Whakatane Airport

[Timmo]

This is currently in development and features high resolution photoscenery coverage, photoreal terminal and hangers and ammended airport facility information (the default runway placment was incorrect)

This is being designed for FSX only but its possible a FS9 version may be released by Lawrie (Snowman)

Beta Images


Stage 1- Initial design in Sketchup






Stage 2- Import into Flightsim (no building textures)





Stage 3- Texturing for FSX

[Timmo]

Good news and bad news

The good news is that Whakatane is coming along nicely- Ive been adding night textures, reflection maps for the windows, LODs and a few other detail items like fuel pumps and lights.
The bad news.....I think ive corrupted my gmax proejct file!....i do have a back up copy sitting somewhere and most of the time developing is just learning how things work...but it is still a set back
Ive also got a problem with enabling bloom at night which makes the screen go totally white....I think this is to do with my graphics card drivers so ill need to do more testing. Im using bloom on textures which are on lights- These give a nice night light effect.....

Here are some pics of the airport in its current state:









Ill upload more when photobucket plays ball

[Timmo]

I have been slowly ticking off things on the list....it has been hard trying to find the time! Ive got another big project in the works which has also been eating into my FS time budget

Anyway- Ive just been sorting out the night environment- adding more night maps and light effects (as you can see these arent finished yet)

Dawn

Dusk

Night

Day

[Timmo]

Hi guys- I just thought id share the latest pics from my freeware Whakatane airport. It is close to finished now I just need to do some beta testing with other users installations....

Ive spent the last little while adding a few more bits and bobs to the terminal, getting the night textures and lights working properly and general tidying up of files.



























(just a note: the lights of Whakatane in the background of one of the shots arent included- They are part of a payware NZ scenery enhancement I am working on)

[Timmo]

Ive just been spending the last little while optimising the model by reducing the vertex counts (a hangover from using Sketchup to model- every face has its own vertices and doesnt share with common faces)

To give you and idea of the reduction: Before I started optimising, my main terminal model had 5790 vertices. After a quick pass using weld with a very small threshold (so as not to ruin the geometry but only weld shared verts) I got it down to 3297.

Other objcts got similar reductions of between 50 and-70% reduction in vertices. This should hopefully give better performance.

I've also been making some cars to populate the carpark and give the airport a bit more life plus tidying up a few other things mentioned by my beta testers (thanks a heap guys, especially Robin)

[Timmo]

Merry Christmas Guys!
Im uploading it to Avsim now so hopefully it should be avaliable today.

Im off to bed! My wrist is killing me as i've been planted in front of the computer all afternoon finishing stuff off

[Redda03]

Timmo,

Just downloaded....without a doubt the best NZ "freeware" FSX Addon Scenery package to date....well done!!

And enjoy the Christmas celebrations!!

Bob R

[spongebob206]

Thanks Timmo,

Downloading today.

Can't wait. have to go out to the bikes now, so won't be home till late.

Cheers mate and have a relaxing day.