Simviation Forums

Hi Good People,



Been a bit quiet lately for the Ford Tri-Motor Project - some major surgery for me last year - several runs actually - but finally fully back on my feet. As part of my convalescence over the last couple of months Edward and I decided to do a scenery pack that would merge into our Ford India Project - a batch of 4 Airfields in Manchukuo and a couple of bridging airfields, one in Saigon and a French Fort airfield called Fort Bayard in lower French Indochina. I really got stuck into some model building and had some great fun creating almost 100 new models and tweaking some of the others we have.

Anyway - I would like to present to you The FREE Manchukuo Scenery Project - something new and exciting for your FS2004 entertainment.


A couple of pics for you to check out:




A fun slideshow to show a greater view of the overall project: http://www.ford-tri-motor.net/Slideshows/Manchukuo_Project_CHINA.html

Where do you get it?
At the Ford Tri-Motor Project Site http://www.ford-tri-motor.net start at the Scenery Page and follow the leads
or a direct link http://www.ford-tri-motor.net/Ford-Manchukuo.htm

OK - that is all of the latest news from your Ford Project Team - download and enjoy yet another FREE fun scenery project.

Regards
Garry and Edward
Your Ford Project Team.

Looking good Garry. Will it work in fsx too?

striker wrote:Looking good Garry. Will it work in fsx too?

Blasphemy

Hi Striker,

Unknown in regards to FSX - The entire Ford Tri-Motor Project is developed specifically for the FS2004 environment. Why? simply because Ed and I are Old Dogs and we enjoy that environment, Far too many other developers have abandoned FS2004 which still has countless users out there for a plethora of reasons. So we try to fill the gap with some good stuff for those that enjoy FS2004.

Regards

Garry

Hi Garry, I recently "upgraded" from FSX to FS2004 and having a ball. All of a sudden all those problematic aircraft add-ons are working perfectly and also many more now available. Your FS2004 scenery is a fantastic "gift", thank you very much. If I may ask, what software/tools are you using to create the scenery?

Thanks Garry! Long live FS9!

Hi Rooituo,

I use Google Sketchup to build my 3D models
I use Model ConverterX to convert the Sketchup models to MDL files
I use Library Creator to build the FS2004 libraries for the models (MDL)
I use both Flight1's Instant Scenery tools and Abacus's EZ Scenery tools to populate the fields with the models.
I use AFX to build the AFCAD style renditions of the airfields.

There are a plethora of alternative tools to do all of the tasks above however, I stick with what I know and have done so for years - familiarity helps in the speed of development.

Regards

Cool, thanks for that Garry, helps me greatly. I want to create my local airfield here in South Africa (which doesn't even exist in FS2004 nor FSX) and have really struggled to get going. Tried some tutorials which I found on the internet, but they use programs like AFCAD2, Easy Object Designer, FSSC (Flight Simulator Scenery Creator), Airport for Windows 3.0, Runway 12 and DXTBMP. Some of those are not supported or used anymore and I’m struggling just to make progress with the tutorials and wondered if there isn’t a better way to make FS9 scenery with more modern tools, which can also be used for FSX at a later stage. I think you have a good formula there. However, I don't see anything with which you do textures, or is that Sketchup as well?

In relation to textures/artwork I use Paint Shop Pro Version 7 and Version 8 - yes two different version - Version 7 because I have just about mastered all of the tools I need within the product over many years and can rapidly create artwork for FS2004 and other things. Version 8 gives me a few additional tools for some enrichment every now and again. I believe that PSP is up well past Version 12 now days but stay with the tools that give me development speed.

However, the path to development and the choice of tools to achieve the end results you desire has many various options and tools - most equally suitable to the task - some easy and some hard to master.

The main principle I have adhered to over a long Flight Simming development era is that you need to spend considerable time mastering various aspects of the tools that you choose to use for your development. There is no magic fix or tool to creating stuff for Flight Sim - everything required considerable learning curve and most importantly a great deal of time to become comfortable and develop smooth sequential development so that everything falls into place.

As mentioned before, there is now a plethora of development tools out there and each person has to select appropriate tools for the task required then head down, bum up and learn everything about that tool. Then move on to the next tool. Despite a considerable number of years in graphics development for FS I still learn something new almost every time I get stuck into a project in one or more of the tools I use - but because I stay with the tools that work for me it is easier to discover new little things than to try to learn a new tool each time.

Basically - it takes lots and lots of time to investigate different tools - discover if they are useful and if so then spend lots more time mastering the aspects you need for each tool - even then there is a forever learning cycle as you become more and more efficient.

Most importantly, it needs to be a fun process but unfortunately it takes a few years of aggressive learning before it is easy and then turns to fun........

So endith the life lesson in FS development.

Regards

Garry

True words of wisdom Garry and much appreciated and needed, as i have experienced all of the above in my first month of trying!! It feels like going through quicksand - backwards, so am really encouraged to hear that it is part of the journey. In the meantime, i will enjoy and fully appreciate the scenery which people like you so generously provide.

I love it when folks refer to the program as; "FS 2004" (A Century of Flight), like it says on the box, rather than the "texted" description; "FS9".... ...!

I have all the boxed versions since FS '98.

I mostly use my FSX version now, but every now and again I fire up my FS 2004 version, (together with my FS Navigator and LAGO FSSE and FSE Scenery Enhancers), for a spot of nostalgia from the distant past!

The only thing that I really miss in FS 2004, is the FSX moving traffic!

FS 2004 still holds its own amongst the Flight Sims...with loads of add-ons!.... ....!

History of Microsoft Flight Simulator:

1982 – Flight Simulator 1.0
1983 – Flight Simulator 2.0
1988 – Flight Simulator 3.0
1989 – Flight Simulator 4.0
1993 – Flight Simulator 5.0
1995 – Flight Simulator 5.1
1996 – Flight Simulator 95
1997 – Flight Simulator 98
1999 – Flight Simulator 2000
2001 – Flight Simulator 2002
2003 – Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
2006 – Flight Simulator X
2014 – Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition

Paul.... ...!

History ?? You want history?
Now here's a history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotatio ... f07H0xRRKM

Once again, Garry & Ed, thank you for making our hobby such fum.
Happy Easter to all.

Cheers,
Robin

Garry wrote:Hi Striker,
Unknown in regards to FSX - The entire Ford Tri-Motor Project is developed specifically for the FS2004 environment. Why? simply because Ed and I are Old Dogs and we enjoy that environment, Far too many other developers have abandoned FS2004 which still has countless users out there for a plethora of reasons. So we try to fill the gap with some good stuff for those that enjoy FS2004.
Regards
Garry

THANK YOU & MUCHAS GRACiAS don GARRY, for maintaining development of FS 2004 a Century of Flight some of us iF WE WERE A RiCH MAN (si fuéramos ricos) have to Acomodate with the vast eternal plan of WORKiNG OUR ASSES OFF, until no retirement for a life of self employment. I run my FS 2004's (Golden & Silver Wings versions) on a rejected Lap given by my son now using a Mac, so I am waiting for his Mac to be rejected to me: seems like that is NEVER NEVER happening!! So, no FSX for me at the moment.



From this Jean Loup Old Wolf, MANY MANY THANKS!!

Isn't this where Ted Stryker's friends were lost ??