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Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

This is a collection of tutorials and discussions on the use of SBuilder and all of its various functions.
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MIKE JG
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Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

Please post any questions you have about the SBuilder airport background tutorial in this thread.

If you need help getting SBuilder set up and running, please also use this thread.
-Mike G.

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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by Victory103 »

Huge Thanks MIKE JG. I have yet to start working with the ADE9x and SBuilder as I am so used to just using AFCAD to make my very basic, but limitedj changes. I am looking to start with my real world airfields, GRK and HLR.

The Tutorials are on the right track.
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

My hope is that most of the info will translate to SBuilderX as well for the FSX crowd.
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by kungfuman »

Excellent, well written, this will be essential reading for those becoming interested in this field!

Having only just gone through the initial learning process myself, my feedback would be: Mention the required programs at the beginning, and where to find them. This info would naturally sit between post 1 and post 2. As it stands, post 1 outlines the reasons why we modify these polygons, then post 2 goes straight into the process without outlining a few requirements (imagine you were browsing the forums and stumbled upon the tutorial's title and thought "Hey, that's something I want to learn" - but had no prior knowledge).

I know that "polyview" wasn't necessary to mention in your example, but I have found it useful to use in conjunction with choosing land class type textures. Maybe a brief paragraph on that too? But naturally you won't want to divert too much attention away from the main thrust of the tute.

Just my tuppence worth...
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by nickblack423 »

Wonderful Mike, thank you ever so much for that, it was very clear and easy to follow. You have done a great job with it.

Can you explain how we can find or save the files in order to add them to scenery packages?

EDIT: I found the VTPP file in the thread I specified earlier in the tutorial. Thanks

Nick
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

@Dan, there is actually an entirely separate thread that explains how to get SBuilder set up including which programs you need to get started. I did it that way to avoid having to go through that each time I do a tutorial. But I will provide a link to that thread at the start of each tute and that should address the excellent point that you have made, thanks.

Thanks guys for the feedback.
-Mike G.

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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by Paul »

Excellent Tutorial Mike. It is so simple and well written that I think I can do it. Thanks for putting in the time and hard work into this project. :D :D :D

Paul
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by fishlips »

Unreal Mike, thank you so much for your time and effort. I look forward to your future projects.

Mark
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Greg
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by Greg »

MIKE JG wrote:It's really only true if you select a textures for your polygon that has a "Y" in it meaning it will exclude the autogen.
In my experience this isn't always the case. If I pick class texture "128 Y Grass" for example, I will still have the autogen trees. Normally I use the "Grasslands" textures like you do, but I just thought I'd mention it :smt001
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by Don H »

Hi Mike.

These tutorials are really a good idea, and should help a lot of us who are having trouble getting our heads around these programs.

I recently updated my OS to Windows 7 64Bit, Home Premium edition. I've been slowly reinstalling my porgrams which I had working in XP 32Bit. I've just run into the second FS related program that won't work due to a missing/unuseable dll, or in the case of SBuilder, a missing .ocx. When I open the program and try to set up the preferences, I get an error box. "Run-time error '339': Component 'TABCTL32.OCX' or one of it's dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid."

Anyone else running into this???

My other program not working is Abacus' Custom Panel Designer, due to a .dll file not used/not compatable by Windows 7.
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by swp53 »

Thanks Mike,
I had tried Sbuilder in the past but could not get my head around it. At least now I can alter the airport background to suit a modified AFCAD. Shame MS did not make all the Textures with Y work at supressing autogen.
I look forward to the next instalment in the Sbuilder tutorials.
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miljan
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by miljan »

How to exclude default road,I made exclude poly,then grass poly but road is still there...
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

Miljan you have to input that you want to exclude layer number 006. Remember referencing the steps from this tutorial, to get rid of the original airport background poly, we had to choose layer number 007. It's the exact same process to exclude a default road, you just have to choose to exclude layer number 6 instead of 7.
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miljan
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by miljan »

OMG I forgot that
thanks MIKE
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

Miljan you normally don't have to exclude the roads because we place the new airport background in layer 20. That puts it well above any default stuff like roads or rivers. So you new AB (airport background) would automatically cover up the default road if you place it in a high enough scenery layer.

Roads are in layer 6 so technically if your new AB in any layer higher than 6 it should get covered up. I use layer 20 and higher to be safe, that way I know for sure I won't run into this same issue you are having.

But you can also exclude it. Several different ways to do the same thing.
-Mike G.

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miljan
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by miljan »

Hello MIKE another question for you.
How to add objects from BGL files?
I saw in options/preferences path to RWY12,API macros and ASD macros
I know what is thee first one,but don't know those two another,if you can explain me this or give me link for good tutorial.
I saw that RWY12 need xml files for adding but I don't know for BGL.

cheers
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

SBuilder is a bit old fashioned when it comes to placing objects. There are several other freeware object placement proggys that I would recommend BEFORE you try using SBuilder. SB requires you to generate a couple text files on your own first before you can start placing objects.

You might try ObjectPlacerXML by Arno, which is available at FSDeveloper.com You can also place objects from libraries using ADE9. Both are a bit easier to use than SB. If you are fairly serious about starting to put scenery together, I would highly recommend one of the commercial programs like EZ Scenery or Instant Scenery that allow you to view the object as you are placing it in game. The freeware stuff can not do that yet. That is a huge time saver.
-Mike G.

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sean129

Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by sean129 »

When I try to find the plane it says FSUIC error or something like that?
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MIKE JG
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Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by MIKE JG »

Do you have the freeware version of FSUIPC installed correctly??
-Mike G.

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sean129

Re: Questions on the airport background tute or getting started

Post by sean129 »

No I dont think so.
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