Discussion Surface tiles: What levels, what area?

[Notebook]

I'm working on Amberley RAAF base and hadn't realised how big it is, got missled by it only having one runway...

It does bring up something important though. How much time to spend on surface tiles. I usually try to do all the area inside the perimmiter at level 8 or 9, and get lower further away, ending up at level 0.

I have this at the moment:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley/Amberley_8_W1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley/Amberley_1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley/Amberley_2.jpg

Thats mostly leve 9 to the West of the runway, level 8 to the East.

I reckon about halfway through the final number of surface tiles now. Thats 130+ tiles, about 70MB.

At that rate it could end up over a 100MB just for tiles, before buildings are added.

Is this overkill, should I reduce the number and resolution?
Don't get much feedback about this, and if its to big to be used or useful, not much pont in making them

All input appreciated, N.

 

[Stevodoran]

its not overkill :thumbup: if the file size is to big for people that's just them i like the look of them

 

[fort]

Hello Notebook,

I can not take the performances of my pc for a standard but, after loading Newcastle ( level 8 if i remember for the highest surftiles ) and Amberlay those last days, i was a little in trouble to move the scenery on the screen... Anyway, it's also the case for me for the Shuttle fleet or Kulch addons or Kukanotas KSC etc. So...

 

[Wishbone]

fort, what is the version of Orbiter you're using and how large is your computer's memory? So far I have had fewer (if any) lockup problems with 2010-P1 than in the old 2006-P1 setup.

 

[fort]

Wishbone,

When i say "trouble", i mean that if i want to move te external view with the cursor, it's slow and i lost the cursor for by example a second. But everything is normal and was the same for me with the old orbiter version, and maybe slower. Cause i have an 1.1 cpu, a 64 mo ddr pseudo Radeon and 512 mo of sdram.

But i think that, in spite of the fact that i am enmarvelloused ( can we say enmarvelloused in english and does the term exist ? ) seeing the LOD of the sceneries created by Notebook ( and i'm not for the option to create a particular System sol for it in relation to Heathrow Airport made by JMW ? or the reverse ), i think that to downgrade the surftiles of one level ( 50 mo ), maybe two, could be a good choice.

...and i see at this moment that i've made a confusion between Amberlay and Westcott RPE ...

 

[Notebook]

Thanks for the cooments folks, I'll take note.

To Fort, it must be Westcott, Amberley hasn't left the building yet, and won't be for a few weeks at this rate!

I'll plod on at the current resolution, but have a go at a lower level, say 7 for machines that need it.
The way I make the tiles means if I change down a resolution, it becomes very hard to line up all the edges. It gets very ugly when there are runways or line-matkings. I usually wait till a grass area or similar to make a join.
That isn't going to work with Amberley, its big, bigger than I thought and its got a lot of buildings to the West of the runways.

Wish I'd stuck with Brisbane now, lots of water...

N.

 

[tl8]

Sorry Notebook

Personally, I don't think this will worry my PC.

A downgrade to a lower level would be fine however, it is just as nice having some scenery in my area

---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 PM ----------

Also, adding to this, if you did do Brisbane you would absolutely need to add both Gateway bridges.

Nice big bridges that planes seem to always almost hit.

 

[Notebook]

TO tl8, could you (or anyone) point out these bridges on Google please? I can't see anything obvious.

Just for info, is the Southern runway so close to a public road?

Southern runway Lat -27.417682° Lon 153.092813°

Also anyone know what this object is:
Brisbane port Lat -27.384033° Lon 153.169536°

Railway line goes in at the North end, it looks like a covered loading area for minerals?

Many thanks,

N.

 

[tl8]

Your Southern runway is an apron
It is an apron for cargo and freight.

Only 2 runways, the long main one and the short cross wind one.

Your object at the port is the Grain Unloader for trains to Ship. Google Earth shows 3d Silos.

The Coal Unloader is south of the Grain Unloader

Gateway Bridge:

Lat: -27.444987°
Lon: 153.100657°

 

[Notebook]

Many thanks tl8, succinctly answered!

N.

 

[Notebook]

Another query for Amberley, why the angled ends on three of the large hangars?

You can see them in this view:

http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/id/5786/Australia/Queensland/Brisbane/Amberley_RAAF_Base

Many thanks, N.

 

[Notebook]

Nearly finished the tiles for Amberley and Brisbane.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley_5_.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Brisbane_1-1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley_Brisbane_1_.jpg

As they are starting to overlap, should I release these seperately or as one?

N.

 

[tl8]

Another query for Amberley, why the angled ends on three of the large hangars?

You can see them in this view:

http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/id/5786/Australia/Queensland/Brisbane/Amberley_RAAF_Base

Many thanks, N.

That is because the planes are arranged on an angle to the main runway, IE they are pointed towards the runway rather than parallel to it. This ensures that it is easier to get out of the hanger. The taxi guide lines also show this.

---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 PM ----------

Also, might as well release it as one.

 

[Notebook]

Makes sense, I suppose you can get more aircraft in a chevron parking.

N.

 

[Notebook]

Apologies for dragging up an old thread, seems like the best place to ask a few questions.

The tiles are finished, and they take up a lot of space, 144MB. So I think the best thing is to split RAAF Amberley across two zips. A basic install for everyone, and a hi-res add-on if your machine can use it.

This is a wide shot of the level 1 tile. I've been experimenting with the transparency, and it seems to work in places!
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley_LoRes_1.jpg


The "base" install stops at surface level tile 6 and gives this resolution:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley_LoRes_2.jpg

Thats about 25MB before compression.

The "hi-res" ads levels 7, 8 and 9 to give this resolution:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Amberley_HiRes_1.jpg

Thats a total of 120MB. I think spliting at level 6 gives a good compromise.

Its going to have taxiway centre-line and edge beacons added, but as you can see they don't match between the two resolutions, so they will be only added to the "hi-res" config file.
The same problem will happen with buildings and UCGO vehicle paths.

I don't want to try and place two sets of buildings and vehicle paths across the two versions, so the "base" version will be a little sparse.

If anyone can think of a way round that problem, I'll be glad to hear it. Otherwise I'll release the level 6 version as a bare-bones.

All inut appreciated.

N.