Visibility condition in x-file and earth curve correction with MCX

[PaderPeter]

Hello Arno, hello Scenery Developer.

First, thank you for the great tool "ModelConverterX".

I want to use the "Visibility Condition" from the modeldef.xml (e.g. for seasons) with the "Prepar3D Attach point tool" already in "3ds Max". In this way, you can export all layers from "ground layout" to an X-file at once and the layers that contain seasons would have the corresponding "Visibility Condition".

So far so good! However, the "earth curve correction" with the MCX with these x-file unfortunately does not work. All ground layers with visibility condition inserted are not curved.

Is the problem known? Is there already a solution?


(Translated with Bing Microsoft Translator)

 

[robystar]

Have you tried the Ground polygon Wizard?

 

[PaderPeter]

Hi Roby,
Thank you for your answer. I don't use the ground poly wizard. My workflow is different. 3dsMax modeling -> x-file -> MCX for "earth curve correction" and MDL linking and export. Since I can use the "visibility condition" with 3ds Max easier, I would only use MCX for "earth curve correction" and final MDL export. The wizard is not usable for my entire workflow. If MCX to make the "earth curve correction" correctly with the x-file inclusive "visibility condition", my problem would be solved.

It would be nice if Arno could say something about this. But maybe he's on vacation. ;-)

 

[tgibson]

Have you divided the model into (say) 100 ft sections?

 

[PaderPeter]

Hi, yes I have. If the "visibility condition" is not in the x-file, the "earth curve correction" works perfectly. But it doesn't work with "visibility condition" in the x-file.

 

[robystar]

But the GPW does do the earth curvature correction also.
If you load your x files, merge them into an mdl (without using the earth curve correction) and then use the GPW, the GPW will apply the earth curve corrections also and you keep the visibility conditions.

 

[PaderPeter]

Roby, that's right.
But the problem is different. If the "visibility condition" is already installed in the x-file by 3ds Max and the "Prepar3D Attach point tool", then the earth curvature does not work. The polygon remains flat.
I think it's a bug in the MCX. So it would be nice if Arno look at the problem.

 

[Christian Bahr]

Have you ever tried to export an MDL file instead of "only" an X-File from 3dsm?



I had already done that once with a Groundlayout. The MDL file was then corrected in the MCX with the earth curve correction and then exported again as an MDL file. The visibility code was preserved.

 

[PaderPeter]

Hello Christian,
Thank you very much for the tip.
It doesn't matter if I export with MDL, as you describe it, and load it into MCX or if I load the x-file into the MCX.
If I remove the "visibility condition" for the seasons and load MDL- or x-file in MCX, then the "earth curve correction" works.
However, by many tiles, it is very tedious to give each part a "visibility condition" individually. :-(

I have the current developer version of MCX and the earth curvature adjustment doesn't work, with already built-in "visibility condition" - only without.
Does this work at you, Christian?

 

[Christian Bahr]

The workflow was like this:

First, the parts of the layout in 3dsm are tagged with the Attach Point tool with the "Season_Summer" Condition and then an MDL file was exported from 3dsm:



This MDL file is loaded into the Ground poly wizard. The settings are made in the Ground polygon wizard and by clicking on "Convert" a BGL file is exported:



I load this BGL file into the MCX and apply the earth curve correction and export again a BGL file (Export Scenery):



The BGL file retains its visibility condition and the layout is only displayed in summer.


PS: The work steps were done with the current MCX version

 

[robystar]

But, Christian, the earth curve correction is already done in the GPW and retains the visibility conditions of the various mdl material layers!?
Why run it through the earth curve correction option once again?

 

[Christian Bahr]

But, Christian, the earth curve correction is already done in the GPW and retains the visibility conditions of the various mdl material layers!?

That is partly correct.
Yes: The visibility condition remains after the GPW.
No: The earth curve correction does not exist.

I have to add the earth curve corrrection - via the corresponding icon in the MCX - in a separate step. Whether the earth curve correction was really added, but you can see the glare in the MCX?

 

[robystar]

Well, I do not have the same experience as you do. When you put in the coords and the altitude in, GPW would also do the earth curvature adaptation.
Guess we will have to wait from confirmation from Arno.

 

[Christian Bahr]

Roby, I think you're right. It is possible that the Earth curve correction is already attached in the GPW - i'm not sure about that.
But if it does, then the step "Earh curve correction" can be omitted in the above mentioned steps.

 

[robystar]

Roby, I think you're right

That would be a first.

 

[PaderPeter]

Hello there, thank you for your comments and explanations.
Let's wait for Arno to know what he says about the MCX problem with this "Earh curve correction" and "visibility condition".
Christian I write you an email. ;-)

 

[PaderPeter]

Hi Arno, where are you? Please read this post. ;-)

 

[Pyscen]

Hello...

He is still on vacation (as far as we know - don't take it personally).

 

[tgibson]

He's European - most people get the month of August off. Ah, Socialism.

 

[PaderPeter]

Hey guys. That's how good I want it to be. Then I have to wait a little longer. But most adults here in Europe only have 2 to 3 weeks of vacation. Only the children have 6 weeks of vacation. ;-)