FMS - Is this as good as it gets?

[Bill Badger]

I have just bought an Esky FMS product on good old Ebay. I didn't pay a lot for it, so I'm not particularly expecting wonders, but the quality of the FMS landscapes seems to be disappointing, and it doesn't give any 'feel' to how far off the ground the model is. Maybe I've been spoiled - my brother is very much into aeromedelling and he bought a Phoenix RC for use with his RC transmitter - I had a go with it over Christmas and couldn't believe how good the scenery effects were, so I suppose I was sort of expecting something along the same line. I'm not moaning, but just wondering if this basic Esky is simply loaded with very basic images. Having said that, the landscapes available on the internet seem to be similar, and nowhere near as good as the Phoenix kit (which admittedly costs about £80 and uses the RC transmitter).

The unit purchased is marked Esky 0905A, and the box label states TWF Hobby EK2-0905A. The software that came with it is Alpha2 version 8.3

Am I just expecting too much? I can't even see the landing area once in the air, and the planes all seem to fly too fast!

Your comments, and preferably assistance or advice will be welcome.

[aeropal]

You "bought" the controller . . FMS is freeware, which happened to be included. Admit it . . you are a cheap bastard and got what your paid for.

[Bill Badger]

...... and we can all see your level of life by your reply. Thanks a lot.

I know the software is free. That isn't an issue. What I don't have at present is a suitable RC transmitter, so my venture into this is to test the water to see if I'm interested enough. The cost or not of the free software is immaterial if the quality is not very good.

Unnecessary comments like yours we can all do without.

[lilsinker]

[cire]

[Bill Badger]

[ronin]

[TomXP411]

[smcxx66]

Check your PM BILL..
obviousely you're going ask me..how in the heck you're going
to make those sceneries...and with what ???lol
This way...you can make your own.

It's all free lol...you just gatta know what's up.
I have panos up the waazoo..
Heck I'll load the one phoenix use for their vedio demo if you want.
It's just one of Reflex's aero club

The slow vedio screen capture and compressed vedio files (256 color)dosen't do it justice..but it runs at 40 frames per second. without the capture.

These I made from panorama I found on the net that's not
strickly to R/C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDANpgZRjCU

I converted these from aerofly's pano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLti1cNl1O8

A mixture of my first vedio, just to show FMS is capiable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h7eBfixQXw

Obviousely..i have the FIX camera OFF for reasons...
So the models dosen't stay FIXED to the center of the screen.

Think of FMS and the rest of the RC Sims as a kick butt Virtaul Tour engine..directX..lol Quicktime use skybox format just like I do.
If you go to kinfedge's site, you'll notice some of the downloads
are the same pano you get from the Reflex's section of rc-sim.

You can also get more pano from aeromodelisme.org

If you get tired of corn fields...go to Flickr.com and search under
360x180 or equirectangular...the last I check there's over 5000
uploaded on Flicker.

Turn the FOG OFF when in panarama mode.
Zoom OUT accordingly if those pixel are too close to you,
then reposition the model and/or adjust the (pilot) camera's height accordingly in the .scn file.
Turn OFF TRUE ALPHA (shadow) when in panorama mode.

It looks pretty good to me.. I also have it set up for slops or gliders.
The ito_3 is a great flyer. It reminds me of an ACE 4-40.
The first pano was taking on top of a hill...perfect.

Some of the Flickr's pano

[ronin]

o.k. you dirty rat! how dare you tease with these beautiful panos and then don't share

o.k. fine, what if we all say please

[smcxx66]

Okay here... a link to some panoramas for Reflex that's not in RC-SIM.
more..more..more.
Download those zip and drag&drop those pano. jpg images into a new folder. You have to ADD 1000 pixel back to the bottom of Reflex's pano
becuase they been crop off.
(Don't worry you can't see it and you can always map in a happy face
or a concrete slab for the pilot to stand on.)

Then check your PM...I'll hook you up.

http://www.winduponwater.com/XTR/

Cool Skybox already made by the original aurther.
They're sweet !!!!!
http://www.szenerien.de/HELI-X-Szenerien/

[ronin]

thank you very much

[Repoezessed]

"and the planes all seem to fly too fast!"

actually, your brain just works too slow. I can fly the 350mph SR-71 just fine.

[Electric]

Hi all,

Really enjoying FMS, what a lovely little program!

Couldn't help but notice the backgrounds posted, they look great, not sure what is mean't by panos?

Are they easy too install?

Would be grateful of any advice or help please.

Tric

[smcxx66]

Pano is short for Panorama images.

There are several types of panoramas.
Panorama use in FMS and other r/c sims are 360x180 or equrectangular.

There are several ways panorama can be map onto
an object..sphere, cube, cylinder...etc.

It's the same technology as any virtal tour cam you see on veriouse
website. Direct 9 is gereanally what's need to run most virtaul cam.

FMS can use a skybox (cube) formate to generate photolistic
sceneries...same as realflight, phoenix, Clearview, Preflight, Clearview
Heli-x.

Google under skybox texture...you'll get a general idea
how video game worlds are designed.

anyway, if you look in the landscape section of the forum.
I linked serveral sceneries you can download in
the photolistic sceneries download thread.

the toyosu..all you need to do is convert the .jpg into .bmp files.

The rest are ready to go.

And several more ways to retieve premade skybox images.

There's no need to import the sceneries into FMS.

Just drag the folder out of the zip file into a folder on your desktop.
As long as the folders are not zip FMS can read it.

When in FMS..just click on landscape as you would..
Click on the little arrow pionter...this will bring up a path tree.
Then find your folder according.

If you want more send me a PM. I'll hook you up with
a skybox convertor. and might need to go into a lttle
more details.

All of the pano in this thread I posted are equirectangular
I retrieved from FLICKR.com
Flickr is a FREE photo sharing site.

here's a nice panorama you can use for FMS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexispz/2 ... ectangular

Serach under equirectangular, then click on equirectangular pool.

A simple example of an equirectangular is the flat map of the earth.
Notice how the north and south pole region had been strecthed.