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TUTORIAL – Mission Building

REVIEW – Expansion for FlightinSimulator


FSX FSX and 2004 Mission Building in FSX – TUTORIAL

FSX Mission Building The real deal - VH-AAM over Sydney Harbour

Adding scenery and creating audio


be transported to Rose Bay in our chosen starting position. To do this, scroll through
aircraft, livery and weather (Figure 1). Start the scenery object list until you find ‘gen_
the Object Placement Tool (Tools > Object dock_seaplane_4x20B’. Highlight it with your You can use all the default FSX scenery objects in your own missions
Placement Tool) and you will see a forward cursor and click Add. Voila! A small dock
view, the OPT window and a set of green now appears in your view (Figure 3). You
cross hairs. Those cross hairs literally may need to move the OPT window to see it the fields that are of most use to us. Hint 2: several static float planes. You are

L
ast issue, we started getting into point to a location where we will place an clearly. ‘WorldPosition’ obviously contains Rather than manually edit the fields free to slew to anywhere along your
the ‘nitty gritty’ work of creating object. You will notice that the crosshairs the latitude and longitude of the in the OPT to move the docks into Mission route and place any scenery
our detailed plan and established are currently pointing towards the sky. To Hint 1: object we are placing. The final value place, simply drag the new docks objects you think might be useful or
our fledgling Mission files. Now we avoid getting error messages when you start Most users will use FSX in full screen mode. (+000000) which is the altitude we into position by clicking on the just entertaining to the end Mission
progress to adding scenery and creating adding scenery, it is essential to move the However, if you do this when creating your wish to place the object. Naturally, relevant object so that the thin users.
some audio. If you have had difficulty crosshairs down to the ground or water by Mission, you will find that the OPT window we want the dock to be on the outline box turns green, indicating
getting your Sydney Seaplanes Mission using your joystick POV (Point Of View) cannot be moved around your screen - surface and so the value is ‘000000’. A you have control of it. Drag the Animated Scenery
file to work on your first try - take heart button. creating a congested work area and making very useful field is ‘Orientation’. individual docks into position so Another wonderful aspect of FSX
- everyone does. You can download a To get started, let’s add some simple it very difficult to accurately gauge your These three values equate to the they form a long and reasonably is the ability to simply add moving
working set of files by following the PC scenery to Rose Bay. On the OPT, click on scenery positioning and alignment. To solve pitch, bank and heading of the straight dock all the way to the shore scenery objects to your Missions
Pilot Tutorial links at http://peter.r.stark. the Objects tab, then click Add. Open the this, simply take FSX out of full-screen mode object. While most objects will line. You will probably notice that or other scenery projects. To
googlepages.com and compare them drop-down list as shown in Figure 2 and (Alt + Enter) and you are now free to move require a pitch and bank of zero, this the objects aren’t perfectly aligned. demonstrate this, slew to a nearby
to yours as an aid to getting the syntax select Scenery. Now go to the drop-down list the OPT window as required. field does allow you to create, for No problem! RIGHT click and HOLD area, return to the Objects tab on
correct. immediately beneath and open it. Displayed When you clicked Add, you may have example, a sinking ship, by altering the object in question, making sure the OPT and click the Add button
is a long list of possible scenery objects you also noticed that two pieces of data the pitch so that the hull disappears your cursor is about in the middle again. Select ‘Scenery’ and choose
Adding your own world can now add to your FS world. Included in appeared in the OPT (Figure 4). Firstly, at the under the water (Figure 6). The of the object. As you move your
FSX comes with a huge range of accessible this exhaustive list are not only ‘add-on’ top right hand corner we can see that under heading value however is very useful cursor, the object will rotate around FIG: 2
scenery objects. Every object you see when objects such as marinas, windsocks, etc, but ‘All Items’, the ‘gen_dock’ has appeared in and allows you to rotate the object a vertical axis. Cool! If you also wish
flying in your virtual world is available for also all the tree types and heights used by the SCENERY OBJECTS list. This will be to attain alignment with existing to change your object’s orientation
you to add to your own customised Mission FSX, customised buildings and as we will see useful later when it comes to editing. scenery. So change this value and around a longitudinal axis (ie bank),
scenery. What’s more, they are quite simple shortly, even animated scenery! So it is Whenever you highlight an item in this list, observe the effect on your dock, right click and hold the object
to add using the Object Placement Tool. simple to even add you own scale model of the relevant placement data such as altitude, noting that the Heading value uses making sure that your cursor is at
To get to our Rose Bay base, we simply the Eiffel Tower in your own backyard or scale etc is then displayed in the main box. true north as the reference point. By either end of the object. Move your
need to start FSX and open the basic your personal secret island if you so wish! Figure 5 is a close-up of this data and we examining the Scenery Objects cursor and the object rotates about
Sydney Seaplanes Mission we created last For our Mission, we will want to add a need to examine how to use it in order to section of the Software that axis!
issue. By clicking the Fly button, we will pier to connect the beach to our Mission correctly place our dock. Let’s take a peek at Development Kit (SDK) we Continue to align your docks.
introduced in Part 1, you can explore Figure 8 shows my effort, and I also
how the other values may be useful added a building on the shoreline to
to you in your Missions. As an represent the offices of Sydney
exercise, create several more Seaplanes (‘Kenmore_Main_Office’),
identical docks as described above as well as slewing to nearby
(Figure 7). positions to place a marina and

FIG: 1 Simply select your desired object and click add

FIG: 3

Back at Rose Bay and ready for work Voila! The selected object appears

20
40 PC Pilot Issue 51 PC Pilot Issue 51 41
TUTORIAL – Mission Building
REVIEW – Expansion for FlightinSimulator
FSX FSX and 2004 Mission Building in FSX – TUTORIAL

FSX Mission Building The real deal - VH-AAM over Sydney Harbour

Adding scenery and creating audio


be transported to Rose Bay in our chosen starting position. To do this, scroll through
aircraft, livery and weather (Figure 1). Start the scenery object list until you find ‘gen_
the Object Placement Tool (Tools > Object dock_seaplane_4x20B’. Highlight it with your You can use all the default FSX scenery objects in your own missions
Placement Tool) and you will see a forward cursor and click Add. Voila! A small dock
view, the OPT window and a set of green now appears in your view (Figure 3). You
cross hairs. Those cross hairs literally may need to move the OPT window to see it the fields that are of most use to us. Hint 2: several static float planes. You are

L
ast issue, we started getting into point to a location where we will place an clearly. ‘WorldPosition’ obviously contains Rather than manually edit the fields free to slew to anywhere along your
the ‘nitty gritty’ work of creating object. You will notice that the crosshairs the latitude and longitude of the in the OPT to move the docks into Mission route and place any scenery
our detailed plan and established are currently pointing towards the sky. To Hint 1: object we are placing. The final value place, simply drag the new docks objects you think might be useful or
our fledgling Mission files. Now we avoid getting error messages when you start Most users will use FSX in full screen mode. (+000000) which is the altitude we into position by clicking on the just entertaining to the end Mission
progress to adding scenery and creating adding scenery, it is essential to move the However, if you do this when creating your wish to place the object. Naturally, relevant object so that the thin users.
some audio. If you have had difficulty crosshairs down to the ground or water by Mission, you will find that the OPT window we want the dock to be on the outline box turns green, indicating
getting your Sydney Seaplanes Mission using your joystick POV (Point Of View) cannot be moved around your screen - surface and so the value is ‘000000’. A you have control of it. Drag the Animated Scenery
file to work on your first try - take heart button. creating a congested work area and making very useful field is ‘Orientation’. individual docks into position so Another wonderful aspect of FSX
- everyone does. You can download a To get started, let’s add some simple it very difficult to accurately gauge your These three values equate to the they form a long and reasonably is the ability to simply add moving
working set of files by following the PC scenery to Rose Bay. On the OPT, click on scenery positioning and alignment. To solve pitch, bank and heading of the straight dock all the way to the shore scenery objects to your Missions
Pilot Tutorial links at http://peter.r.stark. the Objects tab, then click Add. Open the this, simply take FSX out of full-screen mode object. While most objects will line. You will probably notice that or other scenery projects. To
googlepages.com and compare them drop-down list as shown in Figure 2 and (Alt + Enter) and you are now free to move require a pitch and bank of zero, this the objects aren’t perfectly aligned. demonstrate this, slew to a nearby
to yours as an aid to getting the syntax select Scenery. Now go to the drop-down list the OPT window as required. field does allow you to create, for No problem! RIGHT click and HOLD area, return to the Objects tab on
correct. immediately beneath and open it. Displayed When you clicked Add, you may have example, a sinking ship, by altering the object in question, making sure the OPT and click the Add button
is a long list of possible scenery objects you also noticed that two pieces of data the pitch so that the hull disappears your cursor is about in the middle again. Select ‘Scenery’ and choose
Adding your own world can now add to your FS world. Included in appeared in the OPT (Figure 4). Firstly, at the under the water (Figure 6). The of the object. As you move your
FSX comes with a huge range of accessible this exhaustive list are not only ‘add-on’ top right hand corner we can see that under heading value however is very useful cursor, the object will rotate around FIG: 2
scenery objects. Every object you see when objects such as marinas, windsocks, etc, but ‘All Items’, the ‘gen_dock’ has appeared in and allows you to rotate the object a vertical axis. Cool! If you also wish
flying in your virtual world is available for also all the tree types and heights used by the SCENERY OBJECTS list. This will be to attain alignment with existing to change your object’s orientation
you to add to your own customised Mission FSX, customised buildings and as we will see useful later when it comes to editing. scenery. So change this value and around a longitudinal axis (ie bank),
scenery. What’s more, they are quite simple shortly, even animated scenery! So it is Whenever you highlight an item in this list, observe the effect on your dock, right click and hold the object
to add using the Object Placement Tool. simple to even add you own scale model of the relevant placement data such as altitude, noting that the Heading value uses making sure that your cursor is at
To get to our Rose Bay base, we simply the Eiffel Tower in your own backyard or scale etc is then displayed in the main box. true north as the reference point. By either end of the object. Move your
need to start FSX and open the basic your personal secret island if you so wish! Figure 5 is a close-up of this data and we examining the Scenery Objects cursor and the object rotates about
Sydney Seaplanes Mission we created last For our Mission, we will want to add a need to examine how to use it in order to section of the Software that axis!
issue. By clicking the Fly button, we will pier to connect the beach to our Mission correctly place our dock. Let’s take a peek at Development Kit (SDK) we Continue to align your docks.
introduced in Part 1, you can explore Figure 8 shows my effort, and I also
how the other values may be useful added a building on the shoreline to
to you in your Missions. As an represent the offices of Sydney
exercise, create several more Seaplanes (‘Kenmore_Main_Office’),
identical docks as described above as well as slewing to nearby
(Figure 7). positions to place a marina and

FIG: 1 Simply select your desired object and click add

FIG: 3

Back at Rose Bay and ready for work Voila! The selected object appears

20
40 PC Pilot Issue 51 PC Pilot Issue 51 41
TUTORIAL – Mission Building in FSX Mission Building in FSX – TUTORIAL

Don’t you just love the default FSX Beaver!! Create your own customised competition courses using the OPT
FIG: 4 FIG: 5

one of the animated objects such as


‘ani_birds_gulls_x28’ (which will place 28 sea Most fields can be changed by double clicking
You have the ability to fine tune position and the line & entering your data - but check the SDK
gulls) and click Add.
alignments using finite values to avoid corrupting essential values
You may notice a ‘box’ appear over your
position. The animated objects will move
through this box, ie in the seagull scenario, Success Sydney Seaplanes operate several
the 28 gulls will fly about this boxed area. types of amphibians and floatplanes
Place them near the end of a runway or
take-off area to give your Mission users an
unexpected thrill. As with static scenery, you
can add as many as you wish - but do keep
in mind that not everyone might have a PC
as fast as yours! Adding lots of animated
objects will eventually slow your system
down and take away from the Mission
experience.
Audacity is a versatile audio recorder that will help improve the
Mobile scenery quality of your sound files
What is the difference between animated
and mobile scenery, I hear you ask?
Animated scenery certainly gives us flocks of engine requires all the audio files to be in WAV format and Windows
birds etc flying in a predetermined area, but XP users can use the default Voice Recorder that is packaged with XP.
Mobile Scenery also allows those objects to Some Vista users may find that the default sound recorder will only
move through the virtual Mission world. It record to WMV files and so you will need to download a simple WAV
emulates the ferries, cars and ships we see file recorder such as the freeware Pocket Voice Recorder 3.5 from
in free flight. Again by example, let’s add one preferred value (Figure 10). Easy, isn’t it? As if www.xemico.com/pvr or Audacity from http://audacity.sourceforge.
to fully appreciate the differences between that isn’t enough for you, it is also possible FIG: 7 net. Practice recording some test messages and replay them – you
static animated and mobile objects. to enter MSO (Moving Scenery Object) way may be surprised to hear how much the recorders have modified
Slew to a clear area, click on the Objects points so our Carrier sails a predetermined your voice. If this concerns you (they made me sound like a mouse),
tab if you aren’t already in that section of the course and speed and then we can actually Audacity allows you to add modules to modify the files to restore
OPT and again click Add. This time however, program the ship to safely leave Sydney them to a more realistic tone.
locate Mobile Scenery in the list. If you now Harbour! This is getting beyond the scope of Once satisfied you can competently control the Recorder, record
examine the drop down list of objects, you this tutorial but you can find the relevant each of your voice files in turn, saving them to your Missions >
will notice that they are the same objects we details in the SDK. Missions in Progress > Sydney Seaplanes > Sound folder, and create
saw under the basic Scenery drop-down list. You now have enough knowledge to start the Sound folder if necessary. As you will be creating quite a large
The real difference occurs after we select experimenting and adding Mission scenery number of files and attempting to link them to event triggers that
our object. Select a suitable large vessel such to your personal scenario. If you did write a occur in the Mission, be sure to name and number them in a logical
as an Aircraft Carrier (just so it will be script and plan before you started on this
obvious when we have created it) and then project, you may now wish to amend it to
click Add. The Carrier should appear (Figure include some of the marvellous features FIG: 9
9) and the position details should also available to you. And then there were two!
appear in the OPT Property/Value box. You
can now edit the ‘SpeedKnots’ field by Making yourself heard
double clicking it and typing in your If you have been busy flying as many
Missions as possible, you may have come FIG: 8
across some that don’t use any voice files
FIG: 6 and rely instead on text messages. These
can work perfectly well and they usually
rely on an audible warning tone to alert you
to the new text being generated on your
screen. However, voice files do add another
dimension of realism and so we will include
them in this series. Last issue, we discussed
how important it is to have a detailed plan to
make the actual programming of the Mission
simpler and bug-free. This also extends to
when you make your audio files and it is
advisable have a written script.
The OPT allows you to create custom scenarios Once you have completed your script, Ready for business The number of objects available is HUGE!
find your WAV file recorder. The Missions

42 PC Pilot Issue 51 PC Pilot Issue 51 43


TUTORIAL – Mission Building in FSX Mission Building in FSX – TUTORIAL

Don’t you just love the default FSX Beaver!! Create your own customised competition courses using the OPT
FIG: 4 FIG: 5

one of the animated objects such as


‘ani_birds_gulls_x28’ (which will place 28 sea Most fields can be changed by double clicking
You have the ability to fine tune position and the line & entering your data - but check the SDK
gulls) and click Add.
alignments using finite values to avoid corrupting essential values
You may notice a ‘box’ appear over your
position. The animated objects will move
through this box, ie in the seagull scenario, Success Sydney Seaplanes operate several
the 28 gulls will fly about this boxed area. types of amphibians and floatplanes
Place them near the end of a runway or
take-off area to give your Mission users an
unexpected thrill. As with static scenery, you
can add as many as you wish - but do keep
in mind that not everyone might have a PC
as fast as yours! Adding lots of animated
objects will eventually slow your system
down and take away from the Mission
experience.
Audacity is a versatile audio recorder that will help improve the
Mobile scenery quality of your sound files
What is the difference between animated
and mobile scenery, I hear you ask?
Animated scenery certainly gives us flocks of engine requires all the audio files to be in WAV format and Windows
birds etc flying in a predetermined area, but XP users can use the default Voice Recorder that is packaged with XP.
Mobile Scenery also allows those objects to Some Vista users may find that the default sound recorder will only
move through the virtual Mission world. It record to WMV files and so you will need to download a simple WAV
emulates the ferries, cars and ships we see file recorder such as the freeware Pocket Voice Recorder 3.5 from
in free flight. Again by example, let’s add one preferred value (Figure 10). Easy, isn’t it? As if www.xemico.com/pvr or Audacity from http://audacity.sourceforge.
to fully appreciate the differences between that isn’t enough for you, it is also possible FIG: 7 net. Practice recording some test messages and replay them – you
static animated and mobile objects. to enter MSO (Moving Scenery Object) way may be surprised to hear how much the recorders have modified
Slew to a clear area, click on the Objects points so our Carrier sails a predetermined your voice. If this concerns you (they made me sound like a mouse),
tab if you aren’t already in that section of the course and speed and then we can actually Audacity allows you to add modules to modify the files to restore
OPT and again click Add. This time however, program the ship to safely leave Sydney them to a more realistic tone.
locate Mobile Scenery in the list. If you now Harbour! This is getting beyond the scope of Once satisfied you can competently control the Recorder, record
examine the drop down list of objects, you this tutorial but you can find the relevant each of your voice files in turn, saving them to your Missions >
will notice that they are the same objects we details in the SDK. Missions in Progress > Sydney Seaplanes > Sound folder, and create
saw under the basic Scenery drop-down list. You now have enough knowledge to start the Sound folder if necessary. As you will be creating quite a large
The real difference occurs after we select experimenting and adding Mission scenery number of files and attempting to link them to event triggers that
our object. Select a suitable large vessel such to your personal scenario. If you did write a occur in the Mission, be sure to name and number them in a logical
as an Aircraft Carrier (just so it will be script and plan before you started on this
obvious when we have created it) and then project, you may now wish to amend it to
click Add. The Carrier should appear (Figure include some of the marvellous features FIG: 9
9) and the position details should also available to you. And then there were two!
appear in the OPT Property/Value box. You
can now edit the ‘SpeedKnots’ field by Making yourself heard
double clicking it and typing in your If you have been busy flying as many
Missions as possible, you may have come FIG: 8
across some that don’t use any voice files
FIG: 6 and rely instead on text messages. These
can work perfectly well and they usually
rely on an audible warning tone to alert you
to the new text being generated on your
screen. However, voice files do add another
dimension of realism and so we will include
them in this series. Last issue, we discussed
how important it is to have a detailed plan to
make the actual programming of the Mission
simpler and bug-free. This also extends to
when you make your audio files and it is
advisable have a written script.
Once you have completed your script, The number of objects available is HUGE!
Continued on
The OPT allows you to create custom scenarios Ready for business
find your WAV file recorder. The Missions next page

42 PC Pilot Issue 51 PC Pilot Issue 51 43


TUTORIAL – Mission Building in FSX

FIG: 10
You can use the OPT guide lines to
assist you in aligning your objects

Selecting the speed of our mobile object

FIG: 11
way, eg 1_intro.WAV indicates that it is enough by far for this purpose) and the
message number one and is the initial height of 500 (which is ample as my mission
introduction message, 2_Airborne.WAV is set to take place at or below 1000 feet
indicates it is message number 2 and (330m)) - Figure 13. As a final adjustment, I
contains the message that will be triggered altered the Orientation so that Rectangle
as you become airborne. This may take some covers the full width of the harbour entrance
time if you have large numbers of messages (Figure 14). Again - quite simple once you
and you may record some several times until know how!
you are happy with the results. Before any of
our audio files will play automatically in the
Mission, we need to examine one of the FIG: 14
most versatile aspects of the FSX Missions
The default Rectangle Area must be modified to engine – the Proximity Trigger.
your situation
Proximity Trigger
Next issue, we will examine another core
part of creating Missions - setting up triggers
FIG: 12 that can activate our audio files, special
scenery objects and so on. So to finish this
issue’s tutorial, let’s take a look at one of
the most common methods of triggering a
subsequent event - the Proximity Trigger.
One common use of using a Proximity
Trigger is to activate an audio file as the
aircraft flies through a specific, defined area.
For example, we may like to activate an The modified Rectangle Area will capture even
audio file saying “Wow - look at those the most wayward Mission pilot
whales down there!” when the aircraft flies
through Sydney Heads. We create this finite
area using the OPT again. Slew to the Homework
suitable area at the entrance to Sydney You now know how simple it is to add
Make them large enough to ‘trap’ any wayward Harbour and open the OPT. scenery and understand a little about how
Mission users. It will increase the reliability and As usual, we click to Objects tab and then to create a basic trigger. Until next issue,
enjoyment of your Mission the Add button before selecting review your Mission plan and script and
‘AreaDefinition’ in the top drop down list. add proximity triggers for all the audio files
The second drop down list will automatically you created earlier. If you’re feeling brave,
FIG: 13 select ‘RectangleArea’. Click Add and you will continue reading through the SDK and
get a default box appear (Figures 11 and 12). try some additional trigger types and add
You can immediately see a few possible some animated scenery. Remember, you
problems if we use this default box. If the can always download my Missions files from
pilot doesn’t fly through this box, the the website mentioned in the introduction
relevant audio file won’t play. As it stands, should you come to grief. Keep things
this box is quite small so let’s make it a wider relatively simple and you will learn a vast
gate which will ensure that any Mission amount and enjoy the experience!
pilot that is following the instructions will hit Again, thanks to the people at Sydney
the box. Seaplanes for permission to use their
To do this, click on the relevant Rectangle company name and images, and to Mike
Area and the data for that area will appear in Hall for his Sydney Seaplanes repaint of the
the Property/Value box of the OPT. After a default, FSX De Havilland Beaver (vhaamrep.
little experimenting, I decided on a length of zip from
 Flightsim.com). ■
As with scenery objects, Rectangle Areas are 1300 units (all units in the OPT are in metres)
simple to customise to cover the full width of the harbour Peter Stark
entrance, left the width as 200 units (wide

44 PC Pilot Issue 51

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