FS2004 ADE-GP "Default Layer" and "Cap Ends" functions

[Mr.Crocodile]

Hi all, using ADE-GP 2.2.23.8, I would like to inform you about a couple of problems I noted.

1. I set 25 as default layer inside the ADE-GP window using the "Make Default" button. After I defined it, I selected the needed texture for the line I want to obtain. After that I closed the window with OK. Then I created a new GP line, the ADE GP windows opened indicating 25 as layer ("Make Default is greyed out). So I defined another texture for this new GP line without touching the layer set. Then I closed and re-opened the window for the same GP line, and I found the layer set to 24 instead of 25. This behaviour happens every time and also with other layer number and also with GP Poly.

2. I did not understand the function of Cap Ends. I read the user manual and I found that:
For lines in layers 29 and below, the backing lines will be the same length as the line itself, this effectively backing only the sides of the line. For layers 30 and above, the backing will be slightly longer than the line, backing the end as well.
It seems that this does not work. I made two lines, one a layer 28 and one a layer 32 both of them with backing with and both of them without using "Cap Ends". Both of them appeared with the "backing ends".

Moreover, why after I compiled the scenery I found a "ADE_GP Textures" folder created inside the Scenery folder of my scenery?
Just to be clear I attach the schematics of the folder

\MY AIRPORT
+---scenery
| | AFCAD_ADE.bgl
| | ADE_Pavement2_GP.bgl
| \---ADE_GP Textures
\---texture
GP_BLACK.bmp
GP_BLACK_LM.bmp

Andrea

EDIT: sorry I forgot to mention that I use ADE 01.78.7298.19731 for FS9

 

[gadgets]

Andrea, I have confirmed your Issue 1 and will address it in the next release.

Re Issue 2, the user manual is out of date in this regard. In Release 2.2.23.4, I implemented the ability to add (or not) End Caps on lines irrespective of layer. I will update the user manual

Re ADE-GP Textures, as you've discovered, this folder is placed in the specified "Compile" folder. To the best of my recollection, ADE-GP has always done this.

 

[tgibson]

I am still using version 2.2.16 and it doesn't create that folder as long as I compile directly to the scenery's folder.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

I confirm that untill I used the older 2.2.16 version that folder was not created. I would like to underline that the folder is empty. Anyway it's absolutely not a problem.

Related to Issue 2, my question was not so clear. Reading the manual I understood that it was written before the new function was released. Anyway I tried if the previous working criteria related to the backing lines function was still working because I noted that the Cap Ends seemed not to work.
Then I made another check to confirm it.
I made a gp line and I activated Backing Width, Backing Texture and Cap Ends.
Then I copied the above line and pasted near the other to deactivate the Cap Ends and see the differences after I compiling the scenery but when I opened the ADE-GP editor on both the above lines the Cap Ends function was deactivated. So I checked them again but when I open again the ADE-GP editor it seems that it remains deactivated. Compiling the scenery, I obtain two lines "Cap Ended" as if the option would be active even if it's not. So it seems that the option is active every time the Backing With/Texture is used.

And last but not least I noted another little thing (maybe it is an unavoidable behaviour). Using the Backing with and texture the transparency of the main texture disappears. This only with lines, not with poly.

On the left the line with backing texture (black border) that lost the transparency, on the right the same line without the backing texture regularly transparent.
Probably this is due to the fact that the backing width for the lines cover all the line and more: a line with 1m width, need a backing of 1.2m to present a border of 0.1m around.

 

[gadgets]

untill I used the older 2.2.16 version that folder was not created

I don't recall consciously changing the behavior. I'll take a quick look at the code to see what happened. But, I'm not going to spend a lot of on it since, as you say, it's not a problem (since it's simply a few lines of text).

The End Caps control is only available if you have specified the GP is to have backing. Backing is rendered as GP slightly (backing width) larger than the main GP at 1 layer lower than the main GP. So, no, you won't be able to have the main texture transparent when backing is used unless you create the outline yourself with lines..

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

The End Caps control is only available if you have specified the GP is to have backing.

Don,
sorry I'm not sure what do you mean.
I create a line and configure it inside ADE-GP window as in clipboard01 with "Cap Ends" selected

The I clic on OK.
If I open the ADE-GP again I found what you can see in clipboard02.

As you can see the "Cap Ends" is deselected. Anyway if I compile the project I'll find the cap end as in the image of my previous post. So my conclusion is that even if the "Cap Ends" selector is deselected the cap ends are compiled and added.

Is there anything else I have to consider?
Thanks anyway for your marvellous work

Andrea

 

[gadgets]

I have attached a new version of ADE-GroundPolys.dll which you can copy directly into your ADE folder (backing up the current version first (of course). It fixes the Default Layer issue and no longer saves the ADE_GP Textures sub folder in your \scenery folder (it wasn't doing any harm there, but was not intended and is unnecessary.)

Regarding the endcaps, it appears my intent was to offer an option but, due to the difficulty in doing so I abandoned the attempt but neglected to remove the checkbox. As for the user manual saying endcaps would be added in layers 30 and above, that was never implemented and I have revised the user manual.

One of the issues with the end caps option is that its implementation would necessitate a change in the ADE-AED_GP interface. I'm sure Jon would rather that not happen and, in any event, it seems to me that always applying end-caps addresses all but the most peculiar issues.

Please check out the new release and report back.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Thanks Don, downloaded and checked. It seems all is ok now
Ciao

 

[gadgets]

Thanks. I'll make a new release shorty.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Sorry Don but I noted that it's still present a strange behaviour related to the Default Layer.
I set 25 as default layer. If I create a new GP polygon or a new GP Line with more than 2 vertexes, the ADE-GP window opens showing me layer 24 (the Make Default button is available to set that layer as default and infact inserting 25, it becomes greyed out). If I create a 2 vertexes GP Line instead the window shows correctly layer 25.
;-)

Ciao

 

[gadgets]

Don't understand why, but I'll check and fix before release.

 

[gadgets]

Cannot duplicate, regardless of how many vertices are involved. (Nowhere in the layer processing are nodes counted.) The only thing I can think of is that when you first specified the new default layer, you did not complete the specification process for the GP then in the editor and, hence cancelled out instead of OKing. The effect of that would be that neither the new default layer nor anything else would be saved.

Please check again.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Don, I checked again also using the older 2.2.23.8 and with this version the problem seems not to be present.
I make a short video to show you.
Starting with 24 as default layer, I create a gp line (only two vertexes) and set the default layer as 25. Then I create another gp line (three vertexes this time) and the layer is set to 24 (with the default layer button available so I can understand that the default value is correctly set to 25 but it is not retained to be shown in the window as required). Anyway if I create another gp line with only two vertexes the layer is set correctly to 25 with the default layer button greyed out as expected.

 

[gadgets]

You are not using the version I sent for testing. That version (above) will display 2,2.23.9 in the title bar of the GP Editor (I just checked it to be sure), not 2.2.23.8.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Sorry Don, in the video I attached, the version is 2.2.23.9. The problem I described is in this version. I checked instead with the older 2.2.23.8 and that version seems not to be affected.

 

[gadgets]

I can now duplicate.

 

[gadgets]

Please give attached version a try.

A long time ago, I asked Jon to initialize the layer to 24 for all new GP's. Don't remember why, but that is no longer necessary. And I had forgotten about it.

My purpose for a Default Layer was to assign an initial layer number to new GPs. However, because new GPs came in with Layer 24 already assigned, the Default Layer never came into play - well almost never. Subsequently, I implemented a check that confirmed each incoming GP had at least two vertices and determined if the incoming GP had already been processed by the GP Editor. If not previously processed then it was handled as a new GP and the Default Layer assigned. But, unfortunately, I was checking for exactly 2 vertices, not 2 or more. So new lines with only 2 vertices were assigned the new layer. But if a line contained 3 or more vertices, or if it was a poly (minimum 4 vertices) it failed the check and retained its already assigned layer, i.e., 24.

That's what 10 years of evolution can do!.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Don, excellent. Now it seems to work correctly. Thanks a lot also for your above explanation... ;-)

PS: I have question a little bit off topic here so please do not kick me to the curb, but I would like to ask you why the filename of the texture files copied into the simulator texture folder are all with capital letters instead of maintaining the original name as in the ADE texture folder? For example in the ADE texture folder I have Parking_Signs01.bmp and after I compiled the scenery in the scenery texture folder I find PARKING_SIGNS01.bmp. I noted this behaviour since a couple of ADE GP releases. Is there a particular reason for it?

Ciao

 

[gadgets]

I would like to ask you why the filename of the texture files copied into the simulator texture folder are all with capital letters instead of maintaining the original name as in the ADE texture folder?

Not an unreasonable question. The answer is : "There is no longer any reason for this, and I have fixed it in the current release." I probably did it in the early days so that their use would require less overhead (an upper-case comparison is faster than a mixed-case comparison. That's no longer an issue.

 

[Mr.Crocodile]

Thanks...

Andrea