Hi Francois:
[
EDITED]
IIUC, using Date / Time variables as *.ASM tweaks via Arno's "
Conditional Animation Tool (CAT)" with FS9-type models in a FS9 scenery library would invoke problems with transparency when implementing (conditional) display within FSX; and, IMHO, the underlying FPS hit from MDLs polling for FS internal variables might be yet another reason to avoid attempting that method.
Using batch files called from a named / targeted Windows shortcut placed in the [
publisher name]\[
product name] Start Menu folder for each 'phase' of a scenery might be a simple way to create a "
configurator" which allows for a (single) edit to the active FS Scenery.Cfg file ...performed once only during the scenery package installation procedure.
The shortcut (actually a *.LNK file) could perform the file naming changes, then hand off the batch to call various FS *.FLT files from their installed locations (preferably
outside the \[user Documents path]\Flight Simulator X Files sub-folder), which would then call FSX to load directly into pre-determined flight scenarios and locations, which IIRC, also sets the Date, Time and Weather for the flight.
NOTE: IIRC, when executing a 3rd party saved FS flight via a *.FLT file, if an end-user does not have the aircraft used by the creator of the *.FLT file, FS instead loads the FS default Cessna 172 aircraft as a 'fall-back'.
That way the actual FS scenery object library *.BGL files (and associated object placement *.BGL files) called and displayed from a single
ex:
D-Day_Normandy\Scenery sub-folder mapped to a Area layer entry in the Scenery.Cfg could be swapped in and out within that folder, by simply renaming their file extensions from
ex: *.DD1, *.DD2, *.DD3, *.DD4 to *.BGL ...according to the "phase" desired for a particular flight session.
I'd think it may be easier to avoid risk for mix-ups between 3D models used for each phase (including
ex: those showing change or "damage") by assigning different GUIDs to all MDLs, as well as uniquely re-naming the MDLs, the scenery object library *.BGLs containing them, and the MDLs' mapped textures , so that
all the textures for '
all' phases can be placed in a single
ex:
D-Day_Normandy\Texture sub-folder paired with the above
ex:
D-Day_Normandy\Scenery sub-folder.
FYI: Arno's excellent
Library Creator XML 2.0.3 may be quite useful in conjunction with features available via his
ModelConverterX:
ModelConverterX 1.3:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=83
ModelConverterX Latest Development Release is included with Arno's other FS utilities in a ZIP file at:
http://www.scenerydesign.org/development-releases/
Arno's Latest Development Release download link:
http://www.scenerydesign.org/latest-release/latest_development_releases_package.zip
BTW: Copies of existing scenery object placement *.BGLs can be decompiled and the different GUID of any required
"phase-related" replacement objects at the same physical locations can be substituted in the XML placment code; that edited code can then be re-compiled via FSX SDK BGLComp as an appropriately-named, "phase-related" scenery object placement *.BGL.
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END_EDIT]
Certainly, there may be a more sophisticated method possible via SimConnect for Time / Date conditional display in free flight mode rather than via Mission mode in FSX ...which of course would involve some programming in that specialized syntax.
Hope these considerations might prove helpful !
GaryGB
