6 months later...
Next update should be a lot sooner than 6 months this time.
He says as he posts a new update just over 6 months later... Ok. So maybe I got a little caught up in working on other addons. lol
In the context of this write-up:
TIN = Photogrammetry. (I got tired of writing it out).
Due to a number of issues popping up in the last two sim updates (SU9 & WU10), I wanted to get this update out. TIN users will have noticed various issues with the scenery after SU9. Asobo made some changes that were a step in the right direction, but poorly implemented IMHO. As well as one that was a step in the wrong direction, but hey, what's new? I have tried to mitigate issues with TIN the best I could, but there are some issues that are completely out of my control.
I have added a 3-Meter Digital Elevation Model in this update. In the past, terraforming/heightmap DEMs could be used to override TIN base elevations if the priority was set high enough. This no longer seems to be the case, so unfortunately this DEM will only be useful for non-TIN users at the moment. Not being able the override the TIN DEM comes with a side-effect, wherein objects in the scenery currently use the default DEM (non-TIN) for their elevation reference (Or possibly the custom 3m DEM in its place). Since the elevations between the two data sets vary slightly, it causes some objects to float in the scenery (ex. runway markers).
The exclude that got rid of the TIN object height data in the past now removes the included TIN aerial tiles as well, causing a hard edge. There is currently no good way to make this less noticeable, but I have done my best in this update to try to hide the edge along natural and man-made borders. Furthermore, there is also something funky going on along the edges of water bodies within the exclude. Waterbodies will show TIN aerials within them..
But, the real topping on the cake: Thanks to the TIN exclude, my custom aerials finally show for TIN users! However, the resolution gets absolutely canned from 15cm to what I believe must be no more than 1.2m/px.
You just cannot win with photogrammetry.
So, that said, I have mitigated the best I can where able, but TIN users are going to have to deal with these issues until Asobo gets poked with a stick long enough to change something. But, until then, enjoy the load of improvements in v0.5.0!
Changelog
- Added a 3-Meter Digital Elevation Model for improved terrain definition.
- Added Amazon Fulfillment Center building off RW04 approach.
- Added tour Golf Cart on the main ramp.
- Added small shed at the end of RW32.
- Adjusted TIN exclude poly to follow natural borders and be less noticeable. Note: As of SU9, this photogrammetry exclude also removes the aerial textures that come with it. This causes an unavoidable hard-edge around the border.
- Finished placement of seaplane ramp access road fencing.
- Fixed centerline paint at parking lot entrance.
- Improved 15cm Aerial Imagery: Recolored to match new default aerials in WU10, removed several footprints from the imagery, & improved edge blending in a few areas.
- Improved Runway Markers: Cleaned up duplicate vertices, added face to underside of marker top (LOD0 only), new UV unwrap, reworked PBR materials, reworked and optimized LODs.
- Refined multiple water polygons in the scenery for compatibility with WU10.
- Removed a glitched water exclude that was also excluding trees.
- Removed some stray trees near the storage buildings.
- Removed some water polys that were no longer needed.
- Replaced Tractors with Emerald Object Library model ("BeeKay-Pack1" in no longer required).
- Replaced Windsock with Emerald Object Library model ("Windy Things" is no longer required).
- Tweaked elevations of several models in the scenery to match new DEM.
- Tweaked LOD trigger distances for: Runway Markers, Water Tower.
Dont forget to grab the latest update for Emerald Object Library!
