Airport Tool

[aileron]

I know that DCS is working on terrain tools and I just want to throw this out there.

 

So in one of those other sim's that shall remain nameless they decided to create an airport tool to allow the community to create their own favorite airports that are close to home.

 

The user community is allowed to use the already existing objects in the game. (i.e. hangars, towers, etc) or import their own. They can then use the tool to add an overlay image of the airport in that spot resize it to fit so that they can go about putting down the taxiways, lights, towers, and to the best of their abilities the hangars (closet match.).

 

After the users were done they could import this into a central database that allowed the users to utilize that airport in game by adding it in individually. Little spotty on my recollection on how they wind up in the final game.

 

This vastly increased the quality (some users are obsessed about replicating them exactly) and quantity of airports in game.

 

I think this idea has merit. But we could probably do a little better for DCS level quality. As in they could exist in two domains like so:

 

A. You can use it from a central location; ie user community downloads area to import into your game. But not all users will have it downloaded.

 

B. If it gets enough up votes and passes the smell test for DCS level quality it could be imported into the game engine.

[Northstar98]

Agreed, but here's another idea.

 

What about using static objects to create airfields? Say you have a whole plethora of static objects that can be used to build runways, aprons, shelters, hangars, towers, NAVAIDs, lights etc. Maybe for things like runways they could be procedural - allowing them to have their dimensions changed in the mission editor, maybe have different textures to suite different materials. Or instead use building blocks and just construct an airfield where you like. Obviously there should be lots of variation to suite different nations and lots of different building blocks for ultimate configurability.

 

For things like hangars we could have it so their doors are animated by way of the current trigger system, same with lighting. For things like NAVAIDs all we need to do is be able to change a frequency/channel and type and just get it to integrate with the current NAVAIDs, for things like GP transmitters we can do the same and then set the beam elevation for custom glidepaths, same for PAPI lights.

 

Then extend the template system for static objects, so we can save our work and not have to redo absolutely everything. Once the mission editor improves (being able to see accurate top-down silhouettes of what your placing (maybe turn icon to silhouette at closer zooms or have a key command) or better, go 3D with something akin to Arma 3's EDEN (which is a full 3D editor, but retains a 2D view, which IMO is perfect for DCS, 3D for accurate placement of units, 2D for aircraft waypoints).

 

Eh just an idea, it's just to me stockpiling static objects and building airfields using them seems like a more straightforward approach. At least at the basic level.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Northstar98

[flanker1]

I know that DCS is working on terrain tools and I just want to throw this out there.

 

So in one of those other sim's that shall remain nameless they decided to create an airport tool to allow the community to create their own favorite airports that are close to home.

 

The user community is allowed to use the already existing objects in the game. (i.e. hangars, towers, etc) or import their own. They can then use the tool to add an overlay image of the airport in that spot resize it to fit so that they can go about putting down the taxiways, lights, towers, and to the best of their abilities the hangars (closet match.).

 

After the users were done they could import this into a central database that allowed the users to utilize that airport in game by adding it in individually. Little spotty on my recollection on how they wind up in the final game.

 

This vastly increased the quality (some users are obsessed about replicating them exactly) and quantity of airports in game.

 

I think this idea has merit. But we could probably do a little better for DCS level quality. As in they could exist in two domains like so:

 

A. You can use it from a central location; ie user community downloads area to import into your game. But not all users will have it downloaded.

 

B. If it gets enough up votes and passes the smell test for DCS level quality it could be imported into the game engine.

 

fantastic idea, it would be a dream!!

[discwalker]

I'd be happy if we can place down and rotate existing airports into flat areas.

My first tought is the now empty Crimea. In LOMAC there was 3 almost identical: Maykop, Kirovskoe, Razdolnoe; each exactly 3.2km long.