NOTE: If you already have a previous version of NY Lakes installed, you only need to follow step 1 of the Simple Installation Instructions below. If you do NOT have NY Lakes installed, follow all steps.
Version History:
1.2 - 01/06/05 - Additions/Improvements:
- Added Delaware River from NY down to Philadelphia, including the scenic Delaware Water Gap.
- Added Whitney Point Reservoir (VFR reporting point for Binghamton Airport).
- Thanks to Brian Gladden's suggestions, added several causeways, breakwaters, and bridges to Lake Champlain.
- Added breakwaters to match real-world breakwaters along NY's Lake Ontario coast.
- Extended Mohawk River west to Oneida Lake and north to Hinkley Reservoir.
- Flattened Mohawk and Hudson River in step-down elevations, which greatly improves their appearances.
Corrections:
- Corrected Lake Champlain elevation (MS had it too low).
- Included Brian Gladden's airport modifications that move a few low-use airports out of Lake Champlain.
- Added missing landclass to islands in the northern part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, just northeast of the NY State/US Border.
- Flattened 6NK8, a private airstrip west of Syracuse, NY
- Flattened PA77, a private strip in north of Philly
- Removed the MS-default Tomhannock Reservoir, which was causing a double lake, east of Albany.
- Added back lakes of central New Hampshire. I had started a project of replacing those lakes, but did not complete it and failed to put back in the default lakes. Sorry about this mistake.
1.01 - 12/27/04 - Corrected a spike south of Blue Mountain Lake, Adirondacks
Pre-install notes:
1) This scenery enhancement is designed to work best with FSGenesis' "Appalachians and NE 38m" mesh. Other high-resolution terrain mesh should also showcase these lakes, too. FSGenesis' mesh is now freeware and can be downloaded from Avsim at:
Avsim File Library (filtered for FSGenesis mesh): http://makeashorterlink.com/?I25B12B1A
2) There are other freeware scenery enhancements available at freeware sim download sites that modify the same default lakes and coastlines as this one does. Two notable ones are Dan Baisley's "Long Island Coastlines" and Gilles Gauthier's Quebec Sceneries Enhancements. "
If you have either of these enhancements, please follow the Simple Installation Instructions first, and then see "Merging with Other Freeware" below for additional installation steps.
3) In the event that you purchase a payware US Lakes and Coastlines enhancement, uninstall this enhancement by following the directions below prior to installing that product. This will ensure you do not see double lakes and coastlines.
Simple Installation Instructions:
1) UNZIP: Unzip the included NYlakes.ZIP file directly into the FS2004 main folder using the "Use Folder Names" unzip option.
Note: The default main folder is c:\program files\games\microsoft\fs9\, but in your case this folder is whatever FS2004 folder contains your FS9.EXE file in the event you installed FS2004 somewhere other than the default location.
2) BACKUP: Open Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the following folder:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes\
then double-click on the batch file to run it: BKupBGLs.bat
This batch file backs up the MS original scenery files that were modified by the NY Lakes enhancement. If you do not feel comfortable running the BAT file, then manually move the files listed in the "Removal Instructions" below.
3) ADD SCENERY TO FS2004 SCENERY LIBRARY:
a. Start FS2004, then immediately go to the "Select a Flight" window, then choose the SETTINGS option on the bottom left of the "Select a Flight" window.
b. Choose the "Scenery Library..." button and then click the "Add Area" button on the right.
c. Double click on the "Addon Scenery" folder in the Explorer window that appears, then double click on the "NY Lakes" folder. Click OK to save your choice, then OK again to exit out of the Scenery Library window.
d. Now, EXIT out of the sim completely and re-launch it, which initiates the automatic Scenery Index feature of the sim. That should be it.
Recommended Airports to showcase enhancement:
1) Lake Placid (KLKP), Piseco (NY0) - Adirondack lakes
2) Maxson Field (89N) - 1000 Island region
3) Penn Yan (KPEO), Finger Lakes Regional (0G7) - Finger Lakes region
4) Niagara Falls International (KIAG) - Niagara Falls
Removal Instructions:
In the event you want to uninstall this enhancement, simply:
1) Use Windows Explorer to move the following files located in the backup directory:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\scenery\name\scenery\NYbackup
back down to this directory: {FS2004 Main Folder}\scenery\name\scenery
4) Finally, delete the following folder, which contains the new, NY Lakes scenery files:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes
Miscellaneous Comments:
First, a few thank-you's are in order: I want to send out a big thank-you to Jim Keir, the author of Slartibartfast and LWMViewer. These utilities are an incredible asset to the MS Flight Sim community. Jim's website is:
http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/
I'd also like to extend my appreciation to Brian Gladden for his extensive input on Lake Champlain as well as his airport fixes for default airports that ended up in the correctly positioned lake. Look for a very nice Burlington, VT, harbor enhancement from his soon.
Last but not least, I'd like to thank the beta testers for their time, namely Neil A., Jim M., Jim C, Bill G., Scott G., Dean, Paul L, and Ray L.
Secondly, if you have any comments, problems, or suggestions about this enhancement, please feel free to contact me at: pjricc@twcny.rr.com.
This enhancement has been tested by several users and me. It should install quickly and painlessly, with no ill effect on the sim. If you have followed the install instructions above, it will uninstall just as easily so I cannot be responsible for any real or perceived problems with the sim or your operating system.
And finally, this enhancement is FREEWARE and cannot be included in any payware products. The file can be uploaded to any freeware website that does NOT charge its members, but please drop me a quick email letting me know where it is going for my own curiosity.
All company and product names included in these instructions are copyrights of their respectable owners.
Known Issues when correcting water in FS2004:
When moving lakes, rivers, and coastlines to their correct locations, there will invariably be some default scenery casualties. Some low-use airports that were incorrectly placed, or some GMax objects such as power plants, buildings, and cranes, might end up partially or completely in the enhanced water.
With Brian Gladden's help, I have tried to correct as many airports as I found, but I do not know how to correct the misplaced Gmax objects yet. If I learn, I will certainly post an update. In the meantime, you will find a few cranes in the Delaware River near Philadelphia, a power plant in the Delaware River north of Philadelphia, and a power plant in Lake Ontario north of Oswego, NY. There may be others.
I sincerely hope that the aesthetic value of the accurately-placed lakes (which fit the USA Roads and American Data Roads products nicely) and the higher resolution shorelines far outweigh the occasional misplaced Gmax object. Please realize that I am still looking into how to fix these, though.
Merging with Other Freeware:
Quebec Sceneries Enhancements
1) Use Window Explorer and navigate to the following folder:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes\scenery\
and rename HP928150.bgl to HP928150.bak
2) Navigate to:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes\scenery\MergedFreeware\
And copy HP928150_Quebec.bgl to the scenery folder containing the Quebec Scenery Enhancements. That's all there is to that.
Long Island Coastlines:
1) Use Window Explorer and navigate to the following folder:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes\scenery\MergedFreeware\
Copy HP928170.bgl down to the folder just below, which should be:
{FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\NY Lakes\scenery\
Note that you will overwrite the file that is already there.
2) Now, navigate here:
(FS2004 Main Folder}\Addon Scenery\Long Island Coastlines\scenery\
In this folder will be: HP928170_edited.bgl
Rename it to: HP928170_edited.bgl.bak
3) Start FS2004, then immediately go to the "Select a Flight" window, then choose the SETTINGS option on the bottom left of the "Select a Flight" window.
4) Choose the "Scenery Library..." button.
5) Highlight the Long Island Coastline entry, then choose the "Move UP" button on the right. Move the entry ABOVE the NY Lakes Entry.
6) When you have the entry above the NY Lakes entry, save your changes, then exit out of the sim and restart.
