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Thread: Next Scenery Project

  1. #26
    Thank you Sir. This Tower has a story to it;

    This is the tower I remember from my time at Wheelus, however after chatting with a controller that was there at the same time, there was a newer tower. Only problem is that the only pic of that tower is about the size of a postage stamp and impossible to see any detail other than the fact that it's a Tower, lol. Because of that. . .and because I like this tower better anyway, this is the one that will grace the scenery.

    You can probably tell there is an alignment problem with the stripes. Because the tower is multifaceted each plane must be textured individually and getting each plane to line up is proving difficult (but not impossible). I'll get it done eventually.

    Wheelus_Tower by Ed Wells, on Flickr
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  2. #27
    One thing that drags this out significantly is not building the objects. . .it's cross checking the current layout with what it looked like prior to the takeover. There are numerous new buildings and changes in landscape that were never there before and so figuring out where specific buildings should be placed and then adjusting the ground texture to remove and tweak to look correct or as close as possible is a bit daunting. In the end I want it to be as accurate as possible, but also realizing that it would be slim to none that anyone would have been there in the first place.

    I belong to several Wheelus Facebook sites and they've been a major help in locating pics and remembering where certain buildings were located. . .but no one I've ever run across in those sites is familiar with Flight Simulations. They know of it, but beyond that. . .nada, lol. So the reality is that whatever I end up producing, I'll probably be the only person who knows the base.
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  3. #28
    I dont post much here these days, but im really looking forward to this project, My local airfield,RAF Manston was home to USAF units untill 1958, and Wheelus was a regular destination for gunnery practice by Manston units. Looking forward to some long flights south from SE England, maybe stopping off at Luqa for a beer

  4. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by ian elliot View Post
    I don't post much here these days, but I'm really looking forward to this project, My local airfield,RAF Manston was home to USAF units until 1958, and Wheelus was a regular destination for gunnery practice by Manston units. Looking forward to some long flights south from SE England, maybe stopping off at Luqa for a beer
    Thanks Ian, I'm doing my best to get it completed.
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  5. #30
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
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    I can assure you Ed you have my full attention as well. However I had to google the airfield as I was completely unaware of its existence.

    Like most of us here I grew up during the cold war and from my viewpoint now, it is amazing how much infrastructure was build during this period. While in my youth it was just normal....

    Cheers,
    Huub

  6. #31
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  7. #32

    Really Lookin Good

    It's really coming along nicely.

  8. #33
    SOH-CM-2024 Duckie's Avatar
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    Ed, that’s looking really good!
    Duckie

    "I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave!"

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    My SOH Downloads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...d=79620&sort=d

  9. #34
    SOH-CM-2024 Cees Donker's Avatar
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    Looking very good Ed!



    Cees

  10. #35
    Well done Ed, looking forward to the finished product!

    The Old MSgt

  11. #36
    Well, I may have painted myself into a corner here, lol

    This is the current extent of what I've accomplished. If I am honest, this also represents about half of what I had planned on including in the scenery when completed. The problem is that I think I might be reaching the limits of my system because those F-100's you see on the flightline turn black when I get too close. This suggests (I think) that my graphics card is being taxed and if that's the case then anything else I add will only exacerbate the situation. I had big plans to add the theater, NCO Club, Officers Club, Terminal, Base Ops and so on. If I'm right about the graphics card, none of that will happen. Ughh!!

    Wheelus_9_28 by Ed Wells, on Flickr
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  12. #37

    F-100s or scenery

    It's always a decision to make. When I finished NAS Alameda all who had been following me said how fantastic it was. But then, many said it was a frame hog. I did not know back then how to use "Clean-up" in Sketchup either to remove all those pesky triangles from it before its exported for MDCx.

    I believe that you have accomplished as fantastic a scenery here with Wheelus AFB. There are all kinds of freeware and payware that is great,l but the military bases have long been neglected.

    I am going to suggest that you add the buildings you want and make the F-100's ai a separate folder that can be added or not by the user. Also the same for the sound files. The end-user can decide based on their system capabilities. I don't have a powerful game system either and that is what I did. Its your decision in the end.

  13. #38
    That's some impressive scenery! I would not doubt that it is stressing your computer.
    My computer: ABS Gladiator Gaming PC featuring an Intel 10700F CPU, EVGA CLC-240 AIO cooler (dead fans replaced with Noctua fans), Asus Tuf Gaming B460M Plus motherboard, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM, 1 TB NVMe SSD, EVGA RTX3070 FTW3 video card, dead EVGA 750 watt power supply replaced with Antec 900 watt PSU.

  14. #39
    Outstanding work, Ed! It makes me wish I had a system that could run FSX well, as opposed to just running it!

    I wasn't aware that Sketchup had a function that could clean up the scenery object, but it makes sense since GMAX has something similar if I'm not mistaken. For GMAX I think it's "smoothing", but I may be mistaken.

    Another option (though VERY time consuming) would be to make Levels of Detail (LOD's) for the objects. I can't remember if FSX handles them the same way as CFS2/FS9 did, but it may be an option.

    Also, if you use one texture sheet per object as opposed to several sheets for one object, then it will reduce the "drawcalls" for the sim as well. You can do all the drawcall stuff with MCX. It won't be the same as if you did it prior to applying the textures to the object in Sketchup, but at least it will lower the need for computer power since the system will be calling up one or two textures as opposed to a dozen.

    Since FSX can handle up to 2048x2048, you can have a better option of reducing the number of textures than you would when using the MCX function for FS9 since that one only goes up to 1024x1024. By using 2048 you can "stuff" more textures as pieces onto a single sheet - almost 4x as many.

    If you model the LOD's individually in Sketchup, you can then add them one by one in MCX using it's LOD editor.

    You also have an option to use the "auto" function MCX has and have it do it for you. In that case you just run the models you have through the MCX function and won't have to make the LOD's yourself, but you'll sometimes get some strange looking shapes as a result - especially with the lower LOD's.

    It's definitely a wonderful project, Ed. Let me know if some of the tricks I've learned recently can help. They're meant for FS9, but FSX shouldn't be too far off. I'd be more than happy to share!

    Jorge
    Miami, FL

  15. #40
    Getting close:

    terminal_etc-2022-oct-2-002 by Ed Wells, on Flickr
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  16. #41
    Looks great Ed, did you figure out a fix for the F-100's? I've got a less than stellar PC as far as running FSX!

  17. #42
    Very nice, outstanding work.

  18. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by oldmsgt View Post
    Looks great Ed, did you figure out a fix for the F-100's? I've got a less than stellar PC as far as running FSX!
    Actually no I didn't however I'm convinced it isn't my graphics card. I have continued to add objects along with several flight plans for F-100's and a few C-47's that will fly to El-Uotia and back for supplies. My FPS continues to be around 24 after hitting that lull a week or so ago. It may just be the model which isn't ideal since on any given view the ones that turn black change repeatedly, lol.
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

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