HiFSX user, I finally went back to FS9 for well known reasons. Resinstalled UT and a bunch of freeware sceneries. The problem is like 90% of them are incompatible with UT :(So maybe you could help me fix it. The scenery I'm trying to use doesnt contain any vector data, however it adds a ton of buildings based on FS9 defaut coastlines, the buildings are in water! This scenery does contain a very important landmark so I really want to keep it. Everything is stored in one bgl.So maybe there a few solutions-exclude UT scenry from this area and use FS9 default instead - HOW? I dled Sbuilder2005 and made an exlude poly (for vectors) but it wont save the bgl! If I make a landclass, it does make a bgl, but not exc poly. However I'm not even sure this can work if I succeded.-delete buildings from the scenery and only keep the landmark (a huge bridge). None of downloaded bgl decompilers worked (bglxml newbglxml etc etc).The landmark I'm trying to keep is the bridge of Normandy, close to Havre, wich is present in FSX but not in FS9.Any ideas?ThanksAlex

woot excbuilder + FS Connect totally did teh trick :(

Ok actually the exclude bgl erases literally everything including autogen buildings. Or nothing at all. There is no such option as "exclude addon buildings".So I'm still looking for solutions.

It sounds simplistic, but make smaller exclusions and make more than one for each area. You can get as precise as you want. Just keep the exclusion type, ie "All Objects" consistent throughout, as there was a bug in the FS9 setup where having two different exclusionary processes in the same file wouldn't give desired results all the time.

Guys there is a basic mis-understanding here of what an exclude can and cannot do.I am not a scenery "expert" but have worked with scenery and excludes for several years and offer the following thoughts:Excludes (a single one or multiple ones) can only exclude default objects such as trees and buildings etc..They cannot be used to selectively exclude objects which are a part of third party addon scenery enhancements.You can create an exclude, which if placed properly, will stop the display of all items in an addon scenery enchancement - but not individual items.There are two ways I can think of to "remove" unwanted items -1. IF the scenery bgl is xml based, it can be decompiled to an xml file and the item removed from the xml and then be recompiled.2. However many scenery bgls are NOT xml based and the only way you can work with these is to know exactly what design program was used and then have the author's source files.The chances are getting the source files are slim and none.As stated before, excludes will not remove items from such packages.I have UT but because so many really fine airport/scenery enhancements are not created for the UT enviornment, I do not use it.Occasionally an author will offer a package which has an enhancment for the default setting and another one for the UT setting. Those combo packages are rare however.In my opinion the OP is wasting time attempting to do with excludes that which cannot be done.

Thanks a lot for your time and the detailed answer.I'll stick to ut-compatible sceneries.

David, your thoughts on excludes is not consistent with either the concept or results. The SDK has no method to ascertain if an item is default or third-party. It's just a piece of code that says remove something if it's there. Case in point, on my minimal FS9 install I have Hawai'i and Bill Melichar's work installed. I happen to think FS9 Hawai'i look much better than FSX Hawai'i! As an example, I went to Lihue (PHLI) where a package of Bill's work is installed. I made a semi-precise exclude to take out two buildings, while leaving the rest untouched. The before and after picture illustrates the effect. What does have to happen is that the exclusionary BGL file must be in a scenery layer higher up in the Scenery Library to take effect. The exclusionary BGL cannot be in the same folder as the scenery that it is affecting, nor in a lower level in the Scenery Library.If precision exclusions were not possible, a lot of scenery design wouldn't be possible.

David, your thoughts on excludes is not consistent with either the concept or results. The SDK has no method to ascertain if an item is default or third-party. It's just a piece of code that says remove something if it's there. Case in point, on my minimal FS9 install I have Hawai'i and Bill Melichar's work installed. I happen to think FS9 Hawai'i look much better than FSX Hawai'i! As an example, I went to Lihue (PHLI) where a package of Bill's work is installed. I made a semi-precise exclude to take out two buildings, while leaving the rest untouched. The before and after picture illustrates the effect. What does have to happen is that the exclusionary BGL file must be in a scenery layer higher up in the Scenery Library to take effect. The exclusionary BGL cannot be in the same folder as the scenery that it is affecting, nor in a lower level in the Scenery Library.If precision exclusions were not possible, a lot of scenery design wouldn't be possible.

Thanks for the input - As I said in my post, I am certainly no "expert" - but your suggestion are contrary to much of what I have read and have been told by other "experts" regarding the ability to exclude objects in third party enhancements.I shall be the first to admit I was wrong if your suggestions work - and I really hope they do as this will open some interesting new design possibilities. I'm off to do some testing !!

In order to avoid confusion for beginners, and to clear up any misunderstandings, any object or scenery element, whether default or not, can be excluded. As mentioned, it is just a question of priorities and layering. And it is also possible to place an exclusion bgl in the same directory as the bgl containing scenery to be excluded - simply name the bgls in a way that the exclusion is read after the other files (i.e. start the name with zzz).In the same way, in order to avoid excluding one's own work when placing an exclusion bgl in the same directory, name the exclusion bgl in such a way that it is read first before the other files(i.e. start the name with aaa or 0).Best regards.Luis

In order to avoid confusion for beginners, and to clear up any misunderstandings, any object or scenery element, whether default or not, can be excluded. As mentioned, it is just a question of priorities and layering. And it is also possible to place an exclusion bgl in the same directory as the bgl containing scenery to be excluded - simply name the bgls in a way that the exclusion is read after the other files (i.e. start the name with zzz).In the same way, in order to avoid excluding one's own work when placing an exclusion bgl in the same directory, name the exclusion bgl in such a way that it is read first before the other files(i.e. start the name with aaa or 0).Best regards.Luis

So if I read your post correctly, it is not possible to "exclude" a third party object AND then replace it with one of your own liking. Is that basically correct?If so, it would make more sense (when possible) to remove the object (assuming it is XML based) and then add whatever you wish in it's place.Your thoughts?