Texture location

[TerryW]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum.


Where in FS2004 is the texture for this chapel/church kept ?

I have looked in Generic's texture folder but cannot see it.
Thanks.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Terry:

Do you know which default FS2004 library BGL the object is located inside of ?

If so, open that default FS2004 library BGL in MCX, and Material Editor will list name(s) of texture(s) mapped to an object.


Alternatively, you can browse FS folders via XnViewMP:

https://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/


...and/or via:

Martin Wright's ThumbView (which has an ability to display legacy format FS texture files including *.R8):

http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/programs/tview.htm


[EDITED]

A scan in MCX of:

[FS2004 install path]\Scenery\Generic\scenery\Generic.bgl

...shows that object # 208 / 219 - GUID: {e75256ee-38fc-49a9-9689-a5f81bc1d2c0}

...in MCX Material Editor is mapped to:

[FS2004 install path]\Scenery\Generic\texture\ag_Rural.bmp and ag_Rural_LM.bmp


Be aware that the Autogen display engine may also randomize textures used for some Autogen generic objects at run time.



PS: Were you otherwise unable to remedy the 'objectionable' object as discussed in this prior thread ?

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/scenery-objects-editor-button.443351/

[END_EDIT]

GaryGB

 

[TerryW]

Hello Gary. Thank you for your, as always, very full reply.

I removed the huge modern cathedral & the power station with very tall chimneys.

My plan is to change the colour of that wooden chapel in the hope it blends in with the surrounding scenery.

Thanks too for the two links to those interesting items which I'll add to my work folder.

When I've 'repainted' the chapel I'll post a picture..................

I'm very grateful to you,
Terry.

 

[TerryW]

Good morning Gary. The repainting is over & this is what I've done. I'll fiddle with the windows & might extend the bottom window cills a bit more. I'm not sure about the tower windows either.......

The interesting thing is this small airfield I made for FS9GW3 (Chattis Hill Spitfire Assembly site) appears to be on a large mound now. When I started the surrounding area shared the same elevation & this chapel could be seen from the hangars
in the trees on the horizon to the east. This chapel depression occurs to the west of the field where the 16/34 grass runways is.

Thanks again for your help,
Terry.

 

[TerryW]

Hello Gary, having edited the ag_Rural texture I wondered what your advice would be about saving it via DTXBmp = Extended 32 bit 888-8 or Extended 256 colour ?

 

[gfxpilot]

I use this catalogue . Not sure who created it but its been a life saver for me time wise because itll have nearly everything in there
https://fsxsoc.dynamicfxgroup.com

 

[TerryW]

OK but it's a list of FSX location reports........................I'm not sure how that helps me ?

 

[GaryGB]

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/texture-location.443930/post-808875

Hello Gary,

Having edited the ag_Rural texture I wondered what your advice would be about saving it via DTXBmp = Extended 32 bit 888-8 or Extended 256 colour ?

I would recommend keeping that texture material in the same FS2004 DirectX semi-proprietary graphic file format:

* "ag_Rural.bmp" = 1024 x 1024 Pixels, DXT1 - Alpha channel 'full' transparency implemented via Colorkey; 9 MipMap Levels


* "ag_Rural_LM.bmp" = 1024 x 1024 Pixels, DXT1 - NO Alpha channel; 9 MipMap Levels

NOTE: This latter "Night" texture is implemented via the "LightMap" MDL texture material mapping option


These details are best examined and implemented by use of FS2004 SDK ImageTool:

[FS2004_SDK install path]\TERRAIN_SDK\Terrain_Tools\ImageTool.exe

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/terrain-sdk.40/


FYI: Regarding Command Line switches for- and general use of- SDK ImageTool.exe:


https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...es-follow-a-size-guideline.431618/post-685850


https://www.google.com/search?q=www...QmOAKHaqkB9sQrQIoBDAAegQIAhAM&biw=981&bih=616


PS: Regarding Chattis Hill:

Lat/Long 51 07'05"N,01 31 19W or \ 51.118055555555555555555555555556,-1.5219444444444444444444444444444


After installing Google Earth - Desktop Edition:

https://support.google.com/earth/answer/168344?hl=en


...If you un-ZIP and double-click the attached *.KMZ file to launch Google Earth and zoom in to those Geographic coordinates, when you hold <Shift > and roll the mouse wheel to tilt the view to ground level, you will see variable terrain (probably based on lower resolution SRTM 90 Meter data), but there is approximately a 70 Foot uphill slope from South to North along a WWII RWY axis you describe above based on a location shown on this website:

http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/cha.html


An old Google Earth / Panoramio image link posted East of the Chattis Hill area:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipP9dMU6G0lBbYgIoWEoyBc3P_0Hn1CoRUKweLQC=h720

This can also be seen in Google Earth Street view from the intersection of HWY A30 at the road to Chattis Hill and at Spitfire Ln..

I'm not familiar with any LWM3 sloped flattens or local terrain mesh files provided for Chattis Hill by GW3, but you do have the option of further modifying that local FS9 terrain via custom versions of such files ...if you are 'inclined' to do so.

GaryGBbih=616[/URL]


PS: Regarding Chattis Hill:

Lat/Long 51 07

 

[TerryW]

As ever Thank You.

Terry.

 

[GaryGB]

BTW: If you wish to do some detective work as to what FS2004 format BGL files load at a specific location, you may want to try Jim Keir's LWMViewer utility to see if any custom BGLs are loading:

http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/LWMViewer.html

With your aircraft at the airport of interest, and with LWMViewer version 1.4b running:

LWMViewer Menu > FS2004 > Follow

The LWMViewer 'Control Panel' <F3 key> then shows loaded FS9 BGLs mapped for the local area

GaryGB

 

[TerryW]

Gary - I didn't see past 'PS: Regarding Chattis Hill:' so didn't answer you.

In the machine I make my airfields for FS9GW3 with, the Chattis Hill Spitfire Assembly site appears to be on a large mound now.
When I made it the surrounding area shared the same elevation & this chapel could be seen to the east from the hangars. Suddenly it's presenting the whole area on a large mound.

I have GW3 in another machine I use to show local airfields with, especially RAF Ibsley.
In this machine the whole Chattis area is on the same level. The 2 machines are reading the 2 installations differently. Grab 095 shows the chapel (ringed) lower down than in grab 170 from in the second machine .
I just thought this was interesting !

 

[gfxpilot]

OK but it's a list of FSX location reports........................I'm not sure how that helps me ?

I attached the catalogue as it has teh list of whats actually in the system AND when you search it it can give you the GUID: code. I use it by copying and opening the flightsim main directory and using the standard windows search to find it it gives back the model location AND the extire location as there is no doubt the texture will be one of many on one sheet. I then can copy each file over to a folder and open it in MCX if required or use a paint package to make fina adjusts to the colouring - then as it for personal use I save it all back.

 

[GaryGB]

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/texture-location.443930/post-808923

Gary - I didn't see past 'PS: Regarding Chattis Hill:' so didn't answer you.

In the machine I make my airfields for FS9GW3 with, the Chattis Hill Spitfire Assembly site appears to be on a large mound now.

When I made it the surrounding area shared the same elevation & this chapel could be seen to the east from the hangars. Suddenly it's presenting the whole area on a large mound.

I have GW3 in another machine I use to show local airfields with, especially RAF Ibsley.
In this machine the whole Chattis area is on the same level. The 2 machines are reading the 2 installations differently.
Grab 095 View attachment 45211 shows the chapel (ringed) lower down than in grab 170 from in the second machine View attachment 45212 .

I just thought this was interesting !

If you do not have a custom terrain mesh and/or LWM3 sloped flatten BGL to change the shape of the local ground installed on the second machine, then perhaps your terrain mesh slider is set to much less than 100 % complexity, and/or the terrain mesh is set to only "allow" a much lower run time mesh resolution than on the first machine.


IMHO, unless working with an exceedingly under-powered computer to run FS2004, on should configure FS9as follows:

C:\Users\[user profile name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FS9\FS9.CFG

[TERRAIN]
TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=100.000000 // (*) see note below
TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=19 // 20 or 21 may be used instead if custom LOD-10 or LOD-11 terrain mesh installed in FS9

(*) NOTE: This will automatically configure:

FS9 GUI Menu > Options > Settings > Display > {Scenery} tab > Terrain Mesh Complexity slider: 100 (max right position)


PS: Some info on LODs relative to terrain mesh resolution etc.:

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


Hope this helps !

GaryGB

 

[TerryW]

The Antec (name on case) I make airfields with had TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL_SCALE=2.0. I changed it to 19 but that made no difference - Chattis Hill is on a raised area still.

All my machines are high spec & the latest I call The Turing Machine runs FS9 & GW3 flawlessly which has TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL_SCALE=21. Chattis Hill has flat terrain all around it. Both machine's sims are identical & copies of my fair copy. All sliders are to the right & everything is set to Max. Terrain mesh is FS default.

I'm not unhappy with Chattis in the Antec machine being different. I just thought it was odd. I'll keep it as it is.

I went to Chattis Hill a few year ago with the author of Atlanticwall. http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/atlantikwall/e_h_chattishill.php
The site gates were wide open & we wandered round taking lots of snaps. There were no KEEP OUT signs. Spitfire Lane is on an incline as you say from the A30.
All the CCTV angst by the owner is new.

Thank for your help. I'm grateful to you & gfxpilot.
Terry.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Terry:

It was very intriguing to read in your reply, the reference to "TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL_SCALE="

I had not seen that FS9.Cfg parameter in my past inquiries on such parameters.


I did a Google search for that parameter you cited above, and found it mentioned on this very interesting web site:

http://biggles11.wixsite.com/the-natural-world/tips-cfg-tweak


Looks like I now have some new info to experiment with when I got some time to do more testing !


Although there may indeed prove to be some significant visual changes when "TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL_SCALE=" is utilized, IIUC, it likely works in combination with the parameter which I cited above: "TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=".

Thus, I would still ensure that the latter parameter (and its associated parameter value) is also used in your FS9.Cfg file:

TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=19 // 20 or 21 may be used instead if custom LOD-10 or LOD-11 terrain mesh installed in FS9


Thanks for the heads up on that otherwise undocumented FS9.Cfg file parameter !


PS: If a difference in your FS9.Cfg files between the (2) computers does not explain the terrain shape at Chattis Hill, perhaps you have a add-on custom higher resolution terrain mesh installed on the machine with the "hill" ?

GaryGB

 

[TerryW]

Oh dear Gary......where did 'SCALE' come from ? I'm afraid the entry is far more mundane with this TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=19

I though I might try adding SCALE but am worried what disasters might ensue so didn't. I was planning a flight in my Shorts 360 with it's new panel so
it's probably best left out !
Terry.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Terry:

I have not yet had time to test the above cited "TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL_SCALE=" parameter, which apparently was proposed for use by 2 individuals in the last year or two, incidental to enhancing FS9 with custom terrain textures and mesh.

FYI: Sascha Reiger (developer of FS9 Evolution aka "Evo") and "Howard" (developer of The Natural World" aka "TNW") seem to be the earliest to discuss use of a few such apparently undocumented FS9 tweaks.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/427307-my-new-sim/?do=findComment&comment=2864398

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/427307-my-new-sim/?do=findComment&comment=2864458

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/427307-my-new-sim/#entry2864398


http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/80737-FS9-Xtreme-Evolution-beta-testers-wanted!


http://biggles11.wixsite.com/the-natural-world/tips-cfg-tweak


TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL= is an explicit setting to force terrain mesh display at an assigned FS9.1 non-default resolution.

GaryGB