> Well if thats the case I don't mind doing something
> for the Seattle region
> because that will be a good flight from SAN FRAN -
> off course if that is not
> already modelled - and I will need help on how to do
> it.
Hi Shelton,
I went through this learning curve a couple of months
ago - it is quite satisfying. Here's what I found.
I used AC3D to create the buildings. You can get a
30-day trial period for free, which is enough time to
get to grips with it and create a couple of buildings.
I also tried Blender (which is free), but I found it
much more complex so just shelled out for a AC3D
license.
Assuming you're using AC3D, the scale can be set to
either meters or feet, then you simply generate the
shapes you need. Luckily buildings are quite simple :)
and with an elevation plan, or even some approximate
sizes, you can get a decent model.
To make life easier, I make the base of the building
start at 0,0,0 so I can place it on the terrain easier
later.
Once you've got the shape right, you'll need to add a
texture. You need to create a .rgb file that (I think
- feel free to correct me) needs to be a factor-of-two
in size (i.e. 128x128, 256x256). I use the GIMP for
this.
I set out part of the file for the wall texture, then
part for the top of the building and just approximate
shapes to begin with. Once you've applied the texture
to the object, you can use the Texture Coordinate tool
(from the Tools menu) to define what part of the
texture file you wish to use for each surface of the
building.
If there is a repeating pattern on the wall, say a row
of windows, you can create a couple of windows them
you can get AC3D to repeat it horizontally and/or
vertically, saving time and texture.
You can also colour the objects directly in AC3D and
control their luminosity so they look better at night.
FlightGear natively supports the AC3D .ac files, so
all you need to do is place it in the right location
in the scenery. I often find this one of the more
difficult things to achieve, as there is an element of
trial and error.
You need to determine the lat, long, elevation and
angle (rotation) of the object and add it to the
correct scenery tile on your install point. This is
probably best understood by having a look at the San
Fran tiles for an example, then the FG Scenery
Designer to determine the correct tile, followed by
hand-editing the tile file.
Then, once it's complete, submit it to the FG Scenery
Database so hopefully it willbe included in future
releases.
BTW, are we planning to integrate the FGSD objects in
port 0.9.9 scenery releases?
Hope this is of some use.
-Stuart
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