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Sloped Flatten Blend into FTX EU England Mesh

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Hi Ollie:

IIUC, you are now drawing a perimeter for a local CVX vector sloped / level flatten in SBuilderX using MSVE imagery ? :scratchch

[EDITED]

Before you do that, we must enable the display of LOD-21 terrain grid Quad Area Points in SBuilderX, so we know here to place vertices relative to the positions of vertices within the underlying FTX EU England terrain mesh (for blending): :alert:

SBuilderX Menu > View > LOD Grid > Lod-21



FYI: The 5 Meter between-elevation-data-points terrain mesh for FTX EU England is a LOD-13 quad terrain grid resolution

Elevation data points for terrain mesh / flattens are placed on terrain grid "Area Points" for a particular LOD quad size.

LOD-13 Area Points are 8-LOD levels smaller ex: LOD-13+8=LOD-21 ...as discussed here (a good read some time later):

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/flattens.425495/post-633002


BTW: Of particular note might be the method that Jose (aka "simulondo") used for vertices in his project with SBuilderX:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/flattens.425495/post-632954

[END_EDIT]


NOTE: After doing that, we will work on assignment of elevations to those perimeter vertices in a concurrent task session of SBuilderX and a live flight session in P3Dv4.5 via FSUIPC.

GaryGB
 
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Hi again:

Just a quick reminder that one must draw "normal" CVX vector Poly-Line / Polygon objects in a clock-wise direction, so that their Geographic coordinate "winding order" is correct for 3D display by the FS run time rendering engine.

In another aspect of scenery building, we can also draw "holes" within the Faces of Polygon objects which we have already made as "normal" CVX vector objects in a clock-wise direction, by placing the vertices of the perimeter of the intended 'hole' in a counter-clock-wise direction, so that their Geographic coordinate "winding order" is correct for display by the FS run time rendering engine.

Note that the "perimeter" of the intended 'hole' (drawn in a counter-clock-wise direction) in this case, will pertain only to an adjacent Face within the same data set of vertices within that contiguous TIN surface ...and in the same BGL.


FYI: This is actually something that can be done easier in ex: Sketchup, which will by default, control winding direction at all times when drawing a TIN surface.

But there are associated challenges and a learning curve to getting that Sketchup 3D vector data set into SBuilderX, so it may be more practical to continue with doing this in SBuilderX itself. :idea:


One might make the work-flow somewhat easier to achieve in SBuilderX by placing vertices first in "Line" mode, then joining the ends of the Poly-Line to form a Polygon, which thereafter would be edited in SBuilderX' "Polygon" mode.


The transparency of the color used for the Polygon objects drawn / edited in Polygon Mode can be configured in the SBuilderX work-space via the Right-click context menus (...see the included SBuilderX Help file section):

SBuilderX Menu > Help > {Search} tab > query string: Polygon > click: [List Topics] button > double-click on:

Working with Points, Lines and Polygons


BTW: An additional critical requirement is that the placement of any vertices for a vector object such as a TIN "child" polygon Face inset within the perimeter of a intended 'hole' ...must be exactly on top of vertices for the hole perimeter.

Furthermore, IIRC, one must draw 'child' CVX vector Poly-Line / Polygon object vertices in a clock-wise direction

Otherwise, wherever there is a gap in the edges of the adjacent Faces, there may be terrain anomalies in FS at run time, such as spikes, pits, cliffs, or 'Blue Slivers'. :alert:

I assume it is now relatively late in your UK time zone, and you might merit some rest after a long week of exams, so I plan to post further in this thread tomorrow, unless I see you are "Burning the Midnight Oil" when I check in here later. :)

GaryGB
 
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Hi Ollie:

[EDITED]

To proceed with the sloped / level flatten surface project:

Launch P3Dv4.5, then:

Start a flight in the CH+ user aircraft; set view to Locked Spot in Slew mode on ground within the local project area


Launch SBuilderX, then:

SBuilderX Menu:

File > Open Project > browse / double-click to select / load your existing MSVE imagery Southdown local project area

Edit > check: Enable Undo Redo

View > Show Aircraft

View > check: LOD Grid > Lod-21


SBuilderX Icon Bar > Polygon mode:

1.) Place vertex points (aka "vertices") for a sloped / level flatten perimeter Polygon onto Lod-21 Grid Area Points

CAVEAT: Place vertices in a clock-wise direction; then, after all vertices are placed:

a.) Right-click over selected Poly-Line to stop drawing that polygon (Poly-Line=Black / vertices=RED)


2.) Hover Mouse cursor over selected Poly-Line > Right-click > choose: Properties (SBuilderX - Polygon Properties dialog opens)

a.) In SBuilderX - Polygon Properties dialog > {Vector Poly} tab > scroll down pick-list / choose: AB Flatten = Type 153

b.) Click [OK]

...to make it a CVX vector Polygon with sloped / level flatten surfaces that follows Altitudes assigned to its vertex points


3.) Hover Mouse cursor over selected Poly-Line > Right-click > choose: Transparency (SBuilderX - Color and Transparency dialog opens)

a.) SBuilderX - Color and Transparency dialog > Set Transparency > select 255 / replace by new value: 96 > click [OK]


SBuilderX Icon Bar > Pointer mode:

1.) Select the entire group of vertex points by Left-clicking 1x on the Poly-line (Poly-Line=Black / vertices=Green)

a.) Right-click on each vertex point until you find Point #1

b.) Select Point #1 by Left-clicking 1x on it (selected vertex=Green; non-selected vertices=RED)

c.) Right-click on the selected GREEN vertex Point #1 > Fly Aircraft Here

d.) Right-click on the selected GREEN vertex Point #1 > Point From Aircraft > Click [OK] to log Altitude of Point

NOTE: This data is read from P3D by FSUIPC from CH+ aircraft on ground surface of FTX EU Europe terrain mesh


3.) Select next clock-wise RED vertex point by Left-clicking it 1x (selected vertex=Green; non-selected vertices=RED)

a.) Right-click on the selected GREEN vertex point > Fly Aircraft Here

b.) Right-click on the selected GREEN vertex point > Point From Aircraft > Click [OK] to log Altitude of Point


4.) Repeat step 3.) above for each subsequent vertex point in the perimeter Polygon until Altitude for each is logged

5.) Select the entire group of vertex points by by Left-clicking it 1x (Poly-Line=Black / all selected vertices=Green)


SBuilderX Menu:

1.) File > BGL Compile (SBuilderX = BGL Compilation dialog opens)

a.) SBuilderX - BGL Compilation dialog > Select Type of Scenery: Terrain Vector (...this should already be checked)

b.) Click [Compile] button (...Command (aka "CMD") Mode task window flashes briefly on screen, then disappears)

[END_EDIT]


NOTE: The resulting CVX vector Sloped flatten BGL compiled by SDK SHP2VEC will be output into:

[SBuilderX install path]/Tools/Shapes ...subfolder


2.) Immediately move that BGL to an active scenery folder at the top of the Scenery Library GUI stack of layers

3.) Test that BGL in P3D to see if it precisely matches terrain shape without creating any anomalies. :pushpin:


Let me know how this works for you. :)

...More to come pending your reply to this post. :cool:

GaryGB
 
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Hi Ollie:

Did you follow standard SBuilderX procedure when you created the custom photo-real imagery BGL using the MSVE tile server to Add the Background image to the SBuilderX work-space by:

* Naming your project

* Saving your project to a *.SBP file ? :scratchch

See: Create a new project ...in this excellent tutorial:

Terrain Design

sendfile.php

File Description:
Terrain Design for Flight Simulator X

This simple illustrated document explains the basic concepts in Flight Simulator X terrain, and how to change them using SBuilder for FS X. Make new water bodies, roads, vehicle traffic, airport flattens, remove autogen, add more detail - anybody can do it easily and quickly.
My most sincere apologies - I am unable, for lack of free time, to offer support of any kind. For questions or problems, please post in the Avsim scenery design forum.

Filename: terrain_design_for_flight_simulator_x.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 14th December 2009, 13:29:15
Downloads: 16648
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 3991kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=141643


If have not already created and saved a Project in SBuilderX, try:


SBuilderX Menu > File > Add Map > From Disk > browse / double-click / load:

*.BMP for the MSVE imagery 1-piece image tile made from tiles selected by SBuilderX, and output into:

[SBuilderX install path]\Tools\Work sub-folder

...that was used for the custom photo-real imagery BGL which you are currently using. :pushpin:


If successful, immediately create a Project via:

SBuilderX Menu > File > Properties {General} tab > Project Name: ex: SDGC_MSVE


...then immediately save that Project via:

SBuilderX Menu > File > Save Project As...

Let me know how this works. :)


PS: I may be in a conference for the next hour or so, until I have more time available again. ;)

GaryGB
 
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If you are seeing those Red Contour lines, that means they are either already inside the Project, or you have re-Appended the *.BLN file to the new Project session which now contains the MSVE imagery data.

You will not require that Contour line data during the initial steps of creating a CVX vector flatten Perimeter.

1.) Save the Project, then make a copy of that Project under a different name

2.) Open the new Project in SBuilderX, and select / delete only those contours.

Those contours can be loaded later if desired by 're-Appending' the *.BLN file which contains that data. :idea:

GaryGB
 
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unitedkingdom
SBuilderX Icon Bar > Line mode:

Place vertex points (aka "vertices") for a sloped / level flatten perimeter Poly-Line onto Lod-21 Grid Area Points

Right-click to select Poly-Line > choose: Make Poly

Right-click Poly-Line > Transparency (SBuilderX - Color and Transparency dialog opens)

SBuilderX - Color and Transparency dialog > click: Yellow > Set Transparency value: 32 > click [OK] button

By line mode do you mean select 'line tool'
If I select line tool I see no option when I right-click to select 'poly-line'.

Screenshot (22).png


Thanks, Ollie.
 
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Back again; my conference lasted longer than anticipated. ;)

Yes, by 'line mode' I mean select 'line tool' ...to enter "Line mode".


https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...d-into-ftx-eu-england-mesh.445544/post-825016

If I select line tool I see no option when I right-click to select 'poly-line'.


[EDITED]

Please refer to my EDITED version of procedures linked below: :pushpin:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...d-into-ftx-eu-england-mesh.445544/post-824993

[END_EDIT]

GaryGB
 
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unitedkingdom
Select the entire group of vertex points by double-clicking on the Poly-line (Line=Green / vertices=RED)

By "Poly-line" what do you mean, can you show me with a picture or something :)

Thanks, Ollie.
 
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