Terrain elevation issues around airport

[Jay A 0]

Hi, I don't know if this is the right forum, but I've had issues with a particular airport recently.

 I create and modify sceneries and airports in FSX for personal use based on real satellite imagery and other sources such as FSET, ADE, Photoshop, Sketchup, and sometimes gmax. I recently started using Free Mesh X as well.

Recently I discovered Norfolk Island airport (YSNF), which the main problem I'm having is that the airport elevation is 371ft. Default version is 0ft. I changed it in ADE, added a ground polygon to flatten the area I wanted up to 371ft as well but then the whole airport is at 371ft, except the photoreal surrounding area which I dont have control of. 

Another airport I worked with applied the photoreal on top of the mesh nicely so I don't know what or where Im going wrong.

I tried turning off the mesh only, then with the photoreal, then just the photoreal, etc and all sort of combinations but none seem to be working.

 

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!!!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ruoeh7nidixtfus/Microsoft Flight Simulator X 12_13_2019 3_10_32 PM.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fikqhqmishijomu/Microsoft Flight Simulator X 12_11_2019 11_36_56 AM.png?dl=0

[johncott 177]

Step 1:

Did you set the modified airport elevation in ADE, Under "Tools" "Change Airport Reference Data"?

Step 2:

The default YSNF airport is set at 0 feet.  The real YSNF is at 371 feet. The default elevation will always override if an elevation is different and not set as mentioned in step 1.  When you change the elevation as outline in step 1, a  file is created by ADE and is stored in a different folder from the rest of your project bgl files.  This location is in main FSX directory in the scenery/World/scenery folder.  The file name should be YSNF_ADEX_XXX_ALT.BGL.  XXX will be whatever you set in the "initials" section in the "filename components" in the "General" section under "Settings". Far as I know this file has to be in this folder the modified elevation will not work.  Also in settings under "Folders", make sure the "FS Main Folder" is set to your FSX root directory.

If you still have issues, please let me know.

[Jay A 0]

1 hour ago, johncott said:

Step 1:

Did you set the modified airport elevation in ADE, Under "Tools" "Change Airport Reference Data"?

Step 2:

The default YSNF airport is set at 0 feet.  The real YSNF is at 371 feet. The default elevation will always override if an elevation is different and not set as mentioned in step 1.  When you change the elevation as outline in step 1, a  file is created by ADE and is stored in a different folder from the rest of your project bgl files.  This location is in main FSX directory in the scenery/World/scenery folder.  The file name should be YSNF_ADEX_XXX_ALT.BGL.  XXX will be whatever you set in the "initials" section in the "filename components" in the "General" section under "Settings". Far as I know this file has to be in this folder the modified elevation will not work.  Also in settings under "Folders", make sure the "FS Main Folder" is set to your FSX root directory.

If you still have issues, please let me know.

Yes I changed it using the option under "Tools" in ADE.

I did get the XXXALT.bgl file in "scenery/world/scenery", as well as an XML with the project file which I then copied to the YSNF folder in Addon scenery. Should I do that or just copy the .bgl, CVX.bgl and OBJ.bgl to the Addon Scenery folder?

 

I will also check the assigned folders in ADE later and will let you know. 

Thanks!!

[fppilot 4,350]

Orbx sceneries?

[johncott 177]

4 hours ago, Jkaled777 said:

Yes I changed it using the option under "Tools" in ADE.

I did get the XXXALT.bgl file in "scenery/world/scenery", as well as an XML with the project file which I then copied to the YSNF folder in Addon scenery. Should I do that or just copy the .bgl, CVX.bgl and OBJ.bgl to the Addon Scenery folder?

 

I will also check the assigned folders in ADE later and will let you know. 

Thanks!!

Keep the XXXALT.bgl in the scenery/world/scenery folder. All the other bgl files created by ADE should go into your addon scenery folder.  The XML file(s) are probably not needed by FSX.  From my understanding FSX uses only BGL files for scenery.  Also, you will have to exclude the default background, it will be set at zero feet as well. As fppilot mentioned, do you have ORBX Australia scenery install?

Edited December 13, 2019 by johncott

[fppilot 4,350]

3 hours ago, johncott said:

As fppilot mentioned, do you have ORBX Australia scenery install?

I have seen this with Orbx scenery and Orbx has a utility to correct it by re-indexing airport and area scenery to each other.

[Jay A 0]

Not for Australia or Oceania area. I do own Global Base and Open LC Europe.

[Jay A 0]

On 12/13/2019 at 11:10 PM, johncott said:

Keep the XXXALT.bgl in the scenery/world/scenery folder. All the other bgl files created by ADE should go into your addon scenery folder.  The XML file(s) are probably not needed by FSX.  From my understanding FSX uses only BGL files for scenery.  Also, you will have to exclude the default background, it will be set at zero feet as well. As fppilot mentioned, do you have ORBX Australia scenery install?

I don't own any ORBX products for this area. As I mentioned above I do have Global Base Pack and Open LC Europe, that's all. 

 

Ok, I will leave the XML's out of the addon scenery folder and just keep the bgls. I have a mess with many other files so I'll start over and update you with the advice I've received from here.

Thanks!!

[johncott 177]

2 hours ago, Jkaled777 said:

Ok, I will leave the XML's out of the addon scenery folder and just keep the bgls. I have a mess with many other files so I'll start over and update you with the advice I've received from here.

Thanks!!

After looking at the pictures you posted, you may have to add an exclusion polygon for the default airport background as I mentioned.  The default airport backgrounds are set by FSX and have to be excluded with a elevation change or when an airport is moved.  This is done with the "add polygon".  Type will be "Exclude General" and tag will be "Airport Backgrounds."  Usually you do not have to draw a polygon around the whole default background, just a small portion of it or if it is a large airport, a few small polygons.  For example I have used a 100 by 100 foot (30 meters by 30 meters) to get rid a single runway default airport background. These polygons have to be located in the default background area.

I apologize if I have over simplified this, I do not know what your experience level is in creating scenery with ADE.

Cheers,

John Cottreau

 

[Jay A 0]

On 12/15/2019 at 6:58 PM, johncott said:

After looking at the pictures you posted, you may have to add an exclusion polygon for the default airport background as I mentioned.  The default airport backgrounds are set by FSX and have to be excluded with a elevation change or when an airport is moved.  This is done with the "add polygon".  Type will be "Exclude General" and tag will be "Airport Backgrounds."  Usually you do not have to draw a polygon around the whole default background, just a small portion of it or if it is a large airport, a few small polygons.  For example I have used a 100 by 100 foot (30 meters by 30 meters) to get rid a single runway default airport background. These polygons have to be located in the default background area.

I apologize if I have over simplified this, I do not know what your experience level is in creating scenery with ADE.

Cheers,

John Cottreau

 

Your advice worked! It's one of the few airports I've had to use polygons to correct elevation issues. The only polygon I added was a type "airport background" tag "flatten". I added a second polygon type "exclude general" tag "airport backgrounds", and that fixed the issue. I still would like to work on this project more but I think looks quite good now. Thank you and everyone else for the help!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0m3ost2u5qsvyvk/Microsoft Flight Simulator X 12_16_2019 10_58_56 PM.png?dl=0

[johncott 177]

2 hours ago, Jkaled777 said:

Your advice worked! It's one of the few airports I've had to use polygons to correct elevation issues. The only polygon I added was a type "airport background" tag "flatten". I added a second polygon type "exclude general" tag "airport backgrounds", and that fixed the issue. I still would like to work on this project more but I think looks quite good now. Thank you and everyone else for the help!!

Glad it worked for you. Another tip, if ever share your sceneries on AVSIM or other sites, make sure you include the XXXALT.BGL file in the scenery/world/scenery folder in your upload.  I have downloaded a few nice sceneries and the creator of the scenery forgot to include this file because it is not with the other BGL files and the elevation was wrong.

Cheers,

John Cottreau

[Jay A 0]

On 12/17/2019 at 2:07 AM, johncott said:

Glad it worked for you. Another tip, if ever share your sceneries on AVSIM or other sites, make sure you include the XXXALT.BGL file in the scenery/world/scenery folder in your upload.  I have downloaded a few nice sceneries and the creator of the scenery forgot to include this file because it is not with the other BGL files and the elevation was wrong.

Cheers,

John Cottreau

I will have that in mind whenever I decide to share my projects. Thanks again!