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Post by Dave3cu on Jan 10, 2007 8:44:41 GMT -5
Thought this may be of interest to some with FSX-Deluxe. Abacus has released a free tool, Scenery Shortcut. (developed by Peter Jacobson) It converts objects placed using the FSX-Deluxe-SDK-Mission Builder-Object Placement Tool to permanent scenery objects. Note: 35Mb download, requires their Shopping Cart/Checkout proceedures to download (free). Dave |
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Post by Iron Mike on Jan 10, 2007 13:10:39 GMT -5
I looked at their info for this freebie and could not see any advantage.
The Object Placement Tool provided with the deluxe version of FSX is capable of saving both mission and scenery files in .xml.
The scenery .xml file can then be complied with BglComp (FSX) and viola! As an example one could load one of the example mission .xmls from the SDK and then just select "Save Scenery" from the Mission Tab - name the file myscenery.xml or what ever.
Save it to the BGLComp folder of the SDKs - drag and drop the .xml on to the Bgl Comp.exe to compile and then add the resulting .BGL to your Addon Scenery\scenery folder.
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Post by Dave3cu on Jan 10, 2007 16:12:50 GMT -5
Ahhh... thanks Mike. I only have FSX-Standard (1), so am unfamiliar with the processes/capabilities provided in the FSX Deluxe-SDK. It might still be useful to the casual user, unfamilar or uncomfortable with manually applying xml->bgl steps, but wishing to place a few objects. Dave (1) Well intended Christmas present, received before either I or my hardware were ready.  ....But of course I had to try it out.  |
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Post by scubakobe on Jan 10, 2007 19:58:29 GMT -5
I hope they come out with an FS-X EZ-Scenery version, that would be nice. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2007 20:30:14 GMT -5
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Post by Kofi on Jan 10, 2007 22:28:43 GMT -5
Can you use the object placement tool for the animated animals 
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Post by Dave3cu on Jan 11, 2007 1:09:32 GMT -5
Kobbe,
Looking at the video tutorial that comes with 'Scenery Shortcut', that is basically what you end up with. The FSX-Deluxe SDK object placer tool appears to be essentially the same as EZ-Scenery (live placement). Once the object(s) is placed you run the .xml thru Scenery Shortcut which creates the scenery .bgl.
Of course you must have FSX-Deluxe.
Dave
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2007 9:46:55 GMT -5
Are these all just standard library objects? If so presumably their GUIDs are extractable and you can just place them either by hand coding using XML/BGLComp or with a scenery design tool like SceneGenX (my own tool of choice).
If that's the case why reinvent the wheel?
PS
I doubt whether any simple tool can handle the animated animals or any other FSX animated object. When I had FSX I installed the SDK but couldn't for the life of me work out how to make it run or do anything and it's too late now because I returned FSX and felt bound to unistall it. But my guess is you'll need to learn how to master FSX AI objects.
I could never for the life of me work out why DOD wasn't taken up in a big way for FS animations. I used it in my FS2002/FS9 Kai Tak scenery for a fuel truck and a cruise ship that sailed right around Hong Kong island returning to where it started from and could be followed the whole way if you wanted to. Setting the objects up was dead easy but unfortunately the quality of the available objects was not good (basically FS98 standard) and I could find nobody who could tell me how to get new objects into the object libraries.
Whether the same principles are now being used in FSX - I suspect they are for eg water traffic - I don't know.
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Post by ScruffyDuck on Jan 11, 2007 10:08:44 GMT -5
You can place FSX default scenery objects with LOM version 2.00 beta ;D
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Post by Iron Mike on Jan 11, 2007 13:35:30 GMT -5
Can you use the object placement tool for the animated animals Kofi, Yes, you can place the animated animals - however they will just "mark time" so to speak. In a Mission these animated objects are linked to MSO waypoints that provide a path for the object to follow. There is an app called "Living World" , I haven't checked it out yet, that is supposed to allow the use of the animals with paths to follow outside of the mission enviroment. I'll have a look at it when I get time and see what it can actually do. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2007 13:46:03 GMT -5
In a Mission these animated objects are linked to MSO waypoints that provide a path for the object to follow. Yeah, that sounds very DOD-like to me |
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Post by ScruffyDuck on Jan 12, 2007 10:37:54 GMT -5
The feedback I am seeing is that the Abacus tool has no benefits over what is available in the SDK imn any case and I think you need to have the SDK (although I have not looked at the Abacus Program)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2007 15:43:59 GMT -5
 All happening off Southend in the Thames Estuary... Works pretty well, first time I've been able to make any sense out of anything to do with the SDK. Zillions of objects to play with, unlike FS9 and BGLComp where the default object library was quite limited. No need to do anything complicated, like importng any other libraries and stuff, so quite easy to get to grips with. I couldn't be bothered findng the tute vids it mentioned and only used the 'instructions' that came with and a bit of trial and error to be able to do the above. In FS9 some library objects were lat/long delimited (eg you couldn't directly place the Taj Mahal in London) and I haven't checked whether you can for example put the Eifel Tower wherever you want, but the blurb implies you can. I'd say, if you're interested, give it a go. The barriers to entry are pretty low and you could end up having a lot of fun The feedback I am seeing is that the Abacus tool has no benefits over what is available in the SDK imn any case and I think you need to have the SDK (although I have not looked at the Abacus Program) Hi scruffy, yes you do need the SDK. Not being a C++ programmer the SDK has been of little value to me for anything really. However, for the first time this gives a plonker like me a GUI that opens it up and makes it useable. This is a GOOD thing. When the BGLComp SDK first came out I issued a little 'tool' called MakeScene. It wasn't very much and of course several much more powerful, proper tools came out eventually. But I know from my emails that MakeScene got lots and lots of people started in scenery dsign who maybe never would have. And this is the value of Scenery Shortcut as I see it. Up to now people had maybe thought that with FSX, scenery design was not going to be on for them, especially after looking through the SDK which, let's face it, is pretty muchg a closed book for the ordinary punter like me Well now me and the other Joe Soaps have got hope again! Maybe we'll even start looking at FSX again, in a different light  |
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