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P3D v2 Getting coordinates from existing BGL

wideloadwhitford

wideloadwhitford

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unitedstates
Hi all.

Had a computer reboot and lost my coordinates for my latest project. Is there any way to get them back from inside MDX?

(EDIT) - I tried bglanalyze and bgl2xml. It is a ground poly that I'm trying to get the coordinates from.

ZQK5s8L.png


Thanks, Ryan
 
Last edited:
Hi,

BGLAnalyze should do the job or you can load it into MCX and use the Object Position Editor to view the placement information.

But that main issue will be that with the default settings the object is split in different segments, each with their own local reference point. So the exact coordinates you entered will not be in the BGL file anymore.
 
arno said:
Hi,

BGLAnalyze should do the job or you can load it into MCX and use the Object Position Editor to view the placement information.

But that main issue will be that with the default settings the object is split in different segments, each with their own local reference point. So the exact coordinates you entered will not be in the BGL file anymore.
Click to expand...

Hi Arno, thank you for the reply. I tried to use the BGLAnalyze however it will not open. I did the the drag and drop method.

8ZjpFIA.png



Also I used MDX for the Placement option you suggested and it does indeed show multiple locations, but not the exact placement location.
 
arno said:
Hi,

BGLAnalyze should do the job or you can load it into MCX and use the Object Position Editor to view the placement information.

But that main issue will be that with the default settings the object is split in different segments, each with their own local reference point. So the exact coordinates you entered will not be in the BGL file anymore.
Click to expand...


Hi Arno:

This discussion brings to mind something I have been wondering about recently. :scratchch


Have you considered using an alternate method SCASM source coding with Ground Polygons to create them as "Area Points" (aka "mini-quads") and place them with their RefPoints relative to a NW corner of the known and calculable terrain QMID grid vertices for local terrain quads (which IIUC, is done via the SDK SHP2VEC compiler when working with custom vector terrain land class polygons).


AFAIK, this "textured tile positioning" technically also is done via SDK Resample methods, except IIUC, the 'texture tile' 0,0 pixel vertices are aligned relative to (if not precisely "on") a NW corner of the known and calculable terrain QMID vertices for local quads.


As you know, the FS terrain system is based on a Quad Matrix Grid using geographic (Arc Degrees) units of measure rather than on-ground distances in Meters.

Perhaps one might be able to implement G-Polys within the same parameters as are applicable to terrain quads, so that:

* G-Poly RefPoints are placed on LOD-9 / QMID-11 (...or LOD-10 / QMID-12 ? ) quad vertices


IIUC, the quad and Area Point tile sizes of the Quad matrix grid are sufficiently capable of "pivoting" along edges of the existing terrain tile system to achieve compliance of the ground shape with the FS "curved Earth" terrain tile 'break-points' at approximately 100 Meter intervals.

And when placing a group of G-Poly tiles (or 'triangular tile segments') relative to a central RefPoint, one might programmatically arrange it so that no 'grouped' tile is farther away than 1/2 of a typical LOD-13 / QMID-15 tile span at 511.5 Meters (aka "500 Meters") from a central terrain QMID grid placement coordinate.



Perhaps this approach might also help FS developers when setting up a grid in 3D modeling programs to ensure precise tile sizes and positioning which matches the FS "curved Earth" terrain tile 'break-points' (since FS terrain tile quads are inherently not perfect squares, and vary by size and shape with their global position as well). :pushpin:


FYI: I also envision FS developers having a utility which can output a file that provides the X-Y vertex coordinates to be used for setting up a grid in 3D modeling programs to ensure precise tile sizes and positioning as described above.


Possibly a DXF or other vector-based pixel "X-Y" file output might be implemented by MCX to provide local project tile grid coordinates for use in a 3D modeling application? :wizard:


This might be useful in other related scenery development activities (like recovering all of ones "lost" G-Poly source coordinates from de-compiled SCASM code). ;)


Thus, I wondered if you thought it might help FS developers to place G-Polys relative to FS terrain QMID grid vertices ?


Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts on this possibility. :)

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Hi Gary,

Technically it could be done. But what would be the improvement compared to now? I don't see it.

The ground polygons are typically in meters as well, so they have to be converted to degrees to fit the terrain tiles.
 
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