utility

FlightSimTools has released Instant Object Maker, a utility that makes it easy to create 3D objects to put in Flight Simulator:

Instant Object Maker allows creating realistic looking objects using photographs or any other images. Simply outline individual polygons composing the object on one or more photographs and put them together to form a 3D object. Instant Object Maker automatically generates scenery and texture files. The perspective correction function allows using photographs taken at an angle. You can also paint your own images and construct 3D objects that use them as textures.

It takes just a few minutes to make simple objects like cars, trees and simple houses. And flat billboards and signs take less than one minute. With Instant Object Maker, everyone can add houses, hangars, vehicles and other objects that look exactly like their real counterparts, instead of relying on generic library objects. You can finally add your house to the scenery that looks exactly like your house!

Instant Object Maker is very easy to learn and use. In more complicated 3D modeling tools, you first have to create an abstract-looking 3D model of your object, then make textures with an image editor and then apply the textures to the model to give it a realistic look. With Instant Object Maker, you cut individual parts of your object directly out of photographs, so that they are already textured. This makes it very easy to arrange individual parts to form the object. You don’t have to use any image editors, because Instant Object Maker will automatically extract individual texture fragments out of your photographs, convert them according to your settings, calculate the optimum FS texture layout and produce the corresponding textures. And if you need to retouch anything, you can simply edit the original photograph and have the program rebuild the object.

FS Commercial have released a freeware version of FS Web Communicator Flight Simulator 2004.

After successful release of FS Web Communicator for Flight Simulator X, we are going forward by release freeware version for Flight Simulator 2004.

Larry Mudge has posted an extremely detailed review of It’s Your Plane - the voice control system for Flight Simulator X and Flight Simulator 9.

Larry was a beta tester of the product and therefore probably knows as much about it as anyone and this is reflected in the review.

It’s Your Plane puts a virtual co-pilot in the cockpit with you, a highly skilled assistant who can actually handle the entire flight for you (handy for beginners) or can just do whatever tasks you request. While it does not work with every plane, it works with plenty of them, and can be used as a learning tool or a cockpit resource.

ScruffyDuck Software has released version 1.25 of their Airport Design Editor for Flight Simulator X.

As well as including a number of bug fixes, it has the following enhancements:

New

• Cross wind runways. Partially automates the process of creating them
• Drag/drop sorting of runways in runway list. Allows re-ordering of runways in the bgl file
• Sloping polygons. User can edit individual vertex points for flattens. Vertex altitude can be set to FSX ground altitude.
• New airport background polygon altitude now defaults to airport reference altitude
• Change Airport Altitude. ADE generates pre-load bgl and places it correctly. Also adjusts all airport element altitudes to new altitude
• Taxi sign wizard helps visual design of signs
• Taxi sign tooltip shows visual of sign. Taxi sign list shows visual of sign
• Library object tooltip now shows a thumbnail of the object if available. Scenery object list shows a thumbnail of the object if available

Changed

• Tidied up terrain Polygon dialog
• Listing or adding elements will turn on the appropriate view option where the element is hidden
• There is now a scenery object list that contains generic buildings, library objects, fuel triggers and windsocks