Coming soon - my freeware Landclass Assistant!

[John_Cillis 2,406]

In a few days, I'll be uploading a tool that will allow you to add or update the scenery textures around your favorite city, or to add farmland in the middle of LA (if you want to reverse progress :) ). My tool is called "Landclass Assistant", and along with Microsoft's Terrain SDK, it will provide all you need to remake FS2002's world. Here's a screenshot--coming soon to Avsim's file library!John, KPHX

[Guest PaulL01]

>In a few days, I'll be uploading a tool that will allow you >to add or update the scenery textures around your favorite >city, or to add farmland in the middle of LA (if you want to >reverse progress :) ). My tool is called "Landclass >Assistant", and along with Microsoft's Terrain SDK, it will >provide all you need to remake FS2002's world. Here's a >screenshot--coming soon to Avsim's file library! >>John, KPHX Fantastic Work John! Finaly! Now if we could find a way to extract Fs2k2 default LC data :) (and re-do river/road data..., but I guess its one step at a time.Are you providing any kind of index for I.D.ing the FS2k2 LC/textures to specific colors or shades of grey; or how does that work? I really cant wait!Thanks for your hardwork!Paul

[John_Cillis 2,406]

"....Are you providing any kind of index for I.D.ing the FS2k2 LC/textures to specific colors or shades of grey; or how does that work?..."My documentation will include a simple table showing the byte values associated with each landclass. The user can print it out, and simply enter the byte value in the "Landclass Value" field, and either use the x,y offsets created by the calculation, or they can manually enter the information.My pilot project for the application was Carson City, NV, which is missing in FS2002 with the exception of its airport and one building. I simply grabbed the approx. extents of the boundaries in FS2002 by slewing to where I wanted my city to "end", then I used the calculator to tell me where those points were supposed to be in my .raw bitmap. Then I wrote each point into the .raw file using the "Write Data" function. It sounds cumbersome, but I actually have found it faster (and more accurate) than trying to draw the textures on some type of bitmap. One thing that helps the user... If you want to write the value of "121" (City Center texture) over three or four kilometers, you simply calculate the western and eastern point of where you want the textures to be, then you simply change the X value, Write, change the X value, write--until you get to your final point. You can do the same thing going North to South.Took me about sixty seconds to enter all the data needed for Carson City, which was composed of around 20 bytes, and about a minute or two to update the .inf and run my batch file to process the .inf into a bgl. I'll include a tutorial with the app, which will outline my Carson City project. It's the documentation that will dictate my projects release--the app is done, and I've been using it for around 24 hours now with no hiccups....My code for processing the .raw file is fast. You can initialize (Flush) the .raw file to the mask value in less than half a second. Writing bytes to the file takes an instant. The .raw file processing included with the app is simply a very basic hex editor, dedicated and optimized for the file type. Since most of the projects I envision for this app are less than 200 sq. miles, the hex editor approach is more efficient than trying to create a more complicated bitmap/paint interface. The fine payware program FSLandclass is better suited to the large scale tasks, given its GUI representation of landclasses, whereas Landclass Assistant is meant for the casual hobbyist who wants to add their own city or tinker with an existing one. Back to the part I hate--documentation! (Ughhhhh)John

[Guest PaulL01]

>My documentation will include a simple table showing the >byte values associated with each landclass. The user can >print it out, and simply enter the byte value in the >"Landclass Value" field, and either use the x,y offsets >created by the calculation, or they can manually enter the >information. Sweet! Will this be Greyscale or color?>My pilot project for the application was Carson City, NV, >which is missing in FS2002 with the exception of its airport >and one building. I simply grabbed the approx. extents of >the boundaries in FS2002 by slewing to where I wanted my >city to "end", then I used the calculator to tell me where >those points were supposed to be in my .raw bitmap. Then I >wrote each point into the .raw file using the "Write Data" >function. It sounds cumbersome, but I actually have found >it faster (and more accurate) than trying to draw the >textures on some type of bitmap. One thing that helps the >user... If you want to write the value of "121" (City Center >texture) over three or four kilometers, you simply calculate >the western and eastern point of where you want the textures >to be, then you simply change the X value, Write, change the >X value, write--until you get to your final point. You can >do the same thing going North to South. >>Took me about sixty seconds to enter all the data needed for >Carson City, which was composed of around 20 bytes, and >about a minute or two to update the .inf and run my batch >file to process the .inf into a bgl. I'll include a >tutorial with the app, which will outline my Carson City >project. It's the documentation that will dictate my >projects release--the app is done, and I've been using it >for around 24 hours now with no hiccups.... >Does it need any special runtimes? >My code for processing the .raw file is fast. You can >initialize (Flush) the .raw file to the mask value in less >than half a second. Writing bytes to the file takes an >instant. The .raw file processing included with the app is >simply a very basic hex editor, dedicated and optimized for >the file type. Since most of the projects I envision for >this app are less than 200 sq. miles, the hex editor >approach is more efficient than trying to create a more >complicated bitmap/paint interface. The fine payware >program FSLandclass is better suited to the large scale >tasks, given its GUI representation of landclasses, whereas >Landclass Assistant is meant for the casual hobbyist who >wants to add their own city or tinker with an existing one. Just want to make sure I understand you right; this new program makes the *.raw bmp file as well as the *.inf file?Thanks John, Looks like another great little wonder tool to add to the collection, one that is sorely needed. :)Paul

[John_Cillis 2,406]

"Sweet! Will this be Greyscale or color?"See my answer to the last question..."Does it need any special runtimes?"The app is coded in VB6.... I haven't decided whether I'll release it with the runtimes or not, or have the user download and install the runtimes from Microsoft. On one hand, the core app is only 32K (although the documentation is bigger, owing to my liberal use of screenshots). On the other hand, I rather like automating everything for the end user. No matter what, none of my programs mess with the registry or other innards of the system. "Just want to make sure I understand you right; this new program makes the *.raw bmp file as well as the *.inf file?"The program makes the .raw bitmap for you. No need to bother with whether it's grayscale or color--I handle the right format internally and deliver the type of bitmap resample needs. I don't create the .inf file--the app just delivers the LOD 5 boundaries and you plug them into the default .inf file I include with the app, then copy both the .inf file and the .raw bitmap to a location (folder) you set aside for your project to be processed by the SDK tools. Here's a copy of the .inf file included in the app: ++LOD = 5 *NorthLat = 42.1875 *SouthLat = 39.375 *WestLong = -120 *EastLong = -116.25 DestDir = "c:landclass projectslandclass" DestBaseFileName = "landclass" ++Type = ClassU8 SourceDir = "c:landclass projectslandclass" SourceFile = "landclass.raw" *Lat = 42.1875 *Lon = -120 ++NumOfCellsPerLine = 256 ++NumOfLines = 256 ++CellXdimensionDeg = 0.0146484 ++CellYdimensionDeg = 0.0109863The items noted with the asterisk are the ones you complete based on the output from Landclass Assistant. The items noted with the "++" never change from project to project. In fact, I don't change the DestDir, DestBaseFileName, SourceDir, or SourceFile either. I just rename the .raw file for archival purposes when I'm done, and rename the landclass.bgl created by my batch script just before activating in in FS2002. My docs will cover this in fair detail....Hope this helps answer your questions. I hope to complete and proof the documentation tonight.. John

[Guest PaulL01]

John,I dont think folks realize the impact that this tool will have in the way of really being able to enhance the scenery, this is such great progress! I hope someone can get going on cracking the River and road data soon as well! Christian? Andras? Misho? well...hopefully someone is listening or busy with there head down working...:)>The app is coded in VB6.... I haven't decided whether I'll >release it with the runtimes or not, or have the user >download and install the runtimes from Microsoft. On one >hand, the core app is only 32K (although the documentation >is bigger, owing to my liberal use of screenshots). On the >other hand, I rather like automating everything for the end >user. No matter what, none of my programs mess with the >registry or other innards of the system. Maybe it would be best to make available both a "with" and a "w/out" version. Heh, even at dialup speeds I dont think it will much matter.Can't wait to try her out John! :)Regards,Paul

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I uploaded Landclass Assistant during the late evening of the 20th... It should be appearing in Avsim's library soon after they complete the usual checks... Read the docs if you give it a try.... I've already been asked several times how it could work without the Terrain SDK for FS2002...and I've mentioned several times that it is written around FS2000's Terrain SDK--the program is just designed for FS2002 and will produce landclass updates for FS2002 only...The file will be around a 3 meg download--with most of that being the documentation and the VB runtimes, which I decided to include to make installation as automatic as possible.I hope folks enjoy this, and start cranking out those landclass updates right away!John, KPHX

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Here's a link:http://ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.php?DownloadID=15721Send me your feedback!John

[Guest Grunt]

John, where is the landclass.bgl file created? I followed the instructions and ran the batch program but do not know where the bgl was made.http://www.flightsimnetwork.com/dcforum/Us...cdf6182b41d.jpg Great Lakes Express VA - The Midwest's regional and feeder airlinehttp://www.voyagerairlines.com/gle/index.html

[John_Cillis 2,406]

The location of the landclass.bgl depends on where you set up your project folder--it should appear there when you're done with the batch file. I've suggested that users copy the landclass.raw, landclass.bat and landclass.inf to a generic project folder (you can even create it as a subfolder off of the app folder if you wish). If the batch file is run, and the bgl is missing, first verify that all the SDK executables are in the project folder. Then doublecheck the .inf file, and make sure it points to landclass.raw. Last, make sure you copied over the extent information properly to the .inf file...an error there could cause the landclass processing to fail. Scan the output of the batch file for any errors as well. If need be, just send your .inf file and .raw file to my email (zipped preferably), and let me know what it covers (I'm assuming the Carson City tutorial). I can try to run it to see where the issue may be...Regards,John

[Guest Grunt]

Please forgive me if I seem like an idiot, but I still can't get it to work. I really believe that this program will round out the holy trilogy of FS2K2 freeware programs (along with AFCAD and TTools)!! I am very excited about this!I re-downloaded the file, removed the old one, deleted all of the associated files, etc. and tried again. I even did what every flightsimmer hates to do but knows has to be done : RTFM. Twice. I tried to use the backwards compatibility feature of XP as a long shot but I still can't generate a bgl.I did manage to interupt the batch program and grab this:C:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrain>#echo off'#echo' is not recognized as an internal or external command,operable program or batch file.C:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrain>resample landclass.infMicrosoft ® Terrain Mesh File (TMF) Creation Tool Version 1.0.0.1Copyright © Microsoft Corp 1999. All Rights Reserved.Resample Info File: 'landclass.inf'[source] Type = 'ClassU8'[source] Type = 'ClassU8'[source] SourceDir = ' '[source] SourceFile = 'landclass.raw'[source] Lon = -82.5[source] Lat = 45[source] NumOfCellsPerLine = 256[source] NumOfLines = 256[source] CellXdimensionDeg = 0.0146484[source] CellYdimensionDeg = 0.0109863Failed to load source file' landclass.raw'C:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrain>tmfcompress landclass.tmf lfinal.tmfMicrosoft ® Terrain Mesh File (TMF) Compression Tool Version 1.0.0.1Copyright © Microsoft Corp 1999. All Rights Reserved.Failed to open source file: 'landclass.tmf'C:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrain>del landclass.tmfCould Not Find C:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrainlandclass.tmfC:fssdkterrainTerrainSDKFS2000 SDKTerrain>tmf2bgl lfinal.tmf landclass.bglAs you can see I even relocated the files I was working with (the info, batch and raw files) right into the SDK extracted file.This is my info file:[Destination] LOD = 5 NorthLat = 45 SouthLat = 42.1875 WestLong = -82.5 EastLong = -78.75 DestDir = " " DestBaseFileName = "landclass"[source] Type = ClassU8 SourceDir = " " SourceFile = "landclass.raw" Lat = 45 Lon = -82.5 NumOfCellsPerLine = 256 NumOfLines = 256 CellXdimensionDeg = 0.0146484 CellYdimensionDeg = 0.0109863I'm sure that I am doing something wrong, either with the setup or with the copying of info to the file. I am trying to do the residental areas east of KPHN, but I couldn't get the Carson City example to work either.Any suggestions from anybody? Why is it not reading my raw file? What is the deal with the 'echo'? Where do babies come from...Thanks for any help and thank you John for a program that will be great (when I figure it out!)http://www.flightsimnetwork.com/dcforum/Us...cdf6182b41d.jpg Great Lakes Express VA - The Midwest's regional and feeder airlinehttp://www.voyagerairlines.com/gle/index.html

[Guest PaulL01]

Grabing it now John! :)But I wont have time to try it out till the weekend. :(But Thank You!Paul

[John_Cillis 2,406]

First, the echo error is no big deal--when I typed the batch file, I meant to enter the "@" sign. Change the # to @, and that error will go away.Now do this....Create a folder called "landclass projects"Now copy all the .exe's from the SDK into that folder.Then copy landclass.raw, landclass.inf, and landclass.bat into that folder.Then try to run landclass.batAccording to the output of the batch file, this message "Failed to load source file' landclass.raw'" is key--it indicates that landclass.raw isn't in the same folder as landclass.inf and landclass.bat. It has to be there...you're supposed to copy it from your program folder (after doing your entry via landclass assistant)to the folder you're running the batch file from. One other possibility...did you rename it prior to running the batch file, as opposed to after? If so, rename it back. For the purposes of support though, do what I suggested above, instead of using the SDK folder. If you still have a problem, go into DOS and display a directory listing of the folder to a text file (type: dir >landdir.txt), open the text file and post it here... John

[Guest Kurt]

John,Thanks for uploading this, very slick.I do have some questions about matching the landclass values to the texture naming scheme used by FSim. I'll post later after I play some more and see if I can figure out the connection.beforehttp://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cebb7180eb114f8.jpgafter/ changed to farmland and added small villagehttp://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cebb7460f11affb.jpgb/w photo of areahttp://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cebb7680f7ea6e8.jpgKurt :-wave

[Guest Kurt]

I just found the texture mapping chart at Orlandos site, so I'm off to play with Landclass Assistant.Kurt