Force FSX to use 16m/Pixel photoscenery?

[maxymaxy 0]

Hi,I have created some photoscenery which has the max res of 16m/pixel. While it is considerably lower in res than FSX default, it is nevertheless 'real' showing roads and lakes in the correct place. Is there a way to force FSX to use this lower res BGL rather than its own default scenery which I believe is 8m/pixel?

[arno 1]

Hi,Just adding your BGL to an active scenery folder should be enough to get it shown. Also make sure that in the settings you have set the terrain resolution high enough to actually see the full resolution.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Here are some common resolutions in FS:LOD 8 = 152 meters/pixelLOD 9 = 76 meters/pixelLOD 10 = 38 meters/pixelLOD 11 = 19 meters/pixelLOD 12 = 9.5 meters/pixelLOD 13 = 4.75 meters/pixelLOD 14 = 2.38 meters/pixelLOD 15 = 1.19 meters/pixelLOD 16 = 0.59 meters/pixeland so forth.Flight Simulator X has default ground textures with resolution of 1.19 meters/pixel (LOD 15). And FS X will not even bother displaying any custom textures with a resolution lower than LOD 13 (4.75 meters/pixel.)If you want your custom textures to display in game, you must force compilation at a higher LOD resolution. To do this use the LOD parameter in the inf file.Normally, with LOD=Auto, Resample will determine the optimum LOD levels for your image. But in this case, set LOD=Auto,15 - by thus setting a maximum value and forcing your image to compile to higher LOD levels, the bgl will contain sufficiently high resolution LOD levels that FS X can display.Best regards.Luis

[maxymaxy 0]

Hi,Thanks for your replies. I didn't make myself very clear, sorry.My 1m photoscenery is showing up and working well with good frame rates with SP1 and Vista. My LOD is on 7cm :) When I fly out of this 1m zone I am back to the default FSX scenery. What I want to do is force FSX to use 16m photoscenery rather than its own default. Luis what you are suggesting is spot on. But the question is how do I do it? I have the bmp file and the inf and I am using resampleFSX.exe. The inf of one of the 1m files looks like this:[Destination]DestDir = ..sceneryDestBaseFileName = L1_S-36'58'20_E138'31'35_S-36'54'17_E138'36'32BuildSeasons = 0UseSourceDimensions = 1[source]Type = CustomSourceDir = ..workSourceFile = L1_S-36'58'20_E138'31'35_S-36'54'17_E138'36'32.bmpLon = 138.526611328125 Lat = -35.0277472948707 NumOfCellsPerLine = 7680 NumOfLines = 7680 CellXdimensionDeg = 1.07288360595703E-05CellYdimensionDeg = 8.78193979760948E-06So there isn't anywhere to change the LOD setting? Am I looking in the right place?

[scott967 62]

I think you need the FSX version resample? AFAIK, FS9 resample always creates LOD13 photo scenery.scott s..

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

As Scott mentions, that inf file is of the type used for previous versions of Resample.For FS X, it could look like this:the Source sectionType = BMPLayer = ImagerySourceDir = "..work"SourceFile = "L1_S-36'58'20_E138'31'35_S-36'54'17_E138'36'32.bmp"Lon = 138.526611328125Lat = -35.0277472948707NumOfCellsPerLine = 7680NumOfLines = 7680CellXdimensionDeg = 1.07288360595703E-05CellYdimensionDeg = 8.78193979760948E-06the Destination sectionDestDir = "..scenery"DestBaseFileName = "L1_S-36'58'20_E138'31'35_S-36'54'17_E138'36'32"DestFileType = BGLLOD = Auto,15UseSourceDimensions = 1CompressionQuality = 85Please note the Compression Quality parameter. A value of 100 means no compression, but a very large bgl. I use 85 and get a bgl about a quarter the size with no visible deterioration in image quality that I can see. It is up to you to decide.Also, if your source is 1 meter per pixel, then you can probably just use LOD=AutoBest regards.Luis

[maxymaxy 0]

Hi Luis & Scott,Thank you that worked.I added:LOD = 13CompressionQuality = 85...to the inf file and dragged it onto resampleFSX.exe. From there I copied the BGL and BMP to the FSX Addon scenery folder and made the changes within FSX to account for the scenery. All sweet!I haven't decided 100% to ditch the default scenery yet, but now at least I have a choice :)Thanks again.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

The LOD parameter has the following possiblities: - LOD=Auto means that Resample will automatically determine all the LOD levels to compile based on the resolution of the source image - LOD= x,y where x and y are a range of LOD values,the minimum and maximum LOD desired in the compiled bgl, for example, LOD=5,15 - LOD=Auto,x where Resample should determine automatically the LOD levels, but also force compilation to a maximum determined by the user, for example, LOD=Auto,15 - LOD=x where this is the only LOD level that will be included in the bgl, for example, LOD=13. This is probably not what we want.Why? Because, in FS X, the custom ground bgl now contains all the required LOD levels. The game does not any longer need to expend resources rendering them since they are already pre-rendered and in the bgl.Therefore, the different LOD levels need only be displayed as needed, when approaching or departing the ground. This should improve performance in game.What happens if there is only one LOD level in the bgl? Then the game will only display the custom ground when conditions for that level are met. The rest of the time, the default ground textures are displayed.Conclusion: we usually want to use LOD=Auto, except if we want to force compilation to a precise level, in which case we would use a LOD range as the parameter.Best regards.Luis

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

After checking the S.D.K. documentation, I noticed my mistake in the above explanation.According to the S.D.K.:LOD = [min,]maxso, indicating LOD=13 does not mean that only one LOD level is compiled, but rather that this is the maximum level, I assume.Sorry for the error.Best regards.Luis

[Guest vlada stoje]

Hi Luis,I think if we can believe that the FSX uses from the bgl files the same LOD levels as shown in TmfViewer, then the command for example LOD = 15 really means only one picture 1.2m/pix LOD15 without mipmaps.CheersVlada Stoje

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Vlada, for the correction. This will teach me not to believe everything that I read, and to always test first.You are right, I have checked and only one LOD level is compiled in the bgl. So, the S.D.K. documentation is incorrect.So, we should not use LOD=x but always indicate either Auto or a range of LOD levels.Best regards.Luis