P3D_V4 on hold for now.

[falcon409]

Ed, I saw in another thread that you reinstalled Win10. You mention that you are leaving scenery design behind. I just wish to repeat that the following scenery design related freeware software are working fine for me in Win10:

- ADE
- SBuilderX
- Sketchup 2017
- MCX
- Terrain Sculptor

I know you are also using Instant Scenery but I believe that placement of objects can easily be done with the above. Maybe rethink about scenery building? If you need any help let me know.

Scenery Builder does not actually. Once in Win10 it requires the 64bit version, which limits several key processes I used to use.. .namely the satellite imagery (limits to lower res captures) and simple poly's (flattens, terrain adjustments, LC) it will let you build them, but won't compile. The Developer has said that he will not be doing any updates to bring the SBX software forward. As for IS3, I haven't done any scenery placement lately so I don't know what the status of that is, but I do know that I would never use ADE, to me, using that is like closing your eyes and dropping a building on the airport, then having to load the sim just to see if it's in the right place (if not, the entire process starts all over again). For those who swear by it, great, but it's too cumbersome for me. Those are game changers for me. I know one way to build scenery and SBX was the cornerstone of all those scenery projects I've done over the years.

Also, while attempting to install a clean version of Win10 I set the drive to be formatted before I installed. When everything was in place and I loaded Win10 for the first time I discovered that I had selected the wrong drive and lost everything pertaining to my years of scenery design as well as a full install of FSX/Accel. It was all on that drive and there were never any backups made. So my FSX/Scenery Design days are behind me.

[gman5250]

Just an FYI Ed,

This is more for your edification, than suggested use. But it is good to know the tricks.

It is possible to get your high res satt images in the 64bit version of SBuilderX in Win7 and Win10, but you have to do the work while the original project file is open in SBX. The file cannot be re-opened with the high res image once it is closed. It's due to the memory limitations as you probably know.

The approach is to capture your satt data tiles at the resolution you want. SBX will let you get that scan, up to the memory limit, then turn off the background image if the memory is too high. If you are able to capture your satt image at the res you are looking for, do your Photoshop work i.e. water masking, LM and Seasonal files while SBX is still open.

Once you have saved your TIFF and BMP files out from Photoshop, you can compile the SBX file out to its destination.

The trick is to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row because it's a one shot deal and you can't save the file out at high def.

This is why I've decided to run the dual boot system, so I can fall back to Win7 when I need the older software to work properly.

Hope this helps.

[gman5250]

Instant Scenery 3 and P3Dv4.

Not yet from what I have seen.

I'm using Arno's latest ModenConverterX for scenery placement and ground polys in V4. If you begin with a locked GPS image from SiteBuilderX, using the image and GPS coordinates from the SBX text file, you can create a calibration template of your scenery from GMAX or 3DS Max.

For your template, you only need a satellite image large enough to include all of your scenery objects, buildings etc. SBX will give you the four corners as Lat and Long stats.

Load that image into ADE via the add image option. Use the data from the text file as our four coordinates. Now that image should be exactly accurate in relation to the ADE runways and other airport data. This is your sacred template.

At this point, you can go to GMAX or 3DS Studio and create your calibration file for placing your scenery objects.

Create a new file and add a rectangle the exact same dimensions as the main runway in your scenery. ADE will give you those dimensions and most importantly the GPS coordinate of the center of that runway. Once you have created the rectangle, center that object to exactly zero for the X, Y and Z coordinates. Now your "runway" rectangle should be your visual reference point. I center mine a fraction above absolute zero to the grid using the Z axis.

Create a new rectangle the exact dimensions of your "template" bitmap from SBX. It does not have to be square, or a multiple of 512. If your bitmap is 1500 x 2100, then make your rectangle match exactly. Apply the bitmap to that rectangle. Now you can re-scale that rectangle until your runway is an exact fit on top of the satellite image. When you scale the image, be sure you maintain that X Y ratio by using the Uniform Scale Tool.

Once the adjusting has been done you should have a runway plane at the exact center of your grid, with a perfectly aligned image beneath it. This is your "sacred" working template so protect it. The SBX bitmap template is relative to north, so aligning the runway rectangle to the bitmap guarantees an exact heading, for all of the scenery objects after they have been centered to the grid.

With this "sacred" calibration map in place, you can either build or merge your various scenery objects into the project. You can have as many as you wish.

Once you have added all of the individual elements, they should be attached to each other to form a single element. I organize mine by texture sheets, which I create to accommodate an entire group of buildings. See the illustrations below.

Here's the most important part. Regardless of where the object cluster is located, the pivot point needs to be centered to zero on the grid. Absolute center, and make sure the Z axis is either at zero. or at the height above absolute zero you wish the object to sit.

Export out as an .mdl file from GMAX or .x file from 3DS Studio. What ever format suits your SDK is fine. I select the group and use Export as Selected, not the P3D or FSX tools. The SDK tools don't care.

Now you have a model or group, with an absolutely accurate GPS target that agrees with the ADE compiled airport model.

This .mdl file can be placed using the ADE Runway GPS coordinates in ModelConverterX. No need for instant scenery and it is absolutely, dead nut accurate.
Arno has done an entire series of video tutorials on the Convert and Place Object and Ground Polygon Wizard techniques. I'm sure you've viewed them. MCX is also updated for V4, but I keep the older version just for backup if I run into a glitch in the new version...which has not happened yet and I'm in the process of converting allllllll of my modeling for V4. lol

I'll be happy to walk you through this if you are interested. It's actually very straight forward.



KRNO Reno Tahoe International: ANG "High Rollers" Base Master File in 3DS Studio Max



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[falcon409]

Good info Gordon, but not for me anymore. As I mentioned above, I lost everything related to current and past scenery projects. I no longer have the desire to restart from scratch. As for SBX, while I was in the previous installation of Win10 it was my experience that the program would not give me the satt image I wanted in hi res. . .not that I could get it and then close and get it back again. I'm talking about the initial "Load Map From Background". If I went any higher than zoom level 12 or 13 the screen would go white. I used at least 16 or 18. . .it would never go to that level no matter the server in use. I was told that was a limitation of Win10

Anyway, mute point. The info you have supplied is excellent and I'm sure others will benefit so thank you for taking the time to lay it out in an easy-to-understand format.

[gman5250]

Ed, I'm really sorry to hear about your data being lost. That is a heart break. I know, it's happened to me twice. The data I was able to re-build, but ten years of incredible and precious photographs went on to whereever digital data goes when it dies.

For what it is worth, if you get the bug to take another whack at it, I'll always be available to you to render a hand.

[manfredc3]

Ed,

I am so sorry to hear about your misfortune loosing all your scenery data.

I sure am enjoying all you have provided to the community.

Go enjoy your grand kids, but don't be a stranger here.

And maybe,just maybe, the itch will not go away and you can no longer resist getting in to a new P3D V4 project in the future.

[gman5250]

One more thought Ed,

I was just telling my wife what happened to your work, and she asked me to tell you how deeply sorry she is as well.

She shared with me a story about Ernest Hemingway who lost his entire body of early work when his wife packed all of his manuscripts, and carbons into a suitcase to take to him in Switzerland. Hadley briefly got off the train in the Gare de Lyon to buy a bottle of water. When she returned, the suitcase had been stolen. Only some pencil drafts of a "bum poem" remained. Undaunted, Hemmingway went on to perfect his prose...and the rest became legend.

Somehow, I believe that you are the kind of man who refuses to accept defeat Sir.

[Dimus]

Really sorry to hear about your data loss Ed. I would also feel the same if it happened to me. In any case Gordon has given excellent instructions in his posts above in case you feel the need to start again. The summary of how I work at least is the following:

Grab Sat images using SBX. For the moment and at least using virtual earth or google servers and depending on the area I can get images of up to 16-18 LOD. I save the bmp and the coordinates and leave SBX for the moment. I then do my photoshop work and compile directly with resample and inf file. For object placement I either use SBX again and the map I saved or use ADE. For ADE I use a lower res jpg version of the sat image which I set as background in ADE using the exact coordinates saved from SBX. It works great with probably one or two minor adjustments. Placement can also be done nicely in MCX as Gordon said.

Anyway, enjoy flying in v4. If you feel the urge again, there are ways.

[gman5250]

Some follow up.....

I did some forensic work this morning. Stuff I already knew, but needed to re-boot some brain cells.


If a scenery is published, and available on a site such as SOH, those assets are completely recoverable and can be deconstructed from the model libraries embedded in the scenery.

The model library .bgl contains all of the information for each model, including UVW mapping and texture assignments.

The satellite bitmaps, texture sheets and autogen data are preserved in the texture files.
The major body of work remains intact.

The process does require 3DS Max to process the recovered wireframe models out to a format that GMAX can read.
Once back in GMAX, the files can be saved back out as originals.


Just some data to chew on.....