FS Scenery Programs

[xumepoc]

Hi. Can you tell me which are the best (freeware or payware) software/programs for creating FS Scenery for FS2004

[Ijineda]

yah please mention some!!I would love to create my own scenery!

[bm]

This is a very difficult question. There are many answers, and I don't even know myself. However I'm going to answer it

The simplest way is to create the taxiways & aprons is with AFCAD2. Then you can add 3d objects etc with FSSC &/or XML code. You can add loads of objects from the FS2004 object bank using Rollerballs User friendly design package which may help some to understand what this XML code stuff is about

To make macros for use with FSSC you can use Easy object Designer or FSDS(2). To create macros in XML format you need to use GMAX and do all sorts of fiddly stuff, which I can't help you with!

Anyway I believe that

[bm]

Flight Simulator Scenery Creator: http://www.fssc.avsim.net/

Easy Object Design: http://www.echos.ch/eod/

Rollerballs User friendly design package: http://www.simviation.com/fsdesign_scenery8.htm

AFCAD2: http://www.simviation.com/fs2004utilities1.htm

[Ijineda]

great, thanx a lot! I will try my best...

[RollerBall]

You can add loads of objects from the FS2004 object bank using Rollerballs User friendly design package which may help some to understand what this XML code stuff is about

Hiya Bird

Thanks for the mention but things have come on some since.

Forget AFCAD2.

YES forget AFCAD. It now has major limitations. I'm sorry Lee, but Tom Hiscox has now done it while we've been waiting.

Use SceneGenX by Tom of Airport fame. It does the lot with a user-friendly GUI interface, FSUIPC connection, the works.

You can do all the same stuff as AFCAD (OK, it's a bit more tricky to do things like taxiways, but stuff like navaids is a snip) but you can also add objects from the default FS9 library including objects that previously were inaccessible (like area delimited ones - he includes loads of buildings from DFW for example). Plus it will let you add objects from libraries that people will be creating in the future.

I used it as an experiment to create my Brentwood STOLport and only used AFCAD as an additional tool to confirm my position references.

At the moment you have to use Airport (but with the same background bmp on the same scale as SceneGenX) to set your excludes and flattens but pretty soon Tom will have those in SceneGenX as well.

So there you have it. Now can you see why I've been telling everyone to forget about FSSC and use Airport. It's THE design tool of the moment. There's nothing else like it right now.

I dunno - should keep my mouth shut. Now EVERYONE will be out there making incredible sceneries.

Roger

[Spidious]

USA Photo maps is a free program at http://jdmcox.com/ .

You can use it for the color photo-real part of the texture part
You just have to figure out how to do it and have the time to do it. It is rally quite a amazing FREE program. Just type in your address and it will come up. Then zoom out.. Way out. I have almost the whole state of central Illinois. Champaign to Chicago. Then around Las Vegas and San Francisco !

[brittair]

Is it me or once you get the hang of one way another appears and you are now out of date.  Just geting the hang of FSSC and FSDS and now everyone is on about scenegenx and some GUI.

Teach me to look away for a couple of days now I feel I am have to strat agian

[Hagar]

[quote]Is it me or once you get the hang of one way another appears and you are now out of date.

[brittair]

Thanks Hagar, it certainly changes fast now.  I just got used to FSSC and FSDS and have just uploaded my first project RAF Leeming to SimV so thanks to everyone in the Forum for their help getting me this far.  Birdman thanks for testing it and the texture help.

As leeming works in both FS2k2 and FS9, I am just unsure whether to finish of my other plans for RAF Dishorth, Topcliffe and Linton on Ouse as well as RAF Tinwald Downs (Dumfries) decommissioned after the war as I have already got the backgrounds and runways created in FSSC and the macros from my Leeming project.  Or do I move on  ???

[Hagar]

Hi Brittair. I'll look out for your RAF Leeming & check it out. I always liked FSSC as I find it easier to use than Airport. I use whatever I find easiest. This is purely my opinon but if the methods & tools you're using do what you want I would stick with them.

It never does any harm to check out new things as they appear. I once tried to keep abreast of all new developments (not only scenery design) as soon as they became available but sadly this is no longer the case. It also made me a "Jack of all trades" but master of none. I know enough about the basics of most things to do with FS/CFS to give anyone a good start. Then it's down to them. RollerBall is the best one here to give advice on this subject now. I trust him & his opinions.

[RollerBall]

[quote]Is it me or once you get the hang of one way another appears and you are now out of date.

[Hagar]

Just bear in mind that these latest design tools are only compatible with FS9 (I think so anyway). The programs & utilities you need will depend on the sim you're creating the scenery (or aircraft) for. Everyone seems to naturally assume that it's for the latest version, whether it be FS9 or CFS3. My specific interest is CFS2 for which I find FSSC perfectly satisfactory. The same can be said for FS2002, using AFCAD & FSSC (or Airport).

[brittair]

I started Leeming on FS2002 (  ready to download http://www.simviation.com/fs2004scenery41.htm )  but finished in FS9.  I run both just now but think I will be focusing on FS9 from now on.

[bm]

The problem with this new method, unless they are experienced with a computer a newbie or beginner is going to find all this XML stuff very difficult.

Firstly setting up sceneGenX is going to be hard for them - they are going to get very frustrated with it stopping every five minutes because they pressed a wrong button.

Then you have Gmax, a handful to learn even if you know the basics of scenery design, but I would say its way too difficult for most beginners.

I can't see currently (build 32) what advantages ScenegenX has over AFCAD2 in terms of taxiway and ground layout