NEWBIES First Project WIP
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OK so I decided to try out the long talked about sketch-up program after years of knowing about it. I'm more of a re-painter of aircraft for flight simulator X or (FSX) but I wanted to try this because I was looking for some particular scenery for the simulator near my home but didn't find what I was looking for as in no one has ever created the structure so that left me to one other thing... Sketchup! so I decided to give it a shot myself and make the structure for my simulator.
This is the Hospital near my home with helipad as I enjoy flying into areas with tight LZ's (Landing Zones) and helipads. Here's my attempt to replicate the hospital but at the same time keeping it fairly simple not knowing everything about sketchup.
All I did was watched the four or five videos explaining and showing what sketchup can do and it's capabilities and then I started the next day working on the hospital so here's my success so far.
I have a long way to go but for now it's turning out just fine for an model to be used in FSX and a fist time construction.
I'm four days into the program so far but have a ton of stuff to do yet.
I originally used an Global Earth view of the actual buildings in the area for location purposes. I use a different program for this which gives me a very high resolution on the ground and them export this image into the simulator which then I build over this area.
Thanks for the program Folks!
I hope to continue my sketch-up venture in the years ahead
Enjoy the screens!
Building name:
"Capital Regional Medical Center" for FSX Located in Tallahassee, Florida.
Here are some of my aircraft repaints I've created. (Screenshots only)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121556714@N07/albums
~A~
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Nice job. Site looks great. How did you do all those cars (or where did you get them)?
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@pbacot said:
Nice job. Site looks great. How did you do all those cars (or where did you get them)?
Well first of all Thank You for the comment.
I use several programs making up the scenery you see in the screens.
Here's how it works when you make objects and scenery for fsx (Flight Simulator X)Programs I use:
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SBuilderX = This is used to grab your location from satellites. Then it manipulates the scenery even more compressing it to a very fine level producing what is called photo scenery but it only gets so close and then you have to go in and do the rest by hand like with photoshop or something like that. In the screens you see above, those are untouched and are of actual quality but not as detailed as the image could be because I'm going to do the entire place from ground up so when this is all finished you won't see any satellite stuff but rather better, custom ground scenery. This is just so I can get a fairly descent viewing and clarity as to where my objects need to be via GPS locations.
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ADE = (Airport Design Editor) This is used to literally model an airport of your own or modify a default airport in the simulator making it an exact replica of the real one if you so choose. This software manipulates every ground texture like runways, taxi ways, aprons, tarmacs and so on.... then you can manipulate the terrain mesh as well and also any water adding or subtracting. Very powerful program and tons more it can do I haven't listed here.
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ModelConverterX = This is used to import any models, textures and also the aircraft models for repainting. As in this case here, I use this program to import my Sketch-up Model, edit or manipulate any textures if needed, reduce the Draw calls if they get too high (saving frame rates but still producing a fine image) and then save the sketch-up model as a scenery object which is needed for FSX Simulator to read it.
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EasySceneryCreator III = I use this program as the last thing after everything is finished and ready to install into the simulator. This program is really easy to use and also FUN! because once you save the model and put it into your newly created folder which is inside the FSX directory and have all the textures installed as well then you start the simulator and go to where you want the object placed (anywhere in the world).
Now you start the Scenery creator program while in the simulator and in SLEW mode and all the scenery is that's installed in the simulator rather it's default or add-on scenery... it's initialized and the creator program reads it in it's own listing in a separate window displayed as you look from your aircraft point of view.
Now you can move around with your joystick or key board, position your view so you can see the area your working in or where you want to place the object, in this case it's the hospital you see above and then I select it from the list and BOOM?! it's in my view ready to place down over the satellite location I created before using SBuilderX.
I can literally move the object around too on all axes and even scale the entire object smaller or larger if needed. Once it's converted with the model converter x program then it opens up all kinds of features for the model and it can be manipulated even more then ever, especially for flight sim.
Now to answer your question about the cars? those vehicles were created by another developer which is freely distributed in some of their freeware airport packs. They show up in the list inside Scenery Creator III and I just pick out the cars I want to paste in the parking spots and BAM! they are down on the ground allowing me to line them up just right in the parking spots as is the same with all objects that can be created for the simulator. There are tens of thousands of objects out there. I have about 7 thousand or so I can incorporate into the sim just by opening up already created objects from around the world.
HOWEVER!, Being these other objects are created by another developer I can not distribute those object or give this scenery to anyone else at all. I do this strictly for my own enjoyment and that's it.
Now if I create something myself, say every object in a scenery, design it and actually build each object for some airport then It's possible that I can release the scenery to the public without stepping on other toes.
There are two very dedicated companies out there today among many others that produce scenery for FSX and P3D by Lockheed. These are only for the flight simulators like FSX but their quality of work is outstanding.
These two companies are: Fly Tampa Scenery and ORBX. If you get a chance take a look at some of their stuff. There's even a ton of animated scenery as well to go along with it and sounds too.
The cars in my scenery I have installed are by ORBX but again these are from their freeware objects library's but they are not for redistribution outside of my computer or anyone else if they use their scenery.
Thanks again for your comment... I appreciate it. This sketch-up is really fun to work with too. I like it.
Alan
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Looks damn good and thanks for sharing your workflow.
Phew! Seems like a lot of work, but it also seems to be worth it.
Looking forward to your future posts.
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@bryan k said:
Looks damn good and thanks for sharing your workflow.
Phew! Seems like a lot of work, but it also seems to be worth it.
Looking forward to your future posts.
Thank You Bryan. Been away for a few days so sorry for the late reply. I'll be continuing on the project in a couple days.
Alan
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