How to use Google Earth Decoder to create MSFS scenery on Google Maps
Users can use the MSFS SDK to create add-on content for Microsoft Flight Simulator. By converting Google Earth 3D maps for MSFS, you can add realistic scenery and buildings to MSFS.This article explains how to use Google Earth Decoder, a free tool for converting Google Earth 3D maps for MSFS.
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Contents
- Check out the 3D map on Google Earth
- Installation of various development tools
- Naming the package and creating the project
- Download 3D data with Google Earth Decoder
- Optimize scenery data
- Preparing the scenery for processing: Grouping objects
- Create an Exclude polygon to remove MSFS auto-generated buildings
- Adding lights/illumination to scenery with MSFS SDK
- Adding lights/illumination to scenery and editing meshes with Blender
- Compress DDS textures to reduce package size
- Check the project build result on the game screen
- Remove unnecessary tiles/clean up scenery
- Merging multiple scenery projects
- Upgrade airport with GoogleMap/Adjust scenery altitude
- Reduce ground flickering/change MSFS ground height with terraforming polygons
- Adjust brightness and color of textures/Batch process multiple images at once
Check out the 3D map on Google Earth
First, please check whether the scenery or buildings you want to create can be displayed as 3D data in Google Earth or Google Maps. The areas where 3D data is supported are limited to large cities and famous tourist spots. The Google Earth Decoder cannot be used in areas where 3D data does not exist.![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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On this screen, you can move the viewpoint by holding down the [Ctrl] key and moving the mouse. You can zoom in and out by turning the mouse scroll wheel.
If you want to convert a large area into MSFS format, make sure to check the range of areas that are supported for 3D data.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Google Earth
Installation of various development tools
To create add-on content for Microsoft Flight Simulator, first install various tools on your computer. Please refer to the page below.Naming the package and creating the project
Think about the package name of the scenery you want to create. MSFS SDK has strict package naming rules. Think about a correct package name that follows the rules.Once you have decided on the package name, create an empty project. If you are using the Google Earth Decoder, I recommend creating a scenery project using the Blender plugin "Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT)".
Please refer to the page below.
Download 3D data with Google Earth Decoder
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
In the "Output Folder" field in the upper right corner of the screen, click the folder icon to specify the folder to save the 3D data in. If you have an empty project, specify the "PackageSources" folder in it.
In the "LOD OPTIONS" field, specify the range of the Level Of Details (LOD) of the data to be downloaded. Drag the two blue bars left and right to specify the minimum and maximum LOD. The smaller the number, the lower the detail (less data volume), and the larger the number, the higher the detail (more data volume).
The default values for each minSize field in this screen are incorrect, but they will be automatically corrected if you optimize the scenery data . It's fine to leave it as it is.
In the "COLOR CORRECTION" field, you can adjust the color tone, etc of the texture. The downloaded texture is a bit too bright, so it may be a good idea to set only the Brightness to around 0.9. However, since you cannot check the color in real time on this screen, it may be difficult to use this function. If color adjustment is required, please process the texture file directly with a paint tool such as GIMP after completing the scenery.
Adjust brightness and color of textures/Batch process multiple images at once
While on the map, you can zoom in and out by using the mouse scroll wheel or double-clicking the left button.
You can move the location by dragging.
You can select the area to download 3D data by dragging the mouse while holding down the right button. A white rubber band will be displayed. You can drag repeatedly to reselect the range as many times as you like. However, 3D data is downloaded in units of "tiles" defined by Google Earth. Therefore, data for an area larger than the area enclosed by the white line will actually be downloaded.
Click the "CLEAR REGION" button in the upper right corner of the screen to clear the selected region. You can then select the region again.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
The data size of LOD20 can be more than 10 times the data size of all LOD17-19. If you are creating scenery that will be enlarged in-game, such as an airport building, try narrowing the range very much and setting the maximum LOD to 20 or 21. Note that specifying LOD 22 or higher may cause an error in the MSFS build due to the amount of data being too large. Do not specify LOD 22 or higher.
If you are creating scenery that will be zoomed in during gameplay, such as an airport, try setting the maximum LOD to 20 or 21 with a very narrow range. Also, if you specify the maximum LOD22, an error may occur during the MSFS build, possibly due to the amount of data being too large.
In urban areas with many buildings, even a maximum LOD of 19 may not provide a practical game speed. In such cases, narrow the range or lower the maximum LOD.
It may be a good idea to create separate scenery for the entire area and the landmark buildings within it, specify individual maximum LOD values for each, and then merge those scenery datas later.
What is minSize?
minSize (unit: %) is an indicator used to select the resolution of objects in the game. When the size of an object on the game screen becomes larger than the minSize value, the model of that LOD will be displayed. If this is not set correctly, a low resolution model will be displayed even if you approach the object, or a high resolution model will be displayed even if you move away from the object. It needs to be adjusted each time according to the size of the object (the size of the downloaded Google Map). Optimizing scenery data splits the scenery into tiles and sets the correct minSize.
You can read more about LODs on the LODs page of the MSFS SDK Documentation.
LODs (MSFS SDK Documentation)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you create a wide-area scenery at once, the tiles on the edge of the scenery may sink into the ground of MSFS. If you want to create a wide-area scenery, it is better to create it in parts of about 2~3km square, and then merge those scenery datas at the end.
In the example on the right, an area of approximately 1km (0.6mi) square is selected, and the number of tiles that will be downloaded will be 4.
When using Google Earth Decoder for the first time, please test it in a very small area to ensure that each installed tool works properly,
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you want to cancel the download, click the "CANCEL" button.
Please note that for various reasons, the download may not start even when you click the "DOWNLOAD" button. If this happens, try reducing the area, changing the location, or waiting a while before trying again. Downloading will not start in areas where 3D data is not supported.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
We compared how much the appearance changes in-game depending on the maximum LOD specified. These images show models with maximum LODs of 21, 20, and 19, viewed from the same location. The amount of data is more than three times larger between each LOD. Note that the LOD19 example image is located at the edge of the wide scenery and is slightly sunk into the MSFS ground.
Optimize scenery data
The Blender plugin Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT) allows you to optimize the downloaded scenery data.Note: Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT) must be used with Blender versions 3.5.
Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (flightsim.to)
Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (Github)
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Click on the part that says Path of the MSFS projects... in the top center of the screen.
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In the Author of the project field, specify your name/pen name etc. (in this example, "someone").
If you check Bake texutures enabled, the textures for each LOD of each tile that makes up the ground will be composited into one. This will improve the game's display speed (FPS value). However, to use this function, you must have the Lily Texture Packer plug-in installed in Blender. For instructions on how to install Lily Texture Packer, see below.
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
On this screen, you specify the "minSize" value for each LOD value. The correct value is set by default, so no updating is required.
However, this screen only has setting values from LOD17 to LOD23. If there is data with lower or higher LOD values, it will need to be added and corrected.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Click on the "Path of the MSFS bin exe..." in the top center of the screen to open the folder selection screen. Here, specify the location of the MSFS SDK build tool "fspackagetool.exe". This is usually located under "[MSFS SDK installation folder]\Tools\bin".
If you check Build package enabled, the build will start automatically after optimization is complete.
Also, if the MSFS you purchased is the Steam version, please check MSFS Steam version.
Finally, click the red [Optimize an existing MSFS scenery...] button to begin optimizing your project.
Clicking the blue [OK] button will close this dialog box.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you get an error here, please refer to the How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools page to make sure you have the appropriate version of each tool.
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you want to create scenery for a larger area, you will need to split it into multiple projects.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
As shown on the right, the 3D data loaded from Google Earth is displayed on the game screen. However, if you look closely at the small buildings in the foreground and at the back center, you will see that the buildings loaded from Google Earth and buildings automatically generated by MSFS are overlapping each other. Next, add an "Exclude polygon" to the scenery to remove these automatically generated buildings.
Check the project build result on the game screen
Preparing the scenery for processing: Grouping objects
Let's load the Google Maps scenery you created into the MSFS SDK and prepare it for processing. Organize the Google Maps objects into "groups."★This step is not required. It just makes it easier to use when modifying packages with the MSFS SDK.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Check the project build result on the game screen
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Attention:
Please note that if you do not advance to the WORLD MAP screen until the [READY TO FLY] button is displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen (Identifying the location of the simulation), an error will occur here.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Alternatively, you can collapse the window as shown here by clicking the "▼" mark in the upper left corner of each window, to the left of the window name.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
At this point, the Google Maps scenery data has been loaded into the MSFS SDK. You can use the SDK to edit the scenery or add new objects.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![](flight/msfs2020_googleearthdecoder_importscenery_icon_grouping.png)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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Create an Exclude polygon to remove MSFS auto-generated buildings
By placing an "Exclude polygon" in the scenery you created, you can remove buildings automatically generated by MSFS.![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
In this state, you can copy and bring in objects from all the scenery you have installed in MSFS. You can import objects developed by other users into your scenery.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
For more information about the objects that can be handled by MSFS, see the OBJECTS page of the MSFS SDK Documentation.
OBJECTS (MSFS SDK Documentation)
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![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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On the Scenery Editor screen, click the red "Polygon" you added to select it.
Next, hold down the [Ctrl] key and left-click the mouse on the game screen to add a vertex (red arrow in the right image). Continue clicking with [Ctrl] to surround the scenery. Then, without pressing the [Ctrl] key, double-click the left mouse button to finish adding a vertex. However, a vertex will not be placed where you double-clicked (blue arrow in the image).
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
"TIN" is a photogrammetry generated building from Bing Maps (Triangulated Irregular Network).
"detected buildings" are buildings synthesized from satellite images.
"OSM buildings" are buildings based on Open Street Map .
"MS buildings" are buildings created by Microsoft's automatic building generation AI (Blackshark.ai).
You can read more about polygons, how to manipulate them, and their properties on the POLYGON OBJECTS page of the MSFS SDK Documentation.
OSM buildings (Open Street Map)
POLYGON OBJECTS (MSFS SDK Documentation)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Switching the camera to "Top Down Camera" will give you a top-down view, allowing for more precise alignment.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Note: If you close the Scenery Editor screen here, the Google Maps scenery you created will disappear from the game screen. However, it will remain in the project, so if you select BGL in the Project Editor screen and click the [Load in Editor] button in the Inspector screen, the scenery will return to the game screen.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Click the package name to select it on the Project Editor screen, then select [View]-[Inspector] from the Project Editor menu. A field for entering the version number will then appear on the Inspector screen.
The version number consists of three numbers, from the left are the major version, minor version, and patch version. For minor fixes, you should increase the patch version. When you add features, you should increase the minor version. When you make major modifications, you should increase the major version.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
For detailed instructions on building a project, see the "Build the project" chapter in How to create a project for MSFS SDK/Create a project for Google Earth Decoder .
How to create a project for MSFS SDK/Create a project for Google Earth Decoder
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
You can add more realism to major buildings by placing lights that illuminate the entire building, and by placing red flashing lights (Aviation Obstruction Lights) on high-rise buildings.
Adding lights/illumination to scenery with MSFS SDK
By using the MSFS SDK, you can easily add light objects that are provided as standard in MSFS to your scenery. The light objects that can be added are point light sources with a white or slightly orange color. They can be used as street lights or to illuminate buildings.![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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You will then find objects called "Light_Cold" and "Light_Warm". "Light_Cold" is a white light (daylight color). "Light_Warm" is a light with a slight orange tint (incandescent color). Select one of them and click the [Add] button at the bottom left of the screen.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Next, drag the green square next to the coordinate axis to move the light only on the horizontal plane. Repeat adjusting the altitude and moving the light on the horizontal plane to place the light where you want it.
Now all you have to do is repeat the steps above to set up your lights. Click the [Save Scenery] button on the Scenery Editor screen from time to time to save the scenery as you work.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Please note that simply placing a light in MSFS will not render the light source itself (a light bulb or fluorescent light). It will only brighten the area around the light source. To make the light source itself visible, you will need to create the light source as a 3D model and set the "emission" material. However, since Google Maps scenery is usually viewed from high in the sky, you can still enjoy it even if you cannot see the light source itself.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
The brightness of the light is adjusted by the distance from the scenery object. In this example, two "Light_Cold" lights are placed on each side of the skyscraper (Act Tower).
Adding lights/illumination to scenery and editing meshes with Blender
By using the free 3D modeling software : Blender and the "glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS" exporter plugin, you can add lights/illuminations to the MSFS scenery generated by the Google Earth Decoder and edit its mesh. You can add four types of lights prepared in Blender: spotlight, point light, sun, and area light. You can also freely set the color and brightness. You can also add blinking lights.However, if you want to edit a scenery generated by Google Earth Decoder, you cannot process the entire scenery at once. You need to add lights and edit meshes for each tile and LOD. As this is a very time-consuming process, it is recommended that you only process landmarks that stand out in the scenery.
Note: The "glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS" exporter plugin must be used with Blender versions 3.3 or 3.6.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
You can then process and export the meshes for each LOD to transform the scenery.
Be sure to optimize the scenery data before importing into Blender. If you process the scenery in Blender, an error will occur when optimizing it with Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT).
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
Optimize scenery data
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![](flight/msfs2020_sdk_blender_importgltf_icon_renderpreview.png)
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![](flight/msfs2020_sdk_blender_importgltf_icon_lightbulb.png)
You can change the type of light by clicking the [Point], [Sun], [Spot], or [Area] at the top. You can select the light color by clicking the "Color" column. You can select the brightness of the light in the "Power" column. Street lights of around 20~30W, store lighting of around 50W, red flashing lights on top of buildings (Aviation Obstruction Lights) of around 30W, and spotlights used to light up landmarks of around 300W would be a good choice I think.
When exporting to MSFS, the lights appear brighter than they do in Blender.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![](flight/msfs2020_sdk_blender_importgltf_icon_objectproperty.png)
Checking the "Has symmetry" box will make the light symmetrical. A light cone will be generated on the opposite side of the light's direction. This is effective for spot lights. However, I have not yet been able to confirm the effect.
If you check the "Day/Night cycle" box, the light will only be turned on at night.
The other parameters are for blinking and rotating lights. See the table below.
Keyword | description |
---|---|
Flash frequency (Number of flashes) | The number of times the light will "blink" per minute. For example, if you specify 6 here, the light will turn on once every 10 seconds (= 60 sec / 6 times). If you set this to 0, the light will not blink (it will remain on). |
Flash duration (Lighting time) | The duration of one flash (in seconds). This parameter has no effect when "Flash frequency" is 0. |
Flash phase (Lighting start time) | This is the time (in seconds) from when the model is generated in the simulator until the first flash occurs. This parameter is used to flash multiple lights in the same *.gltf synchronously or asynchronously. This parameter has no effect when "Flash frequency" is 0. |
rotation speed | The number of revolutions per minute of the light. This value only has meaning if the light angle is less than 360° (spotlight). |
You can read more about these parameters on the LIGHTS page of the MSFS SDK documentation.
LIGHTS (MSFS SDK Documentation)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Every time you place a new light, don't forget to set its color and brightness, as well as the properties for the MSFS exporter.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
First, copy the collection containing the light to the collection for each LOD. Select the collection containing the original light and select "Copy" from the right-click menu.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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Do this for all LODs.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
However, to export lights, you need to set some options. Open the "Settings" screen of the "glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS" exporter plugin.
The texture should already exist in the project. There is no need to output a new one this time, so create a dummy output folder and specify it in the "Textures" column.
Also, check the "Punctual Lights" box in the "Include"-"Data" section.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
On the other hand, uncheck all collections that store the original lights so that they are not output.
And finally click the "Export" button at the bottom.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Also, if you open the ".gltf" file in a text editor and search for the string "ASOBO_macro_light", you will see that the parameters of the added light are reflected.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Please note that simply placing a light in Blender will not render the light source itself (a light bulb or fluorescent light). It will only brighten the area around the light source. To make the light source itself visible, you will need to create the light source as a 3D model and set the "emission" material. However, since Google Maps scenery is usually viewed from high in the sky, you can still enjoy it even if you cannot see the light source itself.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
The castle on the left of the screen (Hamamatsu Castle) is lit up from four directions with white spotlights.
I placed several yellow point light sources as street lights on the castle grounds.
In the square at the bottom center of the screen, I placed one white point light source to illuminate the entire area, and five yellow point light sources in front of the surrounding buildings.
There is also a point light source in the small building to the left of the parking lot at the back (Starbucks Coffee Hamamatsu Castle Park Branch).
In addition, red flashing lights (Aviation Obstruction Lights) were blinking on the four corners of the top of the high-rise building (hotel) behind them.
Check the project build result on the game screen
Compress DDS textures to reduce package size
The texture files will be converted to DDS format and stored in the release package of the MSFS scenery you developed. By using the Blender plugin Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT) and the graphics-related tool Compressonator, which is openly developed under the auspices of AMD, you can compress the size of these DDS format texture files to less than half. This will reduce the size of the package when distributed and reduce the load during gameplay.The best time to compress textures is after the scenery is complete and the final build is finished, just before releasing the package.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
The scenery to be compressed must have been successfully built with MSFS SDK in advance.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Finally, click the red [Optimize the built package by...] button to start compressing the texture.
Clicking the blue [OK] button will close this dialog box.
For instructions on how to install Compressonator, please see below.
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Comparing before and after compression, in this example, the total size of the contents of the "texture" folder was reduced from 22.4MB to 8.45MB. Compressed to nearly one-third of the original file size.
Check the project build result on the game screen
Here we will explain how to load the built project under development into the MSFS SDK and check it on the game screen.![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Alternatively, you can select [Open recent] below to choose from a list of recently opened projects.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Note that if you create multiple packages in one project, multiple "[package name].xml" files will be generated here.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
You cannot move to the simulation screen unless the project has been [Save] in MSFS SDK. After loading, first select [Project]-[Save]. If the [Save] menu is grayed out, the project has already been saved.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Open the WORLD MAP screen in MSFS, click on the location where you can see the scenery you created this time, and click [SET AS DEPARTURE]. Set flight conditions such as time and weather as necessary and click the [FLY] button.
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By default it is assigned to the [PAUSE] key on your keyboard. If your keyboard has a [PAUSE] key, you can turn it on/off with that.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Switch | Controll |
---|---|
left analog stick | Move the camera parallel to the front, back, left, or right |
right analog stick | Rotate the camera up, down, left, right |
left and right trigger | Move the camera vertically (up/down) |
left and right buttons | Roll the camera left and right |
Switch | Controll |
---|---|
left analog stick | Move the camera parallel to the front, back, left, or right |
left and right trigger | Move the camera vertically (up/down) |
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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Many of the features you include in your package will not work on the developer mode screen. To check full functionality, you need to copy the completed package to the "Community" folder, restart MSFS, and play in normal mode.
Remove unnecessary tiles/clean up scenery
If unnecessary areas have been unintentionally imported as 3D data, you can use the MSFS SDK to delete just those tiles. Try to delete tiles that do not contain buildings as much as possible to reduce the number of polygons.However, even if you delete a tile with the MSFS SDK, the texture files and other associated files will remain in the project folder. You can use the Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT) Blender plugin to automatically delete (clean up) such unused files.
Remove unnecessary tiles
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Then, click the [Delete] button at the bottom of the Scenery Editor screen to delete the selected tile.
If you delete something by mistake, select [Edit]-[Undo] from the menu on the Scenery Editor screen.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Cleaning up the scenery
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Click on the "Path of the MSFS bin exe..." in the top center of the screen to open the folder selection screen. Here, specify the location of the MSFS SDK build tool "fspackagetool.exe". This is usually located under "[MSFS SDK installation folder]\Tools\bin".
If you check Build package enabled, the build will start automatically after optimization is complete.
Also, if the MSFS you purchased is the Steam version, please check MSFS Steam version.
Finally, click the red [Clean the unused files of the MSFS project...] button to begin cleaning up your project.
Clicking the blue [OK] button will close this dialog box.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you get an error here, please refer to the How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools page to make sure you have the appropriate version of each tool.
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
Merging multiple scenery projects
The Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT) Blender plugin allows you to merge scenery (tiles) downloaded multiple times with the Google Earth Decoder into a single project. This is useful when you want to create a scene that is not a simple rectangle, or a scene that has outlying areas.The tiles and textures of the scenery to be copied (source project) are copied to the main scenery (destination project). If there are overlapping tiles in both scenery, the tiles from the main scenery (destination) will be deleted. For this reason, you can first create a wide area with a low LOD value (Example: 17~19) as the main scenery, and then later merge several smaller areas created with a higher LOD value (Example: 17~21) to create a scene with high resolution models in key areas.
Note that the minimum LOD value of both scenery to be merged must be the same. Also, be careful that the contents of the PackageSources folder after merging do not exceed 7.5GB. Otherwise, an error may occur when building MSFS.
Only the tiles in the PackageSources folder and their associated information will be merged. For this reason, objects added with the MSFS SDK (such as excluded polygons and lights) will not be copied. The timing of merging can be any time as long as each scenery data has been optimized . However, after merging, you will need to build, add excluded polygons and lights, compress DDS textures, etc. again (There is an option to build automatically).
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
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Click on the "Path of the MSFS bin exe..." in the top center of the screen to open the folder selection screen. Here, specify the location of the MSFS SDK build tool "fspackagetool.exe". This is usually located under "[MSFS SDK installation folder]\Tools\bin".
If you check Build package enabled, the build will start automatically after optimization is complete.
Also, if the MSFS you purchased is the Steam version, please check MSFS Steam version.
Finally, click the red [Merge an existing MSFS scenery...] button to begin optimizing your project.
Clicking the blue [OK] button will close this dialog box.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
If you get an error here, please refer to the How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools page to make sure you have the appropriate version of each tool.
How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
After this, add exclusion polygons as necessary.
Upgrade airport with GoogleMap/Adjust scenery altitude
Airports that do not have any buildings can be upgraded with Google Maps scenery.You can adjust the altitude of the GoogleMap scenery to avoid interference with other objects that appear in MSFS.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Usually, the altitude of an "airport" is set high, so the runway is displayed on top of the GoogleMap scenery. However, in some cases, the runway may sink below the GoogleMap scenery, or the altitude of the GoogleMap scenery may be too low, causing the building to be buried in the apron. In such cases, adjust the altitude of the GoogleMap scenery.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
To adjust the altitude of an object, select "Translate" at the top, and then change the third value in the "Lat, long, alt:" field. Click on the number, enter a number from the keyboard, and press [Enter] key to update. However, it is slow to respond, so you will need some skill to update it. Try adjusting in 0.1m increments.
Once you have entered the values, click the [Save Scenery] button at the bottom of the Scenery Editor screen to save the scenery. Then build it again.
Reduce ground flickering/change MSFS ground height with terraforming polygons
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
There are three possible ways to solve this:
- Raise the elevation of Google scenery and unify all ground to Google scenery
- Lower the elevation of Google scenery and unify everything except buildings to the MSFS ground
- Use terraforming polygons to lower (or raise) the elevation of the protruding parts of MSFS ground.
Here we'll introduce the third method, using terraforming polygons.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Select [View]-[Objects] from the Scenery Editor menu, select "Polygon" on the Objects screen and click the [Add] button. Then, on the game screen, hold down the [Ctrl] key and left-click the mouse to create a polygon surrounding the part of the MSFS for which you want to change the elevation.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Note: When you place a terraform polygon, the MSFS ground within it will be completely flat. If you place a terraform polygon on an area that is already uneven, the MSFS ground will be partially raised or lowered. Please be aware that if you place terraforming polygons that are too large, unexpected places may rise or collapse. We recommend using it on a flat area with few irregularities from the start.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Once you've finished making adjustments, click the [Save Scenery] button at the bottom of the Scenery Editor screen to save the scenery. Then rebuild the project.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Adjust brightness and color of textures/Batch process multiple images at once
The scenery downloaded by Google Earth Decoder has too much brightness, so in the game, those parts appear whitish. To improve this, adjust the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the texture. The adjustment amount will depend on the region of the Google Maps you downloaded and the image processing software you use, but it seems to be good to significantly lower (darken) the brightness and slightly increase the saturation and contrast.However, there aren't many software programs that can change the brightness, saturation, and contrast of multiple bitmap files at once. As an example, we will introduce how to batch process multiple images at once using the free image processing software GIMP and its plugin BIMP.
Installing the tool
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Three buttons will then be displayed: "Download using BitTorrent," "Download directly from the official site," and "Download from Microsoft Store." Download using your preferred method.
You will be able to download a file called "gimp-2.10.38-setup.exe." Double-click this to install GIMP.
GIMP official site
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
BIMP official site (github)
BIMP official site (alessandrofrancesconi)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Find the brightness and color adjustment values for the texture
First, change the brightness and color of one texture of your choice and check it on the MSFS game screen.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Next, find the corresponding texture file in the "\PackageSources\(package name)-modelLib\texture" folder.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Repeat adjusting the texture, building the project, and checking the game screen to find the appropriate adjustment values.
Once you have determined the adjustment values, note them down and restore the texture file from your backup.
Batch process multiple images at once
Once the texture adjustment values have been decided, batch convert all the textures that make up the scenery.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Select the "\PackageSources\(package name)-modelLib\texture" folder of the target project.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
In addition, you can adjust the CMY values with [gimp-drawable-color-balance], and adjust the brightness and contrast with [gimp-drawable-brightness-contrast].
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
The only way to determine the value you specify here is through trial and error. Try converting and checking in the game screen repeatedly to find the appropriate value for the scenery you have downloaded.
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
![PC](gif/lazy_dummy.gif)
Next, start MSFS, load the project into the game screen , and build it with the MSFS SDK to complete the project. Click the [Clean All] button on the Project Editor screen to delete old packages. Then click the [Build All] button to start the build.
We compared the scenery before and after conversion on the game screen. The white area in the center of the image is the scenery downloaded with Google Earth Decoder. You can see that with this processing, the scenery now blends in with the surrounding scenery.
It seems like we could use BIMP repeatedly to lower the brightness a little more. However, if we lower the brightness any more, the white buildings will start to look gray. I think this is the appropriate adjustment value.