[REL] SCAG Boeing 777 Project

pilotdaryl · February 15, 2009, 10:45:45 AM

PLT: Soon, you'll find out

art128: Thanks! They've been improved recently, so I hope you get more interested when I show you a few new pictures...

feliwi: Release is still expected sometime in the spring. There is already a list of all current liveries on the first page, with links to pictures of them (some recent, some not). Anyways, thanks, and stay tuned, I hope to get things sorted out soon.

Well, with me now at risk of losing my job, work has been put to something of an indefinite halt. I've been filling some insurance-related paperwork lately that could help me in the event that I do lose my job due to recent economic downturns and other personal reasons. So, well... hang in there, I may have a few good updates planned during the course of the next few weeks, and hopefully I can go back to my regular schedules and resume preliminary work on the 777.

ShadeSlayer · February 15, 2009, 08:12:10 PM

Pilot: Canada isn't actually in a recession right now.

Sciurus · February 16, 2009, 06:20:26 AM

Beautiful planes!

simsmart · February 16, 2009, 02:24:14 PM

That just means that you would have even more time for SC4!

RustyXL · February 17, 2009, 04:35:15 PM

Sorry about your job, I look forward to seeing the next update whenever it's ready.

pilotdaryl · March 05, 2009, 04:03:31 PM

With my tight schedule wrapping up and no updates for... over a month now, I think it's time for an update. This will be the final nightlighting configuration for the 777 - it may still vary by plane though:

CLICK FOR FULL SIZE 1527x920
I've also spent a bit of extra time working on the dark tail surface of my Aeroflot and getting nightlighting to work on it - I've finally got a working configuration on it [aircraft designers, feel free to PM me about this]. Overall, everything works with the 777 - final rendering is in progress for all planes and I'm shooting for a post-Easter release.

ShadeSlayer: I realize that... however, the way jobs have been handled lately, you could consider it a recession even for Canada.
Sciurus: Thanks!
simsmart: No. That means I would have to spend so much more time looking for a job or I'd have to sell my computer just to get some money
RustyXL: Looks like my company's economy is actually getting better; nobody's jobs got lost.

RustyXL · March 05, 2009, 08:24:01 PM

It's looking pretty good. Do you have any in-game shots?

feliwi · April 09, 2009, 11:03:33 AM

One month has passed! How far is the progress? I hope to see more soon!

PLT · May 07, 2009, 09:48:53 AM

Two months have passed since the last update, and pilotdaryl hasn't been active since...
Does anyone of you know where he is, and when this great project is continuing?

Pat

Sciurus · May 08, 2009, 05:27:31 AM

Oh, it's wonderful, it'll be in my future airport I think

Guillaume

allan_kuan1992 · May 09, 2009, 12:59:53 AM

Well... we shouldn't be knocking old threads alive...

I have that worry that the recession came knocking... and that is causing the bulk of the trouble. That is just speculation but from the info I can gather from old posts it might hold some truth into his absence.

- Allan Kuan

pilotdaryl · June 04, 2009, 04:31:38 PM

This project is not over yet.
Although I have no pictures to show you, let me explain on what has been happening lately and what is to come:
I've lately been developing an all-new custom LOD for the 777 that will allow for much faster rendering times and battle other rendering problems, and the nightlights have been declared finalized and completed. I've also been thinking of rendering the 777s with the new HD rendering technology to allow some of the finer details to be more clearly visible at zoom 6 - however, this could quadruple 777 rendering time. I hope to have a prop pack containing all 777 model/desc files released later this month or next month if need be.

Edit: A new image showing HD qualities:

Click to enlarge - 1280x720
As you can see, zoom 6 quality is excellent esp. when compared to a standard definition render. Unfortunately, this does mean that render times can be doubled due to intensive required processing power. However, I am arranging BAT on my laptop and may have a few good friends or teammates help, which will certainly speed up the process.

joelyboy911 · June 04, 2009, 09:58:55 PM

Amazing. I Can't wait to see this project completed and these lovely birds sitting at my airport.

Around-about how long is your render taking, exactly? I will gladly render some of them for you, As many as you like, but perhaps in return you will help me to create night-lighting to have on my ATRs. I will only need teaching once, but I started that project prior to joining SCAG and Voltaire suggested that since you are our team leader, I should be seeking your advice on the matter instead of his - I enquired about it before your return to activity the other day.

pilotdaryl · June 04, 2009, 10:12:16 PM

joelyboy911: Rendering in HD takes an unfortunate 70 minutes on my machine - up from the 22 minutes when rendered in standard definition. Some extra rendering power would sure be nice, once I can prepare the planes and textures for sending.

I can also create a similar lighting rig for the ATRs that I use for the 777.

joelyboy911 · June 04, 2009, 10:18:02 PM

70 minutes: that's an Age, I don't know how long my machine would need (its not top of the range or anything, but it is new) but there are plenty of times when I could, for instance set it going and leave it unattended whilst I sleep or go to school, or cycling training etc, etc.

Re, Lighting, Would it be more beneficial if you taught me how to do it myself? Of course I would be grateful if you did it, all the same, but I have other planned projects which would benefit from me knowing how to do it as well. (More regional planes, I have in mind Saab 340/2000 and some Embraer planes, not E-Jets, as I understand they are in your domain).

RustyXL · June 04, 2009, 10:24:13 PM

The HD does look good at zoom 6 but I'm not really a big fan of it because it makes zoom 5 look worse and I don't really need to look closer than that. I personally wouldn't use HD unless there was a way to make it into an actual zoom level instead of just magnifying zoom 5 but that's just me.

cameron1991 · June 04, 2009, 10:32:45 PM

Quote from: RustyXL on June 04, 2009, 10:24:13 PM
The HD does look good at zoom 6 but I'm not really a big fan of it because it makes zoom 5 look worse and I don't really need to look closer than that. I personally wouldn't use HD unless there was a way to make it into an actual zoom level instead of just magnifying zoom 5 but that's just me.

Perhaps Pilot could make the HD props only show at zoom 6 and the SD props show at all other zoom levels, this way there wouldn't be any loss in quality at lower zoom levels.

Anyway, all I can say is WOW! Man that plane looks good!

ShadeSlayer · June 04, 2009, 10:57:30 PM

Well, if pilot has a Pentium 4 processor and it's taking him 70 minutes.. I have a 3.0ghz Quad Core processor + 4gb RAM.

I estimate about 5 minutes or so.

I'll help render for sure.

allan_kuan1992 · June 04, 2009, 11:35:10 PM

I have Quad Q8200, 4GB memory, dedicated ATI graphics card.

The computer runs a little sluggish at times when playing SC4 though... that might be due to the fact that it was manufactured by a computer maker.
(I should have bought components to build one myself >.<)

I'm glad that you're still working on this =) the HD render is eye-catching =O

- Allan Kuan

joelyboy911 · June 05, 2009, 12:11:21 AM

Hmmm... My machine is only 2.1ghz Intel processor with 3gb RAM. It renders way, way faster than my old computer though, It had 1.8ghz and 2gb RAM. It used to take forever, then stall at 13% every time. I got it, just once, to render a house I made from a tutorial when learning the tool, and it took an hour. I was pleasantly surprised at this new one, I thought it was amazing!

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[REL] SCAG Boeing 777 Project

simsmart