing our work among the hardcore users. This looks fantastic, thanks for sharing.

Regards,

Ray

Trespassers · November 12, 2017 at 8:20 AM

just question regarding step 3:

According to tutorials, all textures have to be renamed following an IPACS-specific name convention.

Models from sketchup usually won't follow that rule.

Does it mean that after converting with MCX you need to retexture each face in AC3D before exporting as tgi?

Or is there a way to keep original textures and bypass the IPACS name convention?

Cheers

Antoine

Rodeo · November 12, 2017 at 12:53 PM

Hi,

within ModelConverterX several operations are necessary for sketchup files:

Rename texture files, resize texture files to a power of 2, convert sketchup color into texture file, convert texture files to BMP.

These steps can be done semi automatically. Make sure to use version 1.4, not the 'stable' but outdated version 1.3.

Within AC3D more operations are required: Set faces to single sided surfaces and cut the whole sketchup project into separate buildings.

A manual remapping is not required, only in some special cases.

In the meantime I created the BOSCH parking decks and the Stuttgart fair halls by drawing them in AC3D and adding foto textures to them.

Rodeo

ussiowa · November 13, 2017 at 4:24 PM

Ausgezeichnet!

Mustang60348 · November 14, 2017 at 2:01 PM

Quote from Rodeo

Hi,

within ModelConverterX several operations are necessary for sketchup files:

Rename texture files, resize texture files to a power of 2, convert sketchup color into texture file, convert texture files to BMP.

These steps can be done semi automatically. Make sure to use version 1.4, not the 'stable' but outdated version 1.3.

Within AC3D more operations are required: Set faces to single sided surfaces and cut the whole sketchup project into separate buildings.

A manual remapping is not required, only in some special cases.

In the meantime I created the BOSCH parking decks and the Stuttgart fair halls by drawing them in AC3D and adding foto textures to them.

Rodeo

Display More

Would it be possible to do a quick 'tutorial' writeup for the conversion of Sketchup models to Aerofly using ModelConverterX. I have done it and the geometry comes out great BUT the textures/colours are missing.

Here is what I am doing

I open the model in Sketchup, export it as .dae (I think) file, import into MCx , but the textures don't show up.

Rodeo · November 14, 2017 at 3:03 PM

Mustang60348,

yes, this would be possible as well, but not yet in the next few days.

As I have written above, I do several more steps before exporting to .ac:

Rename texture files, resize texture files to a power of 2, convert sketchup color into texture file, convert texture files to BMP.

Very quick tutorial writeup:

Use the icon 'Material Editor' within MCX, go to textures in the bottom line, run the options in the top line and save textures as BMP.

Rodeo

Mustang60348 · November 14, 2017 at 3:55 PM

Quote from Rodeo

Mustang60348,

yes, this would be possible as well, but not yet in the next few days.

As I have written above, I do several more steps before exporting to .ac:

Rename texture files, resize texture files to a power of 2, convert sketchup color into texture file, convert texture files to BMP.

Very quick tutorial writeup:

Use the icon 'Material Editor' within MCX, go to textures in the bottom line, run the options in the top line and save textures as BMP.

Rodeo

Display More

Thanks, will have a look at that when I get home.

Mustang60348 · November 14, 2017 at 7:52 PM

Quote from Rodeo

Mustang60348,

yes, this would be possible as well, but not yet in the next few days.

As I have written above, I do several more steps before exporting to .ac:

Rename texture files, resize texture files to a power of 2, convert sketchup color into texture file, convert texture files to BMP.

Very quick tutorial writeup:

Use the icon 'Material Editor' within MCX, go to textures in the bottom line, run the options in the top line and save textures as BMP.

Rodeo

Display More

Is there an easy way to 'convert' sketchup colours into textures. I tried your suggestions at lunch time and so far so good except for that one.

Rodeo · November 14, 2017 at 7:59 PM

Yes,

There is a special function Burn Colors into Textures .

Rodeo

Mustang60348 · November 14, 2017 at 8:08 PM

Quote from Rodeo

Yes,

There is a special function Burn Colors into Textures .

Rodeo

Awesome, that should be the final hurdle for me.

going to be lots of Ground Support Equip in my scenery now

Mustang60348 · November 14, 2017 at 10:53 PM

hmmm, something I am doing wrong. The textures are exported and working BUT not the colors.

clayton4115 · November 15, 2017 at 8:42 AM

we really need someone to do an "aerofly scenery creation for dummies" manual so we can get to grips of how to make our own scenery.

Mustang60348 · November 15, 2017 at 11:29 AM

Quote from clayton4115

we really need someone to do an "aerofly scenery creation for dummies" manual so we can get to grips of how to make our own scenery.

What would you like to see in it. I can make a video tutorial. I have done several of them for various aspects of scenery creation. Make a list of exactly what you want and I will create ONE video with all those things on it.

clayton4115 · November 15, 2017 at 11:36 AM

thankyou can you please get this instruction here into a youtube video, like very slow explanations

https://www.aerofly.com/aerofly_fs_2/d…cenery_creation

thanks

Spit40 · November 15, 2017 at 11:36 AM

Quote from Mustang60348

What would you like to see in it. I can make a video tutorial. I have done several of them for various aspects of scenery creation. Make a list of exactly what you want and I will create ONE video with all those things on it.

Sounds great. Would it be AC3D?

Mustang60348 · November 15, 2017 at 11:47 AM

Quote from Mustang60348

hmmm, something I am doing wrong. The textures are exported and working BUT not the colors.

Quote from Spit40

Sounds great. Would it be AC3D?

Got it working. I was missing OPTIMIZE DRAWCALLS.