19 replies to this topic

[peter10]

I just made a great airport in AFCAD. But when it shows up in FS, trees and bulidings that were there before show up. At one airport, I had a mall on my runway. Also, I tried EXCBuilder. It didn't work. I saved the BGL to Addon Scenery/scenery. Any help treasured.

Peter  

[IBtheSarge]

When all else fails, Creating an Exclude Zone  

[peter10]

Thanks, sarge. Are you the sarge of FS scenery design ?    Thanks. Will do.

Peter  

[peter10]

I don't have the option to save the text in WordPad as an XML file. I finaly found a blank XML, I typed the text but BGLComp won't BGL-ify it    I've tried everything.
Can you shed any light on this ?

Peter  

[IBtheSarge]

peter10, on Jun 22 2006, 03:05 PM, said:

I don't have the option to save the text in WordPad as an XML file. I finaly found a blank XML, I typed the text but BGLComp won't BGL-ify it    I've tried everything.
Can you shed any light on this ?

Goto that particular directory in Windows Explorer.  On the top toolbar, click on TOOLS, then click on FOLDER OPTIONS, then click the VIEW tab.  About 1/3 of the way down the list of items you can check/uncheck is a line that reads "Hide extensions for known file types" -- make sure there is NO green dot at the beginning of that line.

Now, when you highlight a file and select Rename, you will also be able to change the file extension, allowing you to change .txt to .xml  

bglcomp.exe will not process a file to BGL if it isn't exact.  Every space has to be in the correct place, the lat/lon has to be in the proper sequence and the proper format, or nothing will happen.

Try it again after changing the extension.  If you still don't get a BGL, copy/paste your XML here in a post and I'll take a look at it.

[peter10]

Thanks a lot, sarge. You probably think I'm  

Peter  

[IBtheSarge]

peter10, on Jun 22 2006, 07:30 PM, said:

Thanks a lot, sarge. You probably think I'm 

Not at all.  I know quite a bit about scenery design NOW.  Remember one thing (I always do!), at one point I was exactly where you are now.  Someone encouraged me, mentored me, referred me to tools and tutorials I needed; it's my turn.  

[peter10]

.a

Edited by peter10, 22 June 2006 - 06:43 PM.

[peter10]

Sorry, don't know how to post a file. Although, I did copy/paste the data ( I'm so smart, right    )
Data:   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
- <FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
  <ExclusionRectangle latitudeMinimum="N18 01.6304" latitudeMaximum="N18 02.5278" longitudeMinimum="W63 00.9968" longitudeMaximum="W63 01.2765" excludeAllObjects="TRUE" excludeBeaconObjects="FALSE" excludeEffectObjects="FALSE" excludeGenericBuildingObjects="FALSE" excludeLibraryObjects="FALSE" excludeTaxiwaySignObjects="FALSE" excludeTriggerObjects="TRUE" excludeWindsockObjects="FALSE" />
  </FSData>

Peter  

[IBtheSarge]

peter10, on Jun 22 2006, 07:48 PM, said:

Sorry, don't know how to post a file. Although, I did copy/paste the data ( I'm so smart, right    )

  That's okay; I know what to copy and what to leave out.  

peter10, on Jun 22 2006, 07:48 PM, said:

Data: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
- <FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
  <ExclusionRectangle latitudeMinimum="N18 01.6304" latitudeMaximum="N18 02.5278" longitudeMinimum="W63 00.9968" longitudeMaximum="W63 01.2765" excludeAllObjects="TRUE" excludeBeaconObjects="FALSE" excludeEffectObjects="FALSE" excludeGenericBuildingObjects="FALSE" excludeLibraryObjects="FALSE" excludeTaxiwaySignObjects="FALSE" excludeTriggerObjects="TRUE" excludeWindsockObjects="FALSE" />
  </FSData>

Okay, first the lecture, then the product  

1.  Those two red highlights -- delete them.  The first lines of code are

xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

Notice also that there is no space between the quotation mark after "ISO-8859-1" and the question mark.

2.  You have your longitudes reversed -- remember to ignore the "maximum" and "minimum" tags and enter your lats/lons in the order SMALLEST-LARGEST-LARGEST-SMALLEST, the first two being the latitudes and the next two being the longitudes.

3.  All of those blue equal signs (=) need a space before them and a space after them.

Made those three changes and ran the following

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> 
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
<ExclusionRectangle
  latitudeMinimum="N18 01.6304"
  latitudeMaximum="N18 02.5278"
  longitudeMinimum="W63 01.2765"
  longitudeMaximum="W63 00.9968"
  excludeAllObjects = "TRUE"
  excludeBeaconObjects = "FALSE"
  excludeEffectObjects = "FALSE"
  excludeGenericBuildingObjects = "FALSE"
  excludeLibraryObjects = "FALSE"
  excludeTaxiwaySignObjects = "FALSE"
  excludeTriggerObjects = "TRUE"
  excludeWindsockObjects = "FALSE"/>
</FSData>

and bglcomp made a perfect BGL for it.  

Just a suggestion, though .... you're trying to get rid of autogen trees, right?  Are there other objects in that exclusion that you are trying to keep?  If not, and it were me, I'd also set excludeGenericBuildingObjects = "TRUE" and excludeLibraryObjects = "TRUE" just to be sure the trees go away.  

Edit:  Just noticed -- the forum screen width isn't quite wide enough to properly display that code.  "instance" is on the second line; the third line starts with "xsi".  Both are actually all one line, but WordPad wraps after the word "instance" to a new line.

Edited by sarge, 22 June 2006 - 08:12 PM.

[peter10]

Thank You sarge ! You are awesome !

Peter  

[IBtheSarge]

peter10, on Jun 23 2006, 08:47 AM, said:

Thank You sarge ! You are awesome !

     And in answer to your earlier question

Quote

Are you the sarge of FS scenery design?

if you're talking about the forums on www.scenerydesign.org, yep -- that's me.  Arno Gerretsen is one of the guru's of scenery design; hanging out over there once in a while, even in "lurker" mode, yields some JEWELS of design information.  

But FS2004.com is my favorite hang-out ..... you can't beat the encouragement from admin and folks like TCY, PiP, scavers, mul, and the rest of the guys in the Terrain & Scenery Development arena.  And I'd best not forget Kimber -- she has some REAL good info on repaints, where to get those hard-to-find items; in three short sentences, she had me doing tail repaints for my military AI.

[N3123V]

To save a file as an XML (or any type for that matter) make sure 'Text Documents (*.txt)' appears in the 'Save as Type' box (this enables you to save the file as any type of text document) and type '*name*.xml'. This will save the file as an XML.

[Katahu]

I have created a very short tutorial that is based on Microsoft's SDKs. I wrote it to help you understand the simple export process that is used to export any scenery object directly from Gmax to FS9 instead of having to convert to a third party program.

My tutorial can be found at my site:

Link removed by Moderator; see Forum Rules, #1, specifically: If you would like other members to visit your site, use your signature (in your profile) or place an ad.

I am in the process of writing another tutorial that will help simplify the process [described by M$'s SDKs] of converting xml code such as an exlusion zone to *.bgl.

Edited by sarge, 30 June 2006 - 07:20 PM.

[IBtheSarge]

Katahu, on Jun 30 2006, 07:49 PM, said:

I have created a very short tutorial that is based on Microsoft's SDKs.

Good tutorial; but, as I suspected, it requires the creation of one BGL per placement.  If a designer wants 10 copies of the object in the scenery, he/she will have to create 10 separate BGLs.  That means FS9 will be loading up 10x the number of polygons.  Using a LibObj BGL and a single placement BGL, that object can be placed 100 or 1000 times and FS9 will only load the initial set of polygons, leaving system resources free to maintain framerates and other functions of FS9.  You can place 10 copies of a 200-polygon object with 10 BGLs (and get a noticeable drop in framerates), or place 10 copies and 10 different positions with a LibObj BGL and placement BGL and get virtually NO drop in framerates.

Katahu, on Jun 30 2006, 07:49 PM, said:

I am in the process of writing another tutorial that will help simplify the process [described by M$'s SDKs] of converting xml code such as an exlusion zone to *.bgl.

Already done .... Creating An Exclude Zone .... write the XML and drag-and-drop it on top of the bglcomp.exe icon.

Edited by sarge, 30 June 2006 - 07:22 PM.

[mikey4020]

I don't mean to be rude and barge in on anybody's post but since the question I was going to post was relevant in this topic I didn't want to start another one.

I am also trying to create an exclude but can't get the .bgl to generate and I was wondering if someone could take a look.

This is what I have saved in an xml document, after dragging it onto the bglcomp.exe no BGL file appears.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' 

xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
<ExclusionRectangle
     latitudeMinimum = "N36 23.8829"
     latitudeMaximum = "N36 24.7295"
     longitudeMinimum = "E28 06.4221"
     longitudeMaximum = "E28 04.0893"
     excludeAllObjects = "TRUE"
     excludeBeaconObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeEffectObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeGenericBuildingObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeLibraryObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeTaxiwaySignObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeTriggerObjects = "FALSE"
     excludeWindsockObjects = "FALSE"/>
</FSData>

Thanks!

[IBtheSarge]

  (Not at the post; at the forum width for posts)  Similar problem with the previous post on writing the XML:

Quote

<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance'

xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

This is, in reality, all one line.  The way WordPad sets up by default, it's split into two lines -- the wrap point is between -instance' and xsi:noName.  But it's just the point at which WordPad wraps the line; there's no return at the end of -instance'.

However, that's nit-noy and easily remedied.  The flow that keeps bglcomp from compiling it to BGL is a "quirk" -- the normal sequence to enter latitude/longitude is (latitude) SMALLEST BIGGEST -- which you did correctly -- and (longitude) BIGGEST SMALLEST -- which you ALMOST did correctly.  

Here's the quirk -- you're working in an area of E longitude.  If you start at Greenwich and move west, W116 is bigger than W67.  Once you enter E longitudes, however, the smaller coordinate is the BIGGEST and the larger coordinate is the SMALLEST.  (Works the same way when in S latitudes instead of N latitudes.)

Just reverse your longitudes --

longitudeMinimum = "E28 04.0893"
longitudeMaximum = "E28 06.4221"

(and get rid of that hard return after -instance') and bglcomp will produce your BGL in about 10 seconds, or less.  Tested, worked.  

Edited by sarge, 06 July 2006 - 03:53 PM.

[mikey4020]

Thanks for your help, got my exclude generated!  

[Katahu]

Katahu, on Jun 30 2006, 06:49 PM, said:

Link removed by Moderator; see Forum Rules, #1, specifically: If you would like other members to visit your site, use your signature (in your profile) or place an ad.

Woops! Sorry about that. I can't believe I missed that rule. Especially if it's the first rule.

Anyways, it seems that I will need to a little more work on my tutorials.

Quote

If a designer wants 10 copies of the object in the scenery, he/she will have to create 10 separate BGLs.

Not really. The designer would simply copy the object in Gmax many times as he/she wishes by using a background image as a reference. After that, the user would export and compile it into one single *.bgl file. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Quote

Already done .... Creating An Exclude Zone .... write the XML and drag-and-drop it on top of the bglcomp.exe icon.

Whoah! That's way better than my tutorials.

Edited by Katahu, 06 July 2006 - 07:00 PM.

[IBtheSarge]

Katahu, on Jul 6 2006, 07:54 PM, said:

Katahu, on Jun 30 2006, 06:49 PM, said:

Link removed by Moderator; see Forum Rules, #1, specifically: If you would like other members to visit your site, use your signature (in your profile) or place an ad.

Woops! Sorry about that. I can't believe I missed that rule. Especially if it's the first rule.

  No problem; most folks miss it the first time through ....

Katahu, on Jul 6 2006, 07:54 PM, said:

Quote

If a designer wants 10 copies of the object in the scenery, he/she will have to create 10 separate BGLs.

Not really. The designer would simply copy the object in Gmax many times as he/she wishes by using a background image as a reference. After that, the user would export and compile it into one single *.bgl file. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Okay; follow me on this:

1.  In GMAX, you create a 50 polygon object.  You want that object to appear 10 times in the scenery; so (using what you just described above), you make 9 more copies of the object, at 50 polygons each.  Your single MDL/XML is going to contain 500 polygons (50 polygons per object x 10).

2.  You give a lat/lon/hdg/elev for the single, complex object so you only need one BGL.

3.  FS9 has to use system resources to render 500 polygons.

Now, let's go the single object-single MDL placed in a LibObj file, with an XML call-out.

1.  You create a 50 polygon object and export it as an MDL.

2.  You create a LibObj XML file that contains the MDL; compile that LibObj file to BGL.

3.  You create an XML call-out and place that 50-polygon object in the scenery 10 times; compile that call-out to BGL.

You have two BGL's, one containing the MDL data and one placing it 10 times.  FS9, however, only loads 50 polygons; it then "mirrors" those same polygons and textures at all 10 locations.  It takes far fewer system resources to render 50 polygons than it does to render 500 polygons.

Now, let's take this a few steps forward:

1.  You create 9 more objects, each 50 polygons; and, you export each of those objects as MDLs.

2.  You ADD those 9 objects to the LibObj XML (you now have 10 objects in that file), and recompile it to a BGL.

3.  You call-out those 9 objects 10x each in the same XML you called out the first object; then you recompile that XML into a BGL.

You still have two BGL files, but you have placed 10 objects (total of 500 polygons) 10 times each, for a total of 100 objects.  That should be 5,000 polygons, right?  FS9, however, is NOT going to load 5,000 polygons -- it's only going to load 500 polygons, 50 for each of the 10 objects that are in the LibObj BGL.  It's going to use those 10 sets of 50 to render each object 10 times, or 100 placements total.  Again, it takes far fewer system resources to render 500 polygons than it does to render 5,000 polygons.

Forcing FS9 to load up 5,000 polygons will give you a framerate hit.  Having it only load up 500 polygons, to display the same 10 objects at 10 different locations each, may get you a -0.2 fps hit (locked at 30.0, fps of 29.8) versus a -3.0 for the 5,000 polygon method.  Eventually, a moderately complex scenery will wind up yielding 15.x fps; whereas, with the LibObj and call-out BGLs, a MORE complex scenery could be 26.x fps or higher -- leaving more system resources for quality and other tasks in FS9.

This isn't a new concept .... MSFS even uses that very process.  Look in the FS9/Scenery sub-folders; all of those BGLs are not airports.  Some are object collections.  That list of GUIDs in the bglcomp_SDK files?  They're all contained in a LibObj BGL in one of the FS9/Scenery subfolders.