Hi Ollie:
[
EDITED]
If you would like to troubleshoot the ground surface smoothing issue, you will need to attach a ZIP containing your *.XML and *.SCA source files along with the resulting *.BGL compiled by SCASM.exe, so that they can be examined and tested at run time in FSX,
and P3Dv4.5 by someone one who actually has P3Dv4.5 ...and is also ready / willing / able to participate in that task.
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...d-into-ftx-eu-england-mesh.445544/post-826139
I
really really don't want to sound rude, (totally my fault), all I want to do is place objects on the surface (even if there is a slope) and
it place (it ?) level with the slope, IMHO I don't want to waste your time
I have already explained your options for how to configure MCX
prior to import / export of custom 3D scenery objects to allow placement as scenery library objects by P3D SimDirector:
*
Parallel to the existing
horizontal ground surface of local terrain (whether sloped or not)
...
or:
*
Level in perpendicular alignment with the local
vertical axis of the FS 3D world.
Please note the context within which the term 'Level' applies in the FS 3D world is the same as applies in the real world.
Are you still uncertain as to what that work-flow involves, and are you requesting further explanation of your options ?
Please state which type of scenery object placement is proving problematic- or objectionable- to you:
* your
own custom 3D scenery library objects
?
...
or:
* default FS scenery library objects
?
FYI: If you use SimDirector to place your
own custom 3D scenery library objects, they will end up
parallel to the existing local terrain surface (whether sloped or not) ...if you configured MCX to allow that
prior to import / export.
If you use ADE to place your
own custom 3D scenery library objects, they will
NOT end up parallel to the existing local terrain surface (whether sloped or not) ...regardless of whether you configured MCX to
allow Pitch or Bank ...prior to import / export of your
own custom 3D scenery library objects.
The reason for this is that SimDirector is
automatically inserting Pitch and Bank parameter values into the BGLComp XML placement source code, which after compiled to a BGL, then is obeyed by the FS run time rendering engine.
However, ADE does
NOT do that (...unless
you manually insert Pitch and Bank parameter values via the ADE GUI).
AFAIK, no other BGLComp XML scenery library object placement utility
automatically inserts Pitch and Bank parameter values, and this may be because developers of those FS utilities found that placing such objects
out of perpendicular alignment with the local
vertical axis of the FS 3D world may adversely impact run time rendering performance.
One might wonder what the L-M P3D developer was thinking when this IMHO, currently '
mis-directed'
replacement for FSX / ESP SDK Object Placement Tool (aka "OPT") now called "
SimDirector" was coded, as it is
automatically inserting Pitch and Bank parameter values into the BGLComp XML placement source code ...which IMHO technically causes rendering performance issues ...and digressions from optimal FS development practices such as discussed in this latter series of posts.
https://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6308&t=125001
BTW: Bearing in mind that we are initially discussing BGLComp XML scenery library object placement (which is inherently already less FPS efficient than Autogen placement methods), IIUC, this rendering performance factor imposed by 3D objects using Pitch and Bank is one of the reasons Autogen placement in P3D requires 3D scenery objects to have Draw Call Batching enabled ...which
DISABLES Pitch and Bank.
Autogen placement in P3D also requires that such objects are
only placed onto local terrain with their 3D model bases
Level in perpendicular alignment with the local
vertical axis of the FS 3D world ...and
NOT parallel to the local terrain..
Autogen placement also requires that 3D objects already be in a pre-allocated fixed size within the MDL file, as the run time rendering optimizations for Autogen are
not intended to perform dynamic
'scaling' of scenery library objects.
For similar reasons, Autogen placement is
not intended to perform dynamic object '
axis re-alignment' in order to accommodate Pitch and Bank parameter values:
* It 'costs' too much FS scenery rendering time and resources to incorporate those tyes of "3D scenery
transformations" at run time, because it would adversely impact performance and FPS.
I agree that this thread is significantly longer than one typically would see at FSDeveloper forums ...although there are numerous exceptions which can be cited for unusually long threads which have occurred here in the past.
So, to keep
this thread "on topic" (and 'shorter'), it would be best that you plan to open
separate new threads located within more specifically-related sub-forums, for any issues not specifically related to the subject of
this thread.
AFAIK, the specific topic which "should" be the focus of discussion in this thread is the work-flow to create and blend a sloped flatten into FTX EU England mesh.
[
END_EDIT]
GaryGB