none

[rafa]

Barney,

Thankyou thankyou!! So its the "86" that determines time of day. And if we're
talking hexcode to arrive at these values (86), then I'm lost!

Come on Barney...is easy...<g>....just play with any decimal value in the
loadbitmap() command ..also see in you windows programs/accesories...you have
an scientific calculator that can convert any number from decimal to hex in a
shot....<g>

What would the hexcode values be for other combinations of time of day?
Is there a "simple" way for an old vet to figure them out???

I remember I spent hours and hours trying them all more than a year
ago...actually I don't remember any other, as all is calculated by Nova now...

Best,
Rafael

[barney]

Barney,

Thankyou thankyou!! So its the "86" that determines time of day. And if we're
talking hexcode to arrive at these values (86), then I'm lost!

Come on Barney...is easy...<g>....just play with any decimal value in the
loadbitmap() command ..also see in you windows programs/accesories...you have
an scientific calculator that can convert any number from decimal to hex in a
shot....<g>

What would the hexcode values be for other combinations of time of day?
Is there a "simple" way for an old vet to figure them out???

I remember I spent hours and hours trying them all more than a year
ago...actually I don't remember any other, as all is calculated by Nova now...

Best,
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

The operative phrase is "old vet"......"Hexcode" is as foreign to me as any
other affiliation with computer programming. When I was studying math in
highschool, a "computer" was something that occupied a huge warehouse.....not a
container 8"w x 18"d x 18"h; a calculator was called a slide rule........are
you beginning to understand? ;-)

And to simply say "a calculator can convert any decimal to hex" is a
meaningless statement when the initial decimal value is unknown (by me)!!

To assume that everyone who dabbles in things to do with computers is fully
acquainted with the bits and bytes that make up the programs isn't being very
realistic! Just like cars, most of us jump in and as long as it starts, we're
more than pleased. We don't need to know what makes it go or even why it
works....just as long as it _does_ work is what is important.

Anyway, it seems that NOVA writes the "Dbx..." code automatically and that was
what I was attempting to confirm. And because of that, a "night time" specific
texture is required if one wants to see his object in the dark. That too, was
unknown to me and is what precipitated my asking questions from the start. It
would seem therefore, that NOVA is a bit unique in this regard when compared
with the other design programs that I am accustomed to using. I must have
missed something in the "Help" section.

Thanks anyway for replying, Raphael.....take care.

Barney

[cloudandy]

Barney,

Thankyou thankyou!! So its the "86" that determines time of day. And if we're
talking hexcode to arrive at these values (86), then I'm lost!

Come on Barney...is easy...<g>....just play with any decimal value in the
loadbitmap() command ..also see in you windows programs/accesories...you have
an scientific calculator that can convert any number from decimal to hex in a
shot....<g>

What would the hexcode values be for other combinations of time of day?
Is there a "simple" way for an old vet to figure them out???

I remember I spent hours and hours trying them all more than a year
ago...actually I don't remember any other, as all is calculated by Nova now...

Best,
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

The operative phrase is "old vet"......"Hexcode" is as foreign to me as any
other affiliation with computer programming. When I was studying math in
highschool, a "computer" was something that occupied a huge warehouse.....not a

container 8"w x 18"d x 18"h; a calculator was called a slide rule........are
you beginning to understand? ;-)

And to simply say "a calculator can convert any decimal to hex" is a
meaningless statement when the initial decimal value is unknown (by me)!!

To assume that everyone who dabbles in things to do with computers is fully
acquainted with the bits and bytes that make up the programs isn't being very
realistic! Just like cars, most of us jump in and as long as it starts, we're
more than pleased. We don't need to know what makes it go or even why it
works....just as long as it _does_ work is what is important.

Anyway, it seems that NOVA writes the "Dbx..." code automatically and that was
what I was attempting to confirm. And because of that, a "night time" specific
texture is required if one wants to see his object in the dark. That too, was
unknown to me and is what precipitated my asking questions from the start. It
would seem therefore, that NOVA is a bit unique in this regard when compared
with the other design programs that I am accustomed to using. I must have
missed something in the "Help" section.

Thanks anyway for replying, Raphael.....take care.

Barney

Hi Barney

FSDS does as well calculate this hex value flag and fills it into the
dwx call loading the bitmap.
Thank GOD we have these programs calculating hex for us.
I am only looking forward to the surprises FS2002 will have for us poor
designers... it will take some time again to figure out the new
"how toīs", like it took months for us all to detect how to make compatible
FS2000 scenery.
But I can only recommend to read the SDK. Some surprises are already announced
there.
And I donīt think that FSDS or Nova or any will be out of stage just because
GMAX, if they only adapt to the new functionalities of FS2002.

Andreas

[barney]

Barney,

Thankyou thankyou!! So its the "86" that determines time of day. And if we're
talking hexcode to arrive at these values (86), then I'm lost!

Come on Barney...is easy...<g>....just play with any decimal value in the
loadbitmap() command ..also see in you windows programs/accesories...you have
an scientific calculator that can convert any number from decimal to hex in a
shot....<g>

What would the hexcode values be for other combinations of time of day?
Is there a "simple" way for an old vet to figure them out???

I remember I spent hours and hours trying them all more than a year
ago...actually I don't remember any other, as all is calculated by Nova now...

Best,
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

The operative phrase is "old vet"......"Hexcode" is as foreign to me as any
other affiliation with computer programming. When I was studying math in
highschool, a "computer" was something that occupied a huge warehouse.....not a

container 8"w x 18"d x 18"h; a calculator was called a slide rule........are
you beginning to understand? ;-)

And to simply say "a calculator can convert any decimal to hex" is a
meaningless statement when the initial decimal value is unknown (by me)!!

To assume that everyone who dabbles in things to do with computers is fully
acquainted with the bits and bytes that make up the programs isn't being very
realistic! Just like cars, most of us jump in and as long as it starts, we're
more than pleased. We don't need to know what makes it go or even why it
works....just as long as it _does_ work is what is important.

Anyway, it seems that NOVA writes the "Dbx..." code automatically and that was
what I was attempting to confirm. And because of that, a "night time" specific
texture is required if one wants to see his object in the dark. That too, was
unknown to me and is what precipitated my asking questions from the start. It
would seem therefore, that NOVA is a bit unique in this regard when compared
with the other design programs that I am accustomed to using. I must have
missed something in the "Help" section.

Thanks anyway for replying, Raphael.....take care.

Barney

Hi Barney

FSDS does as well calculate this hex value flag and fills it into the
dwx call loading the bitmap.
Thank GOD we have these programs calculating hex for us.
I am only looking forward to the surprises FS2002 will have for us poor
designers... it will take some time again to figure out the new
"how toīs", like it took months for us all to detect how to make compatible
FS2000 scenery.
But I can only recommend to read the SDK. Some surprises are already announced
there.
And I donīt think that FSDS or Nova or any will be out of stage just because
GMAX, if they only adapt to the new functionalities of FS2002.

Andreas

ANDREAS,

Yes, FSDS does the call too, but in a different arrangement and the "Night"
specific texture has to be applied _BY THE USER_ via the check box. This is
entirely different from NOVA which, as I have by now finally found out, does it
automatically!

(I double checked!!)

Barney

[rafa]

Barney,

Yes, FSDS does the call too, but in a different arrangement and the "Night"
specific texture has to be applied _BY THE USER_ via the check box. This is
entirely different from NOVA which, as I have by now finally found out, does it

automatically!

(I double checked!!)

The reason is simple, as at 100% of the times you will need both...I can hardly
understand that a building or any structure have in real life the same look at
day than at night, so one thing less to set up by the user, and if ever you
need to have both the same, all what you have to do is to make the night
texture a copy of the day one.
Rafael

[rafa]

Hi Andreas,

FSDS does as well calculate this hex value flag and fills it into the
dwx call loading the bitmap.
Thank GOD we have these programs calculating hex for us.
I am only looking forward to the surprises FS2002 will have for us poor
designers... it will take some time again to figure out the new
"how toīs", like it took months for us all to detect how to make compatible
FS2000 scenery.
But I can only recommend to read the SDK. Some surprises are already announced
there.
And I donīt think that FSDS or Nova or any will be out of stage just because
GMAX, if they only adapt to the new functionalities of FS2002.

I personally don't know what people is expecting from fs2002 as new, I am
personally convinced that none of the actual sofs, payware or freeware, will
need adjustments to comply with new fs2002 rules. I am quite sure that actual
programs will perform scenery design for fs2002 as well as fs2k in the same way
as they actually are and do.
I personally believe that it will be probably 'new' ways of doing the same
thing we actually do now, and a couple of new features, not very important
indeed. Of course I refere to 3D design only.
I think that the big 'jump' or change was made after FS98, whe we start to be
able to use bmp's of 256 colors and more, and get some interesting new tools
and commands to increase the beauty and perdormance of scenery design.
One thing for sure, is that it will take now much more time than before to
'crack' the new code and add the 'new' commands to the scenery than before,
since the main source of information we had until now will not be available to
us anymore, of course I am talking about Scasm and his author...and that we can
not expect too much either from the SDK files to come....
I just took a fast look to the Gmax program, no doubt is a very nice and good
program for 3D design, but completelly useless for the most majority of people
due to its complexity, and only people used to work on CAD design programs or
alike will be confortable to use it, which is of course a minority of us.

Best,
Rafael

[barney]

Barney,

Yes, FSDS does the call too, but in a different arrangement and the "Night"
specific texture has to be applied _BY THE USER_ via the check box. This is
entirely different from NOVA which, as I have by now finally found out, does it

automatically!

(I double checked!!)

The reason is simple, as at 100% of the times you will need both...I can hardly

understand that a building or any structure have in real life the same look at
day than at night, so one thing less to set up by the user, and if ever you
need to have both the same, all what you have to do is to make the night
texture a copy of the day one.
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

Is that a sure bet that everyone designs their objects to display a certain way
at night? I know its impossible to take a poll, but I would not be so hasty as
to think everyone builds that way.

However, the daytime texture doesn't look quite the same at night......it is
subdued and is at the mercy of the ambient lighting. This effect is what we
used to put up with before FS2K came along with the ability to use all these
neat *.bmp files!

However, that still is not my point. My point is this:

In virtually every other design program, the night time texture (name_LM.bmp)
has to be specified. If you don't assign one, then the daytime texture appears
(except it is darker, as stated above). In your version of NOVA, apparently, it
does not need to be specified.....its done automatically...... and failure to
have one results in the object having no texture at night.

That is what had me fooled all along. Not knowing that I needed to have a
name_LM.bmp, my object didn't show up the way I would have expected it to,
based on experience with other programs.

Now that I know that NOVA specifies a night texture, I can assign one to
satisfy the requirement within the Scasm coding.

Barney

[rafa]

Barney,

Yes, FSDS does the call too, but in a different arrangement and the "Night"
specific texture has to be applied _BY THE USER_ via the check box. This is
entirely different from NOVA which, as I have by now finally found out, does it

automatically!

(I double checked!!)

The reason is simple, as at 100% of the times you will need both...I can hardly

understand that a building or any structure have in real life the same look at
day than at night, so one thing less to set up by the user, and if ever you
need to have both the same, all what you have to do is to make the night
texture a copy of the day one.
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

Is that a sure bet that everyone designs their objects to display a certain way

at night? I know its impossible to take a poll, but I would not be so hasty as
to think everyone builds that way.

However, the daytime texture doesn't look quite the same at night......it is
subdued and is at the mercy of the ambient lighting. This effect is what we
used to put up with before FS2K came along with the ability to use all these
neat *.bmp files!

However, that still is not my point. My point is this:

In virtually every other design program, the night time texture (name_LM.bmp)
has to be specified. If you don't assign one, then the daytime texture appears
(except it is darker, as stated above). In your version of NOVA, apparently, it

does not need to be specified.....its done automatically...... and failure to
have one results in the object having no texture at night.

That is what had me fooled all along. Not knowing that I needed to have a
name_LM.bmp, my object didn't show up the way I would have expected it to,
based on experience with other programs.

Now that I know that NOVA specifies a night texture, I can assign one to
satisfy the requirement within the Scasm coding.

Barney

Sorry if I forgot to include or indicate in a more exact way in the
documentation that the night textures are needed and that they are displayed
automatically, if this is what your point is.

I think that a good help file will be always missing something and that will
never say all what a program can do or actually does, and still harder to say
for a non english speaking author....well I also know, writing was never my
best point. I don't know if you heard that sentence
'Documentation...the worst part of programming...'...

Rafael

[barney]

Barney,

Yes, FSDS does the call too, but in a different arrangement and the "Night"
specific texture has to be applied _BY THE USER_ via the check box. This is
entirely different from NOVA which, as I have by now finally found out, does it

automatically!

(I double checked!!)

The reason is simple, as at 100% of the times you will need both...I can hardly

understand that a building or any structure have in real life the same look at
day than at night, so one thing less to set up by the user, and if ever you
need to have both the same, all what you have to do is to make the night
texture a copy of the day one.
Rafael

RAPHAEL,

Is that a sure bet that everyone designs their objects to display a certain way

at night? I know its impossible to take a poll, but I would not be so hasty as
to think everyone builds that way.

However, the daytime texture doesn't look quite the same at night......it is
subdued and is at the mercy of the ambient lighting. This effect is what we
used to put up with before FS2K came along with the ability to use all these
neat *.bmp files!

However, that still is not my point. My point is this:

In virtually every other design program, the night time texture (name_LM.bmp)
has to be specified. If you don't assign one, then the daytime texture appears
(except it is darker, as stated above). In your version of NOVA, apparently, it

does not need to be specified.....its done automatically...... and failure to
have one results in the object having no texture at night.

That is what had me fooled all along. Not knowing that I needed to have a
name_LM.bmp, my object didn't show up the way I would have expected it to,
based on experience with other programs.

Now that I know that NOVA specifies a night texture, I can assign one to
satisfy the requirement within the Scasm coding.

Barney

Sorry if I forgot to include or indicate in a more exact way in the
documentation that the night textures are needed and that they are displayed
automatically, if this is what your point is.

I think that a good help file will be always missing something and that will
never say all what a program can do or actually does, and still harder to say
for a non english speaking author....well I also know, writing was never my
best point. I don't know if you heard that sentence
'Documentation...the worst part of programming...'...

Rafael

RAFAEL,

I finally got the spelling of your name correct!!!!!

Your last sentence does ring a bell......I think I've heard that before and
have seen instances of it....FS2000 et al comes to mind!!

Anyway, no apology needed really.......its just that at the time of my
discovery, there hadn't been anyone else who came up with the suggestion that
the "Dbx.." coding contained the call for a night texture. I found that
strange, that's all. Were I able to interpret that kind of code, (the "86" eg.)
in the first place, none of my frustration would have happened. At least that
facet of it!

Anyway, I don't suppose I was the only one to have encountered this, and the
discussion here in the forum has probably enlightened others.

BTW, for a non-english speaking author, you do pretty darned good!!

Thanks again, Rafael (got it right again!).

Barney

[dragnhorn]

Well now, you can all colour me stupid!!!!!

How often does it always come down to something really dumb that makes for the

frustration??????!!!!!

I apologize for all of this guys, but it sure explains why no one else was
experiencing this sort of thing.

I'm going to hide out now..........I may even retire from trying to be a
"designer".

Barney

Barney,
Don't even think about it!!!! lol I learn sooo much from the discussions
here. Even if the answer was so simple you didn't at first see it, the
information about scasm, etc. was priceless for me.

Thanks for taking the egg on the face in stride. Keep coming back!! :-)

Best, Rob