scenery

[pointerboat]

G'Day lads .  This may be in the wrong forum but I had a look and found none better .  When I download a scenery file and it says to install it in "Add-on scenery\scenery" :  I seem unable to install it into the "Search Add-on Scenery" file . Is it better just to drag it into the "Add-on scenery" file and just skip the "...scenery\scenery bit .  Also, there is a texture file in there .   Is that where you install "mesh" downloads ?  I've been dragging mesh files into the add-on scenery file as they don't come with much of the way of instructions .  I strongly suspect that most of the stuff that I drag into there simply goes to die a lingering death (especially mesh files) , as my FS9 seems to be absolutely comtemptuous of any scenic improvements that I - being the inadequate wretch that I am - endevour to perfidiously sneak in to the back door of the great and grand lady that is MFS2004 .  Greetings to all from Douglas , Ontario .   Terry

[TerryW]

Pointerboat,
There are lots of tutorials to help install such things a scenery and aircraft. Once you get the scenery you want to install into your Add On Scenery folder, you must start FS9, open Settings, then Scenery Library. Once open, see a bar on the right titled Add Area. Hit it, another window opens allowing you to browse to the add on scenery folder. Open that, hi-lite the scenery you added...click ok, then ok again...close FS9 and re-start.....best wishes,
TerryW  :)

[pointerboat]

Thanks Terry .  I've got that, but is that the same procedure as you would use for mesh files - or do they go into texture ?  I'm not really sure what goes into texture and what does not .   What I really need is a primer .  

[TerryW]

Pretty much the same procedure. The experts on this site have said to move the mesh files lower in priority, but above the default mesh.

In all the mesh and scenery files I've installed, don't recall seeing anythin go into that texture folder.

Have a look at the tutorials on the main page of Simviation.
TerryW

[dave3cu]

Hi Pointerboat,

Its suggested that you always extract all downloads to a temp. folder first and then move or copy into the  flight sim.

Dont do a lot of addon scenery but from those I've done this is the method.

Unzip the downloaded file into a temporary folder.  Make sure you have 'use folder names' checked in whatever Unzipper you use. You should end up with something like this:

-TempFolder (folder-whatever you called it)
      - NewSceneryFolder (folder-whatever it's called)
                   -Scenery (folder)
                              Contains .bgl files
                   -Texture (folder)
                               Contains any textures (.bmp)        
     

Move or copy the 'NewSceneryFolder' with its contents to the 'Addon Scenery' and all should be well.

This will work for Scenery or Mesh. If the addon only comes with the Scenery and Texture contents you can drop those files into the default 'scenery' and  'texture' folders under 'Addon Scenery'. But for better organization you might want to recreate the above structure, naming the 'NewSceneryFolder' anything you like.

Cheers,
Dave

[pointerboat]

Thanks guys .   ........Terry

[MattNW]

Here is the way I handle add on scenery. It seems to work fine for me.

I just use the "Add On Scenery" folder and put my sceneries in that. All you have to do to activate it is to go into ACOF and navigate to the new scenery folder and select it through "Settings/Scenery Library/Add Area".

You can tell it's ready to go by looking at the bottom of the dialog box where it says "Directory" and "Scenery Area Title". If those show something then you have it properly selected. Next click OK,OK and shut down ACOF then restart it. It should stop loading during the splash screen and build a database.

The important thing to remember however is you only need to select the folder that the scenery is in. It's the one with the two subfolders titled "Scenery" and "Textures". The only time you need to move something is if the scenery comes with effects or has specific instructions saying otherwise. Most sceneries only need you to show ACOF where the scenery folder is.

Mesh of course is a completely different matter but that's how I handle sceneries. That way if I don't like them or they don't work, I can remove them easily.

[pointerboat]

Thanks Matt . I tried moving a mesh file into "textures" and ended up having to do an uninstall .  Since then , I've tried putting a couple of mesh files into "add-on scenery" and while I can't tell if they actually installed or not (how do you tell ?); at least the FS9 program didn't crash .  I think that if I can keep on fiddling ,maybe I'll learn something !  Regards....Terry

[Hagar]

Hi Pointerboat. This is the method I've used for installing all types of scenery to all the M$ sims for the last 5 years. http://www.simviation.com/lair/fs2002sc.htm

If you use this method I can guarantee you will have no problems.

[pointerboat]

Thanks Doug . I wondered where in the heck you've been .  This is just started to click in a little .  Too much fun..........Kindest regards,  Terry.

[Hagar]

[quote]Thanks Doug . I wondered where in the heck you've been .

[Pcyco]

Mesh is different though. The best place to put the mesh .bgl's is in the scenery\base\scenery folder.

[Hagar]

There's no reason why mesh scenery should be treated differently to any other type. If you install all 3rd party separately & activate each new area via the Scenery Library the Priority can easily be rearranged if you have display problems. It's also much easier to troubleshoot or delete areas if there are conflicts. This is not possible if BGL files are pasted direct to the default Scenery folders.

[garymbuska]

 What I did was to make a folder in the Addon Scenery folder called Mesh an keep all my mesh files in it. That way I know exactly where any mesh fille is without having to search for it.  You will have to pay attention to the order in which the mesh goes I usually put them on the end of the scenery cfg file manually. by just adding 1 to the last area that was used. this way all the default scenery gets loaded first. The Scenery cfg file is in the main FS folder and can be opened with notepad or word pad. you might want to back up the orignal one first before you change it that way you can always go back to the old one if you do not like the changes or you need to alter the level of the mesh file.
    Gary