beginners help needed

[flyingnoob 25]

Hey folks, I need some beginners help with scenery design,

 

I have no idea where to start, but what I would like to do is ti make things like, my local football ground, shopping centre (my house lol) you get the idea.

 

Where do I start?

 

I have no idea what afcads are, and no idea what to do with them - or bgl's etc etc

 

I am a complete noob, in need of help.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

To add, - I use UTX and GEX

[Jim Young 2,356]

Hi Paul,

 

You should indicate whether you read the beginner's guide pinned at the top of this forum so there is some knowledge where you are coming from.  The beginner's guide has a lot of links to tutorials and videos.  That's where I would start.  I heard it is not easy but heard there is a program called Instant Scenery that might be better to work with.  I would think football fields would be fairly easy but your house and your shopping center might be a bit more difficult.  Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[flyingnoob 25]

Hi Jim, thanks

Yeah I read the above, most links are outdated or domains for sale etc, also from what I seen most links are for fs200/fs2004 or payware.

 

I am looking at instant scenery 2 and playing with the demo @ ksea, and a few of the things - people, some hangers etc and some oil refinery bits and bobs can be used also. worth the £20? probably, even the small airfield could use some hangers that don't even look real life.

 

Some of the posts in the link have 4 or 5 links in one, and its pretty mindblowing what its all about, and i'm not sure whats needed for what job etc.

 

I will have another look at it, and see what I can make of it.

 

Thanks Jim

 

 

Paul

[Manny 1,293]

I started with F1 Instant scenery too. I used existing ojbects and placed them around (Oahu Island on op of Megasenery). I wanted one round white ball/dome for Satellites. So I went begging asking if anyone would build me such a thing that I could use... and I got someone build me that object which I used. Its when I really wanted to build my own objects.

Then I Installed GMAX and learned how to build completely new 3D objects.

And then I used the help from here for other stuff like Ground Polygon and what not

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Scenery_design_tools

 

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Scenery_Design

I even built my first addon airport scenery... I leaned a lot...and just when my learning curve went steep and wanted to build better addon sceneries.. I lost everything I had, tools and notes when my PC crashed. (I didn't have a backup... Kicking myself here). I lost enthusiasm to start over again... moreover my work caught up with me.

One day, I may start back again. I have been wanting to do few things.

Oh well!

 

google for 

 

"

GMAX tutorials</b> : Godzone Virtual Flight, for Real NZ scenery

[flyingnoob 25]

Hey Manny thanks.

 

I think I will stick with both flight1's instant 2 and instant object, - that gmax looks over complicated for me - just now anyway.

 

I guess that's a perfect example of backing stuff up, something I aint done at all yet.

 

Now if only F1 would give me a freebie

 

 

Paul

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

its pretty mindblowing what its all about, and i'm not sure whats needed for what job etc.

 

You sound like a real beginner like me.  I think the only way to learn is to jump right in and make something with maybe Instant Scenery or, like Manny said, using GMAX.  I don't know how else you are going to learn this trade.  Personally, it's too complicated for me but then all I have tried is GMAX. 

 

Best regards,

Jim

[flyingnoob 25]

Hey Jim, thanks.

 

Instant scenery will do me I think.

 

Thanks again

 

 

Paul

[Manny 1,293]

that gmax looks over complicated for me - just now anyway.

Gmax is complicated for complicated objects ...like for insantce moving jetways that needs skeleton. I saw a u-tube video for how its done and gave up.

 

But for a building or a house with about 12-15 polygons, its very easy.

 

So you install GMAX. Drag and drop a box. Then move the corners to give a little bit of shape. Then you assign a texture to it. and then compile it into an object. Include it in a library

 

Now use your instant scenery to place the object.

[flyingnoob 25]

Hey many,

that's me stumped already, - polygons, drag and drop, compiling it, then using I/S, I think I need to do a heck of a lot of reading and then some.

 

Its a bit confusing when offered to put stuff in libraries and the likes.

 

I could barely manage using instant object, trying to suss out a few things, - I guess trial and error will help, although i don't want to bugger things up, putting files in wrong places etc.

 

Thanks a lot manny.

 

Paul

[flyingnoob 25]

hey folks,

 

i had a look at gmax and oaft - it looks pretty hardcore!! all i managed to make after 4 hours was a coypke of spheres, a few cones and aome cubes!

 

soooo - its either instant scenery or instant object, i can only raise funds for one of them, unfortunately.

 

I am kidding myself by wanting reasonably accurate designs so i will accept the next best thng.

 

I want to create oil refineries, train stations, a couple of football stadiums, of which instant scenery has straight fron the off with just a little height/width adjustments which is easy enough done, but i wont be able to get any accuracy in it whatsoever.

 

if i get the other one i can get it reasonably accurate, but takes longer(i do have time and a little more patience than using gmax).

 

ok so i will have problems with both understanding about backing it up and maybe getting round to uploading something back to avsim, ie things like refineries - mossmorran in fife, and grangemouth.

 

what is the preferred out both of these?

 

 

 

thanks

[N60JBravo 27]

Instant Scenery2 and Google Sketchup.

 

IS2 makes placing objects so fast and easy you will have plenty of time to learn Sketchup, which is free.

 

Refineries are complex and will take time no matter what you use. Start simple, put your house in FSX.

 

Plenty of tutorials out there to help you if you decide to follow this route.

 

regards,

Joe

[flyingnoob 25]

hey joe thanks.

 

i have used sketchup briefly before but not for anything like this, i have no idea how to import/export images or turn them into bgl files and put them into fs.

 

 

I realise i have ALOT to learn, hence why i thought is would be easier, and over the nxt few months i will get the other one.

 

I have just managed to convince the wife to fork out some cash, so i can go and pull the trigger just now, so i am going to have another shot of both demos to see which i prefer. although is is probably the one i prefer just now.

[eagle39 1]

Paul, SketchUp is probably the easiest of all the programs to use. You can find a lot of information at http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26. There is a ModelConverterX program that will convert your files to .bgl

You can find a lot of information on the program here: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=ModelConverterX.

 

Wayne

[flyingnoob 25]

hey wayne, thanks.

 

although i have posted on several forums, i think this is WAY out of my league.

 

being a newcomer to even flight sim(5 years but last 3.5 i havent touched fs as i had a baby( lol although "I" didnt actually have it ) lol

 

I started with flight unlimiteds cheap and cheerful thing and got hooked.

 

my solution for the moment - i feel as if i should cancel my help requests and just stick with throwing in a few buildings on flat surfaces using instant scenery 2 as this is really frying my head, at the end of the day all this is "only easy if you know how".

 

I appreciate all the help with advice and the links.

 

kind regards

 

 

paul