Fanboy Friday: Can you hear the palm trees rustle?

Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are growing shorter. The skies are leaden, there’s a chill in the air, and the last of the leaves have dropped from the naked branches. It’s the time of year when a person could be forgiven for getting lost in fantasies of tropical islands, ivory sand, and emerald bays. Fortunately for sim fans, relief from the winter blahs is only a mouse-click away. Let’s kick off our shoes, grab a cold one, and head down to the beach… 

Fanboy Friday Again?

Ah, life’s ironies… I have had zippo time this week to do anything resembling flying, and it’s due in large part to my client’s Web site and blog needs. Any free time I’ve managed to peel off for myself has gone to plugging away at my NaNoWriMo novel, which is now over 50 pages long. Thanks for asking. So, to sum up: no writing on my blog this week because I’ve been too busy blogging and writing. A full-fledged Fanboy Friday this is not, but here are a couple of things that whipped past my window in a blur this week:

Fanboy Friday: Tricks With Light

Did you ever come across a screenshot from flight simulator that made you just stop and gape? One that, at first glance, looked like a photograph instead of a computer-based sim? I had one of those moments this week, and it got me thinking about what makes some simulated objects appear more or less “real” than others. Hint: it’s all in the lighting.

Orbx Unveils Pacific Northwest Video

Cody Bergland of Jaggyroad Films just released his latest opus, a preview of Orbx’s upcoming FTX NA Blue: Pacific Northwest scenery. Not only do you get stunning views of this gorgeous part of the world (though I may be biased), but also a couple of peeks at the first two payware airports designed to fit within it – 1S2 Darrington Municipal, and 7S3 Stark’s Twin Oaks (okay, I’m definitely biased). Watch it below, sure, but this is one that’s worth downloading the high res version.

What happened to Fanboy Friday this week?

After a couple months of posting my weekly Fanboy Friday roundups, it finally happened. Splat. My FS writing time Yugo was run over by the 18-wheeler of my day job. I was going to try and hustle together something for y’all this weekend, but as Monday bears down on us, it’s not looking too likely. Instead, I thought I’d take a moment to give you a better idea of who I am and where my time goes.

Fanboy Friday Delayed

Ack! I’m up to my neck in day-job work today, with no time to whip my weekly Fanboy Friday post into shape. My plan is to cobble it together tonight or tomorrow morning for a Spooky Saturday post instead. Thanks for bearing with me.

In the meantime, if you’re new to FF, you can browse the previous posts here.

Have an excellent Friday!

It’s Fanboy Friday Time Again…

And that means another heaping pile of stuff that you could spend all your money and time on, if you were so inclined. This week has been a real mixed bag of releases, so you’re sure to find something here that tickles your fancy, makes you roll your eyes, or both. So, what’s new?

Fanboy Friday: Freeware and Previews Galore

Friday, again!? Honestly, where does the time go? Well, I know where most of mine went this week, and that’s to putting the detail touches on Twin Oaks Airpark for ORBX. While I was hip-deep in that, wonder what else was going on in the FS universe…

Introducing Stark’s Twin Oaks Airpark

This one has been a long time in the making, but the preview pics are finally available. My first project for Orbx is nearing completion: 7S3: Stark’s Twin Oaks Airpark. It’s designed to fit seamlessly into the upcoming FTX NA Blue Pacific Northwest scenery, but it’ll stand alone as well.

If ever there was a small airport that captured the spirit of GA flying in America, this is it. From the official blurb:

Nestled in the rolling farmland of the fertile Willamette Valley near Portland, Oregon, Stark’s Twin Oaks Airpark is ideally located for sightseeing in the Pacific Northwest. The rural location makes for less traffic and a relaxed atmosphere, while providing an easy jumping-off point for flights to either the coast to the west, or the rugged peaks of the Cascade range to the east.

The scenery includes a large area of 30cm/pixel aerial photoreal terrain, featuring the various orchards, Alpaca ranches, and small farms in the area. One special point of interest is the massive Glacier rock quarry, located a few miles to the southeast of the field. It deftly shows the sim possibilities when high-resolution terrain mesh is matched with detailed and meticulously color-corrected aerial photography. The high-quality mesh also makes another appearance, in what is quite possibly a first for an FS airport: multiple elevations. Twin Oaks is carved from the side of a gentle slope, and as a result, the Starks’ house, garage, and two of the hangars are on a hill overlooking the rest of the field. Lead developer Bill Womack has obsessively researched and photographed the airport over the last few years, with the enthusiastic support of owners Bob and Betty Stark. We’re proud to offer the definitive sim rendition of one of Oregon’s aviation jewels.

Check out the preview pics here. And while you’re at it, have a look at the other releases planned for both North America and Australia.

Fanboy Friday: TGIFF

Sorry for the lame title, but my brain is liked cooked oatmeal this morning. With raisins. It’s been a long week of bashing my skull against an army of zombie web projects, and I’m done in. Good thing there are some fun FS goodies to look forward to this weekend! Which ones, you say? You’ll just have to