FSI and the add-ons dilemma

[Guest tonyc]

After successfully converting a few fs addons, I realized what an untapped potential FSI is for FLY. I fear, however, that unless it can convert(legally) fs default scenery, the add on option will simply not be enough. It's almost impossible finding add ons that are comparable to default scenenery in specific airports that may be of interest to a user. I have spent countless ours searching for possible airports as add ons, but in the end it's almost a hit and miss as to what can be found. I truly believe that a FSI that is used for personal use only and requires having to havefs2002 or 2000 in his pc offers no legal risks to the author, especially when one considers the "threat" that FLY poses to MS. Moreover, personal tools have already been available for other types of applications. I understand your fears Podraic, but maybe there's a way....legally, that is.tony

[Guest]

I agree with you that finding scenery is a tedious affair. Unfortunately, I (and others if I read all these threads correctly) have a more frustrating problem than that -> getting FSI to work. I've scenery.cfg-ed, bgl.zipped, fsadded-on, created artificial FS2002 folders (I don't have FS in any form or fashion) and I can't get anything to work. I've done some airport modeling with Terramodels, which took me a while to learn, but with Mr. Kriesman's helpful tutorial I got through it. In the time I've spent trying to get FSI to work I could have TM'ed the Atlantic Coast! The learning curve with FSI seems very steep, and the various posts and mini-tutorials haven't helped much.Perhaps FSI v2, which is reported to have some improvements, could have features in the various dialog "groups" that would allow the user to "browse" for the location of files, and maybe this would reduce the problem of files and paths not found. Additionally I think a much more clear tutorial would be helpful. Certainly FSI represents a potentially wonderful advance for Fly!II fans. I hope future versions with more improvements, and more ready access to FS scenery, will allow us to keep Mr. Harvey's dream flying.Conig

[Guest WilliamD]

Initially, I felt the same way, but after several attempts to convert some of the FS 2002 default scenery and several hours searching through the MS Scenery forum it has become painfully obvious that MS has taken great pains to keep their work separate from that of Add-on scenery creators. The freeware and the payware designers seem to understand and accept this seemingly whimsical decision on the part of the company to discourage improvement of the default lay-outs. We should do the same.

[Guest]

Maybe this is a good opportunity for someone to setup a website with links to various scenery add-ons that have been successfully converted with FSI. Kind of like a one-stop shopping area so people can be aware of what's out there, but still would require them to download and convert themselves. Users could contribute links as they found scenery they liked or thought was quality work. This would at least reduce the tedium of tracking down sets for conversion.Rich

[Guest]

This is a good idea. Since my previous post, I have gone back to square 1, deleting all files associated with FSI. I then re-installed FSI, and started in with a new set of folders in C:fsaddons; and as well re-wrote a scenery.cfg folder. This was done paying exquisite attention to the instructions in the readme file that came with FSI, as well as frequent reference to the many excellent posts in the several FSI-related threads in this forum. FINALLY, I got a scenery to convert. Following that I went up to the File Library for FS2002 scenery, and a couple of hours later, somewhat bleary-eyed, I finished scrolling through the 1000+ items, downloading several which I am now unzipping, 1 at a time. Some don't seem to convert, but a few have. Most don't seem to show taxiways, although the other scenery is nice. So far in the FS2002 scenery I've found the following to convert well:slc2002.ziplgb2002.zipksmf2k2.zip and kbtv (Burlington VT, but I didn't write down the file name.Maybe this brief list will give some folks a place to start. I've got about 20 more to try and I'll post the ones that work if anyone is interested.Conig

[Guest]

Conig

[Guest WilliamD]

Here's some of the sceneries that I have been able to convert:Simflyers LAXSimflyers EDDFSimflyers KDFW *(See below)Demo sceneries are available for free download at http://www.simflyers.netKLGB and KSNA by Shehryar Ansari at Avsim.com* To convert the Simflyers DFW demo scenery, which was problematic, I had to run the individual programs included with FSI from the command line. I first created a temporary directory called DFW. I then created each of the following directories inside DFW:DFWDFWArtDFWModelsDFWtexture1. Copy all BGL files to the DFW directory along with the BGLZip.exe program and Scm2Fly.exe program. Open an MS-Dos prompt and make DFW the current directory. Type the following at the prompt to decompress all of the BGL files.>BGLZIP -d -a bgl2. Create a batch file (text file) in the DFW directory called MakeScm.bat with a line for each bgl file and run it.----------------------------------------scm2fly -ti187152 DfwEbdg3.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 Dfwnt.BGL xxxx xxxx scm2fly -ti187152 dfwAdgs.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwAstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwBdgs.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwBstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwCdgs.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwCstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEbdg1.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwEdgs.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEgnd1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEgnd3.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEgnd4.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwEstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEtxs1.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwEtxs3.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwFEstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 Dfw1Ebdg.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 Dfwrw00.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwSbdg.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwstn1E.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 Dfwtech.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWbdg1.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWbdg2.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWgnd1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWgnd2.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWstn.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWtxs1.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 DfwWtxs2.BGL xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjw01.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjw02.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjwct.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjwlb.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjwst.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwsvlb.bgl xxxx xxxx-----------------------------------------3. Copy the files AF2raw.exe, AF2raw.txt and the makeraw.bat that is generated to your texture directory, CD to that directory and run the makeraw batch file from the command line. Copy all of the RAW and ACT files that are generated to your FS_IMPArt directory.4. CD to your DFWModels directory. You should see a lot of BIN files there now. Copy the Binops.exe to this directory and type the following at the command prompt:>Binops -nr0 -fl12 -pr0 -sb64:2 *.binCopy all of the BIN files to your FS_IMPModels directory.5. Copy the following files to your FS_IMP directory. 00000000.000, output.txt, and epdscript.txt. Rename epdscript.txt to epdtemp.txt.6. Create a text file and name it runit.bat with the following single line:----------------------------------------------------EPDOPS.EXE -zp -scepdtemp.txt . padraic_morgan_fly2_fs_imp_D187152.epd D187152.epd----------------------------------------------------Be careful to include the period and all underscores.Place runit.bat in your FS_IMP directory and double click on it in windows explorer or run it from the command line.7. Place the D187152.epd file in your Fly!2ScenerySharedfs_scnry directory. Run Fly!2 and teleport to KDFW.Be careful, and use this at your own risk. Back everything up - blah blah blah. Note that there are other command line programs to update the Fly!2 databases. I wasn't sure how or if I really needed to proceed with these. Maybe someone else can figure it out, or Padraic can help. Note also that this procedure still requires the FSI dll to run in Fly!2 and in no way circumambulates the protections he has put in place. I simply tried to follow the automated output of his program.

[Guest Dean]

Thanks, for the tip! DFW has frustrated me because it is the only airport scenery I've been unable to convert. I'll give this a try.

[Guest Dean]

>Most don't seem to show >taxiways, although the other scenery is nice. When I've run into this, like with Simflyer's EWR, I just de-select the taxiway option in FS Imports and the Fly II default taxways appeared.

[Guest]

Sorry that your DFW did not convert automatically. I hope to upload version 102 today, maybe it will shed some light on the issue.The list of "good" sceneries would be ok. It is unfortunate that somany ADD-ONs do not have runway/taxi/apron info and we notice that only after downloading and converting them. Since FSI (FS_IMP FS_IMPORT) is in its infancy I hope that users can forgive some of its disadvantages.Thanks for the patience,Padraic (Podjoe) Morgan.

[Guest tonyc]

No need to apologize, Padraic. I hope you see these threads as helpful observations that help your efforts in providing us a truly revolutionary tool.tony

[Guest]

Don't worry, Padraic ! Your utility is certainly one of the most interesting add on ; I am happy to see that you are working on future improvements. That's a great news : thanks again for all this work.Yves

[Guest Dean]

Tried following your directions to the T and still no go. I think the problem is at step 3. I wind up with a makeraw.bat file that is zero in size. Looking at it in notepad it is empty, the same for the epdscrpt file that is also created in this step. I'll show my makescm.bat file in case anyone can see what I am missing. I notice a line of dashes at the top and bottom of the example file shown but they don't seem to have any effect if I include them or not.scm2fly -ti187152 dfw1ebdg.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwadgs.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwastn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwbdgs.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwbstn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwcdgs.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwcstn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwebdg1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwebdg3.bgl xxxx xxxx scm2fly -ti187152 dfwedgs.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwegnd1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwegnd3.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwegnd4.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwestn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwetxs1.bgl xxxx xxxx scm2fly -ti187152 dfwetxs3.bgl xxxx xxxx scm2fly -ti187152 dfwfestn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwnt.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwrw00.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwsbdg.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwstn1e.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwtech.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwbdg1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwbdg2.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwgnd1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwgnd2.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwstn.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwtxs1.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 dfwwtxs2.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjw01.bgl xxxx xxxx scm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjw02.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjwct.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwjwlb.bgl xxxx xxxxscm2fly -ti187152 kdfwsvlb.bgl xxxx xxxx

[Guest WilliamD]

Each time you run scm2fly.exe it generates a line of the makeraw.bat for each of the textures that it finds and appends them to the current contents of the file.af2raw "DFW01.BMP" BB98000.RAWaf2raw -n "DFW01.BMP" BB98000n.RAWIt sounds like scm2fly.exe is not finding your bgl files. Try playing with the command line instruction at the Dos prompt with just one BGL file. That's all I can suggest. I tested out each step and it worked for me.

[Guest]

Try version v1.02, now available here at AVSIM.Just unzip it and overwrite the existing version. Your v1.01 Setupwill automatically be retained. Press the new "BGL list" button andread the messages that are generated. Does v1.02 pick up your BGLs and area for KDFW - the area should now be selectable in the new drop down area menu. Are any syntax error reported.Padraic (Podjoe) Morgan.