Gmax made Airport Aprons

[Guest]

I created a new terminal in Gmax for FS2002. After installing it into Flight Simulator I used the Exclude switch to remove the default terminal at the airport. The only thing is that I had to create an exclude area so big that it also excluded the concrete aprons so that now there is only grass around the terminal. To get around the problem I tried creating a flat plane in Gmax textured with a concrete texture that would lay flat on the ground, but because it sits on the same level as the grass texture it just becomes a flickering mess of grass and concrete! Anyone, with any ideas on how to either get the default aprons to not get excluded or my Gmax made apron not to conflict with the ground textures?

[Guest Simpit]

Do a search for my name in this forum. I had a number of conversations with Georgio on this very subject, and he has come up with several solutions.Derek

[Guest]

Airport 2.60 allows several exclude areas and if those areas are precise around Ref points of the objects you want to remove you can extract several of them leaving aprons and other ground polys intact.Ref points can be pinpointed by slewing FS over the middle of the object (in slew mode) and noting the coordinates.Leaving native ground cover saves definetely lots of work (perhaps even fps too).Ted

[Naji 5]

Hi.I believe the Exclude command has switches that tell it what to remove, whether all objects or some. I don't remember exactly, but I do remember in FS2000 (not in FS2002 though) there was a description of these switches in the readme file of the sim. Try doing a google search on the net with the words "exclude FS2000", maybe you'll come up with something. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[Guest]

Sounds like there are lots of great ideas here.If you want a flat plane in gMax not to flicker with the flat ground in FS, just raise the plane slightly in the gMax file.

[Guest]

I agree lots of great ideas and I thank all of you who have replied to my questions.Well, I've used this technique before but for other things such as airport parking lots and roads. But, I've stayed away from using it for scenery that I know I will be landing on or taxiing on. Because, even though the height that I have to raise it to is slight it is still enough to show cut off on my aircraft tires. However, this could be because of how I am doing things, If your way does not result in cut off tires then I would like to hear more on how you accomplish that.

[Guest]

The categories for the exclude switch in FS2002 are:Objects- which excludes all default three-dimensional buildings and objects as well as airports.Vors- which excludes all default VOR and ILS navigational aids.Ndbs- which excludes all default NDB navigational aids.All- which excludes all default objects and navigational aids.the exclude switch for my airport I'm using the objects category, which works fine except for the excluded aprons.

[Guest]

I really liked the idea of using several exclude areas but I don't have Airport 2.60, However I was actually able to accomplish it by editing the scenery.cfg like so-[Area.122]Title=Osaka ItamiLocal=ADDON SCENERYOsaka ItamiRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=122Exclude=N34 47.63,E135 26.25,N34 47.54,E135 26.41,Objects[Area.123]Title=Osaka ItamiLocal=ADDON SCENERYOsaka ItamiRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=123Exclude=N34 47.54,E135 26.36,N34 47.43,E135 26.52,Objects[Area.124]Title=Osaka ItamiLocal=ADDON SCENERYOsaka ItamiRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=124Exclude=N34 47.52,E135 26.48,N34 47.33,E135 26.69,Objects[Area.125]Title=Osaka ItamiLocal=ADDON SCENERYOsaka ItamiRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=125Exclude=N34 47.42,E135 26.62,N34 47.25,E135 26.73,ObjectsThe only thing I don't like about how I did this is that it adds four different areas in my scenery library which I don't like, just seems sloppy to me. I was wondering if it is possible to create several exclude areas for a single airport without adding extra areas to my scenery library list.

[arno 1]

OK, that will work, but I think it is a bad method.Using FsRegen or editing the BGLC code manual to replace the PerspectiveCall by a LayerCall (those are the SCASM words, but I am still more familiar with them :)) is the best option. This solves the reason for the problem and not only the symptom. That reason is the GMax makes code for 3D objects and not for flat objects.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[a href=http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen/banner.jpg[/a]

[arno 1]

Yes, it seems the new mesh type airport aprons and grass polygons can not be excluded with the old exlcude command. Hopefully there will come a new one that can do that....... (if we ever get that SDK).Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[a href=http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen/banner.jpg[/a]

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Arno.Instead of excluding those TMF-style aprons, it may be better to 'cover' them with a new TMF decal... using the appropriate ground-texture, you may render them practically invisible, as they can blend into the landclass. The Scenery Library order should control which TMF decal lies on top... and airport backgrounds (ABP??????.bgl) are simply TMF decals. fsregen and gmax would probably be the right tool combination. The runway will overlie the decal just fine.As for Hot Dog's original problem, why did he use a large exclusion switch? Wouldn't a SCASM exclusion bgl have been more precise?Bob Bernstein's exclude example:

Set( areamx 128 )Header( 3 49:30:00.0000 45:30:00.0000 -116:30:00.0000 -125:00:00.0000 )GenExcl( E:flyingTacomascenerytac_5_01.bgl 147:16:37.2571 47:15:46.0329 -122:34:22.3687 -122:34:53.846947:16:37.2571 47:15:46.0329 -122:34:22.3687 -122:34:53.8469 )

Here's the WTC.bgl patch:

; ----------------------------------------; wtc.bgl disassembled by BGLAnalyze (c) on Fri Jul 19 22:32:33 2002; ----------------------------------------Header( 1  N41:11:14.30 N39:00:55.76 W073:07:30.00 W075:56:15.00 )LatRange(  N39:00:55.76  N41:11:14.30 ); since SCASM does not support multiple latitude ranges; the range has been set to the minimum/maximum latitude.; LatRange information in the BGL file is given as comment.; If you want to use band separation, you must edit; the source file manually.; Insert the "Set( FSVers 0x800 )" instruction at the beginning; of the file, if you want to use the FS2002 instructions; for the facilities sectionmif( [$Version < 285] )   Error( You need at least SCASM version 2.85 to compile this code )mifend; ----------------------------------------; Exclude section; ----------------------------------------GenExcl( Gen_exc0.bgl 1	 N40:42:39.21 N40:42:28.84 W074:00:52.45 W074:01:01.03	 N40:42:39.21 N40:42:28.84 W074:00:52.45 W074:01:01.03 ); ----------------------------------------; end of SCASM source

Another possibility is the Exception( Lat Lon type sn sf snf ) command.... probably what this command is used for.

[arno 1]

Yes, it indeed seems the best solution to just cover them. But I have an airport where the default shape lays a bit wrong, so I would also have to add some fields beside the airfield to cover the default one.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[a href=http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]http://home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen/banner.jpg[/a]