NZWN & NZTG elevation issues

[russhart]

Rob,

I have read other posts on this issue but each one involved Orbx NZ, in my case I only have VLC.

Both airports appear to have an elevation issue. NZWN has no runways or tarmacs and is sunken at the northern end. NZTG is sunken along the south side of the runway. I have all subscriptions installed plus RealNZTauranga. I have no elevation issues with all other airports I have used so far. Flight sim is P3D v3.2.

I understand that the current status of NZWN is incomplete but haven't read that this would include the above issue. I do have Orbx Australia only installed so do have FTX Central and it was set to Default during my Subscription installs.

Cheers
Russ

[toprob]

Hi Russ
Most likely issue is a missing stub, which is a common problem with manual installs -- that is, when the installer doesn't support the sim.
Check Scenery\World\Scenery for a NZWN file, make sure there's only one (the GZ version.) If there's none, then you'll need the stub file, and how you get it depends on how you installed into 3.2.

The stub is called: NZWN_ADEX_GVF.BGL.

EDIT: missed the bit about NZTG, but this would be the same problem for a manual install.

[russhart]

Have checked Scenery\World\Scenery and these are the files I have -

NZWN_ADEX_GVF.BGL
NZGT_ADEX_GZ_ALT.BGL (I assume this should read NZTG??)

The NZWN file is also in Addon Scenery\GodzoneNZWN\scenery, could this be a problem? (I have my Addon Scenery folder outside of P3D but each individual addon activated in the scenery library.)

NZTG_ADEX_GZ.BGL is only in the Addon Scenery\RealNZtauranga\scenery folder. Note the two files are different.

[toprob]

Ok, sounds like your install is ok, must be something else...
NZGT is Glentanner, there isn't a stub for NZTG, sorry. (Stubs are necessary when the elevation is changed from default.)

So if it's something else, the second most common issue is duplicate scenery. Do you have anything else installed for NZWN and NZTG? This can be caused by all sorts of sneaky things, like AI addons which include parking spaces, etc.

Are you sure you have the VectorLandClass_DTM active in your library?

[cowpatz]

.......speaking of Wellington ??????

[toprob]

.......speaking of Wellington ??????

Nice place, I'm well overdue for a visit, my daughter lives there, just finished her Masters at Victoria, and we've been talking about a road trip...

[russhart]

Rob,

Thanks you have got me thinking. I have looked for duplication's and nothing shows up other than a file version difference between NZWN_ADEX_GVF.bgl in Scenery\world\scenery (dated 22/11/2013) and the same file in my Addon Scenery\GodzoneNZWN\scenery where it is dated 19/12/2014. Not sure if this is significant?

However while doing this comparison I noticed a big error on my part!!! I forgot to move the texture folder over to Addon Scenery. I now have all runways, taxiways and the trench has disappeared.

No luck with NZTG. No duplication and still the land on the southern side of 25 is showing (as per attached)?

[toprob]

Rob,

Thanks you have got me thinking. I have looked for duplication's and nothing shows up other than a file version difference between NZWN_ADEX_GVF.bgl in Scenery\world\scenery (dated 22/11/2013) and the same file in my Addon Scenery\GodzoneNZWN\scenery where it is dated 19/12/2014. Not sure if this is significant?

These won't be the same, the 'stub' is a subset of the full facilities file -- it only includes elevation data.

However while doing this comparison I noticed a big error on my part!!! I forgot to move the texture folder over to Addon Scenery. I now have all runways, taxiways and the trench has disappeared.

No luck with NZTG. No duplication and still the land on the southern side of 25 is showing (as per attached)?

Hmm, thanks for the screenshot. Real NZ Tauranga v2 doesn't change the default airport elevation, it just tweaks the flatten polys, so unlike many other airports (like NZWN) elevation should be simpler... Having said that, if the installer finds Orbx NZNI, it will change the elevation to match FTX. It shouldn't be possible from a clean install to get this messed up, but from any other install, it could happen.

Looking at the install script (it's been a long time since I wrote this, so I needed a reminder:) the installer does a few elevation-related things:

It looks for the old Real NZ Tauranga stub, just in case, and deletes it;
If it finds FTX NZNI, it disables the FTX tweaks the flatten, but doesn't change the elevation. It also disables a few FTX files.

So really I have no clue what has happened here. Can you just confirm that you have a couple of files in RealNZtauranga\scenery:
NZTG_ADEX_GVF_CVX.bgl
NZTG_ADEX_FTX_CVX.off

...rather than the extensions the other way around.

[russhart]

"These won't be the same, the 'stub' is a subset of the full facilities file -- it only includes elevation data."

So which is the correct file as part of the subscription install?

So really I have no clue what has happened here. Can you just confirm that you have a couple of files in RealNZtauranga\scenery:
NZTG_ADEX_GVF_CVX.bgl
NZTG_ADEX_FTX_CVX.off

Yep have both those. I have just realised that I no longer have the payware NZTG installer for some reason as I was going to re-install it. What I did was move all my addon scenery files from fsx over to P3D where there were no P3D installers. It worked on most others but not NZTG. I note that Sub11 may include an update to Tauranga, but not sure if this will help.

Where can I locate the RealNZtauranga installer so that I can at least try a proper install process

[toprob]

If you bought this from the Godzone Store, you could redownload.
Otherwise it is available on Avsim now.

Just a thought -- I've installed Tauranga the same way, just copying the FSX install over, so it can work. Although you said you don't have FTX NZNI, is it possible that you had it in FSX when you installed Tauranga?

[russhart]

Thanks, it was no longer showing on the Godzone site so downloaded it from Avsim. Installed, showing identical files and no change to the elevation.

Never had Orbx NZNI only VLC. Your earlier question re VLC DTM file being activated - it is. I do have Taburet's 10M mesh files for NZ installed, is this related? I have NZ10 and VLC entries at the highest priority in regards to all other NZ sceneries.

[toprob]

Not too sure about the mesh, but you should be aware that when Vectorlandclass was developed, Tim set all water/lake elevations to match, and 'blended' airport AIP elevations into the VLC mesh, so it is entirely possible that any other mesh which didn't do this would not work well on it's own. To properly build a mesh, you really need to fix all the other vector elevations as well -- water polys, airports etc. So a mesh which only changes the DEM is not always a good idea except for large areas which don't have a lot of custom scenery.

Try disabling the 10 metre mesh and see what happens. Some developers adjust the overall elevation of their mesh for various reasons, I know that Orbx do that with NZ. For use with VLC I wouldn't recommend anything but the VLC mesh.

Not sure either what you mean by 'highest priority' -- the VLC scenery needs a specific priority, which is set by the installer, or can otherwise be set as per the instructions in the manual. DEM doesn't really rely on priority -- the highest resolution DEM will generally have priority, although sometimes this will 'switch in' from a lower resolution when you get close. Hence the 'thud' which you get with FTX NZ mesh and any higher resolution mesh -- everything will change elevation as any high res mesh takes over from FTX's mesh.

[emfrat]

Rob - this is a very helpful post. I learned something new from each paragraph, and that will be useful in sorting out the mess I (and others) see around Blenheim.

Many thanks

[russhart]

Rob, you have helped me understand a little more and yes you were correct. The Tauberet 10M mesh was the problem. Once unchecked all my elevation issues went away, something I will be taking up with him!!

Thanks for your continuing support

[toprob]

A stand-alone mesh isn't really a bad idea, but not for areas which are heavily customised, and they certainly can't be mix'n matched with other custom scenery which includes a custom mesh -- so the only issue I have with Taburet is this bit:

It work (sic) with any addons available out there either airport scenery or terrains; textures; landclass scenery.

In theory, he's right, but not in reality.

[cowpatz]

.......speaking of Wellington ??????

Nice place, I'm well overdue for a visit, my daughter lives there, just finished her Masters at Victoria, and we've been talking about a road trip...

Skillfully navigated Rob

[toprob]

Skillfully navigated Rob

Plenty of practice, including the dreaded question from my flatmate this morning -- 'how's your project coming along?', which means 'when are you gonna get the rent up to date!!???'

[cowpatz]

Yes I live with one of those folk whom upset my finely balanced equilbrium with similar comments. It must be a gene thing and sits right beside the shopping and constant need to talk genes.

[Ian Warren]

From one who talks and listens to ...... well the elevated pretends on my shoulder, one says I don't want to go to the shops ... then the other says 'LETS GO SPEND IT' ... Hmm ... who to listen to