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MSFS Is there a limit on number of scenery objects which can be compiled?

scruffyduck

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ADE uses a calculation based on the object bounding box to position the rotation handle. This calculation needs updating but I have not had time to do that yet. So you might change the position of the handle if you modify the model but it does not rely on the reference point as I recall. Dragging the handle will rotate the object around the reference (0,0) point of the object so moving that may well affect the way the object rotates.
 
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Ok that makes sense as to why on some of my larger models (houses), although I move the rotation point in Blender, the so called handle in ADE doesn’t change whilst smaller items such as a fence does. I know what I mean even if no one else does :laughing:
 
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REVELATION - PLEASE READ
I have just proved that having a 'light' in the Blender project affects where the 'handle' is displayed in ADE for a scenery object.
Refer to image below.
The scenery object at the top DOES have a 'light' in the Blender project - note the handle bottom left of footprint
The scenery object at the bottom does NOT have a 'light' in the Blender project - note the handle near the centre of the footprint which making rotating a little more difficult
Maybe its coincidental - your thoughts?

HANDLE.jpg
 
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Lol the first thing I did in Blender was delete the camera and light (because they’re superfluous to creating the models for MSFS) and saved the default Blender setup
 
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I am now wondering if there is anything I can do with my Blender models which affects the footprint displayed in ADE.

I have a number of variants to my floating dock (9 metres x 3 metres) and the footprint displayed in ADE is just about exactly the same 'size' as the actual scenery object - this is great.
I have also created a 'rusty' pole which has a dimension of 4 metres high and 30cm in diameter yet the footprint shown in ADE is HUGE. Yet I created both scenery objects.

Refer to image below. The footprint for the poles are those very large squares and the small rectangular footprints are for each floating dock.

When I have a number of scenery objects close together they overlap and so hard to keep track of and as such if there is something I can do in Blender it would be great.

FOOTPRINTS.jpg
 

rhumbaflappy

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I think a light's footprint is the bounds extent of the lighting, not the pole it sits on.
 
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Hello:

I noticed this unusual location of the "handle" used to manipulate orientation of 3D models via ADE's GUI when working with Alpha-19.

I always used Instant Scenery in FS2Kx versions of FS prior to P3Dv4.x, so did not notice this issue when ADE implemented 2D footprints.


In ADE-19 for MSFS-2020, I placed 'Generic_Hangar12' at a known location as a Q+D place-holder for a future hangar soon to be built IRL.


I was subsequently baffled why a "handle" used to manipulate 3D model Heading in ADE was:

* Positioned physically too close to the 3D model (within the area of its derived 2D footprint ...rather than visibly offset to its "Front" Face)

...and:

* Positioned opposite to its Left (South) 3D Face ...rather than its "Front" Face (we need to know a 3D model's "Front" to set its Heading ;))


Here are some screenshots illustrating what I encountered working with this particular default Asobo default MSFS-2020 3D model via ADE:

ade_alpha-19_msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12_xml_heading-jpg.74664



And, of course, I was also baffled why Asobo would utilize 3D models oriented in a way that is IIUC, not MS DirectX Direct3D compliant. :scratchch

Thankfully, Jon already implemented a "-180 degree" fix in ADE for Asobo's arbitrary 3D model Axis 'preference' when placing Windsocks. :wizard:


Although I recall reading that Asobo had changed the 3D world Axis assignment from the Microsoft DirectX standard used by MS' FS SDKs (reportedly based on Asobo's arbitrary preference for a 3D modeling application using a different 'option' for 3D Axis orientation than Direct3D), :banghead:







[EDITED]

NOTE: MCX imports, interprets, and renders the 3D model in Asobo's arbitrary orientation with:

* 'Front' Face oriented to a Cartesian Coordinate System 'Heading' of 270 Degrees (West aka "X-"); AFAIK this is NOT aka "Facing the Camera"

[END_EDIT]

mcx_v15_april_5_2021_msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12_object_axes_orientation-jpg.74672


mcx_v15_april_5_2021_msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12-jpg.74668




Notice in MCX, 3D model BoundingBox unit sizes compared to positioning of the "handle" used to manipulate 3D model orientation in ADE.

mcx_v15_april_5_2021_msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12_object_info-jpg.74671



Although Sketchup renders via OpenGL, a MCX Collada *.DAE export of Asobos' 3D model is compatibly oriented for MS' DirectX Direct3D: :pushpin:

FYI: Sketchup renders 3D models using a left-handed coordinate system.


[EDITED]

(NOTE: Corrected screenshot showing a MCX Collada *.DAE export with *.DDS- converted to *.PNG- texture Materials for Sketchup display)

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...s-and-their-altitude-point.353776/post-548995


sketchup_mcx_collada_dae_export_msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12_png-jpg.74684

[END_EDIT]


MSFS-2020 render of Asobo's "Generic_Hangar12" placed with a manually assigned heading via ADE-19.

msfs-2020_generic_bgl_gen_hangar12-jpg.74670



AFAIK, in MS-FS (including FS2Kx versions), all 3D objects "should" be modeled by 3D modeling applications ...in this way; :teacher: :duck:

* DirectX Direct3D compliant and compatible with all existing MS-FS SDK standards, using a left-handed coordinate system:

* 3D volume base on ground plane, and Central Datum (aka "Origin") centered on the Origin of Axes in 3D modeling application's work-space

* 'Front' Face oriented to a Cartesian Coordinate System 'Heading' of 0 Degrees (North aka "Y+"); AFAIK this is aka "Facing the Camera"


I hope this helps with better understanding what one may see working with the current build of ADE-19 :).

I also hope this helps with better understanding what one may see working with the current build of Asobo's 3D models :alert:.

GaryGB
 

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Mine is a pole though with NOT lighting. I just don't understand that the footprint for a 9 metre X 3 metre dock be a small rectangle but the footprint for a pole 30 cm in diameter be such a large square and much larger than the one for the dock.

Thanks GaryGB for your input although some of it 'going over my head' :confused: So it seems I cannot do anything to my models in Blender to address that.
I have been resorting to using edit > heading to change orientation.
Strangely models from 'dave sea plane base' (obtainable at https://flightsim.to/file/5806/fisherman-dave-s-seaplane-base-object-library) shows the handle at a 'good' distance from the footprint BUT HEY notice where the 'red dot' (don't know the correct terminology) is placed on the footprint (see image below). That red dot is in the centre of the footprint of my models. Could that be a clue?

daves.jpg
 
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The Red circle in ADE is the placement marker for the 3D model's central datum (aka "Reference Point" aka "Ref.Pt.")

The Orange circle outlined in Black is the "handle" used to manually rotate a 3D model's Heading when placed in ADE's GUI.

AFAIK, the footprint shown above for "dave's sea plane base dock" is likely to have been 3D modeled with its central datum where its Ref.Pt. is positioned within its derived 2D footprint BoundingBox ...as seen in the ADE GUI.

IIUC, this can be be confirmed by importing "dave's sea plane base dock" 3D model and viewing it ...in MCX.

GaryGB
 
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Thanks Gary. Maybe then if I place the central datum 'off centre' in Blender. I have only ever placed the central datum a little above the base of my docks so that they automatically are buried in the water to allow for the troughs where there are wave effects. I will give that a try and report back.

I must be looking at the wrong thing in Blender as moving my model away from what I considered to be the central datum made no difference ie
datum.jpg
 
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I have found in Blender there is the central reference point called called the Origin (you can see it in the image above as a small orange dot on the far right of the dock. The object can be moved away from this however that is point represented as the red dot you can see in the image from ADE and so will then appear away from the footprint with almost disastorous effect when attempt to reorient the object and so does not help.
I think I will just put up with a handle not in the optimum position. Too many more important things to do.
 
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John:

I recommend that you attach- or link to a download URL for- a ZIP of your 3D model with all mapped textures, so that meaningful analysis and troubleshooting can be achieved, ;)

That- and this discussion thread as a whole- may provide useful info to Jon and Arno in improving the 2D derivation of footprints for use in ADE ...in future builds. :idea:

GaryGB
 
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I have found in Blender there is the central reference point called called the Origin (you can see it in the image above as a small orange dot on the far right of the dock. The object can be moved away from this however that is point represented as the red dot you can see in the image from ADE and so will then appear away from the footprint with almost disastorous effect when attempt to reorient the object and so does not help.
I think I will just put up with a handle not in the optimum position. Too many more important things to do.
You can move the Origin to the center of your object in Blender. I am not at my computer now, but I think that you have to go into edit mode, then select everything with A and then you find the origin movement in Mesh ... Transform. Not sure that I remember the process correctly...
 
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Actually the best point for the origin would be the center of the bottom of your object. Just select the bottom part of the object and then as above.
 
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If you need to move the origin outside of your object, then just grab everything in edit mode and move it in top view to the desired place.
 
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Thanks WildLynxPilot. I am ok with moving the origin and have now done it but it did not solve the issue I had (with the position of the 'handle' for footprints.
 
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John:

I recommend that you attach- or link to a download URL for- a ZIP of your 3D model with all mapped textures, so that meaningful analysis and troubleshooting can be achieved, ;)

That- and this discussion thread as a whole- may provide useful info to Jon and Arno in improving the 2D derivation of footprints for use in ADE ...in future builds. :idea:

GaryGB

In what format Gary? A glTF, Bin and XML + textures?

Yes, *.glTF, *.BIN and *.XML with all mapped texture Materials, as well as all the Blender source project files used ...for the specific 3D model in question. ;)

FYI: When 3D models are imported into MCX, MCX' Material Editor dialog {Textures} tab lists all mapped texture Materials used. :pushpin:

GaryGB
 
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