Creating Custom Scenery in MSFS

subject to change

Many thanks to u/TheStoneFox for his incredible YouTube tutorial, from which all these notes derive

TODO

• further Blender investigations around colour correction and texture 'blending'/merging into single texture file
• possible 'setup script' that sorts out the first 'file management' aspects
• further investigation into MSFS Dev tools to add lights etc within the Dev Editor
• fall down a 3D modeling/scenery creation rabbithole

Overview

Setup Project Files

Capture model in RenderDoc and Chrome

Import capture into Blender, tidy up, and export

Run MSFS in Dev mode and setup project

Scale, postition and save model and rebuild package

Try it out

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Setup Project files

• Install all pre-reqs as per notes on the YouTube tutorial (further notes to come)
• Copy SimpleScenery from Sample SDK library into a 'projects area'
• Rename SimpleScenery folder to a project name, refered to as <project_folder> in this documentation
• Rename <project_folder>\SceneryProject.xml to <project_name>.xml
• Rename folder <project_folder>\PackageDefinitions\mycompany-scene to <project_name>
• Rename <project_folder>\PackageDefinitions\mycompany-scene.xml to <project_name>.xml
• Delete all subfolders in <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib
• Create folder in <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib called texture
• Create folder in <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib called <project_name>Model
• Delete object.xml from <project_folder>\PackageSources\scene
• Edit <project_folder>\<project_name>.xml
  • Line 5 - replace 'mycompany-scene' with <project_name>
• Edit <project_folder>\PackageDefinitions\<project_name>.xml
  • Line 1 - replace 'mycompany-scene' with <project_name>
  • Line 16 - replace 'mycompany-scene' with <project_name>
  • line 17 - replace 'mycompany-scene' with <project_name>

Capture model in RenderDoc and Chrome

• Run RenderDoc
• Open a CMD prompt and use the following two lines

note your target for Chrome may be different - adjust accordingly

> set RENDERDOC_HOOK_EGL=0
> "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --disable-gpu-sandbox --gpu-startup-dialog

• Make a note of the PID but don't 'OK' dialog box
• In RenderDoc, go to File -> Inject into Process
• Filter by the Chrome PID and click Inject
• Ensure Connection Status shows Established
• Go back to Chrome and click 'OK' in the PID dialog
• Go find scenery in prefered Photogrammetry viewer and consider hiding any text/labels
• Once found and in 3D, in RenderDoc, click Capture Frame(s) Immediately
• Return to Google Chrome and 'wiggle' the view a bit in the map to ensure good capture of data in RenderDoc
• Double click on the capture thumbnail and ensure you see at least 3 color passes in the Event Broswer, but no more than 4
• File -> Save Capture As -> give filename and save somehwere sensible, but not in scenery project folder area
• Close RenderDoc

Import capture into Blender, tidy up, and export

• Run Blender
• Delete the default cube and camera
• File -> Import -> Google Maps Capture
• Select the RDC file from Renderdoc
• User Blender to clean up and trim down model to required size
  • Tips
  • Go into 'X-Ray' mode.
  • Select all by pressing 'a' and select join to bring all objects together.
  • Hit TAB to enter edit mode and 'paint' the verticies you don't want and hit DELETE
• Once ready, press 'a' followed by CTRL + J to 'join' all the textures together
• Press 'a' to ensure whole model is selected and remains selected until you finish the export
• File -> Export -> extended glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf) for MSFS
• Navigate to <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib\<Project_name>Model
• Provide filename <project_name> File Properties:
  • Format = glTF Seperate
  • Textures = ..\texture\
  • MSFS
    • Generate/Append XML = Selected
    • XML Filename = <project_name>
    • Generate GUID = Selected
  • Include
    • Selected Object = Selected
    • Custom Properties = Selected
  • Geometry
    • Apply Modifiers = Selected
  • Leave all other options as default
• Click export (might take a few seconds)
• Check texture folder for a bunch of images (no textures? You probably didn't select the entire model)
• Check <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib\<Project_name>Model folder for 3 files
• Edit <project_folder>\PackageSources\modelLib\<Project_name>Model\<project_name>.xml
  • Line 1 - change XML version number to '1.1' and add 'encoding="utf-8"
  • *Note - this is slighly different from the video, but testing has shown only these two minimal edits are enought to get this working
  • Example 'fixed' XML - your GUID will be different
  • <?xml version="1.1" encoding="utf-8"?>
  • <ModelInfo guid="{9e69ed10-c8df-4a97-2aa0-ba2106c665c1}" version="1.1"/>

Run MSFS in Dev mode and setup project

• Run MSFS
• Get yourself onto the map near where you want your model to go
• Options -> Pause Simulation
• Camera -> Developer Camera
• Tools -> Project Editor
• Project -> Open...
• Open the project using the root <projecct_name>.xml created at the start of the Process
• 'View' -> 'Inspector'
• Fill out details of the project if you wish
• Click 'Build Packages' (may take a few seconds)
• Click 'myscene' (from Project Editor) and click 'Load in Editor' from the Inspector

Exclude autogen stuff, load, scale, postition and save model and rebuild package

• Scenery Editor -> View -> Objects
• Select Polygon from dropdown and click 'Add'
• Place exclusion Polygon around scenery you do not want any autogen scenery to show.
• Right click on the centre point of the polygon and select 'Properties'.
• Select Exclude All
• Scenery Editor -> View -> Objects
• Select Scenery from dropdown
• Search for your model and click 'Add'
• Place model and scale/rotate etc using the 'Gizmo' tool
• Highlight the top level project name in the Project Editor and in the Inspector, click Build Packages
• Once happy with placement and location, click Save Scenery in the Scenery Editor
  • Save <project_name>SHP into <project_folder>\PackageSources\scene
  • Save <project_name>SCN into <project_folder>\PackageSources\scene
• Close MSFS

Try it out

• Copy <Project_folder>\Packages\<Project_Name> folder into your MSFS Community folder.
• Launch Game and go have a look...