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As discussed in the thread about a new AFCAD like tool for FsX, there are some ideas to make such a new tools as a community effort. So let's use this thread this generate some ideas for such a tool, so that we can turn that into a plan.
I'll start with my own ideas of the next scenery design tool I would like to create. On the long run I would like this tool to become the "ultimate" scenery design tool. At the moment there are too many tools a designer has to use to create his scenery. So I would like to have one tool that can be used for both the mesh elements and the XML-style elements of the scenery. But I also know that this will be a big effort, so my ideas are to start with the XML-style elements. If we keep the design of the GUI general enough, it should be possible to add mesh scenery elements to it later without too much effort.
So this means that I would like the GUI in such a few that it has functionality to edit polygons, lines, point features, etc, without being tied directly to a certain type of scenery. And besides that it should of course have the basic features like showing maps and photos on the backgrond and stuff like that.
I have not really thought about the rest of the GUI yet, but I would like something like the Visual Studio environment. Where you have the map view in the center and have different panels on the side to show the properties of the currently selected object, a list of available objects that can be placed, a list of the objects you have already placed in this project, a 3D preview of MDL objects, etc.
Of course such a tool also needs a connection with FS (using SimConnect) to be able to read the position of the aircraft or to position the aircraft at the position of a certain object.
Besides the object that are available directly in the XML format, I would also like to add things like a line of objects or a polygon filled with randomly placed objects. This can be useful to make tree lines with some variation and stuff like that. So things to make the life of a designer easier .
If suggestions like I mentioned above are implemented, it is probably needed to determine a save format as well. As you can for example not read back the line from all the object placements in the XML code.
Another things I have been thinking about recently is to use plugins for the tool. That way the functionality could be split from the GUI and maybe people can add new functionality easier as well.
This are the ideas that I can think of at the moment (should be enough to get a discussion started ). If I remember some more, I will let you know.
I'll start with my own ideas of the next scenery design tool I would like to create. On the long run I would like this tool to become the "ultimate" scenery design tool. At the moment there are too many tools a designer has to use to create his scenery. So I would like to have one tool that can be used for both the mesh elements and the XML-style elements of the scenery. But I also know that this will be a big effort, so my ideas are to start with the XML-style elements. If we keep the design of the GUI general enough, it should be possible to add mesh scenery elements to it later without too much effort.
So this means that I would like the GUI in such a few that it has functionality to edit polygons, lines, point features, etc, without being tied directly to a certain type of scenery. And besides that it should of course have the basic features like showing maps and photos on the backgrond and stuff like that.
I have not really thought about the rest of the GUI yet, but I would like something like the Visual Studio environment. Where you have the map view in the center and have different panels on the side to show the properties of the currently selected object, a list of available objects that can be placed, a list of the objects you have already placed in this project, a 3D preview of MDL objects, etc.
Of course such a tool also needs a connection with FS (using SimConnect) to be able to read the position of the aircraft or to position the aircraft at the position of a certain object.
Besides the object that are available directly in the XML format, I would also like to add things like a line of objects or a polygon filled with randomly placed objects. This can be useful to make tree lines with some variation and stuff like that. So things to make the life of a designer easier .
If suggestions like I mentioned above are implemented, it is probably needed to determine a save format as well. As you can for example not read back the line from all the object placements in the XML code.
Another things I have been thinking about recently is to use plugins for the tool. That way the functionality could be split from the GUI and maybe people can add new functionality easier as well.
This are the ideas that I can think of at the moment (should be enough to get a discussion started ). If I remember some more, I will let you know.