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FSearthTiles Updated Version

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Since the original developer has stopped any further work on this program I thought I might add one new feature which was sorely missed, caching of tiles previously downloaded. I also added one or two other items.I have added one new config item under the services section of fsearthfiles.ini, ServiceName = xxxxxxx.This name will be used in the drop down box to select the relevant tile provider service, it's easier than remembering which service was which in the old implementation.The StartWithService = xxxxxx must match one of the Service Names entered under the services section.I have fixed the error with Google maps requiring the blue 'WWW' button needing to be pressed. Google maps now downloads much faster. The # symbol preceeding UserAgent = Mozilla/4.0 now needs to be removed from each service section. There was a bug in the original code that stopped it from working properly.Lastly the file caching. You will find a new folder called cache under your work directory. All tiles downloaded from the servers will be stored here. The file name will be constructed using a combination of the tiles position, service number, zoom level and the name for the service. It is therefore important not to use any invalid file name characters for the service name e.g ? * / etc.The benefit of the caching is that if we reprocess an area where tiles have been used before we do not have to redownload them again. We can also stop downloading and restart it at a later stage any existing tiles will not be pulled from the server again, same applies if you have a power failure etc. At the start of a new download you will be prompted if you want to delete any previously deleted files.A method I found that works well is to rename my work folder to something else when I have finished with it. A new area will then create a new work folder.I see I cannot upload the zip/rar file to the forum. PM me if you need it I will make a permanent plan later.Cheers Mark

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Hi Mark and everyone.A good addition, thanks for your effort. It can be difficult to upload to AVSIM, but it's possible, keep trying.One thing I was hoping someone would add is the ability to exclude tiles after you selected a large block, very useful when you work around the coast. I was thinking about doing it but I do not have any recent C on my system. I may try the Visual Studio 6 and see if it works on win 7? This way you don't have to spend the time to Dload, Compile, Remove etc.If you don't mind sending the .zip to my email listed here at AVSIM, I would appreciate it. Thank you, again. TV.

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I thought about your idea of excluding tiles.I might implement a quick hack that lets you create fake tiles of an area you select. These then get stored in the cache directory. You then recreate your area you want as normal, any 'fake tiles' will then not be downloaded as they will already have been created on your HDD for you.Need to think some more about it.

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Hi Mark.>>..fake tiles of an area you select. These then get stored in the cache directory. You then recreate your area you want as normal, any 'fake tiles' will then not be downloaded as they will already have been created on your HDD for you.<<Yes, that would be one way to do it. I was thinking about deselecting the "areas" after you selected a large block, marking it as done? in some way and then saving a Partial file then reloading it. The problem is the exclusion, finding the coordinates for the area? TV

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Yes, that would be one way to do it. I was thinking about deselecting the "areas" after you selected a large block, marking it as done? in some way and then saving a Partial file then reloading it. The problem is the exclusion, finding the coordinates for the area? TV
You mean something like this.The output file ends up looking like this.Any tiles that are partially covered by the exclusion boxes do not get downloaded. I just need to cleanup the text displayed about each area as well as saving the regions to a text file.Mark

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Hi Mark.That would be more than what I was thinking of, but if you can do it it would be better that what I had in mind. Here is an example of what I wanted to implement, exclude the areas after selection of large blocks. Great work. I was unable to get my Visual Studio to install and work properly with Win7 Pro, may try again later. Thanks for your effort. TV

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Give this new version a try.http://dewey.x10.mx/files/Download/FSET- Version%20102.zipYou'll notice that there is now a tabbed control where the area selection details used to be. To create an exclusion zone click on draw in the "Exclude Area" tab as if you are selecting an area to download. You can add as many as you like. To delete a zone you don't need just select it in the list box and click delete. A selected zone should appear in another colour when you click on it in the list.I just need to add code to save the excluded areas to the ini file. See if it works and let me know.Cheers

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Hi, Mark.I may have missed something, but here is what I got, after the area was compiled as .bgl.Here are the steps that I used to test / run:1-Started FSEarthTiles 102.2-Selected areas to Download and Went to the Exclude Area tab.3-Selected the areas I wanted to Exclude. I intentionally left some areas that were not excluded in the vicinity of the area that I wanted excluded, to see the outcome / end result.4-Started, Downloaded and Compiled.Will the Exclusion / leave area transparent to MSFS, be implemented in your next step?Everything worked fine, selection etc., the end result is that the actual area excluded was filled in with light blue color and Not excluded, did not remain FSX water color / transparent / not altered, if you will. See "Clipboard01.jpg"See pics for a better explanation.Did I miss a step?Great work so far. What we need is to somehow find a way to exclude those Tiles selected in exclusion and leave that area Not compiled / untouched / Like the MSFS water is originally. Selecting an Area / as the areas get selected chosen in the FSEarthTiles, rather than a small section / s, like you do now, would be sufficient and may be easier to implement?I will try to Snap to Tiles and see if that may give a different result? TV

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You still need to create the two polylines for the coastline and deepwater as per the original versions instructions with either Google Earth or Inkscape. All I am doing is using a pre-existing bitmap image instead of downloading the actual one from the server. Even if it were possible to somehow create a mask with the excluded areas you would end up with an ugly transition from your new texture to the pre-existing ones in FSX.The same goes for any areas you exclude on the land. I think they were called blendon and blendmax, blendon1 blendonmax1 for each area to mask out etc.Cheers,

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Hi Mark.>>All I am doing is using a pre-existing bitmap image instead of downloading the actual one from the server. Even if it were possible to somehow create a mask with the excluded areas you would end up with an ugly transition from your new texture to the pre-existing ones in FSX.<<Yes, that part accomplishes some of the desired wants / needs, but what may be helpful is to find a way to leave the layer under the removed / deselected area show through.A couple of way to do this:1-Remove / deselect complete areas, not within the area, like I posted earlier.2-Remove portions of the area, like you do now, but allow the existing layer, in this case the MSFS scenery / water in this case, to show through. What if you fill the area that you skip, now light blue showing, with pure Black? When it gets masked with the Water mask after compiling it should become transparent? I know that it would not be perfect but it would be a lot better than having large blocks filled with something we do not want / need.To summarize:1-if we could remove whole areas,2- fill the portions within the areas that we remove, with pure black may be the best approach? TV

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I seem to have ironed out any bugs that I could find.

 

 

http://dewey.x10.mx/...ad/fset-103.rar

 

I have changed the main ini file quite a bit for the added features. You will have to use the new one from the archive and modify the services section as per usual. The user agent section has to be uncommented to work correctly, especially if you are using google imagery.

 

Read the pdf in the docs folder describing the changes.

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Great work Mark !

Thanks for all the hard work.

 

Just today I wanted to make new scenery.

 

I found that my G.....LE service url does not work anymore.

Any has a working one ?

 

Perhaps through pm.

 

Thanks in advance.


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