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FSX Ground polygon

tylerpilot

tylerpilot

Resource contributor
Messages
254
Country
unitedstates
Hi,

I have made my own ground polygon using Google sketchup. I compiled it using Model Converter X's ground poly wizard. What I don't understand is how to actually place the object using Instant Scenery or AFX.

Can someone please explain how to do this?

Thanks,
Tyler
 
Last edited:
Hi,

If you use the ground polygon wizard in ModelConverterX you already need to provide the coordinates there. So the output is a BGL file already. No need to place it with ADE or AFX.
 
arno said:
Hi,

If you use the ground polygon wizard in ModelConverterX you already need to provide the coordinates there. So the output is a BGL file already. No need to place it with ADE or AFX.
Click to expand...

Thank you arno, I did not even notice that.
 
Last edited:
How can I optain the correct coordinates?
I entered information as it showed in AFX.

But I can't see it when in the simulator.
It converted without any errors.
 
What I always do: I made the groundpoly at a good scale in 3ds max. You have four coordinates. North, South, West and East. If you want the middle of that:
(North + South) / 2. And the same for West and East. Think about (Y1 + Y2) / 2 and (X1 + X2) / 2.
 
Erikk said:
What I always do: I made the groundpoly at a good scale in 3ds max. You have four coordinates. North, South, West and East. If you want the middle of that:
(North + South) / 2. And the same for West and East. Think about (Y1 + Y2) / 2 and (X1 + X2) / 2.
Click to expand...


Thanks, but My problem is that I made it in sketchup 8 pro and the area the airport belongs do is not covered by google earth.
 
Make a temporary FSX model, place that with a wysiwig editor (like Instat Scenery, or object placer)

Decompile the xml (if required), and examine the longitude and lattitude

Use these values in the box in ModelconverterX.

There are scaling issues, but this is probably the best option.
 
hcornea said:
Make a temporary FSX model, place that with a wysiwig editor (like Instat Scenery, or object placer)

Decompile the xml (if required), and examine the longitude and lattitude

Use these values in the box in ModelconverterX.

There are scaling issues, but this is probably the best option.
Click to expand...


Thanks.

I will give this a try later today :)
 
tHere are also websites available that can convert from the FS to other usable formats. There are also tools available as well, such as ADE, that can be used to convert from FS format to the designers normal format.
 
kevintampa5 said:
tHere are also websites available that can convert from the FS to other usable formats. There are also tools available as well, such as ADE, that can be used to convert from FS format to the designers normal format.
Click to expand...

Convert what?

Co-ordinates are typically Geodetic WGS84 in FSX. This is the format designers should use. It is also the format GSE uses, if I am not mistaken.

Typically the ground imagery has to be in this format as the first thing you do, before resampling it into FSX.

The issue really is where the reference point is in relation to the model. If the ground reference image in 3dsmax / GSE has not been moved then it should be possible to place it by averaging coordinates (reference 0,0,0) otherwise it is not.
 
AeroFiles said:
How can I optain the correct coordinates?
I entered information as it showed in AFX.

But I can't see it when in the simulator.
It converted without any errors.
Click to expand...

AFX may not use the same format coordinates, which may be why its not where he wanted.

AeroFiles said:
Thanks, but My problem is that I made it in sketchup 8 pro and the area the airport belongs do is not covered by google earth.
Click to expand...

hcornea said:
Make a temporary FSX model, place that with a wysiwig editor (like Instat Scenery, or object placer)

Decompile the xml (if required), and examine the longitude and lattitude

Use these values in the box in ModelconverterX.

There are scaling issues, but this is probably the best option.
Click to expand...

You asked him to place then use the XML location coordinates to accurately place, when a tool like Sbuilder or ADE or similar tools provide this information at mouse-point.

hcornea said:
Convert what?

Co-ordinates are typically Geodetic WGS84 in FSX. This is the format designers should use. It is also the format GSE uses, if I am not mistaken.

Typically the ground imagery has to be in this format as the first thing you do, before resampling it into FSX.

The issue really is where the reference point is in relation to the model. If the ground reference image in 3dsmax / GSE has not been moved then it should be possible to place it by averaging coordinates (reference 0,0,0) otherwise it is not.
Click to expand...

The format developers use typically depends on the program used for the modifications and creations. Ive seen 3 different formats in various tools. Examples below

FS9/X
N00° 0.00'

SBuilder
00° 00' 00.0000 N


ADE/MCX
00.000000

Its a simple conversion between them. Most if not all have options to change the format the coords are displayed in.

I do not know what format it has to be for resample, my statement was simply that instead of using a tool to place an object then read the location from the xml, you could just use an existing tool to get the info directly from the tool on-screen instead of compiling and such to get the same info, not that your method wouldnt work, on the contrary it works very well. My suggestion was to get the same result, just not the copy and paste ability like in XML, depending on the tool used.
 
Most tools will accept any coordinate format (degrees / degrees-minutes / degrees-minutes-seconds) with N/S or +/- (except the FSX map which will accept only N/S but any format).
 
kevintampa5 said:
You asked him to place then use the XML location coordinates to accurately place, when a tool like Sbuilder or ADE or similar tools provide this information at mouse-point.
Click to expand...
Or alternatively just point at something and place.

The question is: exactly what do you point at if your ref point does not correlate with a geographic landmark!?

The issue as stated by the OP appears to have naught to do with co-ordinate conversion, and everything to do with translating a ref point into accurate model placement.

Most people having made a accurate ground model have encountered this at some point.
 
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