Hobbies - Other Interests

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

Flight sim, schlight schim, this is just good ol' video gaming to me lol.

There are many that would differ in opinion. It never bothered me when folks called it a video game, but those more serious 'simmers' didn't see it that way. I remember when Microsoft mused about turnng the Flight Simulator franchise into a console game. It created quite a stir in the community. I believe the plan was to remove most of realism, improve the graphics, making it more accessible to the general public, sell more copies as the platform was not a money maker for FS. Since the game was released, it had an open platform and MS shared code so that 3rd party developers could make complex addons. One brilliant aircraft I bought and flew regularly was a 767 that modeled every system on the aircraft and had an extremely steep learning curve. It came with what was essentially the actual flight manual for the real aircraft, complete with all procedures and checklists from dark cockpit,all gate to gate operations, including and fuel/weight/cargo/passenger calculators. The flight modeling alone was a major programming endeavour.

There were other very complex addons such as weather generators that took years of development and worked on complex algorithms. I regard the MSFS platform as a base engine. It was the 3rd party development that really added the complexity and realism.

MSFS is used by real pilots (recreational and commercial) and flight schools, large and small. One of the guys that provided me with pics for my Calgary scenery is a WestJet captain and he uses it to keep current on instrument flying between flights.

A couple of my buddies that used MSFS were given two hours at a Flight Safety center in a real Boeing simulator and they successfully completed all phases of flight. Apparently the simulator operators were quite impressed and even threw in a few mechanical failures that the guys handled without incident.

I think most copies of MSFS sold ended up on shelves collecting dust as long-term engagement in the program required a significant investment in learning.

So is it a flight 'simulator'? Yes, Is it a video game? Also, Yes. LOL.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by toad

I just got back into 1/24 scale models after my wife suggested I needed a hobby. I already had a couple Tamiya kits so it wasn't that expensive to get going! I'm not the most skilled(yet), but it's just something to do in the cold winter months on my days off.

This is my first one- a Castrol Tom's Supra GT. Obviously, I've still got a little ways to go. I've got a Nissan 300zx still in the box for when this one's finished. I use Tamiya spray lacquer and primer for the shells and their liquid acrylics for the detail work.

Nice! Any chance of posting some finished models? Is the spray lacquer applied with an air brush, or small spray cans? Sorry, I'm not really knowledgeable about this.

[SirDigby]

i have recently built some sweet computers. custom cases and custom water loops are very fun. lot's of fun! let me know if i can do something for you!

mobile unit:








desktop unit:


this started a solid piece of metal:

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by SirDigby

i have recently built some sweet computers. custom cases and custom water loops are very fun. lot's of fun! let me know if i can do something for you!

Man, if I was still into gaming, I'd get you to build me a serious machine! I built a couple machines in my time, but nothing like those.

How about some specs on those machines?

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by toad

I just got back into 1/24 scale models after my wife suggested I needed a hobby. I already had a couple Tamiya kits so it wasn't that expensive to get going! I'm not the most skilled(yet), but it's just something to do in the cold winter months on my days off.

This is my first one- a Castrol Tom's Supra GT. Obviously, I've still got a little ways to go. I've got a Nissan 300zx still in the box for when this one's finished. I use Tamiya spray lacquer and primer for the shells and their liquid acrylics for the detail work.

Awesome

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

There are many that would differ in opinion. It never bothered me when folks called it a video game, but those more serious 'simmers' didn't see it that way. I remember when Microsoft mused about turnng the Flight Simulator franchise into a console game. It created quite a stir in the community. I believe the plan was to remove most of realism, improve the graphics, making it more accessible to the general public, sell more copies as the platform was not a money maker for FS. Since the game was released, it had an open platform and MS shared code so that 3rd party developers could make complex addons. One brilliant aircraft I bought and flew regularly was a 767 that modeled every system on the aircraft and had an extremely steep learning curve. It came with what was essentially the actual flight manual for the real aircraft, complete with all procedures and checklists from dark cockpit,all gate to gate operations, including and fuel/weight/cargo/passenger calculators. The flight modeling alone was a major programming endeavour.

There were other very complex addons such as weather generators that took years of development and worked on complex algorithms. I regard the MSFS platform as a base engine. It was the 3rd party development that really added the complexity and realism.

MSFS is used by real pilots (recreational and commercial) and flight schools, large and small. One of the guys that provided me with pics for my Calgary scenery is a WestJet captain and he uses it to keep current on instrument flying between flights.

A couple of my buddies that used MSFS were given two hours at a Flight Safety center in a real Boeing simulator and they successfully completed all phases of flight. Apparently the simulator operators were quite impressed and even threw in a few mechanical failures that the guys handled without incident.

I think most copies of MSFS sold ended up on shelves collecting dust as long-term engagement in the program required a significant investment in learning.

So is it a flight 'simulator'? Yes, Is it a video game? Also, Yes. LOL.

You're right. Even within traditional video games, there is a difference between something like Forza Motorsports 7, that is more sim, and Forza Horizon 4, which is more arcade. I just like to break balls

Originally Posted by SirDigby

i have recently built some sweet computers. custom cases and custom water loops are very fun. lot's of fun! let me know if i can do something for you!

Super cool

[SirDigby]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

How about some specs on those machines?

the desktop is old, i built it when fallout 4 came out. (hence all the nuclear)
4790k, ROG Hero Maximus VII, EK CPU WB (overclocked 7%)
32GB Mushkin DDR3
(recently upgraded) EVGA FTW2 1070Ti GPU
samsung 850EVO SSD's
Noctura fans
Corsair 860AX power supply
all Bits Power fittings for water.

Portable:
8700k, ROG Strix X370-I, Artic Liquid Freezer 120 AIO (overclocked 37%)
16GB Crucial Ballistix DDR4
Gigabyte 1060 OC 6GB
2x Samsung NVMe M.2 SSD's
Crucial SSD
Corsiar ML120 fan
Corsair CX650M power supply

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

You're right. Even within traditional video games, there is a difference between something like Forza Motorsports 7, that is more sim, and Forza Horizon 4, which is more arcade. I just like to break balls

Yeah, my son has, I believe, FH4. Amazing graphics, fun to play. Arcade games never really sustained my interest. The flightsim series did keep me engaged, largely due to the varied addons.

Another one I like, though haven't played lately, is Euro Truck Simulator. In fact I bought a gaming machine specifically for it. My son loves it too and he gets to see the European landscapes - geography lesson included.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by SirDigby

the desktop is old, i built it when fallout 4 came out. (hence all the nuclear)
4790k, ROG Hero Maximus VII, EK CPU WB (overclocked 7%)
32GB Mushkin DDR3
(recently upgraded) EVGA FTW2 1070Ti GPU
samsung 850EVO SSD's
Noctura fans
Corsair 860AX power supply
all Bits Power fittings for water.

Portable:
8700k, ROG Strix X370-I, Artic Liquid Freezer 120 AIO (overclocked 37%)
16GB Crucial Ballistix DDR4
Gigabyte 1060 OC 6GB
2x Samsung NVMe M.2 SSD's
Crucial SSD
Corsiar ML120 fan
Corsair CX650M power supply

Those sound like pretty awesome rigs! My current gamer (a few years old) runs the 4790k as well, no overclocking. One variant of the chip is not overclockable, maybe the basic 4790? A pretty powerful cpu for $$. The card in that machine isn't bad for basic gaming. I think it's a 4G GTX 750TI.

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Yeah, my son has, I believe, FH4. Amazing graphics, fun to play. Arcade games never really sustained my interest. The flightsim series did keep me engaged, largely due to the varied addons.

Another one I like, though haven't played lately, is Euro Truck Simulator. In fact I bought a gaming machine specifically for it. My son loves it too and he gets to see the European landscapes - geography lesson included.

Win-win!

[SirDigby]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Those sound like pretty awesome rigs! My current gamer (a few years old) runs the 4790k as well, no overclocking. One variant of the chip is not overclockable, maybe the basic 4790? A pretty powerful cpu for $$. The card in that machine isn't bad for basic gaming. I think it's a 4G GTX 750TI.

nice. your machine will still outperform any ps4/xbox without issues. the "k" is the overclock-able on chip sets. i don't do any "tweaking" for the overclocking. the ROG MB comes with optimizing software. i run the computer for about 2 hours, then i ran the software and let it optimize all the settings. i didn't believe the portable at 37% and ran it 3 different times. 37% every time! sweet!

you will probably want to get a new video card in a year or two. i'd let them get in a generation or 2 on this new RTX before i'd buy one. IMO.
the GTX one's are pretty well priced now. i got the 1060 OC 6GB for like $200.

[toad]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Nice! Any chance of posting some finished models? Is the spray lacquer applied with an air brush, or small spray cans? Sorry, I'm not really knowledgeable about this.

Sorry it took a while, but here's an 'almost-finished' pic. It's my first one in quite some time so I still need to perfect my skills. I like to use the small spray cans on the shells(this one is still in it's primer coat). The sprays are pretty nasty to use indoors and since it was -11F outside I'm just going to wait until spring for the final coats.

I'm actually kind of digging the unfinished 'street-racer' look! I installed some front/rear LEDs and left out the windows to get the battery wires through(plus I smoked the lenses too much-rookie mistake- and couldn't see all the work I did on the interior). Started painting the smaller bits of a 300zx yesterday and will post pics when I have more to show. Thanks for the compliments!

[06YarisRS]

Simply stunning! Really looking forward to the finished product. Bravo! The detail and care in assembly is truly impressive. Such a far cry from the cars and WW2 fighters and bombers I assembled as a kid.

[justanotherdrunk]

yea nice model

[Leegamer]

Originally Posted by kamui

Lately I am fond of playing online games

What do you play? I recently got a new laptop and have been playing some classic Lucas Arts and Sierra games from my childhood on steam.

[Neinris]

I fly electric airplanes, I learned from a 1400mm wing span Cessna, which I still have and in one piece, and a 70mm twin EDF A-10 Warthog.

I'm also into Monster trucks, I have a shelf queen Juggernaut, and a Clod Buster that I still bash around. I also have two Tamiya TLT-1s. I modified one to up the scale from 1:16 to 1:12.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Started 1/24 scale models some months back. Here are some pics of a couple I finished.

R33 GTR

[Kaotic Lazagna]

R34 GTR

[Pinchlite]

Heavily addicting hobby.

Need to know how to solder small electronics..basic electrical skills.

You buy parts seperate..flight controller,esc's.video transmitters,radio transmitters etc.

Example,small flight controller boards are 20x20mm.

Most common are 30x30mm for 4 to 6 '' quadcopters,

You can fly with or without FPV goggles.
The gogs puts you in the cockpit.

Pic of my setup...5'' and 6'' quads aswell as larger cinematic build..

Those are 12'' carbon props on the large one btw.

https://i.imgur.com/08kxk0s.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IbjU6tK.jpg

Dont let the size fool you...extremly fast..powerful...and could be extremly dangerous.

Vids of line of sight flying...Not me btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUTD...KcjWcw&index=3

Slower freestyling..from the master mr steele..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAn2weuytUA

Lots of fun and highly addictive.