Hi allI just uploaded BGLTOOLS_V2 now with BGL2SHP added.BGL2SHP converts VTP and LWM-Data from FS2004-BGL-Files into ESRI-shapefiles that can be used in Terrascene to create scenery for FLY!II. This program also works with the standard MSFS-scenery.Standard FS2004-BGL-files have the following naming convention:xxnnnnnn.BGL like RR952410.BGL.for BGL2SHP you can use following files:HPnnnnnn.BGL : Lakes / IslandsRDnnnnnn.BGL : Roads RRnnnnnn.BGL : Railways STnnnnnn.BGL : Streams Roads, Streams and Railroads are converted into shapefiles type 3 (Polyline). In Terrascene use the field "LINE_WIDTH" for mapping. (Converting streets map the broadest linewidth to highways and so on)Lakes are converted into shapefiles type 5 (Polygones). In Terrascene use the field "POLY_TYPE" for mapping.POLY_TYPE: 0 = water, 1 = land, (2 = flatten area)You can use my tool "SMOOTH" in the package SHPTOOLS (downloadable from AVSIM) to soften the angles by adding additional points in the shapefiles using the Bezier algorythm.Harald

Thanks, Harald. When you have a chance, if you could upload some pics...tony

Thanks, HaraldDan

Thanks Harald,Can you post some pictures please.thanks againchris_CA

Hello Harald,Best wishes for 2006.Looking forward to the BGLTOOLS_V2 containing the BGL2SHP.Another interesting Terrascene year 2006 is coming along.Best Regards,FrankEBKT

Harald,Many thanks for these utilities.Will this mean one can convert MSFS 2004 commercial scenery (eg Christian Stock's latest NZ topo scenery) for FlyII?:-beerchug

HiI hope yes, give it a try and let me know. I wrote this tool to use the roads,rivers, lakes and railroads of FS Qualities "Austria Professional Pro" with FlyII.But as I wrote above, you only get shapefiles for roads, rivers, streams and lakes. You have to use Terrascene to create the FlyII sceneries.I think the scenery you mentioned will also include altitude- and landclass-data. These data will not be converted by BGL2SHP. For altitude data I use the free SRTM-data.For landclass-data I use the data (free) available data from the CORINE-Project.Harald

Thanks for the tools Harald. They work like a charm and I exported a large part of the Dutch coastline. The annoying thing is al pure water consist of a large number off squares (I'm sure its caused by the BGL format and not by your tools). I now use FGIS (which is sadly no longer available as a free download BTW) to join the shape files and to make small corrections with the coastline. I hope the resulting sea shape can also be used to get a rendered coastline.You mention the CORINE landclass data. I have the CORINE shape file cover for the Netherlands but I see that the German data is going to cost 30 Euro. Strange as they seem to be the only ones that charge for otherwise free data. I'm now considering to use the free bitmap image when I get to the Dutch - German border tiles.Do you have a standard Terrascene mapping for the CORINE Landclass data? I have the standard Fly and HITW texture sets and would like to match the landclass in my Euro tiles with yours if possible.Greetings,Harry

Hi HarryTry the HLnnnnnn.BGL-file. It contains the coastlines as linetype-shapes. (so no squares).Squares: FS2004 divides the world into tiles and any polygon has to be within such an tile.But it would be no problem to add a switch in BGL2SHP to decide if the "squares" should be exported - just let me know if you need this feature. You would need the squares to create watermasks for lakes in Terrascene.I also use FGIS. Its a great tool and it's a pity that it is not free any longer.I got my CORINE-Data for Austria from the Austrian "Umweltbundesamt" for free from http://gis.umweltbundesamt.at/download/I will send you my terrascene-mapping-file tomorrow.Harald

Hello Harald,I'm getting my data from a add-on BGL. It doesn't have coastline data so I guess I have to endure the join via FGIS method. Anyway the extra detail is more than worth it. It beats creating shapes from scratch with a map as background and the resulting 'sea' wil also be easier to deal with in Terrascene. It's just the bad luck of living in that part of the world that has the most water in it ;-)I Don't know if excluding the squares will help maybe excluding the larger squares will help but the smaller ones are needed in order to get a good stretch of coastal waters that is easy to join.The BGL I use also has som strange multiple squares in some places. But all these things are easy to correct with FGIS. After I get the water mask working the road data wil be easy to do and with selected CORINE landclass items added I'm guessing there will finaly be an easy way to do large European scenery projects. Largely thanks to your tools.I will check if my AVSIM profile e-mail is still valid. (don't like to post my e-mail in a public forum). Thanks for your help.Harry

Hello HarryYou can use LMWViewer found at http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/LWMViewer.html to compare my shapefiles with the original BGL's. Please use the stable version (=LMWViewer 1.3)found at this page an not the 2.0 version found at other Websites.You are my "betatester" ;) so its quite possible you will find some errors.Harald

Hi Harald,some files BGL converted in SHP result this way:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137768.jpgDan

Hi Dancan you tell me which bgl-file does not work and - if its not a bgl that comes with fs2002 or fs2004 - can you please send me this filethanksHarald

Hi Harald,I was looking for a bgl2shp like tool for a long time - so am very happy to finally find one ;-). I made some quick tries on some scenery (rodas or rivers) and it converted them. BUT! When I tried to pen it in globalmapper it gave me an error "Error loading shape file data" - and GlobalMapper is one of thos progs which almost opens everything. Also QGIS (www.qgis.org) gave an error on it. Only TatukGis (http://www.tatukgis.com/Home/home.aspx - there is a free viewer) was able to open it (which I find interesting). Upon this experiences I suppose, that there is some bug at the end of the shape file (because the output of TatukGis looks OK) which leads to the error in most GIS apps. Could you check it out, because it would be great to have coorect sahape files :-)Thank you very much!

HiIs one of this files not larger than 1MB please send it to my email-adress you find in the readme or if it is an origional FS2004-File please tell me which one.I can test it and send you the newest version.I use ARCView for testing of my shapefiles.Harald