Fort Campbell (KHOP) Scenery

[msm8378]

Mike...

Yes, your words of wisdom are "tried and true" indeed...

Please feel free to PM me with a large helping of "crow" if you please...."thick crust" would be nice!!!

However, in my own defense and since I am retired, hence...I had the choice not to..., my brief step back into the "real world" was for a very worthy cause involving some local business owners getting the once over by our city government. Thus, the consulting work was well worth the effort, but only time will tell if the results of "fighting city hall" were successful or not...

But, with that said...I am very happy to be getting back to work on this project, which I will be getting back up to speed as soon as I finish playing with all of the new "toys" you folks have released the last couple of months. I wish to thank the staff for the Great Lakes package and for sending a couple of Ohio ANG C-130's to KHOP...

Again, many, many thanks to all who are following this project and I am confident enough to say that I do not think anyone is going to be disappointed...the MAIW staff have set a "high bar" for quality and it has served as a standard for all to strive for...including this "greenhorn"...

[msm8378]

http://www.imghost.org/Img107_KHOP_DEF_ ... OP_DEF.jpg

Above is an image of the FS9 default scenery for KHOP...

http://www.imghost.org/Img106_KHOP_MSM_ ... OP_MSM.jpg

Above is an image of the new KHOP for FS9. There is still a lot of detailing to be done. I temporarily had to stop work on this project during the summer. During that time ADE9X finally came about, so I have completely reworked the project with this new program, SBUILD, OBJECT PLACER, RWY12, and several others.

More screen shots coming as I work on "over-drive" as much as possible to get this project out by the holidays....

msm

[msm8378]

http://www.imghost.org/Img108_KHOP_FUEL ... OP_FUEL1.j

O.K....one good screenie, then I am back to work.... This is the fuel tanks in the SW part of the field...Air Assault missions use a lot of helicopters which means a lot of fuel....

msm

[Victory103]

Looking good, I hope I get some of my AAF's up to your standard.

[msm8378]

Victory...

I am finding that scenery design has a somewhat steep learning curve and tons of trial and error....I envy the work of John Stinstrom.

He is the "Master" in this field, so I am striving to match his quality...

So far I think I am holding my own, but should have chosen a "much" smaller field for a first project, but could not stand any longer how badly MS screwed up my favorite base...

One of the most useful sites I have found is www.terraserver.com

For KHOP, the imagery has been absolutely great and the ability to get decimal coordinates is a huge plus. You might check out your field on that site and see how much you can use...

msm

[msm8378]

Hello everyone...

I just wanted to take a few moments to let everyone know that I am still working on this scenery package, although the last few months time has been at a premium due to "real life" demands.

It was my intent, when I started this project, to get it started and work on it non-stop until finished. What I forgot was the "Murphy Code" in that no OPLAN survives first contact...intact. Such has been the case when shortly after starting I was called back out of retirement to do a business consulting job that turned out to be much more than anyone thought. (A big story here that will be shared in a separate thread/appropriate section after the dust settles as many will find it interesting)

At any rate, I just wanted to post a HUGE thank you to all who have PM and posted comments on this thread. I have not stopped working on this project, just been slowed to an erratic crawl for the moment.

To Mike and the rest of the MAIW crew I wish to say THANK YOU!!!! Were it not for your seemingly endless efforts MSFS would not be the enjoyable hobby that it is. Every release is like a Christmas present and I (as well as countless others) eagerly await each and every release.

Mathew S. Milutin

[MIKE JG]

Matt you are very welcome, glad we could help.

It's about to be Christmas in June when Greg unleashes the new website later today, lots and lots of new cool features for you guys to check out. There's also a pretty cool package that I'm about to wrap into the installer and upload here in the next day or so. Stay tuned.

[clarke123]

I'm over the moon hearing that this project is still alive. Oh, and Mike, love the new site just one question, who come up with the MAIW thong?

[msm8378]

Major Project Update as follows...

1) I am now back to work "full steam ahead" on this project..."Real Life" has finally settled down and given me the time.

2) After forcing myself to delve into every "nook and cranny" researching the different scenery design programs available and really digging into Sbuilder in particular I have really gotten this project in shape.

3) So far the following items are in the package and in final form pending results of further beta testing:

a) Highly detailed custom scenery for KHOP _ Campbell AAF
b) Highly detailed custom scenery for KEOD _ Sabre AHP
c) Detailed scenery for the Fort Campbell Garrison area
d) Detailed scenery for the entire Fort Campbell Training Area to include objects/situation setups to replicate a joint Training Exercise in progress with the 101st and TN NG Armor units.
e) Custom scenery and effects for the North Impact area in association with (d) above. During these types of exercises it is not unusual to see a pair or two of A-10 or F-16 making practice runs in this area.
f) Customized flight plans for KC-130/KC-135 flights into the area. KC-130 commonly seen over Lake Barkley National Park practicing in-flight refueling with helo's from TF-160 Special Operations Aviation Group.
g) Custom repaints of UkMil AI MH-47 Helo for TF-160 along with flight plans.
h) Custom repaints of NBAI AH-64/CH-47 Helo for 101st Aviation.
i) Custom scenery for the Wendell Ford National Guard Training Center which is north of FTC approx. 40 miles.
j) Custom Landclass file for most of Western Kentucky and North West Tennessee.
k) Two Bonus Surprise additions....you'll just have to wait to find out what they are...

4) Still in the works...

a) Final detail work on KHOP.
b) ADE work on numerous small airfields in region that are routinely used by 101st helos.
c) Final work on custom VFR Landmark reference objects unique to area.
d) Testing, testing, testing....FPS priority and so far so good...average on my systems is between 15-20 with all settings max.

5) Finally, a huge "shout-out" of thanks to Mike JG, John Stinstrom, and the entire MAIW community for your support and comments. I have been a fan of MSFS since the very first edition and having served most of military career at this particular base it has always been my desire to see it in MSFS closer to what it is in real-life. Finally I think I have achieved it and in the process have learned enough to hopefully become a continuing contributer to the community now and in the future to come. Again, thanks to one and all.

6) For Mike JG specifically..."it's ready when it's ready"...your words of wisdom are still hanging tough and the package is that much better for it. My hat is really off to you and John Stinstrom in particular...while extremely fun to do this kind of design work it is also extremely time consuming to get it right, but the end results are well worth it when you put it all together and it works right in MSFS...

Mathew S. Milutin

[clarke123]

Sounds like it's gonna be worth waiting for. Any chance of some screenshots when you get time?

[msm8378]

Hello one and all here at MAIW...



The KHOP Project is moving along very nicely. With Sbuilder and ADE9X grinding along smoothly, this project is slowly coming together.

I am now seeking anyone who wants to follow along from the inside of this project as an Alpha/Beta Test Team Member.

Requirements...At a minimum you should know how to "slew" around in FS2004, manually install scenery, and adjust scenery settings.

What you get...design files as they are developed and sent directly to you by email...you get to critique the work and suggest additions/modifications...full credit in the documentation for being a part of the design/test team.

I have spent my entire active/post military career stationed here and live just outside of the base to this day. My intent is to correct the scenery for this base and create a factual playground for all of us military aviation "junkies" with a little something for everyone...whether you like the "heavies", "fast movers", or you are a "rotor-head".

I have come a long way with this project, even with a ton of "real-life" interruptions. Now I need the help of a few or many within the community.

If you are interested send me an email message to ubc256@hotmail.com and place ALPHA/BETA in the subject header. I will be checking this account several times a day and will promptly answer all emails.

Mathew S. Milutin

[msm8378]

Per a member request here is a screenshot reflecting what has been done so far since restarting project in Sbuilder/ADE9x

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/5255/khop110710.jpg

Will post more links and or direct image posts after cutting down the sizes to 1024 or less...



Mat

[msm8378]

Another screenie....this week have been working in ADE9X detailing the TF 160 Ramp and Operations Area as well as several VFR landmarks on approach to KHOP.

The Grass extending beyond the airfield and to the left (S/SE) is the Fort Campbell Garrison Area and will be plugged-in in the coming days...


By msm8378 at 2010-11-12

More to come....



Mat

[msm8378]

Another screen shot...

This is the "rough-in" for Bastogne Drop Zone. KHOP can be seen off to the N/NE. Textured areas between Garrison Area/KHOP and the Drop Zone is the Small Arms Range Complex.


By msm8378 at 2010-11-14

Enjoy...much more to come...

Mat

[msm8378]

More screenshots featuring some more Sbuilder work...

First up is a shot of the "rough-in" for the South Impact Area...


By msm8378 at 2010-11-17

Next, is a shot on approach to Bastogne Drop Zone with the South Impact Area in the distance...


By msm8378 at 2010-11-17

This image also shows some additional detailing that has been done to Bastogne Drop Zone so far...

More to come soon...

Mat

[ricktk]

Those shots bring back memories!

[msm8378]

New shot...NBAI CH-47 utilized as MH-47 on TF160 Ramp...Found out UKMIL MH-47 isn't going to work...so we substitute for the time being...


By msm8378 at 2010-11-18

More to come....

Mat