GSL and the Vaguaries of the MB

[Ravenna]

Having spent a couple of days adding scenery objects to make something approximating the town and harbour of Beirut (1941) based on a photo I came across in a history of the 7th Div 2nd AIF. I tried to add the new scenery to an empty gsl file as per Lindsay Watt's tutorial. After the empty gsl was added via the GSLman utility (yes, I did change the UseGSL= line in cfs2.cfg) I went into Free Flight and flew over the co-ords for Beirut. Result....NOTHING!!:banghead:
I did the same thing again 2 more times using fresh empty gsl files, but still got the invisible Beirut. On the next try I got the result I wanted (see below).
Has anyone else had trouble using the Save GSL function (cntrl + Alt+ S)?
Just as an aside I found that I could add a shade over 700 objects without turning into a slide show. Thank you XP!
cheers,
Mike

[MaskRider]

I sorta follow what you are saying.

I find it useful to create a whole new CFS2 shortcut, CFS2 Empty GSL, when working with the empty GSL.

The shortcut properties Target box should contain this:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 2\cfs2.exe" /CFG:EmptyGSL.CFG

Where EmptyGSL.CFG is the name of the configuration file where you added the line that says UseGSL=empty.gsl.

I also find it useful to create an MB shortcut, MB Empty GSL, for the empty gsl. The Target box in this shortcut properties windows should contain:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 2\cfs2.exe" /CFG:EmptyGSL.CFG /BUILDER:

Now start makin some scenery.

Open MB using the MB Empty GSL short cut.

Add a bunch of scenery objects at Beirut.

Save the scenery object layout to the empty GSL using the MB GSL editor.

That should be all you need to do.

The next time you open your CFS2 Empty GSL shortcut and go to Beirut- the scenery should be there.

You should not have to mess with GSLMan.

BTW, you do have the empty GSL and GSLMan in the same folder- your CFS2 GSL folder, right? You aren't running it from someplace else?

If you were to use GSLMan to add an empty GSL- one that is indeed empty- to CFS2's currently loaded GSL- the one to which you just added the Beirut scenery in MB using the MB GSL Editor- then the Beirut scenery added using the MB GSL Editor will disappear.

My advice it to either use the MB GSL Editor. Or use Martins GSL developer tools (GOBCheck, GSLEdit and GSLMan). But don't mix them. At least not when you are just starting out.

I fear this post has probably confused more than it has cleared up.

My apologies if that is so.

[Ravenna]

:isadizzy::isadizzy::isadizzy::isadizzy:!!
You lost me at the first hurdle Chris.:d
I can confirm that the empty.gsl file was placed in the GSL folder, along with GSLman. Apart from that I followed Lindsay's tutorial to the letter. In the end, as you can see, the scenery showed up. The mystery is that I had done nothing different the first two times.
cheers,
Mike

[Devildog73]

Wow, I wish I had you guy's talent and ability.

I have been adding buildings and objects through MB for my Tuskegee campaigns and my FPS go to the basement.

But I am hung up on getting as close to accurate as I can, even though I am seeking to bomb the stuff into oblivian.

[Ravenna]

Devildog,
I think it depends on whether you are adding your scenery in MIS or through GSL, and I guess it would depend on how much RAM you have. I'm fairly PC illiterate, but Lindsay Watt's tutorial on Adding scenery to the GSL is so easy to understand even I can follow it!:costumes:

[Talon]

One thing about GSL is AI flights have a tough time attacking them,they just seem to fly over their target and attack something else.The player flight seems to be ok if you bracket the target for your flight.In PHP2 all ships,hangers and planes on the bases are GSL objects so you can imagine how tough it was to hit the right targets by the AI flights.It took me about 3 to 4 months to do 1 mission right than I started on the next one which took about 2 months and so forth.As I went along it got easier as I learned some new tricks.


Talon

[achim27619]

OK Mike,

this is the way I do it

1. Open the cfs.cfg file with Notepad (it is in the CFS 2 root folder)

2. Find [PREFS] it is pretty much at the top of the file and insert as shown below the line
UseGSL=empty.gsl


[LANGUAGE]
DLL=english.fll
[MAIN]
ShowLogo=0
ShowMovie=0
RUNNINGBADHW=0
Location=111,14,1457,1000
HideMenuNormal=0
HideMenuFullscreen=1
Maximized=0
Display_Fractional_Minutes=1
[PANELS]
IMAGE_QUALITY=1
[Weather]
WindshieldPrecipitationEffects=1
MinGustTime=10
MaxGustTime=500
MinGustRampSpeed=1
MaxGustRampSpeed=200
MinVarTime=5
MaxVarTime=50
MinVarRampSpeed=1
MaxVarRampSpeed=75
TurbulenceScale=1.000000
DefaultVisibility=0
WeatherServerAddress=fs2k.zone.com
WeatherServerPort=80
[PREFS]
UseGSL=empty.gsl
ADF_500_HZ=0
ADVANCED_WEATHER=0
ASLAT=2
....................
Now CFS 2 will only use empty.gsl as gsl-file

3. Drop an empty.gsl file into the GSL-folder (Don' t change the name)

4. Open the mission builder and lay down your gsl objects

5. Zoom in or out so that every single of your objects is visible in the window with some room to spare

6. Put your mouse pointer in the upper left hand corner of the window

7. Press "SHIFT" hold it, left click and draw the mouse pointer into the lower right hand corner of the window. You should see an green rectangle opening. Make sure that every single objects of yours is inside that rectangle

8. Let go both and your objects now should be "green" instead of white

9. Press "STRG" + "ALT" + "SHIFT" and hit "g". Than let go.

10. Press "STRG" + "ALT" and hit "s" while your objects are still "green"

11. Close the MB and go to the GSL-folder. Your objects should by now in the empty.gsl - file. Rename the emty.gsl - file to Beirut.gsl (or what ever you are working on.

12. Get gslman.exe and put it into the GSL - folder

13. Open the gslman.exe and add beirut.gsl to your cfs2.gsl - folder (there has to be a folder named cfs2.gsl inside that folder or gslman.exe won' t work).

14. Open the cfs2.cfg again and either delete the inserted line or simply put a ";" in front of that line (cfs2 will ignore the line if there is an ";")
.................
MaxVarRampSpeed=75
TurbulenceScale=1.000000
DefaultVisibility=0
WeatherServerAddress=fs2k.zone.com
WeatherServerPort=80
[PREFS]
;UseGSL=empty.gsl
ADF_500_HZ=0
ADVANCED_WEATHER=0
ASLAT=2
ASLON=0
................

Cheers

Achim

[Ravenna]

Achim,
That's exactly what I did, with the exception that I deleted the "UseGSL=empty.gsl" line before I added the new file via GSLman.exe. I am beginning to think that at least one of the keys on my keyboard is wonky (technical term that!)
Thanks for the input!
:ernae: