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FSXA Custom vector line grass strip - Lines.txt and Terrain.cfg

Heretic

Resource contributor
Messages
6,830
Country
germany
I'm trying to recreate the inner german border for funsies.

After hours of agony in trying to get the boder's .kml data to show up in SbuilderX (converting .kml to .gpt with GPSies and running the result through QGIS to obtain .shp files for SBX did the trick), I've managed to make the strip more or less show up in FSX.

I'm using custom entries in the terrain.cfg which are based on the default "utility" entry for powerlines. With the appropriate entries in the "Lines.txt" file of SBuilderX, the scenery compiles fine.

Yet,I've got a bit of difficulty in finding the right setup for the terrain.cfg entries. So far, the border strip has quite a few quirks that I wish to eliminate.

The entries read as follows:
Code:
//Border Strip wide
[Texture.488]
Name=Border Wide
guid={7ec43cef-f349-4cd7-94dd-82801e4bbbe4}
Textures=utilitymask.bmp
Layout=3_PLUS_1
StripWidthMeters=500
LandClassRemapType=cultural
ExcludeAutogen=Yes
FlattenMode=none
FlattenPriority=flat
RenderToTexture=Yes
RenderPriority=95000
Water=No

//Border Strip narrow
[Texture.489]
Name=Border Narrow
guid={d9894c0a-97d2-4638-8f9f-2a7285f27179}
Textures=utilitymask.bmp
Layout=3_PLUS_1
StripWidthMeters=200
LandClassRemapType=cultural
ExcludeAutogen=Yes
FlattenMode=none
FlattenPriority=flat
RenderToTexture=Yes
RenderPriority=95000
Water=No

Lines.txt settings:

Code:
[Texture.488]
Color=FF808000
Name=Border Wide
Guid={7ec43cef-f349-4cd7-94dd-82801e4bbbe4}
Textures=utilitymask
Type=RDX

[Texture.489]
Color=FF808000
Name=Border Narrow
Guid={d9894c0a-97d2-4638-8f9f-2a7285f27179}
Textures=utilitymask
Type=RDX

What can I change to obtain a grass strip that:
  • lies above every landclass texture, but below vector roads*
  • respects bodies of water
  • clings to the underlying terrain elevation

*This should probably eliminate the gaps I'm seeing with the above settings.


The textures might be changed later on and I'm going to add a few vector line objects (watch towers), but I want to have the strip itself show up flawlessly first.


This subject lies a bit between "general terrain stuff" and "SbuilderX-related stuff", so if this thread is better off in the "FSX terrain" section, feel free to move it.
 
Ah, that's nice to know for next time.

Meanwhile, I've defined the strip as a road with a lower priority than the default roads which made them show up consistently. I had to break and delete the lines running across lakes though. Shows up well now.

On to the vector line objects...
 
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