*.xml, *.mdl & *.jpeg Files Inside Fs2004 Scenery & Texture File Folders

[Guest RichardGilbertSharpe]

Hello All:I am installing most of Ed DesRoches & Brent Robillard's Canadian airport Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 sceneries presently. I am using them just as an example for this query. What are these oddly placed *.MDL, *.XML and *.JPEG files scattered randomly throughout the scenery and texture file folders within these and numerous sceneries created by other authors? I have listed six of them below just so you know what I mean:BEIGE_HANGER.MDLBLUE_ROOF.MDLCARP_OFFICE.MDLOPEN_L_STEEL_HANGER.MDLRED_ROOF.MDLSML_HANGER.MDLSome authors' scenery and texture files within their scenery and texture file folders have corresponding *.XML document files of the same name in there too. They are scattered throughout nearly all of these authors' Canadian airport sceneries within either or both of the scenery and texture file folders. I am not a Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft or scenery designer, but I have a feeling that they are the ''leftovers'', so to speak, from when the authors created each scenery, and were just probably left there by accident before uploading to either Aviation Simulation (AVSIM) Online or Nels Anderson's FlightSim.com. Are these important simply for the scenery to function and be seen within FS2004, or can I delete all of the *.MDL and *.XML document files present if I have no intention of ever modifying the scenery myself? I have a hunch that the usual *.BGL scenery files are the only files that are necessary in any FS2004 scenery folders and that the usual *.BMP texture files are the only files that are necessary in any FS2004 texture folders just for it to function correctly within FS2004. Am I correct in assuming this? Also, occasionally I'll find *.JPEG files within some authors' texture folders alongside the usual *.BMP texture files. Are these just misplaced screenshots or are they placed in there purposely for the scenery to function correctly in FS2004? Please let me know on all three file types: *.MDL, *.BMP and *.JPEG. Thank you very much. Sincerely,Richard Sharpe

[arno 1]

Hi Richard,You are right, these are left-overs from the design process and can be removed. FS2004 does not actually use them to display the scenery.JPG images can not be read as textures, only the BMP variant that you also found. And the XML and MDL files together are used to create the BGL files by the scenery designer. The MDL files are the actual objects and the XML files contain information like where to place it. But FS2004 only uses the BGL file that is produced from them.