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Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby tom_nl » Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:36 pm

Hi All,

I've got a problem with loading custom scenery on a Mac that is driving me mad, and lots of searching on the forums and wiki has not bought a solution so far.

OS/FG version:
FG Version: 2020.3.6
OS X version: Big Sur 11.2.2

I've created custom scenery for both Texel (EHTX) and Den Helder/De Kooy (EHKD) using the method i've worked out as described in post 3 here: https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38816 . In addition since I wrote this, i've also got TerraGear and genapts850 working in an Ubuntu 20.04 VM so I can generate the .btg file locally. Once generated on the VM, i'm moving the scenery to the Mac on an external disk, following the proper path convention - i.e. for EHKD:

Code: Select all
/Volumes/2TB 1/flightgear_data/custom_scenery/
|-Airports-E-H-K-EHKD.dat
|-Objects-e000n50-e004n52-(empty)
|-Terrain-e000n50-e004n52-EHKD.btg.gz


However, the problem comes when trying to get FG to pick up the scenery. It seems that the default scenery directory takes preference over the custom scenery folder.

I'm launching FG using the following script (which also drives two arduinos and a raspberry pi running FGpanel) on my custom panel):
Code: Select all
/Applications/Flightgear/FlightGear.app/Contents/MacOS/fgfs \
   --generic=socket,out,25,192.168.3.10,5432,udp,"/Users/tom/Desktop/flightgear_launch/cessna/panel_drive" \
   --generic=serial,out,25,/dev/tty.usbserial-1411110,38400,/Users/tom/Desktop/flightgear_launch/cessna/serial_out_char_radio_tidied \
   --generic=serial,in,25,/dev/tty.usbserial-A50285BI,38400,"/Users/tom/Desktop/flightgear_launch/cessna/serial_radio_in_increment_touchscreen" \
   --aircraft=$1 \
   --airport=$2 \
   --httpd=8080 \
   --timeofday=noon \
   --fov=100 \
   --addon=/Applications/Flightgear/RedGriffinATC \
   --fg-scenery="/Volumes/2TB 1/flightgear_data/custom_scenery/"


However, the custom scenery is not picked up, even though i've specified the --fg-scenery path. the scenery path is determined by doing a 'pwd' in a terminal when in the directory.

I know the scenery works, because if I copy the .btg files into master scenery directory (e.g., for De Kooy - /Users/tom/Library/Application Support/FlightGear/TerraSync/Terrain/e000n50/e004n52) they work fine and the new airport layout is displayed.

I get the idea i'm missing something? Any ideas? (short of adding an rsync command to the launch script to force copy across any custom airports).

Thanks in advance,

Tom
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby Warty » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:13 pm

What works for me is putting the .dat file into
MyCustomScenery/NavData/apt/ICAO.dat

yours seems to be in Airports/E/H/K/
which is where things like
ICAO.groundnet.xml, ICAO.threshold.xml, ICAO.twr.xml etc go
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby tom_nl » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:17 pm

Thanks Warty, but no luck - i'd tried that previously, and same problem.

Tom
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby zakalawe » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:38 pm

Try using a path without spaces in it? Otherwise stick the scenery in a zip on a server and I'll check it here.
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby Warty » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:39 pm

Have you tried adding the path via the fgfs launcher panel Add-ons >> Additional scenery folders >> Add button option rather than as a command line?
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby ludomotico » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:47 pm

If I remember correctly, it is not enough with EHKD.btg.gz: you need the rest of the tile, i.e, the 3023803 .btg and .stg files built with tg-construct. The 3023803.btg includes the rest of the tile, i.e., the terrain around the airport, and the .stg file references both .btg files and other static objects.

FlighGear reads scenery until a TILEID.btg file is found. In your case:

- Your custom scenery defines a EHKD.btg but not a 3023803.btg (nor a 3023803.stg, with additional objects, but this is not important in this case). FG keeps looking in the path list for the main .btg file.
- The default scenery includes a 3023803.btg, and has a EHKD.btg file by its side. FG uses the files in the default scenery for the terrain.

If you have not changed the limits of the airport, you can copy the 3023803.btg and 3023803.stg files from the default scenery into your custom scenery. Or the other way around: copy your EHKD.btg into the default scenery folder. In any case, you need three files in the same folder: the 3023803.btg, the EHKD.btg and the 3023803.stg (which references the other two)

In any case, it is a much better idea generating your own 3023803.btg file using tg-construct, but you will need the rest of the landscape information and that's much a much more complex issue.
Last edited by ludomotico on Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:54 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby Warty » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:52 pm

^^ Good advice. eg I have e080n20/e086n27/
4365674.btg.gz ,
4365674.stg (extra optional objects) and
VNLK.btg.gz
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X  

Postby tom_nl » Mon Mar 01, 2021 10:17 pm

Thanks Warty, ludomotico - that worked perfectly. Copying the .stg and .btg.gz files from the master scenery to the custom scenery worked and the custom layout is being picked up. That also explains why copying the btg into the FG master scenery directory worked.

I'll look into tg-construct next so I can generate the tiles too (have found the wiki post already).

(by the way, I tried specifying the path via the launcher earlier too - same problem, because the .stg and .btg weren't present)

I've been learning a lot about scenery recently. I ought to document some of this in the wiki so everyone can benefit.

Thanks again,

Tom
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby tom_nl » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:05 pm

One last question - how do I determine which btg and stg from the master scenery correspond to the generated airport btg?

Thanks,

Tom
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby ludomotico » Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:11 pm

https://scenery.flightgear.org/static/map/index.html

Search the airport code, the identifier is in the lower left corner

If you are lucky and there are objects in place, such as in EHKD (the red circles with an arrow), click on them and you also get the directory names without any additional command.
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Re: Help with installing custom airport on OS X

Postby tom_nl » Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:36 pm

Thanks! That's nice and easy.

Tom
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