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Getting objects into DOD

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I'm still messing around with DOD v3 and following my recent post I've got objects from the two libraries DIDL01 and DIDL02 moving quite nicely.However, I've found that the vehicles are the wrong scale (too small by 50%) and there's no way to change this so I've decided to make my own objects and import them via Dynkit.I know this is old technology but I'm not into GMax and I'm not inclined to get into BusyObjects which appears rather complex for my requirements.So far I've not managed to make anything of my own appear in my scenery - including the objects used in DIDL01/2 which I've located. When I try to import them into Dynkit using the method set out bekow I get an error 'duplicate ref point or bad opcode - opcode 34'. Any idea why this is?The steps I'm going through to import my own objects are as follows.1 Make object API in EOD2 Drag API over SCASM to get BGL file (is this right?)3 Import BGL(s) into Dynkit Hangar4 Use the library created from 3 above in DODAt step 3 I get a message 'Unkown SDL Opcode(s) encountered. Assuming Raw SDL Code' but the BGL seems to import into Hangar. I save the library and move the BGL and accompanying DKI into my main SCENERY folder.When I use the object in the library I see nothing! Other objects (from DIDL01/2) which are already in the scenery work fine but mine just isn't there.Can anyone help? Are there any tutes still around for this old technology? I'm so near but still so far.Roger

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Guest gorchi

Roger,this is off Your topic but I want to ask You if You have succeded to import any tracks from FS to DOD? If this can be easily done, then I would not import any objects with DOD but rather make tracks on which default fuel truck would drive and change for proper vehicles in code. The latter is also easily done as it is adding objects made by FSDS/EOD/Nova or even GMAX.Best regards,Goran BrumenFS Slovenija 2002 teamhttp://slovenia.avsim.net

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Guest

Hi again Goran,Not sure if I'm answering your question correctly. What I do is use the pattern commands in DODeg after identifying the object, its altitidue (usually zero) and its coordinates...command 1 - set heading 090command 2 - move forward 250 metres in 23 seconds at increasing speedcommand 3 - turn to 145 in 6 seconds on radius 10 metresand so onTrouble is, the only objects you seem to be able to import into DOD have to be in dynamic libraries in your main SCENERY folder. Libraries consist of a pair of files - a bgl and a dki (the latter is a dynkit file). The system seems so simple but I guess as its 'old' it's now out of use. The other thing, is what is meant by 'section 10'? I think it's something to do with the old FS98/2000 scenery SDK - but so far it's importance has escaped me.Nice to hear from you again.Regards,Roger

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Guest Firestriker

I fiddled with DOD v3 for sometime installed in it's default location. Installed fsupic, fltrec, got that to work. Exported a flight path (just on the ground) and managed to import it into DOD just fine. Downloaded and installed the updated libraries (DIDL01 and all that went with it) assigned the vehicles to the path. When I went to save, well, DOD couldn't deal with the long paths. Was also making some wierd files. Would have to reboot and when the system came back up, wanted me to rename a file named "C:Program" x( This happened a couple of times till I moved EVERYTHING into the DOD directory so it did not have to deal with the Win32 file tree. Finally got it to compile a bgl. Tried it out in both FS2000 and FS2002 but no object showed in either one and yes, the libraries were installed in the prescribed directories also.I went looking to see if I could find some current info on DOD and it seems that it is no longer supported (wonder if it ever was to begin with). The website is bye bye. All I could find was Nova by Rafael Garcia Sanchez. So I though I'd give it a try. To tell you the truth, after installing it and having it return an error in the first 5 mins of exploration, it went into the waste basket. IMHO, these are poorly written DOS programs which don't live well in the Windows environment. I don't see how someone can be so bold as to try and charge $25 for something as flawed as these programs are and not keep them up to date for the latest operating systems and FS versions. Programs like "FSSC" and "Airport for Windows" are constantly evolving and work almost flawlessly on any Windows machine and are FREEWARE.Now I am messing with BusyObjects. Everything was going well untill I got to the point of inserting the object drawing code as described in the tutorial. IT WASN'T THERE! ARGH!!!Wouldn't it be great if someone would write a plug-in for the airport design programs that would let you draw a line in any design program that can export it as a dxf, import it into the airport design program and simply assign a vehicle to the path and then give you the ability to set the time, speed and so on. Something along the "BusyObjects" idea, but totally user friendly. Well, if wishes were horses....

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Guest

Hi LouI've done much better than you then. I've got DOD working great (Win XP Pro/FS2002 Pro). I've got objects from the two libraries moving around flawlessly - I've found it a very easy system to run which is why I'm so keen to solve these problems.In my upcoming Kai Tak I've got ferries criss-crossing Kowloon Bay and cruise ships that depart after a delay, one of which does a complete circumnavigation of the island in EXACTLY 120 minutes. Fun to take off and search for it en route. Plus I can make objects stop and hold for as long as I want as well as move at any speed and turn onto any heading. And I can work right from my FSSC background image, lifting position coordinates and distances directly. Believe me, fundamentally it's an excellent idea that was never fully developed.My only problem is with the land based objects. I'd be happy to stick with the ones in the DID libraries except they are just too darn small when you get up close ie the fuel truck is LOWER than the Bell. But they drive round the airport a treat!Someone got them into the DID libraries in the first place and if I can just master that with my own objects I'm home and dry! As you can see from my post, I can't even replicate the original work.BUT SOMEONE OUT THERE KNOWS HOW;-) Roger

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Guest

Well, it's very easy to create your own dynamic macro libraries and it's also very easy to record a track in FS98, FS2000, FS2002 or FS2004 use it to animate an object. Sorry, but I'm currently very busy and I'll explain it all tomorrow.

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Guest

:-) Thanks benderLook forward to it very muchOnce I've got this all sorted might have to do a tute because it's a method anyone else like me (ie daunted by the apparent complexity of BusyObjects) might be interested in.Never know - might get enough people interested to start creating new libraries and stuff!:9 Roger

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Guest Firestriker

I finally got something to work using FS Action Scenery. I recorded a flight video in FS2000 then imported the *.vid into FS Action Scenery, assigned the default FS98 Cessna, compiled it and tried it out in FS2000, ran flawlessly and the plane sat on the ground without any tinkering. Then I tried it in FS2002, and it worked there too. Now I will try some of the other stuff in the DOD and DID libraries before moving to new libaries.

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Guest

Lou,From my experience forget about recording a path in FS and importing it into DOD.Use the pattern commands to create the path. The other thing I found is that when you define the initial object coordinates you also specify the heading eg 150 degYou must make this the first pattern command as well in my experience ie 1. Set heading 150 . Otherwise the object doesn't appear.This is how I described the process for someone over on the SimV forumStep 1 Put DIDL01.bgl and DIDL01.dki in your main FS2002Scenery folder - my advice as always is make a copy of your original 'clean' folder in case you want to back out - and put the DIDL01 textures in your main Texture folder - make a backup copy again beforehand. Step 2 Install DOD v3 in a suitable folder. I have it in ..FS2002utilsDOD, but location isn't critical. Step 3 It's a DOS program so there are no install complications. Click on DOD.exe (make a shortcut on your desktop if you like) to run. Step 4 Click on 'Program Setup' in the DOD main menu bar and key in your paths. These MUST be accurate. Save them. Step 5 Click on the 'Object Type' button. If you have provided the prog with the correct path to your DIDL01.bgl/dki files, click on DIDL01.dki in the window. You get a list of the objects you can select from the library, including among others the fuel truck. Step 6 Select it and click on 'back' in the menu at the top of the panel. Step 7 Now's the time to put in your scenery coordinates - lat and long - don't be too precise as you have +/- 10 km to play with! Step 8 Click on the 'Pattern Type' button - make sure 'Standard Pattern' is selected and click on OK Step 9 I'm afraid that now you DO need a bit of knowledge about scenery design - so you will probably only be able to proceed from here if you know how to use FSSC or Airport with a background image. In FSSC (I'll say FSSC but if you use Airport, that's OK) place the cursor where you want the object to start. Take a note of the EXACT lat and long coords and the heading you want to start moving in. Step 10 Click on the Coordinates button in DOD and key the info in. Your alt (in feet or metres) will be 0 as it's a ground vehicle but you can try playing around later). Choose 'scenery density' in the usual way and you can decide whether the object should appear immediately or some time after the scenery has opened. Click on OK Step 11 Now 'trace' your objects track around the background image in FSSC to find how far it travels in each leg of the movement to the chosen turning points and the heading it turns onto at each point. Make a note of the info for each leg. Easy. No complicated maths or geometry! Step 12 Click on the 'Pattern Commands' button and key in the commands. This is easy - it's a ground vehicle so it can only go forwards, backwards and turn. Make sure that in Leg 01 you put the starting heading - when I didn't, even though you've already put it in 'Coordinates', the prog didn't work. Moving and turning commands are self explanatory. At the end, unless you want the object only to run once OR disappear at the end of the sequence and reappear to repeat the loop, make sure it ends up where it started. Then click on the 'Stop' button and choose whether to make the object stop and sleep or repeat the sequence - like I said, this is sooooo easy. Now click on the 'Back' button. Step 13 Ignore all the other stuff in DOD - save the file (put it in the DODscenery folder). Step 14 Put a copy of SCASM.exe in the DODscenery folder. If you saved your file as 'myfile', look in the DODscenery folder and you will see (as well as SCASM!!) myfile.dod and myfile.src which were created when you saved. In the usual way, drag myfile.src OVER SCASM and it will autocompile and create myfile.bgl for you. DONE!!!!! Shift the bgl into your scenery folder, fire up FS2002, watch and be amazed. That's it. As I say, I think importing the path is where your problems are coming from. It's much neater if you use the method I've described above.Keep us posted!RogerPSJust thought as well. Don't forget you can only have 1 such bgl (dynamic scenery) in your addon scenery folder. But as each can contain up to 30 objects that's not such a problem. Also, presumab;y you can add futher ones to other folders.

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Guest falko

Step 2 is not correct. You should not create BGL files but MDL files or raw SDL files. Dynkit reads the older FS98 aircraft MDL files.

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Guest

Thanks falko. I thought as much.Any idea how I should do it? Just being able to replicate the earlier work would be a start but I'd really like to know how to create objects and get them into a library that DOD can use.Thanks again.Roger

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Guest falko

To create a RAW SDL or BGL file you have to convert your SCA file with SCASM by setting the RAW switch.In a DOS-Window you type:SCASM myfile.SCA -RAWor SCASM myfile.SCA myfile.BGL -RAWthe -RAW switch supresses the header initialisation.

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Guest

Gotcha - many thanks. It makes sense as the errors seem to relate to the headerI'll give it try ASAPRoger

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Guest

Hello,>I went looking to see if I could find some current info on DOD>and it seems that it is no longer supported (wonder if it ever>was to begin with). The website is bye bye. All I could find>was Nova by Rafael Garcia Sanchez. So I though I'd give it a>try. To tell you the truth, after installing it and having it>return an error in the first 5 mins of exploration, it went>into the waste basket. IMHO, these are poorly written DOS>programs which don't live well in the Windows environment. I>don't see how someone can be so bold as to try and charge $25>for something as flawed as these programs are and not keep>them up to date for the latest operating systems and FS>versions. Programs like "FSSC" and "Airport for Windows" are1.- Can you tell me which DOS verion of Nova did you try...??? I think that I haven't made any DOS version program at all, it looks like this is a Windows program instead...2.- 5 minutes of test and then to the basket, an error...of course, you forgot maybe you were using a Windows programs instead...did you try to contact me about this?3.- Why in your opinion I write Poorly written DOS applications?4.- Why registered Nova users are so BOLD to use the program and pay $25 bucks for it?5.- Which is your contribution to the whole world comunity of FS and since when...?ThanksRafael Garcia SanchezI wish to know why all this>constantly evolving and work almost flawlessly on any Windows>machine and are FREEWARE.>>Now I am messing with BusyObjects. Everything was going well>untill I got to the point of inserting the object drawing code>as described in the tutorial. IT WASN'T THERE! ARGH!!!>>Wouldn't it be great if someone would write a plug-in for the>airport design programs that would let you draw a line in any>design program that can export it as a dxf, import it into the>airport design program and simply assign a vehicle to the path>and then give you the ability to set the time, speed and so>on. Something along the "BusyObjects" idea, but totally user>friendly. Well, if wishes were horses....

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Guest

Hi RafaelNice surprise to hear from you.Looks like I'm the only one at the moment who can see the new potential for DOD. Now that aircraft movements are done by AI and modified using TTools (and AFCAD) DOD looks to me as the natural choice for quickly and easily creating dynamic ground objects. I was amazed because I got it working in FS2002 in less time than it even takes to read the BusyObjects manual the 1st time (let alone the 2nd, 3rd, 4th.....)OK so movements are a little jerky - but as CPUs become more powerful this will probably become even less noticeable. As you can see the main problem I'm having is getting objects for FS2002 into suitable dynamic libraries. Once I've cracked that, well........If you can give me any pointers I'd be very grateful Roger:)

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