Honestly, the hardest part of using the scenery editor is just getting a project set up in the first place. There are a number of things that need to be set, but thereâs no âwizardâ for it, and if you get them wrong the compiler just complains at you but doesnât actually help you fix them. Even though Iâve created a number of scenery packages myself I still find it a PITA, and I actually just keep a project skeleton around that I adapt when I want to make something new rather than dorking around with the GUI.
Iâve adapted it to something you can use to start your own project, if you wish. Just download this and unzip it somewhere: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkAqheka1pUVrCd20J2tXitbhq4Q
Start up the sim and go to somewhere near where you want to add POIs. (If you want to see the one I put in this already, launch at Nahuatl Airstrip, MMVQ, and look around, though it wonât show up until youâve built the project.). Enable dev mode if you havenât already, then open the MyPOIProject.xml file wherever you expanded that zip file.
If you havenât used the dev tools before youâll want to take a moment to set up your workspace. For adding POIs youâll probably want to open the Project Editor, the Scenery Editor, the Inspector, the Object Viewer, and the Property Viewer. You can move the windows around, dock them on the sides of the screen, or attach them to each other in tabs as you see fit.
The first thing youâll want to do in the project editor is select the poi-locations package, and then click Load In Editor in the inspector window. Once thatâs done, open and arrange the windows the way you want. This is a setup I like, that also shows you what youâll want to do next:
Go to the Object Viewer, select LandmarkLocation in the Object Type dropdown, then POI in the selection list that pops up below. Then just click the Add button and youâll get a little adjustment widget like you see in the red box which you can use to position the POI. (Itâs also used to scale and translate 3D objects if you insert any into the scenery, so it has a bunch of other handles on it you can use for that.)
Youâll want to name any POIs you create or theyâll show up red in the list in the Scenery Editor. You can do that by selecting them then going to the Property Viewer and filling in a name.
When youâre all done, click on Save Scenery in the Scenery Editor, then go to the Project Editor and click the Build All button. Then click it again. (You usually have to build a new scenery twice due to the way the build process works. After that you should only need to click it once.)
Give it a moment, and you should see your POI pop in, like this:
You can create as many as you want in one or multiple packages. You can also delete that one if you wish. When youâre happy with the final product you can either hit the Export All button, which creates a zip file for you, or, more simply, just go explore the project directory and go into Packages, and you should see a folder there that you can copy to your Community folder.
Et voila.
(Also, if you have a bunch you want to create and you know their coordinates, you could just edit PackageSources\data\poi-locations.xml. If you look at the sample youâll see what a POI entry looks like. You can copy and adjust that within the file itself, then build the package. Youâll need to create a GUID for each one; it doesnât matter what they are as long as theyâre all different, you can use an online generator if you want. If you do it this way you donât even need to launch the sim, you can use the command line builder that comes with the SDK. Itâs a bit more efficient. Youâll probably want to determine and verify the altitudes on your POIs, though, if you do it that way.)
Anyway, that should hopefully be enough to get you started. If you start messing around and get stuck or want some advice, just shout. đ
(That goes for any of yâall, anyoneâs free to use the template I linked above and play with it all you want.)
