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Ground Poly Wizard MDL output?

tsgucci

tsgucci

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Hello Arno!

I'm trying to create a groundpoly with ZBias separation for our existing airport. I do have some questions:
1. To solve the seasons I would rather spawn the object with our DLL therefore it would be really nice to have the output of the GPW in an MDL (I would create separate MDL's for the seasons). Is it somehow possible?
2. The ZBias method since when is applicable? Shall we convert the MDL's in P3Dv2 format and to use the same for the upcoming versions too? Or is there any significant change in v4 and v4.4 therefore for each version a separate MDL should be used?
3. GPW is appying the earh curvation or shall it be done prior the wizard?
4. I see some guys are still having problem with flickering layers and as I learned the layering should follow bigger steps. 1,4,8 etc. Is this correct?

Thanks a lot in advance!
 
arno

arno

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Hi,

1. The GPW has no mdl output. Either load the generated Bgl and save the object as Mdl. Or if your object is sliced enough already, you can also skip the GPW and just run the earth curve correction on the object.

2. ZBias is since v2 indeed. If you don't need the new detail texture settings from v4 or the PBR materials from v4.4 you can use the v2 MDL for the other versions as well.

3. The GPW does the correction, so don't do it before because then it's done twice and no longer correct.

4. The advice for P3D seems to be use smaller steps, so -1, -2, etc. The steps of 4 was for FS2002.
 
G

GaryGB

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arno said:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/ground-poly-wizard-mdl-output.444432/post-813639

Hi,

1. The GPW has no mdl output. Either load the generated Bgl and save the object as Mdl. Or if your object is sliced enough already, you can also skip the GPW and just run the earth curve correction on the object.
Click to expand...

Hi Arno:

If the MCX G-Poly wizard is not compiling a P3D MDL with P3D SDK-compliant Z-Bias via P3D SDK XtoMDL, what exactly is being used as the compiler by MCX G-Poly Wizard ...when one specifies P3D as the output format ? o_O

[EDITED]

IIUC, when one specifies P3D as the output format, MCX Ground Polygon Wizard (aka "MCX GPW") outputs 'native' P3D G-Polys as MDLs compiled with Z-Bias values, applies the "curved Earth correction" for the local geoid of the FS 3D world model, and packages the P3D MDLs inside a BGLComp-compiled BGL with placement info.

If one were to otherwise export MDLs that are "sliced enough already", then "skip the GPW and just run the earth curve correction on the object", would one also achieve the same level of precision in one's derivation and placement of an already segmented 3D 'flat' ground object ....as would have been output by MCX GPW ?

I am wondering if an intent to render G-Poly MDLs that are not packaged and placed via BGLComp at run time via a DLL Module (whether proprietary or ex: S.O.D.E.), ...may make it preferable to de-compile the G-Poly BGL after output from the MCX GPW?

[END_EDIT]

arno said:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/ground-poly-wizard-mdl-output.444432/post-813639

2. ZBias is since v2 indeed. If you don't need the new detail texture settings from v4 or the PBR materials from v4.4 you can use the v2 MDL for the other versions as well.

3. The GPW does the correction, so don't do it before because then it's done twice and no longer correct.

4. The advice for P3D seems to be use smaller steps, so -1, -2, etc. The steps of 4 was for FS2002.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify...

By "smaller steps" for P3D G-Poly's, you mean using 1, 2, etc. to increment 'native' P3D G-Polys compiled with Z-Bias values ? :scratchch

IIUC, this new set of 'layering' increments between G-Polys is to be distinguished from FS2002 (aka "FS8") 'legacy format' G-Polys compiled by SCASM / ASM with Z-Bias, where we would otherwise use "steps" (aka unit intervals of 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 etc. ...to increment our VTP layer number values ?


Thanks in advance for your further efforts with MCX G-Poly Wizard development, and for helping to make this (still somewhat arcane) subject matter less "obfuscated", since so many here appear to be struggling to understand how to properly implement a successful G-Poly development workflow that is not fraught with complications. ;)

IMO, distinguishing differences in G-Poly work-flow between specific FS versions is increasingly important now, considering how many aspiring FS developers are still intending to output versions of scenery objects for both P3D ...and for FSX (which IMHO is even less likely to ever become a "dead end" :stirthepo than FS2004 aka "FS9" which, BTW, also continues to be utilized by many end users).

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
tsgucci

tsgucci

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One more question. On my Ground poly the aircraft does not cast shadow. Why is that? Thanks
 
arno

arno

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Do you have the setting in P3D enabled that shadows are cast on 3D objects?
 
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