Maybe a Helpfull Hint for BGL Compiling

[Bambi_007]

If I do some Compiling for FS - I have ever copy the files to the BGLComp.exe Folder to do that.

No more I do that - I use the *SendTo* Function of Windows 10 now.
Oh, this go well in other Windows OS too.

At First make a Shortcut of your BGLComp.exe and rename them: BGLComp-FSX when it is for FSX,
when the BGLComp.exe is for FS9 then rename them: BGLComp-FS9

Now search the SendTo Folder at C:\Users\YOURNAME\SendTo
put in this Folder the renamed Shortscut

and now you can use the SendTo Function for your .xml

 

[JohnC1]

I don't have Windows 10 or SendTo and my German to read your post is no better than when I used to sit in my motel room and look at the free motel copies I got of Suddeutsche, Frankfurter Allgemeine and Munchen Merkure.

I have a folder (called MDL2BGL) with MDLConverter, BGLComp.exe, a shortcut to FSX.exe and a shortcut to my target Scenery folder......where I send my MDL models.

Drag myfile.MDL to MCX. Open file info and grab the GUID and stick it in a generic xml file. Drag the xml file onto BGLComp.exe and drag the resulting BGL onto the Scenery folder. Click on Export in MCX and send directly to Scenery folder. Click on fsx.exe. Done all in one folder. I suspect we are on the same track. Probably could be put into a batch file or autohotkey.

When u r satisfied. change to a new xml file with all the bells and whistles.

 

[Bambi_007]

Open Explorer and put the following in the Adress Bar and hit Enter and you are in the SendTo Folder.

shell:sendto

 

[tgibson]

Another way is to do a file search for sendto on your C: drive.

 

[Bambi_007]

No,no, not the Internet Explorer. The Explorer where you looking on your Harddrives.

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

this entry shell: sendto didn't work for Windows 8
I had to use this:
%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Yes it's a cool utility always forgotten
Edit: no matter¡¡ the sendto command was bad written. it work.

 

[JohnC1]

"If I do some Compiling for FS - I have ever copy the files to the BGLComp.exe Folder to do that."

Hi Bambi.....I assume you mean

"If I do some Compiling for FS - I used to move the xml files to the BGLComp.exe Folder to do that. Now I use sendto."

My take, and maybe yours now, apparently, is to avoid working in the native original SDK folders whenever possible.

My response above was to say I copied BglComp.exe and its cohort bglcomp.xsd to a working folder.

So when I want to compile an xml file I drag it onto a copy of BGLCOMP.exe in a working folder that has MCX, a shortcut to my Scenery folder and the generic xml

that places the structure I want to look at in FSX in a wide open area in KBTV to check it out.

Now,

My sendto is contained in folder C:\Users\UpdatusUser\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo.

If I jump to that Folder and send my xml file to the native SDK for compiling via sendto , where does the resulting bgl end up? In the sendto folder or the BGLCOMP SDK folder?

In my working folder it pops up and I drag it onto my scenery folder.

(I am buried in GMAX stuff and prefer to just ask rather than experiment).

In either case I would still have to retrieve the bgl and drag it to the scenery folder from wherever. So, the advantage is ????????

 

[JRobinson]

The .bgl ends up in the same folder the XML was in.

In either case I would still have to retrieve the bgl and drag it to the scenery folder from wherever. So, the advantage is ????????

What you do there is also add shortcuts in Send To for your scenery & texture folders. Then you send the XML to bglcomp followed by sending the .bgl to the scenery folder.

Also note the Imagetool shortcuts. You can send a .psd (or 20 .psds at once, .bmps, etc.) to Imagetool_DXT5_DDS for example, it will output a DXT5 .dds alongside the .psd which you can then "Send to" your texture folder.

To make these Imagetool shortcuts you first make a shortcut to Imagetool and move it to your Send To folder, rename it whatever you want, then you do properties on the shortcut and add the command switches in the "target" field:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Terrain SDK\ImageTool.exe" -nobeep -brief -dds -dxt1

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Terrain SDK\ImageTool.exe" -nobeep -brief -dds -dxt5

 

[JohnC1]

Thanks.....I get that the bgl pops up back into SendTo. Right? ... and that you can point to executables , or (even batchfiles?) to run them...and get a result back to SendTo?

 

[JRobinson]

No, wherever your XML is when you send it to bglcomp is where the .bgl will end up. Nothing actually ends up in the Send to folder itself except the shortcuts that you purposely put there to make these options show up on your right click > Send to menu. You can do the same thing by putting a shortcut to bglcomp in the folder where all your XMLs reside, then you'd just drag/drop an XML onto the bglcomp shortcut to compile a .bgl. The advantage of the Send to folder is that it's available on your right click menu anywhere on the system so you only have to make the bglcomp shortcut once and the right click option will be available in any folder.

 

[Bambi_007]

Yes JRobinson has understand how it works.

 

[JohnC1]

I can put a shortcut to BglComp in my SendTo folder but it doesn't show up when I right-click on my xml file.
I see the huge advantage to this now.

Bambi, thank you for bringing up this subject.

 

[Bambi_007]

John try this little Program:
http://rbsoft.org/downloads/right-click-enhancer

I have it try by myself and it works for me.

What for OS have you ?

 

[JohnC1]

Hi Bambi..I have Win7 64bit and nothing special about my mouse. I will look at the r/c/ enhancer now. I will also put BGLComp.exe instead of the shortcut. Will return soon with result.
Notice that I only pick up "locations", not executables.
I'm back.
No difference with BglComp.exe instead of its shortcut. Robinson has all kind of stuff.

What kind of mouse do you have?

 

[Bambi_007]

Logitech Mouse M105

 

[JohnC1]

Google is full of right click sendto issues...registry fixes, scripts to "fix" the problem...etc....gonna take a while ...

what do you get when you shift-right click on an xml file ?

I get a long list of my folders, but not my BGLCOMP shortcut...........

 

[JRobinson]

There might be more than one Send to folder, mine is C:\Users\Jim\SendTo (I have Win7 too)

Try pressing Windows key+R for the "run" box, then paste the line below (leave the quotes in place) and press OK.

"%userprofile%\SendTo"

That should open the folder in Explorer, make sure your bglcomp shortcut is in that folder.

 

[Bambi_007]

Google is full of right click sendto issues...registry fixes, scripts to "fix" the problem...etc....gonna take a while ...

what do you get when you shift-right click on an xml file ?

I get a long list of my folders, but not my BGLCOMP shortcut...........

Why shift-right click ?
right click is enough !

And yes, there is no BGLCOMP shortcut !
In my German OS it is in the right-flyout of Senden An

 

[JohnC1]

JR.......here is what I got..........


So I go to \John and check my access.....all is available...(but there's a little lock on the \John Icon.....????) .....same with Windows...complete security access.....


My other BglComp.exe shortcut IS in \SendTo in the ....Roaming..stream....but it won't show in the sub-folder. (which is the base problem).

Bambi, I brought up shift-right click because I was experimenting and wanted to see what your system would do if YOU shift-right click just to compare systems. I get the standard usual generic 4 or 5 items plus ALL the contents of my John Folder with shift-rightclick.

 

[Bambi_007]

I have set Off the UAC.
UAC = User Account Control since 2013

The List with SHIFT + Rightclick