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Ant's Airplanes Releases Tecnam Sierra

Fireball6 said:
It is a great addon - thanks for that Anthony. During my first flights i notice that sometimes, if i fly turns or change the view, some parts of the interior (compass, chokes, panel) are disappear for a few seconds - in the outside-view. Someone else notice this ?
Click to expand...

Ant's (really excellent) Tecnam seems to be pretty demanding of the video card. On mine - an EVGA GTX 480 SC - I noticed some lagging VC views when using Track IR (view would seem to "stick" when panning, then catch up) and also rippling scenery textures when panning vertically - looked a little like the tearing you get when Vsync is off, but this was a vertical, not a horizontal distortion. I solved it by reintroducing the HIGHMEMFIX=1 tweak to the fsx.cfg (under the GRAPHICS heading). Try that and see if it addresses the spotview problem.

Simon is right - this plane is addictive. Has that hard-to-define "you are there" quality. And yes, I'm also dreading what the Katana will do to the remaining shreds of my free time...
 
Hello Alan_A, thanks for your suggestions - at my end it is only this plane where I can notice the "phenomenon" of short-term "invisibility" of VC-Parts from the outside. Scenery, other airplane, Sky - all is fine. So I am not sure that it would help me if I change my FSX.cfg which works well at least.

I like the Sierra a lot and could live with "do not zoom out, that solve the problem" :icon_lol:

Maybe - Anthony has a solution for it. I send him a mail and wait what he will answer me.

KR

Dirk
 
Hi Dirk

Answered your email. It may be the LODs kicking in. As you zoom out you will notice the compass disappear and that is a sure sign that a LOD is switching.

I use three LOD for the exterior. The first one (closest) has all the detail from the VC so you can see the gauges in the external view (which I like). The second one replaces the detailed panel with a simple polygon which frees up a heck of a lot of polygons and thus improves framerates. The third one (furthest) removes a lot more detail.

You really need to use LOD models to get good multiplayer performance and not all payware aircraft use LODs (all the default aircraft do).

I will look at the LOD levels I am using in the 1.1 update and will probably increase the distance that the second LOD kicks in.
 
Hi Anthony, thanks for your explanation - now I understand what happens. You did a great job with this aircraft. It is one of those "jump in and fly"-aircrafts which i love so much.

Dirk
 
anthony31 said:
Hi Dirk

Answered your email. It may be the LODs kicking in. As you zoom out you will notice the compass disappear and that is a sure sign that a LOD is switching.

I use three LOD for the exterior. The first one (closest) has all the detail from the VC so you can see the gauges in the external view (which I like). The second one replaces the detailed panel with a simple polygon which frees up a heck of a lot of polygons and thus improves framerates. The third one (furthest) removes a lot more detail.

You really need to use LOD models to get good multiplayer performance and not all payware aircraft use LODs (all the default aircraft do).

I will look at the LOD levels I am using in the 1.1 update and will probably increase the distance that the second LOD kicks in.
Click to expand...

Any ideas yet on what 1.1 will contain..? I'd like to suggest some wind sounds when the canopy is opened in flight, perhaps when the air vents are open too...
 
Fireball6 said:
Hello Alan_A, thanks for your suggestions - at my end it is only this plane where I can notice the "phenomenon" of short-term "invisibility" of VC-Parts from the outside. Scenery, other airplane, Sky - all is fine. So I am not sure that it would help me if I change my FSX.cfg which works well at least.

I like the Sierra a lot and could live with "do not zoom out, that solve the problem" :icon_lol:

Maybe - Anthony has a solution for it. I send him a mail and wait what he will answer me.

KR

Dirk
Click to expand...

Agreed - I don't much like tweaks and had stripped all of them out. I tried HIGHMEMFIX only because it's never cause me any problems and it seems to help with VC-related issues. Yours are different, and obviously Anthony's advice is going to be a lot more on-point than mine.

I still need to do some testing and see if my distortions were scenery (ORBX PNW)-related or cause by some other add-on (I recently installed Cumulux X to help with the Aerosoft Discus). But as noted, the HIGHMEMFIX tweak seems to work so far.

Hope you get yours sorted via 1.1 or by avoiding zoom, whichever seems best...
 
Snave said:
Any ideas yet on what 1.1 will contain..? I'd like to suggest some wind sounds when the canopy is opened in flight, perhaps when the air vents are open too...
Click to expand...

Bug fixes mostly.

I spent 3 hours today and generated 30 models trying to track down the first problem I listed in the FAQs and I still haven't solved it.

Wind sounds would be really nice but I have to learn to program C to do that. I've donwloaded the MS C++ package and it all looks greek to me so don't hold your breath on that one.

I will also try to get the wheel chocks and tie downs saveable. I have a few ideas on that but am yet to try them.

I was also watching Top Gear last night and there are a few things I want to try with the exterior windows to get them looking more realistic. What does this have to do with Top Gear? Well, I was carefully watching the light reflections of a car going around the track trying to see how I can get the same effect in FSX.
 
Congrats on a great little plane, Anthony. The second I saw it I knew that I wanted it and my gut feeling was right. It looks great, flies great, has great features and is just fun all around.

Oh, one question that doesn't really have anything to do with the Sierra but with FSX GPS that you used for it: is there a way to get a cursor in order to jump to certain waypoints with that GPS? I certainly can't seem to find it.


anthony31 said:
Wind sounds would be really nice but I have to learn to program C to do that. I've donwloaded the MS C++ package and it all looks greek to me so don't hold your breath on that one.
Click to expand...

Hehe, I can imagine what you mean. Mike over at Lotussim is in the process of learning C++ for his MiG-29 and by the looks of it this learning process will delay development for weeks if not months.

I was also watching Top Gear last night and there are a few things I want to try with the exterior windows to get them looking more realistic. What does this have to do with Top Gear? Well, I was carefully watching the light reflections of a car going around the track trying to see how I can get the same effect in FSX.
Click to expand...

Aaaah... Top Gear. Love that show. I find myself copying their style of making car videos more and more in my FSX videos. :D
 
Jigsaw said:
Oh, one question that doesn't really have anything to do with the Sierra but with FSX GPS that you used for it: is there a way to get a cursor in order to jump to certain waypoints with that GPS? I certainly can't seem to find it.
Click to expand...

Good catch Patrick. One of the problems with using the 295 GPS in a 296 case is that the 296 has less buttons than the 295. And one of those missing buttons is the CRSR button.

Now, after looking at the manual for the 296 it looks like you can't select certain waypints in the flight plan screen in the real 296. But, what I will do is use maybe the ENTER key as a defacto CRSR key on those screens where it is needed. Something to add to the 1.1 update.
 
n4gix said:
That will require a C "helper gauge" that will read/write state data to an .ini file. Contact me if you wish to discuss the idea. ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill

I've started reading Dai Griffiths C programming guide and so far things are making sense but if I get stuck I'll holler.
 
Some really great products released...some I've been waiting for... and some like this little aircraft is a real treat the options alone is like getting several aircrafts in the one package

Ant's has a "Winner" Price, Model, VC, Options, Sound

Thank you Anthony :wavey:
 
anthony31 said:
Now, after looking at the manual for the 296 it looks like you can't select certain waypints in the flight plan screen in the real 296. But, what I will do is use maybe the ENTER key as a defacto CRSR key on those screens where it is needed. Something to add to the 1.1 update.
Click to expand...

Anthony, I at times use the freeware 296 provided by SimFlyer. You can click on the center of the GPS 'navigation button/toggle' to get into cursor mode. You may want to download this GPS and peak at the .xml file.


Gotta get this little aircraft, looks like you have done another outstanding job.
 
bkeske said:
Anthony, I at times use the freeware 296 provided by SimFlyer. You can click on the center of the GPS 'navigation button/toggle' to get into cursor mode. You may want to download this GPS and peak at the .xml file.


Gotta get this little aircraft, looks like you have done another outstanding job.
Click to expand...

Thanks BKeske , that sounds like a good idea and I will do that. Just have to make a mousezone in the middle of the dial/button and assign the cursor key command to it.
 
doublecool said:
Some really great products released...some I've been waiting for... and some like this little aircraft is a real treat the options alone is like getting several aircrafts in the one package

Ant's has a "Winner" Price, Model, VC, Options, Sound

Thank you Anthony :wavey:
Click to expand...

...and this Tecnam is very close to real dynamics!

Thank you Antony:applause:
 
Hehe, this is one sweet little plane. Since it's a basic trainer I thought I'd try being a "newbie" (quite hard to simulate if you've been flying FS for years :)) and take for a series of legs from Archerfield to the red centre, Ayers rock. Great little model to fly!. Last night's flight proved longer than anticipated and is the type of thing that would get the newbie thrown out of flying school!
Assume our intrepid aviator is daylight VFR rated with only about 60 hours.Then throw in some poor judgement, the type of thing that creates situations which command your full attention. So I'm at YBOU Boulia wanting to fly 209 nm to to Jervois YJVS. Just over 1/2 a tank, there's fuel at Boulia but decide I dont need any (mistake #1). I've been starting at the finish point of each day and so the day has been slowly advancing. Takeoff time's about 4:30pm, didnt check what time nightfall was (remember, Daylight VFR) Mistake #2. Cloudbase is 7/8ths, about 2000' with ground alt about 1000.
Departed Boulia, after about 20 mins any sane person would have noticed the sun setting and turned back but our silly student decided to press on. Mistake #3.
Unsurprisingly it gets dark and in the desert, so dark there's no horizon. Fortunately the aircraft basically flies itself so on we go to Jervois. Approaching YJVS we check the chart to see runway heading and alt. Also notice it's a dirt runway - no lighting. Mistake #4 I'd normally check that before takeoff.landing in the pitch dark on a dirt strip is not an option so set course for the next leg, being Alice Springs YBAS, which is sealed with ILS, 143nm away. Problem is ground alt's 1788 ft, and there's high ground between us and Alice. And of course remember we didnt gas up. Fuel is now an issue.
Applied throttle whilst keeping wings level to get to 3000', maybe in cloud but with no horizon you're IFR anyway... fuel getting lower and lower with the miles counting down oh so slowly. Small small turns to stay on course. Eventually thought screw it, I'll try 6000' to save the remaining vapour in the tanks and provide a gliding distance if needs be. Feeling rather regretful and depressed about my situation as the Nm number gets small along with the gas indication and contemplating the possibility of a landing in the desert at night. Eventually drifted in to Alice for a no flap landing (no time for a good approach due fuel) and flopped her down with 1 gallon of gas left. Heh, that was interesting...

LPXO
 
anthony31 said:
Thanks Bill

I've started reading Dai Griffiths C programming guide and so far things are making sense but if I get stuck I'll holler.
Click to expand...

Cool! Stuck or not though, do email me at your convenience, as there are a couple of lighting issues I'd like to discuss, plus maybe a proposed collaboration you might find interesting...

Take a squint at something I've been working on here: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21108
 
sim-paticissimo said:
...and this Tecnam is very close to real dynamics!

Thank you Antony:applause:
Click to expand...

That was my precise question. I downloaded the demo to test my system and it's fine, but wow the ailerons are really sensitive. You are saying they're THAT touchy in real life? I don't know, and I don't care, I just want to know that it's real-life accurate and learn to fly it that way.
 
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