Instant Scenery not recognizing model

[Sidney Schwartz]

I use Instant Scenery, so I tried converting one of the default aircraft and creating an object library. Everything seemed to work in SAMM and the folders and files that were supposed to be created were created. Pic 1 shows the folder structure copied from SAMM/Libraries to FS9/Addon Scenery. I added the Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint 1 scenery folder to the library, as shown in pic 2. Exited and reloaded FS9 and ran IS. IS lists the Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint 1 folder and the object within it (pic 3), but when I select the object it does not appear in FS9. Not even an untextured model....just nada. Can someone please tell me where the train ran off the rails?

Thanks.

 

[Gman]

I don't run FS9, so its tough to duplicate what you have.
I converted the same aircraft and it came out fine in FSX with IS2.

Can you give a bit more information as to which folder you have the Cessna folder in? (it doesn't show in the list you posted)

Just curious, but I see a lot of addon sceneries in that list, are you attempting to place the Cessna at one of them?

If so, I suppose you might try a default airport.

Cheers
Gman

 

[gadgets]

Sid, your folder structure looks OK. (Presumably, the .bgl is inside the scenery folder.) Perhaps EZ scenery is confused by the texture subfolder.

I suggest you try placing the model using SAMM - which creates standard XML that it runs through the FS9 compiler. If that works (i.e., the model shows in FS9 without EZ Scenery's involvement), then the SAMM generated bgl is OK. (My EZ-Scenery lost ts registration when I switched computers, so I can't experiment for you.)

Don

 

[Gman]

Hi Don,

He specified Instant Scenery2 as his placement utility.

Cheers
Gary

 

[gadgets]

Oops! But, same advice.

BTW, on a whim, I tried my old EZ Scenery registration number and the app came to life. EZ Scenery does place SAMM-geberated models but doesn't seem to like the texture folder structure.

I'm going to see if I can (easily) add a user option for a single-level texture folder for SAMM-generated libraries - which, of course, may preclude multiple models in a single scenery folder due to possible texture filename overlap.

Don

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

While it's convenient to let SAMM create the library, I also have Library Creator and am very familiar with using it. Maybe I should just stick with that. I should also be able to use ModelConverterX to change the names of the texture files so that I can have multiple paints of the same plane in one scenery/texture folder. In any case, thanks to Don for a brilliant bit of work.

 

[GHD]

I must admit that I use MCX alongside SAMM to check the model at each stage of the conversion.

I had a problem with the nosewheel on my latest conversion



I used SAMMs "Listings and Tools" to modify the steering angle



and was able to see the result immediately in MCX



This saves the time to create a bgl and fire up FSX to see the result

 

[Gman]

I should also be able to use ModelConverterX to change the names of the texture files so that I can have multiple paints of the same plane in one scenery/texture folder.

Samm will not only allow you to have more than one livery of the same aircraft in the same scenery/texture folders, it will also allow you to create a shared textures folder to cut down on the library file size.

Start by selecting an aircraft with multiple liveries, and in the Static Aircraft\Name window, cut the livery name and paste it into the Version textbox, (don't leave any underscores at the end of the edited Static Model\Name), select your options and Save the .mdl file.

Then go into the texture sub-folder for the aircraft, and cut the shared textures for that aircraft and save them to a folder of the same name, replacing the livery suffix after the semi-colon with the word All.

This leaves the livery unique textures in the original folder xxxx;livery name, and the shared textures in the folder xxxx;All.

Now go back to the SAMM UI and re-save the original aircraft .mdl file.

To add another livery, select a new livery (of the same model) from the Select Aircraft Title dropdown menu which will place it in the Static Model\Name window, and repeat the process of cutting the livery name and pasting it into the Version textbox.
Re-select your options and Save the second livery .mdl file.

If you check the texture sub-folder for the new livery, you should find that it was created minus any files you placed into the xxxx;All shared files folder.

Repeat as many times as you wish.

Cheers
Gman

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

The problem seems to be with Instant Scenery and not with SAMM. I can create multiple livery versions of an aircraft and have SAMM make them into a library, but IS doesn't seem to recognize the scenery folder structure SAMM creates. It doesn't matter if there's only one plane in the library or several...IS recognizes that the library and objects are there, but the objects don't show in FS9.

My main reason for wanting to create libraries instead of letting SAMM place the models is to be able to upload them for other folks who use IS, EZ-Scenery, RWY12, etc.

 

[gadgets]

My main reason for wanting to create libraries instead of letting SAMM place the models is to be able to upload them for other folks who use IS, EZ-Scenery, RWY12, etc.

Sid, thanks for the kind words earlier. Given that your test model was a stock aircraft, I trust you've read the first few lines of the manual. I wouldn't want you to find yourself at the wrong end of a copyright suit because of something I made.

Don

 

[Gman]

While it's convenient to let SAMM create the library, I also have Library Creator and am very familiar with using it.

Does that mean your problem was related to SAMM creating the library, or that you somehow misplaced the files SAMM created?

I used Library Creator for the majority of the SAMM test phase, and as regards the conversion files SAMM generates, I can't imagine going back to Library Creator for compiling SAMM files, that would be like walking compared to driving a sportscar.

As long as a user carefully selects all of the various .mdl's from amongst potentially dozens of folders, along with their textures, and then creates the necessary scenery and texture folders, and places all of the files where they need to be prior to opening Library Creator, Library Creator obviously will end up with the same scenery object library files and folders as SAMM does, it will just be ten times as much work.
(I repeated this process dozens and dozens of times)

Regardless of how files are created and or compiled, they have to be verified as being properly placed in the Flight Simulator too.

Currently, if (like George) you have a dedicated Static Aircraft Folder either in the FS directory or anywhere on your computer, which is logged-into the FS Scenery Library list, all you need to do is select the SAMM - Make library option to Save Library to a Scenery Folder, browse to and highlight your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder, and SAMM will automatically place the new .bgl in your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder\scenery folder, and place the associated texture sub-folder(s) in your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder\texture folder, and the new library is ready to go, nothing else to do. (SAMM will even remember the location for future use)

The other option, as it appears you elected to use, is to leave the Save Library to a Scenery Folder box unchecked in which case SAMM will place the completed scenery object library in the SAMM\Libraries folder, where it can simply be cut and pasted into the FS Addon Scenery folder, or any other folder anywhere on your computer which is logged-into the FS Scenery Library list. However, this option does require the new scenery object library to be logged-into the FS Scenery Library List.

I will certainly continue to use Library Creator for my Gmax projects, but for SAMM's files, SAMM compiles.

Cheers
Gary

 

[GHD]

all you need to do is select the SAMM - Make library option to Save Library to a Scenery Folder, browse to and highlight your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder, and SAMM will automatically place the new .bgl in your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder\scenery folder, and place the associated texture sub-folder(s) in your dedicated Static Aircraft Folder\texture folder, and the new library is ready to go, nothing else to do. (SAMM will even remember the location for future use)

But what if you wish to add to an existing library?

 

[gadgets]

Sid (and others), you should be happy to learn that I've just added an option to the Make Library routine that allows the user to specify that all textures be saved in the main texture folder. While this may limit the number of models you can place in a single scenery folder (due to potential texture filename overlap), the issue with placement utilities that don't recognize the current texture folder structure is "a thing of the past".

Don

 

[Gman]

But what if you wish to add to an existing library?

That sounds like a great idea which I have not seen the necessity to attempt as yet.

However if you have experience adding to an existing library, perhaps you would be willing to share your technique with others.

Cheers
Gary

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

Sid, thanks for the kind words earlier. Given that your test model was a stock aircraft, I trust you've read the first few lines of the manual. I wouldn't want you to find yourself at the wrong end of a copyright suit because of something I made.

Not to worry, Don. You know I've done lots of original work myself and am sensitive to ownership issues.

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

The other option, as it appears you elected to use, is to leave the Save Library to a Scenery Folder box unchecked in which case SAMM will place the completed scenery object library in the SAMM\Libraries folder, where it can simply be cut and pasted into the FS Addon Scenery folder, or any other folder anywhere on your computer which is logged-into the FS Scenery Library list. However, this option does require the new scenery object library to be logged-into the FS Scenery Library List.

That's what I did. See the pics in the first message in this topic. Don says the folder structure seems correct. SAMM seems to be doing exactly what the docs say it should do, so I'm guessing the problem is that Instant Scenery does not like the non-standard method of having sub-folders within the texture folder.

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

Just curious, but I see a lot of addon sceneries in that list, are you attempting to place the Cessna at one of them?

If so, I suppose you might try a default airport.

It was add-on that I tried placing the Cessna in, but I don't see why it should make any difference. I've created tons of scenery objects and object libraries and never had an issue with default vs. add-on scenery.

 

[Sidney Schwartz]

BTW, on a whim, I tried my old EZ Scenery registration number and the app came to life. EZ Scenery does place SAMM-geberated models but doesn't seem to like the texture folder structure.

If EZ didn't like the texture folder structure, how did you get it to work?? EZ Scenery is just an earlier version of Instant Scenery (same programmer), so I would think it would work in IS also.

 

[Gman]

so I'm guessing the problem is that Instant Scenery does not like the non-standard method of having sub-folders within the texture folder.

I thought it had been made clear that Instant Scenery was used extensively throughout the test phase. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Be advised, although I was placing them into FSX, Instant Scenery uses SAMM's non-standard texture sub-folders the same as it does standard texture folders, and I have personally converted and placed dozens and dozens of static aircraft converted and compiled with SAMM including the default FS9 Cessna 172SP paint1, and it worked flawlessly.

Cheers
Gman

 

[Gman]

It was add-on that I tried placing the Cessna in, but I don't see why it should make any difference. I've created tons of scenery objects and object libraries and never had an issue with default vs. add-on scenery.

I was just trying to help you sort out your problem, what you have done with "tons of scenery objects and object libraries" is not the issue, it is what you are unable to do with SAMM that was the issue.

Perhaps if you review the SAMM forum and the issues of a small handful of users out of over 1500 downloads, you will begin to see a pattern that led me to ask if you had tried placing the Cessna at a default airport.

Cheers
Gman