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"F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

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"F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby adam_one » Sat Jun 17, 2017 2:58 pm

Hi, Ive been drooling over this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHhMrac9vSA

Now, I am not interested in 3D objects, or micro-terrain elevation, but simply 2D textures, currently desert-texture is smooth.
I am running ALS on, LOD and all relevant settings to the max, but I'm wondering about the smoothness of the terrain we currently have.
I should state that these settings gave me much joy.

I respectfully suggest that after such 2D textures had been created that they could be drawn in immediate, short distance on front of a low flying aircraft to hopefully add to the sense of speed.
My theory is; that if one had 2D "clutter" low, and passing over with an aircraft, that it might create a more "sense of speed".
I hope this is a logical suggestion, I might need some input to state it in a more technically correct way.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby Thorsten » Sat Jun 17, 2017 3:49 pm

I'm not sure about your settings or your location, but flat desert looks like this in ALS (this is the Mojave, befitting the A-10)

Image

The finest structures generated are cm-sized - you can see them in this shot inside the flat vegetation patches. In fact, the terrain is so detailed it looks quite decent when you look at it from the walker at eye level.

This is a noon shot by the way - in lower light you can also see a gentle bump map giving the appearance of structure in the terrain.

So I'm prepared to say that the desert texturing is actually not smooth at all.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby adam_one » Sun Jun 18, 2017 10:10 pm

i'll return in the future

have a great day!
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby J Maverick 16 » Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:18 pm

Very nice video!
Thanks for putting it here.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Wed Dec 20, 2017 8:35 am

before:

Image

after:

Image

Image

I don't mind publishing the materials to fgdata,

yeah, i could see an f15 in this background.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby Thorsten » Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:21 am

Contrast seems to be very hard to me - usually that creates unwanted side effects from some view altitudes, though in the shots you posted this looks good.

I assume it's largely playing with the slope overlays?
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:36 am

Thank you.

Yes, i played with the overlay transition parameter until i had the desired effect, i have to say that I'm not as familiar with procedural as you are, and i might have some values which doesn't make sense from your perspective, but it's a dirtrock_dark base with rock_brown2 overlay(transition 0.80) and some sand hires(bias -0.10), this is only a single landclass.

edit: example of what i'm trying to do https://imgur.com/a/xpgOC

edit2: fgdata\Materials\regions\middle-east.xml (probably wrong for the whole area)

Code: Select all
  <material>
    <effect>Effects/landmass-scrub</effect>
    <name>ShrubCover</name>
    <name>ShrubGrassCover</name>
    <name>ScrubCover</name>
    <name>Scrub</name>
    <name>Sclerophyllous</name>
    <texture-set>
      <texture>Terrain/dirtrock_dark.png</texture>
      <texture n="11">Terrain/sand_hires_ochre.png</texture>
      <texture n="12">Terrain/rock_brown2.png</texture>
      <texture n="15">Terrain/airport_grass2.png</texture>
    </texture-set>
    <parameters>
      <hires_overlay_bias>-0.10</hires_overlay_bias>
      <dot_density>0.4</dot_density>
      <transition_model>0.80</transition_model>
    </parameters>
    <xsize>2000</xsize>
    <ysize>2000</ysize>
    <diffuse>
      <r>0.0</r>
      <g>0.86</g>
      <b>0.86</b>
      <a>1.0</a>
    </diffuse>
    <specular>
      <r>0.1</r>
      <g>0.1</g>
      <b>0.1</b>
      <a>1.0</a>
    </specular>
    <shininess>1.2</shininess>
    <light-coverage>20000000.0</light-coverage>
    <wood-coverage>12000.0</wood-coverage>
    <tree-texture>Trees/mixed-shrub.png</tree-texture>
    <tree-varieties>8</tree-varieties>
    <tree-height-m>2.0</tree-height-m>
    <tree-width-m>2.0</tree-width-m>
    <rolling-friction>0.6</rolling-friction>
    <bumpiness>0.4</bumpiness>
  </material>


--altitude=10000 --lat=21.50864264 --lon=40.15431816 --heading=33
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby Thorsten » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:22 pm

I see your point...

So, the biggest problem when you change sloped terrain textures to something prominent is that there might be other landclasses for which this is not done - which then look rather strange.

Also, the change may be wrong outside a particular reference region as you realized.

Since you're likely much more familiar with the area than you are, it's up to you how you want to proceed - your changes do look rather compelling in the pics. Just proceed with some care and also check visuals from low level and high up please.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby wkitty42 » Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:35 pm

especially from high up so we don't get (more) checkerboarding...
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:14 pm

I like the flexibility of this system,

I've stretched the base texture to cover a larger area now, and i gave it a new generic look, which makes it apply for areas with vegetation too(rather than only black volcanic), i found lower values of hires to be best especially because i see hires texture clipping from distance, i used the excellent california-shrub2 base but created my own overlay with Gimp, and I've made it gradient based.

I think these work in Mediterranean landscape and southern peninsula best, I'll let you know if i settle for a local or more generic solution, warning 56k



Image

Image

Image

Image
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:38 am

Hi Thorsten, you have PM for the patch details,

This will apply to the hijaz region only, I made sure all landclasses have prominent slope assigned to the same overlay texture, reverted back to desert look and more classic theme, you can decide if you find these changes good or not, i don't mind either way, you're free to make changes, i created few textures so i can provide the project files if you wish, just let me know if you or others have any feedback regarding this change, thank you.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby Thorsten » Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:23 pm

One quick question - you have not assigned the gradient texture, so very steep rock faces are painted grey (that's apparent even from your shots) - is this intended?
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:22 pm

Yes i’m aware, but not sure what texture to choose, have an idea? Meanwhile i’ll send you if i find something.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby Thorsten » Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:52 pm

I usually assign the same as the lower gradient texture in these cases - perhaps not the best, but better than sudden change of rock color.
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Re: "F 15 cockpit - low pass in desert"-details

Postby hamzaalloush » Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:00 pm

I agree, better than strong contrast.
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