Howto:Place 3D objects with the UFO: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Spaced the headers back
(Fixing the tab behaviour)
(Spaced the headers back)
(9 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 5: Line 5:
== Choosing your object ==
== Choosing your object ==
The first thing you need is a 3D model to place in the scenery. The [[FlightGear Scenery Database]] ([http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/ scenemodels.flightgear.org]) maintains a huge library of generic models, which will have been included in your FlightGear installation under the <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Models/</tt> directory. You can skip to the next section when using a generic model.
The first thing you need is a 3D model to place in the scenery. The [[FlightGear Scenery Database]] ([http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/ scenemodels.flightgear.org]) maintains a huge library of generic models, which will have been included in your FlightGear installation under the <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Models/</tt> directory. You can skip to the next section when using a generic model.
=== Consider the file sizes ===
If you add many complex models or models with big textures to the scenery it ''will'' increase the memory usage and slow down FlightGear.
Here are two lists with shared models and shared model textures sorted by file size:
* [[Shared models sorted by file size]]
* [[Textures of shared models sorted by file size]]


=== Creating your own models ===
=== Creating your own models ===
Alternatively you can create your own models. You should save it in a subdirectory of your [[$FG_ROOT]] folder. Two options seem reasonable, although others are possible as well:
Alternatively, you can create your own models. You should save it in a subdirectory of your [[$FG_ROOT]] folder. Two options seem reasonable, although others are possible as well:
* Shared model, not unique to a single objects (for example a wind turbine): save it in a subdirectory of <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Models/</tt>. That is the standard directory where the UFO will go when you press the space bar {{Key press|Space}}.
* Shared model, not unique to a single objects (for example a wind turbine): save it in a subdirectory of <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Models/</tt>. That is the standard directory where the UFO will go when you press the space bar {{Key press|Space}}.
* Static model, unique object (like the Eiffel Tower): save it in the respective subdirectory of the Scenery folder, e.g. <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Scenery/Objects/w130n30/w123n37</tt>. To browse objects anywhere on your computer, press {{key press|L}} when using the UFO.
* Static model, unique object (like the Eiffel Tower): save it in the respective subdirectory of the Scenery folder, e.g. <tt>[[$FG_ROOT]]/Scenery/Objects/w130n30/w123n37</tt>. To browse objects anywhere on your computer, press {{key press|L}} when using the UFO.


When creating your own object, make sure it is the correct size. In [[Blender]], units are meters. Note that you should be careful about using Google Earth, due to restrictions in their license that might prevent submitting your work to the FlightGear database. See [http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3356 here] and [http://flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3415 here].
When creating your own object, make sure it is the correct size. In [[Blender]], units are meters. Note that you should be careful about using Google Earth, due to restrictions in their license that might prevent submitting your work to the FlightGear database. See {{forum link|t=3356|text=here}} and {{forum link|t=3415|text=here}}.


== Selecting the UFO ==
== Selecting the UFO ==
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_m49fbed81.jpg|400px]]
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_m49fbed81.jpg|400px]]


Now start FlightGear with the UFO as your aircraft. When launching FlightGear from commandline, use <tt>--aircraft=ufo</tt>.
Now start FlightGear with the UFO as your aircraft and enable the console, which is needed later on. When launching FlightGear from command line, use <code>--aircraft=ufo --console</code>. In [[FGRun]], the "Show console" option on the last page should be checked.


== Placing objects ==
== Placing objects ==
Line 28: Line 33:
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_m184fb381.jpg|400px]]
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_m184fb381.jpg|400px]]


To place the object, simply left-click on the position that you want to place it. By default it is placed completely horizontal and rotated to point north. It will probably not have the correct orientation and it might be partly covered by the surrounding terrain, but we can adjust that.
To place the object, simply left-click on the position that you want to place it. By default, it is placed completely horizontal and rotated to point north. It will probably not have the correct orientation and it might be partly covered by the surrounding terrain, but we can adjust that.


[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_12ee70a1.jpg|400px]]
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_12ee70a1.jpg|400px]]
Line 35: Line 40:
Fly closer to the ground with the UFO, so that you can see it better.
Fly closer to the ground with the UFO, so that you can see it better.


Now press {{key press|=}} and use the resulting sliders to adjust the latitude/longitude/elevation/heading of the model. NB: "Pitch" and "roll" will not be saved, so using them might be fun, but won't help eventually.
Now press {{key press|{{=}}}} (earlier versions than 3.0 uses {{key press|Tab}}) and use the resulting sliders to adjust the latitude/longitude/elevation/heading of the model. NB: "Pitch" and "roll" will not be saved, so using them might be fun, but won't help eventually.


[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_439816e9.jpg|400px]]
[[File:Placing_objects_with_UFO_html_439816e9.jpg|400px]]
Line 43: Line 48:
=== Deleting objects ===
=== Deleting objects ===
There are three different ways to three different situations in which which you want to delete an object:
There are three different ways to three different situations in which which you want to delete an object:
You want to delete the last object that you placed in this session:
You want to delete the last object that you placed in this session:
: Press the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backspace backspace button].
: Press the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backspace backspace button].
Line 49: Line 53:
: That means that it is no longer active. Activate it by placing one more model '''on''' the object you want to delete, press the backspace button. Result: The model you want to delete starts blinking, which tells you that it is active.
: That means that it is no longer active. Activate it by placing one more model '''on''' the object you want to delete, press the backspace button. Result: The model you want to delete starts blinking, which tells you that it is active.
You want to delete an object that is already saved in the corresponding .stg file and you don't know where it is:
You want to delete an object that is already saved in the corresponding .stg file and you don't know where it is:
: You don't know the filename: The model you want to delete is probably a shared model. You find it in the [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/ scenery database]. Now you know the model's file name (e.g. [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/modeledit.php?id=45 generic_skyscraper_01.ac] or [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/modeledit.php?id=537 Office26x22.xml]).
: You don't know the filename: The model you want to delete is probably a shared model. You find it in the [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/ scenery database]. Now you know the model's filename (e.g. [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/modeledit.php?id=45 generic_skyscraper_01.ac] or [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/modeledit.php?id=537 Office26x22.xml]).
: You still need to know where you find it. Place any model on that building and press {{key press|D}} to know in which file you find it (see [[#Exporting the result|Exporting the result]] below). If there are several objects of that type and you want to delete only one of them, find the one closest to the coordinates of your model placed on top.
: You still need to know where you find it. Place any model on that building and press {{key press|D}} to know in which file you find it (see [[#Exporting the result|Exporting the result]] below). If there are several objects of that type and you want to delete only one of them, find the one closest to the coordinates of your model placed on top.
: Open the .stg file, delete the whole model entry (see [[#Exporting the result|Exporting the result]] below). Done.
: Open the .stg file, delete the whole model entry (see [[#Exporting the result|Exporting the result]] below). Done.
Line 59: Line 63:


The most important lines are the last ones:
The most important lines are the last ones:
# e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg
OBJECT_SHARED Models/Tabu/catii-iii.xml 8.57928135 50.03667992 105.9972 111.1


# e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg
The first line identifies the location of the scenery file for the object. The OBJECT_SHARED line indicates the object's name, longitude, latitude, altitude, and orientation. This can be read by FlightGear itself and can be [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/contribute.php submitted] to the FlightGear Scenery Object Database.  
OBJECT_SHARED Models/Tabu/catii-iii.xml 8.57928135 50.03667992 105.9972 111.1
 
The first line identifies the location of the scenery file for the object. The OBJECT_SHARED line indicates the object's name, longitude, latitude, altitude and orientation. This can be read by FlightGear itself and can be [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/contribute.php submitted] to the FlightGear Scenery Object Database.  


You can also save these coordinates into your own scenery file so that your changes will not be lost the next time you start FlightGear.
You can also save these coordinates into your own scenery file so that your changes will not be lost the next time you start FlightGear.
Line 70: Line 73:
In the terminal window, you get three sections printed out by the UFO with very detailed information about what's going on. We need the lines at the end.
In the terminal window, you get three sections printed out by the UFO with very detailed information about what's going on. We need the lines at the end.


As noted above, the UFO helpfully exports the name of the scenery file where the object's coordinates have to be saved. In our example
As noted above, the UFO helpfully exports the name of the scenery file where the object's coordinates have to be saved. In our example: e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg  
 
e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg  


The default location for scenery objects is <tt>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Objects/</tt>. Simply open the referenced .stg file, add the OBJECT_SHARED line to the bottom and save the file. Now you have your object's position saved, and it will appear inside the scenery every time you start FlightGear!
The default location for scenery objects is <tt>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Objects/</tt>. Simply open the referenced .stg file, add the OBJECT_SHARED line to the bottom and save the file. Now you have your object's position saved, and it will appear inside the scenery every time you start FlightGear! There is one pitfall here. If TerraSync is enabled, which is the default in latest FlightGear versions, and you modified the stg file in the TerraSync folder, your modifications might be overridden by the syncing process. You might need to add the startup option --disable-terrasync for avoiding this and to keep your modifications.


In our example we would open in <tt>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Objects/e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg</tt> and add the following line:
In our example we would open in <tt>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Objects/e000n50/e008n50/3089154.stg</tt> and add the following line:
 
OBJECT_SHARED Models/Tabu/catii-iii.xml 8.57928135 50.03667992 105.9972 111.1
OBJECT_SHARED Models/Tabu/catii-iii.xml 8.57928135 50.03667992 105.9972 111.1


For a short video demonstrating the .stg method, see the following video:
For a short video demonstrating the .stg method, see the following video:
{{#ev:youtube|i2BSUOMyiIg|400|center}}
{{#ev:youtube|i2BSUOMyiIg|400|center}}


If your are running Windows OS, then please refer to this video:
If you are running Windows OS, then please refer to this video:
{{#ev:youtube|e93OUEp0YKc|400|center}}
{{#ev:youtube|e93OUEp0YKc|400|center}}


=== Saving to XML ===
=== Saving to XML ===
Alternatively, if you press the {{key press|E}} key while developing scenery with UFO, FlightGear will generate a xml file with the dump of your current work in an "ufo-model-export.xml" file under [[$FG_HOME]].
Alternatively, if you press the {{key press|E}} key while developing scenery with UFO, FlightGear will generate an XML file with the dump of your current work in an "ufo-model-export.xml" file under [[$FG_HOME]].


=== Loading the XML file as part of FlightGear scenery ===
=== Loading the XML file as part of FlightGear scenery ===
You can later reload this XML file with --config= command-line parameter:
You can later reload this XML file with --config= command-line parameter:
 
Example for Linux: fgfs --config=$HOME/.fgfs/Export/ufo-model-export.xml
Example for Linux:
fgfs --config=$HOME/.fgfs/ufo-model-export.xml


In Windows, this is done using the Advanced dialog, found on the last page of the [[FGRun]] GUI. Click Advanced and, under General, click the double-dot button, browse to the ufo-model-export.xml file and click OK.
In Windows, this is done using the Advanced dialog, found on the last page of the [[FGRun]] GUI. Click Advanced and, under General, click the double-dot button, browse to the ufo-model-export.xml file and click OK.


== Sharing your updates with everyone! ==
== Sharing your updates with everyone! ==
Please, once you've improved the scenery around your place, consider sharing it with the community. This is done very easily using our [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission scenery submission webforms]. More information and help on [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14671 the dedicated topic] on the scenery forum.
Please, once you've improved the scenery around your place, consider sharing it with the community. This is done very easily using our [http://scenemodels.flightgear.org/submission scenery submission webforms]. More information and help on {{forum link|t=14671|text=the dedicated topic}} on the scenery forum.


[[Category:Howto]]
[[Category:Howto]]
[[Category:Scenery enhancement]]
[[Category:Scenery enhancement]]
 
[[ar:Howto:Place 3D objects with the UFO]]
[[es:Colocar objetos con el UFO]]
[[es:Colocar objetos con el UFO]]
[[fr:Placer des objets 3D avec UFO]]
[[fr:Placer des objets 3D avec UFO]]
34

edits

Navigation menu