New Zealand Scenery Campaign

  • Hello Robin,

    This is a very quick start at producing NZ scenery for AF2. Excellent work.

    Could you show us the general area that you are considering for your pilot project? Maybe even ID a couple of potential airports?

    Regards,

    Ray

    Oops, almost passed this by, sorry about that Ray, it's been a busy time...

    The area I'm working on -- for FSX/Prepar3d, plus the newer sims -- is roughly what is shown here, this is from the Godzone Subscription for FSX/Prepar3d. The current coverage now goes a little further north (to cover the area used to film the Narnia movie, I'm a sucker for NZ-based movies), and includes Lake Tekapo, which was not part of the Subscription, as there is an older FSX version of Tekapo available.

    Within this area are a few airports, but I have not yet decided how many will be completed for this project -- A couple of months ago I visited the area and photographed five airports, I am currently working on Wanaka, Tekapo, Mount Cook and Pukaki airports. The area also includes Queenstown, but as Orbx have done this for FSX/Prepar3d, it isn't on my list. Maybe if things work great for FS 2, Orbx might release their NZQN one day...

    Ignore the arrows and the bottom purple bit...

    [Blocked Image: http://s20.postimg.org/zfwj3tq3x/Issue8coverage.jpg]

  • Number 124. I Bought AF 2 (and 7) on steam sale, mostely for sightseeing as I am recovering painsuffere(tension 30 years). So I was looking for relaxing "games". So it is something like this I will be looking for.

    EDIT: Correction, I am supporter no. 126

    Edited once, last by Woodplane (July 17, 2017 at 9:47 PM).

  • Thanks for the support, guys.

    Excellent. Thanks for the location coverage map. When completed do you expect any of the airports to handle a Learjet 45?

    Well, you might have to wait for Queenstown, where the rich and famous end up, normally plenty of Learjets there, but initially there's always Wanaka, the home of the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow every two years...

  • Beautiful. I can just imagine the finished product. Fantastic work.

    Jim.

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  • Nope. It seems quiet there.

    Devons rig

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  • Robin may chip in here, but I believe there is much happening behind the scenes.

    I've been hoping so.

    Devons rig

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  • I have a New Year update almost ready to publish on the Kickstarter site, just need to find a quiet moment to illustrate it.

    But I'll do a quick precis here. The initial multi-sim project -- the Alps/Lakes -- was put aside in favour of a major airport-based project. This was a necessary decision when I really looked at how a chunk of photoscenery would work in Aerofly FS2. As NZ only has default (think placeholder) coverage, you wouldn't really have anywhere to fly outside the photoscenery area, and the edges would be disconcerting at best.

    So what NZ really needs is a proper full coverage, and that's what I am hoping to achieve. So IPACS and I will hopefully be able to get this done, and it may fulfill the Kickstarter goal for Aerofly FS2. So Aerofly will get more than initially planned, it will just take longer.

    X-plane is another sim which needed some reworking of the initial plan, and an airport-only scenery makes a lot more sense there. So the initial Kickstarter release will be for Prepar3d (one international airport plus large photoscenery region) followed by the airport only for X-plane, and this airport for Aerofly once there's a NZ base to place it on.

  • NZ really lends itself to the Full Treatment: it is relatively compact, and has a wide range of scenery to fly over, from Alps to Fjords to volcanoes... flat or mountainous, green or dry.

    That is how NZ in FS2004 ended up being such a wonderful place to fly VFR... good mesh, land features, high-quality payware sceneries and ongoing freeware airports.

    Can't wait to see it all in glorious 64-bit photoreal Virtual Reality!

  • I have a New Year update almost ready to publish on the Kickstarter site, just need to find a quiet moment to illustrate it.

    But I'll do a quick precis here. The initial multi-sim project -- the Alps/Lakes -- was put aside in favour of a major airport-based project. This was a necessary decision when I really looked at how a chunk of photoscenery would work in Aerofly FS2. As NZ only has default (think placeholder) coverage, you wouldn't really have anywhere to fly outside the photoscenery area, and the edges would be disconcerting at best.

    So what NZ really needs is a proper full coverage, and that's what I am hoping to achieve. So IPACS and I will hopefully be able to get this done, and it may fulfill the Kickstarter goal for Aerofly FS2. So Aerofly will get more than initially planned, it will just take longer.

    X-plane is another sim which needed some reworking of the initial plan, and an airport-only scenery makes a lot more sense there. So the initial Kickstarter release will be for Prepar3d (one international airport plus large photoscenery region) followed by the airport only for X-plane, and this airport for Aerofly once there's a NZ base to place it on.

    I'm just hearing about this (I've been under a rock in recent years). XP11 and AFS2 has me excited about flightsims again and after watching your 10min video and seeing the NZ screenshots, I'm very impressed with what you are achieving!

    Although the Kickstarter program ended months ago, I'd like to get onboard and support your work to get this asap. How can I do that?

    Thanks

    Redtail

    KFRG, KTEB, KEWR, KLGA

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  • So what NZ really needs is a proper full coverage, and that's what I am hoping to achieve. So IPACS and I will hopefully be able to get this done, and it may fulfill the Kickstarter goal for Aerofly FS2. So Aerofly will get more than initially planned, it will just take longer.

    Amen to that. That would certainly give AeroflyFS2 a push. And yes, it makes much more sense than to start with an airport. That's my issue with Aerosoft Helgoland. I can fly there from EDXH to ... just EDXH. I probably will buy it despite just to support Aerosoft AeroflyFS2 development, but I am afraid I wan't do much flying in it.

    Kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • Although the Kickstarter program ended months ago, I'd like to get onboard and support your work to get this asap. How can I do that?

    Cheers, Redtail. The Kickstarter site does have very clear rules regarding soliciting support outside their domain, which I'm happy to comply with. So it's just a matter of waiting for me to actually produce something at the moment. I am 'still on track', which is surprising to me...

    However I'm not against trying new ways to support my development habit, so if I need to rethink things you guys will be the first to know:)

  • Understood. Glad to hear you're still on track. I'm looking forward to purchasing my copy :)

    Redtail

    KFRG, KTEB, KEWR, KLGA

    ~Straighten up and fly right~

    DESKTOP: i7-7700k @5GHz (water cooled), Nvidia GTX 1080Ti FTW3, 32GB DDR4, 500GB SSD, Oculus Rift CV1, Windows 10 Home 64 bit,

    TM HOTAS Warthog (large spring removed), Saitek PRO Flight Combat Rudder Pedals, YOKO yoke!

    Laptop (gaming): Acer Predator Helios 500- Intel Core i7-8750H @4.1GHz, Nvidia GTX 1070, 32GB DDR4, 256GB SSD/1TB HDD.

    Gametrix JetSeat FSE (Flight Sim Edition)-USB Vibrating pad. Nextlevel V3 Motion Platform / Sim cockpit.

  • There has been some discussion regarding New Zealand in another thread. Several of us are trying our own cultivation and geoconversion attempts. However, I would be happy to support a full country addon, if the price was realistic, and there was sufficient scenery coverage to make it explorable and enjoyable.

    - Kenneth

  • As far as I can tell this seems to have dead-ended. Disappointing, as I paid into the kickstarter with high hopes.

    Devons rig

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  • Whatever happens, it will take some time -- at the moment I'm fully committed to the first multisim release, Christchurch International Airport, which will be released for Prepar3d later this year, FSX will follow soon after, then X-plane next year. Aerofly will be last simply because it needs a 'base' scenery first, otherwise there is nowhere local to fly to...

    Initially I had help with the base scenery, but now I'm on my own. The goal now has to be to release something which actually sells, hence a large local airport for Prepar3d.

    I'm very aware that time is getting on, but that was always going to be the case -- I'm just one guy, and although I work full-time at scenery development, most worthwhile projects are going to take a while. The NZ base scenery was always separate from the kickstarter project, in that it was initially discussed with IPACS following the start of the kickstarter. If it does ever eventuate, I would still like to see it included as a kickstarter pledge 'reward' for the higher tiers.

    If anyone has a good set of skills in Aerofly FS2 scenery development, then I'd be keen to collaborate -- the initial arrangement with another developer was a 50/50 split, after IPACS/Steam's cut, for the base scenery.

    The alternative is just to stick with the original project, and release NZCH for FS2, along with the photoscenery area which will be part of the Prepar3d/FSX version. X-plane would then be the odd man out, with the airport only. Once an airport scenery is available for all the sims, I can see what actually sells, which will determine the next step.