RAF Binbrook Scenery - Help Wanted

[PeteP]

I downloaded the new payware RAF Binbrook scenery, thinking that it - and especially the included AI Lightnings - would be useful for Tangmere's new Lightning simulator. Unfortunately, as you can see from the screenshots, below, it seems to have half disappeared into the Lincolnshire countryside. I've tried moving its layer up and down in the Scenery Library but to no avail. Anyone any suggestions as to what I might try?
Thanks.

Pete

[DaveB]

Eee.. b1oody hell!

Just a quick thought.. if you have anything other than the default mesh active, try disabling it. PeterM's Hunter base looked like that to me until I killed UKVFRPhoto (or to be more precise.. UKVFR Terrain). I think Peter was able to make a new flatten for it but I wouldn't be sure the purveyors of the payware Binbrook would be so accommodating It's by MickeyD's lot isn't it and he often pop's in here.

ATB

DaveB

[PeteP]

Well done, Dave - spot on! It was, indeed, a mesh problem - FS Global 2008 on my home computer where I've installed Binbrook temporarily to try and sort out the problem. The Tangmere sim doesn't use FS Global but I'm sure when I disable the mesh I have installed - The British Isles 76.4m Terrain from FSGenesis/Justin Tyme - I'll get the same result.

The problem is that I'd really like to keep the mesh, especially as one of the available flights on the Tangmere sim is around the valleys and mountains of North Wales so it looks like I'll have to investigate making a flatten file for Binbrook. Any experts here know if this is possible? All suggestions gratefully received.
Best
Pete

[DaveB]

Hi Pete

Well.. that's the problem isn't it.. to mesh or not to mesh. I had the same thing with the retro LHR (though not mountains.. I had water!). All went well with UKVFR Terrain off but then the UK becomes a very flat place without it Perhaps the guy's at SDG (presuming it's them) could build a compatible version. Surely one of them must have Genesis/UKVFR Terrain or FS Global installed. There can't be many folk using FS9 with the default mesh these days!

Perhaps if you let them know that it is for use on a public display system at the museum, this might help things along a bit

ATB

DaveB

[PeteP]

Perhaps if you let them know that it is for use on a public display system at the museum, this might help things along a bit

I'm sure it would, Dave, especially as I intend to put a board next to the sim with details of all the software used - some excellent publicity for them. After some searching, I've just found a support email address for them on the FSPilot Shop site from where I downloaded it. I'll make sure I get the same result on Monday when I disable the FSGenesis Mesh on the Tangmere sim and then I'll email them for help.

Thanks for the help.

Best
Pete

[petermcleland]

I'm pretty sure that you could just change the height of the airfield AFCAD file to match the exact altitude of the plateau in your second picture...You could measure the altitude by sitting the default Cessna on it and reading the altitude showing on the red text at the top of the screen after one press of "Z"...Then you would have to correct it by the amount of the default Cessna's height above the wheels of its altimeter. Having got that actual altitude of that terrain, that is the altitude you would use to correct the ones on the AFCAD file...If you can't do that, I could do it for you.

[PeteP]

Thanks for the advice and offer of help, Peter - it's much appreciated.

After my conversation with Dave, I downloaded a freeware programme called FlatteX which enable me to define the corners and altitude of a flatten area using FS in slew mode and then generate the appropriate line for the scenery.cfg file. It worked a treat and Binbrook now sits happily in a nice flat area with the hills (Wolds?) visible in the distance. I've no reason to think that the same flatten line won't work just as effectively on the simulator mesh but I'll give your method a try as as well as a another string to my bow.

Thanks again.
Pete

[petermcleland]

Thanks for the advice and offer of help, Peter - it's much appreciated.

After my conversation with Dave, I downloaded a freeware programme called FlatteX which enable me to define the corners and altitude of a flatten area using FS in slew mode and then generate the appropriate line for the scenery.cfg file. It worked a treat and Binbrook now sits happily in a nice flat area with the hills (Wolds?) visible in the distance. I've no reason to think that the same flatten line won't work just as effectively on the simulator mesh but I'll give your method a try as as well as a another string to my bow.

Pete,

You may well find that in FS9 a flatten line in the Scenery.cfg file produces some strange side effects...Try looking in Spot view at an aircraft on the runway...pan yourself around it with the hat switch and see if the ground appears to move under the aircraft. Your method has the advantage of keeping Binbrook at its published altitude by flattening an area of the mesh to that altitude. My method does raise Binbrook to the altitude of the mesh in that area...But only with that particular mesh and the airfield altitude may well need to be adjusted again for another mesh.

To change the altitude of an airport you must correct it in several places...Load the file into AFCAD and under File > Properties you will find one altitude to change. Now go Lists > Runways > Properties for each runway and you will find another altitude to change. Now View > Show Start Locations and right click on each in turn on the map and select Properties...each one has an altitude to change. ReSave the AFCAD and exit AFCAD. Finally you may want to change any Ttools Airports.txt file that contains Binbrook and change its Altitude there.

[PeteP]

Thanks for the detailed instructions, Peter - much appreciated. I've printed them out and I'll take them with me to the museum this morning. If the flatten switch doesn't give the desired effect, I'll give it a shot.
Pete

[GHD]

If Binbrook is a default FS9 airfield and you change the height to be different from the default, you will need to create a dummy afcad which contains only the airport reference point and the new height and place it in a scenery area at the lowest position in the scenery library list. Place your true afcad in a scenery area near the top of the scenery library list.