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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

When is a scenery project ready for release?

mmann

mmann

Charter Member
I have been working for a number of months on a scenery project covering Vancouver Island for Orbx PNW. I have over 14 Lighthouse stations (most with custom helipad platforms), 13 float plane bases with their docks, 9 heliports and a couple of unlisted airstrips. My problem is I keep coming up with more items to add to the scenery. I found I wanted AI float planes so I needed to create repaints for the default Beaver. When I added the lighthouses (fsx default) with the custom landable helipad platforms, the scenery looked stark, so I had to fire up 3ds Max and whip up some lightkeepers houses and sheds. Realizing that this is freeware scenery, I was wondering at what point a developer would choose to release a project. Starting was no problem, knowing when to quit is! Any feedback you can offer me would be most welcomed.

Regards, Mike Mann
 
I love the sound of those lighthouses! I say release it NOW and then just keep working on adding new bits and do weekly or monthly updates :jump:
 
If you feel you have a mostly complete release with addons that come later it can be released. Orbx and others have done the same as either service packs or upgrades.
Ted
 
mmann said:
Realizing that this is freeware scenery, I was wondering at what point a developer would choose to release a project.
Click to expand...

Whenever you feel like it.

You did this primarily for yourself, throwing your creation out to the public is only secondary.
 
I have been working on a similiar project which covers Central America for about 8 months. I keep returning to it about every two weeks and add something more. I realize I could go on with this forever, there are so many things you can "add" to a scenery. So last week while working on it I decide to give it a "Birthday date"...I plugged it in may nearby cork board and that´s that.....that day is the End of it. :toilet:
 
Whenever you have accomplished what you set out to do is when I would say it is done. You must of started it with a certain end goal in mind of either recreating certain spots perfectly (or maybe even the big goal of the whole area perfectly).. If you keep thinking of stuff to add I would say go for it, but I think at some point the fun factor goes away and you want to get back to flying again. I know I do.
 
mmann said:
But my problem mainly stems from the fact that I much prefer modeling to flying!

Regards, Mike Mann
Click to expand...

Well in that case, don't stop until you've done the whole world :)

Honestly, you could just keep adding detail upon detail. Although, if your framerates start to drop then you've probably gone too far.

I often find myself spending a couple of hours on a tiny detail and then asking myself the question "Who the hell is going to even notice this?"
 
anthony31 said:
I often find myself spending a couple of hours on a tiny detail and then asking myself the question "Who the hell is going to even notice this?"
Click to expand...

But YOU noticed, just like I noticed plenty wrong with Orbx's version of Courtenay Airpark (CAH3). I was just going to add in Courtenay Airpark Water Aerodrome (CBG9) which lies adjacent to the CAH3, but when I went to add the float plane ramp I noticed that for whatever reason Orbx changed CAH3's elevation to a figure that was more inaccurate than the stock FSX elevation! They placed the helipads in the wrong location, as well as missed the lagoon that is located between the runway and the river etc, etc, etc. So what should have been a quick and easy addition, turned into a major remodel.

Regards, Mike Mann
 
What ever you decide please let us know here when you do so we can partake of your efforts. Thanks in advance
 
dharris said:
What ever you decide please let us know here when you do so we can partake of your efforts. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I will most certainly let everyone at Sim-Outhouse know when the scenery is released. I still don't know when that might be though!!

Regards, Mike Mann
 
Flying was enjoyable when I first started using Flight Simulator, because of the challenge of a carrier landing or flying a helicopter. Once that was accomplished I found I needed other challenges, and that is where the modeling, repainting, airport construction and AI programing came to the rescue.

Regards, Mike Mann
 
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