FSX AUTOGEN exclusion problem

[JoeHallenbeck]

Hello.

As you can see from my pictures (anomaly1.jpg) after I placed new scenery and created autogen using annotator tool everything from default scenery is gone except these high power line posts. As you can see they are placed on new autogen buildings like it was ignoring autogen building.

On next screen (anomaly2) you can see border of my scenery with default scenery of FSX and these power line posts again. It looks like they are created by some vector or something (question mark) because they are going through whole country ignoring everything in its path.

Any thoughts how to get rid of them please? Is it necessary to delete them from somewhere as bgl files?

Scenery which I created is based on textures compiled to one bgl using resample.exe from SDK kit and autogen is placed by annotator tool from SDK kit too. As scenery is in higher layer than defult scenery every possible default autogen and textures are not visible but these are.

Thanks

 

[GHD]

To eliminate powerlines you need to define an exlusion polygon for "Utilities" using shp2vec or ADE or SBuilderX.

 

[JoeHallenbeck]

Will this eliminate the autogen as it is? I don't want to loose the buildings and trees...

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Joe:

I believe what George is telling you here is that one must create a single exclude for a specific type of autogen vector line object based on its unique GUID code.

To the point of your inquiry, "excluding" an autogen vector object from being displayed in FSX merely requires a single interception or overlap of that vector line with an "Exclude Polygon" that has the proper GUID attribute.

That "Exclude" for autogen "vector objects" must itself be a vector polygon type BGL created with FSX SDK SHP2VEC, and NOT the legacy "Exclude Rectangle" type for "scenery objects" created with XML and BGLComp.


In designing an Exclude for the autogen utility corridor and its associated power towers seen in your area of interest, we can see from the type of towers used that it is a particular FSX default scenery object:

gen_powertower01 {54382EC5-B1BD-4A43-AA1A-4F5F529356C3}

See: http://lc0277.gratisim.fr/sceneobjects/hazards/index.html


That gen_powertower01 scenery object is used in the autogen vector object routine defined in the FSX SDK Terrain and Scenery "Vector Attributes" table:

Utilities Guid 11 Guid of texture (as text) Texture {1B6A15BB-05FB-4401-A8D1-BB520E84904C}

Utilities Uuid 11 Unique ID (does not go into the simulation) Utilities {C7ACE4AE-871D-4938-8BDC-BB29C4BBF4E3}


To Exclude the type of Utility corridor you are seeing, we must choose a specific GUID when making the "Exclude Polygon" vector BGL in SBuilderX or ADE9X which corresponds to an autogen object or entity named "UTILITY_1".


Presently, I find ADE9X convenient for centralized display and development of various parts of my scenery projects, so I'll present a walk-through in that context.

With ADE9X installed, updated, configured, and running in "FSX" mode:

1.) Load a flight in FSX at your custom scenery project area

2.) Slew your aircraft to the precise base of one of the utility towers along the utility corridor you want to Exclude from display

3.) In ADE9X, click "Connect" to align the cursor with current FSX aircraft position

4.) Click the green irregular shaped icon bar button to "Add Polygon"

5.) Click 4 points closely around the edges of the ADE9X cursor to make a 4-sided polygon, then double-click.

6.) In the "Terrain Polygons" dialog, select "Exclude Specific" and then in the "Tag" list pick "Utility_1"; click OK

7.) Click File > Compile Airport and note the output folder path; click "Save"

8.) In the ADE9X output folder, copy the [filename]*_CVX.BGL to your above, active, scenery project \Scenery folder

9.) In FSX, navigate via Menu > World > Scenery Library; click "OK"


FSX should re-index the scenery library and return to your flight position... with the utility corridor excluded.


NOTE: FSX autogen vector lines are usually sized ("clipped") into LOD-9 / QMID-11 segments, and if you need to exclude other such lines in neighboring quads, you may have to make a similar exclude polygon in each of those other quad areas as well.


FYI: IIRC, an autogen UTILITY_1 corridor excludes trees and buildings along its path, but not outside the assigned strip width set in FSX Terrain.Cfg.


PS: If you wish to replace a utility corridor autogen vector line at a corrected location, ADE9X can do that too, via "Add Vector"... but that is a subject unto itself.


You may also wish to refer to the Tutorial "Fun With Lines" by Luis Feliz-Tirado (aka "LFT") at:

http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?autocom=tutorials&article=14 <= Disregard; it is now "missing" from AVSIM


[EDITED]

A ZIP archive of that entire Tutorial is attached below (as a "complete web page" with illustrations as viewed by my FireFox web browser) in lieu of a working link to the original... which has now gone missing from AVSIM. :spushpin:


To view the "Fun With Lines" Tutorial by Luis Feliz-Tirado:

1.) Un-zip that archive into a folder preserving the stored "relative" folder structure

2.) Double-click "Fun With Lines.htm" file; if that web page opens in FireFox, the "black screen overlay" can be disabled by:

a.) FireFox Menu > Tools > Options > Content > un-check "Enable JavaScript"; click "OK"

b.) Web Page should now be fully visible in "off-line" mode after refreshing that page via the < F5 > key


UPDATED - January 24, 2014

3.) Newer versions of FireFox have removed the above option to disable JavaScript from the FireFox GUI, so here is a new workaround:

a.) In the FireFox address / URL field, type: " about:config " ("This might void your warranty" prompt pops up)

__(1.) Dismiss the above prompt pop-up by clicking the "I'll be careful, I promise !" button (FireFox preference configuration screen is displayed)

__(2.) In the FireFox preference configuration screen 'Search' field, enter "javascript.enabled" ("javascript.enabled - default - boolean - true" is displayed)

__(3.) Double-click the "javascript.enabled - default - boolean - true" line item so that it now reads "javascript.enabled - user set - boolean - false"

b.) Web Page should now be fully visible in "off-line" mode after refreshing that page via the < F5 > key


To re-activate JavaScript in FireFox:

a.) In the FireFox preference configuration screen 'Search' field, enter "javascript.enabled" ("javascript.enabled - default - boolean - true" is displayed)

b.) Double-click the "javascript.enabled - user set - boolean - false" line item so that it now reads "javascript.enabled - default - boolean - true"

b.) Web Pages requiring JavaScript should now resume 'normal' functioning after refreshing via the < F5 > key




3.) If instead that "Fun With Lines.htm" web page opens in MS Internet Explorer (aka "MSIE"), the "black screen overlay" can be disabled by:

a.) MSIE Menu > Tools > Internet Options > Security Tab > "Custom" Button > Settings > Scripting > Disable "Active Scripting"; click "OK", and "OK"

b.) Web Page should now be fully visible in "off-line" mode after refreshing that page via the < F5 > key


To re-activate JavaScript in MS Internet Explorer (aka "MSIE"):

a.) MSIE Menu > Tools > Internet Options > Security Tab > "Custom" Button > Settings > Scripting > Enable "Active Scripting"; click "OK", and "OK"

b.) Web Pages requiring JavaScript should now resume 'normal' functioning after refreshing via the < F5 > key




NOTE: IIUC, the black screen overlay "gotcha" is associated with the AVSIM "Community Forum Software by IP.Board" seen in archived "complete" web pages viewed "off-line" when the "online" web page has integrated FaceBook, Twitter or other optional content (IMHO read: "Social Networking Crap" ! ) on top of the original underlying web page.

[END_EDIT]


Hope this helps !

GaryGB

 

[JoeHallenbeck]

There is no doubt about it helped a lot. But my concern is that I'm using that library object you are mentioning (gen_powertower01 {54382EC5-B1BD-4A43-AA1A-4F5F529356C3}) for creating accurate high power lines by the ground photo texture by SbuilderX. In fact in one part of my scenery it would not do any damage to clean all unnecessary power posts but in this particular part power lines created by me are crossing power posts created by microsoft. I will have to try it and locate it as closes as possible and erase those posts in some parts one by one unfortunately using polygon bgl files.

Thank you for your explanation of using ADE9X program but I'm not using it. Its because I'm creating scenery which could be transferable from my computer to any other installation of FSX. This way I'm trying to eliminate as much as possible any unnecessary impacts on default installation of simulator making it most compatible as sublayer addon.

Will experiment with the UTILITY polygon tomorrow and post back the results...

Many thanks

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Joe:

Just a point of clarification; the autogen power towers are called by an autogen routine as a group, and cannot be excluded individually using a library object XML exclude.

Those "lines" of autogen power towers are a part of the UTILTY_1 "autogen object batched draw call routine" that, in addition to putting a grass strip on the ground, will populate that strip with the described gen_powertower01 objects at regular interval spacings along the FSX CVX vector poly-line.

One must exclude them as a group within each LOD-9 / QMID-11 quad using the specific GUID code in a FSX CVX vector Exclude BGL.


You may have discerned that to better delineate the default FSX autogen UTILITY_1 corridors, one must temporarily disable display of one's own custom AGN file (by renaming to a non-BGL file extension, or moving that AGN file out of your active project \Texture folder).

Once you have excluded the FSX default utility corridors, it would then be easier to work with your "own" UTILITY_1 type corridors by re-activating your AGN file in your active project \Texture folder.

Also, when you create your own UTILITY_1 type corridors, all you are doing is placing instructions into a vector BGL that tells FSX on ANY end-users system... to display it's internal "autogen object batched draw call routine" already present in every user's FSX installation; so you will not be adding any unnecessary burden on the end-users' system with your BGLs.

Additionally, both your UTILTY_1 CVX vector placement, and your AGN files will be relatively small, so no worries !


Hope these additional ideas help !

GaryGB

 

[JoeHallenbeck]

As I promised "I'll be back" with results.

I just created 4 point rectangle polygon over supposed place where microsoft high electricity posts are running and stated in it's properties to exclude all utilities and recompiled it together with all objects created by me to single CVX bgl file and it worked flawlessly. I'm glad it worked out.

As an addition to my notes its perfect that I can draw the rectangle over any place where these posts are drawn by line vector by microsoft and it will exclude them but which is most important it will keep my objects placed manually in its original places, thats great!

Thank you for your advices and notes!

One note on the end. Placing the exclude rectangle created not just exclusion on specified filed by this rectangle but I noticed that this erased more posts around it approximately 100 meters each way.

 

[GHD]

A utilities exclusion polygon will exclude to the QMid11 boundary.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Joe:

If a FSX CVX vector exclusion polygon intercepts anywhere along a CVX vector polyline, ALL of that polyline segment within that particular LOD-9 / QMID-11 quad area will be prevented from being displayed at run time.


One can see the LOD-9 / QMID-11 quad "clip" extent of excludes via this process:

1.) Launch [Flight Simulator X SDK install path]\SDK\Environment Kit\Terrain SDK\TmfViewer.exe

2.) Open a custom or default FSX vector "CVX????.BGL" for an area

NOTE: Default FSX vector "CVX????.BGL" for areas are in [FSX install path]\Scenery\[area #]\Scenery folders

3.) Click View > QMID Grid and select "Level 11"

4.) Click View > Vector Data and select ALL options, including "Points"

FYI: Gray lines = autogen Utility polylines; squares = data points

5.) Right-click on a utility data point, then click "Identify Vector Features"

The autogen vector "Texture" GUID assigned to Utility_1 in FSX Terrain.Cfg is listed

6.) Note the Magenta dotted line grid of squares; this is the QMID-11 quad outlines at which vector polylines are "clipped" into segments when placed (and when "Excluded" by a vector exclude polygon with the specific GUID which intercepts or touches anywhere along that polyine... within a particular quad).



BTW: In SBuilderX v3.13, one can click View > QMID Grid and select "Level 11" to display a quad grid as a reference for segmenting or clipping of vector lines being created or excluded.


Also, you may wish to view an animated Tutorial of SBuilderX's CVX vector clip features here:

http://www.ptsim.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1629&start=0&sid=ff982185eb8f3251ec4004efd4df1824

Double-click this link in that thread to see the video (-requires "Flash" aka "Shockwave Flash" browser plug-in to be set 'active'):

http://www.ptsim.com/sbuilderx/videos/normans.swf


PS: Many thanks to Luis Sa' for making this great utility available to the FS Community !


Hope this helps explain one's further options for "Fun With Lines" in sufficient detail !

GaryGB