NZFF

This is a project I've had in mind for some time, and it makes sense to place it under the NZ Scenery Project.
I'd like to build a model of Christchurch City. I've done this before, with the old Godzone scenery, but this was well overdue for an update. Rather than resurrect my old models, I'd much rather start over from scratch. My original scenery was really just the buildings which bordered the Square, placed on an autogenned photo image of the city.
Here's a screenshot of the original scenery:



I'm opening this up to anyone who wants to help. If you live locally, then this would be the ideal way to get involved in the NZ Scenery Project. It could also be a good way to learn how to model -- starting with a simple city building. I could either give tips on how to obtain textures, or even supply the photos for textures. So this could be a training ground, from which you could move on to building your own airport, city or whatever.

At the moment there is no photo scenery available, but there's plenty of time for that. There are just a couple of things which you'd need to be happy with.
First, you'd have to agree to allowing me to release this -- as freeware -- along with any any 'Real New Zealand' Christchurch payware scenery.
Second, I am aiming for FSX here, although there is no problem with having a duel development for both FS2004 and FSX. Ultimately, though, by the time it is 'finished' I imagine that FS2004 would have gone the way of FS2002.

So what could you build? Anything you like, really, as long as it is a largish or highly visible real structure in the city area. I plan to start with the Square and work outwards, but that's just me. Things which you may look at are:
Jade Stadium;
Hoyts;
A Shopping Centre;
Westpac Trust Centre;
Sign of the Takehe;
The Gondola;
A tram!;
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament;
Arts Centre;
Mona Vale.

I already have a usable model of the Pier and Library at New Brighton.

If anyone is interested, please let me know and we can make a start.

-Robin

You may want to check out the 3D warehouse at the Google Sketchup page... the ZNO guys have done a lot of modelling in the CHCH area... apparently the google license allows for people to:

1. to reproduce the Content;
2. to create and reproduce derivative works of the Content;
3. to display publicly and distribute copies of the Content;
4. to display publicly and distribute copies of derivative works of the content.

have a look at the models here... its a little fiddly to convert from SketchUp to Gmax, but it can be done...

HardCorePawn wrote:

QUOTE (HardCorePawn @ Jan 25 2008, 06:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You may want to check out the 3D warehouse at the Google Sketchup page... the ZNO guys have done a lot of modelling in the CHCH area...

Yes, it was partly in response to the thread over at ARNZ that I decided to to public with this now. What I'm proposing here overcomes the issues which have been mentioned there -- mainly that the Google models belong to someone else, the models need work to optimise them for FS, and the textures need to be completely redone in most cases. Plus there are a lot of issues with FSX features.
Instead of all that work to make them compatible, I propose doing the same amount of work to model them from scratch:)

Frankly HCP , i'll stick with tried and proving GZVirtual Flight and it has only to get better

Last time I looked, Christchurch had more existing models, and the highest density of FS scenery creators, than any other spot on planet earth.
Any chance you guys can connect and divvy up the workload???

Charl wrote:

QUOTE (Charl @ Jan 27 2008, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last time I looked, Christchurch had more existing models, and the highest density of FS scenery creators, than any other spot on planet earth.
Any chance you guys can connect and divvy up the workload???

More vocal perhaps, but this is just to make up for the population imbalance between the islands:)
Actually, about 90% of local developers have dropped out over the last three years. Ian and I work together to some extent, but since we don't use many of the same tools we are not much use to each other for large projects. I suspect that a large-scale collaboration would ruin our friendship:) Just kidding, we have discussed a joint project before, and it may happen one day.
The project I've suggested is designed in part to bring local developers together, no matter what their skill level.