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Autogen not showing up after placing them in Annotator

szcsongor

szcsongor

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50
Country
sweden
Hi,

I have seen many topics posted with this problem but none of these offered me a solution and I got even more confused.
I have made a custom photoscenery with object-based trees all around (using the handy Forest - tree placing tool) and also some custom objects placed with SBuilderX and ADE (for the 2 airfields on the scenery).
Now as the last step I wanted to populate the area with autogen buildings, so I tried to place some but after loading the sim none of them appear. All sliders are set to max, autogen appears everywhere else, but not on my scenery.
I have heard about autogen suppression, but do not quite understand what is this and why it exists at all... Anyway I tried to load the scenery without all the custom objects (only the phototexture was loaded, no other objects were present) and 2 out of like 30 objects suddenly appeared at random locations. I could not find any logic why those two appeared and why the many others still not.
I am using the annotator tool from p3d v3 SDK, but running p3d v4. Can it be the problem? The scenery and custom objects were also made with older SDK, but I have not met any problems in my sim so far.

I did not expect that this autogen placing will be again that challenging, but honestly I am getting really tired of all this shit regarding development of sceneries for FSX / P3D. I am doing this scenery for more than a year now and I am still not finished, because I meet strange problems like this all the time. (see my struggle with strange fps drop under a certain altitude using this same scenery I am talking about now: https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...ain-altitude-because-of-autogen-trees.442093/)

So I would appreciate some tips or advice what I could try to pinpoint the problem.
Many thanks.
 
Hi,

it would certainly help to have some details, pics etc. Show some screenshots of what you are doing and it will get a lot easier for anyone here to help.
 
Hi,

Just to check some really easy things:
  • Did you put the AGN files Annotator made in the texture folder of your scenery?
  • Did you select a roof GUID for your buildings in Annotator?
  • Did you try to load just your photoreal and the AGN files and temporarily remove all other BGL files? Then you should see the objects, unless they are very close to a runway. That might help to rule out if other files caused their removing.
AGN files with the v3 SDK will work fine in v4. Actually the AGN format has not changed since FSX.
 
arno said:
Hi,

Just to check some really easy things:
  • Did you put the AGN files Annotator made in the texture folder of your scenery?
  • Did you select a roof GUID for your buildings in Annotator?
  • Did you try to load just your photoreal and the AGN files and temporarily remove all other BGL files? Then you should see the objects, unless they are very close to a runway. That might help to rule out if other files caused their removing.
AGN files with the v3 SDK will work fine in v4. Actually the AGN format has not changed since FSX.
Click to expand...


Interestingly I've been having precisely the same issue with a photo-scenery. I've checked and re-checked everything, and also conducted all the above tests you suggest Arno, but still for me no autogen will appear over my photo scenery. GUID selects correctly in annotator, polygon placement works fine, the files save normally as long as I open the annotator as an Administrator ( although to the scenery folder in FSX, so I manually move them to the texture folder instead - could that process be something to do with the error? ).

It's a very strange issue. The airport is built in ADE, the photo scenery using SBuilderX, everything otherwise works just fine. I don't really have an explanation for this one. Also, where others have found that Ground Polygons in ADE can obscure autogen, I don't have any GPs in my scenery yet at all so it can't be that. I'm open to suggestions, but I do need to use the annotator for my vegetation as it's the only way to get seasonal variations active and this is to be a commercial release so every i and t need to be dotted and crossed :)
 
A quick image to help illustrate the issue - the areas can be seen selected, but the Library feature does seem to show an XML error. None of the autogen shows up in the sim at this time.

Annotator.jpg
 
A quick update: the default.xml autogen file had to be copied into the Annotator folder in order for the libraries to show up - my fault for not seeing that line in the instructions for some reason. However, this has made no difference. Annotator performs perfectly ( apparently ) and yet autogen vegetation and buildings fail to show up. I have checked the .agn files and they contain information ( anywhere between 150kb and 500kn each ) and seem to show no flaws or faults that I can detect.

I performed the same process with the P3D v4 Annotator just in case, but the results were the same. The only odd flaw is that the Annotator saves the files automatically to the Scenery folder and not the Texture folder, which seems odd considering where they need to be in order to work.

I'm at a loss. My only thought is that it must be something to do with the ADE flatten poly, but I can't imagine what. I even placed autogen outside the overall poly "box" area to ensure that wasn't the cause of the exclusions, but to no joy. Any help for this odd flaw much appreciated!
 
Further update: I have tested the same process on another airport with photo scenery that I've been using as a learning site and the annotator worked perfectly! Trees were placed without issue. This time, the files were automatically placed in the correct ( textures ) folder.

Clearly, this issue is something to do with the way the airports are being built or compiled in ADE - will investigate further and post back when ( if! ) I figure out what's blocking the annotator.
 
SOLVED!!!!!

Bloody hell chaps, you're going to love this one. The reason why the annotator would not work is because....;

The Texture folder was named "Textures"

That's all it is. The textures still all worked, but the annotator must only recognise the word Texture.

There you have it. I shall now go and lie down and contemplate the two nights it's taken me to figure that one out :scratchch
 
Glad you solved it. Yes the name must be texture for FS to find textures and agn files.
 
Greetings all.
For me the annotator works perfectly with Vegetation… Not so much with buildings. I really cant make it work on top of photoreal scenery.
Any ideas or help.
Thanks in advanced for any support...
 
Can you explain what you tried already?

Basically you select the roof type you want and then draw the buildings.
 
Yes, just like Arno says - instead of selecting Autogen Descriptions for the GUIDs, you open up the Roof Descriptions file, pick your building type and then Add Guide in the annotator properties window. Your buildings should now show without issue. Library objects seem much more temperamental though - mine rarely show up as autogen.
 
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