Problem Hi-res runways in Orbiter 2016?

[Catweazle]

Hi @all!

Since I'm new to Orbiter 2016, I'm not sure whether I'm making mistakes with addons, or whether they just won't work with Orbiter 2016 at all
...
In my old Orbiter 2010 installation, I used some hi-res textures for runways, as they are available from OHM. I tried this with Orbiter 2016 as well, replacing the runway2.dds in the textures folder. However, it has no effect at all.

Even the runway surface of the original runway2.dds coming with the Orbiter 2016 zip installation looks different from the runway surface showing up when I start some scenario. The runways have a different pattern and appear much more blurry.


Runway seen in Orbiter 2016



Runway2.dds

If I remove the runway2.dds completely from the textures folder, I would expect an error at least, but there's no change at all. Still the same runway appearance.
Does Orbiter 2016 use another texture than runway2.dds for the runway surfaces?
What shall I do to see the hi-res surfaces of the addons?

Thanks for any help!
Catweazle

 

[N_Molson]

In the picture you are showing (SLF at KSC), those are level 19 surface textures, there's no 'runway texture'. You can add one if you want.

 

[MaxBuzz]

if you make a texture in a higher resolution, will it fit correctly on the runway?

 

[MaxBuzz]

if you make a texture in a higher resolution, will it fit correctly on the runway?

yes everything works

 

[N_Molson]

Yep, the runway system still works. Not sure how it interacts with terrain elevation, but in the D3D9 Client we now have a "flattening option" (you define a geometric flat shape in a config file) that should solve any issues.

 

[Catweazle]

@N_Molson and MaxBuzz:

Thank you for your quick replies. I really overlooked that the pictures I see in the scenario are not coming from particular runway textures but from the surface textures.
I thought the runway appearance was defined by the line
RWTEX Runway2
in the Canaveral.cfg, and if I replaced it, the runway appearance would change accordingly.

But sorry for bothering again (I'm really not so fit in how Orbiter works) and asking probably silly questions:

there's no 'runway texture'. You can add one if you want.

But how's that done? Just extracting the zip file contents of an addon like
https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=b9605023-913c-4859-af54-8aaa4f7725e6
into the Orbiter main folder - which just replaces the original runway2.dds - didn't work so far.
(In Orbiter 2010 it seemed to work that simple way)

How can I tell Orbiter 2016 to use particular textures for the runway appearance?
What have I missed here? Or do I have to change some cfg files in addition? If yes, how?

you define a geometric flat shape in a config file

Unfortunately, that goes somewhat beyond my understanding of Orbiter...

However, it yet relieves me that there is some way to use hi-res textures as you clearly showed above, so I won't give up.
I will just need some ass-kick-rookie-help like do this, click there, change this file in that way, and so on... I guess than I will even understand the principles step by step.

 

[N_Molson]

Well, first step is really to read the documentation. It is quite extensive (which is an excellent thing), but you don't need to read all the bible, only the chapters you're interested in.

In this case read Orbiter 2016\Doc\OrbiterConfig.pdf ; and pay special attention from page 13 to 18. Then come back to us. You need to get a basic grasp how the configuration files works, that's Orbiter's skeleton, so to say.

 

[Catweazle]

Seems I found it out :
several lines of the RUNWAY section in the Canaveral.cfg were commented out by semicolons.
I tried out what would happen, if I remove the semicolons, and tadaaa: I see the hi-res runway textures.
It was just confusing for me that this had not been necessary in the old Orbiter 2010.

But you are absolutely right: I will definitely go in for some serious documentation reading, before asking questions, which I could probably answer easily by myself. I was wrong to believe that I could just carry my hitherto (little) knowlegde of Orbiter 2010 over to the new installation of Orbiter 2016.

But thanks again for all the hints, it helps me and keeps me rummage around and find things out

Catweazle

 

[N_Molson]

They were commented because Martins probably wanted to test if level 19 tiles (planet textures) could be a way to make things simpler. Turned it out its still a bit too low in resolution, and acquiring better (free) imagery is not so easy. So defining runways as textured objects remains a valid solution. The problem was also it wasn't going well with terrain elevation introduced in Orbiter 2016 (because runways objects are flat, and then can easily get over or under ground).

But again, take a look at the D3D9 Client documentation, making "flat" areas around bases / airports is really easy.

 

[MaxBuzz]

I think you can draw the runway yourself, using, for example, the simplest graphics editor Paint.net
if the program is more advanced and the artist's skill is at a height the runway will be difficult to distinguish from the real one

 

[Sbb1413]

By removing the semicolons on the commented lines in Canaveral.cfg, I have finally be able to use Hi-Res SLF Texture - White Version on the following runways in Orbiter 2016:

Shuttle Landing Facility

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip (formerly Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip)

 

[N_Molson]

For the SLF there's an issue with dimensions, textures overlap the runway. The other one looks good.

 

[N_Molson]

I think the width used for the texture is more or less the one of the runway threshold, which is in reality a bit narrower than the actual runway.