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FSXA Creating a New Single Object from Several Default Objects

Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
I have been flying a lot in the State of Idaho in the US with FSEconomy. It's my home state and I've been to many of the small mountain airstrips I fly into and out of. To help with the VFR part of the flying I purchased a 3rd Party scenery payware for the entire state and am having great success spotting known landmarks, mountains, and drainages to aid in visual navigation.

The down side is, the scenery kills most of the autogen and all of the autogen conifers...all trees really, not just the firs. From 3,000 feet or so you really cannot tell that, but on approach and landing the lack of trees is blaringly evident. To solve this I have slowly taken individual airstrips, starting with the ones I most frequent, and using ADE added trees, in some cases an abundant amount of trees, in and around the airstrip proper to get the "mountain" Pine tree feel.

I currently have to add each tree individually using Add/Library Object/Vegetation/Tree Type. Needless to say, some of the airstrips, most really, have hundreds of trees around there perimeter. That's what makes mountain flying in mountains covered with forests so much fun. It gets wearisome, but necessary to hand place all these hundreds of trees and I must say it looks very well. I use "rubber band" select and "copy objects where I can", but that means I first have to place 10 or 20 trees to get a "forested" look. I have to individually rotate each one at each new airstrip I modify to a different direction to get a "forested" look. I have found the pinepinion_mat1 thru 5 with a ponderosa or three and some douglas fir thrown in for variety give me the most realistic looking forest based upon actual pictures and first hand observation around some of the closer airstrips I can visit.

I would like to take 20 or 30 default trees (individual objects) and make one single object to add to the library under the name "forest_mat_grove" for clumping together a forest and a second one "forest_mat_line" for edging along the runways. I don't know how to do this, or if it is even possible.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Randy
 
Messages
2,930
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newzealand
Randy,
i don't know if this would work in your situation, but have you tried adding a Landclass with ADE?
using something like...............Add Polygon\Type\Land Class\Tag.......then scroll down the list for something like "Cool Broadleaf Forest"
that way you may be able to draw any size you need instead of adding them individually.......

just a thought

Ray
 

=rk=

Resource contributor
Messages
4,450
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us-washington
Land class is great, but I do not believe you can get land class autogen over what is obviously being described as photo scenery. Pretty sure it's one of the other. Randy, when you acquire a feel for the "autogen annotator," your problems will be over. This is the highlighted return when one Google's the term:

upload_2017-8-15_22-5-2.jpeg
The Autogen Annotator is a powerful tool for modifying the autogen of default ground textures or adding autogen to custom (photo-real) ground. It can be found in the Autogen S.D.K.
 
Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
Ray, thanks for the suggestion. I tried it and like Rick suspected, the payware photo scenery covers up the land class so I cannot see the polygon land class trees in the sim. After creating the polygon I got to thinking anyway, isn't the land class just a flat representation of the environment any way? It wouldn't add 3D trees to the default sim would it? Those would still have to be added by hand I think. But a good suggestion. Thanks for replying.

Rick, the Autogen Annotator looks like a direction to go, but in order to use it won't I have to search the hundreds of MegaScenery Earth (the payware I use) tiles/textures in Idahov2 for each individual airstrip to annotate? That seems as daunting, or more so, as individually placing trees, so I'm right back to creating a "new" single library object (forest) composed of many default objects (trees).

Randy
 

=rk=

Resource contributor
Messages
4,450
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us-washington
Rick, the Autogen Annotator looks like a direction to go, but in order to use it won't I have to search the hundreds of MegaScenery Earth (the payware I use) tiles/textures in Idahov2 for each individual airstrip to annotate? That seems as daunting, or more so, as individually placing trees, so I'm right back to creating a "new" single library object (forest) composed of many default objects (trees).

Randy
Not really sure your point and you are mistaken, land class comes complete, ground, trees and houses. Any attention you have to place to an airport with your library object, you can do on a larger scale with the annotator. If you do research, you will find this has been encountered many, many times and many have tried to reinvent the wheel. Making a large forest will only add to your experience as you will find that it will not conform to terrain and the frame rate cost will be unmanageable.
 
Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
Thanks Rick, for the clarification on how land class works and that it does come with autogen 3D objects in place, but as you already mentioned, doesn't "fit" with photo real Megascenery and is not displayed.

Making a large forest will only add to your experience as you will find that it will not conform to terrain and the frame rate cost will be unmanageable.

Is this statement referring to annotator or my current process of adding trees individually. If referring to my process, the trees do, in fact, conform to terrain no matter where I put them. For instance, at U60, Big Creek USFS Airstrip in Idaho there is a very long, high ridge immediately to the east of the strip. I have individually placed trees "up" that ridge with ADE add/library object/vegetation/tree type and they do show and do conform to terrain. One of my biggest "tree placing" projects has been at 55H Atlanta USFS Airstrip, also in Idaho. There is both rising terrain and sloping away terrain around the strip. Placing trees individually, or even rubber banding a group of tree objects and then copying and pasting that "group" again follows both rising and falling terrain, even if the "group" is pasted to a slope. As for the frame rate, I have mine set to 50 fps in sim and even with payware GA aircraft, real clouds and weather through active sky, and a parking area with 3D bush plane objects, a jeep or two, and a building (that doesn't exist in real life). I routinely get 30-40 and usually high 40's flying in to Atlanta with overcast in the Carenado C185F Skywagon, so I haven't seen an FPS impact yet. I'm only adding trees to the immediate areas of the airstrips, not trying to reforest the entire state.

If, however, the above statement refers to using the annotator, then if it does impact frames I am, again, right back to creating a new single object containing many default FSX objects. I have glanced at the Autogen Annotator in the FSX SDK, but have done nothing else up to this point except read through the instructions, which is where the question about the airport tiles came from. Seems the annotator wants you to work off a photo background template (texture) while placing autogen, but I could be interpreting the instructions all wrong.

Randy
 
Messages
223
Country
us-ohio
Thanks Rick, for the clarification on how land class works and that it does come with autogen 3D objects in place, but as you already mentioned, doesn't "fit" with photo real Megascenery and is not displayed.



Is this statement referring to annotator or my current process of adding trees individually. If referring to my process, the trees do, in fact, conform to terrain no matter where I put them. For instance, at U60, Big Creek USFS Airstrip in Idaho there is a very long, high ridge immediately to the east of the strip. I have individually placed trees "up" that ridge with ADE add/library object/vegetation/tree type and they do show and do conform to terrain. One of my biggest "tree placing" projects has been at 55H Atlanta USFS Airstrip, also in Idaho. There is both rising terrain and sloping away terrain around the strip. Placing trees individually, or even rubber banding a group of tree objects and then copying and pasting that "group" again follows both rising and falling terrain, even if the "group" is pasted to a slope. As for the frame rate, I have mine set to 50 fps in sim and even with payware GA aircraft, real clouds and weather through active sky, and a parking area with 3D bush plane objects, a jeep or two, and a building (that doesn't exist in real life). I routinely get 30-40 and usually high 40's flying in to Atlanta with overcast in the Carenado C185F Skywagon, so I haven't seen an FPS impact yet. I'm only adding trees to the immediate areas of the airstrips, not trying to reforest the entire state.

If, however, the above statement refers to using the annotator, then if it does impact frames I am, again, right back to creating a new single object containing many default FSX objects. I have glanced at the Autogen Annotator in the FSX SDK, but have done nothing else up to this point except read through the instructions, which is where the question about the airport tiles came from. Seems the annotator wants you to work off a photo background template (texture) while placing autogen, but I could be interpreting the instructions all wrong.

Randy
It is possible to add a together objects over photo-scenery. I do precisely this in my payware US-coverage scenery series. You should check out the free tool called scenProc. You'll find discussion about it on the FSDeveloper forum. With the right inputs, this great tool from Arno Gerresten can do all sorts of powerful things!
ian

ian

Sent from my K88 using Tapatalk
 
Messages
7,450
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us-illinois
Hi Randy:

I agree with Ian that you could greatly enhance the FS scenery realism, accuracy, and FPS performance via Autogen tree placement as opposed to BGLComp-type scenery library object tree placement ...by using Arno's ScenProc and/or FSX Autogen SDK Annotator utility.

Annotator can directly read custom photo-real BGLs as a work-space background image over which to create the required Autogen-XML work files from (manually) annotated LOD-13 sized tiles of photo-real imagery that can either be used as is, or more commonly, that are subsequently compiled into *an.AGN files placed into a \Texture sub-folder which is paired locally with the ex: MegaScenery Earth \Scenery sub-folder containing the photo-real BGL files in Idahov2. :idea:

< NOTE: MegaScenery Earth = aka "MSE" for purposes of ongoing discussion >


AFAIK, ScenProc can not (yet) directly read custom photo-real BGLs, and instead (currently) requires aerial imagery GeoTiffs for ones scenery project area; these are scanned and a user-adjustable detection process identifies trees and certain other vegetation, then ScenProc creates Autogen-XML work files and compiled *an.AGN files compatible with those created by FSX Autogen SDK Annotator utility.


I am not certain whether Arno has yet perfected the WMS streaming feature option in ScenProc to access aerial imagery web tiles to eliminate the requirement of the end user to submit aerial imagery GeoTiffs for processing by ScenProc for autogen detection / creation, and if he has, whether there is good quality WMS-streamed imagery available for Idaho. :scratchch

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/scenproc.131/


If you are not yet ready to take on the huge task of downloading a massive amount of aerial imagery GeoTIFFs to use with ScenProc to semi-automatically annotate the entire state of Idaho, perhaps you could instead use sparse areas of BGLComp-type scenery library object tree placement in the vicinity of airports where scenery object LODs would actually allow such trees to be seen at lower altitudes ...that might not otherwise be seen 'all that well' when at higher in-flight lower altitudes over custom photo-real aerial imagery.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/forest-fsx-p3d-tree-placement-tool.148/


GaryGB
 
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Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
Wow, what an information overload. I have spent the entire day not flying.

I have gone through Autogen Annotator and placed (I think) some autogen trees using a photo real scenery tile. Trouble is I have no idea where in the entire state of Idaho I placed them because I had absolutely no way of knowing which Megascenery Earth tile I was using to create the forest. Perhaps one day I'll stumble across it.

I downloaded Arno's scenProc tool and went through the entire 83 page instruction and watched two 1-hour-long videos posted by Arno from the 2013 Developer's Conference. Got Open Street Maps to Export the GIS data as an OSM file and downloaded QGIS to read the GIS data from Open Street Maps, but have no idea how to "import" the data. Finally stumbled upon an html help page for QGIS README and near as I can tell I have to add a Vector layer to view the data, but when I try I point QGIS to the OSM file and nothing happens

In Arno's videos he already had the data imported to QGIS so he never shows the actual process of importing the data. Merely clicks an icon, I think the Add vecotr Layer one...couldn't really tell...makes a statement something like, "once you have your GIS data from Open Street Maps this is what you see in QGIS".

Looked at Forest 1.03 next and went through the install and use documents, but the author strongly recommended using an earth viewer program I am not familiar with. He said google earth would work and I've downloaded hundreds of images from it for airport backgrounds while I am using ADE to modify an airport, but although he says GE will work, he never explains how to use it.

I'm down to looking at "AutoTrees" which is really an FS2004 tool, but the author swears the .agn files produced work in FSX. I have FS2004 and FSX, but my photo scenery is in FSX and you have to start in FS2004 with autotrees the way I read it, so again, no joy.

Guess I'm going back to manually placing them one by one or in rubber banded clumps, but I certainly do appreciate everyone's help and advice. It is not lost on me and I will keep trying with scenProc, because it looks like an amazing tool if I can just get past the QGIS problem.

Randy
 
Messages
223
Country
us-ohio
Hi Randy:

I agree with Ian that you could greatly enhance the FS scenery realism, accuracy, and FPS performance via Autogen tree placement as opposed to BGLComp-type scenery library object tree placement ...by using Arno's ScenProc and/or FSX Autogen SDK Annotator utility.

Annotator can directly read custom photo-real BGLs as a work-space background image over which to create the required Autogen-XML work files from (manually) annotated LOD-13 sized tiles of photo-real imagery that can either be used as is, or more commonly, that are subsequently compiled into *an.AGN files placed into a \Texture sub-folder which is paired locally with the ex: MegaScenery Earth \Scenery sub-folder containing the photo-real BGL files in Idahov2. :idea:

AFAIK, ScenProc can not (yet) directly read custom photo-real BGLs, and instead (currently) requires aerial imagery GeoTiffs for ones scenery project area; these are scanned and a user-adjustable detection process identifies trees and certain other vegetation, then ScenProc creates Autogen-XML work files and compiled *an.AGN files compatible with those created by FSX Autogen SDK Annotator utility.


I am not certain whether Arno has yet perfected the WMS streaming feature option in ScenProc to access aerial imagery web tiles to eliminate the requirement of the end user to submit aerial imagery GeoTiffs for processing by ScenProc for autogen detection / creation, and if he has, whether there is good quality WMS-streamed imagery available for Idaho. :scratchch

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/scenproc.131/


If you are not yet ready to take on the huge task of downloading a massive amount of aerial imagery GeoTIFFs to use with ScenProc to semi-automatically annotate the entire state of Idaho, perhaps you could instead use sparse areas of BGLComp-type scenery library object tree placement in the vicinity of airports where scenery object LODs would actually allow such trees to be seen at lower altitudes ...that might not otherwise be seen 'all that well' when at higher in-flight lower altitudes over custom photo-real aerial imagery.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/forest-fsx-p3d-tree-placement-tool.148/


GaryGB
Note: if you already have MSE for your state (and I think you mentioned that?) you won't have to download any GeoTiff files.

However, you will need decent geodata, like OpenStreetMap data, to add some autogen types using scenProc. That might include trees, buildings, etc. where the information is available. In the US, this is problematic. In Europe it's a lot easier. Decent digital vector data here is poor or, at least, not free (hence GaryGB's suggestion about sampling imagery). I had to buy some but anything is better than nothing. I'd get on Google and see what OSM or other shapefile data you can find. Check the state government's or similar websites to see if they have any, say for vegetation or land management. Also look at sites like Geofabrik where there's some (not comprehensive) data for US states.

ian

Sent from my K88 using Tapatalk
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Wow, what an information overload. I have spent the entire day not flying.

I have gone through Autogen Annotator and placed (I think) some autogen trees using a photo real scenery tile. Trouble is I have no idea where in the entire state of Idaho I placed them because I had absolutely no way of knowing which Megascenery Earth tile I was using to create the forest. Perhaps one day I'll stumble across it.

I downloaded Arno's scenProc tool and went through the entire 83 page instruction and watched two 1-hour-long videos posted by Arno from the 2013 Developer's Conference. Got Open Street Maps to Export the GIS data as an OSM file and downloaded QGIS to read the GIS data from Open Street Maps, but have no idea how to "import" the data. Finally stumbled upon an html help page for QGIS README and near as I can tell I have to add a Vector layer to view the data, but when I try I point QGIS to the OSM file and nothing happens

In Arno's videos he already had the data imported to QGIS so he never shows the actual process of importing the data. Merely clicks an icon, I think the Add vecotr Layer one...couldn't really tell...makes a statement something like, "once you have your GIS data from Open Street Maps this is what you see in QGIS".

Looked at Forest 1.03 next and went through the install and use documents, but the author strongly recommended using an earth viewer program I am not familiar with. He said google earth would work and I've downloaded hundreds of images from it for airport backgrounds while I am using ADE to modify an airport, but although he says GE will work, he never explains how to use it.

I'm down to looking at "AutoTrees" which is really an FS2004 tool, but the author swears the .agn files produced work in FSX. I have FS2004 and FSX, but my photo scenery is in FSX and you have to start in FS2004 with autotrees the way I read it, so again, no joy.

Guess I'm going back to manually placing them one by one or in rubber banded clumps, but I certainly do appreciate everyone's help and advice. It is not lost on me and I will keep trying with scenProc, because it looks like an amazing tool if I can just get past the QGIS problem.

Randy

AutoTrees and AGenT are also a way to 'saturate, then cull via Annotator' custom photo-real aerial imagery LOD-13 tiles with Autogen, but some caveats apply when porting the FS9 format Autogen XML into the FSX version of Autogen XML: :alert:

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&q=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+"AutoTrees"&oq=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+"AutoTrees"&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2636.14119.0.14566.33.33.0.0.0.0.251.3489.0j27j1.28.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..5.3.477...0j46j0i46k1j0i131k1.4EIvUNN3lCs

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+"AGenT"&oq=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+"AGenT"&gs_l=psy-ab.12...258502.262298.0.264765.7.7.0.0.0.0.330.1034.0j6j0j1.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0.57iBp1hzdD0


GaryGB
 
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=rk=

Resource contributor
Messages
4,450
Country
us-washington
Thanks Rick, for the clarification on how land class works and that it does come with autogen 3D objects in place, but as you already mentioned, doesn't "fit" with photo real Megascenery and is not displayed.
Is this statement referring to annotator or my current process of adding trees individually.
The reference was to the idea of making a large collections of trees, a forest. Even if you made the trees unrealistically tall, adding even more polygons to render, their bases would not be able to conform to terrain except in a very limited elevation range.
Trouble is I have no idea where in the entire state of Idaho I placed them because I had absolutely no way of knowing which Megascenery Earth tile I was using to create the forest. Perhaps one day I'll stumble across it.
There is a schema for location of the tiles. I don't have an opportunity to search it right now, but I am pretty sure you could open a few tiles in TMFviewer, visually note the location and tile name and by doing this a few times could figure out the pattern yourself. It is probably very similar to what is already used in the simulator.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi again:

FS Autogen SDK Annotator automatically opens / writes to a Autogen-XML file for the local LOD-13 tile being viewed. :pushpin:


NOTE: *an.AGN file name prefixes are different if aircraft is over 'default' land class vs. 'custom' photo-real land class


You may wish to review these threads, and use George Davisons "IdentifyTile" utility for either FS9 or FSX: :idea:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fsx-annotator-and-tile-numbers.4272/

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...-else-duplicate-agn-files.431972/#post-689796

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...-files-based-on-bgl-files.429425/#post-665669


Download link for Georges "IdentifyTile" utility: www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/attachments/identifytile-zip.17213/

GaryGB
 
Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
A little progress with ScenPro today, only 12 or 13 hours into this, which isn't that much given the possible outcome. I finally found a source of GIS data that QGIS would import through the, I think, Fabik application. It contains all of Idaho in many different data types, but thankfully, landuse, which contains the forests and grasslands; natural, for the parks and cemeterys; water, for the water, of course, buildings and many others. They are all broken down into individual and specific to the feature shapefiles, which QGIS can read.

After figuring out what elements and format scenPro wanted for the bounding box coordinates I finally completed an acceptable configuration to generate autogen. My bounding box covers all of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area and a portion of the Boise National Forest. scenPro found 307 features within my coordinates and is, at this very moment doing it's splitgrid thing. Since this is the farthest I have ever gotten, I have no idea how long splitgrid or writing the .agn file will take, but I presume a long, long time given the area.

I probably should have started with something smaller like the buildings in my small home town, but you know what they say, "in for a penny, in for a pound".

I will post the results, if there are any. And again, thanks for all the replies. I know at times I sound frustrated, but I actually am quite thankful for all your posts, ideas, and suggestions. I will get there, I know it...thanks to members like all of you.

Randy

Edit: Progress Report. No Joy. scenProc created 30 .agn files based on my configuration and exported them to the FSX/texture folder. Started FSX and went to the area within the bounding box grid and the only trees I saw were ones that I hand placed in the process of working the airstrips with ADEX.

Thought I'd go "smaller" and try to place autogen buildings in my hometown. Much smaller bounding box and 58 buildings discovered. New config worked up and pressed run. 8 .agn files created and exported to FSX/Texture. Again, no joy, no buildings other than the ones I had previously placed using ADEX.

I have no idea what I am doing wrong. Seems to me that with the .agn files going in to the FSX/Texture folder there ought to be a corresponding .bgl file going in to the FSX/Scenery folder to use those .agn files, but maybe the .agn files use the existing autogen.bgls since I used default objects in my configuration arguments.

I don't know. I was doing so well and then plummeted down to earth dead stick and crash landed...
 
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Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
Note: if you already have MSE for your state (and I think you mentioned that?) you won't have to download any GeoTiff files.

Ian,

I'm confused. If I don't need geoTIFF files because I have MSE how does scenProc use the MSE .bgl file...or a geoTIFF file for that matter. The Texture Feature Editor. I tried to use that using several "test" .bgls from MSE, but all "detect" got me was the image covered with a reddish hue, whether it was a forest, grassland, or urban area, and no "features" were ever detected. Again, I'm probably doing something wrong, but the manual is a little sparse in that area, I guess assuming the configuration process will be successful.

Also, I tried the IdentifyTile program. It found that I was directly over tile 00300010320330su.bmp so I searched for that .bmp texture on my entire computer, both the C:\ drive where MegasceneryEarth Idaho is installed and the Z:\drive where FSX is installed. If you are wondering why an FSX "scenery" is installed on a separate drive it's because that is what the MSE install instructions recommended. That .bmp file was not found anywhere on my system, in either drive, clear down in to subfolders and files. I tried using MCX to look at the MSE .bgl files, but of course there are no objects in an MSE .bgl so nothing was displayed. I was hoping to find out which bgl's used which .bmps to display the Idaho photo real.

Randy
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Randy:

Compiled *an.AGN files (or the Autogen-XML files from which they are compiled) that match the numeric prefix for a texture image mapped to a LOD-13 area within the Geographic extents covered by a custom photo-real land class BGL, must be located within the local 'paired' \Texture folder alongside the \Scenery folder which actually contains the appertaining custom photo-real land class BGL ...in order to be displayed.


Regarding the 00300010320330su.bmp reported by IdentifyTile as being mapped to a LOD-13 tile referred to above, whereas in FS9 and earlier versions of FS the mapped texture image files (such as 00300010320330su.bmp) created by versions of FS SDK Resample prior to FSX would have been kept in the the local 'paired' \Texture folder alongside the \Scenery folder which contains the appertaining custom photo-real land class BGL ...in order to be displayed.

However, in FS9, the BGL only contained the mapped texture image placement instructions, and in FSX the BGL created by FSX FS SDK Resample contains both the placement instructions and the mapped texture image files such as 00300010320330su.bmp within a 1-piece package. :pushpin:

Thus, you will not be able to find a discrete stand-alone 00300010320330su.bmp anywhere on your computer since it is contained within a 1-piece package MSE FSX-format custom photo-real land class BGL.


Also, if ScenProc is not instructed to make custom Autogen for a texture image mapped to a LOD-13 area within an appertaining custom photo-real land class BGL, it will output *an.AGN files (or the Autogen-XML files from which they are compiled) that match the numeric prefix NOT for a custom photo-real land class BGL, but instead for a default land class BGL. :alert:


FYI: If you save a FS flight (aka *.FLT file) for a test location within the MSE area, next disable the MSE Area Layer in the FS Scenery Library GUI, then load that saved FLT file to place the user aircraft at the test location, when IdentifyTile is run, it should show the numeric prefix NOT for a custom photo-real land class BGL, but instead for a default land class BGL.

This may help determine what Autogen tiles ScenProc's work-flow is being instructed to output: default or custom. ;)


BTW: To help double-check your work-flow by quickly looking for any file on all your local computer NTFS drives, I would recommend using this excellent freeware utility:

Everything

Locate files and folders by name instantly.

https://www.voidtools.com/


After installation, simply run the program with 'Administrator' permissions and allow it to do its relatively fast initial indexing.

Then type a file name into the search field; it will find all instances of that file name on any number of (default) NTFS file system formatted drives installed in Windows on your local computer ...almost instantly ! :wizard:

When Everything finds all instances of the specified file name, it will display and grant access to them all, via its search dialog ...regardless of which [user account or profile name] folder chain the file is located inside of.


Hope this helps sort things out during the learning process. :)

GaryGB
 
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Messages
223
Country
us-idaho
Thanks for the reply Gary,

I did end up moving the scenProc .agn files to the MSE folder where the photo real .bgl scenery folder was located. I had to create a texture folder, though, as there wasn't one there. I now understand that is because MSE uses what you describe as a 1-piece package MSE FSX-format custom photo real land class BGL. The trees and buildings still did not show.

Also, if ScenProc is not instructed to make custom Autogen for a texture image mapped to a LOD-13 area within an appertaining custom photo-real land class BGL, it will output *an.AGN files (or the Autogen-XML files from which they are compiled) that match the numeric prefix NOT for a custom photo-real land class BGL, but instead for a default land class BGL.

After reading this I'm almost sure scenProc created autogen .agn files for the default FSX scenery and MSE is masking those files the same way it masks autogen from the default FSX installation. So how do I tell scenProc to make those "custom Autogen" for the MSE Photo Real Scenery? I did not see any such parameter in the scenProc documentation, yet I've seen in the forums and screenshots where people have placed autogen specifically over their installed MSE Photo Real. Won't AutoTrees and AGenT do the same thing, though, create AUTOGEN for the default scenery and not the MSE Photo Real Scenery?

In all of Arno's documentation and tutorials he is using scenProc to place autogen over his own custom built photo real textures, not MSE, yet as I said, other people have done just that over MSE. How is what I wonder? Using the Detect Texture Feature directly off the MSE .bgl "images" There are 866 .bgl files in the MSE/Scenery folder. I can only imagine how long it will take scenProc to creating autogen using the Detect feature over 866 files. And really, I don't want to populate the entire state with trees, just the area I fly, so I'll have to visually look at each BGL image and find all the specific BGL Image I want to run "Detect" on. I found Lucky Peak Reservoir (a landmark within the area I want to populate) on one of the images, but forgot to write down the file name and was so excited I looked for other familiar areas and couldn't find Luck Peak again.

And what about geolocation and lat/lon? If I use the MSE BGL image and Texture Detect the BGLs are not in any specific order or rhyme or reason, so how will scenProc know where to place the Autogen?

I'm gonna get there, I know, especially with the excellent help, guidance, and assistance you all are providing. I kinda wish Arno would pop in here and throw some light on the subject.

Randy
 
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SUCCESS! Yes, I shouted. I'm that excited! Here is a screenshot of the default FSX cessna on approach to 0U0, Landmark USFS Airstrip in Idaho, USA. The trees closest to the airstrip and parallel were placed with ADEX. All the other trees you see were done with AUTOGEN ANNOTATOR. I still haven't gotten scenProc to work on the MSE Scenery.

oEGVYLI.jpg


As you can see, my FPS is set at 45 and I'm getting 44.7 so I'm happy with the FPS, although this is just one small corner of the BGL so once I fill in the entire BGL it may drop...we'll see. The very bottom of the screen where the trees are not is the bottom of the BGL. I haven't found the next one down yet. I slowly viewed all the BGLs in the MSE/Scenery folder with Annotator, this time writing down the ones I was interested in. Right now I have 12 earmarked for Tree Autogen and will go from there. This took about 20 minutes, so it was a lot faster than individually placing trees.

I'm a happy guy, but I still wish I could get scenProc to do this. Then I could set the config, run it and walk away for 24 hours or so while it did the whole state.

Randy
 
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us-idaho
I am aware of that, Tom, but thanks for bringing it up. The "project" kinda started here in an odd way, i.e., asking about creating an object, and then roller coasted into adding autogen via Annotator and/or scenPro, so I just kinda stayed here to limit the places I needed to look for advice, suggestions, and ideas.

I will post in the scenProc thread and reference to any help I get there in this thread as well.

Thanks again, Tom.

Randy

Edit: For anyone stumbling upon, or currently following, this thread, the discussion has been continued here...

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...-doesnt-appear-in-megascenery-earthv3.440829/

...since I have solved Annotator issues and now trying to get scenProc to work
 
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