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Unwanted scenery-objects

Piet de Geus

Piet de Geus

Messages
100
Country
netherlands
Hello,
I made an airport for myself, long ago, and added things, deleted things, partly with ADE, AFX and Instant Scenery. The IS-elements are stored individually in bgl's. Ity works fine in Prepar3D V4, houses, trees, static aircraft etc. they al work fine.
HOWEVER: On unwanted spots now unwanted objects appear, maybe in the past I tested them, but they are not visible in the ADE objects list, not in the IS-bgls in the sceneryfolder.
I also created a scenery.cfg entry with higher priority with excludes for those spots, but they still appear.
Now my question is: How can I see where those objects come from and where they are defined? Is there a function in ADE oris there another program that can do the trick?
Looking forward to solutions,
with kind regards,
Piet de Geus
HOWEVER: After a reactivation of my objects-libraries now on uwn
 
In IS3, right click

6502.jpg


Select "Extras," select "show objects from all scenery .bgl's"

is3_demo_manual_displaying-objects-from-other-scenery-files-jpg.35581


Scenery file name should be adequate to run a basic search. You can also select "file name/directory/scenery layer" to help narrow the search. However the text is extremely small and if you have many objects, the result can become a green blur, so it may be best to use fewer parameters.
 
Hello:

Assuming you have purchased Instant Scenery version 2 (aka "IS2") or version 3 (aka “IS3"), a more detailed procedure is outlined in the following, should you have an interest in exploring both methods of troubleshooting.

( The following is an excerpt copied from one of my prior posts in another thread troubleshooting an issue at KMYL )


NOTE: Instant Scenery works in FS2004 (aka "FS9"), as well as in FSX and P3D v1>3.


Instant Scenery version 2 (aka "IS2") or version 3 (aka “IS3") offers a couple of ways to visually identify "objects from all scenery files" in a specified radius near the user aircraft via display of colored text info on-screen at run time for BGLComp-XML-placed objects in a scenery object placement BGL; thus, one does not need to "guess which placement file it is that you need to modify", or to 'decompile' a placement BGL. ;)


NOTE: Whether or not a XML scenery object placement BGL was made by IS2 / IS3 won't matter, as those BGLs made via other methods such as either FS9 / FSX BGLCompiler... can normally also be opened by IS2 / IS3.

So, even if a (non-IS2 / IS3) XML scenery object placement BGL has been decompiled, edited, and and re-compiled via FS9 / FSX SDK BGLComp, it can again be opened by IS2 / IS3, and used to place more objects.


IS2 / IS3 can ID those Objects, Generic Buildings, and Exclusions "placed" near the current aircraft location from ALL scenery files which are 'active' in FS within a number of miles specified for the IS2 / IS3 object labels "scan" radius.


Identify objects in IS2 / IS3 “Move / Delete Objects” mode


In FS9 / FSX free-flight mode using any aircraft at the scenery project airport:

Set FS "camera" view to Top-Down or Virtual Cockpit without instruments displayed at desired Zoom level

1.) Slew aircraft to (minimum of) 50 to 100 feet AGL

2.) Open IS2 / IS3 from FS9 /FSX main menu > Add-ons > Instant Scenery

3.) On the IS2 / IS3 main menu, click on the ‘Folder icon’ (Open Scenery) and "Open" your scenery placement BGL in question

4.) Back in FS9 / FSX, right-click the ground, and click to ‘check’ “Move / Delete Objects”

5.) Again in FS9 / FSX, right-click the ground, and click “Labels”, then click to ‘check’ “All Objects”

6.) Once more in FS9 / FSX, right-click the ground, and click “Labels”, then click to ‘check’ “Library and Model”

7.) Back in FS9 / FSX with IS2 / IS3 still open, move the mouse cursor over objects to select them (mouse-over)


NOTE: When selected by a ‘mouse-over’, scenery objects in the currently “open” IS2 / IS3 or other XML scenery object placement file... will display their bounding box, and their corresponding library and model name will be highlighted on-screen.


Alternatively, another method may be used to scan multiple IS3 or other XML scenery object placement files all at one time... . :idea:


Identify objects in IS2 / IS3 “Show Objects From All BGLs” mode

In FS9 / FSX free-flight mode using any aircraft at the scenery project airport:

Set FS "camera" view to Top-Down or Virtual Cockpit without instruments displayed at desired Zoom level

1.) Slew aircraft to (minimum of) 50 to 100 feet AGL

2.) Open IS2 / IS3 from FS9 / FSX main menu > Add-ons > Instant Scenery

3.) In FS9 / FSX, right-click the ground, and click “Labels”, then click to ‘check’ “All Objects”

4.) In FS9 / FSX, right-click the ground, and click “Labels”, then click to ‘check’ “Library and Model”

5.) In FSX, right-click the ground, and click “Extras”, then click to ‘check’ “Show Objects From All BGLs”


NOTE: From the latter context menu, a “Objects From All BGLs” dialog pops up

6.) In the “Objects From All BGLs” dialog, click to ‘check’ “Objects”, “Gen. Buildings”, and “Exclusions”

7.) Still in“Objects From All BGLs” dialog, click in “Radius, NM” to set a Ex: (1) nautical mile radius; click “Scan”


IIUC, after the BGL scan is done, IS2 / IS3 should identify on-screen, "ALL" default FS and 3rd party XML-placed scenery objects 'active' in the FS scenery library... for that geographical area (within a Ex: 1 mile radius of the aircraft) at the scenery project airport.


Alternatively, you could go through the laborious manual testing process required to identify the 3rd party add-on scenery object placement BGL (and NOT the scenery object library BGL ! ;) ) responsible for the erroneous object placed at the airport ...by trial and error.

This can be done by sequentially disabling half of all your installed add-on scenery packages, checking the airport in FS at run time for elimination of the erroneous object placement, then disabling half of your remaining 'active' add-on sceneries, checking the airport in FS at run time for elimination of the erroneous object placement, etc. ...repeating that process until you can narrow down the suspect add-on scenery package containing the placement BGL; you can then find which object placement BGL from that package is responsible for the erroneous object placement at the airport.


Hope this helps identify the placement BGL for the erroneous scenery object(s) in question ! :)

GaryGB
 
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Thanks for no cross posts but I wonder why Piet didn't find that thread.
 
I appreciate all your suggestions, but the problem is that IS3 is not working in Prepar3D V4, we are already nearly waiting for a year to have it.
So I was wonderinbg how I still could find out where those objects are coming from
Piet
 
Hi Piet:

Your statements in the OP above indicate you created your add-on scenery in FSX and that it works 'fine' in P3Dv4.

This is IIUC, because the FSX SDK BGLComp compiler used by ADE and the FSX SDK BGLComp-compatible proprietary compiler used by AFX and IS3 all create a BGL file format compatible with display in P3Dv4.

AFAIK, that is good news.

So now I suggest you link to the current install location of your add-on scenery back into FSX as active Area layer entries in the FSX scenery library GUI, and run the above described "Display Labels for Objects From All Placement BGLs" procedure using IS3 in FSX.

NOTE: You only need to 'link' to your own custom add-on scenery files via "Add Area"; you do not need to fully reinstall your own custom add-on scenery files, so aside from the FSX installation, you would only need IS3 "installed" for use in FSX (...requiring only MB- and not GB- of disk space).

Please don't tell us you have "moved on" and no longer have FSX installed, and that you don't want to reinstall it (13-GB is the default FSX install size). ;-)

IMHO, to remedy this situation, you should plan to utilize the version of FS that was used to create the add-on scenery in question.

Otherwise, AFAIK, you would have to load your scenery object library BGLs into the ADE Library Manager, update that database, load the 3D scenery object and Generic object thumbnails and the detailed footprint database into ADE, and hope that ADE will ultimately be able to display markers for the imported add-on placements of the 3D scenery library objects in question.

Suffice it to say that you will not see markers and/or a list of objects for the add-on placements of the 3D scenery library objects in question inside ADE ...until you perform the tasks cited immediately above.


Alternatively, you would need to do even more laborious and time-consuming work trying to identify which BGLs are responsible for the unwanted objects at the airport(s) in question.

Sorry to be so confrontational about use of FSX for this, but I am trying to save you some major work and frustration. :)

GaryGB
 
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Hello Gary,
That a good story, pointing to a workable solution. Thanks.
Indeed, the fact is I have no operational FSX Acceleration anymore. See if I can get it running again and also IS3.
May take some time.
reg.,
Piet
 
Hi Piet:

If it has been quite a while since you last installed FSX Deluxe and Acceleration, you might wish to review the guides here:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/sdk-installation.111/


Should you find that you need to move a substantial number of objects between BGLs in order to better control display priority of objects in specific Area layers of the Scenery Library GUI (rather than deleting them from 1 BGL, then re-placing them via a different BGL), feel free to let me know, as I can also show you a quicker way to move those objects via a text editor in BGLComp XML source code, that can be re-compiled via SDK BGLComp and then used normally in IS3 afterwards.

Good luck with the FSX re-installation process. :)

GaryGB
 
It seems logical to assume you have multiple placement .bgl's
Piet de Geus said:
I made an airport for myself, long ago, and added things, deleted things, partly with ADE, AFX and Instant Scenery. The IS-elements are stored individually in bgl's.

they are not visible in the ADE objects list,
Click to expand...
and it seems like your solution is clear. Create a new directory with only the ADE generated airport .bgl, you should compile a P3D native one anyway if you have not already done so. Move all elements except the random placement .bgl's, you can identify these by size in relation to the library .bgl's, into the new directory. It may take a little trial and error but P3D will reload scenery on the fly, you may have to activate the hot key, mine's set to ~1.
 
Rick,
During all my trials this is what I also did, having only the airport.bgl in it, so avoiding IS3-bgl's to load. I also created a new airport with just the runway, nothing else, and even there the unwanted objects appeared.
reg.,
Piet
 
At this point the question becomes one of organization. How many of these "ported" airports do you have/need? You can't possibly visit more than two, maybe three airports in a single flying session, how many did you just swap over and how many do you need? I know what I'd do because I used to have gigateraflops of spare airports, "just in case." I would delete everything, the sim loads much faster that way anyway. Then I would add this airport, whatever it is, when I want to visit it. Then the next and so on. I would use a scenery management tool so even if I wanted to tour a country, I would only have a few scenery layers active at any one time.
 
Hello Rick,
No, this problem is on the only airport I designed for myself, behind my house. I have organized my add-on sceneries on the new way, with add-on-xml's. I grouped them into continents and large countries and I only activate the area I want to fly in. In the default-scenery.cfg I have only the NL2000 scenery active (and of course the P3D ones).
 
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