Much of this week has been involved in aircraft modeling. The rest of the week has been devoted to research.
I have been focusing on the Solomons Islands area as the initial area of interest (for CFS3). Initially I am considering using SRTM 3 arc second DEM data (i.e. 90 metres between grid co-ordinates.) I think CFS3 Europe used the old gtopo30 or dted0 data for its data (30arc seconds), which is at 1km resolution, thus SRTM 3arc data is 10 times the resolution. Until I actually attempt to create the theatre I don't know how the CFS3 engine will handle it. Given the large areas of sea in that locale it may work. Failing that, SRTM30 data will work.
I just want to add that there is even higher resolution terrain data available, SRTM 1 arc second (30 metres). Presently this is only publicly available for the USA and a few other countries. However there is free publicly available 30M data for the Hawaiian Islands. Maybe someone will create a Pearl Harbour theatre at this resolution?
As I mentioned above, much of the week has involved research. This has involved finding as many images as possible of that area, both present and past; researching the WW2 history of that region, indeed the South West Pacific region; and also aircraft used during ww2 in the Solomons. Yep I hope to model a couple of aircraft for the Pacific theatre. I have ordered a book on the Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe and will probably start that soon. Another aircraft has yet to be decided. This afternoon I have been researching the ground cover of the islands which was largely rainforest interspersed with copra plantations.
Creating a new theatre such as this will involve much work, not only terrain, but texture tiles too and re-working of the landclass system. So the theatre will take a bit of time.
The CFS3 terrain SDK is starting to make a little more sense to me now and hopefully I will decide on the initial test area in the next couple of days and start processing.
I still intend to post some links on various resources from history to GIS ... so keep watching (all two of you...if that - LOL).
cheers
Rob
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Terrain Creation for CFS3: Starting off & Why
After primarily focusing my simulation related efforts on FS2004 & FSX for 15 months, returning to CFS3 feels a bit strange. I only recently installed CFS3 to allow installation of OFF Phase 2 & MAW. From the scenery perspective both of these add-ons offer considerable improvement over stock CFS3.
I must say after flying FSX for over a year both beta & release, the first thing one notices when flying CFS3 is the low resolution of the terrain textures. Actually I'm finding them not as bad as I first thought. The ground textures in CFS3 are slightly better than the stock terrain textures in FS2004, however FS2004 wins over CFS3 with building autogen. FS2004 terrain textures are more aliased, jaggy, than CFS3. FSX's 1024x1024 terrain tiles offer a considerably sharper experience than the other two MS sims. Aircraft in CFS3 however do look nice & sharp and are well shaded, and while CSF3's material system is not as fully featured as FSX, offers more options than FS2004.
Anyway my first step is to gain an understanding of CSF3's texture rendering methods, which employs a layered technique modulated by xml mos files. This will involve systematic analysis of all stock ground texture files in CFS3 and pouring through the CFS3 Terrain SDK documents.
I'm also trying to decide on an area to test first. Presently I am looking at the Solomon Islands area and have carried out a few days research on the geography, WW2 history of that region, and looking at the available GIS data. I have also had a quick gander at Spain. I may end up doing something totally different, perhaps a small area.
I have already set up a second CFS3 installation to form the basis of my test region. Today I will set up an additional installation basically to experiment with the guts of CFS3. I know a few others have done likewise however I believe in finding out things for myself and also greatly enjoy experimentation.
Why CFS3?
Why am I focusing on CFS3? A number of reasons - There is no indication of another combat flight simulator from Microsoft and given their current projects i.e. DX10 for FSX, Acceleration Pack for FSX and Train Simulator, Aces will be occupied for quite some time. MS/Aces will also have to start developing FS11 soon too, given that it takes a couple of years to produce a version of FS. There are some other interesting things happening at Aces too, as witness advertised jobs.... Montauk, but no sign of a combat simulator. Given their current projects, even if MS decided on a CFS, we wouldn't see one until 2010 or 2011 (unless of course, there is an ultra top secret one on the way). That's a long time to go without.
Aviation history & also military aviation are consuming passions for me, and FSX while being very nice graphicly just does not cut it from the historical perspective. Even if MS do not add combat to Flight Simulator, they have to, at least consider adding the fourth dimension i.e. time & history to the simulator, the ability to have autogen & scenery appear by date, similar to CFS3's xdp files for sim objects.
Thus CFS3, despite its shortcomings offers the only possibly venue, for me at least, as a sand box to explore & satisfy my interest in military aviation history, in the short term. I do hope to create terrain & scenery for FSX at a later date too... especially my local area. My aircraft creation activities will continue too. Now that much of the learning curve for FSX is behind me I can spend more time on scenery creation & CFS3.
I am also inspired by especially by MAW and also OFF.
I expect progress in the coming months to be haphazard given health matters. So don't expect anything too soon.
Some resources -
cheers
Rob
I must say after flying FSX for over a year both beta & release, the first thing one notices when flying CFS3 is the low resolution of the terrain textures. Actually I'm finding them not as bad as I first thought. The ground textures in CFS3 are slightly better than the stock terrain textures in FS2004, however FS2004 wins over CFS3 with building autogen. FS2004 terrain textures are more aliased, jaggy, than CFS3. FSX's 1024x1024 terrain tiles offer a considerably sharper experience than the other two MS sims. Aircraft in CFS3 however do look nice & sharp and are well shaded, and while CSF3's material system is not as fully featured as FSX, offers more options than FS2004.
Anyway my first step is to gain an understanding of CSF3's texture rendering methods, which employs a layered technique modulated by xml mos files. This will involve systematic analysis of all stock ground texture files in CFS3 and pouring through the CFS3 Terrain SDK documents.
I'm also trying to decide on an area to test first. Presently I am looking at the Solomon Islands area and have carried out a few days research on the geography, WW2 history of that region, and looking at the available GIS data. I have also had a quick gander at Spain. I may end up doing something totally different, perhaps a small area.
I have already set up a second CFS3 installation to form the basis of my test region. Today I will set up an additional installation basically to experiment with the guts of CFS3. I know a few others have done likewise however I believe in finding out things for myself and also greatly enjoy experimentation.
Why CFS3?
Why am I focusing on CFS3? A number of reasons - There is no indication of another combat flight simulator from Microsoft and given their current projects i.e. DX10 for FSX, Acceleration Pack for FSX and Train Simulator, Aces will be occupied for quite some time. MS/Aces will also have to start developing FS11 soon too, given that it takes a couple of years to produce a version of FS. There are some other interesting things happening at Aces too, as witness advertised jobs.... Montauk, but no sign of a combat simulator. Given their current projects, even if MS decided on a CFS, we wouldn't see one until 2010 or 2011 (unless of course, there is an ultra top secret one on the way). That's a long time to go without.
Aviation history & also military aviation are consuming passions for me, and FSX while being very nice graphicly just does not cut it from the historical perspective. Even if MS do not add combat to Flight Simulator, they have to, at least consider adding the fourth dimension i.e. time & history to the simulator, the ability to have autogen & scenery appear by date, similar to CFS3's xdp files for sim objects.
Thus CFS3, despite its shortcomings offers the only possibly venue, for me at least, as a sand box to explore & satisfy my interest in military aviation history, in the short term. I do hope to create terrain & scenery for FSX at a later date too... especially my local area. My aircraft creation activities will continue too. Now that much of the learning curve for FSX is behind me I can spend more time on scenery creation & CFS3.
I am also inspired by especially by MAW and also OFF.
I expect progress in the coming months to be haphazard given health matters. So don't expect anything too soon.
Some resources -
- CFS3 Terrain SDK
- Martin Wright's tutorial on the scenery SDK. Also CFS3 SceneDB and his multi CFS3 utility.
- Some useful material on the Korean Skies site (on the Maintenance page).
cheers
Rob
Sunday, July 22, 2007
An Introduction.
Hi - this blog will focus on my experiments in the world of scenery & terrain creation for Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3.0 and Flight Simulator X. I also hope to post on my experiments in the world of GIS.
The intention is to suppliment & compliment my existing flight sim & 3D creation blogs, The Biff Diaries and The Wing Fell Off.
I find the world of GIS & its myrad of data formats & information systems somwhat bewildering & confusing for the beginner. I have dabbled with terrain creation on the past using software such as VistaPro on both the Windows & Amiga platforms. However most of that is at least a decade in the past. Things have become much more sophisticated in the interim. Likewise with scenery/terrain creation for MS simulators - especially CFS3. Terrain creation for CFS3 is very much a 'Black Art' and to date, only one person that I know of, has created new maps & theatres for CFS3.
Anyway my voyage of discovery in these black arts of terrain creation, GIS & scenery design has begun. Hopefully it will bear fruit. ;)
Rob
The intention is to suppliment & compliment my existing flight sim & 3D creation blogs, The Biff Diaries and The Wing Fell Off.
I find the world of GIS & its myrad of data formats & information systems somwhat bewildering & confusing for the beginner. I have dabbled with terrain creation on the past using software such as VistaPro on both the Windows & Amiga platforms. However most of that is at least a decade in the past. Things have become much more sophisticated in the interim. Likewise with scenery/terrain creation for MS simulators - especially CFS3. Terrain creation for CFS3 is very much a 'Black Art' and to date, only one person that I know of, has created new maps & theatres for CFS3.
Anyway my voyage of discovery in these black arts of terrain creation, GIS & scenery design has begun. Hopefully it will bear fruit. ;)
Rob
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