A few months ago, Mark Schimmer posted plans for Solomon Islands scenery, c. 1943: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?32269-WIP-FSX-Solomon-1943-long. This has turned in to quite a big project: not just airfields but coastlines and special effects.
I asked about boat traffic, and Mark came back with an outline: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=32426. I've been filling out the outline, using FSX-native models, and getting permission from the authors to use their work. You can read about my progress, and download the beta, here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=32831. The current beta link is toward the end of the thread.
How you can help and what's still needed:
A. FSX-native aircraft models for World War II-era AI traffic. Or, failing that, repaints of freeware. Jan Kees has already volunteered to work on this.
B. Boat models for naval traffic. Mark's research turned up a bunch of naval shipping in the area: carrier groups, supply boats, destroyers, PT boats, ferries, and submarines. Some of this is already running: see the third thread linked to above. What we still need:
1. IJN supply boat. Mark points out that "there is a tanker in the default ship database, VEH_water_tanker03,...that almost looks like a typical IJN supply ship. I used that for static scenery already and it looks superb! I could imagine it could be used for Japanes supply runs in the evening / night down the slot, together with the destroyer. I also would not hesitate to copy and repaint this thing for our cause, since it is default FSX anyhow." See http://lc0277.nerim.net/sceneobjects...E19D4B8%7D.jpg. I already have the route working, all we need now is someone to paint the default boat to look like an IJN supply ship.
The one disadvantage of using these modern default models: they don't spew smoke. If there's someone who knows how to rig a smoke effect, that would be welcome too.
2. Finally, if anyone feels like modeling, we still need the following for the USN side:
a. PT boats
b. submarines
c. ferries
d. cruisers (for the carrier groups)
I asked about boat traffic, and Mark came back with an outline: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=32426. I've been filling out the outline, using FSX-native models, and getting permission from the authors to use their work. You can read about my progress, and download the beta, here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=32831. The current beta link is toward the end of the thread.
How you can help and what's still needed:
A. FSX-native aircraft models for World War II-era AI traffic. Or, failing that, repaints of freeware. Jan Kees has already volunteered to work on this.
B. Boat models for naval traffic. Mark's research turned up a bunch of naval shipping in the area: carrier groups, supply boats, destroyers, PT boats, ferries, and submarines. Some of this is already running: see the third thread linked to above. What we still need:
1. IJN supply boat. Mark points out that "there is a tanker in the default ship database, VEH_water_tanker03,...that almost looks like a typical IJN supply ship. I used that for static scenery already and it looks superb! I could imagine it could be used for Japanes supply runs in the evening / night down the slot, together with the destroyer. I also would not hesitate to copy and repaint this thing for our cause, since it is default FSX anyhow." See http://lc0277.nerim.net/sceneobjects...E19D4B8%7D.jpg. I already have the route working, all we need now is someone to paint the default boat to look like an IJN supply ship.
The one disadvantage of using these modern default models: they don't spew smoke. If there's someone who knows how to rig a smoke effect, that would be welcome too.
2. Finally, if anyone feels like modeling, we still need the following for the USN side:
a. PT boats
b. submarines
c. ferries
d. cruisers (for the carrier groups)
