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Understanding FlightGear Scenery: Difference between revisions
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If you want to develop scenery for FlightGear, great! FlightGear needs as much help as possible with modeling the world. This article is designed for someone who is interesting in creating FlightGear scenery for the first time and is meant to explain how FlightGear manages scenery and what quirks or nuances you need to know in order to best contribute. | If you want to develop scenery for FlightGear, great! FlightGear needs as much help as possible with modeling the world. This article is designed for someone who is interesting in creating FlightGear scenery for the first time and is meant to explain how FlightGear manages scenery and what quirks or nuances you need to know in order to best contribute. | ||
==How Scenery is Generated== | == How Scenery is Generated == | ||
There are three main types of data which make up FlightGear scenery - airports, objects and terrain. | There are three main types of data which make up FlightGear scenery - airports, objects and terrain. | ||
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All scenery which is included in the main FlightGear database should be derived from either license-free data or data which there is implicit permission to use. For instance, using USGS imagery, LANDSAT satellite imagery, or even Yahoo! Maps is okay for placing models or checking coordinates of airport runways. However, the FlightGear scenery project is copyright aware and typically does not accept objects or terrain created from copyrighted data, including, unfortunately, Google. (Yahoo! Maps has told OpenStreetMap deriving coordinates from their map data is not a copyright issue.) If you have a question about your source, do not hesitate to [http://flightgear.org/forums ask on the forum]. | All scenery which is included in the main FlightGear database should be derived from either license-free data or data which there is implicit permission to use. For instance, using USGS imagery, LANDSAT satellite imagery, or even Yahoo! Maps is okay for placing models or checking coordinates of airport runways. However, the FlightGear scenery project is copyright aware and typically does not accept objects or terrain created from copyrighted data, including, unfortunately, Google. (Yahoo! Maps has told OpenStreetMap deriving coordinates from their map data is not a copyright issue.) If you have a question about your source, do not hesitate to [http://flightgear.org/forums ask on the forum]. | ||
==How Scenery is Stored== | == How Scenery is Stored == | ||
FlightGear manages scenery through a folder hierarchy representing square degrees for both Objects and Terrain. The purpose of separating scenery tiles by degree is to allow easy internet distribution and to provide boundaries for the generation of terrain, so polygons do not just go on for miles. | FlightGear manages scenery through a folder hierarchy representing square degrees for both Objects and Terrain. The purpose of separating scenery tiles by degree is to allow easy internet distribution and to provide boundaries for the generation of terrain, so polygons do not just go on for miles. | ||
This means you need to know where your scenery project is in longitude and latitude. For instance, San Francisco's airport can be found under the folder w123n37. | This means you need to know where your scenery project is in longitude and latitude. For instance, San Francisco's airport can be found under the folder w123n37. | ||
==The Basic Format== | == The Basic Format == | ||
The /Scenery folder for FlightGear contains three subfolders - Airports, Objects and Terrain. | The /Scenery folder for FlightGear contains three subfolders - Airports, Objects and Terrain. | ||
===Airports=== | === Airports === | ||
This folder contains various .xml files for the airports you have downloaded. You do not need to edit these! | This folder contains various .xml files for the airports you have downloaded. You do not need to edit these! | ||
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Because of the FlightGear feature which allows airports to undulate, or change elevation, all airports must be regenerated using [[TerraGear]] once [[TaxiDraw]] has been used. | Because of the FlightGear feature which allows airports to undulate, or change elevation, all airports must be regenerated using [[TerraGear]] once [[TaxiDraw]] has been used. | ||
===Objects=== | === Objects === | ||
Objects are possibly the easiest sceneries to create for FlightGear. All you need is to create an .ac model and place it using the ufo or manually using co-ordinates. You can also create an .xml file to create animations. | Objects are possibly the easiest sceneries to create for FlightGear. All you need is to create an .ac model and place it using the ufo or manually using co-ordinates. You can also create an .xml file to create animations. | ||
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* [Howto:_Add_shared_models_manually] | * [Howto:_Add_shared_models_manually] | ||
===Terrain=== | === Terrain === | ||
[[Category:Scenery]] | [[Category:Scenery]] | ||