Scenery and OpenStreetMap (OSM) FAQ

[uhntissbaby111 58]

Sorry if this seems like a stupid question. Ive only had XP10 for a few days and only today i started downloading stuff from simheaven and HD Mesh to spice up the sim. I read a bunch of threads and info on the websites to wrap my brain around all the different components of scenery, but i am still a bit confused. If i understand correctly, HD Mesh is the elevation, roads, rivers, coastlines data correct? It does not include photoscenery? While the photo sceneries from simheaven are just that, photoscenery? I think im a little confused as to the OSM products offered from simheaven. The OSM sceneries provide buildings and forests only? And also, are HD Mesh and simheaven photo sceneries+osm sceneries mean to be used together? Or will they not work together? For instance, if i download the simheaven photo scenery for Wroclaw, Poland. And then i download the simheaven OSM Europe scenery, followed by the HD Mesh that encompasses Poland, will they all work together? And if so, would i just install them per the instructions and thats it? A few posts up Andras said that simheaven photoscenery is mesh based and hence will not work with other mesh since you can only have one mesh at a time? Sorry once again if these is a silly question

 

A little edit. After some more reading i think i stumbled on something, and just wanted to ask if i was right. It seems like simheaven photoscenery uses mesh data and hence cannot be used with HD Mesh from the alpilotx website? However, from the simheaven website you can download a special version of alpilotx HD Mesh that only contains the elevation data so that the simheaven scenery has more accurate elevation?

 

And 1 last question for now, do i need G2XPL?

[jcomm 5,936]

Don't feel bad about it... I've been using X-Plane 10 for quite a while and some of this concepts only got clearer just very recently...thanks to Tony's excellent post.

 

1) SimHeaven OSM or OSM+Autogen sceneries, as well as the suggested objects libraries to enhance buildings in Europe, etc..., are layed on top of whatever you have, being it the default X-Plane scenery with it's own Mesh, Alpilot's Mesh V2, or the Photosceneries that have their own Mesh!

 

2) From 1) you infer that in fact Photosceneries have a proper Mesh in them, and PilotBalu ( SimHeaven ) has just made available an update to all of his photosceneries that, based on Alpilot's Mesh V2, will enhance the Mesh base of his photosceneries.

 

So, Mesh is one thing and can be:

 

- X-plane's default,

- Alpilot's V2

- The Mesh that comes with a Photoscenery ( v1, or updated to V2 detail )

 

OSM+Autogen are objects that will be layed over whatever you have for a base.

 

When you use Photosceneries and Mesh V2 for a same area, the one that is declared first in the scenery-packs.ini file will take precedence .- just one of the meshes can be used, but, this only applies to those areas where Meshs might overlap.

 

In my case, there are parts of the World where I am using the default X.-Plane 10 Mesh, some others ( very limited ) where I use Alpilot's Mesh V2, and others ( growing from week to week) where I use SimHeaven's photosceneries ( with their own Mesh ).  At the same time I am using SimHeaven's OSM or OSM+Autogen sceneries for the whole World.

[tonywob 4,769]

And 1 last question for now, do i need G2XPL?

 

No you don't unless you want to generate your own photoscenery. Simheaven uses G2XPL to generate the photoscenery for you.

 

 

For instance, if i download the simheaven photo scenery for Wroclaw, Poland. And then i download the simheaven OSM Europe scenery, followed by the HD Mesh that encompasses Poland, will they all work together?

 

Yes, I have Wrocław as well, in fact I have most of Poland. I have the photoscenery (and mesh v2) from Simheaven, and I also have the OSM Europe which sits on top of it, which adds buildings and forests around Poland (when mapped in OSM). Just be aware that I don't think Simheaven has updated the photoscenery for Poland yet with the new mesh, but you can download the mesh v2 from his site and patch the scenery yourself, there are instructions included in the download.

 

Hope this helps

 

 

If you have more questions about the OSM use inside X-Plane let me know.

 

Thank you for the information and I'm sure I'll have more questions :-), I'll write an update to this ever-growing sticky later to include this info.

[paula 0]

I have a question regarding Z17 photoscenery and installed it.

the question is about the patch z17

do I have to move the whole folder to scenery ini or one by one in the specific area?

[tonywob 4,769]

 

 

I have a question regarding Z17 photoscenery and installed it.
the question is about the patch z17
do I have to move the whole folder to scenery ini or one by one in the specific area?

 

You are supposed to patch the scenery folder for each area, e.g. There will be a folder in each photo scenery called Earth Nav Data/XX-XXX/XX-XXX.dsf. You need to overwrite the DSF file with the file from the patch.

[paula 0]

I will look it up tomorrow as soon as my downloads are ready

I had to start all over with windows and xpx

this time i only download z17 photoscenery

with this last one i have a problem

as soon as the download is ready and click on open then I can make a choice.

I understood to click on z7 but it does not anything.

I have installed z7 from simheaven site and installed in programs

any idea what i can do?

[tonywob 4,769]

 

 

I understood to click on z7 but it does not anything.
I have installed z7 from simheaven site and installed in programs

 

See this post http://forum.avsim.net/topic/431429-trouble-extracting-simheavens-europe-osm/, I think it's the same problem I, and others have been having

[jfail 2]

Tony,

 

Thanks very much for the detailed descriptions of the various scenery, mesh etc.  I found it very, very enlightening and informative.  It added greatly to my understanding of how all of this works.

[tonywob 4,769]

 

 

It added greatly to my understanding of how all of this works

 

You're welcome and I'm glad it helped you understand the confusion that is scenery for X-Plane :-). 

[paula 0]

I found the problem with 7z to install the z17 scenery.

it turned out that if the download is ready and says OPEN and click on it, then it will not work to extract but if I go to downloadsection where

the download has gone too there I could use 7z and extract.

[uhntissbaby111 58]

Thanks for the replies jcomm and Tony. I feel like I finally grasp what each element is and what it does. Much appreciated

[paula 0]

I have a question regarding simheaven hd mesh:

I installed the mesh ZL17 from europe north america and south america.

also one by one the patch.

placed it in custom scenery and after starting up I sequenced in the ini file all three to the buttom.

If I go to airports i.e EHEH or KHII orSWKO then I see not one single difference with the default one.

What could be wrong?

I fly with the grumman traveler at 1500 feet.

[tonywob 4,769]

@paula, are you using this with photo scenery, or just on its own?

[paula 0]

I only installed simheavens photoscenery mesh hd2 ZL17 from europe and the usa  and extract

I understood from former information that should be enough due to the fact simheaven included

the HD2 mesh from alpilot.

[scotchegg 4,186]

Had a few cases recently where I downloaded some freeware airports, some quite recently made, which have OSM autogen interfering with their buildings and showing through.

 

Ideally I'd like to have both; is there a way other than manually opening the airport in WED and setting exlcusion zones myself? If not, is there a quick 'n' easy tutorial about how to set the exclusion zones? (Never opened WED....)