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Adding Traffic - utility

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:48 am
by old grey dog
FSX only has traffic on motorways/freeways as default. I think that adding traffic to the scenery gives a greater feeling of realism when flying VFR or coming into an airfield. To that end I have been gradually creating traffic lines on "A" routes in Scotland. There may be an easier way to do this - please tell me if I'm over complicating things, but I have written a BASIC program to assist in this.
The first thing I do is to use SBX to digitise the centre-line of the route in question. This is made in a series of discrete lines (they have to be sequential). I then save this to an .sbx file.
This file is then fed through my program. The program takes the lines, joins them up then constructs two lines which are offset either side of the centre-line (the offset distance can be varied according to the width of the road). These are then output as two separate freeway lines (in the direction of traffic flow) to a new .sbx file which can be imported back to SBX and edited for junctions, roundabouts, etc. before compiling the .bgl file.
If anyone would like a copy of the BASIC program I file post it here (warts and all).
PS it is written in the freeby version of Liberty BASIC.

Re: Adding Traffic - utility

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:49 pm
by luisfeliztirado
What a great solution! Thanks very much.

Best regards.
Luis

Re: Adding Traffic - utility

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:10 pm
by old grey dog
I am also working on a routine which will allow you to digitise a polygon around a wooded area and populate it with trees.
Currently I am experimenting with a varying random factors so that you avoid linear "planting" in mixed and natural woodland/forest.
I have a question on this subject; how do the dimension values for objects in the object placement tool relate to real world dimensions? Are they metres?

Re: Adding Traffic - utility

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:21 pm
by luisfeliztirado
Dimensions in FS design are metric.

Best regards.
Luis