Few FSDS2 Questions

[Guest YevinKetman]

I have two troubles with FSDS.#1- When I apply textures to an object they must be placed in the main FS9Texture folder. It says it's copying the original .bmp into that folder. I want to be able to putt he texture into my addon scener(my scenery name)Texture folder. This makes things easier and keeps them together nicely. How do I accomplish this? #2- How do I add a pointvertex to an already existing object (say a cube). For instance, how can I add it to a side or an edge, as to further edit it. The "Add Point" feature doesn't seem to accomplish this.I appreciate all help!Kevin

[Guest Hugo]

Hi Kevin,For your first question it's just a matter setting the right texture path in the Preference menu. Go to File/Preferences.... A window will open where will be able to change the texture path to the one mentionned above.As for adding point/vertex to objects like cube or cylinder. I do not think FSDS has this provision. As far as I know, points can only be added to template shapes. But I might be wrongOne thing you could try though, I haven't, is for example make a cube out of a tube having 2 sections and in Point mode. select the one you want and place it where you want it to be. See first 1st image below.If you need to have a vertex that is mid face then make a tu with 2 (or more) sections and 8 points/section. Shape it as a cube. Then, in Point mode select the point(s)and move them at will. 2nd image belowHope this will help a bitHugo

[Guest YevinKetman]

Thank's for the reply Hugo.I'm curious about the texture path, since I did run across that when searching for a solution. How specific does it get? Right now it's set to C:Program FilesMicrosof GamesFlight Simulator 9Texture. I intend to distribute my scenery, as I belive most people do. My problem is I don't understand the technicalities of how this works. If I want to be able to place my object's texture into C:...Addon Scenery(My Scenery Name)Texture, and I set that path into the preference menu, will it always look SPECIFICALLY for that path? My trouble is that some people like to keep their addon scenery other than in their MSFS "Addon Scenery" folder. While others have their drives partitioned differently (for instance I have two computers and FS9 can be found on C: in one of them and D: in another. Also, if I chose that location for my texture, does that mean I have to have the project folder named how I want it to be beforehand, and that I can't change it?I hope I was at least somewhat able to illustrate my question, but I'm pretty confused as it is!Kevin

[Guest Hugo]

Hi Kevin, sorry for the late reply.As far as I am concerned, I would avoid to use Flight Simulator 9Texture folder, mainly if I use my own textures. Too much suff and a risk to mess things up in there.Personnaly, for design purpose, I prefer to put the scenery devellopment folder in an other HD partition than the one FS is in, E: presently. If for example I want to design something for, lets say, Smalltown, Alaska, I would create a new folder named Smalltown_AK in the F: partition. To this folder (Smalltown_AK) I would attach 2 subfolder, Scenery and Texture. All the textures I need I would put them in in this last Texture subfolder.Now, in the Preference entries of FSDS2, I would set the path like shown in the image #1 below. Placing the working folder in drive f: is only an idiosyncrasy of mine. Flight Simulator 9AddonScenery should be as a good a place as any to place it and work from there.So, in your case, FSDS entries could look something like image #2. Now these long file paths, mainly for Texture and Scenery files, partly explain my idiosyncrasy. The other part would find its roots in the fact I didn't eat all the oat cereal bowl my mother served me for breakfeast when I was a kid. But that's an other story altogether ;-)Naturaly, to see the progress of the desing in FS, the chosen folder has to be properly activated in FS Scenery Library settings!The objects I make with FSDS, I normaly save them as an Api file and I use Airport to implement the scenery in FS. Thus I would use File/Create FS Object/Scams Macro File entry in FSDS and the api file is save in FDSDS_V2HugoProjects folder in this particular case. Airport would get it there. If I wanted to create the object directly in the scenery folder, thus bypassing Airport altogether, I would do it through File/Create FS Object/Object file (bgl) and it would be saved in F:Smalltown_AKScenery folder, again for this particular case.Project Files path is where the project .fsc files are kept for later FSDS usage.One other thing. If you use bitmap files that are stored in an other folder than the one you specified in the Texture entry, and that includes FS9 main texture folder, you still can, using the provided browsing feature. Doing so FSDS will make a copy of it in the your scenery Texture folder thus you would find it there if you still need it (or part of) later.For the distribution of your masterpiece, I would keep this as simple as possible. Write a readme.txt file that briefly describe what your scenery is about and and state clearly where it is located. Someone from Sri Lanka may not be aware of Smalltown-Alaska area as well as you are ;-) You could also add a couple of jpg images of the site as seen in FS.Gather the readme file, the jpgs and the scenery folder all in on place and zip it. You are now ready to upload it. If this is well done, people will install the way they prefer. You shouldn't worry too much about how they will do it.Hum! I hope all this won't add to your confusion ;-) Good luck.Hugo

[Guest YevinKetman]

My problem is, even though I layout my texture paths correctly in FSDS2, the textures still don't show up. I've completely run out of ideas on how to fix this problem and have for now, abandoned the program. I've created one object in Gmax, and although the textures were no issue, it took my forever even to make such a simple shape. This was why I got FSDS2, because it's supposed to be more user friendly... And it is, I've successfuly built some interesting macros, I just haven't gotten them to show up with textures, unless of course I put the texture into the main FS9Texture folder, which is not what I want. I think I need to give me frustrations a bit of time to settle, and then I'll go back to troubleshooting.I appreciate your in-depth response!Kevin

[Guest Hugo]

Kevin, I bet you 2 match sticks you have a second copy of your object bgl file, possibly under Addon SceneryScenery or some other Scenery subfolder. Make a search for it. Delete it. Reactivate your scenery with with your bitmaps placed in the Texture subfolder. If you still have them in FS main texture folder delete them or move them away. You should be back to business.Hugo