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Text on Taxiways

H

highflight1985

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69
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unitedstates
I'm attepting to redo an Air Force Base using ADE. One of the taxiways at this base is permantly closed and therefore has X's painted across it. I would like to recreate this.

The only way I've read that this is possible is by creating an object in Gmax and then export it as an object which you then import into ADE.

Here's what I've done so far:

1. Installed Gmax, FSX GamePack etc.
2. Created a plane in Gmax.
3. Opened Paint Shop Pro.
4. Created a new file, 128x128 with transparent background.
5. With the pen tool, created two lines that formed the X in yellow.
6. Saved as .bmp.
7. Assigned the texture to the plane in Gmax. Not sure if I did this correctly as the background is white in Gmax.
8. Exported to .mdl using the FSX gamepack.
9. Created an .bgl file using Library Object XML.
10. Placed the .bgl file in the addon scenery folder of FSX.
11. Placed the .bmp texture file in the addon scenery texture folder of FSX.
12. Imported the object into ADE, placed where I wanted it, and compiled the airport bgl.
13. Loaded FS, and this is the result I get:

GroundSigns.jpg


Where did I go wrong? No texture, reflectivity in the top right corner, and the jaggies (which would be random and flickering if it were a video).

Thanks for the help!
 
Last edited:
Hi,

For the texture, you better get it through ImageTool to convert it to DXT1 or DXT5 and add mipmaps.

For the flickering you need to do more though. With the FSX GMax gamepack you can not make proper ground polygons. To do so you need to use the FS2002 gamepack and also tweak the created source code a bit to make them behave like real ground polygons.
 
SBuilder (for FS2004) could create textured polygons. This was the way I used to do it. I don't know if Luis implemented a way to do it with SBuilderX. Also I wonder if perhaps textured polys created with SBuilder would work in FSX??
 
arno said:
Hi,

For the texture, you better get it through ImageTool to convert it to DXT1 or DXT5 and add mipmaps.
Click to expand...

Okay...DXT5 and add mipmaps...I'll refer to my greek dictionary for the definition of mipmaps. :)

Seriously, I'll look at what the SDK says about image tool...

arno said:
For the flickering you need to do more though. With the FSX GMax gamepack you can not make proper ground polygons. To do so you need to use the FS2002 gamepack and also tweak the created source code a bit to make them behave like real ground polygons.
Click to expand...

Okay, FS2002 gamepack. No problem. I'll download it. But what kind of "tweaks" are you talking about? Could you elaborate?

Jon,

Are you saying SBuilder actually did all the Gmax part for you, AND the texturing? Simple point-and-click?

I've fiddled with SBuilderX, but haven't been very successful with it.

Thanks,

Mike
 
Are you saying SBuilder actually did all the Gmax part for you, AND the texturing? Simple point-and-click?

I've fiddled with SBuilderX, but haven't been very successful with it.
Click to expand...

There is a Tutorial on my site (www.scruffyduckscenery.co.uk) that describes textured polys with SBuilder and FS9. I have not tried it with FSX.
 
Sweet! Thanks...I thought I had scoured every inch of your site for tips as I've been going. I guess I missed that one.

I'll check it out when I get home from work today.
 
Okay - so I see the tutorial at the top of the forum and about a gazillion posts similar to mine regarding ground polys.

I read the tutorial. Nice runways, but Mr. Womack's technique actually exports the object to a specific location. I'm hoping to create an object importable into ADE that can be moved, resized, etc. Is what what you've created?
 
I would expect a height of .1 in ADE might work... However, I don't know for sure because at this point, I haven't been able to get my own version to work at all... :mad:

I've converted my textures to DXT5 format and used ImageTool's "Create MipMaps" thing...now instead of the black squares you see above, I have nothing...
 
I guess it depends on the size/scale of your object as well how much you have to raise it. But without using the FS2002 gamepack and applying those tweaks, giving it some altitude is the only way to solve/minimize the flickering.
 
Got it! Only, I didn't use an object after all. Mr. Bill Womack's technique requires a lot of tedious steps if you don't have the FS2002 gamepack (which I don't), but with enough determination, it worked! See this thread.
 
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