Planeset [version 1.5.3 released 2006-10-24]

[krtaylor]

@krtaylor: What's still on the todo before the first official release of the the company-colored PlaneSet?

Not a whole lot...

- Fixed livery for Ruslan and Shorts 330

True, these should be improved.

- Code for Shorts 330 (is 459 going to do this?)

I expect he will, as it is an ordinary plane, not an advanced helicopter.

- Fix whatever is wrong with the 747-400.

That's been experimented with a lot and we haven't gotten real far. It seems to me to be a prime candidate for Aydan's rendering?

- Loaded states for the Chinook (?)

Yes, that's right. We had a discussion about hanging crates and bladders underneath the helicopter in flight. Of course they'd disappear when it landed.

Right now, I see the #1 requirement as playtesting, looking for graphics bugs and pricing balance. Several points here:

- We need to have the operating costs automatically adjust based on the planespeed switch. If the planes go twice as fast, obviously they will make twice as much money and so need to be twice as expensive to run.

- I think we've figured out how to give the planes realistically high prices, right?

Other things we should have, but not necessarily in the first release:

- A more modern small airport that appears in the 1960s. I think there will need to be a Patch change to support multiple airport appearances, this is being worked on I believe.

- A Zeppelin mooring mast from the beginning of the game, or at least the appearance of the first zep. This will require a Patch change to allow us to set when the helipad appears.

- Boarding stairs that appear at the side of aircraft when they land at a small airport. We've been promised a Patch to detect what sort of airport a plane landed at.

- Ground vehicles that appear when a plane is landed - fueling, tows, baggage, catering, etc.

- Certain freight aircraft can have their nose open or ramps lower when loading/unloading.

- And eventually two sets of liveries for everything - some already have this. A parameter would set whether you'd use company-color or original livery.

Did I miss anything?

[Szappy]

- We need to have the operating costs automatically adjust based on the planespeed switch. If the planes go twice as fast, obviously they will make twice as much money and so need to be twice as expensive to run.

quite far from earning twice, not even on 4 times speed. The still crawl around on ground, and circle around airports, if they can't land. Not to mention, the faster they go, the shorter this factor effects, because, the most time is spent on the ground.
I'd suggest a 1,5 multiplyer for each speed gain step, so 2,5x on speed 4.

- I think we've figured out how to give the planes realistically high prices, right?

Not too high though, those so-called 'realistic' prices in the USSet make it unplayable for me, they imbalance the game too much. (I have an edited version, though)

- Certain freight aircraft can have their nose open or ramps lower when loading/unloading.

yes, and they don't have passenger windows along the side IMHO

- And eventually two sets of liveries for everything - some already have this. A parameter would set whether you'd use company-color or original livery.

I'd say not a global paramerter, but a refit option.

[Aydan]

What exactly is the problem with the 747?

[krtaylor]

I'd suggest a 1,5 multiplyer for each speed gain step, so 2,5x on speed 4.

Agreed, you are right.

Those so-called 'realistic' prices in the USSet make it unplayable for me, they imbalance the game too much. (I have an edited version, though)

That may be the problem. I find that I like the pricing. It makes starting a game slightly more challenging, but once it's going, it's no problem. You just have to be more careful and pick the right loco. And I use freighttrains 5 setting.

[freight aircraft] don't have passenger windows along the side IMHO

Very true. Eventually it would be nice to have UPS, FedEx, DHL, Flying Tigers air cargo liveries as appropriate.

- And eventually two sets of liveries for everything - some already have this. A parameter would set whether you'd use company-color or original livery.

I'd say not a global paramerter, but a refit option.

I'd say both. I mean, you have a global parameter as the default, but you can refit it. Maybe someday you can refit the livery into different airlines. That way you could use the different airline liveries to easily tell which route the plane was on. Or something like that. That's far in the future though I think.

What exactly is the problem with the 747?

The hump looks wrong.

[Aydan]

I'm onto it. Might post first results tonight.

[Aydan]

Her you go.

I had to "fatten" the fuselage though or else it would have looked too slender

[Born Acorn]

Amazing! These are the best TTD graphics Ive ever seen!

EVER!

[Aydan]

WHy thank you very much. But I'm cheating though.
Drawing them by hand is way more challenging.

[SHADOW-XIII]

Aydan that's awesome so detailed ... I've never though it could be SO detailed

[DanMacK]

Looks awesome man! The colouring looks a bit odd though. The shape is spot on however, VERY Impressive! That'll look awesome landing at Zimmlock's new airport

[krtaylor]

Well. That is very interesting indeed. Comments:

1. For some reason, it doesn't really look like a TTD plane. That's not necessarily a criticism.

2. I think it's too small. I know a 747 is really quite large compared to the other planes, and we can't do that, but still it seems much too small. Can it be made maybe 3 pixels longer, and proportionately fatter?

3. It looks great in the diagonals, but in the horizontal views, the windows don't look right. I think they're in the wrong place, or too visible, or something.

4. It kind of looks like it's in Flying Tigers cargo livery. That, or the Braniff "Great Pumpkin."

5. You've done a 747-400, complete with winglets on the wingtips. The 747 we'd programmed into the game is the first-generation 747. It has a shorter hump, and no winglets.

[Born Acorn]

I think the first version is better, with no red, but he removed it.

(I have it saved, however)

[Aydan]

The colors can be changed how ever you want it, i just made it this way to be comparable with the ones in the planeset which have compnycolored roofs.
about the hump: i used the original 747-400 specs from boeing. I'll check if they have specs for the older ones too.
the body is already 50% wider and higher as it should be.

[Ro(V)eO]

hmm great job aydan but i see no engines...
i dont think that the old 747 was a non-engine-plane...
but anyway great plane!

[Aydan]

Here's one with engines. I made the windows a solid black line for now.
they have to be maually edited anyway, cuz they don't render too good (too small).
Made it slightly larger too.

[Prof. Frink]

sweeeeeeeeeeeet...

I know it would be a lot of work, but it would be really nice to redo the TTD-graphic based planes in this style

[krtaylor]

That looks like a Northwest 747. Nice!

I thin the windows as a solid line is good, but it shouldn't be black - a lighter grey would do better. Or you could do alternating pixels of light and dark grey.

I think it's still a 747-400 though.

[Aydan]

how much shorter is the hump on the original 747?

It's just two parameters in my file. No sweat

[krtaylor]

2/3 as long.

[Aydan]

Here you go: