Question on Instant Scenery for FSX

[Marvin Carter]

Guys I have question about Instant Scenery for FSX by flight one, Will it work with Vista 64, with out any probs. Would like to fix up some airports around where I fly??? Any advice will help Thanks!!!!

Marvin Carter

[tigisfat]

yup!! now if I can only find out how to build an exclusion file.

[Marvin Carter]

That would be way over my head,Thanks didn't want to buy it and not work with vista.
Thanks again!!!

Marvin Carter

[JimC1702]

yup!! now if I can only find out how to build an exclusion file.

Supposedly there is an exclusion box you can download (at Avsim, I think) and place it like any other object using Instant Scenery.

I haven't tried it because I have AFX and use it for exclusions.

Jim

[Tako_Kichi]

ADE allows you to set up all sorts of exclusions too.

[IanP]

One thing to note about Instant Scenery in FSX that won't bother most people, but might annoy some, is that it doesn't use FSX XML coding for the files it generates - it's closer to FS9 but better described as "an almighty mess".

This won't bother you unless you need to merge or decompile/recompile files, but I've stopped using it altogether now and just use ADE for everything.

[JoeW]

IanP ...... I'm sorry but it does use XML. I have decompiled many bgls made by Instant Scenery to a XML file and edited it to what I wanted. Somethings that IS does is not exactly "straight" XML but it is. One thing that confuses it is if you apply bank or pitch to an obj. Another is the fact a line is inserted that excludes Autogen unless it's turned off. If you want to exclude autogen all you need do is insert a flock of birds. If you want autogen under those you need to choose 'move or delete objects' and under the options button there is a tab named 'current object. choose that and you can choose the little square to 'Do not remove autogen under object'.
When I decompiled a BGL I added a fuel square or other object that cannot be added in the IS program. You cannot open the bgl again in IS after an edit like that, you must open the xml and manually remove the objects you added that are not part of the standard objects.

[Marvin Carter]

ADE????????

Marvin Carter

[JoeW]

ADE ... Airport Design Editor. Scruffy Duck Software. This is the AFCAD for FSX but a lot stronger. NJopt only can you build airports,You can place library objects with it and place Excludes. It's at Avsim ...... Search for Airport Design Editor and or Jon Masterson. The latest version is 1.35 or 1.39 ... not sure about that. There are some tutorals for it too.

[IanP]

FS9 used XML as well, Joe.

The difference is that if you decompile a true FSX tool BGL file, you end up with a usable file. If you decompile an Instant Scenery one, you end up with an almighty mess that takes hours to sort out before you can use it.

So, XML, yes. Good XML? Very much not.

Compare the output from ADE, SBuilderX or FSXPlanner with the output from Instant Scenery and you'll see what I mean.

[Mr.Mugel]

ADE works great! Used it myself some times, too...

[JoeW]

FS9 used XML as well, Joe.

The difference is that if you decompile a true FSX tool BGL file, you end up with a usable file. If you decompile an Instant Scenery one, you end up with an almighty mess that takes hours to sort out before you can use it.

So, XML, yes. Good XML? Very much not.

Compare the output from ADE, SBuilderX or FSXPlanner with the output from Instant Scenery and you'll see what I mean.

I know ..... The first thing I did when it was in beta was to decompile a bgl and add a fuel square. I tryed to get the author to add the friendly name in with the number but he wouldn't do it. I also wanted that line with the autogen exclude removed... I think he uses that to tell if the bgl is compiled with IS or not. At any rate ... it knows when the bgl is compiled with that program. The last items I would add is the fuel square and windsock to that bgl. That made them decompile proof. You could decompile but not with IS.

[IanP]

Just out of interest - as I said before, I use ADE to do everything now - have you tried decompiling the output from Whisplacer, Joe?

From what people tell me, it's very similar to IS, but free. I've never tried it so I don't know whether it is lacking features that IS has, or how well it compiles and decompiles code.

It was trying to add an NDB to an IS file that caused me to give up on it the first time. The second time I think it was a fuel square again. I haven't used it since. It has two major advantages over "external" design tools in that you can see what you are placing compared to the surroundings and it's very easy to use, but I wouldn't use it for more than placing "clutter" around an airfield, or potentially putting together a very small, disorganised, bush scenery.

The version of Airport Design Editor I have installed is 1.37, but I believe there's a later version than that which I should get around to putting on.

I'm not aware of any problems running either ADE or IS under Vista64, but haven't tried either personally yet because Im keeping my Vista64 FSX installation "clean" for beta testing purposes at the moment.

I thought there was a trial of IS, which allowed you to create scenery, but only within x miles of Seattle and to a maximum number of objects?

[JoeW]

I have Whisplacer insta;;ed but never tryed it. I tend to use what works best untill I have a problem then I look at oyher programs. Microsoft has a lottle program, 'XML Notepad' that will "fix" most pronlems with an XML file upon loading and you can add or edit and save then compile. This will work for an unedited IS scenery xml to make it more readable. If you don't add any item cut and pasting it can be re-compiled and opened in IS.
Jon is working on a module to add sound with ADE. I sent him all that he needs to know in order to do this.
I have a copy of Vista 32 but it's not installed yet so I'm using XP as an OS. There was a trial version of IS but it would not let you compile to a bgl. you could make a scenery but not save or compile. I think that was the way it worked.

[IanP]

It's actually better than I thought it was... :)

"The free demo version offers the full functionality of Instant Scenery within a 50NM radius of the Seattle-Tacoma Intl. airport for up to 30 days."

http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=instscen - right down at the bottom of the page.

[spotlope]

Ian, your complaints about IS and decompiling to XML caught my eye, probably because I do it all the time in my work, and never with any issues. Maybe I'm overlooking some hideous deformity in the code, but to my eye it looks pretty much exactly as I would expect it to; straightforward, and simple to edit. One possible explanation is that we're using different decompile tools. What are you using to convert your IS BGL files? My current weapon of choice is Bgl2XmlGUI.exe. I've output quite a few XMLs using this one, and never a whisper of a problem. Wonder what gives?

[IanP]

Not sure, Bill, because that's exactly what I used and it came out as a pile of mashed and merged code, repeatedly.

Maybe IS has been patched since I used it? I can't see any sign of an update or new version on the page, though.

[spotlope]

I checked, and I'm running Instant Scenery version 1.04. I don't know if Jon has released multiple versions of Bgl2XmlGUI, but the one I'm using I downloaded maybe a month or two ago. Just for reference. The code I'm getting on decompile is well-ordered and easy to read.

[ananda]

I checked, and I'm running Instant Scenery version 1.04. I don't know if Jon has released multiple versions of Bgl2XmlGUI, but the one I'm using I downloaded maybe a month or two ago. Just for reference. The code I'm getting on decompile is well-ordered and easy to read.

I've no problem with decompiled IS files, they are normal SceneryObject LibraryObject sections.<SCENERYOBJECT p sections.< <LibraryObject and>

[Marvin Carter]

Tried ADE, said it could not find SDK. Do I need the upgraded FSX to get it to work????????

Marvin Carter

[IanP]

Do you have FSX Deluxe/Professional/Gold, Marvin? If so, I think the SDK installer is on disk 1. Yes, you will need to install the SDK for ADE (or, I believe, Instant Scenery) to work properly. You'll then need to download the SP1 SDK (and the SP2 SDK if you're using standalone SP2) from Microsoft and install the Acceleration SDK off the disk if you're using that. It's a right faff, unfortunately, as you have to install them all in turn and they all uninstall each other before installing again! If anyone else knows a way around that, please let me know!

If you don't have the SDK (i.e. you have FSX "Standard" or whatever they called it), you can't use ADE, certainly, and will need to check whether you can use Instant Scenery from the website.

On the other topic, it sounds like my issues with decompiling might be to do with the fact that I was using an earlier version of BGL2XML - although why it would decompile everything perfectly well except IS files I'm not even going to try and answer. I used it on MS, ADE, FSXPlanner and SDE BGLs happily - it only fell over on Instant Scenery files, repeatedly.

Very odd!

[gera]

yup!! now if I can only find out how to build an exclusion file.

The best tool for exclusion polys and much more is SBuilder...:kilroy:

[IanP]

Having done flattens and excludes with both, I'd say there was no real difference between ADE and SBuilderX as far as they go - however, for creating water polygons (e.g. if you want to put a lake on your airfield - or create a lake to put a water runway on) or if you want to create vector polygons such as roads, powerlines or railway lines, I'd go for SBuilderX to do those.

[GaryGB]

Hi Ian:

There were indeed several version of BGL2XML released; current versions yield XML code geared primarily for use with the latest revision of FSX SDK SDK BGLComp. :typing:


The Bgl2Xml.exe 0.92.0.0 version (Build 0.92.2664.13950) that Bill W. aka Spotlope referred to, is a particularly convenient and efficient GUI-based utility for working with XML code intended for use with the FSX-SP2 SDK; results may vary with pre-SP2 FSX and FS2004 BGLs.


Bgl2Xml GUI - Jon Masterson (aka "Scruffyduck")

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=101686



I use a mix of decompiler versions from Jon Masterson, Winfried Orthmann and Alessandro Antonini to inspect code depending on the project and version of FS I am working with (ex: FS2002, FS2004, FSX et. seq.).


Also to be considered for comparative purposes: :gossip:


BglAnalyze for FS9 and FSX - Winfried Orthmann

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxutil&DLID=95949



For FS2004 code only:


BGLXML 1.8 FS2004 scenery decompiler - Alessandro Antonini

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004util&DLID=75329



For FS2002 code only (decompiles SCASM BGLs):


BGL Analyze Disassembler - Winfried Orthmann

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2002sd&DLID=27375


ScDis 2.3 (decompiles FS2002 SCASM BGLs) - Takuya Murakami

"<small>Last Update: Oct 18 2003"

http://sourceforge.net/projects/freesc/


NOTE: there may be some differences seen in the decompiled XML code of certain BGLs (ex: depending on the BGL type and decompiler used



PS: Got some favorite old API Macros that you can't live without... or don't want to rebuild?

Arno Gerritsen's ModelConverterX might just be able to help port them into FS2004 and FSX in a modern SDK-compliant format! </small>:ernae:
<small>
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=ModelConverterX

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14215


</small><small>Arno Gerritsen's </small>Library Creator XML 2.0.2 <small>is also a handy utility to keep in one's "Tool Kit" :

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Library_Creator_XML_2.0

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=8&act=down


Hope this helps! :engel016:

GaryGB
</small><small></small>

[GaryGB]

[edited]:
There were indeed several version of bgl2xml released; current versions yield xml code geared primarily for use with the latest revision of fsx-sp2 sdk bglcomp. :typing:<small>
</small>
< corrected >

[Marvin Carter]

Where would the SDK,and BGL comp. be located for FSX???
Help please & thanks!!!!

Marvin Carter

[Meshman]

If you have the Deluxe version of FSX, the SDKs are on disk #1 in a seperate folder. They are not installed as part of a normal installation. Depending upon your FSX level of install would dictate which of the SPs would be needed to bring the SDKs up to date.