Switzerland DLC, Lausanne LSGL flatten

1st Official Post

    Dear IPACS team,

    This is a topic I mentioned in another thread, but let's post a thread about it.

    Among so many great feature in AeroflyFS (actually both versions), one feature makes it different from most sims : runways don't need to be flat!
    It makes starting from places like LSGC Les Eplatures (in the Jura range) feel very realistic.

    Unfortunately, Lausanne LSGL was applied a flatten, while the actual runway features a non-constant downhill slope up to 2.5%, making the landing on R18 slightly touchy, especially when approaching with some extra speed in low wing aircraft like the Robin.
    This flatten was already there in AFS1 and I secretly hoped it would be removed in AFS2, but it's not the case.

    Is there a chance this flatten could be removed and the real slope of LSGL Lausanne be rendered in a patch ? Or is this flatten compulsory due to technical limitations only allowing slightly non-flat rendering?

    Below is a link to LSGS AD INFO file, showing the actual runway profile.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/4giv7bxxnw80…ADINFO.pdf?dl=0

    Thanks in advance and keep up the good work !

    Best regards
    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

    • Official Post

    Hello Antoine,
    The Lausanne airport in the Aerofly FS 2 uses some smoothed curvature for all airports that are modelled flat. Each house and each runway are transformed when the scenery is loaded to fit the current terrain mesh. In some cases, especially in the mountainous Switzerland the curvature can be a bit too low and you lose features of the terrain in some places. - In other places you need a flat surface to be able to land with a fast jet. You could also build the airport in 3D but a small (default) airport such as Lausanne isn't worth rebuilding just to make a custome sloped runway. Maybe the algorithm to detect the overall ground shape (smoothing) can be parameterized in the future, then its easier to get runways with steeper slopes and faster changing steepness, too. Once we get more feedback with the scenery software development kit we might look into such a feature.

    Thanks for that reply. I understand.

    There are of course special airports, especially in the mountains, with specific slopes being part of the landing/take-off procedure, like Courchevel in France. Such airport will definitely need a dedicated local 3D modeling, just like it is the case with FSX/P3D.

    Slight slopes like in Lausanne, however, are not uncommon worldwide and would be a great feature of AFS if the smoothing parameter could render them.

    Best regards and best luck to Aerofly FS2.

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

    • Official Post

    The slope itself is represented well. Its only that slope changes over the runway are smoothed out. This needs to be done so that we can use the raw ground mesh that is very bumpy. Airports modelled in 3D are, for example, Catalina and Zurich Intl. But pretty much all airports in the Aerofly FS 2 have sloped runways. Only if you are lucky and the terrain underneath is very flat, then the resulting slope will be so slight that you can call it flat. (Like in the real world)

    Quote from Jet-Pack

    The slope itself is represented well. Its only that slope changes over the runway are smoothed out. This needs to be done so that we can use the raw ground mesh that is very bumy.

    There I'm not sure to understand. As far as I could see the slope is not featured, but the whole area has been flattened out, just as if the mesh was locally "corrected".
    In the real world, on rwy18 approach you have to feel a bit low, due to the downhill runway slope, and watch your speed, especially with low wing aircraft with strong ground effect. There are also electrical power lines in short final.
    On the opposite qfu (36) you feel like a steeper than usual approach glide due to the city uphill climb and the slopy runway...

    You totally loose it unfortunately in both Aerofly FS versions.

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

    Quote from Jet-Pack

    The slope itself is represented well. Its only that slope changes over the runway are smoothed out. This needs to be done so that we can use the raw ground mesh that is very bumpy. Airports modelled in 3D are, for example, Catalina and Zurich Intl. But pretty much all airports in the Aerofly FS 2 have sloped runways. Only if you are lucky and the terrain underneath is very flat, then the resulting slope will be so slight that you can call it flat. (Like in the real world)

    I had a closer look in AFS (both 1 & 2, it's the same regarding this issue).
    You're right, there's some overall slope remaining over the place, with the altimeter showing 2'020ft at threshold 18 and 2'000 at threshold 36 (I have no better tool yet to explore the mesh).

    In the real life, threshold 18 is at elevation 2'041ft, while threshold 36 is at 1'999ft, thus twice the overall slope.
    The slope is however not constant, with a curve bottom approximately at the mid runway with elevation 1'997ft.
    The real slope is therefore more than 4 times steeper than modelled in AFS, that's why you loose the effect and miss the realistic feeling.

    Since most GA airfields were discarded from AFS in this area of Switzerland (LSGY Yverdon, LSGN Neuchatel, LSGB Bex, LSGP La Cote, without talking of glider places), it would be very much appreciated if Lausanne could get a little bit closer from the real thing regarding the runway (there's anyway no building modelled).

    Do you think there's a chance ?
    Thanks in advance and best regards.

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.