Concrete Squares In The Ocean

[Smokin256 0]

Running FS9 and UT USA. Flying along the south western coast of Florida there is a rectangular block of what looks like concrete in the ocean off of Tampa bay. I have looked at the .bgls with LWMViewer and tried to load them into SBuilder to see if I can fix it. But aside from the usual ABxxxx, FLxxxx ect .bgls I cant get any of them to load via the Append function. They always say they are not valid LWM or VTP files. Does any one know where the offending files are located or how to fix them? I assume the lod squares in question have an incorrect value somewhere. But I have no idea where to find them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!Cheers..............Smokin256

[arno 1]

Hi,Sounds to me like there maybe is something wrong with the landclass. As that is not VTP scenery, SBuilder can not append them as you found out. But you should be able to open them with the LWMViewer or else the TMFViewer from the SDK. That might allow you to figure out which files gives the trouble.

[Smokin256 0]

Thanks arno, Yeah using LWMViewer and TMFViewer I was able to determine with reasonable certainty that the offending file is LC925220.bgl in \scenery\UT USA\scenery. If I disable that file the problem goes away. Of course I loose a lot of the neat stuff from UT USA in that area. However I can't find a way to do anything with it. I tried creating a water class map and whatnot in SBuilder No joy. I tried using the 925220WC.bgl from FreeflowFlorida in a separate addon scenery entry just for that. Placed above UT USA in the scenery library. Assuming it was water class for that area. But that didn't help and in fact I can't open that file in LWMViewer so my guess is probably wrong and that's not what that file is at all.I wonder if I could disassemble the .bgl with BGL Analyze or something like that and make heads or tails out of the result? Will I just see unintelligible gobbledygook or is there a chance I can see something recognizable? I assume instead of texture number #036 Deep ocean (low plankton concentration) they have mistakenly entered #136 concrete. But that's just a wild @$$ guess.Oh well, I was hoping for a relatively simple way to fix this. I really wasn't looking to get a PHD in scenery design :) . Don't have the time.Cheers.................Todd

[arno 1]

Hi Todd,For editing existing landclass I also don't have a good idea on how to solve this. Maybe some of the terrain experts around here (like Holger) will jump in with some more advice.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Todd,If it is just a square of concrete or two in the ocean, then no need to bother taking the offending file apart. Simply make another land class file, a simple one where you place one of the land class water values such as 100 (note, a water value in the land class list, not a water class file) over the offending area. This should override the concrete.Best regards.Luis

[Smokin256 0]

Hi Luis. Thanks for the suggestion. It's actually four LOD13 squares. I tried it in SBuilder. I created a VTP poly around them. There is no #100 in the land class list and it won't let me add it manually so I tried a couple of the water values listed. I gave them an arbitrary layer number of 99. and they do show up but they're way darker even than the concrete. And the concrete still shows through. Is there another way that might work? But even if it did wouldn't it just make another mismatched square of color in the ocean?BTW I tried out BGLXML because the description said it decompiles all FS2004. bgls. But I get to the end of the help file and find it only works with 4 or 5 types. And LCxxxx is not among them. Crap!!!Cheers...............Smokin256

[scott967 62]

You can do a water mask fill using the "Fill" tool set to watermask, elevation 0.scott s..

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Todd,You are right, SBuilder does not allow for the selection of the water land class value, but you can do it in another program like EZ-Landclass or Landclass Assistant.The problem is definitely one of a, or rather a few, stray concrete land class values in what should be water. It happens elsewhere in the FS 9 world, I remember in particular some spots off Scotland or Ireland, or maybe both. Although this sounds as if the cause might be your add-on scenery package.This is due to the fact that the entire FS world is land, all of it. There is only water in FS 9 if a Hydro Polygon or an Area Fill is present, and they only occur directly surrounding land masses in order to delineate the coasts.Everywhere else, the ocean is really land, but with a "water" land class value. So, the solution is not to fill those concrete parts with Water Fills, but simply to create a land class that overrides the concrete and indicates a "water" value.If you are still unable to solve the problem, just please indicate the exact location of the concrete, with coordinates, and a screenshot will help, and certainly some kind member of this forum will make the land class file for you. Although I cannot imagine that you will be flying over that spot very often, so perhaps the best solution is to not worry about it.Best regards.Luis

[Smokin256 0]

Guys, thanks for the suggestions. Luis, yeah your right I'll just live with it. As you say I don't fly around there all that much anyway. I have a feeling that even if one were to patch in a water class value there it may not match the time of day, season and reflection effects of the surrounding water anyway?Cheers..................Smokin356