UPDATE: Charlotte-Monroe Executive (KEQY) Airport Project

[Jim Robinson]

SBuilderX is fundamentally different than SBuilder9 in that it has the ability to download a "background" from either google earth or VirtualEarth. This background loads into the correct geographic location and zoom level automatically so there's no fiddling with coordinates, and you can save a map from the downloaded background at various zoom levels. It is entirely possible to download a map in SBuilderX and import it into SBuilder9, from that you could make photosceneries or simply use it as a reference for shorelines, roads, or whatever.

With SBX installed, you'd go to the airport in the sim, then fire up SBX, start a new project, and then "View > Show Aircraft". That'll center the map on the airport. Then "View > Show background" will start it downloading tiles from the selected server (choose "Edit > Preferences" and select "VirtualEarth Satellite" as the tile server). Roll the mousewheel to zoom in/out. Save a map with "File > Add Map > From Background". This map will be assembled in the SBuilderX313\Tools\Work folder with a filename like L17X72356X72362Y103816Y103828.BMP along with a text file of the same filename (L17X72356X72362Y103816Y103828.txt) which contains the coords of the corners. You could add this map into an SBuilder9 project using the coords in the txt file.

That said Glenn, FSX will allow much higher resolution imagery, has much better autogen, and is much easier to do terrain flattens, excludes, and things like that than FS9 was. I'd give SBuilderX a try and at least experiment on an FSX scenery before you get too far into this, man things just look so much better at 1m+ ...

No offense dear beloved FS9, but just sayin' .

Jim

[HardCub]

SBuilderX is fundamentally different than SBuilder9 in that it has the ability to download a "background" from either google earth or VirtualEarth. This background loads into the correct geographic location and zoom level automatically so there's no fiddling with coordinates, and you can save a map from the downloaded background at various zoom levels. It is entirely possible to download a map in SBuilderX and import it into SBuilder9, from that you could make photosceneries or simply use it as a reference for shorelines, roads, or whatever.

With SBX installed, you'd go to the airport in the sim, then fire up SBX, start a new project, and then "View > Show Aircraft". That'll center the map on the airport. Then "View > Show background" will start it downloading tiles from the selected server (choose "Edit > Preferences" and select "VirtualEarth Satellite" as the tile server). Roll the mousewheel to zoom in/out. Save a map with "File > Add Map > From Background". This map will be assembled in the SBuilderX313\Tools\Work folder with a filename like L17X72356X72362Y103816Y103828.BMP along with a text file of the same filename (L17X72356X72362Y103816Y103828.txt) which contains the coords of the corners. You could add this map into an SBuilder9 project using the coords in the txt file.

That said Glenn, FSX will allow much higher resolution imagery, has much better autogen, and is much easier to do terrain flattens, excludes, and things like that than FS9 was. I'd give SBuilderX a try and at least experiment on an FSX scenery before you get too far into this, man things just look so much better at 1m+ ...

No offense dear beloved FS9, but just sayin' .

Jim

Thank you so much Jim for the advice/information. I really appreciate it. I will install it tonight, and give it a try tomorrow.
I know FSX looks amazing (I currently have over $450 invested in it already) but my all-time favorite simulator (call me nuts) remains my first FS love... and that is FS2004. No worries - no offense taken my friend. There's enough virtual skies for all of us. LOL I just truly appreciate you and all of my friends here in the FS community.

[Adam24]

That airport looks familiar Anyway, awesome shots!

[peer01]

These are awesome Glenn, supershots!