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Post by acourt on Mar 16, 2009 16:08:49 GMT -5
With Tom's urging, I'm pursuing information about Miami International Airport (KMIA) circa 1959 to 1962. If anyone has any information (preferably photos), and is willing to share, please let me know!
I have quite a bit already, but only for the main terminal. Anything else would be greatly appreciated.
Al
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Post by Dennis the menace on Mar 16, 2009 17:14:42 GMT -5
A good tip is to search Google images under "miami airport postcard" then look for the older ones displayed. Also, i have found Ebay to be a excellent place to search for "airport postcard". You will usually get 4 or 5 pages of results. You can also search Google images for just "Miami airport" Here is some info on the airport with historic photos www.faa.gov/ats/atct/miatct/history.htmland a map (from 1973) to help you place the right airlines at the right parking locacations in AFCAD oldterminals.topcities.com/MIAmap1973.jpgMike
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Post by acourt on Mar 16, 2009 22:17:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the information! I'm working on the AFCAD now. The only aerial photo I have is from Christmas 1963. Most of the photos I have of the 20th Street terminal are from the 1960 opening, or very shortly thereafter. I'll probably end up with some sort of hybrid MIA representing the entire period from 1960 to 1964 or so. I'm not looking forward to the terminal. This will be my first attempt at a GMAX structure. Yikes! What I really need are pictures of the north ramp complex, especially the EAL facilities, the National hangar, and the Delta hangar on the south side. I also have no information regarding navaids or runway facilities (VASI, lighting, etc). Al
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 17, 2009 9:03:40 GMT -5
Hi,
Most VASI's in the US were the standard two light models at most airports, although that varied a bit. Runway lighting was edge lighting only, typically without most of the other things. Green runway end lights were sometimes used, and they did have approach lighting, although they had strobes only at the largest airports. The runway markings were typically the center line and threshold stripes. There were no green center taxiway lights back then either.
Happy to answer any questions about your GMAX building.
Hope this helps,
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Post by acourt on Mar 17, 2009 10:21:02 GMT -5
Tom,
Thanks again for the information. I'll incorporate your ideas right now.
As far as the GMAX terminal goes, I do have some questions. The MIA Terminal consists of a center promenade with five concourses. The administration offices and control tower sit in the center, with the large hotel behind. I'd thought about modeling a few concourse pieces as separate objects, then connecting them as necessary to achieve the desired result (the building block method). Do you think that's the best way, or should I try to build the entire structure as one object?
Also, I've read your GMAX tutorial elsewhere on the forum (thanks for that), and I'm not sure about one item. At the very beginning, should I come up with building textures before starting the actual model, or does it matter?
One last question (for this post, that is ;D). How do I go about making textures signs that light up at night? As I recall, there are specific colors I can select to have that effect, but it's been a while.
Al
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 17, 2009 11:22:40 GMT -5
Hi,
I normally create the entire terminal in one GMAX file. That way I can place them exactly within GMAX. But this sometimes leads to problems in the textures being blurry. If so, I then split up the file into two or more files, but with everything already in it's "final" position relative to the other buildings (i.e. I copy the GMAX file into a duplicate, and then delete differing parts of each file). So start with everything all together, and split it later only if necessary.
I build the basic building structure first before creating the textures, so I can get the exact proportions of the building to put onto the textures. You can export it into FS untextured, to make sure you have the size, etc. correct. Don't be surprised if you have to make it bigger than reality - everything in FS is about 5-10% bigger than it should be...
For the signs that light up at night - that's simple. Those special colors you talk about were for FS98 - we're way beyond that now.
Just create two different textures for your buildings - one day texture and then modify that to make it look like you want it to at night. Name this one the same as the day texture but with _LM added to the file name. It should go into the Ambient slot in the GMAX Material dialog box, as I remember. The day texture goes into the Diffuse slot. You need to click the lock image next to those slots to unlock the Ambient slot.
Most of the night texture will be black (or very dark), with the lit signs being about the same brightness as they are in the day texture. You can also add any other night lighting (spotlit walls, lit windows, etc.).
You can open many of our scenery textures just by double clicking them to see how they work; for the rest you need to open them in DXTBmp - they are DXT1 with alpha format. Those are the ones that use transparency - any area with a black alpha channel will be transparent. That's the way we get those roof signs that are exactly the shape of the letters - it's just a single rectangular polygon with the DXT1 texture applied to it.
Hope this helps,
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Post by sak1134 on Mar 17, 2009 11:59:22 GMT -5
Acourt, funny you are working on KMIA from the 60's and I'm working on it from the 30's. Attached is a link to some PAA photos. If you go down towards the bottom there are some shots of PanAm corner of MIA in the 60's. Hope this helps www.pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation_paaI'll post more if I find them.
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Post by Dennis the menace on Mar 17, 2009 12:41:25 GMT -5
Beware, you cannot have two effects on one object, so no transparent windows on the control tower, then a transparent fence next to it. They have to be separate objects.
This is how I create a terminal for FS: 1. I collect all my data and do any research first, to eliminate a later redo. 2. I construct the model in GMAX, and I have found out it is necessary to increase the measurements of any object by 6% in order to compensate for the distortions in FS. Thus, 12 feet in GMAX works out to a normal 9-10 foot story in the real world, as far as FS goes. 3. I export this model, usually in white or light gray, into FS and check it for size, overall accuracy, and making sure no obvious mistakes have been made in the modeling process. THIS is the time to do any adjustments for size and moving parts around, now, before the texturing is added. Make mental notes or jot down the respective sizes of each face you will texture. 4. Start with a texture. I use either 512x512 or 1024x1024 as it produces better results overall, graphics wise, as opposed to the old 256x256 which tends to stretch things out and distort some. 5. In PSP, create a proportionate size as the part in GMAX you want to texture with the select tool, and either paint that, or paste into that selection whatever texture it is you want the terminal to be. For example, some stucco or block texturing. This will be your base texture. 6. Next, in the layer palette, create a new layer. Call this one windows. Either paint, rob from another texture, or copy and past from google images your window or doors into this layer, and move them into the position you want. I regularly copy from Google images what it is I want, then past as a new selection, then clean that up, resize it, then copy and paste that into my window and door layer. 7. Save this in PSP and DO NOT CLOSE PSP. Save this into a folder in GMAX scenes which you have named, such as Vietnam, or Berlin, or ORD. If you must close PSP and want to work on these layers again, save this texture as a PSP file, not bitmap. For GMAX purposes, you must save this in BMP form, otherwise you can't place it on the model. Sometimes, in a very complicated terminal that takes days to do, it's necessary to have both BMP and PSP files saved. Open them both up, work on the layers in the PSP file, and then use the "copy merged" button to copy and past them onto the BMP file. Save this. 8. Return to GMAX, and then apply your texture to the object. Export this into FS and go there and view it and see if you are happy. If not, you can adjust the textures with the layers, moving things around, or make the necessary length and height adjustments right then and there. By going to the settings/display menu and changing the global scenery texture slider, you can reset over and over again FS and view each texture modification you have just saved. Expect to do this a few times. 9. Once you have a visually perfect textured part, you now have a key to doing the entire project. I always start with a single story part of the model. Once in PSP I have created the perfect ratio for that part, and am happy with the size and look of my windows and doors in that layer, I can now move on. In PSP go to the base layer, and now grab that single story base texture. Double it to create your 2 story texture. if your next part to texture is about 1/2 again as long as the first part, modify your base texture to fit those proportions. Next, copy and past windows and doors to that part. Then save. 10. Now go back to GMAX and apply that new part of your texture to that new part in GMAX. This is a step by step process. I used to do the entire texture first, but by doing this process I have found my terminals to be much more realistic and accurate, and with less distortions. It's MUCH easier to make minor adjustments in PSP than to make them in GMAX to match an existing texture. 11. Export this new saved model into FS and go view it. If you're happy, repeat this whole process until the terminal is finished.
hope this helps, Mike
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Post by acourt on Mar 17, 2009 14:15:40 GMT -5
Guys, Yes, any information about using GMAX is a huge help. I'm planning on starting work tonight, so I'm sure I'll have a zillion more questions by morning. SAK1134, your photos are very helpful. I've been through that site several times, and I'm not sure how I missed the PAA and EAL pictures. Thanks! Have you seen this site? www.uflib.ufl.edu/digital/collections/flap/It's been very helpful. Follow the link for Florida Flights on the left. It's self explanatory from there. Al
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Post by sak1134 on Mar 17, 2009 15:03:50 GMT -5
Wow, great site. First photo from 1938 showed KMIA and it's obvious the runways had been extended by then. I now need to move my taxiways on east side of the runway from the ends to about 20% further west. Thanks! Hey is there any chance once you are done with your terminal I could talk you into trying either the 1930's terminal or the 1941 terminal shown here? www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/80183578The original terminal is simply the central structure minus the control tower. www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/97866435
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Post by acourt on Mar 17, 2009 16:45:09 GMT -5
Glad that site helped. Now that I've found accurate aerial photos, I'm considering more airports in Florida. I probably should have started with something a little simpler than MIA, but think how easy everything else will be after that! I'd love to give the old terminals a go. I'll see how the new terminal goes, though, before I commit to anything. The good news is, I have a nice base of people to ask for help! Al
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Post by acourt on Mar 18, 2009 5:58:31 GMT -5
Mike and Tom,
I started working with GMAX last night, mostly just hammering through the tutorials. It's not as difficult as I thought.
Is that scaling issue you both mention a constant known quantity in the FS world? I'm wondering which is better: increase all dimensions by 6% during construction, or rescale the entire structure after I'm done. I'm assuming it doesn't matter.
One other question. Looking at the stock MIA with FS9, I find that some buildings can be reused. How do I go about finding individual buildings in the FS9 stock libraries? I could just scroll through Instant Scenery with the libraries loaded, but is there an easier way?
Al
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 18, 2009 11:26:08 GMT -5
Hi, No, there is no easy way to find a default building. You have to step through each one. That's why you don't see many in most sceneries. An easier thing to do is arrange your exclude files to avoid that building, so you don't have to place it again. For the scaling, it's safest to export the model early in its life, get it the right size in FS, and then finish it. While scaling errors while using GMAX are not common, they are not unheard of either. BTW, make sure to save a new GMAX file each time you save (this can be automated in Preferences) - GMAX has the nasty habit of corrupting your file once in a while, and you want to be able to go back to an earlier version. Hope this helps,
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Post by Dennis the menace on Mar 18, 2009 13:16:06 GMT -5
Hi, Keep this in mind. If you get an export error and GMAX won't allow you to export something that you have been exporting before, say, you have saved and exported the model 6 times already, and now you worked on it and made changes, and this time it lets you save but won't let you export it, this is the fix: 1. Select all parts of your model in the select parts box 2. In Edit Mesh, select "polygons" then up above choose "select all" 3. In the menu on the right side of the screen, go to reset transform and reset scale and press those buttons. This is the next button to the Mesh button. 4. Go back to the mesh menu, and select Edit Mesh 5. Right click on the Edit Mesh selection and choose "collapse all" 6. Save 7. Export This always works for me. Often when you are working with resizing scale in both a uniform constant, and in a non-uniform constant, scaling errors will occur, and then GMAX won't allow you to export the model. This fix cures that. Keep this in mind when you hear the dreaded "DUNK" then see that nasty warning sign cheers, Mike
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Post by acourt on Mar 18, 2009 21:06:17 GMT -5
Tom and Mike, Thanks again for the help, gents. I've been working hard on both the AFCAD and GMAX structures today. So far, I've produced a halfway descent airport layout, and a really obnoxious fuel tank (I've never been sure how Delta's jets were bigger than everyone else's...look at the tanks in the background in the following picture). www.airliners.net/photo/APA-Aerovias-Panama/Douglas-DC-6B/0106831/L/I think I'll have to rebuild the default structures in question. Most aren't located exactly in the right spot. And upon further inspection, their modeling...stinks I might have a screenshot or two to share in the morning. Al
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