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Using Object Libraries Question

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hollywood_TX

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us-texas
Hello, I am new to ADE and scenery design. I am developing an airport from scratch, and have placed a few custom buildings individually as I build them to check performance and model display correctness. If I want multiple scenery objects to ultimately be compiled into a single BGL (i.e. using ADE), must the individual model BGLs be first compiled into the library BGL before placement? Or, can the individual building BGLs be compiled into a single library BGL after they have been placed individually? Would hate to get too far in placing individual buildings, then have to reinsert everything after the complete airport custom objects are developed and added to a library BGL with a different name. The individual object names or GUIDs will not be changed.
Current plan is to drop individual building bgls to a single active addon scenery folder as I complete each one with a common texture folder for all buildings. Once complete, compile all of the buildings into a single (or a few) BGL(s).

Thanks.
 
you can build the entire scenery (3D models only) in your modeling programme then you just export as one object one bgl and place it :)
 
Hi,

There are two ways to add objects to airports using ADE.

1. If you have buildings and other objects that are unique to this airport you can add them as individual models, to be incorporated into the main ADE BGL files. To do this you add the models using List/Models, and then place them at the airport using Right Click/Add.../Model. You place any needed textures for these objects into the texture folder adjoining the scenery subfolder where your ADE BGL files reside. If you are concerned about this, this procedure makes it harder (but not impossible) to "steal" these objects and use them elsewhere. It's known as Geo Locking.

2. If you have objects that you plan on using at several airports (ramp equipment, etc.), then using a library BGL file will be more efficient. You use a program like Library Creator XML to create library files of your objects (multiple objects can be in one file) and then add them to ADE using Tools/Library Object Manager. Then you use Right Click/Add.../Library Object to add them to your airport. Please note that this only inserts code to place the objects - the objects themselves are not included in the ADE BGL file(s). So in addition to doing this, you also need to add the library BGL file to any active scenery subfolder, along with the textures into the adjoining texture subfolder. Many users place these library BGL files into a common scenery folder so they are always active (Static Objects Library is a common name for such folders or into a more specific folder, like Daniel French Libraries). That way they can be used at many airports, but only be present in FS once. However, this process does make them available to others for use at their airports, using ADE, Instant Scenery, or other placement programs.

If you create library BGL files that are going to be used *only at one airport*, this can be minimized by using a program like GeoLock:

http://stuff4fs.com/newpage.asp?Folder=Geolock

but then remember objects from this library file will no longer appear if placed any distance from this airport.

Hope this helps,
 
RED COOL said:
you can build the entire scenery (3D models only) in your modeling programme then you just export as one object one bgl and place it :)
Click to expand...

Red, thanks. Actually that is how I started. Am a little gun shy now after compiling a few models that had random primitives not displaying in the sim. Thus the current workflow of trying each model in the sim as it is built. Additionally, I am building this to work over MegaScenery photoreal imagery. Although I place the models in ADE, am having to tweak each building’s location a bit to align with the imagery. Ultimately, I may create my own photoreal ground poly’s so that this will not be an issue if I do another project. Have done some reading on what is required for custom photoreal, and for now too much to tackle on top of grasping the basics of efficient sim objects.

Am assuming if you compile multiple 3DS Max models into a single file using X2MDL, adding to ADE as a single object, the individual buildings are not indepenently movable, correct?
 
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Tgibson, thanks for the details. At this point the project is mainly for my own use, and not sure that it’s something that I will eventually share. This is a military base, and many support buildings could be used for multiple sceneries although colors potentially change. Your suggestion to put those in a separate common scenery object library/folder makes sense.

Sorry, but still not clear on the original question. Maybe my terminology was incorrect. What I am trying to determine is if I can add content as I go, or must I decide up front whether to place buildings from separate MDL files, or as models contained in an object library BGL.

As example, I individually place multiple buildings B1.mdl, B2.mdl, and B3.mdl into the airport using ADE using the >Add >Model tool, compile and place into a sim active scenery folder as I go. In this instance my understanding is that the model is added to the new airport BGL compiled by ADE, and the MDL can be discarded (not moved to scenery folder).

Once the project is complete, I plan to add all of the separate MDLs to a combined object library BGL.... Does this model location and bgl name change break the way the the MDLs are found? Obviously, if from the beginning they were in a combined library BGL they would be placed using the >Add >Library Object tool. You stated “this only inserts code to place the objects - the objects themselves are not included in the ADE BGL file(s).” Am just guessing that it does not matter assuming the sim reads info in all bgls in the folder regardless of file name, and calls based on the object GUID. Would not think it matters which bgl contains the MDL info, correct? Am not a programmer, so just basing on uninformed logic... dangerous in my profession, HA!

For my instance, combining ino a single bgl once complete is more file management than preventing use by others. There are potentially 75-100 buildings. Is it just unnecessary effort, with no gain in reducing sim graphics or processor load?
 
You cannot do one, and then magically have it work using the other technique. AFAIK the buildings would have to all be placed again using the other method. There may be ways of obtaining the lat, lon, and heading of the buildings to make this a bit easier, but that won't be a lot of time saved.

AFAIK there will be no difference in load between the two methods if all objects are unique. The only savings is when specific objects are used more than once in a single area (i.e. at an airport) - then the library method will load the object only once into memory and place virtual instances of that object in the other locations. Placing these as MDL files will place multiple objects into memory.
 
hollywood_TX said:
Am assuming if you compile multiple 3DS Max models into a single file using X2MDL, adding to ADE as a single object, the individual buildings are not indepenently movable, correct?
Click to expand...
NO, what I advice you to do
1) if you want to make an airport: make many buildings in one model then correct to earth curvature with MCX and put it in a library and place
if you want with ADE

2) if you have a CITY: I really recommend you to make each building individually and don't place with ADE
i recommend a placement tool as whisplacer for FSX and the native scenario tool for P3D ( it comes with P3D ) so you can place in real time in the sim


have fun :)
 
Thanks so much guys... saved me from myself. Guess I want quick results without aparent necessary frontend planning. Not lazy, just a little inpatient that it’s gone beyond my original goal.

Project started simply being annoyed default rwy & object locations were displaced from MagaScenery imagery. Fixed, then back in to revise for current layout, then again for ac parking, ground polys for custom pavement markings (arresting gear locations). Military AI?... welcome MAIW. Morphed to adding a few stock objects... now custom buildings and still above 30 FPS.

Sounds like I may be heading into dangerous territory that is going to take away from flying time. I do really enjoy building the models, learning airport design stds and ops details, etc. I just need to go back to commercial AC and stay above FL100, ha! Or, maybe watch some vintage FS5.0 videos as a reminder of how far we have come...

Thanks again for your time and input!
 
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