Cayman Brac Scenery Issue

**arcueil** · 03-18-2010, 11:35 PM

I installed cbc2009.zip and although a bit of a frame hog (due to large quantities of trees, I guess), the scenery is fairly decent. However, there is one real issue: all AI aircraft float about 10-15 feet off the ground -- on the runway, taxiways and parking spots! The user aircraft does not... I checked the website of the developer, but I found no mention there of this problem or any updates. His promised "lite" version of the scenery has not been released, btw. Anyhow, can someone please download and check the above listed scenery for a solution, if any? I don't want to remove the scenery, but in its present state, I would be compelled to do so. Thanx.

**StringBean** · 03-19-2010, 02:05 AM

If the scenery came with an Afcad, put a copy of it in Scenery\World\Scenery and test.

peace,
the Bean

**arcueil** · 03-19-2010, 02:34 AM

Yes, it came with an AFCAD. The author recommends placing it in the Addon Scenery > Cayman Brac > scenery folder. I did that but the AI floats.

I have a question before I try your test: do you want me to place *the* AFCAD in Scenery > World > Scenery, or an *additional copy* of it?

**opaplano** · 03-19-2010, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by arcueil

I installed cbc2009.zip and although a bit of a frame hog (due to large quantities of trees, I guess), the scenery is fairly decent. However, there is one real issue: all AI aircraft float about 10-15 feet off the ground -- on the runway, taxiways and parking spots! The user aircraft does not... I checked the website of the developer, but I found no mention there of this problem or any updates. His promised "lite" version of the scenery has not been released, btw. Anyhow, can someone please download and check the above listed scenery for a solution, if any? I don't want to remove the scenery, but in its present state, I would be compelled to do so. Thanx.

I took a look at this package and see a number of errors.

The real world airport is at an elevation of 8 feet. Yet the author included an afcad which sets the elevation at 0 feet.

The default FS2004 airport is also set at 8 feet so I cannot understand what the author had in mind.

I experimented with placing his afcad in several locations and nothing corrected the AI elevation issue.

I do note that he says in his readme that he "supports" this addition throughJuly 30th of 2010 - so you might want to contact him. His address is in the readme also.

If you do get some info from the author, please post back.

BTW - It is a huge Frame Rate hog as you mentioned.

Good Luck !!

**StringBean** · 03-19-2010, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by arcueil

I have a question before I try your test: do you want me to place *the* AFCAD in Scenery > World > Scenery, or an *additional copy* of it?

Originally Posted by StringBean

If the scenery came with an Afcad, put a copy of it in Scenery\World\Scenery and test.

peace,
the Bean

As stated.

Why?

Different elements of FS9 look at different places for elevation info.

As the scenery loads, from the bottom of the Scenery Library to the top, the AI engine uses the first reference to airport elevation that it finds. In a typical installation this is the default elevation. In this case 8 feet ASL.

Placing a copy of the Afcad in Scenery\World\Scenery will force the AI engine to use the addon Afcad elevation. In this case, according to Opa, 0 feet ASL.

I added a Scenery layer specifically for this purpose to keep these files out of Scenery\World\Scenery. Bit of a neat freak, I am.

Because FS reads the Afcad before it reads the default airport info, the AI will use the Afcad elevation.

Hope this helps.

peace,
the Bean

**opaplano** · 03-19-2010, 02:25 PM

Hi Bean -

I have used your "trick" for many years with good success but this seems to be one scenery which defies logic.

No luck at all using the usual tricks with this package.

One could edit the default elevation using the JabBgl program but then the airport would be at sea level - which it is not in real life.

BTW - even the author's Beta version of this scenery has the elevation of the airport (and the runway) at zero - just as in his latest version. Editing the afcad and setting elevation to 8 feet does not seem to make any difference either. I am stumpted.

Any other ideas?

**StringBean** · 03-19-2010, 02:26 PM

Sorry for the short answer last night, it was late and I was headed off to bed.

Here is a shot off the terminal with a copy of the Afcad in"Elevation Corrections" as explained above. Note the default AI Dash 8 with it's feet planted firmly on the ground...

David, I think he lowered the airport to sea level for the photoreal ground textures he used. And the frame rate hit is probably due to the huge amount of trees he added.

I don't wish to be too hard on the guy, on the ground this addon looks good. Once you get up in the air, different story.

peace,
the Bean

**opaplano** · 03-19-2010, 06:07 PM

Hi Bean -

I finally got it to work on my system too.

Had to shut down the puter for a few minutes and then do a restart. Perhaps the cache was keeping the prior settings - just not sure.

In any case the AI craft are now on the ground -albeit at zero elevation rather than the real world elevation of 8 feet.

I agree the scenery leaves a whole lot to be desired when viewed from the air - never been a fan of photo real texturing. And it really impacts FR badly on my setup.

This has been an "interesting" process.

**arcueil** · 03-19-2010, 09:48 PM

Hi guys. Thanx for all the help. I got it to work too, but I agree with your comments regarding the way the scenery looks from the air. The photoreal textures in this package don't look good, especially that coastline/beach parallel to the airfield. It doesn't blend at all with the water. I don't think I can live with that. Anyway, I learned a lot from this issue, so thanks again fellars.

**arcueil** · 03-20-2010, 02:19 AM

I decided to remove the scenery and go back to default. Although the default airport is rather barren, it certainly looks much more "elegant" and performs far better.

Anyhow, while I was checking out the default scenery, I noticed that one WOAI Cayman Airways plane did not render the textures correctly. The problem is with the Cayman Airways deHavilland DHC6 new colors paint. The folder is Aircraft > WoA_HTAI_DHC6 > texture.CAY-Cayman Airways. The textures PAI_DHC6 and PAI_DHC6_L need to be renamed to DHC6 and DHC6_L. See the "before and after" attached pictures.