Can this be done?

[rjbrown7]

YMML screenshots and other detailed airport screenshots got me to wondering.  In certain games that have a simple flight simulator built in - your charactor walks around and then enters a plane or other vehicle and then using keyboard/mouse/joystick control the vehicle/Plane.  Once landing has taken place you exit the vehicle and are back into your charactor viewpoint.  (Some of These games are popular First Person Shooters) Is it possible within FSX to create a add-on that would basically be a viewpoint where one could walk around anywhere.  For example you could fly to your favorite airport and get out of the plane and using a combination keyboard mouse walk around explore- interact with other computer charactors and so on.  Another example would be driving from your house to the airport and going into the office and rent a airplane or talk with a instructor and then go out and check out the plane and enter and take off.  Multiplayer modes would mean you could interact with real and computer people.  Any thoughts?

Roy

PS I know there are camera systems that let you explore like EZ dok but I am taking it to another level where you actually have animated people and interaction with the enviroment.  I imagine it would be using something like a mission building program as I am not suggesting that the entire FSX universe be populated with 4 billion people. 

[Paul Baumanis]

I would say the answer to your question is yes. Whether it will be done is something else.

There are many games out there that allow you to interact with other characters both real people and AI.

I believe the next iteration of FS will have animated characters which will add another dimension to the sim.

Personally, I would prefer Aces to concentrate on improving other areas of the sim.

[Russ White]

Hey Roy,

The problem with smoothly transitioning from inside the aircraft to outside, is that FSX uses two completely different 3D models for exterior and interior camera positions. If you already have Ezdok, you will see this by going to VC walk mode and then moving the camera outside the aircraft, you will see that half the plane is missing, and all the sides are transparent. This is because the interior model has surface normals that point inwards, to be seen from inside, not outside! having one-sided geometry uses less memory and processing power than two-sided geometry, therefore the exterior plane model has all it's surface normals pointing outwards.

So to be able to get out of the aircraft and walk around you would not be able to do it in one smooth movement, it would have to be done in a similar way to activating "spot" mode, where the sim calls up the exterior plane model for you to walk around. So it is certainly possible, but it would'nt be as nice as just walking up to the plane and climbing inside (or climbing out) in real time.

Russ.