X-Plane Scenery Gateway

[kullery]

I'm not a real-life pilot, so I'm curious: is it common to include a rose at a runup area? What's it used for -- a last check on the pilot's avionics?

I wouldn't call it common, but it wouldn't be uncommon either.

It's used by mechanics to "swing" the compass. Basically the avionics in the aircraft interfere with the compass and a calibration card is next to the compass for corrections. The compass rose is used to make that correction card.

In some locations, I think they also designate the VOR receiver check point which can be used to conduct the 30 day VOR check.


EDIT: in retrospect, a VOR receiver check point is typically a bit more mundane then the compass roses you are referring to. (example)

[Geoff]

Peter and kullery, thanks for the explanations. I learn stuff every day from people at PE!

Zengei, I'm staggered by the work you put into that compass rose. Presumably you drew even more tedious lines to make the name at KTSP. I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that level of detail, but we'll see.

What do you think about embellishing tiny airstrips? I just built an FBO at Ernst Field (86CL) in Flight Sim Economy (where it's ICAO 17L); it's a small 3000-foot gravel-dirt runway, and as far as I can tell it has no ramp, parking or taxiways in real life. I've already revised it in WED in my own X-Plane install to correct the position of the runway, which appears misaligned. But, this being my own installation, I wanted to "build" my new FBO, so I added some hangars and fuel stuff. (As an added benefit, these make the strip easier to see from the air.) I'd like to add a taxiway and ramp, too, just because I fly in and out a lot, and it'd be nice to have some smooth way to taxi around. Obviously it's okay to do that for one's own installation, but how many liberties (if any) can be taken with the Gateway? None?

If "none," maybe it'd be okay to make a separate version of 86CL (perhaps using OpenSceneryX) for PE members to download?

Also, are services like Google Earth and Bing's Virtual Earth reliable indicators of where airport elements should be placed? I ask because I have all sorts of trouble making GeoTIFFs work. (I am able to download the GeoTIFF's from the USGS site, but then I have trouble viewing them or making use of them in WED. I've read the tutorials and manuals for WED, but I must be missing something.) It's easier just to take a snapshot of Google Earth and position it underneath my airfield. When I do this, the strip at 86CL seems to be placed a bit too far east in X-Plane. Is this a valid means of adjusting positions in WED, or do you recommend that I take another try at GeoTIFFs?

Anyway, I now have three simultaneous, unfinished projects: KGCN (still trying to eliminate extra trees), 1G4 (I've done runways and taxiways, not ramp yet), and 86CL (I have added my "FBO" to my own personal install and fixed the position of the runway). Much better to be you and already have something finished! Well, I did finish KLAR, but that's not a PE airport.

Finally, I'll check out Skymaxx. By "cloud distance," I assume you mean that the program by default draws only clouds near the aircraft. As I tend to fly low and slow (Piper Archer 2), maybe this wouldn't bother me so much?

Man, sorry I'm so long-winded. But I'm a WED enthusiast, and you are clearly a WED expert! Thanks for your work on improving X-Plane.

[zengei]

Zengei, I'm staggered by the work you put into that compass rose. Presumably you drew even more tedious lines to make the name at KTSP. I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that level of detail, but we'll see.

It's not that bad, the compass rose was probably a half hour of time. Airport names are typically longer, because they don't have a regular geometric pattern (it's easy to align the vertices in the compass rose), and I fiddle with them trying to get the segments aligned properly and the letters to be roughly the same size, and even after that effort it still doesn't come out perfectly. Hopefully, future versions of X-Plane will have letter markings to make it easier, since they're so distinct from the air.

What do you think about embellishing tiny airstrips? <snip> how many liberties (if any) can be taken with the Gateway? None?

If "none," maybe it'd be okay to make a separate version of 86CL (perhaps using OpenSceneryX) for PE members to download?

See my original post:

Q: What if I want to add a second runway to my favorite private field?
A: Sorry, gateway submissions should be accurate to the present day. If you want to make fantasy or historical sceneries I encourage you to do so, but make it available to download on the Org or some other distribution mechanism.

So I would 1) make an accurate version and submit it to the Gateway. 2) Take the gateway version and expand it, feeling free to use objects from OpenSceneryX (or other library), and then distribute it wherever you like, but you should make it clear it's "fantastical" or "fictional".

Also, are services like Google Earth and Bing's Virtual Earth reliable indicators of where airport elements should be placed?

I use them as a reference, especially since Google's satellite images tend to be more up-to-date than the USGS. But I wouldn't use 'em as primary overlays since the big advantage GeoTIFFs and GeoJP2s from USGS have is that they're geoencoded, so they're placed exactly and you don't have to worry about being a few or tens of feet off, which can be problematic for things like ILS approaches.

I ask because I have all sorts of trouble making GeoTIFFs work. (I am able to download the GeoTIFF's from the USGS site, but then I have trouble viewing them or making use of them in WED. I've read the tutorials and manuals for WED, but I must be missing something.) It's easier just to take a snapshot of Google Earth and position it underneath my airfield. When I do this, the strip at 86CL seems to be placed a bit too far east in X-Plane. Is this a valid means of adjusting positions in WED, or do you recommend that I take another try at GeoTIFFs?

I say, it's worth the effort to get the data from USGS working. My workflow as it is now is:

1) Download the GeoTIFFs or GeoJP2s from USGS.
2) Use LizardTech's GeoViewer to combine all the GeoTIFFs and GeoJP2s into one mega GeoTIFF. GeoViewer can read GeoTIFFs and GeoJP2s, and export them to GeoTIFFs while preserving the critical geographic information. When exporting, make sure you choose "Full resolution". This should also be possible with the command line Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL).
3) Use OrthoMagiX to take the mega combined GeoTIFF from step 2, and split it into 2048x2048 tiles. This is because WED has a hard time reading GeoTIFFs any larger than this. I used to use GDAL and a custom script to do this, but OrthoMagiX works just as well. OrthoMagiX also allows you to create .pol files for photoscenery. This can't be used in the gateway, but it's useful for the aforementioned fantasy scenery.
4) Import the tiled GeoTIFFs into WED. WED 1.4 mercifully added the ability to bulk import overlay images, since large airports and high resolution orthoimagery could easily mean 100+ 2048x2048 tiles for a single airport.
5) Get to building!

Anyway, I now have three simultaneous, unfinished projects: KGCN (still trying to eliminate extra trees), 1G4 (I've done runways and taxiways, not ramp yet), and 86CL (I have added my "FBO" to my own personal install and fixed the position of the runway). Much better to be you and already have something finished! Well, I did finish KLAR, but that's not a PE airport.

I tend to plow through an airport until it's reached a level of quality I think is appropriate to share. I'll then skip around and add improvements and touches as I see fit later on. My airports have 3, 4, 5 repeat submissions on the gateway. But do whatever works for you.

Finally, I'll check out Skymaxx. By "cloud distance," I assume you mean that the program by default draws only clouds near the aircraft. As I tend to fly low and slow (Piper Archer 2), maybe this wouldn't bother me so much?

Yes, correct. And yes, I typically only notice the cloud draw distance when I'm in a big jet flying 20,000+ feet (offline, not ready to fly those on PE yet...). Flying lower than that I don't really notice it that much. Overcast clouds also seem to have a much larger draw distance, so you don't end up seeing a "pancake" of clouds following you around.

Man, sorry I'm so long-winded. But I'm a WED enthusiast, and you are clearly a WED expert! Thanks for your work on improving X-Plane.

No problem, and I'm also just an enthusiast, I wouldn't consider myself an expert just yet.

EDIT: I'm looking at KAJO and KVCV for my next projects, since they're part of the I-11, which I should hopefully do soon.

[Geoff]

Thanks for your reply. I did try Orthomagix a couple weeks ago, but I must have skipped step 2 on your list, LizardTech's Geoviewer. I'll try again later this week.

OK, I'll stick with "reality" for the Gateway, and cook up a bit of fantasy at 86CL for the .org or PE users. Not that 86CL will ever be very popular; far from it!

I'm going to buy Skymaxx Pro when I get home from work. Looks great!

[Pieces]

L92 is available on the gateway now. http://gateway.x-plane.com/scenery/page/L92

My first attempt at using WED, feel free to check it out and critique it.

[zengei]

L92 is available on the gateway now. http://gateway.x-plane.com/scenery/page/L92

My first attempt at using WED, feel free to check it out and critique it.

Looks good, thanks for the contribution.

EDIT: I've also updated the spreadsheet in the first post and made links to the relevant pages for scenery on the gateway.

[zengei]

I actually ended up making some scenery for L19 Wasco-Kern Co for the Flying Penguin Club.

Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/lCfzl7Q.png

[Geoff]

Looks good. You're on a roll!

How did you handle the road right next to the airport? Is that outside the field's exclusion zones? We can't create a road unless we jury-right a taxiway, right? But in that case, autogenerated ground traffic won't drive on it.

[zengei]

How did you handle the road right next to the airport? Is that outside the field's exclusion zones? We can't create a road unless we jury-right a taxiway, right? But in that case, autogenerated ground traffic won't drive on it.

That's just X-Plane's default road network, the scenery doesn't have any exclusions, I typically don't add them unless they're explicitly needed. And yeah, there's no way to create a road manually.

Although one option is to add the road to OpenStreetMap and then it should show up in W2XP scenery, but then not everyone would see it; or just wait until X-Plane updates its OSM data, which probably won't happen until XP11.

[Geoff]

Thanks; that's pretty much what I guessed. Congrats on another good piece of scenery!