Hello,FS2004 comes with a number of default bridges, which are based on the VTP textures 1213-1261. Short tests with some of these textures and the common z-shaped line structure show a number of bridge objects in different shapes - from roofed wooden bridges to large concrete highway bridges.They seem to depend on the texture id, the line width and (rather frustrating) from the direction of the line: a similar bridge line with the same line width and texture id has a different shape, when pointing into another direction.It is quite difficult for me to generate a certain bridge form.Came someone else across this problem and could please explain, how to solve it?Is there a catalogue of bridge shapes already available?Best regards,Edgar

Hi Edgar.The type of lines for bridges is a simple 2-point line... no z-shape.Dick

Hi Dick,thanks for your message!But I don't think, that all default bridges consist of just 2 points. As usual, I didn't checked all default bgls, but SceneryEurwSceneryBR9EURW0.bgl consists of 1025 lines/bridges, one with 10 points (quite strange!) and the rest with 4 points.The code is always similar to:VTPPolyMethod2 4, _IsLine_, 0 ; Cell 11 x 26, offset 66,67VTPWidePoint 6951, _UseWidth_, 10777, 3 VTPWidePointWidth 32 VTPChildPoint 14, 0, -1, 0 VTPChildPoint 70, 0, 255, 0 VTPChildPoint 14, 0, -1, 0Looks like a Z to me :)But nonetheless, how do I determine the bridge form? Has the length of the hook any influence? I always tested with shorter ones...Cheers,Edgar

Hi Edgar.Your right. I was hasty in that reply. They are Z's. In some earlier experiments I used 2-point lines, and they were fine.If I can find time, I'll try different hook lengths, but I think it's just the texture ID that determines the type.The terrain.cfg has the GUID's at the end of that file.Dick

Hi Edgar, I was confused about this until Dick put me right. I had found that, for a given ID, different bridge types appeared with no obvious pattern. It turns out that Microsoft designed it this way, for reasons best known to themselves. The 'spread' of bridge types for a given ID is defined in terrain.cfg. You can create new ID numbers that will call up a specific bridge type. I added the lines below to terrain.txt. Now texture ID's 1262 to 1269 call up each of the unique bridge types, which makes it a lot more predictable! For example, ID 1268 will always be a railroad bridge. Best regards, Chris[Texture.1262] //Covered Dirt Road Bridge - gen_bridge06Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=14[Texture.1263] // Small Concrete Bridge - gen_bridge03Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=15[Texture.1264] // Dual Other Concrete Bridges - ConcreteBridge1Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=16[Texture.1265] // Dual Hiway Bridge - gen_bridge07Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=17[Texture.1266] //Dual new 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge08Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=18[Texture.1267] // Dual 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge01Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=19[Texture.1268] //Railroad Bridge 1 (aka gen_bridge02)Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=20[Texture.1269] //Railroad Bridge 2 (aka gen_bridge05)Type=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=21// 1 lane bridges//Covered Dirt Road Bridge - gen_bridge06[Autogen.14.0.0]AutoObject="0c9775c1fh,048561e3eh,0ad3416a4h,0b696c0efh"AutoObjectEnd="0b2b05be7h,04b927dafh,0f150928fh,050cc149fh"ObjectSize=9.71ObjectEndSize=16.96ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=00PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Small Concrete Bridge - gen_bridge03[Autogen.15.0.0]AutoObject="0dd021ee7h,0441fa57bh,0db6e35a0h,004e1cd24h"AutoObjectEnd="0b0013e7ch,04a90fea9h,0b0a976b5h,0415bdd51h"ObjectSize=11.94ObjectEndSize=37.92ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=00PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Small Divided Highway Bridges//Dual Other Concrete Bridges - ConcreteBridge1[Autogen.16.0.0]AutoObject="0d9aaae37h,0469438b7h,0ed19d2aah,0101a5306h"AutoObjectEnd="03216f40bh,0434d0f54h,0a0732c9bh,0087fedfeh"ObjectSize=30ObjectEndSize=30ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Dual Hiway Bridge - gen_bridge07[Autogen.17.0.0]AutoObject="018b2918fh,0497c11d1h,0f2a2c0b5h,065e56362h"AutoObjectEnd="02d7d189ah,043f3f0e5h,075d03fb7h,06b7a4ef8h"ObjectSize=40ObjectEndSize=120ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Dual new 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge08[Autogen.18.0.0]AutoObject="0c45eea03h,0464ba40eh,0a3264783h,07eb5df82h"AutoObjectEnd="0da002e64h,04742342ch,0dc960db7h,0600b9c56h"ObjectSize=60ObjectEndSize=60ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Large Divided Highway Bridges//Dual 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge01[Autogen.19.0.0]AutoObject="02b931b90h,044939438h,06f38a5b0h,0ffb5e7c2h"AutoObjectEnd="0bbf02ca5h,04da890fch,0d0429288h,00db874ach"ObjectSize=80ObjectEndSize=220ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Railroad Bridges//Railroad Bridge 1 (aka gen_bridge02)[Autogen.20.0.0]AutoObject="018b41d45h,047f8749eh,03813e5b6h,057cdd735h"AutoObjectEnd="09ed413c1h,0463590dfh,03efdc984h,0fb1c67dah"ObjectSize=50ObjectEndSize=100ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Railroad Bridge 2 (aka gen_bridge05)[Autogen.21.0.0]AutoObject="05c0f70dah,04c3efe09h,03727e7a2h,0220470ech"AutoObjectEnd="0193a2264h,0464e53ech,0796b39b1h,0ae929f0dh"ObjectSize=25ObjectEndSize=50ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20

Hi Chris,this is truly interesting news to me! So it is possible, to determine exactly the shape of a bridge. Great!Remaining question: Is there a known way to define these parameters without modifying the default terrain.cfg?I do not feel happy about changing general configurations for a local scenery... I know, the next designer will use texture-id 1262 for his tropical beaches with parasols :)Regards,Edgar

Hi Edgar.The problem is that the texture IDs are defined to reference numbered Vector Autogen:// 4 Lanes - Undivided Median{Texture.1246} // concrete / 4 lanes / undivided medianType=3Size=4ExcludeAutogen=1MaskClassMap=0VectorAutogen=10This now references 4 possible variations of VectorAutogen #10://Small undivided hiway bridges//Single 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge01{Autogen.10.0.0}AutoObject="02b931b90h,044939438h,06f38a5b0h,0ffb5e7c2h"AutoObjectEnd="0bbf02ca5h,04da890fch,0d0429288h,00db874ach"ObjectSize=80ObjectEndSize=220ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Single Concrete Bridge - ConcreteBridge1{Autogen.10.0.1}AutoObject="0d9aaae37h,0469438b7h,0ed19d2aah,0101a5306h"AutoObjectEnd="03216f40bh,0434d0f54h,0a0732c9bh,0087fedfeh"ObjectSize=30ObjectEndSize=30ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Single Hiway Bridge - gen_bridge07{Autogen.10.0.2}AutoObject="018b2918fh,0497c11d1h,0f2a2c0b5h,065e56362h"AutoObjectEnd="02d7d189ah,043f3f0e5h,075d03fb7h,06b7a4ef8h"ObjectSize=40ObjectEndSize=120ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20//Single new 4 lane bridge - gen_bridge08{Autogen.10.0.3}AutoObject="0c45eea03h,0464ba40eh,0a3264783h,07eb5df82h"AutoObjectEnd="0da002e64h,04742342ch,0dc960db7h,0600b9c56h"ObjectSize=60ObjectEndSize=60ExclusionWidth=30ClipData=0Offset=0PlaceOnWater=1Density=100MinAutogenDensity=20So, unless we can have a local terrain.cfg ( unlikely ), there doesn't seem to be a solution here. We can use the components of the bridges placed as objects via XML code, but that would be tedious for large sceneries with many bridges.I think Microsoft's idea of Autogen is that objects will be sized, typed, and placed with built-in variation.Dick