Flattens? FS 2004 LWM & XML understanding

[Guest Larrycx]

Hi All, (rumbaflappy are you there Richard)I'm beginning to get there with my desires to add & change scenery in FS2004. Now that I have properly printed the XML SDK ( I only had fragments when I tried two-sided print from Wordpad), I'm starting to follow it pretty well.The XML SDK has exclusion defs and object defs, etc but it looks like I need LWM stuff for flattens or does an LWM BGL inherently flatten the area under a poly or whatever. So far I think I can place a water poly where I want it with BDLC. How does this tie into XML coding if at all. I am still lost re: landmass, BDLC lines, fills & polys and how these tools and their BDLs tie together. How does BDLC and XML tie together - if the ansewer is not too complicated?If I am reading right, XML lets me place objects on my home airport.There is an existing building that must go - must I exclude it first?I have a question about XML, SDK "sizeTopY" and "sizeBottomY". some of the SDK examples have set equal to each other. I am looking for how to set the height of a house inside the generic building. This has me puzzled. I will play with the SDK examples but my wife wants to use the computer too!RE MakeMDL SDK. MS seems to have removed it. Is this going obsolete? I kinda need it for better understanding its reference in the XML SDK.How about a link to one that's out there?I started the thread refering to "what works in FS2004 like LWMviewer" and gots lotsa advice. I think its time to let that thread die. I get confused following all the Forums & topics.Thanks for any clarifications and help. Meanwhile...:-violin Larry Costa

[arno 1]

Hi Larry,Let me try to make the different tools a bit clear.First there is the BGLComp SDK that uses the XML files. With this tool you can make the AFD data of your airport and place objects. So basically this allows you to make an airport, with parking spaces, navigation beacons, etc. And to place objects.Then there is also the mesh part of the scenery. This consists of the DEM, with on top of that LandClass and VTP/LWM polygons. The DEM and LandClass are made with the resample tool MS provided with the terrain SDK (for Fs2002). The VTP and LWM polygons are made with BGLC. The VTP polygons follow the mesh below it, while the LWM polygons have a flatten feature. So if you want to make a certain area flat you can use a LWM polygon for that.Then there is MakeMDL, this is the exporter to get your objects from GMax to FS. At the moment the Fs2002 MakeMDL is still the used version, until MS releases a new gamepack for Fs2004. The Fs2002 MakeMDL makes a BGL file directly to place your object. This does not fit in the new XML format that is used in Fs2004 to place the objects, but I guess we have to wait for the Fs2004 gamepack before we can say more about the future of this :).I hope this helped a bit :),

[Guest Larrycx]

Hi Arno and thank a bunch.You helped me a lot. The overlap of FS2002 and FS2004 stuff really had me bogged down. I found the 2002 SDKs that really helped because I saw no way that the present XML SDK was covering terrain and its features. I sorta like the big picture to be clear so I can fit the parts together. Your answer was right on target. Now that I know that BGLC is really still right for 2004 and that MakeMDL can convert a GMax object to a BGL I can get going with experiments. I'm sure I can correctly size the reservoir and pond I have been working on With LMdraw and then playing with the sources for BGLC that it produces.Larry CostaCrawford Airpark (99V), Colorado:) :)