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Library scenery file question


hjwalter

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Hi guys,

 

All library scenery BGL files contain MDL files and related GUIDs, which in turn directly point to their related textures. These specific BGL files can quite evidently occur more often than once in different scenery folders and under different BGL names, while all such duplicates point to the same BMP files within their respective texture folders.

 

However, if any new library BGL file is created for any new scenery and which (inadvertently) uses the same textures, my question is then, if the newly generated GUIDs will always be the same as those contained in other already existing duplicate BGL files, which point to their own duplicate texture sets ? In other words: Is the generation of new GUIDs somehow always directly based on the related textures themselves or not ?

 

I'm asking this because I've noticed that I have quite some duplicate textures in some of my different (scenery) texture folders and would like to delete them along with their duplicate library BGL files, leaving only one complete set in only one of my active scenery folders. I'm no scenery developer myself but I've understood that library scenery/texture files are only necessary in one single active scenery folder and which can then, as opposed to Scasm objects, be positioned anywhere in other sceneries.

 

Regards and thanks in advance for any comments.

 

Hans

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In other words: Is the generation of new GUIDs somehow always directly based on the related textures themselves or not ?

No. Generation of GUID's is relatively random. The first couple of number sets may be generated in relation to the scenery somehow, but as a general rule, GUID generation is random overall. GUID Generators are basically Random Number Generators, they just generate them in the GUID format.

We all know that computers can't generate truly random numbers, but they can do a decent job of simulating such a thing.

 

You need to keep the texture file, with it's contained .bmps, associated with a secenry's BGL file in place, or it won't show. IE: If you download a scenery named MyPlace, there will be folders like this: MyPlace\Scenery and MyPlace\Texture. Now, you know you can put the MyPlace folder anywhere on the PC you can point the Scenery Library to, but no, you can't use the BMP's in, for example, the HisPlace\texture folder for your MyPlace\scenery\theplace.bgl file to use.

 

Does this answer your question adequately?

Pat☺

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You might check out a utility in the file library called "Find all Duplicates" that searched for duplicate textures. It can take a long time to run if you have a lot of scenery, but it seemed to work fine. It will give you a log of all duplicate files found, moved or deleted.

 

I haven't used it in several years, as faster disk drives and huge capacity became available. I have no idea if it will work today like it did when it came out, but I don't remember it screwing anything up. Still, I would back up all texture folders before giving it a run.

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Unfortunately, the answer is - sometimes. If the duplicate library BGL is exactly the same size as the original then you can usually safely remove it (keep it in the parent folder as a backup) - in fact MS suggested that you only have one copy of a specific library BGL file. If one is an updated version (with more or later objects but the original objects keeping their old GUIDs) then it is imperative that you remove the old one - otherwise FS may read the old objects instead of the new ones. A program like ModelConverterX will allow you to examine the objects in a Library BGL file and check their GUIDs.

 

However, if the library BGL file has new GUIDs for its objects then you must keep it (and the duplicate textures if not in a common Texture folder), since if you remove it that scenery's objects will disappear. It won't affect the original library BGL file.

 

Hope this helps,

Tom Gibson

 

CalClassic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.com

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There is one thing you can probably do so that you have only one copy of each texture that will work for each and every scenery it is used in. I make scenery, and I use duplicate textures a lot for the different airfields, for instance the same windsock is at each airfield I make, using the same texture.bmp, and there are several different hangars at different airfields that use that blue roof texture.

 

I do not put the textures for each airfield into the texture folder of that airfield, I put all textures into the main FS9 texture folder. The scenery bgl goes into the scenery folder of the airfield, and I then activate the airfield in the FS9 library and FS9 picks up the needed textures. It is only when I post a scenery for download that I put the textures into the airfield texture folder.

 

NOTE: I wrote "probably", as I do not use "scenery object" bgl's in the airfield scenery folder, I use scenery object mdl's to make the scenery and I then compile all aspects of the scenery such as runway, apron, and windsock into a single airport.bgl that goes into the airfield scenery folder. This may make a difference. So, I suggest that you take a hangar texture from one of your downloaded airfields, a texture that is only used in that scenery, and put it in your main FS9 texture folder. If the hangar still has it's texture when you restart FS9..........

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Roger,

 

Yes, when a (normal !!) scenery BGL calls for a texture, the first folder it will search in is it's own dedicated texture folder but if it cannot find it there, it will then search for it in the main FS texture folder. Taking this into account, the above Mr. Steve0616 is correct in sugesting that any texture found in e.g. an airport's texture folder and which already exists in the main FS texture folder, can safely be deletd via the "Find All Duplicates" utility. Works great, ..... BUT ..... will this not cause problems when library BGLs/MDLs and GUIDs are involved ?

 

As per your suggestion I think it will be a less tedious job if I create, e.g. a (test) static MDL/GUID aircraft object myself, which is based on one of my active AI aircraft and will then cut/paste the created texture into the main FS texture folder, to see what happens. I will report back on this but I have the ominous feeling that it will not work because the (HEX Edited) MDL part of the BGL shows that it will only search for the texture in it's originally set up texture folder. Anyway and especially for my own better understanding, I will give it a go tomorrow because here in the Netherlands it's now already past my bedtime.

 

Regards

Hans

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Some "library" objects, such as a static plane created from an FS9 plane using the SAMM programme, do require that their textures MUST be in the texture folder of the airport where they are posted as a scenery object, and not only that, the textures must be in their own named folder within the texture folder and not mixed up with the other textures. So if you want a simple test stay away from that.
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Roger,

 

You are absolutely correct because try as I may, either I get an error message about a diectory not being able to be opened ......> click OK to continue and/or I get non textured scenery (aircraft) objects. Library objects are therefore in technical terms, quite obviously not always the same, even although they often use exactly the same texture BMP files but in different locations. This also means that it can be very dangerous to run the "Find all Duplicates" utility.

 

O.K. guys, I'm now completely cured and will, for safety reasons, leave everything, including my initial question about randomly generated GUIDs, as is.

 

Thanks again for your reactions around this rather complicated and multi sided part of FS(9) scenery objects.

 

Hans

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