Autogen and custom VTP polys

[spotlope 0]

Okay, I know this has been covered, but I'd like to hear it once more in order to get it into my thick skull. If I create a series of custom VTP polys displaying named textures (in this case a street map), is there any way to create autogen bldgs and vegetation for this area? I think I read Dick's advice recently that it wasn't possible, but I want to triple-check so I don't drive myself insane trying.If the answer to above is an unqualified "no", is it true that I can't have my nice LWM masks and custom shorelines show up over the top of custom photoreal ground textures built using the resample method?Thanks for indulging me.

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Bill.A resample-produced BGL that displays CUSTOM wipes out all TDF polys and lines ( LWM and VTP ). That would be a CUSTOM BGL or a landclass BGL that uses either #252 or #253 to place CUSTOM textures. It's the BGL, not the textures that are the problem.If your ground textures have CUSTOM names ( meaning they were made by resample ), then they can be displayed as VTP polys with a landclass number ( use 252 for seasonal and night )... then they can have autogen. So, yes, you can display CUSTOM-named ( ex. 003100023031322Su.bmp ) textures with VTP poly shapes, and make autogen for them. The only restrictions are:the textures must be flipped vertically, and either opaque DXT1 or 8-bit mipped with alpha, for 1 transparent channel. Make the autogen before flipping.The autogen must be with the other landclass AGN in the "scenedbtexture" folder.Each LOD13 Area will have need own CUSTOM texture, just like resample's BGL. Think of the textures all lined up according to their odd names on a large tray. The autogen sits on them like candy sprinkles.The VTP polys are like cookie cutters that cut the shapes from this lineup, and disgards the undisplayed pieces and sprinkles.Make the polys as a Layer4, and shorelines and LWM water will show just fine over them.Dick

[spotlope 0]

Hi again Dick (and anyone else tuned to this frequency)...I've been trying to get autogen working with VTPm2 polys, and I've come tantalizingly close, but still no cigar. I used Ground2k to create a VTPm2 poly with landclass number of 252. I've made a set of custom textures using custom names (derived from the info box in Ground2k) and created autogen using Annotator.exe. I put the textures and agn files in my FS2002 ScenedbWorldtexture folder and made a new folder for my bgl in addon scenery. When I load it all up now, it displayed my custom textures in my poly correctly (this was a BIG deal for me ;-)) but still no autogen. From what I garnered from your above message, I should stand a fighting chance of having it work. Did I overlook a step? I'm still a little stumped.thanks,

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Bill.I'll play with this today to verify there is no problem with Christian's program.All textures displayed by VTP polys are vertically flipped. You need to make the autogen for the CUSTOM texture, then vertically flip the texture, then use Imagetool, or one of Martin Wright's programs to mip and make the image either DXT1 Opaque, or 8-bit with Alpha ( Extended 8-bit, mipped ). The 8-bit image is in the same format as the roads and shore textures, with the alpha channel being transparent.In otherwords, although the texture is flipped, the Autogen positioning is not flipped ( hopefully fixed in FS9 ).Dick

[spotlope 0]

Thanks, Dick. For once I actually feel like I understood the process, and managed to do everything you mention above already. I am getting the image to show up just fine, but with no autogen. That's my one remaining bugaboo, and then I think I'll have this process down.thanks,

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Bill.Christian's program seems fine for CUSTOM.I made a shape as a VTP2 poly, and assigned it as CUSTOM ( #252 seasons ), and as Layer4.I made a complete texture set:003100023031312wi.bmp003100023031312hw.bmp003100023031312sp.bmp003100023031312su.bmp003100023031312fa.bmp003100023031312lm.bmp ( for night )I only needed that one name, as my VTP2 poly was within a single LOD13 Area... if it covered more Areas, I'd need a set for each CUSTOM name described for each areas the poly enters.I made my autogen with Annotator, then vertically flipped my textures, and converted them to DXT1 Opaque with mips with Imagetool.I then copied the textures and autogen to "C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFS2002SCENEDBWORLDTexture", with all the other LANDCLASS textures and autogen. My BGL files are still in a local 'scenery' folder.That location is important, because we are accessing these as a landclass type. ( I'm hoping FS9 will let us place this type of texture and autogen in a local folder ).The texture doesn't sseem to pleased with winter. :)Dick

[spotlope 0]

Well that's a genuine stumper, Dick. You just described word for word exactly what I did. Except that I'm sure upon looking at it today, I'll find some small thing I did differently, and that will be the key, I'm sure. Looking forward to checking it out tonight.thanks,

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Bill.I hope you find the glitch.Also remember we are prone to the autogen "bug" that affects designers. We sometimes need to restart the sim in order for our autogen to display properly.I think Arno and I both are in the habit of restarting the sim, and using the 'Previous Flight' setting to get right back to the design area.Dick

[spotlope 0]

Hi Dick,I'll keep that in mind as I charge forth tonight and slay this autogen dragon. Actually, as a web developer of some 8 years, restarting *everything* is pretty much my mantra. I've discovered that restarting the my browser, clearing the cache, rebooting my computer, the web server and any other machines in between as well as changing my socks and refilling my coffee are sometimes required to see a real change in how things look and work. I guess FS is no different!thanks,

[Guest]

Hi,I've found this message while looking for a solution to my problem, which is related to this way of displaying CUSTOM named textures inside VTP2 polys.I've followed the exact steps you describe in your post, Dick, and it works perfectly (thanks!!!), BUT (always a "but" :-)) other polygons *outside* the VTP2 poly in question dissapear, even beaches and other stuff I've drawn, all is gone. Land water masks remain, but all other VTP2 polys are lost.As soon as I delete the offending VTP2 poly, all is back to normal.Any clues?--Daniel R. Careri

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Daniel.You need to start thinking in terms of Layers. Ground2K defaults to Layer7 for polys, but you can choose anything from Layer 0 to Layer 100. Layer 4-7 are usually used for the ground textures. I like to make everything a Layer4, and increase the layer number for Polys I would like to overlap. Beaches are Layer8 in the sim, streams 16, roads 31 and 32. Using Layer5 might be a good idea for a start, because there are some occasions you might like to slide a layer under an already established one.My guess is that you may have a layer problem.. or else there is an exclusion going on somewhere that you might have 'ticked' as a Ground2K option accidentally.Dick

[Guest]

That's right, Dick, I've thought about layers already, as I needed to put some polys over others. Most of the design is done at layers 8, 9 and 10, except roads at 31 and 32, and streams at 16 and 17.I tried layers 3, 4 and 5 for the "custom" poly, and no avail. Will try with other layers, and see what happens.What did you mean with "an exclusion going on somewhere"? I've excluded everything :-) with the "X" tool before the project started, to begin with a "blank canvas". I believe this generates an exclude BGL that has to be the first in the process queue, like you told me days ago. It's named "25excludevtp", while other bgls are named "26lwmvtp_2" to "_9"The strange thing is that ALL polygons dissapear, EXCEPT when one crosses inside the "custom" poly: you can see those.--Daniel R. Careri