Ruth Haines
There are many ways to redesign an airport in Prepar3D. One way is to use the Airport Design Editor (ADE) to alter ground layouts. You can also use 3ds Max + Prepar3D SDK to create 3D objects. If you want to create ground textures, you can use Blender with the Blender2FSXP3D addon. To adjust your model to account for the curvature of the Earth, you can use ModelConverterX. You can also use Sketchup, Gmax, and Blender for modelling, and Photoshop or Gimp for image editing.
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What You'll Learn
Using the Airport Design Editor (ADE)
The Airport Design Editor (ADE) is a powerful tool for making changes to airports in Prepar3D. It allows users to modify various aspects of an airport, including its altitude, boundary, buildings, and surrounding terrain. ADE is designed to run against Prepar3D, ensuring compatibility between the two.
When using ADE, it is important to note that it no longer supports the creation of new airports with stock Ident. Instead, users should load the stock airport and make modifications to that. This helps ensure compatibility and avoids potential issues. Additionally, ADE now has separate compartments for each FS version, preventing crossover between P3D and FSX.
To get started with ADE, users can refer to online forums and tutorials that provide step-by-step guidance. These resources can help with common issues, such as adjusting airport elevation, adding missing elements like windsocks, and modifying the surrounding terrain. It is also possible to add extra libraries to ADE via the "Tools > Library Object Manager" option, allowing for the inclusion of objects from registered libraries into a project.
While ADE offers a wide range of capabilities, users may encounter some challenges. For example, some have reported issues with downloading and installing ADE, while others have faced errors related to file paths and SDK compatibility. It is recommended to refer to the ADE forums and seek community support to troubleshoot and resolve such issues. Overall, ADE is a valuable tool for airport redesign in Prepar3D, offering users the ability to make detailed changes to airports and their surroundings.
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Modelling tools: Sketchup, Gmax, Blender, 3ds Max
Sketchup, Gmax, Blender, and 3ds Max are all modelling tools that can be used to redesign airports in Prepar3D. Of these, Sketchup, Gmax, and Blender are free, whereas 3ds Max is a paid tool. Sketchup is a popular choice for airport redesign due to its simplicity and ease of use. It offers similar capabilities to GIMP, a free image editor, and can be used to create accurate models in terms of size and shape. However, the non-pro version of Sketchup lacks certain features, such as rendering and the ability to "render to texture" and create "AO Maps (ambient occlusion maps)". Blender is another free modelling tool that can be used for rendering and creating quality models. It has recently released a plugin and exporter for Fsx.
Gmax is another free modelling tool that can be used for airport redesign in Prepar3D. It can be used in conjunction with MCX for conversion to a usable FS Object. Gmax allows for accurate airport layouts and the creation of functional terminals. 3ds Max, on the other hand, is a powerful modelling tool but comes at a cost. It is useful for creating 3D objects and custom airports in Prepar3D. When using 3ds Max with Prepar3D, it is important to consider the curved earth projection used in Prepar3D, as simply modelling on a flat surface will not be accurate. By applying the correct projection, you can ensure that your models are aligned with the curved earth in Prepar3D.
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Image editors: Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net
When redesigning an airport in Prepar3D, you can use image editors like Photoshop, GIMP, or Paint.net to work with textures, texture sheets, night maps, and renderings.
For Photoshop users, the recommended file format for texturing aircraft models is DDS. This format is required for aircraft textures in Prepar3D and can be created using an NVIDIA plug-in for Photoshop, which can be downloaded from the NVIDIA website. The benefit of using DDS is that it allows for greater efficiency and flexibility in image compression compared to other formats such as BMP. Additionally, PSD files, which are native to Photoshop, offer a lot of flexibility and enable a broad array of functions to be performed within the software. However, PSD files need to be saved as non-layered DDS files before being used in Prepar3D.
GIMP is another powerful image editor that can be used for airport redesign projects in Prepar3D. It offers similar capabilities to Sketchup, a popular modelling software, but some users find GIMP simpler to use. GIMP can be used to create accurate models of airport terminals, with proper sizing and shaping, and can be combined with default textures from within FSX to keep uploads and downloads simple.
Paint.net is also an option for airport redesign projects, although it may require more experimentation to fully understand its features. This software can be used for layering and in combination with modelling tools like Sketchup to create accurate representations of airports.
Overall, each of these image editors provides a range of functionalities that can assist in the process of redesigning an airport in Prepar3D, from texturing to modelling and rendering.
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Creating ground textures
Choosing the Right Tools
Start by selecting suitable software tools for modelling, image editing, and texture creation. Popular modelling tools include Sketchup, Gmax, Blender, and 3ds Max. For image editing and texture creation, you can use Photoshop or GIMP. These tools will allow you to create and manipulate textures, texture sheets, night maps, and renderings.
Finding Reference Materials
Before beginning your texturing work, gather reference materials for your airport design. Find aerial imagery of the airport you plan to recreate or use as a reference. This imagery will serve as a basis for your ground textures and can be compiled into a .bgl file for use in Prepar3D. Ensure that your reference imagery is projected correctly to account for the curvature of the Earth, as Prepar3D uses a latitude and longitude projection ("WGS84").
Texture Creation and Editing
Using your chosen image editing software, open your texture files and ensure they are sized as a power of 2, such as 512x512 pixels or 1024x1024 pixels. They can be rectangular, but the dimensions should follow the power of 2 rule. Convert these textures to DXT1 (no transparency) or DXT5 (with transparency) and add mipmaps. Save the textures in DDS format to a folder corresponding to your scenery files.
Advanced Techniques
If you want to take your ground textures to the next level, consider using third-party products like Ground Environment Prepar3D (GEP3D). GEP3D offers detailed texture sets that enhance the entire Prepar3D simulation ground texture and autogen world. It includes matching night lighting maps and carefully placed autogen features. GEP3D is compatible with various landclass products and airport designs, providing a comprehensive solution for ground textures.
Testing and Adjustments
Once you have created and applied your ground textures, test them in the simulator. Use Slew Mode (activated with the 'Y' key) to move around and inspect your work without having to fly. Observe the quality of your textures, especially when sitting on the ground, to rule out any issues with LOD (Level of Detail) radius values. If needed, make adjustments to your textures, considering factors such as runtime resolution and photoreal scenery options.
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Adding 3D night lighting
Prepar3D's Lighting Settings consist of two sections: Lighting and Shadows. Within the Lighting section, you can find options for HDR Lighting, dynamic lighting, Landing-light options, and lens flare. High-Dynamic-Range (HDR) lighting is a key feature for creating realistic night lighting. HDR lighting uses light calculations with a larger dynamic range to render a more detailed scene, resulting in crisper light and natural light reflections. With HDR enabled, you can also modify brightness, bloom, and saturation to fine-tune your night lighting. Adjust the Bloom level to control the intensity of the bloom effect and the colour saturation of the scene.
Additionally, you can utilise shadows to enhance the overall experience. Shadows are a new addition to Prepar3D, adding to the realism of your airport design. The Shadow Map Count attribute determines the quality and frequency of rendered shadows, with settings ranging from Low to Ultra. By enabling terrain to receive shadows, you can further enhance the lighting effects. The Terrain Shadow Cast Distance setting allows you to specify the maximum distance at which terrain shadows will be rendered, ensuring that shadows are accurately portrayed in your airport environment.
To create a truly immersive night lighting experience, consider using modelling tools such as Sketchup, Gmax, Blender, or 3ds Max to design 3D objects that interact with the lighting. These tools, along with image editors like Photoshop or Gimp, will enable you to create custom models, textures, and night maps that complement your lighting design.
By combining Prepar3D's Lighting Settings with modelling and image editing tools, you can effectively add 3D night lighting to your airport design, resulting in a captivating and realistic flying experience.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use the Airport Design Editor (ADE) to alter ground layouts, and 3ds Max + Prepar3D SDK to create 3D objects. You can also use Sketchup, Gmax, or Blender for modelling.
You can copy the BGL file to any active scenery folder, for example, Prepar3D\Addon Scenery\Scenery. Then, open your texture files in ImageTool and make sure their measurements are a power of 2. Convert them to DXT1 or DXT5 and add mipmaps. Save textures to DDS format to a texture folder corresponding to the scenery folder.
It depends on the software you're using to create your models. If you're using Blender, for example, you can use the Blender2FSXP3D Addon.
Some users have reported issues with ADE not working with certain versions of Prepar3D, such as P3D6. There have also been issues with ADE not allowing the creation of a new airport with a stock Ident, and various crashes and errors.
