Eliminating Corrupted 2D Objects...
Posted: September 22nd, 2019, 10:19 am
Recently while working on Wakonda, I needed some 2D objects from my last course, so I went into my Wakonda object library and did an import from "The National GC of KC". I discovered that the specific 2D objects that I wanted didn't show up during the import function. I had heard that if a course isn't locked, you can retrieve 2D objects from a course using the Links Extender ver2, so I decided I would try it and see.
I opened "The National" in Links Extender, and started looking around. From the menu I selected CRZ File, and then OPEN CRZ File, and browsed to "The National GC of KC" and opened it.
Next I clicked on the drop-down menu and chose "2D Objects"
What appeared was a list of all of the 2D objects that are in my course. I started scrolling down and looking for the objects I wanted. When I found one, I scrolled to it and pressed the SPACE BAR to select it. Each time I found one that I wanted to save, I made sure it was highlighted and then pressed the SPACE BAR to add it to the list that I wanted to save. You can select them with the mouse if you prefer, but I preferred to use the down arrow to scroll down thru the list, and simply hit the spacebar to select the ones I wanted. I found that easier than using the mouse.
As I looked at them, I decided I wanted some of the flowers, so I selected every name that had the word FLOWER. After I had located and selected every file I wanted, I selected "Export Selected Items to Hard Drive". Here's a little tip before you export them. Jot down one of the file names that you selected just in case you have trouble locating them, so you can do a file search if needed.
I use Windows 7 and by default, the files were placed in the following location on my hard drive...
C:\Users\DanD\Documents\Links Extender v2\The National GC of Kansas City.crz\2D Objects
When I opened the folder and looked at the files that had been exported, I was surprised at what I found. Each TGA file name had 2 or more copies, and each copy was a different size and resolution. Look at the file list picture. Notice the ones that are highlighted are the same file but with A,B,C and D in the names, and each file gets smaller. If you look at those files in a file viewer, you can see they are the same pictures, only different sizes.
Here's my theory...
I suspect that when a TGA file is added as a 2D object in the APCD, when you do a Validate & Save in the APCD, it creates these smaller images automatically. Most likely it's using them to re-render objects to a smaller resolution as you move back away from them so it can produce better images at a distance. It would make sense. What I believe happens once in a while is that some of the files either get corrupt, or get mixed and jumbled up by accident by someone importing files with the same name. The end result would be file names are the same name, but the images are different. Then, when they get saved in the APCD, it sorts the wrong pictures into the wrong folder. That also makes sense...
Now that I understand what's most likely happening, I will never import small 2D objects from other courses again. Here's what I will do from now on if I want any 2D objects. And, by the way, I think this would be the best method for building a planting set.
1 - Open the course in the Links Extender that contains the 2D object files that you want.
2 - Select ONLY THE LARGEST of the files on the list. Don't select the smaller copies, and export them to your hard drive.
3 - View each file to make sure it's a good picture and that you want it in your planting set.
4 - Make up new names for them that you know can't already exist, for example... "wakonda_misc_001". The next name would be "wakonda_misc_002" and so on. (Hint: I chose to name every file that I collected the same, only with higher numbers. I did not catogorize the object types. I wanted all of the files that I would be using to be in the same category.
5 - Open the APCD where your planting set is and select the PLANTING tab, and then select OBJECT LIBRARY.
6 - In the Object Library, select the OBJECTS tab.
7 - Now select NEW OBJECT TYPE.
8 - Create a name for the category where you want to place the files you have saved & renamed.
9 - Select the IMPORT icon and browse to the files that you want to import. Once they are imported, select all of them and click the "Add to current planting set" button.
10 - Click the PLANTING SET tab and locate them on the list. At this point, you might want to select each one and set their properties so you won't have to do it as you plant each one. Or you can do it later.
That's it! You're now ready to plant without fear of them being corrupt.
When I had all of mine complete, I went to a plot and planted every one of the new saved objects close together, and then zoomed in and out to see it any of them changed. I backed away until all of them finally disappeared, and then I moved back in and watched them closely for any changes. They all looked perfect, and were really sharp and clear at all distances. This would be the only method I would use from now on to create a planting set. I believe it will eliminate those pesky corrupted 2D objects.
Hope this helps,
Dan
I opened "The National" in Links Extender, and started looking around. From the menu I selected CRZ File, and then OPEN CRZ File, and browsed to "The National GC of KC" and opened it.
Next I clicked on the drop-down menu and chose "2D Objects"
What appeared was a list of all of the 2D objects that are in my course. I started scrolling down and looking for the objects I wanted. When I found one, I scrolled to it and pressed the SPACE BAR to select it. Each time I found one that I wanted to save, I made sure it was highlighted and then pressed the SPACE BAR to add it to the list that I wanted to save. You can select them with the mouse if you prefer, but I preferred to use the down arrow to scroll down thru the list, and simply hit the spacebar to select the ones I wanted. I found that easier than using the mouse.
As I looked at them, I decided I wanted some of the flowers, so I selected every name that had the word FLOWER. After I had located and selected every file I wanted, I selected "Export Selected Items to Hard Drive". Here's a little tip before you export them. Jot down one of the file names that you selected just in case you have trouble locating them, so you can do a file search if needed.
I use Windows 7 and by default, the files were placed in the following location on my hard drive...
C:\Users\DanD\Documents\Links Extender v2\The National GC of Kansas City.crz\2D Objects
When I opened the folder and looked at the files that had been exported, I was surprised at what I found. Each TGA file name had 2 or more copies, and each copy was a different size and resolution. Look at the file list picture. Notice the ones that are highlighted are the same file but with A,B,C and D in the names, and each file gets smaller. If you look at those files in a file viewer, you can see they are the same pictures, only different sizes.
Here's my theory...
I suspect that when a TGA file is added as a 2D object in the APCD, when you do a Validate & Save in the APCD, it creates these smaller images automatically. Most likely it's using them to re-render objects to a smaller resolution as you move back away from them so it can produce better images at a distance. It would make sense. What I believe happens once in a while is that some of the files either get corrupt, or get mixed and jumbled up by accident by someone importing files with the same name. The end result would be file names are the same name, but the images are different. Then, when they get saved in the APCD, it sorts the wrong pictures into the wrong folder. That also makes sense...
Now that I understand what's most likely happening, I will never import small 2D objects from other courses again. Here's what I will do from now on if I want any 2D objects. And, by the way, I think this would be the best method for building a planting set.
1 - Open the course in the Links Extender that contains the 2D object files that you want.
2 - Select ONLY THE LARGEST of the files on the list. Don't select the smaller copies, and export them to your hard drive.
3 - View each file to make sure it's a good picture and that you want it in your planting set.
4 - Make up new names for them that you know can't already exist, for example... "wakonda_misc_001". The next name would be "wakonda_misc_002" and so on. (Hint: I chose to name every file that I collected the same, only with higher numbers. I did not catogorize the object types. I wanted all of the files that I would be using to be in the same category.
5 - Open the APCD where your planting set is and select the PLANTING tab, and then select OBJECT LIBRARY.
6 - In the Object Library, select the OBJECTS tab.
7 - Now select NEW OBJECT TYPE.
8 - Create a name for the category where you want to place the files you have saved & renamed.
9 - Select the IMPORT icon and browse to the files that you want to import. Once they are imported, select all of them and click the "Add to current planting set" button.
10 - Click the PLANTING SET tab and locate them on the list. At this point, you might want to select each one and set their properties so you won't have to do it as you plant each one. Or you can do it later.
That's it! You're now ready to plant without fear of them being corrupt.
When I had all of mine complete, I went to a plot and planted every one of the new saved objects close together, and then zoomed in and out to see it any of them changed. I backed away until all of them finally disappeared, and then I moved back in and watched them closely for any changes. They all looked perfect, and were really sharp and clear at all distances. This would be the only method I would use from now on to create a planting set. I believe it will eliminate those pesky corrupted 2D objects.
Hope this helps,
Dan