Extract bmp out of bgl

[12bPilot]

Hi all,

Does anyone know how to extract the Bitmap out of the bgl file generated by resample.exe? Or can we force resample.exe to generate separate texture tiles as in previous versions?

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[arno]

Hi Jeff,

Why do you want to have the textures again? Having them in the BGL file is better for the performance.

 

[Timmo]

If you want the 'old stlye' photoreal terrain you can still use the fs2004 SDK resample but, as Arno said, the new FSX tool is much easier to use and generates a single BGL which is far easier to manage.

A lot of my scenery relies on the assumption that bgls arent de-compliable back into geotiffs so I hope it isnt possible?

 

[12bPilot]

I need the textures for further processing (detection of buildings for generating autogen footprints, in fact, the textures are not aerial images, but the corresponding "street map"). I need the exact replica of the FS texture in order to position the footprints correctly. Of course, I could use the input GeoTiffs, but then, there's a mismatch in positions. I think that resample transforms the GeoTiff image to the LOD13 cell, which introduces mismatches.
And i need high resolution bitmaps for the image processing (better accuracy). So for this constraint, I can't use the FS2004 resample.

Of course, for the actual scenery, I will use the bgl with encrypted (Aerial photo-) textures. It's just for post-processing purposes.



Regards,
Jeff

 

[arno]

Hi Jeff,

My approach would indeed be to use the input files for this processing. Resample does not add any mismatches, as long as you extract all information in WGS84 coordinates it should be fine.

 

[Lacev]

Hi all,

Does anyone know how to extract the Bitmap out of the bgl file generated by resample.exe? Or can we force resample.exe to generate separate texture tiles as in previous versions?

Cheers,
Jeff

Backing again to the original question, there is a way to extract an bmp out of a bgl? I also need this.

 

[hcornea]

No, thank goodness.

Much image licensing depends on that very fact!

 

[GaryGB]

Hello:

Unlike with prior versions of FS SDK Resample, a FSX SDK Resample-generated custom photo-real land class BGL (or terain mesh BGL) is reportedly compressed and encrypted on purpose to restrict access to proprietary and/or licensed content, thus no option was documented by ACES to also separately output (or to decompile into) raster tiles in legacy format.


< Hmmm... One might wonder if it wasn't also a "test of concept" for MS Flight!'s IMHO self-defeating and draconian 'lock-out' of end users and/or 3rd party developers from modifying content >


If one needs to utilize aerial imagery for scenery development where OpenStreetMap (aka "OSM") data is sparse or unavailable, one can use Google Earth free or Pro edition to create vector tracings and save as a KML file.


NOTE: A Google Earth generated *.KMZ file is a zip file containing a KML.DOC file); rename a *.KMZ file to *.ZIP in order to access its contents with a zip utility.



BTW: Arno recently released a KML input option to his SceneProc autogen utility package:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=424385



Those needing to "examine" the aerial imagery within a FSX SDK format, Resample-generated custom photo-real land class BGL can do so via:

[FSX SDK install path]\Environment Kit\Terrain SDK\TmfViewer.exe


FYI: TMFViewer is limited to display of only (6) decimal places of precision in the geographic coordinates readout on the bottom status bar

Google Earth (free or Pro) outputs (14) decimal places of precision for geographic coordinates.


Alternatively, one can use SBuilder to capture map / background images from one's choice of imagery tile server to create vector and/or custom photo-real land class textures, and outputs (14) decimal places of precision for geographic coordinates in the INF files it generates for purposes of compilation by FS Resample.



Once created, custom photo-real land class texture BGLs will have a correct alternate numeric series land class file name which can be loaded and processed for use in FSX SDK Autogen Annotator ...or via any of the 3rd party autogen annotation utilities such as:


Arno's ScenProc:

http://www.scenerydesign.org/scenproc/


...and/or Vogel's AGN Merge Tool

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=396534&highlight=promising


NOTE: Vogel's AGN Merge Tool reportedly can also use tile annotation data generated by Lar Hoyer's AgenT:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812&highlight=AgenT


...and/or David J. Griffiths' AutoTrees:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43153&highlight=AgenT


Hope this helps !

GaryGB

 

[Lacev]

Indeed, I needed to recover a bmp that I missed. The way now will be making another one with the same image treatment I did in the first one. Ok, thanks folks.