BGLXML - a freeware multi-platform decompiler for FSX BGL files

(C) 2004-2007, Alessandro G. Antonini - (Central Park Informatica)

BGLXML is an utility which analyzes and decompiles BGL files into FSX format and produces human readable XML files to be recompiled with Microsoft BGLCOMP. It fully supports almost if not all options included into new BGL file format (Microsoft has introduced significant changements since previous FS releases). If a BGL file contains objects created with Microsoft MakeMDL (which is the utility to convert three-dimensional objects created with GMax), BGLXML is able to extract them and write back to hard disk in .MDL format (for each XML file produced by BGLXML there will be nnn MDL files in the same directory than XML). BGLXML is also able to decode all objects into a BGL or only those interesting you (see Partial decode switches below).

BGLXML is freeware, open-source, and is licensed under GNU GPL - if you are in doubt about what this means, please read the COPYING file which is contained inside the distribution archive.

Simply create a directory on your hard drive and UNZIP the distribution archive inside it. You have four executable files, which are:

• BGLXML.EXE - the WIN32 native disassemler version
• BGLXMLD.EXE - the DOS 386 protected mode disassemler version
• XMLSHELL.EXE - the WIN32 GUI program to execute BGLXML from Windows Explorer (without any need to open a command-line prompt box)

The rest of the distribution archive contains:

• LIBRARY OBJECTS.TXT - this is a file BGLXML uses to translate among internal objects ID (which is a 128 bit hex number) and object names. If it doesn't find it, it works all the same, but object name translation is disabled - therefore, just place it into the same directory of BGLXML.EXE
  
• HYSTORY.TXT - a summary of all changes made between new releases
• SRC_CODE.ZIP - a compressed archive which contains the program's source code, in ANSI C language (BGLXML may be recompiled under WIN32, using any C compiler available out there, and under LINUX/*NIX using GCC)
• other manifest files, shuch as BGLXxxx.TXT and FILE_ID.DIZ (using for WEB sites file libraries)

-t - this means terse mode. If this parameter is omitted then the XML output will contain several information about each decoded object (just experiment to understand what I mean)

-d - print lat/lon info as DD/MM/SS instead of decimal degrees. Most objects have latitude and longitude parameters, for example:

<SceneryObject lat="66 30 00" lon="-23 20 00" ... > - this is a scenery object with latitude and longitude in DD/MM/SS and is a result of a decompilation made with the d switch. If the switch weren't applied then it would be <SceneryObject lat="66.50" lon="-23.33" ... >

-m - print range in nautical miles (default is in meters). Many objects have a range parameter, such as VOR or NDB. a <range="35000" ...> (35000 meters) would be the result of a decompilation  made without the m switch. Otherwise it would be  <range="18.88M" ...>

-f - print altitude in feet (default is in meters). Many objects have an altitude parameter, such as VOR, AIRPORTS and RUNWAYS. a <alt="800" ...> (800 meters) would be the result of a decompilation  made without the f switch. Otherwise it would be  <alt="2624.64F" ...>

-h - type BGLXML.EXE -h to obtain additional help on command line switches.

Switches may be specified separately (e.g -t -m -f) or they may be included all together in a single string ( e.g. -dmf)

The other parameters have not a switch and mean, in order, the input BGL file to decode and the XML output to write. The output file parameter may be omitted, in this case the output file will be created in the same path of input file, with XML extension.

Partial decode switches:

if you don't want to extract all object files from a BGL but instead you want to extract only those interesting you, then you may apply Partial decode function. How it works: first you define a circle having a central latitude, a central longitude and a radius; then, BGLXML measures the distance between each object's latitude and longitude and the central latitude/central longitude of  our circle. If the distance is more than our circle radius, then the object won't be decompiled.

-n - this switch specifies the central latitude of our circle. Argument may be in decimal degrees format or it may also be specified using SCASM notation (dd:mm:ss). If latitude is south, prepend a S before argument (Examples: -n45.6 -nS41.8 -n22:33:58 -nS51:40:56.5)

-e - this switch specifies the central longitude of our circle. Argument may be in decimal degrees format or it may also be specified using SCASM notation (dd:mm:ss). If longitude is west, prepend a W before argument (Examples: -e45.6 -eW41.8 -e22:33:58 -eW51:40:56.5)
-r - this switch specifies the radius (in kilometers) of our circle (example: -r15 - circle has a 15 kms radius).

BGLXML.EXE "c:\my bgls\myfile.bgl" - this will produce an output file such as "c:\my bgls\myfile.xml"

BGLXML.EXE "c:\my bgls\myfile.bgl" "c:\my xmls\myfile.xml" - this will produce a file named myfile.xml into c:\my xmls

BGLXML.EXE -t -f -m -d "c:\my bgls\myfile.bgl" "c:\my xmls\myfile.xml" - this will produce a file named myfile.xml into c:\my xmls - a terse output will be written, with lat/lon as DD/MM/SS, altitudes in feet, ranges in NM

BGLXML.EXE "c:\my bgls\myfile.bgl" "c:\my xmls\myfile.xml" -tmfd - same as above (switches may be stuffed before or after file names)

BGLXML.EXE "c:\my bgls\myfile.bgl" "c:\my xmls\myfile.xml" -tmfd -n41.564 -e5.6562 -r10 - only decode those objects which are closer than 10 kilometers to N41.564, E5.6562

Support (as well as bug reports) may be obtained into My Home Page Forum. - this is the place to get program updates, besides www.avsim.com

• BGLXML sometimes output NAVAID region as 'AA': what does it means? That happens mostly with terminal waypoints, terminal ndb etc. It seems that with those kind of NAVAID the region coding number is seeded with the owning Airport ICAO ID's. This doesn't happen with other navaids. I have not yet fully understood how the seed is done, therefore at the moment the only solution is to manually editing all those 'AA'. But, remember that contributors are welcome (that is why the program is open source :-))
• BGLXML doesn't decode <Boundary>? It's not implemented, yet. Expect it in a future BGLXML release.

HAVE FUN,

Alex - alex_a66@cpinf.com