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FSXA Trouble with building scenery in SBX

B

blade_runner

Messages
5
Country
unitedstates
Hey everyone, first time poster. Hope to stick around a while!

I'm working on building a bush strip for FSX that really isn't represented well in the default scenery (no surprise). It is BYA, Boundary, Alaska. I have a (bad quality) Google Earth picture representing the airport and surrounding scenery. For now, I just want the strip to look right, with the right colors, shapes, etc. Then, I'll work on making it look more realistic with any dips and divots that are in it that I can find, as well as blending the mesh into the surrounding area. I've followed the tutorial for SBuilderX provided on the AussieX scenery forum HERE as best I could. The only part I didn't do was making the watermask, since there is no water in the area. The tutorial says if this is the case to just go to 6 sources instead of 7. That's been done. I have all seasonal textures, or at least temporary ones, and everything is in the Work folder in SBX. I edited the .INF file to show all of this, copy and pasting from the example given in the tutorial and providing my own information where needed. Everything looks okay to me, but when I drag the .INF file over resample.exe in the same work folder, a command window (DOS) opens for less than a second and closes. There is no .bgl in the work folder.

Previously when I did this last night very quickly with only summer textures, it worked right, though obviously I did something wrong since the scenery was too large for the airport, at least 3 times too big. Still, there was a .bgl. This time, there is nothing.

Below is my .INF file:

[Source]
Type = MultiSource
NumberOfSources = 6

[Source1]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_su.BMP"
Variation = June, July
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source2]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_sp.BMP"
Variation = March, April, May
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source3]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_fa.BMP"
Variation = August, September, October
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source4]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_wi.BMP"
Variation = November, December, January, February
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source5]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_LM.BMP"
Variation = Night
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
Channel_LandWaterMask = 7.0
NullValue =
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source6]
Type = TIFF
Layer = None
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_B.TIF"
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Destination]
DestDir = "."
DestBaseFileName = "mh_boundary"
DestFileType = BGL
LOD = Auto
UseSourceDimensions = 1
CompressionQuality = 100

In my work folder, I have: L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_su.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_sp.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_fa.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_wi.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_LM.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_B.tif; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_W.tif (not needed, but there anyway); and L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362.txt. I also have my default SBX Photo01.INF, my revised .INF, xxx.SBX, xxx.BAK.SBX, resample.exe and TmfViewer.exe.

What am I doing wrong?? Any tips/help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Matt
 
George,

If you're talking about changing it to 6.0, I already tried that. That was something mentioned in another post elsewhere about this. It doesn't work if just Source2 is 6.0 and the others 2.0, and it doesn't work if they are all the same. I'm really new to designing (never tried it prior to this) so I have a lot to learn, but once I get over this issue hopefully it will go a little easier.
 
I would try this:

Code: 
[Source]
Type = MultiSource
NumberOfSources = 6

[Source1]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_su.BMP"
Variation = June, July
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source2]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_sp.BMP"
Variation = March, April, May
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source3]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_fa.BMP"
Variation = August, September, October
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source4]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_wi.BMP"
Variation = November, December, January, February
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source5]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_LM.BMP"
Variation = Night
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source6]
Type = TIFF
Layer = None
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_B.TIF"
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Destination]
DestDir = "."
DestBaseFileName = "mh_boundary"
DestFileType = BGL
LOD = Auto
UseSourceDimensions = 1
CompressionQuality = 100

Dick
 
Dick,

Whatever you did differently did the trick. I'll have to go over the two side-by-side to see what's different and implement that next time. I haven't tested it in FSX yet, but it did create a .bgl which it hasn't the previous times I tried. Thanks for your effort :)
 
blade_runner said:
George,

If you're talking about changing it to 6.0, I already tried that. That was something mentioned in another post elsewhere about this. It doesn't work if just Source2 is 6.0 and the others 2.0, and it doesn't work if they are all the same. I'm really new to designing (never tried it prior to this) so I have a lot to learn, but once I get over this issue hopefully it will go a little easier.
Click to expand...

Your .INF files (not Dick's) is referring to the blendmask incorrectly. If you were doing one season and a blendmask, then your source would be [Source1] and the blendmask [Source2]. Any reference to the blendmask in the [Source1] portion would be along the lines of Channel_BlendMask = 2.0. Keep adding [Source#] entries and the blendmask keeps getting bumped down and any reference or all references to it will need to be changed. Your .INF files refers to the blendmask as #s 6 & 7, so it bombs when it comes time to compile.

Also, if you are using SBuilderX to generate the source material, you can have SBX pickup the seasonal textures and if the file is properly named, it will automatically pickup any blendmask. It would have handled all this for you and you can find more information either in the help file done for the release or in the tutorials done by Luis Feliz-Tirado that are at Avsim.
 
So since there's no watermask, the Channel_LandWaterMask = 7.0 entry is causing the issue, if I read this correctly.

You mentioned that SBX would pick up seasonal textures as well as any blendmasks automatically. That's what I was hoping for, but it only recognizes my source file, the original xxx.bmp, not xxx_su.bmp etc. I must have failed to name them properly, though using "Save As..." in Photoshop I just added the _xx tags at the end, so they should have worked. Probably the reason for tutorials :D

The .bgl worked, I just have the texture sized incorrectly, but much closer than my very first attempt, so I must be doing something right.

I appreciate all the input and sorry for sounding so dumb. Like I said, I hope I'll stick around so I can give advice to others when I finally learn what I'm doing, and also to showoff my work. This really is helpful and appreciated. Thanks for being so welcoming.

Matt
 
Hi Matt.

The only reason we find the answers to these problems is because we've all made the same mistakes. For many FS addon projects, the devil is in the details. Tools like SBuilderX are great, but ultimately working with the SDK and it's basic tools brings understanding to what you're doing.

I hope you enjoy scenery creation!

Dick
 
I made the scenery and finally got it to compile with just the single photo texture, no light map or seasonal variations or anything. I just wanted to get the size right. However, the default airport sits on top of the photo texture, even though the PR is top priority. I used ADE to remove the default runway and taxiway, since I'll be replacing them with my own textures, anyway, but the issue still remains. I think it comes down to the "plateau" that surrounds the airport. What is the best way to remove this so that my texture shows up where it should?

Forgive my hurried question; I'm being rushed out of the house.

See pic: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/201212612358589.jpg/
 
The image is a bit unclear, but what it looks like from here is you have your blend mask backwards. Invert the colors on the blend mask (i.e. change black to white, and vice versa) and re-compile, see if that helps. I can see photoscenery around the area, but it seems you have excluded the photoscenery around the airport by mistake. Remember, Black is alpha (transparent) and white is opaque.

That "plateau" you speak of is your airport background flatten polygon from the default airport still acting upon the area. Simply add another SBX poly to cover that, and give it the Exclude_AirportBackgrounds tag. No need to give this poly an altitude, like other flattens.
 
blade_runner said:
Hey everyone, first time poster. Hope to stick around a while!

I'm working on building a bush strip for FSX that really isn't represented well in the default scenery (no surprise). It is BYA, Boundary, Alaska. I have a (bad quality) Google Earth picture representing the airport and surrounding scenery. For now, I just want the strip to look right, with the right colors, shapes, etc. Then, I'll work on making it look more realistic with any dips and divots that are in it that I can find, as well as blending the mesh into the surrounding area. I've followed the tutorial for SBuilderX provided on the AussieX scenery forum HERE as best I could. The only part I didn't do was making the watermask, since there is no water in the area. The tutorial says if this is the case to just go to 6 sources instead of 7. That's been done. I have all seasonal textures, or at least temporary ones, and everything is in the Work folder in SBX. I edited the .INF file to show all of this, copy and pasting from the example given in the tutorial and providing my own information where needed. Everything looks okay to me, but when I drag the .INF file over resample.exe in the same work folder, a command window (DOS) opens for less than a second and closes. There is no .bgl in the work folder.

Previously when I did this last night very quickly with only summer textures, it worked right, though obviously I did something wrong since the scenery was too large for the airport, at least 3 times too big. Still, there was a .bgl. This time, there is nothing.

Below is my .INF file:

[Source]
Type = MultiSource
NumberOfSources = 6

[Source1]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_su.BMP"
Variation = June, July
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source2]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_sp.BMP"
Variation = March, April, May
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source3]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_fa.BMP"
Variation = August, September, October
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source4]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_wi.BMP"
Variation = November, December, January, February
Channel_BlendMask = 2.0
NullValue = 255,255,255
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source5]
Type = BMP
Layer = Imagery
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_LM.BMP" You probably figured this out already, but do not use LM.................. use _N
Variation = Night
Channel_BlendMask = 6.0
Channel_LandWaterMask = 7.0
NullValue =
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Source6]
Type = TIFF
Layer = None
SourceDir = "."
SourceFile = "L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_B.TIF"
SamplingMethod = Gaussian
ulyMap = 64.0914075226232
ulxMap = -141.15234375
xDim = 8.58306884765625E-05
yDim = 3.7521986643844E-05

[Destination]
DestDir = "."
DestBaseFileName = "mh_boundary"
DestFileType = BGL
LOD = Auto
UseSourceDimensions = 1
CompressionQuality = 100

In my work folder, I have: L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_su.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_sp.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_fa.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_wi.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_LM.bmp; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_B.tif; L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362_W.tif (not needed, but there anyway); and L13X1768X1770Y4360Y4362.txt. I also have my default SBX Photo01.INF, my revised .INF, xxx.SBX, xxx.BAK.SBX, resample.exe and TmfViewer.exe.

What am I doing wrong?? Any tips/help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Matt
Click to expand...
 
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