Workflows

The SDU maintains an own view of the RSK scenery data in its local project file. If necessary, SDU can get resynchronized with recent RSK data at any time. An essential concept of the SDU is to arrange the surfaces in collections with meaningful names. A special meaning has the ‘garbage collection’: It’s the container for any surfaces that are not subject to export. Flexible filters help to quickly identify the single surfaces. Additionally, any surfaces, collections, or even the entire scenery may be previewed on the fly in the embedded 3D previewer. Finally, SDU creates all scenery project files for the target simulators. These are All XML files for Heli-X GEO file for AFPD TSC file for Aerofly 5/RC7 There should be no need to manually touch any of the created files under normal circumstances. Note: Currently, SDU does not create any images for the simulators (such as preview BMPs, etc.). These have to be created manually by use of other tools.Also, SDU currently does not make use of any simulator specific tool chain, e.g. the IPACS developer tools. These have to be applied manually to the scenery data as described by the manufacturers.

SDU Features at a Glance

SDU has a built-in RSK gateway interface that allows to

• read all RSK model data of interest (points, surfaces, materials, lighting, start positions, northing)
• read AC3D models and import the data to RSK
• synchronize with changed RSK data
• interactively modify a collection of points (move, rotate) with immediate RSK model update
• modify the material settings of a collection of surfaces with immediate RSK model update

More features:

• Data export to AC3D (AFPD, Aerofly 5/RC7 transformations)
• Data export to XML (Heli-X transformations)
• Stationary camera preview windows (Direct 3D) with
  - Surface collection preview
  - Single surface selection preview
  - Single point selection preview
  - Skybox preview (uses the Heli-X 2048 Skybox)
  - Alpha mask preview (overlay, based on a b/w Skybox build of the Heli-X image’s alpha channel)
  - Ground level preview (grid on configured ground level)
  - Wireframe and solid mode
• Movable camera preview window (Direct 3D) with map overlay support (GoogleEarth screenshots etc.)
• Interactive contest creation utilities for AFPD and Aerofly 5 as
  - Balloon Popping, Pylon Races, Drag Races, Autorotation Landing, Spot Landing, Precision Flight, Limbo
• Interactive start position definition utilities for Heli-X, AFPD and Aerofly 5/RC7. Additional glider start position support for Aerofly 5/RC7 (incl. winch and launcher settings)