With or without Mesh possible?

[Guest Catalano]

Hi all,along with my new coastline, are flat areas between the shoreline and the first meshy hills which in reality are not that flat. At some zones we have a steep coast and my impression is, that the mesh-data in FSX follow not exactly the real shoreline.An example shows this picture: http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164277.jpgTill now, I only have worked with Landclass-Polygons. I am interested in knowing whether one can make altitude settings within this technique? The flat areas would not look so artificial with that. Also yacht docks would look better.Or is it necessary to do that with GMAX (as an example)?Thanks youRegardsBodo

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

There are a number of possible sources of problems here, Bodo.If you drew that coast in Google Earth, then it may well be that it does not align perfectly with the mesh from another source. Google Earth is not particularly accurate in most parts of the world, from what I have seen. Nor is it particularly accurate relative to its own altitude values, as can be seen by rotating the image and examining the placement of hills in Google Earth.So, it could be that the coast you drew does not exactly fall on the coast in the altitude mesh.Another problem has to do with the differences in resolution between the vector terrain and the altitude mesh. A LOD 9 mesh (which is the default for your project area) has elevation values every 76 metres. On the other hand, the vector terrain has a much higher resolution of about 1 metre (if FS X terrain still works the same as FS 9 terrain.) This means that there are not enough elevation values to fill the terrain and therefore much is empty, leading to slopes and flat areas where there should be sharp cliffs.You could try raising the mesh display setting to a higher value - FS X will intepolate the mesh and fill it with more values. It will not be completely accurate, but may look better.As for placing docks, there are a multitude of very nice objects in FS X that can be easily placed using BGLComp, many types of docks among them. SBuilder will eventually allow for easily placing all those objects direcly within the project, but it can be done right now using a simple xml file and BGLComp.Best regards.Luis

[Guest Catalano]

Hello Luis,thanks.I think that you are right with you two first points.My mesh-display-settings are on the highest possible level. So there is no improvement possible.Luis for what kind of file within the FSX Installation I have to search to find this nice objects you was talking about?Best regardsBodo

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Bodo,There is a list of all the objects that are already in the game and that can be placed - this list should be in the Autogen S.D.K.: "Global Library Objects".It is a very large list of all the objects that the FS Team has put together - amazing in quantity and diversity. Plus, many of them are very beautiful.Attached is a subsection of that list related to marinas and docks, and also boats.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164413.zipTo place these objects, please see the BGLComp S.D.K. for the correct code.If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to ask here.Best regards.Luis

[Guest Catalano]

Hello Luis,thank you for this information.May I ask some questions after reading the SDK-Document?1.) Is it possible to have a look at the Library-Objects? And if yes - were are the pictures of these Objects?2.) As you mentioned, I have to use BGLComp. Did I understand it right - I have to call this programm at this way BGLComp Myfilename ?3.) Should "Myfilename" have this content? <?xml version="1.0"?> X will be replaced with the right values.4.) Is "alt" the parameter which tells the system the hight of a building/dock?5.) Can I use TMFViewer to get the "lat" and "lon" This picture shows where my polygon of the dock in reality is.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164481.jpg On wich side I have to pick up the "lat" and "lon"?6.) Does "heading" a turn of an object? If so - what values can I set to turn it right?7.) Is it necessary to "prepare" the ground before I can place an object on a certain place? More exactly can I place a dock on that polygon in the picture? At the moment the ground plan is on sea-level.Luis, again a lot of questions. I hope not to much?It is really not urgent, Luis.SaludosBodo

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hola Bodo,Very best wishes to you and your family for the New Year.1. The only object viewer for the moment is the one in FS, the Object Placement Tool, which will let you see most of the default objects, (although many of them will not display for me, I don't know why.)How does it work? - when you choose it in the menu, you will automatically go into slew mode - point the crosshairs down towards the ground so that objects will be placed at ground level - Select the Objects tab - In the Add drop-down box, choose Scenery - in the box below that, choose the object you wish displayedYou can zoom in and out, and if you grab the object with the mouse (not easy!), you can move and rotate it.2. you can call your file anything you want, for example, "Bodo_marinas.xml" or anything else. You should probably use an xml extension for the file, but I think that a normal txt will work also.You can invoke BGLComp in a Command Window just like you indicate, but it is simpler to just grab your file and drop it over BGLComp and this will compile it also.3. Yes, that is generally right.Microsoft usually insists that the header should be:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>but then they forget to put the "encoding" part in their examples. And it really works fine without it.4. If your object is at ground level, then alt=0. If you want to place it in the air (for example, a balloon), then you would put the altitude where you want it displayed.5. Yes, you can use TMFViewer for the coordinates, or Google Earth since that is where you are drawing the original shapes, it is as you wish.The object placement will depend on how the designer has made it. If he has created the object with its center as the reference point, then that would be the location of the coordinates. But sometimes, for example a dock or marina, he uses an end of the dock, usually the land side, as the reference point and so the coordinates will place the object from there. Many times, an object is part of a complex scene and it is quite far from its reference point because other objects also will display. It all depends and you will see as you go, it is a lot of trial and error.Here is a dock that I made and the reference point is the top end that is on land. So, I can just specify a point on the coast and know that the dock will be over water.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164499.jpg6. To turn an object, imagine that you are facing North. To turn right, increase heading - for example, heading=90 will turn the object to the right.But, careful, objects are not necessarily facing North by default. It all depends on how the designer made it, some face North, some South, some East or West, it will be a surprise each time!Here is one of the default vehicles and you can see that it faces South (I added the North-facing arrow.)http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164500.jpg7. If your placement area is flat and if it is at sea level, then you can place the object right over the polygon and specify alt=0. If you are placing the object on a height, then you should specify the alt=whatever the height.Best regards.Luis

[Guest Catalano]

Hola Luis,Thank you for your detailed description!The FS-program you mentioned - I couldn

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Bodo,The object placement tool is part of FS X, and is in the S.D.K.s.To enable it, you must modify the dll.xml file that is in the same directory as the fsx.cfg file:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/164536.jpgVery strange syntax

[Guest Catalano]

Hello Luis,thank you very much!I think you opened some haeven

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Bodo,The object placement tool is part of the mission creation kit, and generates xml files with a different format, not the same as we need in scenery creation. You could modify that file if you want, but it is probably faster and easier to make a different file in scenery format. Therefore, the tool is mainly useful to us for viewing the objects.You can include as many objects as you want in the same placement file.To move the green cross-hairs down onto the ground, you can use the hat switch on the joystick.It may be best to slew a little bit upwards and then point down towards the ground for a better view of the object.As for compiling the file, when I make my own xml file, it usually includes everything in one file, so there is no need for a batch file

[Guest Catalano]

Hello Luis,Thanks for your tips.Now I got the green cross-hairs down. Yes you are right its quit difficult to bring the object to the right position. At the end I got it and it looks fine as long the Object Placement Tool is active.I would like to ask you some additional questions Luis.My problem is - i get no marinas into FSX.I selected gen_marina_small02 twice and gen_Marina_small01.1. The compiling is that fast so I can

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Bodo,FS X is full of GUIDs everywhere, for everything, and it just makes it all more confusing.The correct object GUIDs are in the list that I attached. You will find that:gen_marina .................{f7b45093-9042-4b6b-b88d-e983a5ca91c7}gen_marina_fishing01 ...{80efccdf-0b68-4453-9ae1-b81528ed2072}gen_marina_fishing02 ...{2906f546-ecdf-44b1-ba24-a06217554d57}gen_marina_fishing03 ...{2ef499e8-72f7-423d-8bfc-cbf4976452d0}gen_marina_large ........{62c4907a-0253-4626-96ca-0fdcaabc050d}gen_marina_large02 .....{751e7208-417f-4da4-96dc-27182068a60d}gen_marina_large03 .....{905f9a90-770d-43e2-91ad-50007c11ef0a}gen_marina_med01 ......{6f04fe78-9995-49c6-970b-e34655605a3b}gen_marina_med02 ......{af39a6cf-7cc3-42d8-a449-e8f4372bbc1d}gen_marina_small01 .....{e20da92a-1eab-4680-9d49-2798e93c50f9}gen_marina_small02 .....{ea728f12-41f9-4f76-952f-535f76d1d9ef}gen_marina_small03 .....{aa416df1-0ffd-4e84-813d-d1004b274b53}gen_marina_tiny01 .......{da204e9e-f9f9-4d8b-b4c4-f0d55e16853c}gen_marina_tiny02 .......{c7d34b69-f041-4ba8-bace-dfb61e430302}If you wish to see error messages while compiling, you must open a command window and invoke BGLComp from there.Let us know if it works.Best regards.Luis

[Guest Catalano]

Hello Luis,Thank you again!And yes it works now!Interesting fact is, that it is really difficult to place the objects.Even with Google Earth. When I point the mouse to a certain place it shows me different lat/lon

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Das ist ausgezeichnet, Bodo!It looks a lot better. Congratulations and keep having fun.Best regards.Luis

[sightseer 895]

Thank you Bodo for asking questions and thank you Luis! ... for answering them.I saw that thing about Abacus and I read how people were using theObject placement tool to create scenery. I had never done any of thatand in the past I have always found MS's SDKs to be convoluted and difficultto understand.Last night I had created an xml (using object placement tool -- whichfirst I had to set the correct path to (in dll.xml)) but I saved thescenery and then saved the mission using the same name. that was my first mistake. I tried to drag and drop the file on BGLComp but it didnothing and I tried command line and got nowhere...I tried copying the data from the BGLComp SDK as it says 'to put an oil rignear SeaTac but that file wouldn't complie either...so - the example in the BGLComp SDK will compile if you add the proper GUID(available from list of library objects in autogen SDK) - apparentlyit doesn't need braces? - mine didn't... and if you add the properheader to a file created by the object placement tool's 'save scenery'option then that will work too. Place the BGL in scenery/global/scenery. I was under the impression that scenery wentin the addon scenery directory but the SDK says different. am I wrong?I'm writing this in case anyone else out there is stuck and feeling likean idiot. I just wanted to know that I was capable of adding to the game.and to say thanks again - to those who ask questions and those who give answers!