Gütersloh Airbase Project (Screenshots & resources)

[Ghostrida9]

Bought this map 2 days ago. First off, thank you for doing this, UGRA!

I know I'm early with this, since a lot will hopefully be added or fixed, but anyway, here we go again...

I decided to get back into modding as much as possible. I know I never really finished what I started back then, but I can say I learned a lot. This time it feels different, because it's Germany — I live here on the westide if germany, grew up here, and know many of the bases since I was a little kid in the early '90s. So there's a personal connection to it to some degree. (Even if LA is my second home.)

This isn't meant to bash anyone, but I did pay $55 for this map, so yeah — while I don't expect much accurate cities or villages (it's not possible without satellite data or AI generating detailed roadmaps and building placements), I do at least expect the airbases to be accurate.

Right now, RAF Gütersloh looks like a civilian airport, with 99% inaccurate buildings. Also, the shelters are wrong — too many colorful buildings and so on. It's fun to have a bike at all the main gates, but I'd prefer accuracy over little details like that.

So, I decided to start this project. And yes, it will take time and resources — I'm on my own doing this. More about that later.

This is just a start — models are not finished yet, it's all work in progress. The only thing that's finished right now is the shelter concrete texture.
Sad thing already: the AI gets scared when you place something "over" their "heads" — jets automatically choose the next available ramp start spot to take off from, even though the shelters don't even have a collision shell yet. Choosing ground start is no option since the Harrier go full speed and just crash somewhere.. very buggy

So the idea with Shelters is, to some degree, useless until one of the following happens:

- UGRA Media adopts my hardened shelter model,
- or they create their own,
- or ED tweaks the AI so they're less "scared".
(Also hoping the scenery remove object tool gets enhanced too.)

enough talk for now... very early stages shots

[H Schuitemaker]

Your shelters and blast walls are a big improvement, I hope this will inspire Ugra Media to improve this airbase. If not, I am looking forward to use your mod.

[[vFIS741] Flo]

Maybe this is of help

Edited April 21 by [vFIS741] Flo

[zsoltfireman]

Will the GR7 Harrier be part of the package?

[Manschy]

Just detected this thread - AWESOME!

I did develop this scenery those days for FSX/P3D.

So please give me a shout if you are interested in any british objects (all objects are done with Gmax, but will be surely possible to convert in any other format).

 

[Ghostrida9]

Thanks alot, @zsoltfireman No the GR 7 will not be part of this project, i would need 20 years probably, happy enough that we got a Harrier allready in the sim, to many flyables allready anyway IMHO. 

More focus on landscape and all that please !!!

Thanks for the Videos, i found some nice drone footage too, and nice work @Manschy will probably come back to you sooner or later. Again this all will take a lot of time.

For Now, i think i found the right military RAF green building/concrete/plaster type texture i guess, and started to work on the buildings in the western shelter area..

 

 

 

[Manschy]

I know about those time consuming projects . Could take years, especially for freeware.

This last building looks excellent, I will follow this more than promising work!

[Tengah]

The Harrier, as pictured, would represent a Gr.5 rather than a Gr.7.  The 7 & 9 had a few more lumps and bumps than on the 5, especially the ECM "tusks" on the nose.  Why RAZBAM couldn't have gone the extra mile to add these lumps and bumps to give us Brits a sense of identity within DCS is beyond me 

 

 

 

 

This is a superb project, thank you very much Ghostrida9.   When Laarbruch, Wildenwrath, and especially Bruggen come along, would you consider giving them the same makeover?

[Manschy]

If anyone is able to convert a complete RAF Brüggen scenery from P3D to DCS, you have my permission:

 

Edited Wednesday at 05:32 PM by Manschy

[Tengah]

3 hours ago, Manschy said:

If anyone is able to convert a complete RAF Brüggen scenery from P3D to DCS, you have my permission:

 

Oooh, you modelled the "Funny Farm"... Niiice.  I am sorry I missed this in P3D, good work, Manschy, and a very generous offer.  Maybe put this forward in the Modding section of the forum?  I have flown the heck out of the Germany map the last couple days and I have to say the lack of attention to detail (basic texturing) on the Airbases, etc, is starting to niggle me.  Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have such a superb map, but...

Edited Wednesday at 08:56 PM by Tengah

[Manschy]

Yes, thank you. Will try my luck

[Ghostrida9]

Yes @Manschy, i have a very busy and crazy life, sooner or later it will not work without a donation page seriously. its a tremendous effort to create all this... RAF Brüggen... nice... @Tengah it all depends, there's 80% undone of Gütersloh for now so... lets wait and see how people react, support and what UGRA Media does... again the Aircraft shelters are of no use right now since you can not use that parking spot nomore, they need to implement the shelter... or ED makes the KI "smarter".

I have a personal connection to RAF Brüggen. Back then, some of my relatives lived just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Brüggen Airbase. The full story is too long to tell, but it came to a swift and sorrowful end. Yes, I was that little boy in the mid-90s, standing by the fence of RAF Brüggen with his bicycle and analog camera, watching the Tornados fly with awe, often until the very end of the day’s operations. A world that no longer exists. memeories long ago..I never went back.

Anyway... Ugra created way way to many buildings around the gates, every Airbase has 1 Maingate and maybe a second gate that might open for some type of maneuvers/operations. (I had to laugh when i saw the eagle head on the western gate ) The rest are "Crash gates". I created one, nit detail, each gate might have its own number.. i think i found an easy way.. fences and guard booth are from older projects, then i finished the model for the "bunker" type building which is located in the western and southern shelter area, plus simple model for one of the office type buildings, more to follow...

 

[flanker1]

you do an amazing job, please do this for some soviet 16. air army bases in GDR too. . . 

[Manschy]

Wow!!!

[Manschy]

Your developping skills are impressive!

Regarding the gates: You are right. There are 2 gates with guard posts and barriers, then 4 more crash gates.

Gate 6 had a bridge in front, especially built for fire cars because of no other way to the south west side. This bridge was used for decades by spotters for impressive shots.

If you need more informations, please let me know, because the RAF Gütersloh era was used by several squadrons, regarding this the buildings and objects did change in the 70s, 80s and 90s....For example in the Lightning era (70s) there still were no HAS, just built with the Harriers arrival late 70s/beginning 80s. Same with the big maintenance hangar to the west side. Just constructed with the arrival of the CH-47. Then 1993 the Harriers left Gütersloh towards Laarbruch and the west section was used by Westland Lynx and Gazelles while the base was renamed to Princess Royal Barracks. Just memories, no Wikipedia, but there are many other important informations.

As you see there are many different useable eras during the cold war, but in my opinion, the 70s or 80s are the most dangerous years and probably should be considered.

[Northstar98]

2 hours ago, Manschy said:

Gate 6 had a bridge in front, especially built for fire cars because of no other way to the south west side. This bridge was used for decades by spotters for impressive shots.

Unfortunately this bridge isn't present and the river is in the wrong place, reported here:

[Manschy]

Hm, that's strange indeed...

[Harry.R]

Nice work Ghostrida9, looks like the 4 sqn site is getting some love. Manschy, wow, looks just like the real thing!

[Ghostrida9]

Thanks @Manschy, @flanker1 Thanks, time will tell, it's all interesting but i try to do the whole base, and since 99% of the buildings is incorrect... you get my point, it takes aloooot of time.

Small update, worked hard to get the correct brownish concrete bunker texture done in Photoshop

Edited Friday at 09:51 PM by Ghostrida9

[EvilBert VR]

@Ghostrida9
Ambitious project!
You need to use THIS website.
The whole airfield in 3D!

Cheers

 

 

[Northstar98]

@EvilBert VR what website?

[Ghostrida9]

Thanks @EvilBert VR, i guess u forgot to add the link tho..

For some strange reason the bunker area / weapons bunker area is pretty much incomplete, most bunkers are missing and for some strange reason they placed those 2 weird looking world war 2 buildings into the area... also the knee high killer grass is making everything much more difficult to mod... i still hope that will be fixed, it's one of the most annonying things in all DCS maps..

i worked on those storage buildings today, including texture, normal map, AO... and added the protection walls, just the grass texture need to be fixed so it blends in with the ground much better...

 

Edited Sunday at 12:40 PM by Ghostrida9

[EvilBert VR]

Indeed.... Did not include the link.

Here it is:     >>CLICK<<

[Northstar98]

@Ghostrida9 Looks excellent - far more accurate than what's currently there.

I wonder if there's any way to actually place the ammunition warehouses for this airbase where they should be? I saw a screenshot showing them in seemingly random places - like 2 objects near the apron in the north-west of the airbase.

Edited Sunday at 12:47 PM by Northstar98

[Ghostrida9]

@Northstar98i don't know, its again wrong on all DCS maps, changing it is probably impossible but maybe some new objects can be classified as Warehouses...

Big southern storage warehouse model done,  it's located in the south east shelter complex

 

Edited Sunday at 12:48 PM by Ghostrida9