How to 'flatten'

[patchz]

[color=#000000]How do I 'flatten' an area? Ever since I added global mesh, Air Mountain Ranch has had a hill in the middle of the runway and some of the buildings are floating. Thanks.

[Sir_Crashalot]

There is a small program called FlattEx on this page. Maybe that can solve your problem?

Carlo

[patchz]

There is a small program called FlattEx on this page. Maybe that can solve your problem?

Carlo

[color=#000000]Thanks Carlo, I'll try that.

[dave3cu]

Ever since I added global mesh, Air Mountain Ranch has had a hill......

Common when adding terrain mesh as fixed elevations (lakes, rivers, airports) do not automatically adjust to the new terrain.

Another option for 'flatten', is Steve Greenwoods FSTFlatten-http://home.earthlink.net/~smgreenwood/flatten.shtml-This method has the advantage of allowing irregular polygon shapes (FlattEx is limited to rectangles), and creation of a .bgl, so no editing of the scenery.cfg file is necessary.

For the hanger textures...the author may have used hanger objects from an 'object library', (Rwy12, EZ-Scenery, etc.). In this case the textures would be in the object library's texture folder. Any changes to those textures would be global.

On the same page as Carlo's link for FlattEx you'll find BGLXML 1.8. This utility will decompile a scenery .bgl into it's .xml source.  You can then view the .xml in notepad to identify the objects placed.

Dave

[patchz]

Ever since I added global mesh, Air Mountain Ranch has had a hill......

Common when adding terrain mesh as fixed elevations (lakes, rivers, airports) do not automatically adjust to the new terrain.

Another option for 'flatten', is Steve Greenwoods FSTFlatten-http://home.earthlink.net/~smgreenwood/flatten.shtml-This method has the advantage of allowing irregular polygon shapes (FlattEx is limited to rectangles), and creation of a .bgl, so no editing of the scenery.cfg file is necessary.

For the hanger textures...the author may have used hanger objects from an 'object library', (Rwy12, EZ-Scenery, etc.). In this case the textures would be in the object library's texture folder. Any changes to those textures would be global.

On the same page as Carlo's link for FlattEx you'll find BGLXML 1.8. This utility will decompile a scenery .bgl into it's .xml source.

[patchz]

[color=#000000]Can't get FSTFlatten to work. I can create the dots and connect them but when I click on 'Link Vertices' I get a No Data message. Guess my feeble brain is not capable of comprehending how to use the program. But it seems to me the instructions leave something to be desired.

[Hagar]

[quote][color=#000000]Can't get FSTFlatten to work.

[glow=yellow,2,300]it seems to me the instructions leave something to be desired.[/glow]

[Opa]

Been using it for several years - couldn't be much easier to use if you follow the instructions.

But, as with most utilities, the first effort may seem daunting, but once you have made a few flattens, it is really a piece of cake.

[patchz]

Yes, I read the instructions. I don't what happened the first time, but I tried it again and got it to work. But I'm having trouble with the elevation. The map says 0, the aircraft on the runway says 3.6', and 11' on the ramp. I've redone it twice now and it still is not right. The runway is below ground level and when it loads, the only thing visible above ground is the top of the tail. I'm going to keep trying, but how do you handle a small GA field that is not completely level, i.e. runway one elevation, ramp another? Originally, the terrain sloped from the rear of the buildings on the ramp down to the water's edge, where there are cabins and a dock.

[JoBee]

The map says 0, the aircraft on the runway says 3.6', and 11' on the ramp. ... The runway is below ground level and when it loads, the only thing visible above ground is the top of the tail. ....how do you handle a small GA field that is not completely level, i.e. runway one elevation, ramp another?

The map will give you the ground elevation above seal level.

Shift+Z will give you the ground elevation+aircraft static height, which in the C172 is about 3.6 feet.

In FS9 ramps, runways, tec. all have to be on the same level for an Afcad to work. To have an airport with slope you cannot have an Afcad, which means you have to have custom ground textures for runways, etc.

For tasks such as placing scenery objects in slew mode, and creating flattens and excludes, the best tool is Rob Finnegan's Crosshairs Plus.

Check it out - http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=73331

To make it better add this panel mod by Jim Robinson- http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=108863

cheers,
Joe

[Opa]

Couldn't agree more - the combination of the Crosshairs with Jim's gauge gives precise elevation AND true headings (the mag variation is automatically calculated for you).

A "must have" to get correct readings easily. 

[patchz]

[color=#000000]Thanks Joe. If you and Opa say it's good...
plus, they say the third times the charm.

[JoBee]

[quote][color=#000000]Thanks Joe. If you and Opa say it's good...
plus, they say the third times the charm.

[Opa]

RE: The FSTflatten program-

One of the often overlooked "shortcuts" is this:

The "elevation" box is expecting the numbers in meters - however you can enter them in feet and then double left click the box. The feet number you entered will automatically be converted to meters.

[patchz]

[quote]RE: The FSTflatten program-

One of the often overlooked "shortcuts" is this:

The "elevation" box is expecting the numbers in meters - however you can enter them in feet and then double left click the box. The feet number you entered will automatically be converted to meters.