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Erratic display of objects

N

nigelgrant

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Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Erratic display of objects

I am trying to create some fencing around my CYVR scenery with gmax and I am using the download fence_post file by Marci Dunn. I think I am getting the hang of the cloning function but I am having trouble locating the fence sample in different areas of the airport.

In my initial placing, I modified the coordinates for SeaTac (as used in the house scenery tutorial) in the XML file, to a location on the fringes of CYVR, it seems to work out okay, the fence segment shows up, although it needs some scaling corrections. But if I re-edit the XML file to another location and re-compile, the fence segment will not show up.

So why can I relocate from the SeaTac coordinates to my first CYVR coordinates, but then cannot relocate the fence segment elsewhere by recompiling with the new coordinates?

Any help would be appreciated.

Nigel
Vancouver
 
I have located the cause of my problem. In the design of CYVR I had created an XML exclude file to enable me to use AFCAD for all the visual runways, taxi-ways and aprons, with their associated lines. When I locate the fence within the confines of the airport and remove the XML exclude file, the fence now shows up.

So the next thing is to develop a work-around, I am wondering whether it could be a layering problem, if this feature exists in gmax?

Nigel
 
Do you have that exclude file and your new BGL file with the fence in the same folder? If that is not the case, that could be the reason your fence is excluded. Else you might have to make a smaller exclude, only locally around the objects you want to remove.
 
Hi Arno

It sounds like you might be giving me some bad news.

Yes, my XML exclude file and the fence file are in the same scenery folder. It will be just too complicated to try and create a bunch of exclude files to exclude the default bits and pieces, CYVR is a large and com[lex airport. I expect I may have in the order of 20 fence segments to place and I don't want to upset my existing CYVR scenery. It seems strange that gmax cannot accept an operation of placing a gmax object over an XML exclude area, in fact the more I get into gmax the more discouraged I get!!

It is a good fence gmax image of a chain link fence that I am using, is there any way I can convert it to an API, then I could do all my fence placements in NovaSim which I liked in the past. Or I may have to try and create an equivalent in NovaSim.

cheers
Nigel
 
Hi Nigel.

The problem would not be Gmax. The problem is the way FS9 handles excludes. Older APIs, or using NovaSim, would make no difference.

If the exclude resides in the same folder as your object-placement BGL, there should be no exclude problem. If the exclude is in a folder that is loaded later than your BGL placement, then your work will be excluded.

As far as making several small excludes, that has been the recommended procedure for FS9 scenery since we first discovered FS9 had a bug in the way it handles excludes and attached effects... many months ago.

Dick
 
Hi Nigel,

As Dick also said, it should work fine if all files are in the same folder. If you still have trouble with the exclude, could it be that there is one in another folder as well (for another addon scenery or so)?
 
Maybe I should "eat crow"! I just did a recompile of my fence file and put it in my CYVR scenery folder, where the XML exclude folder resides, and the fence showed up. Why it didn't before, I don't know (maybe it was not in my CYVR folder but my age permitted me to imagine it!).

Anyway, I have been using a chainlink fence macro by Michael Rodriguez, placing its API files into my Airport scenery design program. A very tedious process, so far I have placed 28 objects and I am just over half way round CYVR airport. This fence looks pretty good close up but quickly disappears as you get further away from it, and it makes me wonder whether it is worth the effort. But it is nice landing over the perimeter chainlink fence, if it only be for an instant!

However, the posts of the gmax fence by Marci Dunn show up a lot better although the chain mesh also disappears quickly. If I revert to the gmax version and redo my fence , I have several questions.

1. I would assemble the number of panels I need for the maximum straight length of fence by cloning, then when I applied other lengths of fence I would just delete the requisite number of panels and create a new file each time, before placing it in my scenery folder.

2. Does this mean I am going to have to create and place 28+ fence bgl's (see above for derivation of 28 number) in my scenery folder, or is there a way I can merge/macro/combine them into one fence.bgl file?

3. I can see a horrendous trial and error job of placing all these individual fence segments by having to determine coordinates at each object placement point and then I find the segments don't join up exactly! It has been bad enough trying to line up the individual segments in Airport and I have been at it for two computer days! gmax sounds many times worse.

I would appreciate any comments or tips, etc.

Nigel
Vancouver
 
Hi Nigel,

nigelgrant said:
2. Does this mean I am going to have to create and place 28+ fence bgl's (see above for derivation of 28 number) in my scenery folder, or is there a way I can merge/macro/combine them into one fence.bgl file?
Click to expand...

You can combine all the fence segments in one XML file and then compile that. That way you get one BGL file with all segments. And if segments are the same you could just use the old object again (with a different position and rotation if needed).

nigelgrant said:
3. I can see a horrendous trial and error job of placing all these individual fence segments by having to determine coordinates at each object placement point and then I find the segments don't join up exactly! It has been bad enough trying to line up the individual segments in Airport and I have been at it for two computer days! gmax sounds many times worse.
Click to expand...

If you know the exact size, you could use the BiasXYZ command in the XML code to add the offsets. If you fence is 10 meters long for example, you just move the next segment 10 meters in the desired direction.

Else on the use of an API with an airport symbol in it would be useful, that is probably what you are using now. But using API macros for Fs2004 style objects is not really what you want.
 
Hi Arno

Thx for your help so far, I think I am slowly progressing (that is to the next road block!).

Following on your suggestion of the biasXYZ, I managed to find a thread on Bias Coding, mainly by Jeff and Daryl. I followed their instructions which seemed pretty straightforward, but there was never any conclusion as to whether things worked out for Daryl.

I have now got a single test fence panel using fence_n_post by Marci Dunn, showing in my FS but when I introduce the biasXYZ entries, I can no longer get bglcomp to compile a bgl file. One problem is I am not sure of the length (X or Y?) of the panel. I think it is 10 m and I have to scale it down to 0.1 to show it properly in FS (which doesn't sound right because the panel in FS looks a lot longer than 1 m, more likely 3 m. I have tried the 10 and 20 in both the X and Y entries of the bias but I still cannot compile a bgl.

I have shown my XML coding below and I would appreciate someone's critique of it.

I have also made up a 32 panel fence segment by cloning so that is what I hope to be applying the biasXYZ to eventually. I found if I did more panels I could not export the gmax file, I got an error message of too many parts.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<?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">

<!--1st fence -->

<SceneryObject
lat="49 11.52"
lon="-123 12.47"
alt="0"
pitch="0"
bank="0"
heading="0"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<LibraryObject name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" scale="1.0" />
<BiasXYZ
biasX="10"
biasY="0"
biasZ="0"/>
</SceneryObject>

<!--2nd fence -->

<SceneryObject
lat="49 11.52"
lon="-123 12.47"
alt="0"
pitch="0"
bank="0"
heading="0"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<LibraryObject name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" scale="1.0" />
<BiasXYZ
biasX="20"
biasY="0"
biasZ="0"/>
</SceneryObject>


<ModelData name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" sourceFile="TestFence.mdl" />
</FSData>

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nigel
Vancouver
 
Hi Nigel,

Try it like this. The bias must be in front of the object you assign it to.

Code: 
<?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">

<!--1st fence -->

<SceneryObject
lat="49 11.52"
lon="-123 12.47"
alt="0"
pitch="0"
bank="0"
heading="0"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<BiasXYZ
biasX="10"
biasY="0"
biasZ="0"/>
<LibraryObject name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" scale="1.0" />
</SceneryObject>

<!--2nd fence -->

<SceneryObject
lat="49 11.52"
lon="-123 12.47"
alt="0"
pitch="0"
bank="0"
heading="0"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
imageComplexity="NORMAL">
<BiasXYZ
biasX="20"
biasY="0"
biasZ="0"/>
<LibraryObject name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" scale="1.0" />
</SceneryObject>

<ModelData name="B4A84836430249D6569BC2A9C2DA57B1" sourceFile="TestFence.mdl" />
</FSData>
 
Arno

I changed my XML file and it still wouldn't compile to a bgl file in bglcomp, but without the bias entry for a single panel it will compile

Nigel
 
Hi Nigel,

Can you show the errors you get? Maybe something else is wrong on your PC. The file I showed in my last post compiles here without trouble.
 
Hi Arno

Sorry for all the trouble! I have been dropping the XML file into the bglcomp icon and no bgl has appeared nor an error message.

So I went to the command prompt and followed the tutorial instructions, the error message is below:

Parsing document: TestFence.XML

ERROR C2033: XML Parse Error <line, column, error>

ERROR: 20, 11, Element content is invalid according to the DTD/schema.
Expecting: LibraryObject, Effect, Trigger, Windsock, AttachedObject, GenericBuilding
ERROR C2033: XML Parse Error <line, column, error>

ERROR: 38, 11, Element content is invalid according to the DTD/schema.
Expecting: LibraryObject, Effect, Trigger, Windsock, AttachedObject, GenericBuilding

ERROR: Schema errors detected, compilation failed!

Parse completed!

regards
Nigel
 
Hi Nigel,

Are you sure you used the code as I posted it? I got these errors when I used your origional code.
 
Hi Nigel,

If you are making a lot of fencing with Marci's fence, you may get more of a frame rate impact than need be. With her permission I have republished her fence with much fewer polys as part of my gmax object collection, and with some variations (no bend, no barbed wire, no grass) It's in a couple of forms in the gmax scene, and you can just cut and paste what you need.

http://www.scenerydesign.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=464

If you want to modify the material I can provide the original 24-bit textures, which I should have published with the objects.

Jon
 
Last edited:
Hi Arno

So far no luck. I did edit my XML file to incorporate your changes and tried to compile, with no success. Then in response to your latest message, as a further check I did a copy and paste of your coding into a text file then changed the extension to .XML and created a new XML file. That did not compile either.

I am going to go back to the earlier bias thread and see whether the last attempt there was successful.

Jon, thx for the offer, I will be back to you once I get this process working!!

cheers
Nigel
 
Hi Nigel,

If you still can't get it to work, you can attach the XML to your post. I will then try it here with exactly the same file as you use.
 
Hi Nigel,

This is getting weird. Your file compiles perfectly here.

Are you using the version of BGLComp that is available for download from MS at the moment? Or are you still using one of the older version?
 
Hi Arno

AT LAST!!!! I re-downloaed the bgclcompSDK and re-installed bglcomp.exe and it is working. As you say weird, the bglcomp.exe I was using was dated Novemebr2004 so I didn't figure it was too out of date.

Anyway, thx very much for your patience and help. (I doubt that this is the last you will hear from me but I am off now to put these findings into practice!)

Nigel
 
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