Annotation tool and building textures

[Guest]

Hi there,I managed to annotate photoreal textures to add some autogen objects to the scenery. However, I would like to use different textures for the builings to reflect more the local reality.For this purpose, I took one of the texture files, eg bldf2.bmp, changed it (mainly colours) and saved it back in dxt1 format with MIPS.In the annotation tool, instead of the default buildings texture I selected the texture file I just saved. I tried saving this file in both scenery texture folder and main fs2002 texture folder.The only way I can have buildings showing up is by using the default texture, ie, selecting default texture in annotation tool.To test whether the problem was my texture, I named it the default texture name, ie, bldb2.bmp and saved it in the main fs2002 texture folder. Then in annotation tool I set to use default building texture and the result was houses with the default texture look, not the one I saved. This is very strange in did. Any advice in how to get these texture working? Do we have to select certain names for these textures? Where are they supposed to be? Am I missing something on the documentation?Cheersjmf

[Guest]

Update to the above!I found out which default texture is used for this region, it seems that it is blde2.bmp. So by editing this one, it seems that I can get my texture to work.The problem is that if I change such texture I am also changing all the autogen builings assigned with that texture, ie, Africa and Middle East.This proved that the texture is ok! Now, the question or remains, can we actually assign a texture other then the default ones? Is there a setting on the scenery.cfg file to make this possible?Cheersjmf

[Guest GerrishGray]

Hi JoseI'm sorry, but the facility in the Annotator to use another texture file just doesn't work. I don't think it's the Annotator itself that's at fault, it's that the Autogen code in FS2002 is probably hard-coded to use only the 'default' texture sheets in the main ..texture folder. That's what my testing suggests anyway.Have you seen my own Autogen Building replacement textures, e.g AGBldAfr.zip, here on the AVSIM file library. I'm planning one for use in the Near East, as it happens. Write to me direct at gerrish@flightsims.co.uk for more info.Kind RegardsGerrish

[Guest]

Hi Gerrish,Thanks for your reply! That is very sad in did. It looked a very promising feature. Maybe I can live with the changing the texture bld2d as it only affects Africa and Middle east aparentely (or at least the band "d"). The kind of changes I am doing on the texture might be appropriate for this region anyway. In more southern countries the houses tend to have light colours and even white while having orange roofs.I find it very strange that it does not work as it supposed to and I still have some hope that someone tackles it. It must be someting like a particular filename or a certain end of filename such as the _T required for the reflexions in aircraft textures.I had also a look at the AGN files and it does not reveal anything interesting.I will have a look at the file you suggest! Thanks for that!jmf

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi jmf.I have not tried this.The simulator always looks to the local texture folder first, when searching for textures.Your photoreal texture resides in a local texture folder, with the autogen file, true?Have you tried adding the altered 'blde2.bmp' to the local texture folder ( with the autogen and the photoreal BMPs ), while leaving the original 'blde2.bmp' in the main Texture folder?If it works, then you'll have the altered buildings for the photoreal area, and the default buildings for the rest of the world.Dick

[Guest]

Hi Dick,Yes, the photoreal textures reside on the local directory together with the agn files.I tried placing the altered bmp file in the main texture folder, local texture folder and even scenedbworldtexture folder and always the texture that is used is the one in main texture folder. In other words, if you move the set of textures bld*.bmp from this folder to any other place you loose all autogen buildings.I even tried that texture_id setting but I got very strange results and still the texture used was the one in main texture folder. What exactly is this setting anyway?We know by now that for a given region we have to respect the filename (possibly because we have to choose default texture in the annotation tool). For example for band "d" we have to use the name bld2d.bmp.Now the solution eventualy will be by working on file loading priority. If there was a way to make autogen load that texture from a local folder that would be very nice. One other possibility is to work out the format of the agn file. It must at some point indicate a path to a texture filename (when in the annotation tool one choose other then the default texture). Maybe that functionality is not working or it is making a wrong assumption at some point leading to a wrong pathname being written to the agn file. I just find it very hard to believe that Microsoft had the trouble to write this tool and the info on the SDK and then things just do not work. It there is an error at some point my bet would go to the annotation tool, not to fs2002!I have to admit that I run out of ideas!Thanks for the tips anyway!Ha, by the way! Great research work on the coastlines inner workings! Thanks for that!

[Guest]

Hi there Gerrish indeed it does seem that the above is "hard coded" into 2002 as we have tried to mess with the above as well in other words if one alters the above all the instances of that texturechange as well. Dan

[Guest]

Hum....I still have some doubts about this view. But I might be wrong! ;)If the texture names are somehow hardcoded in fs2002 it wouldn't matter what you choose with the annotation tool. But something changes by using the annotation tool so it makes some sort of effect. Something is changed according to what is in the agn file.I just checked that if you chose to browse a file instead of the default option and save the agn, this filename shows up in the agn file. You can see this by opening the agn in a hex editor. However, if the default option is set, nothing shows up in the agn file,ie, no filename at all. Maybe a byte is set and fs2002 just uses the default textures according to the latitude(?) band.So I still believe that the AGN file is somehow baddly constructed and when no filename is provided (default option) then fs2002 chooses the default. I even tried to put the texture in the hard drive

[Guest GerrishGray]

I researched this subject pretty thoroughly some months ago and have tried all the ideas you are suggesting and a few others as well, patching the AGN files with a hex editor. Nothing worked!As I already said, I came to the fairly firm conclusion that the 'problem' lies with the coding of Autogen in FS2002. It looks for the texture sheets ONLY in the main texture folder, and determines which one to use by consulting the 'regions' data in regions.bgl. The Annotator can indeed put an alternative texture name into the AGN file (but without any path, note), but no amount of hacking that I have tried will persuade the Autogen code to use it.If someone more expert than me can find a way to make it work, that would be marvellous!!! I'll keep my fingers crossed ...Hopefully this functionality will work in CFS3 or FS2004.Good LuckGerrish

[Guest]

Hi there,As you say let