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P3D v5 Convert P3D v4 sceneries for P3D v5

F

FredNav

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france
First of all, sorry if this has been done before, I did find some references but I am encountering extra issues.

I am trying to "convert" P3D v4.5 sceneries (for example Roger Catherall sceneries and other AFCAD's) for use in P3D v5.3. As you know, importing the P3D v4 sceneries into P3d v5, the default P3D v5 buildings show in the sim. So... I did follow Jon recommendations (remove stock data status, etc....). My main issue is that a lot of those sceneries have "black box objects". With older FSX files and P3D v4 (when converting from the former to the latter), you could edit the fsx files, compile the "black box objects" and use 2 layers in the addon organiser for the scenery to show properly in the sim, one layer with the edited scenery file and one layer with the original file. For example, I would edit file ABCD.bgl (taxiways and aprons "flags") then compile it and accept the black box warning message and compile anyway. Then in the add on organiser, I would put the original ABCD.bgl file below the edited ABCD.bgl file. Using the layer principle of the scenery hierarchy, I could see the "black box objects" in the sim.
With P3D v5, when I try to do that, the "black box" objects do not seem to show. I get a lot of missing buildings, objects, etc... It looks ugly. Am I doing something wrong?
It is frustrating, I can't find a solution to the problem.
Thanks for your help.
 
I am sure you know that black box objects in ADE mean that the library containing those objects has not been added to the ADE Library Object Manager?
 
There's no need to keep the old scenery below the new one. Just place your edited new .bgl file on top

If the objects do not show, it can have two reasons. First, you don't have the library in your scenery. If you have a library called airportbuidingslib.bgl, this file needs to be in the scenery directory of your airport.bgl. The objects are in the library, the placing is in the airport.bgl

Some objects, like the default ones, are in the global\scenery directory of your sim or maybe in another airport scenery. There are libraries often used by many airport designers.

Second, the file could be compiled for FS9. Then you need to load the library to ModelconverterX and save it for P3D4.4 (that's the highest version I see there). I made a lot of objects appear this way in P3D5.

As Jon said, the black boxes in ADE can be solved by adding the library with it's objects to ADE in the library tools. It is not needed, if you don't want to change objects or placings. If you only convert, you just need to add the library to your scenery directory, that it can be found. If this does not work, you have to recompile it.

Dan
 
How do you add those black objects to the library object manager?
I have a personal airport project made with P3d v4.5, all with default P3D v4 objects, I am trying to transfer to P3D v5. When opening the file in ADE 179, some of the building show as black objects....
 
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FredNav said:
How do you add those black objects to the library object manager?
Click to expand...

The objects represented by black boxes will be in bgl files. It's not possible to specify which ones. All the stock ones should be there but there may be others from third party projects. If the airport you are trying to convert is third party then try loading any bgl files (other than CVX) that are part of the package. This article describes the process of adding library objects to the Library Object Manager


Section 13.4 of the pdf manual also contains information about the LOM. Although the pdf manual was last updated for ADE 1.65 most of the contents are still valid and the online help (link above points to it) includes additional materials
 
Thanks for getting back to me.

This is what I am trying to do.
With ADE v.0179, I go to file>open airport>locate the airport project from P3D v4. The project opens up in ADE as I had saved it previously. I now save it as a P3D v5 project in ADE 0179.
This is an airport I had made with the default P3D v4 buildings. Straight away, though, I can see there are a couple of "black objects" when the airport is displayed in ADE 0179.
To add the black objects to the LOM, I go to Tools>Library Manager>add file and locate the p3d v4.5 .bgl file of the airport. However, I get a "No useable objects found in this file" error message.
Are p3D v4 building not compatible with v5?
 
FredNav said:
To add the black objects to the LOM, I go to Tools>Library Manager>add file and locate the p3d v4.5 .bgl file of the airport. However, I get a "No useable objects found in this file" error message.
Click to expand...

Is there another bgl file that came with the 4.5 airport bgl file?
 
The airport bgl file will generally carry object placements, not the objects themselves. If you have an XXXX_ADEP4_XXX_OBJ.bgl file, you should be able to import your objects from that.
 
Tim Collins said:
The airport bgl file will generally carry object placements, not the objects themselves. If you have an XXXX_ADEP4_XXX_OBJ.bgl file, you should be able to import your objects from that.
Click to expand...

This only would occur if you have ADE separating bgl files options set as such (see image). By default though, there are only 2 bgl files that ADE creates
(2 bgl files: xxxx_ADEP4_xxx.bgl and xxx_ADEP4_xxx_CVX.bgl).

Separate_files.png


In either case, the objects are not easily available.
 
Yes, I have only the "main" airport .bgl file and the .cvx file. Should I try to separate the airport and objects Bgl files?
I am puzzled because the "black objects" in the project I am trying to transfer to v5 are default buildings for that particular airport in v4. They are not other developers objects.
 
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I am puzzled because the "black objects" in the project I am trying to transfer to v5 are default buildings for that particular airport in v4. They are not other developers objects.
Click to expand...

Then you need to load the P3Dv4 stock object libraries into the LOM. Either that or replace the black box objects with the P3Dv5 equivalents
 
Actually, even the obj file will only normally contain placements, unless you've directly imported models into the ad4 file.

A method I've found that sometimes - but not always - works for converting scenery for earlier versions of P3D to v5 is to firstly import the stock buildings into the scenery (with ADE in V5 mode), then delete those items in the main ADE window. Save the airport and compile it for v5.
 
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