John Venema Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Hello all, This forum is for technical support and bug reporting for Orbx's GA Freeware airports, which will be progressively released through 2008 and beyond. Whilst we will strive to create as high quality airports as possible, being freeware means that you'll get to enjoy them "warts and all". This probably means they won't be perfect, will contain a few bugs and won't have been as rigourously tested as our FTX Region Packs. The upside of course, is that they're 100% free, and you can only add to their quaility by providing feedback and bug reports here on this forum. Think of yourself as an unofficial beta testers! We also hope that users of these airports find ways to enhance them and add more scenery elements. We encourage that completely! If you have made some enhancements or fixes, please upload them here so you can share your work with others. Orbx will also release an SDK for FTX which will show you how simple it is to create a small photoreal GA airfield in a matter of hours, complete with scenery, buildings, night and day and seasonal textures and autogen. If you want to make a start on learning how to make your own FTX-compatible airports, please search for the following tools (some are freeware, some are shareware and payware): - SBuilderX (used to create photo ground terrain, polygons, road traffic, excludes and other scenery elements) - Instant Scenery (a fantastic tool for placing default FSX and also custom library scenery objects) - Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe Edition (includes the FSX SDK, which is needed to create airports) - For GA airfields which have runways and parking bays and traditional airport facilities, you'll need an ACFAD or airport facility editor. Good luck, and we hope you'll enjoy Orbx's freeware airports. Our mission is to release about 200 small airfields over the next three years. Many of these will be contributed by FTX users who want to expand their enjoyment of the scenery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Nieuwenhoven Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 - For GA airfields which have runways and parking bays and traditional airport facilities, you'll need an ACFAD or airport facility editor. I can thoroughly recommend FSXPlanner and Airport Design Editor for this purpose. Both are freeware (type them into Google to find them) and their developers are very pro-active about fixing faults. Stay away from the payware AFX; while it looks initially easier, it's buggy and strips parts from the original file that are needed for a good airport addon (my opinion only, of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Kae Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 I might have a shot at something myself, tried someting about a year ago and it failed miserably lol but maybe I'll give it a go again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstyles Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 And of course FSX KML which uses Google Earth KML files and can create vector and landclass/waterclass scenery... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasJTaylor Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Hi Guys, I plan on making some scenery for FSX and hope that they will one day be included in the freeware. Am i right in saying that with the release of your payware software for Australia being released this year would we still need to develop photoreal textures under our airports or will the software you guys are doing now cover that. I realise that your releases are staggered over the year but how is that going to work? As you can tell i am new to scenery and learning quickly but just wanted to ask the question. Look forward to your reply Cheers Tom Taylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ross Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 You might also want to consider the freeware Whisplacer for placing scenery objects. It has some quirks but functions quite well and does have the added facility of placing groups of objects in a line or within a polygon. I have checked the xml code generated from the programme and it seems to conform well to FSX SDK standards. It accepts libraries from all the main sources such as EZ Scenery and Runway12. John Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
}SkOrPn--7 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 All this free ware airports that is being made for FTX where will this stuff be mentioned/hosted for simple DLing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 All this free ware airports that is being made for FTX where will this stuff be mentioned/hosted for simple DLing? There will be a big bright red "FREE STUFF!" star on the front page on the fullterrain site which will take you directly to the free downloads. We will also host terrain mesh and other cool bits and pieces. Don't worry, not gonna make it hard to find it LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
}SkOrPn--7 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 All this free ware airports that is being made for FTX where will this stuff be mentioned/hosted for simple DLing? There will be a big bright red "FREE STUFF!" star on the front page on the fullterrain site which will take you directly to the free downloads. We will also host terrain mesh and other cool bits and pieces. Don't worry, not gonna make it hard to find it LOL! Oki Doki that is taken care off now back to working on my files in preparation for FTX and FEX so it will be a trouble free install and gets me in the air asap. God I luv a slick system but I hate doing it!!!! Anyone want to be my lackey and have my PC running sweet so I can just play when I get home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teecee Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Any timeframe on the first release?? Teecee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Meiklejohn Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 G'day TC - within a fortnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teecee Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Kewl.. thanks mate. Teecee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca22au Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Seems a very long fortnight, how is it going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 Seems a very long fortnight, how is it going? 8+14 = 22 - do the maths Macca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca22au Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I told you the time seemed long given my sense of anticipation. And I'm a public servant so adding is a special art, when it comes to money to give, your sum would have come to 15, while for money I need the answer would surely have been 35. So maybe just another few days then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 And I'm a public servant so adding is a special art, when it comes to money to give, your sum would have come to 15, while for money I need the answer would surely have been 35. Hehehe - almost as bad as Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgruschow Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 No one's as bad as Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Should not be long now. We are tidying up the user guide, making an RTM candidate build today after Marty and I finish up YLIL, and also waiting on some final library dependencies reconcilliation from Mark. Once the RTM build checks out 100%, I will pass the ZIP to Jay who will them seed it onto mirror servers. When Jay gives me the green light we will be good to go. So I expect it may be a nice fun Easter for a lot of you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffman Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 The only thing I can add to that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaker Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Brilliant news John, can't wait. Hope all you guys at OrbX have a great easter and a well deserved break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap777 Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Great News! Thanks John and the TEAM!!! Regards adn God bless Alfred Order#4793 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Thanks to John and the Team, You guys certainly back up with service. I hope that you have understanding wives? I'll have fun tonight loading in the airports. I did miss Bruny Island (near where I live) that was on the freeware program for FS9. I hope it will be on this download? Sure it will be. You guys need a well deserved rest over Easter. Have a good and peacefull one. Regards Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biscuit Chucker Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Hey Hank, my folks are on Bruny and I lived there for a year, did some flying with TasAir. Next time I am over Middleton in FTX, I'll drop you some virtual greetings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgruschow Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Thank you for the wonderful airport package. It loaded flawlessly and looks much better than the VSX package' However my first impression was of disappointment. I spawned at my default strip, Mount Beauty. Where has it gone? Runway and hangars missing.No windsock. Luckily there's still a clear area to use. A Query: What do we do to load addon fields that did not make it into the package? All my addon fields are in VSX. Seems I have two options. Drag the missing files into Orbx or drag them into addonscenery. One other option would be to delete the prompted fields from VSX and continue to use VSX scenery and libraries. What is the official opinion? Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 Thank you for the wonderful airport package. It loaded flawlessly and looks much better than the VSX package' However my first impression was of disappointment. I spawned at my default strip, Mount Beauty. Where has it gone? Runway and hangars missing.No windsock. Luckily there's still a clear area to use. A Query: What do we do to load addon fields that did not make it into the package? All my addon fields are in VSX. Seems I have two options. Drag the missing files into Orbx or drag them into addonscenery. One other option would be to delete the prompted fields from VSX and continue to use VSX scenery and libraries. What is the official opinion? Jack Jack, VSX has been cancelled and has been replaced by Orbx Freeware. Most of the airfields from VSX will be ported to FTX Freeware over the coming months, as long as there is GE/VE coverage for them. Mt. Beauty won't be one of them since at present their is no photoreal source data available. Perhaps Mark Lee can let you know which files you could copy from VSX to place your beloved non-photo Mt. Beauty back in (it's one on my favourite airports too, so I know how you feel ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Interesting development John. That should reduce some of the confusion surrounding the two titles. Well done mate, any other surprises? Cheers and thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwlee Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi John Jack knows and he has the files back now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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