Aerofly FS2 creating scenery with AeroScenery

[emfrat]

First of all, can I ask one of the Mods to create an AFS2 topic and move all the related posts to it?

Spent yesty and this morning trying out the AeroScenery software written by IPACS forum member nickhod. It worked well, even though I had not read the destructions - that is a sure sign of good coding. I now have some great images of the Chathams for conversion to AFS2.
At that point I was reduced to reading the guide created by crispy136, which made it clear that all the problems were of my own making ...watch this space
Nick's software is available here:

https://github.com/nickhod/aeroscenery/ ... /v0.6-beta

and crispy 136's guide to using it is here:

https://flight-sim.org/filebase/index.p ... ery-guide/

This is good stuff - very like the old days of UKVFR, when there was a strong community input. I hope AFS2 attracts more of the same.

EDIT: To correct the username of the author of the guide.

[toprob]

I've tried to split this out to a new topic, but only managed to get the one post -- it'll have to do for the moment, sorry.

[Charl]

Excellent stuff Mike - time hasn't allowed me to look properly... looks really promising.

[emfrat]

I've tried to split this out to a new topic, but only managed to get the one post -- it'll have to do for the moment, sorry.

Thanks Rob!

[toprob]

Just a follow-up to the FS2 sub-forum request -- I know this has nothing to do with me, it's up to the admin, but when did that ever stop me?...
There are a few other sub-forums where you could post something like this -- such as Scenery, or Developer's Discussion. The Scenery forum has had maybe 5 new threads over the last week, and Developer's Discussion hasn't had a post for more than two years! So it isn't likely that a specific interest like FS2 scenery is likely to get lost in any of the existing forums. Some days there are no new threads here at all, so it only takes a few seconds every few days to see what's new...

[emfrat]

Took a deep breath and jumped in. The Bing imaging seems to have a duller, darker tone to it than AFS2 default. Also, there is a thin layer of photoreal light cirrus just offshore. Both will need fixing and blending. The building footprints are nice and clear which will help when placing objects.

[toprob]

Excellent, that looks great, I wasn't sure what to expect from this, and this is better than expected...
I see they've cracked the mesh creation process for FS2, I'm looking forward to doing some tests soon. Not sure where there's elevation data for the Chathams, but there's plenty of topo stuff on LINZ to cultivate it!

[Charl]

Good show, Mike.

Actually...

[emfrat]

Thanks, Gents, for those kind words.
I didn't attempt any height mapping, but when I first looked at the Chathams, it was just a couple of flat green blobs on the ocean. After I installed the AeroScenery files, I started a flight a bit South of Pitt Island, and there was mesh there. At the moment I don't know why or how....

[toprob]

There is a default world-wide mesh, very low-res, but I guess that in some places it doesn't really matter.

[Splitpin]

Mike ...go you good thing

[emfrat]

Ta, Mate. I managed to make a height pointmap, but th'oul brain went past its use-by when I read the QGIS manual so I could put it into my AFS2

Mike

[emfrat]

Not sure where there's elevation data for the Chathams, but there's plenty of topo stuff on LINZ to cultivate it!

Rob, I found a geotiff source in the LINZTopo250 mapping. I have made a height point map tiff, but I can't see what to do next.
ATB, Mike

[toprob]

So, what exactly do you have at the moment? I've only seen a Contour dataset for the Chathams, I can recall converting contours to DEM a long time ago, but I forget how I did it:)
I have just read through the tutorial I linked to, it all makes sense, and I really should give it a go -- since it's a gloomy day, I should have a crack at the Coromandel today.

[toprob]

I had a go at a custom 5 metre mesh for the Coromandel, worked out well after a few false starts...

Default:


5 metre:

[emfrat]

Rob, this was the state of play half-an-hour ago. I discovered in QGIS that I could save the tiff I had made as a DEM. The type is described as "USGS Optional ASCII" so I'm hoping I can follow the tute for processing USGS stuff.

[toprob]

I'm pretty sure that the topo image won't include elevation data. As I mentioned, there is a contour file here:
https://data.linz.govt.nz/layer/50072-n ... topo-150k/

I did try and figure out how to use QGIS to convert this to a DEM GeoTIFF, but I didn't make much process. So I have done this with Global Mapper, which I assume you won't have (it is bloody expensive these days) and I could send you the results by email if you send me your email address. Then it would be a matter of just following the tutorial to create the FS2 mesh. (This is a 17MB GeoTIFF, but it does compress down to less than 1MB)
I can't guarantee the effectiveness of the GeoTIFF I'm built, but it would be worth a crack.

[Charl]

I so wish I had an open time slot to learn the lingo and walk the walk...
The stock mesh is actually not that bad... but 5m is definitely worth the trouble, eh?

upload img

[toprob]

Yes, I guess we are looking at something similar to the difference between the FSX default mesh and FTZ NZ or VLC mesh -- although I think that these are based on what LINZ call '10m' data, but is only really 10 metres in one direction, and 22 in the other...
I do in fact have a FS2 elevation file for NZ based on this 10m data, built by IPACS after I sent them the data. This was designed to form the basis of a custom NZ, but I'm not sure when/if it'll see the light of day.
There's more and more elevation data coming out of LINZ these days, up to 1 metre resolution, but generally I downsample to 5 metres for the sims. Christchurch for Prepar3d will include a 5 metre mesh. Makes a real difference if the landscape has some impressive features like the volcanic Port Hills, or the Coromandel, although it also helps with smaller features which only locals would notice.