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Sloped Ramp for Amphibians

falcon409

falcon409

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I wanted to build a very simple rectangular ramp from the water to the taxiway. I used TCalcX to get the necessary elevation info for the bottom (water) level and the top (taxiway) level. I drew a four point rectangle and applied the lower numbers to the two bottom points and the same to the top two points.

Rather than a flat ramp that went from the bottom points to the top points I got a cement colored texture that simply followed the terrain undulations from the water to the taxiway. So what am I missing. . .or better yet. . .is it possible to do what I want in SBX?
 
Hi Ed:

In SBuilderX one has to option of setting elevation for individual polygon vertex points or to use 1 fixed (aka "continuous") elevation for all polygon vertex points, provided that use id using the proper type of CVX vector polygon type.

Generally, this is a sub-type of Airport Background polygon (although water polys can also have Alt assigned in a similar way).

[EDITED]

It sounds like you successfully made a terrain mesh clinging land class texture polygon in SBuilderX (which IIRC can either be a FSX "Park" type CVX vector, or a FS2Kx legacy VTP object enabled only by use of the "Modified Terrain Cfg file"). :)


If you open the BGL you made in ADE within SDK TMFViewer, right click the polygon and display the vector ID, you will know what type of GUID to use for your vector object if you try this again sometime in SBuilderX. ;)


UPDATE: I see that this is a FSX "Park" type CVX vector GUID: {5CC8F288-39C9-4DC0-9C3F-16CE1B6FB446}

SBuilderX - Polygon Properties > [Vector Polys] tab > pick-list Type: 19 - 'LC_Cement'


LandClassPoly_Cement {5CC8F288-39C9-4DC0-9C3F-16CE1B6FB446}

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/microsoft-esp/cc526968(v=msdn.10)


This polygon does not currently have individually-assigned vertex point Altitudes in "30F_ADEX_EJW_CVX.bgl" linked at:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sbx-will-not-compile.443681/post-806836


NOTE: In SBuilderX, by using a "Constant" Altitude value of 0 Meters AGL for all vertices, this textured CVX vector polygon "Park" sub-type will be terrain mesh-clinging.

FYI: By using a "Variable" Altitude value in Meters AMSL for each vertex, a CVX vector polygon (whether textured or un-textured) of the Airport Background type will become a sloped terrain flatten.

[END_EDIT]

In either case, the default Land Class texture type for this CVX vector object will not show on top of your custom photo-real imagery Land Class textures compiled by SDK Resample (although Altitude attributes impacting terrain could still be implemented).


One can also do this in Sketchup, import the 3D model to MCX, then export it as a "sloped flatten" CVX vector BGL. :idea:

Happy scenery building ! :cool:

GaryGB
 
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GaryGB said:
One can also do this in Sketchup, import the 3D model to MCX, then export it as a "sloped flatten" CVX vector BGL. :idea:
Click to expand...


That's amazing!

Also, Falcon, you'll probably notice the mesh being jagged unless it's at like <2m.

To get a better look and smoothness, you could always build and texture a simple ramp and have it as a landable surface and place it as a model.
 
Defining a Landclass Polygone with different altitudes for each vertice will not provide a sloped ramp in SBuilderX!

To have this Feature proceed as follows:

  1. Create the Landclass Polygone and assign the required LC.
  2. Copy the just created Landclass Polygone to the same place and change it to an AB_FLATTEN in the Properties-Option.
  3. Assign the required altitude to each of the Vertices on the just created AB_FLATTEN (which is a copy of the LC Polygone).

Regards

Conrad
 
Hi Conrad:

Thanks for offering the additional clarification of what may be required in this type of scenario when one does not already have a slope provided by the underlying terrain mesh. :)


In the scenario Ed describes above, he already has a slope provided by the underlying terrain mesh, thus my reply was tailored for his particular pre-existing ground surface "shape".

falcon409 said:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sloped-ramp-for-amphibians.443679/post-806647

I wanted to build a very simple rectangular ramp from the water to the taxiway. I used TCalcX to get the necessary elevation info for the bottom (water) level and the top (taxiway) level. I drew a four point rectangle and applied the lower numbers to the two bottom points and the same to the top two points.

Rather than a flat ramp that went from the bottom points to the top points I got a cement colored texture that simply followed the terrain undulations from the water to the taxiway. So what am I missing. . .or better yet. . .is it possible to do what I want in SBX?
Click to expand...


It is technically possible, however, to create a custom CVX vector "Park-type" object as a "land class" polygon, which is a sub-type of what the SDK refers to as an Airport Background type of object.

These objects 'may' need to be added to the end user existing 'active' Terrain.Cfg in order to be displayed at run time.

Use of a default land class texture image (by file name and not by GUID) in the Terrain.Cfg definition for such a custom CVX vector "Park-type" object may eliminate the need for a custom local 'land classification' definition BGL file in the same scenery folder as the CVX vector BGL.

Such an object can be configured in ex: SBuilderX with either a 'constant' or 'variable' per-vertex altitude AMSL, such that it is either a 'level' or 'sloped' Flatten ...with a visible texture of ones own choice (...rather than one automatically assigned via the default Airport Background "MaskClassMap" land class texture method.

GaryGB
 
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Hi Gary

Thanks also to you for your additional clarification. The underlying terrain mesh does sometimes not reflect the real local environment, this is mostly the case when something new has been constructed.
In my case this is Akutan Harbor in the Aleutians where they constructed a completley new Harbor with a Hangar and Ramp for a Hovercraft. Without the flatten, the ramp just didnt look correct.

Since we had a beautyfull and warm summer and autum here in Switzerland and since I am a pensioner, wihout knowing how much time I have left, I wasnt much on the Computer and instead enjoyed the hikes in the beautyfull Swiss-Alps. But when I was on the Computer,I always found the most competent and comprehensive Information and Tipps & Tricks from one member of several Forums, this member was allways "GaryGB". So let me just say in two simple words "Thank you!!!!!"

Kind regards from Switzerland

Conrad
 
Thanks for your kind words, Conrad. :)

I must say that I am grateful to all those participants in the FS Community who have taken the time to share their insights and worked examples here and elsewhere- on FS web forums; without that knowledge base, we might all know far less. :teacher:

While I try to present info which is fact-based, and which seeks to identify possible custom / advanced applications of SDK functionality, I certainly may have incurred my fair share of errors in recallection, interpretation, or editing during posting, so I hope my many 'web link-saturated' contributions over the years may continue to encourage others to study both the SDK documentation and the FS online community knowledge base which arises from discussions, tutorials, and Wikis.

It is helpful to see feedback in FS forum threads (communicated in a courteous manner) that is based on testing with one's own personal projects, to further explore and challenge one another in our efforts to understand- and use- the FS SDK.


On a practical basis, I believe your statement above regarding CVX vector type used for sloped flattens is quite important to keep in mind, as it is much more often going to be the case that, FS developers will work with a more common application of CVX vectors as Airport Background polygons (with a default mapped land class texture applied via the MaskClassMap method) ...compiled to a BGL via SDK SHP2VEC. :pushpin:

When one is not working with "custom" CVX vector objects, default SHP2VEC CVX vector types must be utilized per the SDK:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/microsoft-esp/cc707102(v=msdn.10)#vector-attributes


Alternatively, in FSX (not sure this still works in P3D) one may use legacy format LWM3 vectors for sloped (textured) flattens.


[EDITED]

PS: Regarding the Akutan Harbor scenario cited above, you may find these prior posts pertinent to your above stated work-flow:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/shp2vec-vector-slopes.441761/post-794200

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/sunken-river.438040/post-751618

[END_EDIT]

Regards,

GaryGB
 
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