Sim Scenery

[Heli Hacker]

I had some fun yesterday searching for equirectangular panoramic photos that can be loaded into Clearview (and other sims) for flying fields. Some of the people who post their photos on Flickr allow them to be downloaded for personal, non-commercial use; please read and comply with the restricted rights notices.

On my favorites list I have started compiling links to some panos that make good flying scenery:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28541023@N05/favorites/

If you want to hunt through ALL the equirectangulars, they are here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/equirectangular/pool/page1/

I tend to look for photos with fairly open, flat areas. And they need to have the "original size" available for download, preferably 4000 pixels wide or larger to get detailed scenery. When you find one, click on "All Sizes" (upper left), then "Original Size", if it exists, then if it is large enough, select "Download Original Size".

In Clearview use File->Import Scenery. I use the 10MB tile size most of the time.

On my computer, when the "Panorama Import Complete" notice pops up, it takes another 20 seconds or so before it will accept a click on "OK", so if this happens to you, don't assume your machine is locked up.

[flyx]

You need a Cube the Sphere for the Freebie Sims and some other sims.
Preflight,Clearview, FMS,Heli-x,Phoenix, Realfight use skybox mapping.
CRRCsim also use a skybox
If You need a copy just PM me. This is also a FREEWARE.

MAC has a free skybox converter becuase quicktime use a skybox
formate for virtaul cam tour.

After the cube the sphere conversion...
You just have to convert the 6 images to the proper formate.
Example FMS use .bmp and Heli-x use .jpg

I usually use GIMP to scale up smaller pano 3000x1500 is boarderline.
But if you have patient and scale up the pano and sharpen it a little
bit at a time it'll still look good. GIMP is also a FREEWARE
and do a pretty good

Aerofly has a Wizard importer that you can dowmload for Free.
You have to makesure the equirectangular are sized to 8196x4092.
Maybe sharpen it a little bit.

You can also download Hugin's for FREE. This is a photo stitching software
incase you want to make your own pano. It'll stitch equirectagular.

You can also use sceneries from other sims that people posted
from free download. You simply just need to retreive the pano
image from the zip folder. Some will have auto install.
You simply just need to retrieve it from the Program/...whatever
folder the auto install sent it to. Or you can alter the file path
before clicking the oki doki bottom.
If you don't wish to see the white circle under that pilot's feet.
You can simply flip the pano, resize it and use gimp to lyer it in
the pano. You'll an image of what people call "little planets"
it looks pretty cool. You can use that as a preview image of
you scenery icon....notice the bottom portion of a Reflex's
scenery.

You can also down load a demo version of Bixorama.
It's a little software that will convert panorama into verioues formate.
You might notice sphere images of some preview icon on certain
downloads..that's how you can get images like that for your preview.


Add the bottom missing portion back to the pano by
changing the CANVAS size of the image. (reflex's sceneries)
Then convert it to a skybox if you have to or just import it.

To get photolistic slop sceneries or over the top scnceries to work,
you simply just need to raise the camera's posistioning or lower the
terrain. You simply just build buffer for hill sides and what not for
models to fly behind or crash into.

This is a complete aerial panorama taken from a kite via R/C.
I can fly in a complete 360 in all directions. It 's pretty neat.

You can also use GIMP to lyer tree lines, buildings, on change
the sky. like this...this is a Heli-x pano by Harald . I like this
pano, but I made one with a different sky.

Also the equirectangular to skybox images and bixorama preview

[Picofly]

I had some fun yesterday searching for equirectangular panoramic photos that can be loaded into Clearview (and other sims) for flying fields. Some of the people who post their photos on Flickr allow them to be downloaded for personal, non-commercial use; please read and comply with the restricted rights notices.

On my favorites list I have started compiling links to some panos that make good flying scenery:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28541023@N05/favorites/

If you want to hunt through ALL the equirectangulars, they are here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/equirectangular/pool/page1/

I tend to look for photos with fairly open, flat areas. And they need to have the "original size" available for download, preferably 4000 pixels wide or larger to get detailed scenery. When you find one, click on "All Sizes" (upper left), then "Original Size", if it exists, then if it is large enough, select "Download Original Size".

In Clearview use File->Import Scenery. I use the 10MB tile size most of the time.

On my computer, when the "Panorama Import Complete" notice pops up, it takes another 20 seconds or so before it will accept a click on "OK", so if this happens to you, don't assume your machine is locked up.

Thank you for the link!

I made a couple of new sceneries to Clearview from those images. They were a bit over-sharpened so I blurred them with Photoshop. Otherwise, they were excellent!

[TerryE]

Pico....
Care to share with those of us less talented with PS?

:)

[Heli Hacker]

Make sure you try the one called 360 Playground. It is my new favorite practice area. The freshly painted basketball court provides marked boundaries to practice hovering inside, and the lines give your brain a good visual frame of reference.

[flyx]

Here's some instructions and links to all the software you can use to
make your own equirectangular.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbprzd/148582037/