scenery.cfg issue

I was reviewing my scenery.cfg file and noticed quite a few sceneries wich show FALSE after both the REQUIRED and ACTIVE lines. However, after checking those sceneries seemed to be loaded and working. I also have Scenery Config Editor and I find a number of scenery files with differnt location access tha wants in the scenery editor in FSX. I have received NO error messages regarding sceneries. Do I have some flies in my ointment? I can't find anything that tells me what the "REQUIRED" an "ACTIVE" lines mean.

Leave the file alone and activate things through the scenery library in FSX. The file was never meant to be mucked with by hand.

You'll be sorrrrrrrry if you mess with it! I would leave well enough alone. It works!

All the default scenery entries should read Required=TRUE or FALSE and Active=TRUE.

Once you start adding additonal scenery through an installer or manually in the Scenery Library (in game) you would see probably REQUIRED=FALSE and Active = TRUE only when the checkbox is checked in the Library window - the Active status in the cfg just matches whether it is checked in the library. Just make sure you are looking at the active scenery config file in the Program Data folder and not the backup default config file in the install folder. I occasionally change the "Active" status of scenery in the config rather than in the game but changing layer numbers or area numbers manually is extremely risky.

 

L

If it ain't broke....

I had zero plans to change anything, was just asking if it (the REQUIRED=FALSE" and the "ACTIVE=FALSE" was correct. LLivaudaus gave me the answer in that, it changes depending on what is checked in the libary window. The second part of my question relates to the fact that I have 2 files for scenery. All my AFCAD scenery (scenery file only, e.g. KSFB-scenery) is in one and actual scenery (KSFB-scenery + Texture file). Question 1, Which files (AFCAD or SCENERY) do most simmers normally add to the scenery library?

while I'm not complely sure about those last two sentences, I interpret them thusly:

"I have 2 files (sets) for scenery (around KSFB). The airport bgl is in one scenery folder (KSFB airport afcad).

The rest of the nearby area is in a folder (actual) with two subfolders: /scenery and /texture. How should they be added to the scenery library?"

 

All scenery that you expect to see must be included in the scenery library.

Scenery is contained in a Named Folder with a \scenery subfolder and an optional \texture subfolder. In the game, the scenery is added by selecting the Named folder (only); the \scenery and \texture folder are understood to be contained within.

 

With my interpretation of your situation, I would expect to see something like this in your main Scenery folder:

 

FSX

..\Scenery

.....\KSFB airport (with \scenery containing afcad bgl)

 

.....\KSFB environs (with \scenery and \texture)

 

the two 'packages' are kept independent and are added separately to the library so you can see and manage them separately.

 

You could just as easily move everything from the airport folder and place them in the \scenery folder of the local area package so that everything for KSFB becomes a single entry in the library.

 

FSX

..\Scenery

.....\KSFB environs (with \scenery [including afcad] and \texture)

 

Multiple entries give you the choice at any given moment what you want to include at the time.

 

Bonus answer to a related (but unasked) question that only shows up sometimes... what about if the developer included some TRAFFIC files that he says to put in the Scenery\World\scenery folder with all the other traffic files?

 

AI traffic is just moving scenery instead of static scenery. Me, I'd put any Traffic_for_KSFB.bgl wherever my afcad file ended up so the custom afcad and its traffic get switched on/off together.

 

Personally my traffic files are OUT of Scenery\world\scenery have their own custom folders and library entries:

 

Scenery\default_traffic

Scenery\WOAI

Scenery\Military

Scenery\UltimateGA

Scenery\UltimateTraffic

Scenery\misc

Scenery\test

Scenery\KSFB hypothetically

 

Hope this helps

 

Loyd

I think I was a little rushed previously.

 

I didn't mean to imply that addon scenery is added DIRECTLY under the main scenery folder though that is perfectly legitimate and fully functional. It is more common to place all addon sceneries under an ADDON_SCENERY folder located wherever you choose to create it.

 

[1] directly in the FSX folder itself

\FSX

..\Addon_scenery

.....\KSFB airport

 

[2] on the same drive as FSX

 

C:

..\FSX

..\FSX_Addon_scenery

.....\KSFB

 

[3] on 1 or more different drives

 

C:

..\FSX_Addon_scenery

......\KSFB airport

..\P3D_Addon_scenery

 

D:

..\older_fsx_Addon_Scenery

 

I think I'm using all these methods right now; the sim doesn't care.

 

Hope this clarifies rather than cofuse...

 

 

L

Lloyd,

 

I want to make sure we are both working off the same page. My Steam FSX resides on my C drive which is an 250GB Samsung 850, SSD.

 

I have 2 files on a separate HDD, 1 called "Fsx addon scenery files.? These are downloads that have both a scenery and a texture file inside. I think you call that FSX environs. The second file on the HDD is FSX AFCAD files. If a download contains only a scenery file i put it in this category separated by country and state. I also have a file for FSX Mesh but not talking about that now. I very seldom use the FSX file called Addob scenery. I open the file library (actually I usually enter it in the Scenery Configue Editor) and path it directly to the Environ or the afcad file. So for many airports i have both an environs file and an AFCAD file in the file library. If i down load a file that just has bgl's in it, I create a file name then put a scenery file inside and put the bgl's in the scenery files. I seldom ever put bgl's directly into "the scenery file."

 

I have a lot of blue sky scenery, but just have one file for each state, and put all the bgl's for that state in, for example, "Utah\scenery" Does this help. Are we on same page Lloyd?

 

Brian W

does look like pretty much the same page - even to the BlueSky photo scenery (Makes a world of difference IMHO!)

 

Loyd

dossier=folder

fichier=file

(I think you say file a lot when you mean folder. Makes post difficult to understand.)

You're probably right. The AFCAD folders only contain a scenery folder with .bgl files inside. Right? The Scenery filders (which i misnamed files) has both a scenery and a texture folder inside containing files. With Blue SKY I have a folder called Oregon which contains a filder named scenery and all the bgl files for the entire state. I apologize for confusing the isses. Does that help?

an addon is structured like this:

 

folderX

with inside it two folders:

/scenery

and

/texture

 

 

The .bgl files go in:

folderX/scenery

the textures (.bmp files) go in:

folderX/texture

 

folderX can be placed anywhere you want.

 

The most logical place is:

../Microsoft Flight Simulator X/Addon Scenery/

 

But it can be anywhere.

 

 

To see a .bgl file in fsx, it must be in a folder named "scenery", and it must also be acivated in the library.

 

 

If you create a separate folder for all your scenery, for example on a different drive, then it is best to not use "scenery" as name.

Call the folder "My Addon Areas"

or something like that.

Try to avoid "FSX" or "scenery"

 

a folder named "scenery" is often an active folder (with .bgl files in it). So don't use scenery in the name.

and there are so many folders called "FSX" that it's best to avoid that as well.

Simply to avoid confusion.

 

If the folder you have all your scenry in has a name like that now, do NOT simply rename it.

If you would do that fsx can no longer find your addons and that's tricky to fix.

 

If you want to rename a folder that scenery is in, then you must first remove the addon from the scener library in fsx.

That avoids fsx reporting "unable to find Area .119" etc.

 

 

Oh, and an AFCAD is simply a .bgl file.

They used to be made with a program named Afcad.

A newer program to make the .bgl files is ADE. Airport Design Editor.

THe resulting .bgl file is the same thing. An addon airport.

(ADE can add much more stuff to an airport then was possible with Afcad. Approaches for example.)

Got it.Thanks Lloyd, appreciate your assistance. Sorry to take so much of your time.