Golden Age Scenery File Available

[Barbara Ellen]

Hi Gang,

I was talking with John Williams these past few days in regards to recreating the Old Ohio Airports series for FS9. He was really happy to hear that someone was interested in continuing the project. He told me he would lend a hand with information, and maybe some 3d objects. John was a bit negative about recreating the series, cause he didn't think it would be accepted based on the past responses regarding the FS2002 version. Anyway, I told him I wanted to try, and he gave me his blessing on using the Old Ohio Aiports materials, and information from FS2002.

I wanted to let you all know that I am adding a copy of the ooa_series_i.zip file for FS2002 to the hubby, and my website. It is available for download, and is 2.8Mb in length. I tried it in FS9, and it seems to work ok, but has some flaws on some of the objects. Remember, this package was created for FS2002, but most of what John talks about in the ReadMe holds true with FS9. I am not too sure about what the names of the files are that need to be removed to create the old look that is created in FS2002 (the removal of modern airports).

John said that you have to remember that OOA was a work in progress at the time he stopped working on it, and that some fields may be a bit rough. Some of the airports he has created are the Taylorcraft Field in Alliance, Ohio; McKinley Airport in Canton (forerunner of KCAK); Schoenbrunn Airport in Dover, Ohio; Old Wayne County near Wooster, Ohio; Ashland Airport in Ashland, Ohio (forerunner of Ashland County); Clickenger Airport near Columbus (created for his friend Earl Lloyd); Phenick Flying Service in Newark, Ohio (created for his friend Jim Nichols); and John's home field Williams Air Turf near Berlin Reservoir.

This series was a very excellent scenery attempt by John for FS2002 as it has airways beacons to fly at night from one point to another which guided pilots to their destinations. The beacons work rather well in FS2002, but have been stifled for FS9. Also, the beacons include airways guidance lights, red for course, green for airports, and white for guidance. Kevin Breen helped John with this series, and should be given credit for the information regarding the airways beacons, and aeronautical bulletins used to create the series. John wanted me to make sure I gave Kevin his credit due as Kevin, and John are good friends. Also, John wanted to give Bill Lyons, Jim nichols, and Earl Lloyd credit for encouraging him, and for the information on Phenick Flying Service, and Clickenger Airport.

If you download the series, and try it, please let me know what you think of it. I am sure John would be happy to hear any comments on the series as he often visits here, but doesn't contribute anymore for personal reasons.

I think it is a wonderful scenery package, and is best appreciated when using FS2002, but the fields look good in FS9 despite the problems with the beacons, and some textures.

johns3dworkshop.com/leaf/Downloads/ooa_series_i.zip

HUGS.... Barb

[Slide]

Hi Barb, thanks for the HU - I´m off to get it. ;D

[MoCat]

Barb,

If you downloaded any of my sceneries....Fee free to use the object's libraries therein!

If you need anything, just ask!

MoCat

[Kofi]

Sounds good - Now I can go for a leisure flight after the Cleveland Air Races

[Barbara Ellen]

Hi Gang,

I have been working on this old Ohio airports project, and one of the features from the old project of John's is the airways beacon system. I have tried my darndest to make a beacon that will show up at 20nm, or so. I even tried an attachment effect using the LOD distance, but that didn't work either. The question is, are there any available airways beacons that anyone would know of that would fit is application? Those beacons John had in FS2002 worked great, and were made with FSDS, then applied as a macro. They were so sweet, and very much to specs for the airways beacons data that Kevin Breen had supplied.

The problem I see is when you apply a LIGHT_ tag to an object in FS9, the LOD is so short that the light disappears within a few meters of the object. I will admit, I am not that great with effects, and attachment in Gmax, but I did get an effect that would show at 20nm, and it's size was rather huge to allow for the amount of light needed to produce the effect of a distant beacon. Then when I attached that effect to the Gmax object with an LOD distance assigned to it, it never seemed to work at all.

Any thoughts on this, or should I just leave the beacons out of the projects?

HUGS ..... Barb

[jimslost]

Hi, Barb,

I like what you're trying to do and hope it works. I would definitely favor having the beacons. I don't know if this would help, but have you looked at the DC-3 Airways beacon package? I believe the file is called dca_am_night_flts_2004_V2.zip but I don't know where you'd find it today. The beacons work in FS9 but not 2002 (though when I flew it I got the impression 15 miles might be the maximum visibility). The package contains CLE and TOL, but it would be great to have a more extensive network.

Good luck.

jim

[Barbara Ellen]

Cool Jim, I will take a look, and let you know if it works for me.

Yah, I like the idea of looking at the horizon on a good flying day, and seeing those bright beacons, then aligning the aircraft to the correct heading. You know that if you see the beacon, you are usually on the right heading. Just too cool, and kinda gives you some idea what the airmail pilots had to go through.

thanks for the tip.

HUGS .....Barb

[MoCat]

Barb,

To increase the distance of your effect you need to create an effect controller....i.e., when you look through the effects folder and see fwshow1.fx, fwshow2.fx and so on....just before that you'll see a file call fwcontrol.fx for more info goto scenerydesign.org.

MoCat

[Barbara Ellen]

Wow, MoCat, I went to the scenerydesign forum....... CLEAR AS MUD.......*giggles*. I can understand the control firing off the other effects, but not sure how to make it all work. One guy says you can have the controller attached to the same object as the effect it controls, and another says you need separate objects for the conroller and effects. I guess I will do the little box experiment, AGAIN, until I figure out what is the correct way to do it. I'm writting this stuff down, cause it is way too confusing to keep in my head.

Any help is always appreciated.

HUGS .....Barb

[MoCat]

Barb,

It gets to be a nightmare......I just completed the 1931 National Air Tour Scenery and it in testing. Should be released the weekend....if all goes well. 18 States, 4800 nautical miles, 33 custom airports all animated with custom scenery, lights and effects.....So, I know how you feel.

Theres a lot of confusion on how the controller works but not only does it allow you to manipulate multiple effects for some unknow reason....the distances for light extend to line of sight......

I made a number of light houses for NAT, including Belle Island and Perry Monument in Lake Erie. The first light house and the search lights I did using a cone, decreasing the opacity and animating....the light only extends as far as the cone....just like the ones in FS9.....The Perry monument I did with both a cone and light effect with a controller.....I used two diffenet boxes to attach the effect and the controller.

When I did fire works....If I mak just a box with the controller and no boxs with the FWSHOW1.fx attached then there are no effects.....

If you have EZ-Scenery feel free to use any of my objects from any of my sceneries....there's probably 250 to 300 objects, buildings and the like.......if you need a list of textures....just pm me I'll forward to you.

I'll do anything I can to help!

MoCat

[jimslost]

You guys are sooo cool! If I can just get Joe to finish putting my plane back together, I know where I'll be spending this spring!