Howto:Make an airport: Difference between revisions
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(A little more info for first time devs.) |
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== Runways, taxiways and aprons == | == Runways, taxiways and aprons == | ||
=== What you need === | === What you need === | ||
* [[WorldEditor]] | * [[WorldEditor]] - to "draw" the layout of the airport (taxiways, runways, aprons) | ||
* | ** Runway layout data - either from the USA Airport & Scenery Database or from other free imagery | ||
* Runway layout data - either from the USA Airport & Scenery Database or from other free imagery | ** Other data (approach lighting systems, frequencies etc.) about the airport you want to make | ||
* Other data (approach lighting systems, frequencies etc.) about the airport you want to make | * [[TerraGear]] - to turn the layout into useable scenery | ||
* Shapefiles for the area around your airport - http://mapserver.flightgear.org/download.psp | ** Shapefiles for the area around your airport - http://mapserver.flightgear.org/download.psp | ||
* Heightmaps - http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/ | ** Heightmaps - http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/ | ||
Ubuntu users, can use the script in [[Ubuntu fg tools]]. | Ubuntu users, can use the script in [[Ubuntu fg tools]]. | ||
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=== Turning the airport into FlightGear scenery === | === Turning the airport into FlightGear scenery === | ||
There are | There are three possibilities, the later two require [[TerraGear]], but have the advantage that you can view the result immediately: | ||
* Send your layout (.dat file) to robin peel, as explained at [[#Share your layout with the world!]] and wait for the next FlightGear scenery build to include your airport. | |||
* [[Howto: Test your airport layout: quick and easy]], for a quick look at your airport. This will place your airport in the middle of an ocean. | * [[Howto: Test your airport layout: quick and easy]], for a quick look at your airport. This will place your airport in the middle of an ocean. | ||
* [[Using TerraGear]], you can create an entire scenery, including the surrounding terrain. | * [[Using TerraGear]], you can create an entire scenery, including the surrounding terrain. | ||
Revision as of 20:38, 24 September 2013
This article will guide you through the process of creating an airport and link you to related articles.
A note about licenses
Official FlightGear scenery is, as the rest of the program and data, licensed under the GNU General Public License v2. In order to have your work included in the official scenery, it must comply with this license.
In short this means that you can only use images that:
- you created yourself, entirely from scratch. This is the case when you draw something, or take a photograph of a building.
- you received permission for to release under the GNU GPL v2.
- are licensed under a GNU GPL v2 compatible license (eg. Public Domain).
Google Earth imagery is per definition not compatible. For the USA you can download the High Resolution Orthoimagery jpeg from http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ and use that to trace airports or buildings.
Alternatively you can estimate the lengths and widths of the buildings by looking at pictures.
Runways, taxiways and aprons
What you need
- WorldEditor - to "draw" the layout of the airport (taxiways, runways, aprons)
- Runway layout data - either from the USA Airport & Scenery Database or from other free imagery
- Other data (approach lighting systems, frequencies etc.) about the airport you want to make
- TerraGear - to turn the layout into useable scenery
- Shapefiles for the area around your airport - http://mapserver.flightgear.org/download.psp
- Heightmaps - http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/
Ubuntu users, can use the script in Ubuntu fg tools.
Airport layout
The very first step before creating a new airport layout is to check if the airport already exists in the airport database. Latest data is available at http://data.x-plane.com/get_data.html If we find our airport there, we can improve it, if not, we start a new layout. This is all done in WorldEditor.
So if we have done the airport in WED, we save it as "ICAO.dat" (replacing ICAO with the ICAO code of your airport). That's the X-Plane fileformat, which is used by FlightGear too.
Turning the airport into FlightGear scenery
There are three possibilities, the later two require TerraGear, but have the advantage that you can view the result immediately:
- Send your layout (.dat file) to robin peel, as explained at #Share your layout with the world! and wait for the next FlightGear scenery build to include your airport.
- Howto: Test your airport layout: quick and easy, for a quick look at your airport. This will place your airport in the middle of an ocean.
- Using TerraGear, you can create an entire scenery, including the surrounding terrain.
Don't forget to send your new "airport.dat" to Robin, so we all will benefit from, with the next scenery release!
Terminals, towers and hangars
What you need
- 3D modeling software, like Blender or SketchUp, as long as it can export to the .ac file type.
- Lots of pictures of the buildings at the airport.
Making a 3D model
One meter in FlightGear is one meter in the real world. If you use aerial or satellite imagery to measure out the buildings you'll be fine.
Placing objects
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You can either place the model manually using the UFO, or if you are developing an actual building, it's usually good to get the co-ordinates of one of the corners of the building so you can place it extremely accurately. You also need the elevation and the rotation of the model, but those are easy to estimate.
after finishing a building, send your model to the scenery database, as that is the best way for them to be distributed. Everyone who downloads the airport from then on will be able to see your building!