NZFF

Hi Robin

You mentioned previously that you would release a new version of Wellington once NZNI was out and you were able to make it compatable. Are you still working on this as even though the NZNI Wellington is okay, its nothing compared to what it could be.

Glenn

Robin made a bit of a mention on Facebook recently, see if I can find it..
Here you go. Well worth all who have Facebook adding Godzone to their feed

I've had a few queries asking about 'Real NZ' scenery with Orbx NZNI, but at the moment I have no details of what NZNI will include, or what work would need to be done to make Real New Zealand scenery compatible.

I have said before that I am currently working on a new NZWN, but at the moment this is specifically for Vector Land Class/default FSX. Orbx have made it clear that their scenery doesn't lend itself to use with high-detail international airports, so it may be that Orbx users will be happier with the version supplied with NZNI -- we won't know how that'll look until it's released.

Once NZNI is released, I'll have a better idea where I should concentrate my time, but patching for Orbx may take second place to the Real NZ/VLC Wellington.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/GodzoneVirtualFlight

Source: http://www.facebook.com/GodzoneVirtualFlight
[/quote]

Thanks for that reference. The NZNI Wellington isnt too bad actually considering it is just a simple update of the default, but you cant beat Robins photo scenery.

There are still some options which I can consider, including once I finish the new Wellington for VLC, I just cut the airport out at the boundaries to overcome the incompatible autogen issues. This may or may not look strange, as the colours might not match.

In this shot showing VLC across the harbour inlet, the match is spot-on, although this relies on some updated VLC landclass textures.

toprob wrote:

QUOTE (toprob @ Jul 29 2012,8:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are still some options which I can consider, including once I finish the new Wellington for VLC, I just cut the airport out at the boundaries to overcome the incompatible autogen issues.

That has seemed to work well with Hamilton just about to post screens of the airport , course Mike has also placed Ham city center .. not on a cut photo but the buildings and it has come out very well , possibly what you may need to do as well ?

toprob wrote:

QUOTE (toprob @ Jul 29 2012,7:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are still some options which I can consider, including once I finish the new Wellington for VLC, I just cut the airport out at the boundaries to overcome the incompatible autogen issues. This may or may not look strange, as the colours might not match.

It would be a shame to loose the extended photo area (Hutt Valley - Porirua) as this really adds to the whole package. Looking forward to seeing the new Wellington and I guess I can always switch from NZNI to VLC when Im flying in Wellington. Anyhow what ever you come up with count me in as usual.

Glenn.

Can't...see...enough...detail

Hi Robin,

I changed to NZSI/NZNI completely and - while I liked VLC and can't judge how close the ORBX version is to reality - I am overwhelmed by the level of customized detail and sheer beauty of the sceneries. I would not have thought this to be possible in 6 yrs old FSX with no framerate penalty at all.

It's certainly up to you how to proceed, however, I for one would enjoy and well be willing to pay for high-quality add-ons like airports based on the ORBX sceneries.

Kind regards, Michael

MichaelBasler wrote:

QUOTE (MichaelBasler @ Aug 5 2012,8:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Robin,

I changed to NZSI/NZNI completely and - while I liked VLC and can't judge how close the ORBX version is to reality - I am overwhelmed by the level of customized detail and sheer beauty of the sceneries. I would not have thought this to be possible in 6 yrs old FSX with no framerate penalty at all.

It's certainly up to you how to proceed, however, I for one would enjoy and well be willing to pay for high-quality add-ons like airports based on the ORBX sceneries.

Kind regards, Michael

I second that.

me Too

Hi Michael,
you took the words out of my mouth! I´m looking forward to ORBX - compatible sceneries (old and new), made by kiwis for kiwis and kiwi-addicted people.
Regards sandman

I am also just waiting to buy Orbx NZ compatible airports. I already have Nelson and 'The southern lakes' and they seem to fit nicely.
I have read that Auckland should fit into NZNI as well, so perhaps I will take a chance that Wellington does too.


Michael

mhlarsen wrote:

QUOTE (mhlarsen @ Aug 2 2012,5:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am also just waiting to buy Orbx NZ compatible airports. I already have Nelson and 'The southern lakes' and they seem to fit nicely.
I have read that Auckland should fit into NZNI as well, so perhaps I will take a chance that Wellington does too.


Michael

Just a heads-up that Supercity is just an aerial photo scenery, it doesn't include any airports, whereas Wellington's main feature is the airport. Any photo scenery will work to some extent with anything, as photo scenery always sits on top of anything else, but airports are different.

Someone has mentioned the autogen problems with Supercity (the 'gable-roof' bug which Orbx scenery causes), and a fix for that is easy enough -- although when I say 'fix', I mean I change the region from New Zealand (which Orbx has broken) to European, which they haven't broken.

Supercity would also need a scenery exclude to get rid of double-ups, which is easy as well.

Wellington is a completely different proposition, which is why I'd rather redo it from scratch.

At the moment I only have one computer, so I don't have a spare development system to try out NZNI, but I could come up with a Supercity patch without it, I'd just need someone to test it for me on their NZNI installation.

toprob wrote:

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 6 2012,11:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just a heads-up that Supercity is just an aerial photo scenery, it doesn't include any airports, whereas Wellington's main feature is the airport. Any photo scenery will work to some extent with anything, as photo scenery always sits on top of anything else, but airports are different.

Someone has mentioned the autogen problems with Supercity (the 'gable-roof' bug which Orbx scenery causes), and a fix for that is easy enough -- although when I say 'fix', I mean I change the region from New Zealand (which Orbx has broken) to European, which they haven't broken.

Supercity would also need a scenery exclude to get rid of double-ups, which is easy as well.

Wellington is a completely different proposition, which is why I'd rather redo it from scratch.

At the moment I only have one computer, so I don't have a spare development system to try out NZNI, but I could come up with a Supercity patch without it, I'd just need someone to test it for me on their NZNI installation.

Hi Robin

I would be happy to test as I have NZNI and Supercity installed.

Murray Hall

MurrayH wrote:

QUOTE (MurrayH @ Aug 2 2012,10:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Robin

I would be happy to test as I have NZNI and Supercity installed.

Murray Hall

Cheers, Murray, that would be great.
First step is a Region file which I'll get to you shortly.

toprob wrote:

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 2 2012,12:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At the moment I only have one computer, so I don't have a spare development system to try out NZNI, but I could come up with a Supercity patch without it, I'd just need someone to test it for me on their NZNI installation.

Robin, I feel detailed testing should be done by people who know the area from their own experience, thus I would not quality. However, when you get more close to something finished (late beta :-), feel free to contact me an I'll see if I find any loose ends.

I have NZSI+NZNI installed. Supercity is deactivated at present, but still on my HD, so I could re-activate and modify it as required for testing.

Regards, Michael

Murray -- I did in fact plan to send a test fix for Supercity already, but in the end I decided to test the patches myself, as I want to deal with Tauranga first. I've put off installing NZNI ("a bug that can potentially cause your FSX installation to be deleted" -- good grief) but I've finally plucked up the courage.

Initial impression is that they've put a lot more work into NZNI compared to NZSI, I guess that six+ months makes a lot of difference. It is quite stunning in the summer, I've definitely done my fair share of gawking today, flying at tree-top level way up north.

The autogen is amazing, but because of the plethora of new tree types I was expecting more cabbage trees/fern etc. Since they don't show up in the South Island I was expecting them to be kept 'in reserve' for the North Island, but they are few and far between. I don't know the North Island that well, but down here cabbage trees are almost a legal requirement for all properties:)

The elevation mesh seems a lot better than NZSI, with a lot less airports needing to be re-elevated. I've always thought that NZSI is a few metres too high overall, but no such problem with NZNI. I really miss the roads with NZNI installed, I'm used to navigating that way using VLC, so I'm kind of freaked by the almost total absence of rural roads. I've been working on some airfields for VLC, so I've been using Google Earth to locate the VLC airfields and figuring out how to get there by following the roads. One airstrip I've been looking at working on is close to Dargaville, easy to find because it is on Airstrip Road:) I've flown in there a few times by finding the road, but NZNI has no such road, or airstrip, just some admittedly beautiful trees.

This week I'll have a look at Real NZ Tauranga first, I won't make any guess as to ETA, as I might want to incorporate some VLC Library objects. I have an autogen roof fix for Supercity, but I need to fly a lot to see what else needs to be tweaked.

Hi Robin,
glad to hear we can use Auckland, Tauranga (and Marlborough?) in NZNI without problems soon. I´m espacially waiting for your new Welly (my daughter lives there and I hope to visit the capital next year and compare simulation with reality ;-)). I tried some sceneries from creator2003 in NZNI and they (not all) worked fine for me (because of the better elevation mesh?).
Regards sandman

Robin

I agree with all your comments; to me [a 'low and slow' fanatic] NZNI is simply great. I do note your comment about the general lack of minor rural roads and agree it does detract from a total approval. However I invariably 'fly' with simultaneous use of PlanG (using coupled computers) and the excellent roading display in the 'terrain' mode of that program is, I think, even better than the road systems to be found in most other products.

I do look forward to being able to incorporate your earlier works.

Regards

Clyde Williams
LEVIN

Hi