norfolk mike Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I was following the topic closely, and I realise it got pulled from the forum due to the votes not reaching their required number. Obviously this might have been read as a lack of interest, but it was also mentioned that not everyone is a retro aviation historian, and whilst keenly anticipating AN eventual WW2 scenery they may not have had a strong enough opinion regarding a specific airfield to join the poll. Okay, so we saw some stunning RAF type vehicles via the screenshots, so even before the poll this project was already someone's labour of love! Does something like that just roll over and die? Hmmm, I think not lol. The reason I'm asking is purely personal. I (like many here) have ALL of A2As war birds except the P:40. Admittedly, in FTX I'm using them in a modern context with current day air show liveries, because FTX EU_England renders a very nice modern environment! But, I wanted a WW2 scenery that would blend in nicely just for the occasional P:51 Mustang foray to the continent, so I started work on Bodney, home of the 352nd FG in 1944. After several frustrating hours wrestling with sloping ground polygons, its getting there. I was going to mess around with excludes and delving into files to remove some offending wind turbines when suddenly I had a brain storm! Whilst FTX England as a region might be problematic with regards to an immersive 1940s environment, FTX Global might not be...as much. Which also means my carefully and painstakingly blended polygons which look so seamless in FTX will need to be completely redone for FTX global! So, I've done the reasonable thing and thought "bugger it". Not only that, but if the FTX team do come out with a WW2 airfield it'll render anything I've done obsolete within twenty seconds of launch, which kinda takes the motivation out of things. Can anyone on the team either confirm or deny that FTX_EU_Somewhere in England 1942 has been permanently shelved, is a work in progress or simply simmering on a back burner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Harris Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 The 'Historic' project is in progress, with most research and data sourcing completed, modeling and texturing will commence once my current projects are wrapped up, actually quite keen to get stuck in! Cheers Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk mike Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Phew, that's one to look forwards to then (personally speaking)! Can I just ask though? Will it be designed to fit with FTX England, or Global? I'm guessing the two canvasses would need a slightly different design approach with regards to blending and terrain mesh? Either is fine by me, but I've already kinda earmarked FTX Global as my platform for retro flying (on P3D), whilst FSX will have the dedicated regions for a more modern flying environment. I like to keep things really complicated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter curtis Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I drew about 400 WW2 airfields using plans and photos to align runways,peritracks and pans.Plonked it all onto Horizons scenery.Added local houses etc.and trees,parked aircraft and AI aircraft appropriate to each particular airfield.Because most wartime airfields were laid down in the country,it did not require many buildings to make it look lifelike.It would all have to be done again from scratch to mate with Orbx non photo scenery.I can't really remember how I did it.It took ages and crucified the frame rates.I did a Fido installation at one field and practised fog approaches.By 2083 computers may be able to do it superbly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Cox Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Mike, While you say the thread was pulled because it did not reach the required number we must also bear in mind that during WWII there were hundreds of airfields scattered throughout the British Isles. Many of them remain obscure to this day but some became famous like Scampton (the home of the Dambusters) and Biggin Hill or Kenley (Battle of Britain). Others had fleeting fame in wartime movies made during and after WWII. Many were closed as operational bases by the 1960s and are now private or council owned aerodromes. If you look at Plan G you will see the locations of many of these disused airfields. Look at the same location in Google Earth you will see some of the runways still in place and in other places just the outline of the airfield can be seen. Also unless you actually live in England you may not be aware of these airfields. A friend of mine made Tempsford because as a young boy he lived near there. Originally for FS9 he converted it to FSX but it does not fit into Orbx scenery. Alf Denham created many airfields for FSX many of which were at one time a WWII airfield. ORBX has even released 2 airfields that were WWII airfields. One was Goodwood and the other was EGTR. If you look at it from a map down view you can see the typical WWII outline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Dodger Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 The 'Historic' project is in progress, with most research and data sourcing completed, modeling and texturing will commence once my current projects are wrapped up, actually quite keen to get stuck in!CheersTim This is great news Tim. Are you able to provide us a short list of the chosen airfields or even just the first one you are considering? No problem if not, all good news anyway. Thanks, Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Harris Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 the first one you are considering?I decided to keep that bit of info secret for now to maintain a level of mystery, and also to circumvent the inevitable internet sniping that unreleased products attract these days Can I just ask though? Will it be designed to fit with FTX England, or Global?Both Obviously this might have been read as a lack of interestThe total poll numbers did not reach a target I set beforehand, so decided to go with my own choice seeing as it will be a labor of love, its one I am quite enthusiastic about too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk mike Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Hiya Aussieman. Yep, you are certainly right about the sheer volume of WW2 Airfields here in the UK! I live in Norfolk, which is that jutty out piece on the right [grin], and being the closest, [and one of the flattest] areas to the continent it had become [by 1944] one giant aircraft carrier! I'm the product of RAF parentage with various [rather annoying] relocations under my belt, so I have direct experience of the 1960s operational bases! And, as a hobbyist pilot I'm fortunate enough to see the aerial landscape personally from time to time. My wife and I are actually 1940s re enactors too, so when we aren't sat here fretting about the next FTX release we are usually in some old wartime hangar embarrassing ourselves on the dance floor to the tune of Glenn Miller lol. I also made a few WW2 RAF and USAAF bases for FSX default. They may still be on simviation, and included places like Bircham Newton, Massingham, Wendling and Shipdham, but in FTX England they'll obviously have a few issues regarding cliffs and autogen leakage if used without modification. I was working on a highly detailed version of Horham and [as mentioned], Bodney, but I can lay them to rest for a while, as there were foreseeable problems with third party objects and permissions anyway [not FTX objects I might add]. So, Tim. Thanks for that reply. I'm looking forwards to it, whatever it might be [i have A2As Spitfire, P:47 and P:51 so something will fit]. I'm sure you found "The Airfield Information Exchange" at an early stage, but if not you'll find their site and members are a very good resource. If your project happens to be anywhere near Norfolk [we'll be at Horham, Hardwick, Old Buckenham, East Kirkby, Duxford and Thorpe Abbots for events soon] and you need any help with photographs [not much remaining I know] then give me a shout! My early and quite modest version of RAF Watton for FSX default. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter curtis Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 From that height you seem to have blended Watton in quite well Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk mike Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thanks Peter. I must admit, it was a relief when I first loaded it into the sim, and realised the airfield was in the correct place in relation to the UTX roads, because there were a lot of them! I just moulded the airfield background polygons to the field edges rather than have a big green rectangle cutting through everything, but Christ I got through some coffee doing it! Bircham Newton [1st WW and 2nd WW] sits quite well too. I think I done 17 in the end, as well as a couple of requests from guys in the states whose fathers served in the UK. RAF Feltwell And my attempt at Bodney for FTX without the technical sites, vehicles or statics, removal of wind turbines at Swaffham and addition of airfield buildings [hardly worth showing really lol] I'll adopt Tim's offering, wherever it may be!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Norfolk Mike, I'd love to see an FTX-compatible Watton. I lived at RAF Watton between 1963 and 1964, and again between 1968 and 1970. If you ever do it, can you include RNAS Griston on the south side, and if post war, Eastern Radar ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortspecialbus Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Dunsfold! I'll take a WW2 and a Top Gear Test Track version please! -stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.