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FSX Changing Of The Guard

Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
With a lot of help here from Bushpilot, I was able to FINALLY learn how to use SODE for windsocks and flags at KASH airport and then translate this knowledge to my other airports as I posted at SOH. Now I want to raise the bar...on one of my Naval Air Stations, I have created not only the airfield but the surrounding area with roads and main gate. I was able with experimentation to light the "fluourescent" light fixtures to illuminate the ground by attach object in MDCx. Now that I think I know how to use SODE for seasons, I would like to change the sailor's uniform for the seasons. I now have one figure that was created in Sketchup and placed as part of the gate scenery for ADEx. If I remove him I can replace him with a SODE simobject mdl placed by lat/long one for each season, correct? He does not need to be animated just changed. Can I do this? Then I will post my next idea........
 
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
I created two mdl's from DAEs in ModelConverterX: one for a sailor in blues and one sailor in whites. I then wrote XML code with visibility conditions of months. I checked the xml for validity online and it is ok there. I added it to the 12bpilot Programdata simobjects and xml folders but the sailor does not appear at the gate.
They are NOT animated just static exported 3D Sketchup images. Something is wrong I am sure but I don't know what.

XML:
    <!-- Created by SODE Placer (c) Jeffrey Staehli -->
<SODE>
    <SimObject Name="EDP KNCR">
        <Placement Lat="30.4" Lon="-87.29" Alt="36.3" Hdg="0.0"/>
        <Model SimTitle="12bPilot_SODE_Environmental_Data_Probe">
            <EnvironmentalDataProbe ClientList="SAILOR_BLUES;SAILOR_WHITES"/>
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    <SimObject Name="SODE_SAILOR_BLUES">
        <Placement Lat="30.401667" Lon="-87.281167" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="0.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="sailorblues">
            <ConditionalVisibility LogicExpression="A$B$">
                <Condition ID="A" Variable="MonthOfYear" Value="SEP-MAY"/>
                <Condition ID="B" Variable="DayOfWeek" Value="SUN;MON;TUE;WED;THUR;FRI;SAT"/>
                </ConditionalVisibility>
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    <SimObject Name="SODE_SAILOR_WHITES">
        <Placement Lat="30.401667" Lon="-87.281167" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="0.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="wailorwhites">
            <ConditionalVisibility LogicExpression="A$B$">
                <Condition ID="A" Variable="MonthOfYear" Value="MAY-SEP"/>
                <Condition ID="B" Variable="DayOfWeek" Value="SUN;MON;TUE;WED;THUR;FRI;SAT"/>
                </ConditionalVisibility>
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    
</SODE>
 
Messages
267
Country
germany
For objects that do not react to weather conditions (for example: wind) EnvironmentalDataProbe is not needed.

In your xml example only the month would be enough, because the days are the same for both.

I would write your example like this:
XML:
    <!-- Created by SODE Placer (c) Jeffrey Staehli -->
<SODE>
    
    <SimObject Name="SODE_SAILOR_BLUES">
        <Placement Lat="30.401667" Lon="-87.281167" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="0.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="sailorblues">
            <ConditionalVisibility Variable="MonthOfYear" Value="SEP-MAY"/>               
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    <SimObject Name="SODE_SAILOR_WHITES">
        <Placement Lat="30.401667" Lon="-87.281167" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="0.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="wailorwhites">
            <ConditionalVisibility Variable="MonthOfYear" Value="MAY-SEP"/>               
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    
</SODE>

If the SODE_SAILOR_BLUES is not visible, there SODE can not handle the months over the turn of the year.
Then it would have to be written as follows:
SEP-DEC;JAN-MAR
Or enumerate all months one by one...
SEP;OCT;NOV;DEC;JAN;FEB;MAR
 
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
Tried changing to individual months but it did not make any difference. I'm thinking its the simobject file so please look at them:https://www.mediafire.com/file/jm0sx789zmt430e/SODE+SAILORS.zip/file I just noticed that I have two model files in these but they are not in the one in 12bpilot SODE. Just the models that say sailorblues and sailorwhites which are the correct ones. I went back and compared the sim.cfg of these with the ones for the flags that work and I had an error that I fixed and now it works. I have to go and use Slewmaster to get the exact coordinates for them now because they are a bit off from the SHIFT Z I did before. Again thank you for taking the time.
 
Last edited:
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
As a funny thing...after getting the code to work perfectly to change the sailor from blues to whites, I checked to see when the uniform changed at my airfield which is in Florida in the US and they do not change but wear whites all year so I wrote a new xml with just whites. Now, I decided today to remove the automobile from permantly being in the gate and instead have it at different times of the day with a SODE Conditional Visibility which I downloaded how to do this from the SODE 12bpilot site. I can get it to be visible at 0800-0815LT but the other 3 times do not work. I did the same with the Gate Guard and he likewise is only visible at 0800-0815. I checked the code and it is supposedly ok. Cam you show me where is the mistake that it doesn't show at the other 3 times. Also, I had the MetPrecititation in the string hence the Environmental Data Probe which I have not removed when I took out the MetP' but I will.

Code:
<!-- Created by SODE Placer (c) Jeffrey Staehli -->
<SODE>
<SimObject Name="EDP KNCR">
        <Placement Lat="30.4" Lon="-87.29" Alt="36.3" Hdg="0.0"/>
        <Model SimTitle="12bPilot_SODE_Environmental_Data_Probe">
            <EnvironmentalDataProbe ClientList="SODE_CHEVY55"/>
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
   
     <SimObject Name="SODE_CHEVY55">
        <Placement Lat="30.40159780" Lon="-87.28122024" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="070.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="chevy55belair">
         <ConditionalVisibility>
                <Condition Variable="Time" Value="0800-0815;1200-1215;1545-1600;2000-2015LT"/>
                </ConditionalVisibility>  
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
   
   
</SODE>
 
Last edited:
Messages
267
Country
germany
You have to read the SODE-SDK at the right place.;)

If you use only one variable, then the code looks like this...

XML:
<!-- Created by SODE Placer (c) Jeffrey Staehli -->
<SODE>
 
     <SimObject Name="SODE_CHEVY55">
        <Placement Lat="30.40159780" Lon="-87.28122024" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="070.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="chevy55belair">

                <ConditionalVisibility Variable="Time" Value="1300-1315;1700-1715"/>
 
        </Model>
    </SimObject>
  
  
</SODE>

Furthermore it is to be considered with use of several times that UTC times are used.
Local times, with the entry (LT) work only with a time span.
 
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
No matter what time it is the Chevy is still sitting at the gate. Here is my code:

XML:
<!-- Created by SODE Placer (c) Jeffrey Staehli -->
<SODE>

     <SimObject Name="SODE_CHEVY55">
        <Placement Lat="30.40159780" Lon="-87.28122024" Alt="0.0#AGL" Hdg="070.00"/>
        <Model SimTitle="chevy55belair">
         <ConditionalVisibility Variable="Time" Value="0800-0810"/>
         </Model>
    </SimObject>
    
    
</SODE>

I can't see what is wrong. Can you help AGAIN, please. Thank you in advance.
 
Messages
267
Country
germany
You have now set 08:00 UTC time.
This corresponds to a local time of 03:00 o'clock in the sim.
So your Chevy is visible from 03:00 to 03:10 local time.

You simply set your local time in FSX, then you activate the box for UTC time...
You take over this UTC time then in SODE.

The difference between UTC and local time does not match in Sim and in Real!
In the example above the time difference in real is 4 hours.
In the sim the time difference is 5 hours.

So always take the times from FSX and do not calculate the real times.
 
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
I understand the difference between UTC and local times. We are currently -4 and on November 7th will be -5 UTC. The problem is that the vehicle is at the gate all the time no matter what time it is and I don't understand why. If I look at the gate at 0800LT and I have 0800 UTC set in the XML it should NOT be there but it is and its there all day.
 
Messages
267
Country
germany
Your xml in post 12 looks ok.

Then deactivate the SODE xml or take it out of the SODE xml folder.
Then check again if the vehicle is still at the gate.
If this is the case, then the vehicle is placed there by another SODE xml or a normal placement bgl.

There you can only search.
 
Messages
962
Country
us-northcarolina
OK Thank you I'll check it out and get right back here. I removed the xml from 12bpilot SODE xml and there was no car. I put it back; double-ckecked the time value which is "0800-0810LT". I opened up FSX at 0830LT and the car is at the gate. ??? Is this one to scratch your head over? Every other xml I have flags; windsock; snowplows etc. are all working correctly. I have the flag that you created for me that is removed at 1833LT each day and just a pole because the civilian airports light up the flag at night with spotlights so it can stay up day and night. Only the Military Base puts it up and takes it down of my sceneries. It is working perfectly on the same airport scenery. I keep editing...I wrote an xml for the Chevy to leave the base at 1615LT. For testing I deleted the 0800LT code xml and inserted the 1615LT xml and it works. SO...I copied the 1615LT xml then changed the time to the 0745-0755LT and tested it. The Chevy is there at 0745LT and at 0845LT it is gone. Even though the code above looks correct and tests correct as valid at my W3 School checker, could it have been corrupted in some way? Everything is working now properly. Thanks again for your help.
 
Last edited:
Messages
267
Country
germany
Nice if it works now.

In the SODE xml code it is often the small things / typos which are hard to find.

A comma instead of a semicolon or similar.
But this makes the code unusable.
 
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