Scenery.cfg not updating with Rhumbaflappy's mesh

[e.a.wicklund]

I have finished installing Rhumbaflappy's mesh for the PTO. But looking at the scenery.cfg it is not updating.

What's going on?

Here's the details:

- Installed on Win10
- I added the scenery in the scenery library and it shows installed.
- This is a copy of a default install, meaning I copied and pasted a whole install. That the problem?

Any ideas?

[e.a.wicklund]

Any thoughts on this, folks? What did I do wrong?

[Ravenna]

Hi e.a.wicklund,
Where did you install it? Does it show up in the scenery list in settings? You could try looking in your scenedb folder for the problem folder (LOD8?) Does the scenery sub folder have a filelist? If not it hasn't been installed. Oops...just reread your post. My apologies, but still have a look for your folder in scenedb and find the filelist in the enclosed scenery folder. If it isn't there try removing the add on in settings and then re installing it.

[e.a.wicklund]

Hi e.a.wicklund,
Where did you install it? Does it show up in the scenery list in settings? You could try looking in your scenedb folder for the problem folder (LOD8?) Does the scenery sub folder have a filelist? If not it hasn't been installed. Oops...just reread your post. My apologies, but still have a look for your folder in scenedb and find the filelist in the enclosed scenery folder. If it isn't there try removing the add on in settings and then re installing it.

Hi Ravenna - I installed it into SceneDB, into folders "DEM Mesh" and DEM Mesh-LOD8" Both have filelist files in the scenery folder. It looks fine in the scenery library. Here's some screenshots:



I can see a difference in-game, but I wonder why scenery.cfg has not changed.

Any ideas?

[Roxane-21]

It may be a dumb question, but since you are installing it in a copy of a default install, are you reading the scenery.cfg of the new installation or the one of the default installation? And did you paste Rhumba's file into the new installation or into the default one?

I once fooled like this, installing files into the wrong installation and wondering why it didn't work.

[UncleTgt]

Side note - to get the best from the mesh, you should increase your cache size (mine is at 200mb), & uncheck the empty cache on exit.

It makes a huge difference to how quickly the scenery mesh detail loads for your next flight.

These days we have lots of disk space & hardware processing is the limitation - forcing the sim to load the world from scratch each time means the first few minutes of flight can be spent flying around watching the mesh detail assemble around you.

[e.a.wicklund]

It may be a dumb question, but since you are installing it in a copy of a default install, are you reading the scenery.cfg of the new installation or the one of the default installation? And did you paste Rhumba's file into the new installation or into the default one?

I once fooled like this, installing files into the wrong installation and wondering why it didn't work.

I think that's the perfect question, Roxane. I assumed the same, but after checking, that's not what I see. Everything is in the right place. Have a look at these screenshots and note the path in the windows. This is not the default install path.



Also look at the dates. The DEM is installed in March. Scenery file last updated in January.


Here is the install from the default. I've installed MaskRider scenery and this updated nicely.


PTO install view of Lakunai. The scenery seems to work because it's different from the default below. And Coastlines are gone. So it seems to be working?


Default install view of Lakunai. Note Dvslats darker textures and intact coastlines.


I'm pretty sure I've missed a step somewhere, but I have no idea what it is. I figure you've guys have been there, done everything, and can spot the mistake I made.

And UT, great advice I will boost my cache settings.

[e.a.wicklund]

Ha! Got it working.

This is going to sound stupid, but all I did was rename the main directory to "CFS2 ETO Mesh". I took away the underscores in the name as well. Suddenly, scenery.cfg updates properly. Weird, eh?

Still there's further questions. I think I read the wrong instruction, and the coastlines in the PTO are wiped out. So...

1. This would still work fine as an ETO install, yes?

2. Could I make another copy of my (non-rhumbaflappy mesh) PTO install, and in this copy, access the mesh in the other install?

[Shadow Wolf 07]

This discussion should probably be in the Windows 10 SNAFU sticky thread. What do you think?

[UncleTgt]

Ha! Got it working.

This is going to sound stupid, but all I did was rename the main directory to "CFS2 ETO Mesh". I took away the underscores in the name as well. Suddenly, scenery.cfg updates properly. Weird, eh?

Still there's further questions. I think I read the wrong instruction, and the coastlines in the PTO are wiped out. So...

1. This would still work fine as an ETO install, yes?

2. Could I make another copy of my (non-rhumbaflappy mesh) PTO install, and in this copy, access the mesh in the other install?

You're confusing mesh with coastlines. Rhumbas more accurate mesh gives you elevated terrain, it doesn't get you any coastlines. The more recent scenery packs have started to give the PTO it's coastlines & rivers back, but it's a big place ....

If you install the mesh & don't remove the stock coastlines, you get all sorts of mismatches... Me, I'd sooner have terrain & no coastlines, the stock mesh is pretty much non-existent outside the SWPTO area anyways.

kdriver is pretty much the guru on what scenery, mesh etc works best, & where WRT the PTO. I would search his posts out, see his comments in the MR Gilberts thread for example.

[kdriver]

Hi Eric,

Confirm you have only installed Rhumba's mesh and MR's Solomon Islands and New Guinea packages so far?

If so, the beaches, rivers and roads should still be there.

Installing one layer at a time and checking everything is OK is the way to go. I suggest getting Rhumba's mesh, coastal flattens and water files layers sorted out first. After that his water masks. Once these are right, then start adding the various airfield scenery packages by MaskRider, Xavier, UncleTgt and others.

Wait til you see UncleTgt's New Britain - Rabaul (in your picture) is transformed.

Don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Kevin

[e.a.wicklund]

Hi Eric,

Confirm you have only installed Rhumba's mesh and MR's Solomon Islands and New Guinea packages so far?

If so, the beaches, rivers and roads should still be there.

Installing one layer at a time and checking everything is OK is the way to go. I suggest getting Rhumba's mesh, coastal flattens and water files layers sorted out first. After that his water masks. Once these are right, then start adding the various airfield scenery packages by MaskRider, Xavier, UncleTgt and others.

Wait til you see UncleTgt's New Britain - Rabaul (in your picture) is transformed.

Don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Kevin

Hey Kevin. I've installed MaskRider scenery in the default install, and only yesterday tried putting MR's Papua and UT's New Ireland into the PTO-Mesh install. That is proving difficult. Another post for that forthcoming.

I thought I had applied the coasts (since filenames have something like CST*.bgl), but did not. That was the watermasking files. But, per instructions I deleted a bunch of files except North.bgl and South.bgl. Watermasking wasn't applied as a distinct layer, pasted into scenedb/world/scenery. So all the Pac*p.bgl and Pac*m.bgl are gone. They are in my default install though. So how can I do this as layers?

Sorry to have so many questions. My head is spinning.

[kdriver]

OK, reinstate the pac*m.bgl files which are the land masses. Put the pac*p.bgl files, which are the stock beaches, rivers and roads, into a separate scenery layer. Do the same with the water mask files. When one of either of these two layers is needed to be active, the other is not.

In the case of UT's New Britain and New Ireland neither of these two layers is active.

As per UT's instructions, remove the LOD 9 bgl files and South.bgl. I would put them in a safe place on your computer. I don't know why the North.bgl is left intact.

Each layer has a main folder with whatever name you choose. Inside this is a sub-folder called "scenery" which contains the *.bgl files.

Have a look at the Gilbert Islands thread for more information on this subject.

Please post the contents of your scenery.cfg file so that we can see your layer order.

There is more to come, but this will do for the time being.

Good luck Eric.

[e.a.wicklund]

OK, reinstate the pac*m.bgl files which are the land masses. Put the pac*p.bgl files, which are the stock beaches, rivers and roads, into a separate scenery layer. Do the same with the water mask files. When one of either of these two layers is needed to be active, the other is not.

In the case of UT's New Britain and New Ireland neither of these two layers is active.

As per UT's instructions, remove the LOD 9 bgl files and South.bgl. I would put them in a safe place on your computer. I don't know why the North.bgl is left intact.

Each layer has a main folder with whatever name you choose. Inside this is a sub-folder called "scenery" which contains the *.bgl files.

Have a look at the Gilbert Islands thread for more information on this subject.

Please post the contents of your scenery.cfg file so that we can see your layer order.

There is more to come, but this will do for the time being.

Good luck Eric.

This is great stuff. I was hoping for specifics. I will do this soonest, but must run some errands now. Meanwhile, I don't think I have any LOD 9 files. Just LOD5, LOD7, and LOD8. Did I miss something?

[kdriver]

They're stock files e.g. Guam9.bgl - see UncleTgt's instructions in his New Ireland and New Britain packages.

[e.a.wicklund]

Okay, pac*m files restored. Moved South.bgl to a safe folder. pac*p files and watermask files placed in separate layers and installed. Here's the screenies:



Everything look okay?

[kdriver]

Rhumba recommends placing the water masks in layer 2 in the scenery.cfg file which would probably be your layer 19 when viewed from within the Scenery Library.

Everything else looks good.

There are two more sets of Rhumba scenery layers which can now be added if you wish - his Pacific coastal flattens (CFS2 Coast Pacific) and his water files which are in a number of downloads, e.g. CFS2 Africa_Sasia Water ( c2afrwater.zip ). These files flatten the coast and add extra estuaries, rivers and lakes. They can be used instead of the water masks which are more accurate but inundate many coastal airfields and do not extend very far inland.

These layers along with the stock beaches, rivers and roads can be used in areas where there has been no upgrade to the terrain by MR and UT for example. These areas include Japan, Korea, China, Philippines, Malaya, Australia, Solomon Islands and large parts of the Dutch East Indies and Papua New Guinea as well as various Pacific islands. Once again, if these layers are turned on, the water masks are turned off, and vice versa.

[e.a.wicklund]

Rhumba recommends placing the water masks in layer 2 in the scenery.cfg file which would probably be your layer 19 when viewed from within the Scenery Library.

Everything else looks good.

There are two more sets of Rhumba scenery layers which can now be added if you wish - his Pacific coastal flattens (CFS2 Coast Pacific) and his water files which are in a number of downloads, e.g. CFS2 Africa_Sasia Water ( c2afrwater.zip ). These files flatten the coast and add extra estuaries, rivers and lakes. They can be used instead of the water masks which are more accurate but inundate many coastal airfields and do not extend very far inland.

These layers along with the stock beaches, rivers and roads can be used in areas where there has been no upgrade to the terrain by MR and UT for example. These areas include Japan, Korea, China, Philippines, Malaya, Australia, Solomon Islands and large parts of the Dutch East Indies and Papua New Guinea as well as various Pacific islands. Once again, if these layers are turned on, the water masks are turned off, and vice versa.

Most cool, and thanks for your expert advice with this. Much appreciated. I do expect to install Rami's Malaya campaign which mentions Asia Water. I also intend to use MR's Philiippines terrain. Lots of plans. For now, I'll put these fixes in the ETO (and add in the parts for that install) in preparation for Rami's BoB, Finnish, and Malta campaigns. Lots of work ahead for me.

p.s. Do you recommend leaving Rhumba's mesh in one install and applying as scenery in other installs? I understand you can save space that way.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Most cool, and thanks for your expert advice with this. Much appreciated. I do expect to install Rami's Malaya campaign which mentions Asia Water. I also intend to use MR's Philiippines terrain. Lots of plans. For now, I'll put these fixes in the ETO (and add in the parts for that install) in preparation for Rami's BoB, Finnish, and Malta campaigns. Lots of work ahead for me.

p.s. Do you recommend leaving Rhumba's mesh in one install and applying as scenery in other installs? I understand you can save space that way.

What I did was set up the Rhumba mesh in a virgin install, zipped it up in a compressed folder and used it as a template for a Rhumba based install in the future.

[e.a.wicklund]

What I did was set up the Rhumba mesh in a virgin install, zipped it up in a compressed folder and used it as a template for a Rhumba based install in the future.

Excellent idea. I think I might run with that. It'll save time in the future.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I recommend you save a copy to your storage hard drive too.