Is it Posible..........?

[Spranget]

Is it possible to open and modify .bgl files hat have already been created? For instance, there is a certain structure in a scenery file that exists and you would like to move it slightly. Is that possible? I have always just erased scenery files that have objects in the wrong locations. I would then create my own scenery but that takes a lot of time. Most of the sceneries I speak of are just wonderful but I am a little bit of a perfectionist. Call me crazy!!!Instead, if I could just tweak them a bit, it would make some of the senery I am very familiar with perfect! Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[Clarke123]

In a word no. A .bgl is several files compiled into one and once they're jammed together they can't be seperated. To move an object you would need the original source files from the author, alter the coordinates and compile it into a .bgl. I know the feeling, I've got tons of stuff that needs tweeking to fit coastlines. Ah well, just more encouragement to dust off FSDS and try to learn sumthin' new.......and difficult. :icon_lol:

[Tom Clayton]

Actually, some can be decompiled. I think it sometimes depends on how they were compiled.

http://www.flightsim.com/file.php?cm=SEARCH1&fsec=0&fname=bglanlyz.zip

[Clarke123]

Well I guess I'll just shut up then :mixedsmi:

When I first started fiddling around with FS9 I asked in other forums about this and read tons of tutorials and they all said it wasn't doable. If this works then you sir have just made my evening. I love being proved wrong :icon_lol:

[Tom Clayton]

It decompiles FS9 files into XML that you can then edit and recompile with the BGLComp SDK from MS. I played with some FSX stuff and it even extradted model files from the bgl's.

[Clarke123]

there's always something new to learn. This is great because there is one particular file that has been bugging the hell outta me for 6 months. It's the Portsmouth highrise scenery over at UKMIL, all the buildings are in the sea and I can't for the life of me find a decent mesh that lines up and I'll be damned before I go back to default. Now I can fully build up Portsmouth Naval base. :jump:

[Spranget]

It decompiles FS9 files into XML that you can then edit and recompile with the BGLComp SDK from MS. I played with some FSX stuff and it even extradted model files from the bgl's.


OK, so I downloaded the program and read the "readme" file. I still do not understand how to use it. It says to drop the file name on top of the program when in "explorer" but I have no idea what this means. You'll have to excuse me, I'm computer ignorant. This also may sound silly, especially to those of you who know that I have been around for a while but..... Where do I find the BGLComp SDK at? This is stuff I have just recently taken an interest to. Again, any help would be much appreciated.

[Tom Clayton]

Imagine that the program is a folder and you're dragging the bgl into that folder. Drag the bgl over the top of the program's icon and the icon will highlight. Drop the bgl and the program will run. If it's successful, you'll get an XML file that you can edit with Notepad or your favorite editor.

It works the same way with many other programs. For instance, if you have a shortcut to MSPaint on your desktop, you can open any bitmap or jpeg simply by dragging the image file onto the shortcut and dropping it. There's actually very few programs that don't work that way.

[tobob]

http://www.scenery.org/_downloads/newbglanalyze_143281.zip

This version has a user frontend for bglanalyze as well as bglcomp.

BGL COMP - http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=29

[Spranget]

S
Imagine that the program is a folder and you're dragging the bgl into that folder. Drag the bgl over the top of the program's icon and the icon will highlight. Drop the bgl and the program will run. If it's successful, you'll get an XML file that you can edit with Notepad or your favorite editor.

It works the same way with many other programs. For instance, if you have a shortcut to MSPaint on your desktop, you can open any bitmap or jpeg simply by dragging the image file onto the shortcut and dropping it. There's actually very few programs that don't work that way.

speaking of learning new things every day!!! I never knew you could drag files to programs and have them open. I will have to give it a try. Does the xml just open up in a new window? Or does it just pop up in the program?

[tobob]

S

speaking of learning new things every day!!! I never knew you could drag files to programs and have them open. I will have to give it a try. Does the xml just open up in a new window? Or does it just pop up in the program?

I usually copy the bgl to the bglanalyze folder then drop it in. That way I have a copy of the original. The XML will show up after. Then open it with Xml notepad or Notepad +. Make changes and save and drop the XML onto the bgl comp icon to convert it to bgl format.

[tobob]

Better yet! Open 'run' and type sendto. Make a shortcut from bglanalyze, bglcomp, bglc_9 and put it in the sendto folder.

4458

4457

4459

Then when you right click on a bgl you can send to !!!

[Motormouse]

there's always something new to learn. This is great because there is one particular file that has been bugging the hell outta me for 6 months. It's the Portsmouth highrise scenery over at UKMIL, all the buildings are in the sea and I can't for the life of me find a decent mesh that lines up and I'll be damned before I go back to default. Now I can fully build up Portsmouth Naval base. :jump:

ah, Pompey...try the 'world of wight' scenery package, that has some local coastline enhancements,
(which is technically a landclass rather than mesh), I use this in conjunction with the freeware fs genesis
mesh for UK.

Bear in mind that 90% of scenery files (mesh,landclass and scenery) created for fs2002 also work in fs2004.

ttfn

Pete

[Clarke123]

ah, Pompey...try the 'world of wight' scenery package, that has some local coastline enhancements,
(which is technically a landclass rather than mesh), I use this in conjunction with the freeware fs genesis
mesh for UK.

Bear in mind that 90% of scenery files (mesh,landclass and scenery) created for fs2002 also work in fs2004.

ttfn

Pete
Thanks for the info. Downloading now.

[Spranget]

First of all, thanks for all the help. OK, so I think I know what is going on but I am not sure. I have been successful in dropping some files onto the program which then creates an XML file. Some have not though. I am assuming these are the files that cannot be modified....Right? If I use the "newbglanalyzer" with these files, I get a message that states there is an error and the file is an old style BGL and it cannot be opened. Any ideas?

I will keep messing around with it to see what I can come up with.

[Tom Clayton]

I get the same result as you with some of the files. My only guess is that they were compiled from something other than XML. I haven't seen anything that will decompile them yet.

[tobob]

As far as I know, only libraries and placement bgls can be decompiled. Afcads also.

The ones that are giving you errors are probably pre fs2004 and won't work with bglanalyze.

I assume these older ones are scasm, which also has a decompiler. I believe it is called 'scdis'.

And some probably cannot be decompiled like terrain files.

[Spranget]

As far as I know, only libraries and placement bgls can be decompiled. Afcads also.

The ones that are giving you errors are probably pre fs2004 and won't work with bglanalyze.

I assume these older ones are scasm, which also has a decompiler. I believe it is called 'scdis'.

And some probably cannot be decompiled like terrain files.

Aaahhh. I see. I will try to find this scdis program. thanks for the tip.

[tobob]

Scasm is a whole other language than XML. Google scasm for some tutorials. I usually avoid it because I don't really understand it, but just like anything else in fs it will take time and patience.

:salute: