Building new airbases

[+ST0RM 145]

Looking at some of the stock airbases we've got in various forms in this series, has always left me with wanting more.

 

With the few 3rd Party airbases released (Korat and a few others), I see that custom bases can be built and used. What tools do I need to do this?

 

My hopes are to build some proper WP/Mid Eastern bases with the fighter "Christmas trees" leading from protective shelters to the runway.

 

Also, dual parallel runways. Is it as simple as moving two bases right next to each other? While the AI wouldn't utilize them properly, at least they would look the part.

 

Any tips or ideas are appreciated.

 

-Jeff

[Wrench 9,417]

do you have gepard's WoE base pak (somewhere in the d/l section) real life setups for some east german bases. All you'll need to know is how to edit the targets and types ini (which you already do, methinks ), then just finding the x/y coordinates to place them. oh, the TE, terrains cities list etc, to 'flatten' them, if jplaced somewere other than at an existing site.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

Storm,

Making Airbases is pretty stright foward. First of all, It requires 3DMax with the ThirdWire Exporter. Keep in mind that an Airbase Layout is, afterall, a .Lod File. The biggest difference than any other Model in Game, instead of being 3d, it's a 2d Model built on a single Plane. One would have to make His Layout on the Single Plane, Break down the Layout into an Editable Mesh by trying to keep certian Areas as square as possible. Such as, Runways, Taxiways, Arming Pits, Tarmacs....ect. Keeping them square maks it easy to assign Material to them and keeps them from being destorted. Material usally consists of .Bmps. I like 512x512's or 256x256's for Runway Textures and such. For an Example, I say look at a Runway .Bmp in a certian Terrain .Cat.

 

ArmourDave's Korat Base, Is an Example of trying to add as much Buildings to the Airbase Layout .LOD to save time in Object Placement. I beleave Gepard used the same process in making His Soviet Airbases Add-On's. It's a great Idea to save time in the placements. But also keep in mind, TW gives Us a lot of Objects to start off with. Plus, one could make his own to add to the collection. As in AD's Korat, Once You've got the Buildings set in the .LOD, that's it. You can't adjust them or move them. Also, the repetitive nature of doing many .Lods in 3DMax just to get them close or right.

 

I personally like to make the Base Layout as ThirdWire does. Do the Layout as a single .Lod, then place seperate Ground Object .Lods to populate it. You can always fix what messes up.

 

Hope this helps some.....

 

While We are on the Subject, If any Member here flys FS2004 and know of Mr. George Knowles work, I'd like overhead direct ScreenShots of his Stuff. They can be PM'd to Me here. For the People that don't know Mr Knowles, He made several Bases of Vietnam for FS2004. They can be obtained at Simviation as Free Downloads. If I could get those Layouts, I could make them for WOX Series of Sims. I just don't have FS2004.....

 

Semper Fi!

 

331KillerBee

Edited March 30, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+Gepard 10,230]

My airfields consist of several objects wich can be combinated so that you can build your own Airbase.

I have e runways of different length (2000, 2400 and 2600 meters) than 2 taxiways, one 100 meter long the other 500 meters long and 2 parking areas of different size. Each object you can set and move freely.

Its like a big puzzle. But i think with a certain amount of workforce you could make every single airbase of the world with such files.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Gepard

[Tannethal 2]

Two basic ways:

 

1. The Amordave one Lod for everything approach as done with Korat

 

2. building it out of stock or custom objects ones via target.ini placement.

 

Without Gepards airfield objects it wouldn't have been possible for me to recreate Ubon, NKP or DaNang now WiP.

 

Since we're at it, Gepard do you still remember the dimensions of the Factory place baseplates?

[+Florian 394]

The GMG has once started a project about costum german air bases in WoE. It is currently on hold, due to other projects popped up between, but is for sure not forgotten!

 

 

Runway and Taxiways will be made for every air base, but all other stuff (Tower, Hangars, HAS, ground equipment) will be placed via Target.ini.

Depending on the progress, once we continue, other NATO bases are also planned. Red side will follow maybe some time later.

[+Julhelm 266]

Has anyone ever attempted building a faux carrier as an airbase, or does the "runway" have to lie on the "ground" plane?

[+Florian 394]

This came to my mind once also, but never tried it. Would be worth to know. Basically is the flight deck "just" a Mesh, wich is collidable, this value can be set inside the Data.ini of Groundobjects, like Hangars, also. Question is now, will the aircraft explode, while hitting this mesh, or does the wheels accept this surface?

Also, would it be possible to add a catapult and wires?

[Derk 265]

The GMG has once started a project about costum german air bases in WoE. It is currently on hold, due to other projects popped up between, but is for sure not forgotten!

 

 

Runway and Taxiways will be made for every air base, but all other stuff (Tower, Hangars, HAS, ground equipment) will be placed via Target.ini.

Depending on the progress, once we continue, other NATO bases are also planned. Red side will follow maybe some time later.

 

That would be VERY good news !! I don't get Gepards airbases going in the latest WOE terrain with all the mods and patches, and the rather "American" looking standard WOX airbases simply do not look that well in W. Europe.

Though very nice to shoot up, I never saw a base with a fuel tank park that was not under the ground .......

The standard W. German airbase is a lot better with the dispersals ,shelters and maybe Zulu facilities , especially when trees are included. The only really wortwhile aspects of the standard WOX airfiels are with the multi, runway ones, where the pattern vaguely reminds of the WW II RAF and Luftwaffe bases on which so many NATO and Warpac bases were constructed after the war.

Looking very much forward to the new airbases !!

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk :yes:

[+ST0RM 145]

Ok, so if something is already pretty far along and done by people much more experienced than I, then I'll just wait and move on to something else. I may still try the object placement via the targets.ini though to try and see what I can come up with.

 

Thanks much for all the replies and info!

[+331Killerbee 840]

Has anyone ever attempted building a faux carrier as an airbase, or does the "runway" have to lie on the "ground" plane?

 

 

Yep, It's been done.

[+331Killerbee 840]

This came to my mind once also, but never tried it. Would be worth to know. Basically is the flight deck "just" a Mesh, wich is collidable, this value can be set inside the Data.ini of Groundobjects, like Hangars, also. Question is now, will the aircraft explode, while hitting this mesh, or does the wheels accept this surface?

Also, would it be possible to add a catapult and wires?

 

I did a Chu Lai AB with the help of Crab_02 doing some modeling the SATs Strip. I got it working in Game. I lost it due to losing a Computer awhile back. I plan on doing it again. Yes, It works like a faux Carrier with the Deck Height of .ooo1. No Movement in the Data.INI. Placement is just like any ordinary Carrier in Campaigns. One must make it a "Carrier Station". It also can be used in User made Missions. (The SATs being a seperate Ground Object) But in "Single Mission" Mode, It acts as any ordinary Runway.(No Catapult Lanches or Traps) In Chu Lai, The SATs Strip was a seperate .LOD from the Rest of the Base which was it's own .LOD. Placements of the .LODs is just like placing any Ground Object .LODs in Game. Since the SATs Strip is set up with only one Catapult and one Arresting Wire, Only the "Users" Aircraft can use these. AI could be fooled into using it also, Just haven't got that far. I beleave that I can get AI to use the Catapult by calling several Catapults in line with the Original one. Haven't tried it yet, but it's in the works......By not giving it a Damage Box, It will not explode....

Edited March 30, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+russouk2004 6,951]

Seeing we have a Britain map...I am thinking of doing RAF St Athan...well,a good portion of it...I have some pics of it and theres good views on google earth..

if some one who has made airbases could send me a txt file with tips I would be grateful..

I used to work on the base whan I was in school...on weekends..and after I left school for a while...so its a place I have good memories of too..

[+331Killerbee 840]

Russ,

 

I'll work up a Text with Instructions and send via PM....

[+Jug 99]

The GMG has once started a project about costum german air bases in WoE. It is currently on hold, due to other projects popped up between, but is for sure not forgotten!

 

 

Runway and Taxiways will be made for every air base, but all other stuff (Tower, Hangars, HAS, ground equipment) will be placed via Target.ini.

Depending on the progress, once we continue, other NATO bases are also planned. Red side will follow maybe some time later.

Looks great, AmokFloo. Drives me nuts to always find the fuel dump in the same place on every airpatch on the map. Some differences in the airfield layout is inherrently advantageous in making a challenging mission out of a airfield strike mission. Good work.

[+russouk2004 6,951]

Thnx KB

[Kirsten 0]

Just to get you in the mood.........

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

[+ST0RM 145]

Awesome!

 

I'd really like to see Ramstein get some love.

[+swambast 601]

Storm...a revisit to this old thread just may help...steady (but slow) development and outstanding support by one dedicated beta tester...this option might just be the answer you're looking for!: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showt...=34895&st=0

 

PM me if interested. Even though it's still in beta, I think you might find the amount of time and effort you save amazing, and just maybe you might really come to like it.

[+331Killerbee 840]

I've watched the Demo Vids now three times with amazement. Me and Polak used FSSC, But We were doing the Converting by Hand. (Copy and Paste). Given, Faster than doing a Target.INI by Hand, I see SST being even Faster.

Man, I've got an ongoing Project with already 250+ Ground Objects placed with much more to go. With a Tool like this, I could get the Job done in no Time......

Edited March 31, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+EricJ 3,929]

That would be nice, getting kinda tired of blowing up Fuel Tanks, Runways, etc....

[Tannethal 2]

hey KB DaNang weights right now 491 targets without any scenery objects like charts and stuff added.

Will try something out with the old groundplates to spare some targets.

 

S!

[+Gepard 10,230]

Be carefull with to many objects. It can cause FPS problems. Then you has a nice base in slideshow.

 

By the way, Tannethal, the size of factory baseplate is unkown for me. All of my files have the size in filename.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Gepard

[Tannethal 2]

That's why i asked if one knows the dimensions of the old groundplates. One of these could save me a good deal of rollbahn/parkplatz objects. Have to figure out the size.

 

S!

[+331Killerbee 840]

Be carefull with to many objects. It can cause FPS problems. Then you has a nice base in slideshow.

 

By the way, Tannethal, the size of factory baseplate is unkown for me. All of my files have the size in filename.

 

 

Ran several Tests with up to 999 Ground Objects on a 512Mb ATI Card. The only thing that hurts Frame Rates is the Parking of Aircraft. Not ThirdWires mind You, But some high Poly Third-Party Aircraft. When the Game Engine places Parked Aircraft, It limits One to 60 Aircraft. 30 Small and 30 Large. Or just 60 of one Size.(Any combination resulting in 60.)

 

Ran 20 Tests with 999 Ground Objects with no Parked Aircraft. No Frame Rate Loss. Did the same with Parked Aircraft with the Chance set to 99. Frame Rate loss to around the "3-4 fps"s, again, depending on the type of Aircraft placed. High Res Textures strain the Card too. Staying close to the Size that TW's Aircraft helps greatly. There's a big notice in first Generation WOX Series. Not as noticable in SF2.

 

Again, Tests were conducted with an ATI Radeon HD 2600 512Mb Card. Results will vary depending on the Type of Card being used and the amount of Memory it has.

 

I guess that's why TK set a Poly Target in His Exporter Notes about Ground Objects and Aircraft.

 

 

331KillerBee

Edited April 2, 2009 by 331Killerbee