• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

FSX:SE Ground poly problems

fredz

fredz

Messages
178
Country
us-florida
Gentlemen, has anyone had problems creating lettering using the custom ground poly function in version 178 of ADE? Letters are almost impossible to create...select V - you get a partial C....you end up with partial letters when others are selected. Did a check using version 170 with no problems. Very frustrating...is there any way to use any of the GP files from version 170 in version 178?
Any comments appreciated.
Fred Z
 
Fred, on the surface it sounds like you may not have correctly defined your textures in Textures_Def.txt or that you have other registration problems. I have worked extensively with GPs in ADE 1.79 recently and have experienced no such difficulties. Also, I recall a recent thread in this forum with a similar topic. You might have a look at that one as well.

You have noted two very different versions of ADE. You haven't mentioned which version of ADE-GP is in use in each case. Jon has made major improvements in ADE between those two issues of ADE. Those changes resulted in incompatibilities between newer issues of ADE with older issues of ADE-GP.

I would recommend you update to the latest issue of ADE (which will include a compatible issue of ADE-GP) and see whether the problem persists. If it does, then I'll look into it.
 
Don, thanks for the quick reply....version 178 is what I have been using since it's release. I did a try with version 170, which I have saved, just to see if I was the problem. I was not sure to use version 179 as I thought it was still a development version. I have not made any changes (that I Know of) to the textures. I will download version 179 and give it a shot...nothing ventured.
Thanks again....I will now go have fun!
Later,
Fred Z
 
Don, Follow-up to above...I installed version 179, messed with what I had created, no luck...so I started with a clean re-do of the airport (FD51) I have deleted the old background, created a new Flatten and a new Airport Background, slightly modified the runway to add two white GP stripes....compile, save, install to FSX-SE and I now have the dissapearing GP's in top down, zooming in like the problem we thought had been solved a couple of weeks ago! I have not been able to check out creating letters in GP - can't get that far. With your indulgence, I am attaching what I have been doing...when you have a chance, could you look and see if I am crazy or what? I tried your solution with out success this time.
Help!
Later,
Confused Fred Z
 

Attachments

  • FD51_ADEX_FCZ.zip
    47.7 KB · Views: 184
Fred, yesterday you reported a GP Texture registration error. Now you say "I have not been able to check out creating letters in GP - can't get that far." Since you have not defined any GPs for use with the texture of concern, its not clear what you mean by "can't get that far".

Re the files you sent, I see no issue with the GPs you have programmed. I will confirm that initially, using your .bgl files with FSX, the GPs were not visible. But a recompile of the .ad4 file fixed that - similar to how you reported the issue of a month ago was resolved.

What I do note as unusual is that you have created a flatten that does not include the ARP. Consequently, ADE has three, conflicting elevations to consider: ARP local elevation - which is higher than your flatten elevation, flatten elevation and ARP elevation. I'm not suggesting you have done anything wrong. But, you have given ADE an unusual situation to resolve - which, depending on other aspects of your system configuration, may not get resolved as you expect. GPs are drawn at terrain elevation. Given the potential elevation conflicts, it's not clear to me what that would be. The GPS may be below the runway surface - which is what you seem to observe.

If FSX:SE operates differently in this regard from FSX, there's nothing I can do about it. You just need to be aware and work around it (like including your ARP in the flattened area or, flattening to ARP local elevation) Nonetheless, since this appears to be identical to the issue we discussed a month ago, I suggest you attempt to use whatever procedure you confirmed worked then. Let's focus on the registration issue.
 
Don, follow-up #2 to above. I was not aware about the ARP location needing to be inside the Flatten...changed and the vanishing GP's fixed. Thank you. As far as the GP registration issue, if you look at the attached file (again) you will note above the word 'Private' is the word 'Customs' - what I used to make this are the letters W, X, Y & Z. It appears that something is amiss with some part of the GP files....also, the verticle alignment seems somewhat off but I can work around. BTW, to get the letter V in Private, I had to select part of the letter C in Customs. Thanks for all the help and maybe the attached files will help you.
Later,
Fred Z, pest
 

Attachments

  • FD51_ADEX_FCZ-1.zip
    219.3 KB · Views: 210
I was not aware about the ARP location needing to be inside the Flatten...changed and the vanishing GP's fixed.
Click to expand...
I didn't say it needed to be inside the flatten. What I said was that it being outside the flatten was somewhat unusual, that doing so may introduce conflicting information and that you needed to be aware of the potential for misinterpretation of your intent.

When I use the GP Editor to examine each GP letter, I see the poly outline placed exactly as is displayed by FSX - including the "CU" in place of the "V". As I said in my initial response in this thread, it appears the entry for this texture in Textures_Def.txt is wrong. The Textures folders and the associated text files (other than those suffixed with "_Base") are is not updated when ADE is updated, so that any changes you may have made to them are preserved. I suggest you try updating your Textures folder and .txt files from their "_Base" equivalents.
 
Don, thank you so much for your patience. To my knowledge, I have never messed with the Texture files associated with FSD and this is uncharted territory for me. I will keep playing....and if I am succesful, I will be sure to let you know.
Later,
Fred Z
 
Fred, this is not a problem likely to be solved by continued "playing". Rather than continuing to make "stabs in the dark", since you don't have any custom textures that need special attention, I urge you to update your ADE texture files. All you need do is make a copy of:
  • Textures_Dpy_Base renamed Textures_Dpy
  • Textures_Base_Mipped or Textures_Base_NonMipped (I prefer the latter) renamed Textures
  • Lines_Def_Base.txt renamed LinesDef.txt
  • Textures_Def_Base.txt renamed Textures_Def.txt
in each case replacing the existing file/folder of the same name.

You seem to move freely between ADE 1.70 and 1.78/9. Those ADE releases using different, possibly incompatible versions of ADE-GP. If you didn't update the textures each time while doing so, you may have obsolete ADE-GP files in your ADE folder. If nothing else, by updating as suggested, you can at least prove whether or not obsolete/corrupted files are the source of your difficulty.

I posted a new release of ADE_GP to http://stuff4fs.com earlier today. To ensure you have the the latest, correct version, you may wish to download and update your files from that release.
 
Don, I don't move from one version of ADE to another. That use of 1.70 was just to satisfy me as to weather I was the problem. I stick with the latest I have in operation (I just save old versions 'just in case' :) I am now going to get your update of ADE_GP and continue. Thanks again for ALL your help and advise.
Later,
Fred Z
 
Two quick things:
  1. You don't need to copy and rename the "_Base" files as I noted above. Once you have updated the Base files, simply delete the folders Textures and Textures_Dpy and the files Lines_Def.txt and Textures_Def.txt, start ADE and open one of the GPs in the GP Editor.. The necessary files/folders will be regenerated automatically.
  2. Once this is done, it will be necessary to open each of the "letter" GPs and adjust the vertices.
Just so you know.
 
Don, he's back!!! I ran your update, followed your additional instructions, ran ADE, opened a GP line and did two letters from the white & yellow signs - one of which was the V, and the D. The V still is showing part of CU....I give up and will just work around those letters..
Thanks for all your patience and help.
Later,
Fred Z
 
Fred, this is absolutely repeatable for you (and therefore explainable), but no one else is reporting it, which strongly suggests whatever the cause lies within your computer system.

But, your use of non-specific terms, e.g., "followed your instructions", "did two letters", make it difficult for me to understand exactly what you have done (or not). You also mention that you "opened a GP line". I have no idea what that means but it does prompt me to ask why you are using lines rather than polys for this task - like you were doing yesterday.

You also note "The V still is showing part of CU..." Yesterday, you reported the only way you could get the "V" to display in Flightsim was by selecting "CU" in the GP Editor (halfway across the texture sheet). If that "V" is now displaying "part of CU", that suggests the texture "error" you were experiencing has been corrected but that you have not yet adjusted the vertices of the existing GPs.

As a final step, you have to select in turn each of the GPs associated with the 12 alpha characters and adjust the vertices shown in the GP Editor so as to cover the appropriate area of the updated texture.
 
Don, one last set of comments and I again thank you for all your help and patience with me. I have completely restarted my version of FD51....for some reason and this is not new, if when I start a new project, if I do not immediately add a building of some kind and wait until later to start adding scenery objects, ADE accepts them but FSX-SE will not display them. So, I started over with a new install of ADE179, your update to ADE_GP and followed the suggestions of what files to delete. The end result of all this is that I still have the problem with some letters. It has to be me or my system! The only change(s) that I have done to my system is to install the Windows 10 updates when they come along. I had not touched ADE178 since I installed it. I can work around what started this whole thing and I think that I have wasted just too much of your time.
I wish I knew more about this stuff, but I keep trying.
Later,
Fred Z
 
But, did you physically edit in the GP Editor each of the 12 polys containing the individual characters to relocate the vertices in the texture sheet? If not, then ADE's database is unchanged and FSX:SE display is unlikely to display them as you intend.

Once you have done that, if you still have signage problems, please post your .ad4 file and the associated .bgls again.

Can't comment of FSX:SE not displaying your buildings.
 
Don, you have hit the nail on the head! The only way I have used the GP letters is with the GP Poly place tool in ADE. I was not even aware of a GP Editor! My problem has been operator error all along and I will have to read through the manual again (more closely).
Just proves you can't cure stupid. Thanks again for all the help and direction.
Later,
Fred Z, dummy

EDIT: I cannot figure out where to start...Just a hint would help. I told you I am stupid.
 
Last edited:
The "GP Poly Place tool" IS the GP Editor.,

Open the .ad4 files. Edit each character-related GP Poly - one at a time. The editor will open with the currently-selected texture in view and the vertices of the GP vertices will be located where you last specified them - i.e., low and, in the case of the "V" surrounding "CU". Move each of the vertices so that the poly just encloses the letter of choice on the texture. Repeat for each character GP. Then compile the .ad4 file and ensure the newly compiled ...._GP.bgl replaces the earlier one in the scenery folder and that the associated texture folder holds the new texture.
 
Not sure I understand. Is the problem now fixed or are you just (tactfully) closing this thread?
 
No sir....that was ment as a compliment. I feel you provided me the info I need, but sometimes I can be dumb as a post. Do I start a new project, access each of the individual letters & numbers, adjust as you described, compile, save and then somehow use this saved file in future projects? As I said, I can be do be as a post sometimes
This is one of those times when I wish I could go sit next to the person who is trying to explain something to me.
Later,
FredZ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top