That's looking good James!!
To answer some of your questions:
- Forget about Kenley - it's not the best way to learn how to do an airfield. It's much better to study a stock airfield. I can explain in length why we choose to do Kenley as it is but it is complicated to say the least. It was also our first. The main thing is that you can use the MOS file and it's Editor to add different amounts of 'noise' to different viewing distances and different sorts of groundcover (grass, dirt, concrete). This gives more life to an otherwise solid and flat groundtexture. But if you want to do so, you need different files to mask the various areas, as you guessed correctly. That's why there are so many textures for Kenley.
- You don't measure the runway in your paintprogram but in gMax. The best way to do an airfield is by using a scale map (eg. AM maps are great for UK airfields) and the actual dimensions of the runway.
1. Using the map as a background in your paint program, create a groundtexture for your airfield. In it's most basic form, this is like doing it as a children's colouring page. Save the file as a .bmp of .jpeg, something you can use in gMax. Yes, textures in CFS3 have to be square and a power of 2. I try to use 1024x1024 for fighter airfields and 2048x2048 for large bomber bases. It's all depending on how much detail you would like to see in your groundtexture. You can also convert the paint program file to a .dds for use in CFS3.
2. Create a square plane in gMax and texture it with your .bmp of jpeg. This is your Groundplane. Create a second plane in gMax with the real-life dimensions of the runway. This is your Runway. Position the Runway over the Groundplane by moving and rotating it. Do NOT alter the Runway's scale or dimensions but rather alter those of the Groundplane (but keep it square!!). When the runway on your Groundplane matches the Runway, your entire airfield is to scale. You can now add models (or placeholders), following Mathias' tutorial for creating facilities and export your airfield accordingly.
If you do not have a map (such as with many Axis airfields) it is much more difficult. A screenie from Google Earth will do or perhaps you can find a period recce photo. But maybe you can do it the other way around: Create a plane with the runway's actual dimensions in gMax, take a screenie and use that as a map in your paint program. Then it is back to step 2.
- How you paint your groundtexture is entirely up to you. I like airfields that blend in with the CFS3 world so I use CFS3 grass screenshots. But screenies from Google Earth etc. work equally well. You can put as much effort in your groundtexture as you like, just as with aircraft textures.
Attached a .pdf with a flowchart on creating airfields, a .pdf with a stock airfield's MOS values (saves you going in and out the Editor to check) and a (partial) gMax model of ETO Leiston, with the required groundtexture and some placeholders and routes. Maybe it clarifies some things.
If you need any help, just shout.
