Library Creator XML 2.0

This is the user manual of Library Creator XML 2.0. This manual will explain what you can do with this tool and how you can use it. But it will also try to explain to you the basics of using object libraries.

What are object libraries and why use them?

The first thing you might wonder about is, what actually is an object library? Simply said an object library is a BGL file that contains a lot of different scenery objects that you can later use by picking them from that library. So after you have put the object in the library, it is not actually placed somewhere in the world yet. That is still something you need to do yourself as well.

But what are the advantages of having all your objects in a library?

• It is better for the performance, as the object does not have to be loaded multiple times. Each placement can just refer to the same object.
• The size of your BGL files will go down. If you would include your MDL object into each BGL file where you want to place the object, then the size of your BGL files would be a lot bigger than when you use a library.
• Having a collection (library) of objects makes it easier to reuse them later. So this will speed up your development as well.
• If you mix the MDL files and the object placement in one BGL file, these MDL objects will become geo-locked. This means they can only be placed near that origional placement and not anywhere in the world. Putting your objects in a library prevents this and makes sure you can use them everywhere you like.
• If you decide to update your object later on, you only have to update it in one place. Once the new object is in the library, all placement will automatically refer to this new version. Without you even having to recompile the placement itself.

There are also a few other technical terms that you need to be aware of when using object library. The first GUID, which stands for Globally Unique Identifier. The GUID is the number that is given to your library object, so that it can be called for placement later on. As the name already says the GUID is unique. If you think a bit about this, this is logical of course. What would happen if two objects have the same GUID? Which one would be shown in FS when you call that GUID? That also means that you should never reuse the same GUID twice, always use a new GUID for a new object.

GUIDs can be given in a few notations. For Fs2004 the following notation is used:

 3AFA59125E39441ABD8A040F354B62B6

For FsX the notitation has changed a bit. It is now giving in the following form:

 {62c07657-984c-46d6-af52-097061684c05}

Why use this tool?

Now that you know what an object library is, you might be wondering why do I need this tool to work with them? Of course you can also create an object library by writing the XML code manually and compiling it with BGLComp. But using this tool has a few advantages.

• You can edit your library using a Graphical User Interface (GUI), which means that you can easily add, change or remove objects in a visual way.
• The tool will write the needed XML code for you, so you don't have to understand how the code works.
• The tool will help you in compiling the library and provide you with error in case something goes wrong. When drag-and-drop compiling with BGLComp this is not always the case.
• The tool will create a new unique GUID for your objects so that you don't have to worry about this yourself. This is only the case for Fs2004 MDL object, as in FsX MDL objects the GUID is already stored inside it.
• The tool gives you extra functionality to make it easier to use your library, you can for example export files to use your library in other tools.

How to use this tool

Installation

The first step before you can use this tool is of course the installation. Luckily the installation process is quite simple. All you have to do is unzip the ZIP file you downloaded to a folder of your choice.

As the tool has been written using .NET, you will have to make sure that you have the .NET 2.0 framework installed on your computer. If that is not the case, you can download it from Microsoft.

Menus

First I will describe the functionality of the different menus you will find in Library Creator XML. For a more practicle example of how to create an object library, scroll down a bit. But some basic knowledge of what the different menu options do is needed to easily work with the tool.

File

New library

This option will create a new (blank) library XML file for you. After selecting it, you will get a file dialog to select where to create the XML file.

Open library

This option will open an existing library XML for you. After selecting it, you will get a file dialog to select the XML file you want to open.

Save library

This will save your currently loaded library XML to disk.

Save library as

This will save you currently loaded library XML to disk, asking you for the filename to save it with.

Compile library BGL

This will compile your library into a BGL file that can be used in FS. After selecting this option you will get a dialog to ask you where to create the BGL file.

Last opened

The file menu will also show the 8 last opened library XML files, so that you can reload them faster.

Exit

As the name says, this will exit the tool.

Feedback and support

If you have questions, comments or suggestions about Library Creator XML 2.0 you can reach me either by email or through the forums of FsDeveloper.com.

Thanks to

• All user who used the previous versions of this tool and provided me with feedback on how to improve it.

Version history

v2.00 12/04/2007

• Initial release

Users license

(c) 2007 Arno Gerretsen / SceneryDesign.org

This software program is distributed without charge to other scenery designers, redistribution of the original ZIP file is allowed. You are NOT allowed to sell this software program or ask money for its distribution. Libraries created with this software program can be used in commercial scenery projects if you wish.

The copyright and any intellectual property relating to this program remain the property of the author.

The software distributed in this way may represent work in progress, and bears no warranty, either expressed or implied.