Is this possible within Scenery design

[hieronymus]

Is it possible to design some hot air balloons and
let the fly a predefined trajectory.

I would be very happy if somebody can give an answer.

[RollerBall]

Yes and No

This was exactly the kind of task that DOD (Dynamic Object designer) was made for.

However, DOD is now unsupported (even by Raf Sanchez who created it) and I've found it just about  impossible to get information on how to insert new objects into DOD. You could make 'old' FS98 era objects do what you want after a bit of learning, trial and error but from memory, I don't recall seeing any hot air balloons on the list of 'available' objects.

It's a pity because I've found from my experiments that DOD is a very simple to use and effective tool for introducing dynamic objects into sceneries. Unfortunately it was 'before its time' and now no-one seems to want to know.

I don't know whether Busy Objects will do what you want as I've not got into it yet. Like many 'modern' tools it appears almost impenetrable to ordinary mortals who might want to use it - and from the forums, even to some of the more clever types who fancy themselves a bit in scenery design!  ;)

Maybe you might have a bit more luck - as far as I know these are the only 2 tools available to you

[Stratobat]

Alternatively you'll have to get someone to make a Balloon with Gmax or FSDS. The Balloon would be recognised as an aircraft, then all you'd have to do is create a flight path for it.

[Travis]

A balloon doesn't seem like it would work too well as an AI aircraft.

Most balloons you find work as helicopters, or as props/jets with massive wings, low weight and small engines.  Aircraft of this type often have issues with takeoff and landing when operated by the AI.

And can you really expect an aircraft with no landing gear whatsoever to perform a generic landing at an airport?

[hieronymus]

I have balloons in different 3d formats, so that's no a problem. I just want to let them fly sometimes up and somethimes in any direction, North , South. I think I cannot use the files which are use for dynamic scenery since some tractory is hard programmed in fs2004.

[BFMF]

How would you like to be coming in for landing to find yourself sharing the traffic pattern with half a dozen huge balloons

[hieronymus]

They don't need to lend, they need to fly a predefined or runtime generated trajectory.

[RollerBall]

How would you like to be coming in for landing to find yourself sharing the traffic pattern with half a dozen huge balloons

Yeah, and as they'd be AI, they'd probably overtake you on finals and land in front of you

[Stratobat]

Code: Select all

Yeah, and as they'd be AI, they'd probably overtake you on finals and land in front of you

LMAO  ;D

[Firestriker]

I have had some luck making a balloon in FSDSv1.6, exporting as a RAW bgl file, then using DynaKit, putting the balloon into a new library bgl. Next using Flight Recorder with FSUIPC, I make a path that I want the object to follow. In the case of a balloon it is necessary to do a little net research to determine ballooning corodoors as they usually stay away from airfields. Once I have my path figured out, I import the flight.dat info into FS Action Scenery and can edit and make adjustments and assign my object to the path. Once this is done I can make a bgl with the path in it and and it calls the balloon object from the library bgl. This is similar to what can be done in DOD.

Lou