Phil outlines the growth of the studio and how challenges are being addressed. Fascinating reading for those into organizational development. Some of the topics:
FSX includes added features for carrier operations. Paul Lange provides some of the missing clues for developers to implement catapult launches and arrestor cable landings.
One of the more interesting challenges in upgrading Misty Fjords to FSX (at least for me!) is going to be modelling Ketchikan International Airport (PAKT). It has sloping runways and taxiways, which are not supported by FSX. So we’ll have to figure out how to fudge or approximate it. I can guarantee right now that the representation won’t be perfect. Courtesy of Sidney Schwartz, here’s what we’re up against. Yes indeed, the runway level is at the top of the tower, with the taxiways ramping up to the runway.
Bill Womack and I have decided not to proceed with CYVR, Vancouver International Airport for FSX, for a variety of reasons. In my case, I want to focus on smaller projects, as well as other non-FS work. Bill gives his view in this post. Bill will keep working on Tongass Fjords, Emma X and other eagerly awaited goodies, while I’ll be heads down for the next few months on Misty Fjords for FSX.
Somewhere in 2008, the Glacier Bay team, led by Holger, will also upgrade that product for FSX.
Should you have a spare week, browse through this thread on SP2/Acceleration AVSim. Although I don’t agree with all that is said, it seems that many users and developers used the opportunity to vent on FSX/SP1/SP2, and I’m hoping that with that done, the focus will be on how we can all work together productively.
Outside of that thread, Francois posted some of his own thoughts.
Buried in AVSIM thread is an important statement from Phil Taylor: “I meant it when I stated that this was a precursor of things to come, back compat is about to undergo serious changes. In the future it will very likely no longer be possible to resell old content for the new platform. At all, as in the platform will refuse to load it. “
Developers take note. And I don’t see this, with the right support from Aces, as a bad thing.
Now back to Misty Fjords …
The Software Development Kit for FSX SP2 has been released. Find it here
Note: your SDK version must match your FSX version: if you want to stick with SP1 you’ll need the SP1 SDK
The long conversion and upgrade process for Microsoft Flight Simulator addons continues, as we convert to FSX and enhance products in the process. I will be assisting Holger with Misty Fjords: my task is to re-create the following airfields:
If you have any photos of these fields, or data, we may be able to use this information. Even better if you live in one of those areas, and can take photos at our direction, that would be awesome.
Release date for this product is not set, and is certainly some time away.
We’ve just the released the 2nd beta version to the team. We expect this to be very close to the final version, and this will likely be the last version they get to test.
Besides many fixes, Don has added a nice version of the Coast Guard vessel “Sir Wilfred Laurier” to the Victoria Outer Harbour. We have 6 more AI Beaver repaints (I think 38 now in total) with US registration numbers, including 3 Kenmore Air. CAM3/Duncan is now included in detail. Much more detail has been added, which does impact performance. So new performance options have been added, including much better control of the users of the number of detailed objects, based on the Scenery Complexity setting.
The team will now have 10 days or so to play with this until we build the final version.
Beta 1 of Victoria+ has been released to the beta team. Development is complete, but there are a number of minor glitches. We’ll now get feedback from the team and add that to list.
Phil Taylor explains why SP2 and FSX Acceleration are two different releases at different times, even though Acceleration includes SP2.
Flight1 is now selling this excellent product from Scenery Solutions. You can now fill in all those missing rivers and lakes in Canada and get roads, moving traffic, shorelines, coastlines, rivers, streams, many detailed textures, landclass, waterclass, railroads, night lighting, custom ground textures, corrected object locations, and a nifty setup tool. A great complement to more detailed local sceneries like Vancouver+ and Victoria+, we’ve worked with Scenery Solutions to ensure a virtually seamless flying experience.
I recommend it.
… with FSX Acceleration, Don, Holger and I have been busy with Victoria+. Holger just received word that excellent free hydrology data is now available for most of BC, and he’s added streams in the Vic+ coverage area. Other stuff we’ve been doing:
Here’s the detail on facilities. * denotes airfields with sloped runways
Land-based airports – Canada
| Name | ICAO | Location | Elev.(feet) | Runway Length(feet) |
| Victoria International Airport | CYYJ | N48° 38.816′ W123° 25.550′ | 603 | 09/27 – 7000’13/31 – 5003’02/20 – 5026’ |
| Butler Field, Central Saanich | N48° 33.699’ W123° 25.652’ | 335* | 1050’ | |
| Gaines Strip, Saturna Island | N48° 47.611’ W123° 6.883’ | 85* | 492’ | |
| Hastings Strip, North Pender Island | N48° 46.942’ W123° 17.046’ | 114* | 1580’ | |
| Hudson Island | N48° 57.842′ W123° 40.638′ | 56* | 1923’ | |
| James Island | N48° 36.687’ W123° 21.719’ | 79* | 2690’ | |
| Thomas Strip, Salt Spring Island | N48° 51.796’ W123° 31.459’ | 106* | 1735’ | |
| Village Bay, Mayne Island | N48° 50.363’ W123° 18.498’ | 144* | 3018’ | |
| Raven Field, Quamichan Lake, Duncan | CML2 | N48° 48.717′ W123° 39.042′ | 148* | 1575’ |
| Saltspring Field (Closed) | N48° 46.274 W123° 28.250’ | 75* | 2025’ | |
| Sidney Island | N48° 36.507’ W123° 18.092’ | 79* | 2887’ | |
| Whiskey Point, Mill Bay | N48° 39.838’ W123° 32.584’ | 216* | 1050’ |
Land-based airports – United States
| Name | ICAO | Location | Elev.(feet) | Runway Length(feet) |
| Blakely Island | 38WA | N48° 34.767′ W122° 49.424′ | 66 | 2200’ |
| Burden Field-(Rabbit Run), San Juan Island | 61WA | N48° 28.368′ W123° 0.865′ | 50 | 2270’ |
| Center Island | 78WA | N48° 29.412′ W122° 49.899′ | 115 | 1600’ |
| Clam Harbor, Orcas Island | WA35 | N48° 37.339′ W122° 56.827′ | 213 | 1411’ |
| Crane Island | N48° 35.866’ W122° 49.869’ | 100* | 1350’ | |
| Decatur Shores, Decatur Island | WN07 | N48° 29.990′ W122° 48.827′ | 20 | 2550’ |
| Decatur-Jones, Decatur Island | WA18 | N48° 30.606′ W122° 48.177′ | 125 | 1500’ |
| East Sound-Waldronaire, Waldron | 90WA | N48° 42.706′ W123° 1.095′ | 140 | 2700’ |
| Eastsound – Orcas Island | KORS | N48° 42.490′ W122° 54.628′ | 31 | 2898’ |
| Friday Harbour, San Juan Island | KFHR | N48° 31.318′ W123° 1.462′ | 113 | 3340’ |
| Friday West, San Juan | 1WA9 | N48° 32.145′ W123° 2.649 | 150 | 2100’ |
| Lopez Island | S31 | N48° 29.034′ W122° 56.261′ | 171 | 2903’ |
| Pile Point | N48° 29.223′ W 123° 5.381’ | 67* | 2500’ | |
| Roche Harbor, San Juan Island | WA09 | N48° 36.680′ W123° 8.256′ | 112 | 4300’ |
| Shaw Island | N48° 34.578’ W122° 58.557’ | 264* | 1581’1912’ | |
| Stuart Island Airpark, Stuart Island | 7WA5 | N48° 40.404′ W123° 10.522′ | 16 | 2000’ |
| Stuart Island West, Stuart Island | 2WA3 | N48° 41.040′ W123° 13.401′ | 184 | 1560’ |
| Wilding Farm – Shaw Island | 6WA5 | N48° 34.494 W122° 56.641′ | 60 | 1000’ |
| Windsock – Lopez Island | 4WA4 | N48° 33.057′ W122° 53.176′ | 36 | 1850’ |
Floatplane Facilities
| Name | ICAO | Location |
| Bedwell Harbour, South Pender Island | CAB3 | N48° 45.213′ W123° 14.505′ |
| Victoria International Seaplane Base | CAP5 | N48° 39.345’ W123° 27.025’ |
| Port Washington, North Pender Island Port Washington, North Pender Island | CAP8 | N48° 48.775′ W123° 19.346′ |
| Mayne Island | CAW7 | N48° 51.218′ W123° 18.095′ |
| Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island | CAX6 | N48° 51.213′ W123° 29.505′ |
| Maple Bay, Duncan (CMAP unofficial ICAO) | N48° 49.017′ W123° 36.000′ | |
| Shawnigan Lake | CAV8 | N48° 37.923′ W123° 38.233′ Elev. 388.0’ |
| Victoria Harbour | CYWH | N48° 25.493’ W123° 23.256’ |
| Friday Harbour, San Juan Island | W33 | N48° 32.490′ W123° 0.803′ |
| Fisherman’s Bay, Lopez Island | WA81 | N48° 30.695′ W122° 55.144′ |
| Rosario, Orcas Island | W49 | N48° 38.740′ W122° 52.078′ |
| Roche Harbor, San Juan Island | W39 | N48° 36.728′ W123° 9.444′ |
| Westsound, Orcas Island | WA83 | N48° 37.006′ W122° 57.783′ |
Heliports
| Name | ICAO | Location | Elev.(feet) |
| Ganges Hospital | CAL7 | N48° 51.7520′ W123° 30.5193′ | 158 |
| Mayne Island Medical | CBF5 | N48° 50.7946′ W123° 17.0472′ | 193 |
| Camel Point Public Heliport | CBF7 | N48° 25.0776’ W123° 23.2810’ | 8 |
| Jubilee Hospital | CBK8 | N48° 26.0591′ W123° 19.5094′ | 64 |
| Victoria General Hospital | CBW7 | N48° 28.0841′ W123° 25.9676′ | 65 |
| Madrona Bay, Salt Spring Island | CBW9 | N48° 51.3402′ W123° 29.1375′ | 16 |
| Shoal Point, Victoria | CBZ7 | N48° 25.3846′ W123° 23.2465′ | 8 |
| Mount Belcher, Salt Spring Island | CMBH | N48° 50.0001′ W123° 30.2700′ | 1032 |
Paul Lange reports that FSX Acceleration is now complete, and they are in the process of regionalization (languages for specific regions).
Once it’s released, I’ll give a run-down.
Here’s some screenshots from Victoria+. Click on any image for a larger view.
CFB Esquimalt - Dockyard
Coast Guard Dock and Ogden Terminal - Cruise ship part of other products
Trial Island
Rosario Seaplane base
KORS Orcas Island Approach
Orcas Island
Tsheum Harbour
Maple Bay
Saltspring Island
Ganges Harbour - Saltspring
Some of the team have been busy much of the time with the FSX Acceleration beta (which I can’t comment on), but in the next couple of days I’ll be posting some screenshots of Victoria+. Standby.
P.S. Here’s an early blurb on Acceleration, specs subject to change.
Here’s a Google Earth placemark file that shows all facilities in Victoria+. Here’s a screenshot of that. Note all facility names show when zoomed out this far.
Holger and I have decided, with the support of Don Grovestine, to expand the scope of Victoria+ in FSX to include the San Juan Islands, including Blakely, Decatur, Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, Stuart, Waldron and many smaller islands.
We will be adding accurate mesh, landclass, shorelines and hydrology, roads, correcting airfields and making floatplane bases AI capable (Don is working on that). This adds 16 airfields and 5 Floatplane bases, bringing the total number of facilities in Vic+ to 50.
This will make Victoria+ contiguous with Vancouver+, and with Holger’s North Cascades addon, when that becomes available.
Here’s all the facilities in Victoria+. * Denotes new facility in this version.
Canadian airfields
Canadian floatplane bases
Canadian heliports
US airfields*
US floatplane bases*
There will be three new airstrips in Victoria+ for FSX: Hudson Island just off Thetis Island (as a result of extending the coverage area North), and James and Sidney Islands just East of CYYJ. James Island is privately owned by billionaire Craig McCaw, unless someone has grabbed it for the US$50M price he’s put on it. It includes an 18-hole Nicklaus-designed golf-course as well as other amenities. Sidney Island is largely strata-owned by about a dozen owners, but under strict conditions to preserve the majority of the land as undeveloped. These screenshots show FSX-default (but include Don’s CYYJ) vs. the islands as they will appear in Victoria+. The airstrips are clearly visible in these views, as well as the more detailed shoreline (with custom shore texture) and improved landclass.
I’m pleased to say that Holger and I have started work on the conversion of Victoria+ for FSX. There won’t be much in the way of new features, perhaps a couple of new airfields, and an enhanced coverage area (going a little further north). The exciting news is that we will be working with Don Grovestine to integrate our work with his CYYJ to create a single addon for the area.
This will be for FSX-only, release date not yet defined. We also want to make sure that Victoria+ for FSX works will with Ultimate Terrain X - Canada and FSX SP2.
