Gents, I posted this under FSX Utilities but it is for both FS9 and FSX. In fact, I use it with FS9 the most. I think the screen shots should give you a pretty good idea of what the app does.The syntax reports I've included (in this release) are the ones that I use the most but if you can think of others that could make working with our scenery files eaiser, then please feel free to suggest them. The app is modular so as long as I get the time, they're not that difficult to produce.Also, the app is a bit light on the documentation side as I assume it will be easy to use once you get comfortable with it. But if you think it would be a benefit to have an extensive manual on how to use the app (and more importantly) the operation of a scenery file then please sing out.Comments and suggestions are welcome as long as they don't have to do with taking long walks off rather short piers :)Mark

Edited February 19, 201214 yr by Swoop

Thanks for making this program although I am not really to sure what it does besides show dulipcate scenery ? Could you or somebody clear this up?Thanks :( I am a fs9 user.

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by acmech

Sure, it's a small utility which renumbers, reformats, runs a syntax check, and reports if there are any errors in your scenery file. It's target audience is users who add scenery by hand and people who are experiencing errors in their scenery file.That's why it uses an external text editor and not a GUI for it's editor. I have found it easier and faster to add scenery and fix errors that way but that might only be me. Keep in mind, this is just the first iteration of many to come and I have no idea what everyone's going to want or need.So I need feedback from end users (such as yourself) to improve the interface and make it meaningful for varying degrees of users. In that way I can customize it for us simmers...and I'm willing to. The only thing that has to happen is to put our heads together and figure out what we want :)MarkEdit: One more thing that it does is it makes automatic backups of your scenery file while you're working on it...

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by Swoop

I'm going to add a bit more to my previous post...lets see if this makes it any clearer...Copy the master file to your working folder (The master file being your live/production scenery.cfg file)Edit the working file adding scenery, changing priorities, settings, fixing errors...whatever you want to do with itClose the working file and renumber it running a syntax check at the same time (or just run a syntax check)Check the summary and see if you got any errors (highlighted in red)No errors then copy the working file to the master folder and run flight simulator with your new scenery installedIf there were errors then open the detailed error reportsCheck the error and get the line number from the grid (The line is the line number or the error in the file)Bottom left corner of the report and choose open fileGo to the line in the opened scenery file and fix the errorClose the scenery file and renumber it while running a syntax check (or just run a syntax check)Repeat until the scenery file is cleanCopy the working file to the master folder and take a flight with your new scenery installedNotes...A backup copy of the file is made before you renumber, copy, or restore. So if you mess something up, head to the history archive and restore the original scenery file before it was messed upArchive folders hold up to 200 scenery files per archive (Four Archives 800 files total)Archive files revolve, first in first out and are time stampedOldest file is deleted from an archive when an archive reaches its configured limit of filesHope that helps!Mark

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by Swoop

Hi MarkWalking off a short pier can actually be fun, as long as it's a hot day, there's enough depth of water that you won't hit something hard and you're able to swim to a nearby ladder and do it over again! LOL (Absence of Great White sharks will add to the enjoyment factor as well)What might help people like me (i.e. geek-speak illiterate) understand what the app does, would be to add some screen shots of the "before and after" kind. Show us a deliberately created scenery conflict as the "before" then a similar series as the above with an "after" report. Something visual can be a lot more convincing some times than mere words. (As a university professor, it saddens me to say that but it's true) What you've done above is spot on in terms of being "visual" but it doesn't help someone like me see what the app actually accomplishes. If I could see the results in a way I can comprehend, with a clear visual of the problem and the eventual solution, that would help a lot.I hope this makes senseIan

It does Ian...I'll put something together when I get home from work tonight. It's 7am here in Sydney and I gotta go fight the good fight. I'm just glad to know that people are interested.Hey, try it out. Put some deliberate errors in your working file and see if the syntax check finds them :)Either way, thanks for the help!Mark

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by Swoop

Let's see if this makes it any clearer. The idea is that you have both a production and development region for a scenery file exposed in a single window. The top half of the window is production, the bottom half is development. When you first begin using rsc you need to copy the scenery file from the production region to the development region (Copy to Working).Then in the development region you work on the file. Add scenery areas, edit titles, rearrange priorities, fix things...the maintenance that you would normally perform on a scenery file. When done, do a renumber and syntax check and if there aren't any errors, push the scenery file to production (Copy to Master).You can then take a flight and see if the changes made are as expected. The push to production is exactly that, moving a scenery file to the live, production folder. Just as you would by hand.Another important point is that not only are you looking at a development and production region in a single window, you are also looking at it by sim. So it really is a sim's production and development region in a single window.Consequently, you need to be aware of the currently selected sim at all times. In the bottom right corner of the interface there is either a 9 or an X. The number 9 means that you're currently working with the FS9 folders and the FS9 sim. If it is an X then you're working with the FSX folders and the FSX sim.When you're working with FS9, the folders should be pointed to the relevant FS9 folders. When working with FSX everything needs to be pointed to FSX. It's extremely important and a show stopper if it's incorrect. So please make sure you're both sim and folder aware when using this app.In the following screen shot, the selected sim is checked FS9, the bottom right corner of the screen shows the number 9, and the folders are pointed to the FS9 folders. This is an optimal FS9 setup.In the following screen shot, the selected sim is checked FSX, the bottom right corner of the screen shows the letter X, and the folders are pointed to the FSX folders. This is an optimal FSX setup.Your folders may vary from system to system and setup to setup but it's essentially the same. Just make sure that you've got your sim and folder settings correct and you're on your way.I hope that helps...I think more is needed but it's up to you...Ian, do you think this makes it any clearer?Mark