Wanting to learn how to use the Autogen Annotator Tool.

[Aspireman]

Questions:
Is it easier to place trees and objects than ADE?
Is it more time consuming?
Does it need a lot of memory to use?

I'm using FSX SE. I have downloaded the SDK and have successfully run the Tool. I have also imported a Bgl scenery file that I got from SBX into the tool. But that's as far as I have gotten. Are there any good tutorials out there? I've look at some, but I don't understand any of it. I'm not even sure if it even works right. Any help is appreciated.

 

[arno]

Autogen vs objects placed with xml are two very different techniques. In general autogen has better performance and also the trees are seasonable.

If you want to place a few individual trees around an airport. ADE works fine. Autogen is more to populate bigger areas.

The Annotator tool doesn't use a lot of memory and is quite easy to use. Just select the vegetation class you want to use and start drawing.

 

[arno]

Autogen vs objects placed with xml are two very different techniques. In general autogen has better performance and also the trees are seasonable.

If you want to place a few individual trees around an airport. ADE works fine. Autogen is more to populate bigger areas.

The Annotator tool doesn't use a lot of memory and is quite easy to use. Just select the vegetation class you want to use and start drawing.

 

[Aspireman]

Are there any step by step instructions on how to use it? I am at a loss. Do I need to be online to use it? Does it need paths set? Any help appreciated.

 

[arno]

Did you read the sdk documentation? It should get you going.

No you don't have to be online or set paths. You need to copy one xml file (if I remember correctly).

 

[Aspireman]

Does that come with the SDK? If not can you link me to it? Thanks.

 

[GaryGB]

You may wish to review this excellent tutorial:

"Using the Autogen Annotator" by Luis Feliz-Tirado:

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140537

using_the_autogen_annotator_264833.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 21st November 2009, 16:18:51
Downloads: 3266
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado



...and, of course, the FSX / SP / P3D Autogen SDK docs, ex:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526979.aspx


GaryGB

 

[Aspireman]

Ok, I copied a XML default into the folder that has the autogen annotator tool in it. I'm not sure what it means to open up the appropriate file using the configuration Editor. I just opened a BGL aerial image that I want on to the prepar 3d autogen annotator tool.

 

[Aspireman]

Ok, I found this on a tutorial. Unfortunately everytime I try to open the XML file the program shuts down. Any thoughts on why?

 

[GaryGB]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...he-autogen-annotator-tool.440958/#post-780759

Ok, I copied a XML default into the folder that has the autogen annotator tool in it. I'm not sure what it means to open up the appropriate file using the configuration Editor. I just opened a BGL aerial image that I want on to the prepar 3d autogen annotator tool.

Apparently you are referring to the FSX Autogen SDK:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526979.aspx#CreatingBuildingFootprints


Creating Building and Vegetation Footprints

For Polygon Region(I), Vegetation(V), Polyline Building (J) and Building (B), first select the GUID of the footprints you wish to place, by opening up the appropriate file using the Configuration Editor dialog (which will appear when the Annotator tool is started), and then selecting the object name from the lists presented in the various windows. Click Set Guid in the Control Strip to load the details of that object into the Annotator tool. For vegetation areas refer to the notes in Vegetation Groupings.


I had recommended in my post above, for its greater clarity on many subjects, this tutorial:

Using the Autogen Annotator" by Luis Feliz-Tirado:

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140537

...which says:

"These are the relevant files for use with the Autogen Configuration Editor:

1. AutogenDescriptions.xml -- this file contains, among other things, the definitions of all vegetation types
2. Extrusions.xml -- the definitions for polyline buildings
3. RoofDescriptions.xml -- the definitions for normal autogen buildings

All these files are located in the Autogen source xml folder of the Autogen SDK directory.

To begin, you must first load one of the description files. For example, this is what you might see when loading the AutogenDescriptions.xml file:"

GaryGB

 

[GaryGB]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...he-autogen-annotator-tool.440958/#post-780957

Ok, I found this on a tutorial. Unfortunately every time I try to open the XML file the program shuts down. Any thoughts on why?

Apparently you are referring to this tutorial thread:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?250762-How-to-create-photoreal-scenery-for-FSX/page3

...which says:

"PART IX - Working with Autogen Annotator Tool

Now we want to place some trees on our island. We do that with the Autogen Annotator Tool.

1) Go to your "Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK/SDK/Environment Kit/Autogen SDK/" folder and double-click "Annotator.exe"

2) Now there will be a bunch of windows on your screen. Close the "Properties" window, the "Find Results" window and the "Find" window.

3) Go to your Autogen Configuration Editor and open "autogendescriptions.xml" - it's in your "Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK/SDK/Environment Kit/Autogen SDK/Autogen source xml" folder.This xml file contains our trees."


Please confirm which "XML" file you you opened that resulted in a crash of FSX Autogen SDK Annotator.

GaryGB

 

[Aspireman]

The "autogendescriptions.xml". I've tried both of them. The downloaded SDK and the SDK in FSX SE.

 

[Aspireman]

A video of what it's doing.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_n-6uMgEm0ARkwteHdjT05RMnM/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Chris:

This could prove challenging to troubleshoot if you have already tried installing those (2) different versions of the FSX SDK:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...ration-editor-will-not-load-xml-files.435142/


I suggest that you forego tinkering further with the (2) other installed FSX SDK versions for now, and instead install the Lockheed Martin P3Dv1.4x version of the FSX / ESP / P3D SDK.

https://www.prepar3d.com/support/sdk/

"Prepar3D v1.4 SDK

The Prepar3D® SDK is available as a free download to anyone looking to get into developing add-ons or content for Prepar3D®.

The Prepar3D SDK 1.4.4747.0 (Prepar3D SDK Release 1.4) is directly compatible with Prepar3D 1.4.4747.0 (Prepar3D Release 1.4). The SimConnect.lib and LockheedMartin.Prepar3D.SimConnect.dll provided in the SDK cannot be used to connect to FSX, ESP or any previous release of Prepar3D.

The SimConnect server in the Prepar3D application is backwards compatible with the SimConnect.dll’s of FSX and ESP and the ESP SimConnect server is backwards compatible with the SimConnect.dll’s of FSX. This means that if you are trying to develop an add-on that will work with FSX, ESP, and Prepar3D, you will need to use a version of the SimConnect SDK that works with FSX.

Click here to open the online SDK documentation (1.4.4747.0).

Click here to download the Prepar3D SDK with tools and the SDK Learning Center documentation.

The SDK documentation is now accessible via the new SDK Learning Center application. This application is installed in your Start Menu when you install the SDK. It can also be found in the SDK installation directory in \LC\LearningCenter.exe."



NOTE: The Prepar3D SDK 1.4.4747.0 (Prepar3D SDK Release 1.4) is essentially identical to the (2) other FSX SDKs you already installed, except that it automatically runs the SDK path configuration utility and writes SDK-related Windows system variables to the proper parts of the Windows Registry, so that when any of the SDK tools (and all other 3rd party FS utilities I've tested) are run, they successfully "find" the correct SDK file / folder paths without any problem.


Let me know if you have an ongoing problem after installing the above P3Dv1.4x version of the (FSX) SDK.


PS: Unless you are concerned about severely limited hard disk drive storage space, I would not recommend attempting to manually remove and re-install the other (2) versions of the FSX SDK, as they only occupy about 435 MB of space for each folder chain.

But if you are insistent on delving into those complexities, you may find "some" help here:

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


GaryGB

 

[Aspireman]

If I instal the other SDK will that mess up the original?

 

[Aspireman]

Does having FSX SE in the Program Files 86 have anything to do with it? Very frustrating, I want to broaden my designing capability and I'm not able too.

 

[Aspireman]

I already have the Prepar3D SDK 1.4.4747.0 version.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Chris:

I don't know what priority the paths and Windows variables may be in on your computer as a result of the order in which you installed what now apparently is an actual total of (3) versions of the "FSX" SDK.

But maybe that is a factor in whether / how SDK Autogen Configuration Editor.exe reacts when you attempt to load:

FSX\SDK\Environment Kit\Autogen SDK\Autogen source XML\AutogenDescriptions.xml

...rather than:

[Prepar3D SDK 1_4x install path]\Environment Kit\Autogen SDK\AUtogen source xml\AutogenDescriptions.xml

...as seen in the folder path at the top of your linked video capture file above ?

Bearing in mind that SDK Autogen Annotator must be first launched, and that then launches Autogen Configuration Editor.exe, you need to identify what version of the SDK Autogen Annotator you first launched, and which SDK version folder chain it was launched from.

Then try opening only the AutogenDescriptions.xml file within that same SDK version folder chain.

GaryGB

 

[Aspireman]

Is just buying the Instant Scenery my best bet? I am at a loss. I do have a FSX Gold Edition. Should I try and get the SDK off of that?

 

[GaryGB]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...he-autogen-annotator-tool.440958/#post-781108

Is just buying the Instant Scenery my best bet? I am at a loss.

If you only want to add a few manually-placed scenery library objects in certain parts of your scenery project areas, then Instant Scenery would the best way, IMHO, to do that.

That "few" object placements should not significantly impact FSX run time FPS.

But, if you also want to Annotate large numbers of Autogen trees and buildings etc. over larger areas of custom photo-real aerial imagery, then FSX SDK Autogen Annotator is the best way to do that, because it is easier to achieve seasonal Autogen object texture changes, and Autogen placement is less likely to adversely impact run time FPS.

I do have a FSX Gold Edition. Should I try and get the SDK off of that?

Given the complexity of your present apparent installation of (3) FSX SDK installs, I'm tempted to say NO, unless you first remove ALL copies of the SDK from your computer.

However, as I mentioned above, you would likely have less complications if you only installed and used the P3Dv1.4x version of the FSX / ESP / P3D SDK when compared to the 'bumpy road' of getting the FSX Gold SDK installed from its (2) DVDs (due to the (3) phases of that installation process ...as discussed in the SDK troubleshooting forum I linked to above).

GaryGB