P3D v3 Issues with ACM... need help

[Clutch Cargo]

Arno (or anyone who knows),

I am having some issues with ACM that I hope can be resolved. I am testing this with P3Dv3 and I feel confident I have the latest version of ACM. In short, neither my default.xml or default AutogenDescriptions.spb are being updated.

I installed ACM and all seem to install correctly. I did install into a custom location and not the default location if that should make a difference but I see the exe.xml file was created. But when I run P3Dv3 there is no update message and there is no update to the default files. I have my test add-on scenery active.

1. - The ACM Users Manual states:
“ The files you can put in your local configuration folder are the same as you
would find in the global autogen folder of FS. So you can have:
• default.xml
• AutogenDescriptions.spb or AutogenDescriptions.xml

So, does that mean I can have a custom AutogenDescriptions.xml and it will update the default AutogenDescriptions.spc or must I convert my xml to a .spc as well?

2. - Does ACM only check for a GUID difference or check differences in ‘FriendlyName’ as well?

3. - As an example, I have selected several default tree types and created my own custom Grouping so it has a custom GUID for that group. I also have a custom FriendlyName for that group. Would ACM pass over that because it sees the same GUID being used for the individual trees inside my group? Should it not see the custom grouping GUID and act to update? Same goes with default.xml. Custom Class of library objects with a custom name and custom GUID but leaving the individual objects GUID as their defaults.

4. - Could the headers be off causing ACM to skip? For my custom default.xml the first line is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>

And for AutogenDecsriptions.xml I use:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

Thanks for any input,

Marcus

 

[arno]

Hi,

First, check the ACM log file. It will show you which folders have been processed and if custom definitions have been found there. Do you see your scenery in the log?

ACM checks the GUID when merging entries. So if a custom entry has the same GUID as an existing one it is updated, if the GUID is new it is added.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Ok, checked the error log which is extremely helpful I might add. So with my default.xml I was not closing my code so I fixed that and it ran as it should... backup was created, changes were made. Happy camper!

The other file, AutogenDescriptions.xml is still not working. The error message I am reading from ACM error log is:


9:37:58 AM | Processing scenery area: f:\p3dv4 addon scenery\simwestalbq
9:37:58 AM | >> Found config: f:\p3dv4 addon scenery\simwestalbq\autogen\AutogenDescriptions.xml
9:37:58 AM | Error! Failed to process fileAutogenDescriptions. Trying to continue...
9:37:58 AM | Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

I do not understand what the error means in order to correct it? Can you explain? I will say when I manually add the code to the AutogenDescriptions.xml it does work.

Also FYI - If I left the header in my code as per your example in the default.xml file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>

This would throw an error and not update. When I took it out it updated fine. Should I just leave it out or this is an error that needs to be resolved?

 

[arno]

Hi,

That means that something weird happens when trying to read your AutogenDescriptions.xml file and that the tool ignores that file. This usually means that hte library used to read the SPB or XML files just failed on that file. Can you show your xml file or is it too big?

Weird that the xml tag gives an error as well. I have used files like that in projects and never heard problems about it. Let me see if I can reproduce that.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Attached is the file... small, only two custom tree groupings using all default trees and their GUIDs.

 

[arno]

You are missing the XML tags above the grouping. The XML file should be valid and have all the root tags as well. I'll try to post a sample tonight.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Any luck with a sample?

 

[arno]

Oops, forgot to check. Will try to do so tonight.

 

[arno]

I have modified your file. Try it like this (not being a PC with FS now, so didn't test it).

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Still having issues Arno.

If I run the AutogenDescriptions that you sent me I lose all autogen. Not just trees but buildings as well? I get no error messages in the log (see attached). If I run my manually edited version of AutogenDescriptions.xml (a full version with my edits already inserted), it works. Since it is using all default, would it be possible to try it on your sim and see if you get the same results? To keep things basic I am running with no other add-ons (Orbx, etc.), just mine.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Gonna try another test... copy the code from my full version that works and create a new AutogenDescriptions.xml (just my edits), and see if a new file may resolve the issue. I know from th past that sometimes scripts may have unwanted spaces or corruption so worth a shot.

 

[arno]

You might want to check if the autogen configuration editor from the SDK can read the file as well, it should.

 

[arno]

I'm not behind my FS PC at the moment, so can't test it in the sim. But you might want to try like this, I have added the other sections of the AutogenDescriptions.xml as well (they are just empty).

 

[Clutch Cargo]

After several hours of testing various versions still no luck. I tried dropping your latest file and others of mine onto the SDK autogen configuration editor and all I get is this error:

"There is an error in XML document (2,2).
The 'SimBase.Document' element is not declared."

Looks like it is to me but my XML knowledge is minimal.

 

[arno]

i'll have another look at this when I'm behind my FS PC.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Hey Arno,

If there is any chance you can still take a look at my issue that would be appreciated. This is pretty much my last obstacle before we go Beta so any help as to why my vegetation agn file will not work would be a big help. Maybe you can try it on your system?

Thx again for the app,

Marcus

 

[arno]

Hi,

I just loaded the XML file I attached before in the P3D v4 autogen configuration error and it loads without problems, the only errors I see are missing guids for the model references.

In your groupings, what are the guids you are using? They should refer to a ModelEntry definition from the XML file. In that ModelEntry node the reference to the guid of the mdl files is made (per season). Did you maybe use the model guid directly?

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Thanks for checking.

So when you say you ran the file with no issues are you saying you can see the vegetation in your sim?

To clarify, all the individual vegetation GUIDs are the same as the default because I am using default vegetation. All I did was group them differently and created a custom grouping GUID... one for SOCAL_Tree and one for SOCAL_brush. Is this where I am going wrong? This method works correctly when I create custom groups for building agn.

When I run it with your merge tool I get no errors also but I do not get any agn at all. But again, if I manually add the xml into the AutogenDescriptions it works flawlessly. Hence why I am so confused?

A related question... have you used the little app spb2xml.exe? I was trying to use it to convert AutogenDescriptions.spc to xml to see if I was doing something incorrect. Can't seem to use the app correctly. Can you post an xml version of the AutogenDescriptions? That way I can double-check all the GUIDs to ensure they are correct.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

As an update I found an AutogenDescriptions.xml that I must have decoded a ways back and it works in FS so I do not need a copy.

So here is a part of my xml to demonstrate what I did. This is just the top portion.

<Autogen.AutogenGroupings>
<Grouping id="{59ef3d05-8609-44a7-a0fb-8625b45edac1}">
<FriendlyName>_SOCAL_tree</FriendlyName>
<ReferenceEntry>
<TargetGuid>{69604687-440D-4334-9D02-17C5BFA607A4}</TargetGuid>
<RelativeWeight>8.0000</RelativeWeight>
</ReferenceEntry>

Let's take the first veg reference which is the GUID in blue text. This GUID is found in the default AutogenDescriptions.SPC file. This is a grouping GUID for the 'tb Aspen 6-15m City'. So I am pointing to a grouping to allow for more variety of that type of tree. I am not pointing to an individual model.

I then created my own custom grouping GUID which is in red. So basically my grouping GUID points to many other veg grouping GUIDs found in the default file. Because I am referring to groupings I am not inter-acting with seasons per individual model.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I have no autogen files or scenery that use your classes of course, so there is no way for me to test if things work. So what I said is that I can load the XML in the Autogen Configuration Editor. I have no way to test it in sim (unless I make a whole test scenery for that, but that would cost me more time then I have).

I understand now that you use the existing groups, so then my remark about the models is not valid. i thought you might use some custom models as well. So then I see no issue.

Can you have a look at the SPB file after ACM merged your entries in? Maybe it's an issue with the groupings being placed at the wrong location or so.