Hello there!
This month we’re taking a closer look at the world of scenery and aircraft development. Jan Vogel, an X-Plane artist with 265 submissions on the Airport Scenery Gateway, talks with us about his process and tips for new artists. We’ve also included a link to KLAX scenery from one of Jan’s favorite artists. And if you’re an aircraft author or scenery artist, don’t miss the list of video tutorials below.
Behind the Scenes of Scenery Creation with Jan Vogel
Laminar Research: Can you provide a little background on yourself and your interest in aviation?
Jan Vogel: My interest in aviation started in childhood, probably when I clenched my fingers around the chainlink fence of the Kiel-Holtenau Airport at age 5. It culminated with getting my Airline Transport Pilots License at age 26, flying jet airliners for a major German airline ever since.
LR: What’s the most challenging part about creating scenery?
JV: The hardest part is really just starting out with scenery design. A tool like WED is very powerful, but also hard to learn and there are a million little things to know and consider. The scenery and layering in X-Plane is also complicated, and it takes a while to understand why and how things do or don’t work out. Persistence and frustration tolerance are both required skills.
LR: What’s the best or most rewarding part?
JV: Definitely when I get feedback from other users. The biggest motivation for me is the idea that I am helping with something and that people enjoy my work. This used to work pretty good when I still posted my scenery on some public download pages, now with the Scenery Gateway I just have to believe that people have fun with my airports.
I also enjoy the part when I first fire up the sim to check my creation in 3D – it is a little bit like taking a sculpture out of the mold for the first time.
LR: What’s the most important thing for new artists or people just getting started with scenery development to know?
JV: Where to get help at first! Don’t just dive in, watch the instructional videos, then start experimenting with a SMALL airport (not KDEN!). There are some great forums out there that cater to scenery design, and you can tap into the knowledge of more experienced designers there. Then again, real men never read instructions or ask for directions!
Tips and Tricks
Plane Maker and WorldEditor are two free tools that are great for customizing your X-Plane experience. Plane Maker is included with every copy of X-Plane and, as its name suggests, allows you to edit or create custom aircraft. WorldEditor, on the other hand, is available on the X-Plane Developer site and is used to create custom scenery packages around airports.
If you prefer to see things in action instead of reading the text manuals, here is a list of video tutorials currently available for each program.
For Aircraft Authors
- Understanding Dynamic Exposure — This video explains how to customize the effect of lighting changes in the sim.
- Using Prefill to Improve Frame Rates — This video shows how to use prefill settings to optimize aircraft frame rates.
- Using Dataref Editor — This video explains the basics of using the free DataRefEditor plugin (also great for plugin developers).
For Scenery Authors
- Introduction to WorldEditor — This 13-part series takes you through the whole process of creating a basic airport.
- ATC Traffic Flows — This 4-part series explains setting up custom runway use programs.
- Creating ATC Taxi Networks — A 5-part tutorial explaining how to specify paths around an airport.
Scenery authors and users alike shouldn’t miss the video on the Airport Scenery Gateway.
Featured Freeware
X-Plane scenery artist Jan Vogel has a discerning eye when it comes to custom scenery. He introduced us to the scenery creations of MisterX6, who has five free custom scenery packages available for download at X-Plane.org. Los Angeles International Airport, the third busiest airport in the world, is one of his newest freeware contributions.
KLAX has been carefully prepared with an accurate layout and photoreal scenery. It includes custom 3D models for terminals and hangars, custom static aircraft, and custom high resolution taxiway and runway textures. The people, airport vehicles, jetways and marshallers are all animated as well. With all these features, Los Angeles International is one great piece of freeware scenery you won’t want to miss.
Happy flying!
– The X-Plane Team
