My vision for the aerofly community

  • I also would help with this as I'm able. I don't have too much free time to invest, but I've got most of this stuff figured out well enough that things like adding custom scenery, terrain maps, and even custom runways with taxiways and such really aren't too difficult. Most of the time expenditure goes towards letting my computer crunch on it while I do other things. :)

  • I'm a total rookie into AFS2 and the mod tools but I'm also an embedded software engineer so if you have a specific programming/automation(scripting) problem, just let me know, maybe I can take look on it. :)

    Best Regards

    Balazs

    Ryzen 2700X, HyperX 32GB, 2060 Super 8GB, win10/ubuntu19

    Saitek X52 HOTAS, Logitech G920 pedals

    freetrack/opentrack
    X-Plane 11, DCS modules: A-10C, Ka-50, FC3, Mirage 2000C, F/A-18C, Persian Gulf

  • I suggest we use Hawaii as our initial U. S. state. Maybe start with Oahu and the Big Hawaii Island and go from there. Oahu has the big commercial airport, a couple of military airports, a glider or sailplane airport, a few closed airports that we could reopen and several heliports. There are petrochemical complexes, power plants, lots of elevated major highways, vegetation, beaches, and various water colors to solve.

    The island is not that large so the scenery, elevation maps, cultivation, etc would be manageable. There is a very large military presence so we can populate the Naval and Marine bases. The U.S.S. Missouri’s sister ship the U.S.S. Iowa is available for the museum and the many docks and cranes can now be added. We have some aircraft carriers and other detailed Naval ships to fill the harbors.

    We should have excellent free for use USGS data for scenery and height. Plus, it is probably not on the IPACS radar for a DLC anytime soon.

    Should the Robinson R-22 ever be released for AFS2 users, Oahu and the Islands would make a nice scenic location for low level exploring. Maybe Jeff would contribute his Cruise Ship and Dave his Naval Group. Michael might assist with his 3D talents. We might even be able to get IPACS to fix the Aircraft Carrier collision problem so we can land and takeoff again.

    There are a lot of positives for Hawaii. 😎 Your opinions?

    Regards,

    Ray

  • I'm a total rookie into AFS2 and the mod tools but I'm also an embedded software engineer so if you have a specific programming/automation(scripting) problem, just let me know, maybe I can take look on it. :)

    I can think of a few areas that we could use your talents immediately.

    Streamlining and automating the processing of USGS data might be the highest priority. IPACS has a history of shunning most free 3rd party programming but us users love it so there may be a little tight walking involved in getting any official assistance. But, it is manually tedious but many steps could be automated with the proper understanding.

    Another project would be to fix and fine tune the Saitek/Logitech panels to interface with AFS2. Probably some Go Flight gear as well. There are some switches, knobs, and features that do work, but not very many and not very well or not completely. If interested, several users can give you a long wish list of items to fix. The digital displays and the function lights for the Multi Panel would be my suggestion. Michael would like for the magnetos to work on the switch panel, and I would like to be able to turn on and off all the lights for the Learjet.

    Nothing on the Backlight Instrument Panel works and that would be especially useful to have some of those annunciators working.

    Others want all the Autopilot features to be activated and working.

    Any of this sound like a contribution you would like to make?p

    Regards,

    Ray

  • Concerning the above and previous posts of mine about freeware scenery: read this.

    Mr. Fickle is at it again

    My apologies for some of the stupid remarks I made.

    @ J van E,

    no need to apologize. I know you as a critical, but exceedingly competent forum user.

    Sometimes this may be a good corrective for our overenthusiastic position.

    But anyhow thanks for your words.

    @ all,

    thanks for all your contributions.

    Kisvakond has a major position now, because we just have one missing step about the coordinate files.

    I will contact you and discuss the task.

    Ray's suggestion is a good one (as usual ;) ). We could take Oahu as our project.

    After I talked to Kisvakond and got a positive answer I will setup a conversation group for us to dispose the different jobs.

    Have a sunny sunday

    Rodeo

  • Hello Kisvakond, I also would second to priorize automating the processing of USGS data for geoconversion (a USGS Helper if you wish to name it).

    Because the most demanded feature for new user created airports is to have underground scenery. As USGS is allowed to be used, this would be the ideal source, but too tedious to convert those data manually.

    Regards,

    Thomas

    Cheers, Thomas


    Edited once, last by TomSimMuc (April 22, 2018 at 10:20 AM).

  • I can think of a few areas that we could use your talents immediately.

    ...

    Any of this sound like a contribution you would like to make?p

    Regards,

    Ray

    Hey Ray, at first I'll have to get up to speed with the tools as I'm really really new to AFS2. But if the task can be described, we can start thinking on the resolution. :) We can also try hardware related problems as well.

    ...

    Kisvakond has a major position now, because we just have one missing step about the coordinate files.

    I will contact you and discuss the task.

    ...


    Whoa, that's some responsibility there. I hope we can make some progress quickly.

    Let me know about the input data you have and the output data you want it to be. :)

    Best Regards

    Balazs

    Ryzen 2700X, HyperX 32GB, 2060 Super 8GB, win10/ubuntu19

    Saitek X52 HOTAS, Logitech G920 pedals

    freetrack/opentrack
    X-Plane 11, DCS modules: A-10C, Ka-50, FC3, Mirage 2000C, F/A-18C, Persian Gulf

  • Hi kisvakond,

    I have sent you a link in a private conversation. Please note the conversation at the right top of the forum.

    It contains a description of the task and some example files.

    Hope to hear from you again...

    Thanks!

  • Hi kisvakond,

    I have sent you a link in a private conversation. Please note the conversation at the right top of the forum.

    It contains a description of the task and some example files.

    Hope to hear from you again...

    Thanks!

    I've got it! I'm taking a look on it and get back to you!:)

    Best Regards

    Balazs

    Ryzen 2700X, HyperX 32GB, 2060 Super 8GB, win10/ubuntu19

    Saitek X52 HOTAS, Logitech G920 pedals

    freetrack/opentrack
    X-Plane 11, DCS modules: A-10C, Ka-50, FC3, Mirage 2000C, F/A-18C, Persian Gulf

  • Hello, based on Rodeo's specification and feedback, I've come up with a python script that automatically processes all image/xml pairs and creates the .aid files directly. It will check image dimensions and calculate accordingly

    Edit: It assumes a resolution 3.75 x 3.75 minutes per 1m.

    The script is attached, feel free to check it out. Just remove the .txt extension (aid_create.py).

    WARNING: Use at own risk, try it on some copies first! The script will rename TIF files to TIFF (limit of the image processing used) and will rename them back once finished. All existing AID files will be saved as a backup, but that backup will be overwritten each time the script is executed!

    How to get it running and how to use it is included as comment in the top of the script.

    Suggestions and feedback is welcome! :)

    Cheers

    Files

    Best Regards

    Balazs

    Ryzen 2700X, HyperX 32GB, 2060 Super 8GB, win10/ubuntu19

    Saitek X52 HOTAS, Logitech G920 pedals

    freetrack/opentrack
    X-Plane 11, DCS modules: A-10C, Ka-50, FC3, Mirage 2000C, F/A-18C, Persian Gulf

    Edited once, last by Kisvakond (April 23, 2018 at 9:00 PM).


  • I have done the elevation data for US_Hawaii_O'ahu and Molokai.

    They are 1/3 arc sec resolution and source is USGS.

    As soon as a general directory for this project at Higgy exists, I can upload it there.

    Rodeo, do you already know something about the project location?

    Cheers, Thomas


  • Hi,

    this is the tutorial for the script together with the installation files.

    You need to install the python programming language.

    Python installation and script tutorial

    Attention: Please use the script published above by Kisvakond.

    The included script in the ZIP is an older version.

  • Hi kisvakond,

    I have sent you a link in a private conversation. Please note the conversation at the right top of the forum.

    It contains a description of the task and some example files.

    Hope to hear from you again...

    Thanks!

    Hello kisvakond

    I was just wondering if you own any of the Saitek/Logitech wide panels? Multi, Switch, BIP, TMP, Radio?

    Regards,

    Ray


  • I was just wondering if you own any of the Saitek/Logitech wide panels? Multi, Switch, BIP, TMP, Radio?


    None of the above, just a Saitek X52 HOTAS.

    Best Regards

    Balazs

    Ryzen 2700X, HyperX 32GB, 2060 Super 8GB, win10/ubuntu19

    Saitek X52 HOTAS, Logitech G920 pedals

    freetrack/opentrack
    X-Plane 11, DCS modules: A-10C, Ka-50, FC3, Mirage 2000C, F/A-18C, Persian Gulf