Satelite Terrain MOD

[A.S]

There is a freeware program made for FSX called TileProxy http://edtruthan.com/tileproxy/tutorial/ .

 

Basically what it does - in simple words - ...it downloads elevation and terrain picutures from satelite services like googlemap (others too by choice), converts it instantly into your sim and tadaaaa you fly over it with :worthy: effect.

 

What im wondering...since beginning of knowing this.... is

 

if i can download and convert datas that way almost live (actually it is live) in my FSX ...cant i use the same thing

to RE-MAKE the lockon map.

 

If i would know how to do it ...i would give it a try definitly....

 

So my question to the DEVS is....would that be theoratically possible to get the datas that way and to storage them as layer or whatever?

 

 

http://edtruthan.com/tileproxy/keys/floridakeys.htm

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls_XFb8LZ7I&feature=related F-15 Formation with TileProxy and Trackir !!! Must see

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw4okrYPcyU&feature=related (demo made by someone)

 

 

PS: this post is only meant as inspiration ..... ;)

Edited July 5, 2008 by A.S

[Vekkinho]

Nice idea there but I'm sceptic here!

 

In order to add southern parts of Georgia into the map and to increase terrain mesh detail in Caucasus and Georgia regions a big part of LO map had to be left out from DCS (Crimea). Having Crimea too would probably overkill your RAM and proc and mission loading times would be serousely prolonged.

 

So AFAIK terrain elevation and modelling is hard coded again and thus cannot be changed or tweaked in such manner!

 

Edit:

Perhaps in the future, but don't hold your fingers crossed for too long.

[Hellcat61]

That looks insane when the aircraft are at altitude. I am curious how it looks in game when you are down low, and how trees and buildings would mesh with it. That first F-15 video could easily be mistaken for a real flight IMHO.

[A.S]

That looks insane when the aircraft are at altitude. I am curious how it looks in game when you are down low, and how trees and buildings would mesh with it. That first F-15 video could easily be mistaken for a real flight IMHO.

 

example ...: (the best part is...my FSX has more FPS with it on then without it....it configurates .cfg files same way so things run smooth.)

 

things have different (adjustable) LOD values depending on range...in ohter word...things what are closer are most detailed..always depening on resolution of what different sat-serviced provide... )

 

 

 

 

here one i made... Nellis AFB

 

Edited July 5, 2008 by A.S

[Hellcat61]

Insane. For a non combat flight sim, this is near perfect. I wonder how well it would do with a combat sim when 3D ground targets and craters are included.

[monotwix]

Some thing like mission preload terain generator.

That would do some thing like analising ambient light taking snapshots around 360 degrees, and generate mesh accordingly to the brightest and dimmest and a light source localizer.

Sound crazy but possible.

[shaggy]

i cant get this to work for fs2004.. any clues to help me ? i have followed the readme and it still doesent work.

[G3]

wow, looks great, would be good to see the lockon map

converted like this, even if its just a one of capture.

best of luck -AS-

[GGTharos]

I don't think you can re-make the lock on map ... and the reason for this is that it doesn't map well to real coordinates.

[D-Scythe]

I don't think you can re-make the lock on map ... and the reason for this is that it doesn't map well to real coordinates.

 

I can confirm this - I've tried using real world maps to add more detail to LO's terrain, took forever just for a first pass rough draft. Moreover, you can't edit the terrain mesh.

 

 

[A.S]

a very good step forward...never say not possible....with tricks here and there maybe even excisting elevations can be used just to "cover" them a lil bit... whooo knows whoo knows :)

[f-18hornet]

example ...: (the best part is...my FSX has more FPS with it on then without it....it configurates .cfg files same way so things run smooth.)

 

things have different (adjustable) LOD values depending on range...in ohter word...things what are closer are most detailed..always depening on resolution of what different sat-serviced provide... )

 

 

 

 

here one i made... Nellis AFB

 

 

OT: Can you tell me via pm how can I get that too?:)

[Boberro]

I can't use it. It never works for me in the FSX. But I return to main thread, I am also sceptic. Lo is so anti-modding and has so weak, poor engine that I don't believe to do this with 100% success.

[Vekkinho]

D-Schyte, Your terrain also looks impressive, especially upper part of satellite image in Mission editor!

 

I'm still a XP user so don't use DX-10 needed for such candy detail in FS-X, but I must admit that terrain's great. I wonder how's the FPS over larger cities.

 

So AS, can you FRAPS some of the FPS over Nellis AB with Vegas in the background?!

[D-Scythe]

D-Schyte, Your terrain also looks impressive, especially upper part of satellite image in Mission editor!

 

Thanks. Regretfully, it could've potentially been very impressive - I only did pasted the satellite image on, I didn't work some Photoshop magic to make it look better. For example, the rock on the mountains are still purple, haha.

 

The thing was though, while I can get the major valleys to match up with Lock On's terrain (with a LOT of work, cause Lock On's terrain doesn't perfectly match with satellite imagery in the first place), the smaller valleys and striations on the mountain totally do not match up with Lock On's terrain mesh, reinforcing GGTharos' point.

 

It's something the devs have to do, I'm afraid.

[Vekkinho]

Yeah, too bad D-Schyte, but let's wait for DCS, perhaps devs decided to properly allign DCS map with satellite imagery and RL coordinates.

 

Now, I'll keep reverting to this terrain texture until it becomes available. It's WIP from Grandsurf and SIM-MOD and IMHO kix my ass:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=469433&postcount=123

 

Grandsurf is pretty occupied with DCS ATM so this work is on hold. I just wanted to point out that havinga a great texture compensates for low terrain mesh! That's just like having panels and rivets of the planes painted on the skin texture not as additional poly!

[Vekkinho]

+ I miss trees in that FS-X terrain tweak!

[hitman]

Its great in remote desert areas, but not so great for cities. Some parts of the landscape actually have clouds on the terrain from satellite images...mostly in hawaii and the grand canyon areas. Makes Edwards AFB look good. Other places, not so good. It disables a lot of buildings and disables all the trees in the terrain so some will get a good jump in performance when the tiles are loaded.

[Highwayman-Ed]

I used the VFR scenery packs for the UK with FS2004 and loved them. This looks even better, but I can't get it to run with Vista 64bit and FSX :(

[hitman]

I used the VFR scenery packs for the UK with FS2004 and loved them. This looks even better, but I can't get it to run with Vista 64bit and FSX :(

The answer to your problem. :)

 

http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=284&topic_id=3185&mesg_id=3185&page=

 

Basically, Vista SP1 doesnt allow unsigned drivers to be installed anymore, so you have to have a way around it. Here is the link to the fix:

 

http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=dseo

[A.S]

I could fraps it on my PC but im too lazy..enough vids on youtube (look for tileproxy)

Performance??.... it runs even better with it and its not that much performane killing as you may think....principals are wise how they made it.

 

Trees you dont see in my pic cuz i deactivated them in FSX...but you cann see them by wish ..so buildings (but that kills my single core engine)

 

why it doesnt run for some ??.... you have to follow good the instructions or it will fail..but once understood, its easy.

 

http://edtruthan.com/tileproxy/tutorial/

 

http://sourceforge.net/projects/tileproxy

 

http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?...ge=show_topics

 

http://www.edtruthan.com/tileproxy/manual.htm

 

here on my singlecore (4ghz) 7800gtxgs 256mb crap pc 90FPS !! on 1m/pixel res. not highest what would be 30cm/pixel

 

Edited July 7, 2008 by A.S

[hitman]

 

Trees you dont see in my pic cuz i deactivated them in FSX...but you cann see them by wish ..so buildings (but that kills my single core engine)

 

You cant see the trees because tileproxy disables them. I asked the developer who created tileproxy a few months ago about this, and he suggested its not possible unless he rewrites the entire program, and wouldnt want to do so only because it causes too much of a performance hit.

[A.S]

oh ok...besides ..who need trees

[hitman]

I kinda like the trees. :)

 

I found some payware terrain that seems pretty good for the places I go gliding from MegaSceneryX. Lots of good places are great for TileProxy, like the Florida Keys. Aside from that, everything seems very flat. But thats my opinion.

[Lotham]

for us grass eater we need trees and buildings.. ;)

+1 :)

Oh yeaah :)