It’s a Christmas miracle! After ten days of feeling like someone parked a tractor on my head, I’m finally able to breathe, think, and blog. It’s a good thing, too, as Santa’s bag is brimming full of some highly anticipated releases. Pour yourself a glass of egg nog and gather ’round the fire as I hand out the packages, kiddies…

Look, up in the sky… it’s a bird! It’s a dog!

I know this is going to make the GA nuts grin from ear to ear. Sibwings has just released their long-awaited Cessna Bird Dog. I’ve been on the beta team for ages (though they probably didn’t notice due to the lack of feedback), and it’s been fascinating to watch this plane progress. I think I can honestly say it’s got one of the best VCs in the business – if not the best VC. Actually, there are several of them, and they’re all masterpieces. For those who bought their Safir, this model is very similar in overall tone and feel, albeit with much more advanced modeling and textures. I was in such a rush to get this post out that I haven’t taken the final version for a spin yet, but even the release candidate was a joy to fly. I imagine the final is even better. If you can stand a plane that flies at around 100mph, and don’t mind looking at an eye-popping realistic cockpit, give it a try.

By the way, this one would make a dynamite bush plane. Repainters, get your brushes ready.

Stealth Fighter: Old School

For years, my friend and publisher Francois Dumas has been threatening to put together the definitive Westland Lysander for FS. Lately, he and his elves have been burning the midnight oil, and the result is Lysander Special Operations, a package including the Lysander (duh), but also a set of saved flights, scenery, and documentation that will allow virtual pilots to relive the white-knuckle flights into and out of occupied France under cover of darkness. The work done by these bold pilots during the bleakest days of the war is nothing short of phenomenal, as is the plane that got them safely there and back.

I’ve always thought the Lysander (or Lizzie, as she’s affectionately known) was about the plug-ugliest thing that ever took wing, but apparently its abilities in the STOL department are breathtaking. Already, I’ve seen a report that one customer has manage to take off, fly a full pattern, and land again without ever leaving the length of the runway in Hawaii’s Dillingham airport. I expect that if you were a resistance fighter looking for backup or a quick escape, that bulbous form would be about the prettiest thing you’d ever seen. And thanks to developer Chuck Jodry and painter extraordinaire Jan Kees Blom, it’s available for FSX now.

A Tinkerer’s Buddy

And now for something completely different… this week, scenery publishers Orbx released a tool that’s a little off the beaten track, even for them. It’s a little utility called “FSX Go“. Essentially, it allows FSX users to preconfigure their sim with any number of custom parameters before launching into a flight.

Rather than try to explain what that means, let me give you an example of how I use it: I have two FSX Go profiles that I use most frequently–one called “Scenery Testing” and one named “Flying”. The scenery testing profile is configured to launch FSX in windowed mode (so I can use Instant Scenery to place objects) with a number of the “sliders” such as terrain texture resolution, water effects, mesh resolution, etc. set to full so I can see the full frame-rate impact of anything I do.

In the “Flying” profile, certain things, such as autogen density, water effects, and ground scenery shadows, are set to lower levels for smoother flying. This profile also launches in full-screen, and could (if I chose to) also use the DX10 preview mode. Basically, anything you can set in the fsx.cfg file can be set automatically in FSX Go.

The other nicety is that you can associate a profile with a particular flight. That means my scenery testing profile will automatically launch my current Stark’s Twin Oaks saved flight whenever I double-click it. Is this revolutionary? Not at all. But the time it saves and flexibility it offers is more than worth the meager price of less than ten bucks, US. If you tweak much with your sliders or your fsx.cfg, you’ll like this.

Say Hi to Bob

ORBX has another little goody for you, and this one’s free. They call him Bob, and he’s basically an “airplane” that allows you to travel on foot through the FSX world. Bob’s very helpful when you’ve just gotten some new high-detail scenery and want to have a look around, or for hanging out on the ramp and plane spotting. He can walk, run, and even walk on water. Sorry, you’ll have to bring your own wine. Get to know Bob on the ORBX freeware downloads page.

I could go on about the great add-ons that continue to spew forth, but my meds are wearing off and I’m starting to see double. Have a most excellent Christmas and enjoy your time with family, friends, and maybe a new toy or two. You could do worse than pick from the above.

Happy Holidays!

My apologies, faithful followers, but I’ve been felled by a nasty cold that’s just this side of the pig flu. If I can swim through this drug-induced haze to some sort of lucidity, I’ll try and post something in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I can’t think, can’t breathe, and it feels like somebody stuffed my head full of wet pasta. Please, carry on without me.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was in full-blown holiday denial. I mean, c’mon, how could it be winter already, much less time to go chop a Christmas tree? Maybe it’s living on Thanksgiving leftovers for a week, or maybe it’s the sub-freezing temperatures that have chilled us to the core in the Pacific Northwest, but you can officially count me among the believers now. Like it or not, I admit it: gift-giving season is upon us. ‘Simmers, time to warm up your greedy little fingers, ’cause we’ve got some shopping to do!

From Russia, With (Wallet) Love…

If it’s early December, it must be time for one of the most anticipated simming events of the holidays: the big EU9.99 blowout over at Captain Sim. This is their second year doing this insane 1-day-only sale in which everything in their store is marked down to 9.99 euros. Between midnight and 23:59 Dec. 11 (UTC), you can pick up, for instance, their C130 Pro Pack (regular price: € 89.97) for €9.99. The normally-priced €59.99 757-200 pack? €9.99. These are bargains the likes of which we rarely see online. I bought their 727 and 727 cargo packages for ridiculous discounts, just because I like the shape of the plane. From one look around the typically glorious Captain Sim cockpit, I can tell this one is yet another winner.

Just an aside about Captain Sim… even though I’m not an airliner fan in general, their work has never failed to inspire me. Starting way back with their L-39 Albatros for FS2002, I was a fan of their particular aesthetic. Once virtual cockpits came into vogue, that affinity only deepened. Whatever their faults (and all you have to do is search the FS forums for a listing of these), the fact is they’re 3D artists of the highest caliber. It’s a testament to just how highly I regard their skills that I keep plunking down my hard-earned bucks for one CS airliner after another, even though I rarely fly them. When I feel like taking to the skies in a tube, I need it to look this good.

If it’s still December 11 where you are, check in on their sale. You’re not going to find deals like this any other time of the year!

Good Deals on Smaller Planes

Maybe my praise for the Captain Sim’s big jets left you cold. You’re an avowed GA fan or warbird nut, and would sooner cut off your left arm than climb into any plane whose name starts with “7″. How about this, then: two of the better known small plane makers are also having sales right now.

Carenado has knocked a respectable 30% off some of their most popular offerings between now and December 19th, making birds like their C172, Piper Arrow, and Mooney Bravo available for very nice prices. This sale prompted me to go for their 172N, as it’s a near spitting image of the 1975 172M that I did my real-world training in a couple of years ago. I figure with a little brush work, I can be sitting back in rickety old 11V again soon in FSX. Hey, you know what? I was trying to pinpoint why I like Carenado’s work so much. Then it hit me: they’re sort of the Captain Sim of the GA world. I sense a theme.

Flightsim Developers (FSD) are running their own holiday sale on some planes that are a little farther off the beaten path.  You might not find the kind of scorched-earth, killer deals that the Russians offer, but FSD are taking a few bucks off some of their latest offerings for the holidays. You can get their new Cirrus Vision VLJ or their fantastic P38 Lightning, each for 24 bucks. I have the Lightning, and I can tell you it’s a beautifully detailed bird. Plus, it seems FSD have been trying really hard to reconnect with ’simmers lately. Every time I visit a forum, it seems their Tim Dickens has waded into another thread to help out a customer. For a long time, I was boycotting them, based on a minor incident years ago that left a bad taste in my mouth. That P38 looked so tempting that I couldn’t resist, and I’m glad I got it. They seem to be a changed company, and for the better.

The Falcon and Frosty the Snowman

Think 10 euros is still too much to pay for an add-on? I have some scenery for you. Ed Wells (falcon409 on Sim-Outhouse) has recently cranked up his small airport production to a fever pitch. Not a day goes by that I don’t see mention of another “falcon” airport on the SOH forums. He’s figured out how to download, color correct, and add autogen to high-res aerial photos, and there’s no stopping him. Unlike a lot of devs, he doesn’t focus on one geographic area, either. In fact, a quick search for his work turned up 49 entries, including airports all over the US and Canada. At this rate, I’d wager that he’s going to be doing a field near you soon. And even if he doesn’t, he takes requests! I like Ed’s enthusiasm, and his work looks great. For sure, you can’t beat the price – it’s like one humongous present to the whole sim community.

Speaking of Giving…

All this talk of gifts and deals makes me wonder, am I the only one who has ever had trouble explaining to a loved one what FS add-on I wanted for Christmas? Think about it: these things are ideal gifts. They’re relatively inexpensive, give us loads of enjoyment, and are almost all available as downloads, meaning zero time fighting the crowds at the local mall. The one problem I’ve always run into with FS products as gifts is that they’re so ever-loving geeky. Your spouse, mom, or dad might mean well enough when they ask “so, what would you like for Christmas?”, but if your answer is “the latest PMDG MD11 and a TrackIR”, chances are their eyes are glazed over before you can get the third word out.

Why, oh why, has nobody ever come up with a simple gift registry for the sim crowd? I know if my wife could log onto a site somewhere in which I’d already chosen a handful of cool add-ons I’d like, and could just pick one or two and enter a credit card number, she’d be all over it. But as it stands, I either have to stand beside her and walk her through a series of pages in some web store, pointing out exactly what she should click on, or hold my breath and hope for cash. It’s just not that much fun. I’d love to be surprised by the gift, and yet have it be the very thing I’d been eyeing but hadn’t bought for myself.

FS Publishers, do you hear this? It’s a missed opportunity. For every simmer that lusts after your products, there are a legion of well-wishing but clueless friends and relatives who would love to give them a great gift. Seems like somebody ought to be able to put something together that makes everybody happy. Am I right?

Okay, enough for now. I need to go check out this 727 and take a trip down recent memory lane in my 172. Peace and happy flying!

John Venema, the big cheese behind Orbx Simulation Systems, has just released a video blog entry featuring Twin Oaks and the fabulous new Sibwings Bird Dog. Both are still in beta, but as you can see, both are getting dangerously close to finished. Thanks, John!

Don’t forget to visit the YouTube page and watch it in full HD!

My wife emits a magnetic field that destroys electronics. I don’t pretend to understand it, but the evidence is unmistakable: all she needs to do is pause while walking by a computer (or stereo receiver, or remote control) and poof… circuit boards fry, hard drives halt, monitors go dark. It creeps me out.  But as much as I’d love to blame this morning’s FS fiasco on her, she was nowhere near my office. Not even in the house. So what gives?

The morning started out innocently enough. I was in a funk about this mornings Fanboy Friday post, grumbling to myself about how little time I’ve had to do any flying this week. Even my forum surfing time has been cut short, courtesy of the day job and life in general. Grasping at straws, I figured a few minutes of flying in a lovely, warm landscape would put me in the writing mood. A good theory, but in practice? Fail.

It was a balmy morning on the island of Mustique. The flags in front of the terminal were snapping in the breeze, while flocks of parrots glided idly by. I hopped into the latest beta of one of my favorite planes (which shall remain nameless as they try to work out the bugs), ready for a nice, relaxing flight. Frame rates were great, the view fantastic. I taxied across the apron and trundled up the hill to line up at the threshold of runway 9.

The single runway on Mustique resembles the bed in an Italian hotel, with slopes at either end, and a trough in the middle. I gunned the engine and began hurtling down the white line. The plane pulled to the right a little, so I compensated with a little left rudder. No effect. I gave it a little right brake to try and pull it back in line, and suddenly it veered violently in the opposite direction, tearing across the runway diagonally. As any taildragger pilot knows, this is where the pedal dance gets serious. Rapidly pumping with alternating feet, I tried to wrestle the beast back in line, but with no luck. It’s as if rudder inputs were mysteriously less effective the faster I went. In a last ditch effort to save my hide, I chopped the throttle and rolled off into the grass alongside the runway, coming to a halt. A little voice in the back of my head nagged at me… how come I never felt those tell-tale ground bumps from my trusty FS-Force? Hmph.

Determined to prevail, I spun the plane around and climbed up to the top of 9 again, headed for the turnaround. Apparently, the wheel brakes on this particular bird were on their last legs. With the stick held close to my gut, I pressed the right brake, gave it full right rudder, and blipped the throttle, attempting a graceful pirouette. The plane swung wide, headed for the drop-off across the runway. Then, suddenly, I’m looking up at sky, listening to the brain-jarring sounds of rending metal, while a green banner scrolls across the top of my screen: Crash. From the outside view, it’s baffling–somehow I’ve managed to fall through the ground.

Sigh. The flight resets, and this time I’m much more careful with my taxiing, managing to line up and take off without issue. Well, except for one: my force feedback is gone, resulting in a loose, floppy joystick that’s a devil to control. What happened to FS-Force? It’s a mystery. For three blissful minutes, I crossed the channel, headed for Bequia. Monitoring the gauges, I see that the RPMs are a little on the high side, so I pull back the propeller lever. It has no effect. Perfect, one more thing to report to the devs.

I put down flaps, slowed for descent, and line up with the runway. As I’m descending, I think that something looks odd about the island. Where’d all the autogen go? There are no houses, none of those lovely trees, just naked hills everywhere. What the…? No wonder my frame rates were so good. I check my settings. Sure enough, autogen is set to “Very Dense”.

I land, decide on a touch and go, and take off again. This little bird is nimble, I’ll give it that. As I’m climbing out, I realize that the VC I’m looking at isn’t my favorite of the lot, and I go to switch aircraft for the other version, thinking that’ll put a smile on my face.

Bang. The screen went black, the computer stopped responding. After five minutes of waiting, I force quit FS, unhooked my controllers, and put them back in the drawer. One of those cartoon squiggles appeared in a bubble over my head, a little puff of ash.

Maybe the sun will come up tomorrow, bright and warm. Maybe the birds will be chirping and all will be right with the world. For now, I think I need a good book and an exorcist for my electronics. It it too early in the day to start drinking?

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… 

The Forgotten Hawaii

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of buying their own private island? In 1864, Elizabeth Sinclair managed to make her dream a reality when she purchased the small Hawaiian island of Niihau from King Kamehameha V for (get this) $10,000 in gold. The Robinson family, her descendants, retain that holding today, making Niihau the only one of the Hawaiian islands to be entirely privately owned.

The handful of modern-day inhabitants are almost all Native Hawaiian, and it’s one of the only places in the state where their language is still the official tongue. Access to the island is strictly controlled, and there is basically zero tourism. Fortunately for FSX fliers, a new bit of scenery from a developer known as “Ironhand” that covers the entire island in photoreal terrain. A quick flight over the island reveals the true ancient character of the islands, before the advent of white people, trade, and the inevitable flood of foreign species of plants and animals: just like its neighbors used to be, Niihau is fairly arid, covered in short, scrubby vegetation. It’s a far cry from the lush rain forests that mainlanders associate with Hawaii these days. From the air, the red clay is revealed in large bare patches that are seasonal lakes, reminiscent more of the Australian outback than the Aloha State.

The easiest way to get there is by air from the western shore of the neighboring island of Kauai. Try Port Allen as your takeoff point. On a reasonably clear day you can see Niihau off to the west. If you’re planning on landing there, remember to either take a whirlybird or an STOL-capable plane with tundra tires, as there’s no airport to speak of. I hear Ironhand is working on a photoreal Kauai as well, which should make a nice companion to this island and Megascenery Hawaii.

Par-tee! Par-tee! Par-tee!

Niihau might be a little forbidding to outsiders, but the Spanish Mediterranean island of Ibiza welcomes them with open arms. With its balmy climate and miles of beaches, Ibiza has become known as a party island, a hotbed of drinking, dancing, and doing the nasty. Every year, planeloads of tourists flock to its shores for a little unwinding, and it’s only fair that we sim geeks should be able to get our wild on there, too.

Aerosoft recently came to our rescue with Ibiza X, which is actually for both FSX and FS2004. The scenery covers the entire island and its sister island of Formentera in 50cm/pixel photoreal terrain. The autogen is very well done as well, with the settlements and vegetation clearly placed carefully by hand.

The main airport, LEIB, is clearly well-equipped to handle the throngs of tourist-laden airliners. Normally, I’m more of a GA flier, but the scenery is so detailed and frame-rate friendly that I might just have to do a few flights between the Spanish mainland and Ibiza in my much-loved but seldom used MD80. In the meantime, just slewing around the islands and taking screenshots put me in the mood for a tall umbrella drink and a people-watching perch at one of the outdoor cafes.

The Grena-who?

Hawaii and the Balearics are two popular spots for island-hopping. Another is the Caribbean, with its string of island jewels. Caribbean masters FlyTampa have just released a beautiful package of tropical scenery covering the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Truthfully, before reading about this scenery, I knew next to nothing about this minuscule nation. What I’ve learned since starting to fly around it can be summed up in a word: gorgeous. FlyTampa have really captured the feeling of a lush, tropical paradise. The download contains photoreal terrain with full autogen and custom mesh for seven islands: Bequia, Beliceaux, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, and Carriacou. On five of those dots of land, you’ll find lovely little airports with the myriad of small details that we’ve come to expect from these developers. One more thing you’ll get: sloped runways! And in the case of a couple of them, very sloped. Flying into one of these short, curvy strips definitely kicks the challenge up a notch.

This is the same scenery package that I talked about a few weeks ago in my post about lighting, and having flown around it for myself, I’m even more impressed. In addition to packing the airports with character and island charm, they’ve paid careful attention to the smallest details. One of them that made me giggle was the dirt bike propped against a hangar on Union Island (or at least I think that’s where it was…)

My favorite part of this scenery is that the islands are close enough together and airports small enough that it makes sense to cruise from one to the next in my A2A Piper Cub. Now that is a great combination.

So until next week, here’s wishing you happy tropical daydreams and clear blue skies.

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:

What’s The Difference? Two Lights in the Nose.

Those Dutch modeling maniacs who call themselves the “Uiver Team” have coughed up a long-awaited FSX version of their DC-2. I got it last week and even managed a full five-and-a-half minute flight. First impression: well done. It flies a lot like the DC-3’s I’ve flown before. Looks a lot like ‘em, too. Good VC, great exterior, and it seems to have full systems and failure modeling (or so I’m told). Guess I’ll have to find time to break it soon. Best of all, the meager purchase price goes to support the Aviodrome, Dutch National Aviation Theme Park and Museum. Get the skinny here.

String, Wood, and a Machine Gun

A friend dropped by last night on his way out of town, someone I used to fly with in many a late-night IL2 session years ago. We got to talking about sim planes and combat, and before I knew it I was telling him about Rise of Flight. Within a minute, he’d twisted my arm into launching it. I pulled out my pedals, set the stick and throttle before him, and switched on the TrackIR. From then on, I might as well have been talking to myself. Yeppers, if you like flying and shooting, it’s hard not to love this sim – especially now that the latest patch is out. Bill says: give ‘er a go.

This is X-Plane?

Uh-oh, it’s finally happening: some professional-level 3D modelers and developers have started using X-Plane as their canvas. In the past, I’ve been pretty hard on this sim, primarily because most of the add-on planes for X-Plane are seriously underwhelming in the looks department. Just after I published this post, I got an email from xplane.org announcing a new helo, the Kawasaki BK117. A quick peek at the screenshots of the interior suggests that things might be looking up for this simulator.

Oh, so many more things I could probably get into if I had more time. Alas, you’ll have to make do with crawling the Web on your own this Friday. Let me know if you find anything cool. Get it, how I just subtly begged for comments? I’m slick that way. No kidding though, if you read these things and enjoy them (or if you find my incessant prattling irritating), speak up. Nobody likes talking to a blank wall.

Happy flying this weekend!

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.

Two add-on previews got me thinking about lighting; Fly Tampa’s new Caribbean airports project, and Classics Hangar’s FW-190. The two products couldn’t be more different in terms of subject matter, execution, or overall feel. What they share is a nuanced and detailed approach in representing how light interacts with objects, and how manipulating shadows and highlights can lend those objects weight and volume.

Modeling Light, Not Just Objects

At right is the shot that first intrigued me. It’s not the fanciest model I’ve ever seen, nor is it a particularly daring composition.  What it does have is an excellent balance between light and shadow. The metal of the roofs is just shiny enough, bright but not overdone, and stands out in stark contrast with the even green of the jungle behind it. Looking below the roof line, you can see the shadows cast by the deep eaves onto the walls below. There’s a bit of reflection in the windows, but it’s subtle.

Then there’s this shot – another terminal at another airport in this package. Again, nothing dramatic, but look at how the shadows under those thatched peaks gives the recessed areas such depth. The thatch work isn’t shiny, so there’s not much contrast between the lights and darks, unlike the red roof nearby. In both shots, the overall contrast is low, which simulates the hazy, moisture-laden air of the tropics. You can almost hear the mosquitos buzzing and the brightly-colored birds twittering.

I’ve seen a lot of technically very proficient models not look half as real and alive as the ones in these two shots. Often times, a modeler will be so obsessed with making sure their textures are tack-sharp that they opt to repeat a small, detailed texture across a broad surface. Inevitably, the effect is less realistic, rather than more, because the human eye is so highly attuned to picking up patterns. All it takes is a whiff of perceived repetition, and all the visual trickery you’re striving for goes up in smoke.

Neither of the two FlyTampa screenshots depict overly sharp textures. Instead, they use their slight softness to good effect, by replacing repetition with natural variation. Look at the corrugated metal roofs in the first shot. Yes, technically, the surface is made up of repeating lines that form a pattern. But look closer… the metal has stains and streaks, random slight shadows and raised spots, none of which follow a pattern. It’s the little things that are barely noticable at first glance that give those buildings that extra presence.

Hand-Drawn or Photos?

In a very different vein, there are these preview pics of Classics Hangar’s upcoming Focke-Wulf FW190 (Late Variants) release. The more I see of this project, the more it blows me away. Nick Churchill has been churning out preview pics, and these shots are from the collection of shots on his forum.

Have a look at the dashboard to the right. If your first instinct is that it uses photographic textures, you could certainly be forgiven. This is a masterful example of a technique called “baking in” the shadows, in which the 3D modeling software analyzes the model’s geometry and factors in how light would bounce around the space. My favorite part of this shot? The ever-so-subtle shadows beneath the gauge bezels. That’s not FS lighting, my friends, that’s pure rendered shadowing, quite possibly heavily tweaked by the devs as well. Look at the shadow under the gyro compass to the right. It’s darker, deeper, and less distinct than those of its counterparts to the left, in keeping with the fact that the gauge itself stands out from the panel more. This is a perfect example of how shadows complement the gauges, increasing the sense of substance.

Here’s a close-up shot of the gauge faces. Notice the way the shadowing on the inner disc of the turn indicator suggests not only the slight backset to that part of the gauge, but that it’s a curved surface as well. Lean in a little closer, and you see something else – the needles in the gauges are casting shadows! Think about it. Not only have they modeled the shadow, but they’ve tied it to the needle movement, which means it’s not part of the gauge face, but a separately-moving item all its own. I’m not sure whether it’s done purely in the textures or with bump mapping, but even the stamped inscriptions on the gauge faces are there.

What these shots prove is that hand-drawn textures can actually trump photos in terms of perceived realism. Yes, it takes a great deal of skill and patience to work at this level, but the results are nothing short of phenomenal.

So the next time you’re thinking to yourself how much a particular add-on appeals to you, stop to consider how much the lighting has to do with it. Reflected light is the way we humans see things, so mimicking the play of that light across a surface is something that 3D modelers have to give a lot of thought to. How they handle it is what makes the difference between a good product and a great one.

Happy flying!

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.

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.

The online world is a twisted way to experience life, on that we can all agree. I’ve made a whole bunch of friends over the years – that’s without the quotes, as I truly consider them friends – but the fact that I only know them through an avatar and a username means that I miss whole huge blocks of their story. I suspect the same is true in reverse. You know that I’m a scenery designer, and maybe you’ve read a few blog posts here, but that’s only one small slice of what I’m up to.

A typical day in my life starts at 5:30 or 6 each morning. I work from home, so the morning commute is a trip to the coffee pot to throw on some brew, followed by padding into my office to flick the computer on. I read some forums, catch up on news, and check my email before diving into my work day. From reading some of the impatient forum postings about how long Emma Field is taking, I get the feeling that people assume I’m pretty much 100% on to scenery design by this point. I wish.

At least half of every day is taken up by servicing one of my web clients, House of Antique Hardware. I do design work, copy writing, and some programming for their site. Just recently, we completed a large project in which we rolled out their Period Home Collections, groups of reproduction house hardware grouped by style and era. I worked with their photographer to design the headers for each collection, wrote the intro copy, designed the page layouts, and created all the graphics, ads, and Flash movies to support the launch.

Before I got into FS work, web design was my trade. It’s still my primary business, although the last couple of years, the scenery has begun playing a larger role. In addition to House of Antique Hardware, I designed a site for a local client, Woodburn Company Stores, that requires constant updates, as does Biotech Insight, my longest-running client at 10 years. And just recently, I did my first full WordPress site for Underhill Training. The combined total of all those keeps me hopping.

And of course, there’s the noveling. I’ve been a writer since I was a kid, but in the last five years it’s become more of an obsession. I’m nearly done with my second manuscript, Last Thursday, a murder mystery set against the backdrop of the Portland arts scene. This follows The Big Spin, a 500+ page behemoth that I completed a couple of years ago, and which is still awaiting revisions.

November is a major month on my calendar, as it’s National Novel Writing Month, a frenzied 30 days in which writers all over the world try to give birth to a 50,000 word novel from scratch. For the slow writers among us (Bill raises hand), it’s a chance to just go all-out crazy and fly through the pages. I pulled an idea from a recent newspaper article, and I’m about to dive into it after I finish this post and have a quick shower.

Flight sim design is definitely a labor of love, and one I’m not likely to give up anytime soon. For those who wonder what takes me so very long, I offer this post. Just be thankful I have any time at all for it! I know I am.

But enough about me. Tell me, what happens in your life between flights? Seriously, I’d like to know.