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

• 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>

• 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

• 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
• 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

• 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

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