Partially Resolved: How to Bulk Replace an Object?

General discussion about Scenery Design. Questions about SBuilder for Flight Simulator FS2004.
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Mick
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:42 pm
Location: Germany

Partially Resolved: How to Bulk Replace an Object?

Post by Mick » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:02 pm

<font face="Arial">Hi everybody,

does anyone know how I can (bulk) replace an object that's used dozens of times in a SB scenery?

The problem arises making first objects with gmax (1.2), which obviously generates a new object GUID on export (so that it becomes a different object for SB). As a consequence, after every object edit (even if I just correct a texture) I have to click every single one of the objects (which are all the same) in my scenery and insert it from scratch.

I'd be really thankful for advice!

Regards
Mick

<u>EDIT / PARTIAL RESOLUTION:</u>
For everybody who still stumbles around in scenery design like I do [:I] it might be helpful what I found out now: Gmax doesn't export the GUID within the mdl file [:o)] - it is generated by other programs, e.g. the one that makes the library (I use Arno's 'Library Creator XML' for it, which is a real cool tool). It has the ability to replace the old mdl with the new / edited one, so that the GUID doesn't get changed.

--> In the end nothing has to be changed in the SB scenery, the new object just shows up instead of the old one [:D]

There might come other opportunities for bulk replacements... so my initial question still remains without urgency [;)] now... </font id="Arial">

meshman
Posts: 219
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:54 pm

Post by meshman » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:29 pm

Depending upon the definition of "bulk", if it were many, many instances I would decompile the BGL file down to XML and use an editor to do a search and replace, then recompile.

Lance, from SoCal

Mick
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:42 pm
Location: Germany

Post by Mick » Thu May 08, 2008 10:17 am

Thank you for the idea, meshman. Makes a lot of sense if it were "many many" of them ... In case "bulk" means 10 or 15 objects only, it would still be lesser work to edit each single one. And since it's quite a common thing I figure that there's a function which I just don't find..?

What I found by now:
Selecting the objects with SHIFT in object mode makes the multiple selection. Keeping SHIFT pressed and right-clicking brings up the object definition dialog in which I could edit.

Unfortunately there's something very wrong [xx(] with this approach: In this dialog it seems I can only define a fully new object, which is then assigned to every object in the selection with the exception that the "geographic position" and the "name" properties of every object stays individual - SB seems to lose the other properties (or re-assign with standard values). I give you an example: I have groups of houses, like 2 / 4 / 5 houses per group. I select different groups (objects) to assign a new common heading to them, SHIFT-CLICK them in object mode and then SHIFT-RIGHTCLICK to get the dialog. In this, the first library object (birds) shows up as default. If I don't chose one particular new object - like "group of 4" - then SB assigns the birds object to my selection, leaving the names and locations of the individual house groups and giving them the new heading.

A similar effect shows up with VTP lines (much more important): Let's say I want to set a new custom layer for an appended default coastline. If I don't assign "VTP" AND A NEW TEXTURE together with the new layer, then nothing happens. If on the other hand I do assign a new texture, I have all similar coastline elements! --> I guess I'm going to try meshmans XML-edit idea for that [;)]

If I don't just miss the real way how to do it (the layer issue might come up more often) then I would put it on Luis' SB2.5.07 wishlist... in case the old version even gets any further consideration in development?

Or maybe someone knows the real way how to do it...

Kind regards
Mick

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