Deleting Objects On Big maps

[Beebop]

I'm having a problem (that I didn't use to have) with deleting objects on large maps, i.e. unneeded towns and cities (scenery outside of the mission area)..

I followed this from the ME Manual:

 

Do the following:
1. In the Mission Tree, right-click the top entry and choose "Set Group as Working".
2. In the File menu, choose “Import From File” and navigate to the IL-2 Sturmovik
directory and the \data\Template sub-directory.
3. Choose an object group that corresponds to the current terrain in the View Port and
click Open.
All of the objects in the group appear in the Mission Tree. With large maps, it may take
a few minutes for the objects to load.
4. (Optional) Delete objects that are outside of the area related to your mission.
In large maps, deleting objects that are never seen by players saves memory. You can
click and drag to select many objects at a time for deletion.

 

 I cannot seem to select individual blocks or highlight groups of blocks.  I drag the cursor and the red box appears but as soon as I release the mouse it disappears and nothing is highlighted.  Conversely I cannot highlight an individual group my clicking on it.
Here's the odd thing, I can do it on the Lapino map but not on big maps like Moscow.  I followed the above directions precisely and can't get it to work.

I can highlight/select/add/delete/move/rotate objects I place on the map, I just can't highlight/select the cities/towns/airfields that I "import form file".

 

I'm sure it's something obvious but I'm danged if I can figure it out.  ?

Any help appreciated.

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Beebop

[Zooropa_Fly]

I've had similar problems.

I think some of the maps might be put together differently.

Sometimes I've had to go through all the sub groups (set to working) to be able to activate what I want.

Setting the upper level group doesn't always seem to 'select' all the sub groups under it.. as I once thought was the case.

 

Being able to zoom the whole map out would be helpful here, assuming one can select all the desired objects at once, ref above.

Having to do this bit by bit with the ME crashing every other time I clicked and dragged made it a nightmare.

 

Hopefully you'll get a more sensible answer shortly..

 

[Beebop]

It's comforting, in an twisted way, to know I'm not alone nor totally daft.

At least it's not a Senior Moment........for the moment. ?

[Zooropa_Fly]

I tell you what else would help...

 

Select Inverse

[Beebop]

???  Inverse?  I don't understand.  I didn't find that in the ME Tools.

[Zooropa_Fly]

Yeah it's not in the tools.

I mean if you could select the buildings / AF's etc you wanted to keep (i.e. your map !), then click on my mythical select inverse - which would then select everything you didn't in the first place.

Press 'delete' once.

[WWSitttingDuck]

Going to guess you can not select the objects because they are in a group, and that group is not set to working.  If you can see them, even thou they are in a group that is not set to working, then you have the "draw icons in groups" tool selected. (over by the "show icons and show text" tools)

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by WWSitttingDuck

[Beebop]

I can't select individual groups nor draw a box around groups and get them to highlight so I can delete them.  I have 'Draw Icons in Group' on so I can see them.  But since I can't get the individual icon groups to highlight nor have "boxed" icons highlighted I have no access to the dialog box where I could set them to 'working'.  I can highlight and modify items I have added. just not the items I've imported from the Templates.

V e r y frustrating.

Edited February 12, 2020 by Beebop

[Gambit21]

On 2/10/2020 at 3:53 AM, Zooropa_Fly said:

I tell you what else would help...

 

Select Inverse

 

What? You mean like in every other application I've ever used?

[IckyATLAS]

In some cases "search and select " which does an add to select  can be very helpful as you can access all the entities (objects, blocks, planes, vehicles, groups etc...) individually and adding selections independently of how your tree or groupings dependencies are made.

 

[Beebop]

When I use that tool and click 'Select All Objects', 'Select All Visible Objects' or 'Select All Objects in Mission' all it does when I try and select a group with left click and drag is move every object on the map.  Plus none of the groups or objects are highlighted so I can't open a 'Properties' or 'Advanced Properties' dialog.

I was on with a friend today and his ME works correctly, that is he could select individual objects or groups, they would be highlighted and he could edit them.

Is there some function that I'm failing to enable or might have disabled?

 

I also did an Integrity Check.  It passed.  I also Resaved the mission.  Didn't help.

Edited February 12, 2020 by Beebop

[WWSitttingDuck]

this might help.  assuming here what you are trying to delete is pretty much cities (blocks)

make sure the mission title is "set to working"

have "draw icons in groups" checked.

click on "objects filter". it is 2 over to the right of the draw icons in groups button

deselect all, then check groups and blocks.  All you should see on your map is a lot of green squares (groups), and a lot of blocks.  Kinda trial and error, but if you find a town you want to delete, most of the time the "group" it is inside is pretty much in the center of all the blocks.  To make sure, click on the group, and set it to working.  If all the blocks are now clickable, it was the group you wanted. select all the blocks, and delete them.  To do another city/town, you have to set the mission title back to working.

If you are in a city made up with a lot of groups, you can take a chance, just select all the groups and delete them.

 

trimming maps can be a pain.  

 

 

[Beebop]

assuming here what you are trying to delete is pretty much cities (blocks)
Yes

 

make sure the mission title is "set to working"
???  How to do that?  I looked around and didn't see how to do that.  EDIT:  I found out how,  I left clicked the Mission tree and selected 'Set To Working Group'.   But it didn't help.

 

have "draw icons in groups" checked.
Yes.

 

click on "objects filter". it is 2 over to the right of the draw icons in groups button
I found 'Objects Filter' under Tools right next to 'Draw'.  All boxes are checked.

 

deselect all, (?) then check groups and blocks.  All you should see on your map is a lot of green squares (groups), and a lot of blocks.
I see those.

 

Kinda trial and error, but if you find a town you want to delete, most of the time the "group" it is inside is pretty much in the center of all the blocks.  To make sure, click on the group, and set it to working.  If all the blocks are now clickable, it was the group you wanted. select all the blocks, and delete them.  To do another city/town, you have to set the mission title back to working.
Therein lies the rub.  When I either draw a box around icons (left click, drag, red box line appears), when I release the mouse button the box disappears or when I left click on an icon it does not highlight.  I cannot select the Properties or advanced properties menus and because it is not highlighted I cannot move it or delete it.

 

That's where I'm at right now.  What puzzles me is I remember being able to do that on maps before I had to reinstall the game and, I can still do it on the Lapino map.  EDIT:  Just tried the Lapino map and now I can't select imported icons  Only items I have placed manually on the map.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Beebop

[JimTM]

49 minutes ago, Beebop said:

...

Kinda trial and error, but if you find a town you want to delete, most of the time the "group" it is inside is pretty much in the center of all the blocks.  To make sure, click on the group, and set it to working.  If all the blocks are now clickable, it was the group you wanted. select all the blocks, and delete them.  To do another city/town, you have to set the mission title back to working.
Therein lies the rub.  When I either draw a box around icons (left click, drag, red box line appears), when I release the mouse button the box disappears or when I left click on an icon it does not highlight.  I cannot select the Properties or advanced properties menus and because it is not highlighted I cannot move it or delete it.

 

That's where I'm at right now.  What puzzles me is I remember being able to do that on maps before I had to reinstall the game and, I can still do it on the Lapino map.  EDIT:  Just tried the Lapino map and now I can't select imported icons  Only items I have placed manually on the map.

 

When you draw the box around icons, did you set a particular group to the working group first (e.g., the group for a town)? If you have not done that and you have the "Draw Icons in Groups" button pressed, you will see icons that are part of several groups and that cannot be selected until you make one of those groups the working group. For example, try setting the group for Lapino town Orehovka (0202-4) to the working group and select some icons.

Edited February 13, 2020 by JimTM

[Beebop]

Apparently I am incapable of expressing my problem.
I have checked my previous posts and in three of them I thought I explained it.

 

I CANNOT SELECT AN ICON NOR DRAW A BOX AROUND A GROUP OF ICONS AND GET THEM TO HIGHLIGHT!!!!

As a result I have no way to select either the Properties dialog for that item or items and because of that cannot open the Advanced Properties dialog where I can make a group "working".

And again, the icons I cannot highlight and delete/modify etc. are the items I place on the newly created map from the File > Import From File and select the appropriate maps towns, cities etc.".  THESE are the items I cannot select/highlight/delete.

And again, items I place myself from the STE's Object/MCU boxes on the right of the View Port, including Groups I have made myself, I can select and they highlight allowing me access to their Properties and Advanced Properties where, if a Group, I can set as a Working Group and I can delete them if I desire.

I used to be able to do this and have missions where entire sections of the map are devoid of cities, towns etc. because I could select them, they would be highlighted and then I could press Delete and they are gone.

 

So, since I am not being clear then would someone explain to me, step-by-step, HOW to select those icons (installed from File > Import From File) and how to open a dialog or whatever to access the option to make a "Working Group" as I guess I'm too dam stoopid to understand the suggestions I have received or to figure it out myself!

 

(pardon my frustration)

 

EDIT:  I went over again Vapor8bit's Mission Editor Basics Video 1 where, at 13:47, he clicks on a icon, it highlights and a Block Properties dialog box opens.  
THAT is what is NOT happening for me.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Beebop

[JimTM]

35 minutes ago, Beebop said:

...

 

So, since I am not being clear then would someone explain to me, step-by-step, HOW to select those icons (installed from File > Import From File) and how to open a dialog or whatever to access the option to make a "Working Group" as I guess I'm too dam stoopid to understand the suggestions I have received or to figure it out myself!

 

(pardon my frustration)

 

For example, in the Lapino map, do the following:

1. Zoom in to the blocks at Orehovka (0202-4) until you can see the group icon called lay_vil_lin_01 (id: 1014).

2. Click on the group icon to select it.

3. Right click and choose Set Group As Working.

You can now select any of the blocks within the group.

You will need to follow this procedure for any group that you want to work with that is part of the Lapino template that you imported.

Instead of selecting the group on the map, you can select it in the mission tree, right click and choose Set Group As Working. 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by JimTM

[Beebop]

4 minutes ago, JimTM said:

 

For example, in the Lapino map, do the following:

1. Zoom in to the blocks at Orehovka (0202-4) until you can see the group icon called lay_vil_lin_01 (id: 1014).

2. Click on the group icon to select it.

3. Right click and choose Set Group As Working.

You can now select any of the blocks within the group.

You will need to do this for any group that you want to work with that is part of the Lapino template that you imported.

 

But I can't select an icon.  NOTHING happens when I right click it.  NOTHING!!!

[WWSitttingDuck]

will try it with pictures.   Still gotta feeling you are not setting the group you are trying to work with to working.

first pic. section of the map showing only blocks and groups.  all the blocks you see are in the group that is circled.  I can not select any of the blocks, (but I can select the group)

 

 

pic 2,  I left click on the group icon, now it is selected.  I right click to bring up the flyout, and click on "set group to working"

 

 

Might add, although uncommon, sometimes you can have groups inside groups.  If that is the case, you have to set the upper level group to working before you can select groups inside of it (if that made any sense)

Edited February 13, 2020 by WWSitttingDuck

[JimTM]

4 minutes ago, Beebop said:

But I can't select an icon.  NOTHING happens when I right click it.  NOTHING!!!

 

By any chance is are the groups that you imported sitting inside another group in the mission tree? If so, you need to make that group the working group first and then follow my instructions above. If you have an existing group set as working group when you do the import, the imported stuff gets placed in that group. 

[Beebop]

OK.  Considering that maybe I had set objects on the map prior to adding towns from "Import From File' I started from scratch. 

 

I opened the main game folder, navigated to data > Multiplayer > Dogfight and deleted the mission I am having difficulty with, folder and all mission files.

Then created a new folder with the new mission name (Oktoberfest).

Next;

1.  Opened ME

2. In the Properties box I named the mission, set date, time, weather, type (Deathmatch) author.

3.  I selected the Terrain Preset, "moscow autumn".

4. Clicked 'Apply'.  A box opened in the viewport showing my main game folder.  I navigated to data > Multiplayer > Dogfight, opened the folder  Oktoberfest and typed in the File Name box the mission name, "Oktoberfest.Mission" and clicked 'Save'.

5.  After the map loaded I went to 'File > Import From File'.  I navigated to data > Templates and chose Moscow towns.Group and clicked 'Save'

6. After the map populated I had many green icons and inside each town icons set would be one or two green icons with diagonal bars indicating a Group as shown in Sitting Ducks pictures.

7. I clicked on a Group Icon and............Nothing happens.  It does not highlight, and when I right click the a dialog box opens as in Ducks pic 2 but all options are greyed out and the icon is not highlighted.

 

I have not added anything at all, just the moscow towns Group from Templates.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Beebop

[JG4_Deciman]

Under 'Draw' in the menu bar unselect 'Draw Icons in Group'

It seems that you have currently the main group selected and that option is activated.

So you will see every Icon in every Subgroup, too.

But you can select only Icons in the currently ACTIVE group.

 

Deci

[WWSitttingDuck]

followed what you did.

 

expand your mission tree (on the left),,,ie click on the +  sign next to oktoberfest

 

IF the rest of the mission objects are not expanded, then you are going to have 2 + signs underneath it...Moscow_Towns_Civil  and Moscow_Towns_Civil.  both those objects are group, and have a ton groups inside them.

 

If they are expanded, you will have a long list of items in the mission tree.

 

 

 

seems there are two main groups under octoberfest.  moscow towns civil, and moscow town targets.  If you want to delete groups inside either of those, they have to be set to working first, then you can select all the groups inside, and either delete the whole group, or set that group to working, and delete the elements inside the group.  imho, deleting the groups is faster

Edited February 13, 2020 by WWSitttingDuck

[Beebop]

Sitting Duck,  well I'm still not sure what I did but I clumsily followed your instructions and I was able to take out all the "extraneous" towns.  I guess what I did was set "Moscow Towns 2" to working and then I could select groups and individual blocks.  So I went to "Draw" and turned off 'Draw Icons' but left 'Draw Icons In Groups' ticked and was able to easily eliminate what I didn't want.  (Thanks Deciman).

 

What still baffles me is my friend doesn't have to go through all that minutia to highlight and modify towns and objects in his game.  He just, as the manual states, draws a rectangle around the icons, they highlight and then he can manipulate them.  Now that I know how to make it work I can edit but is there a "default" setting that automatically makes icons on the map set to working so that I don't have to go into the mission tree to kick things off?  Did I possibly set something so that I have to manually set town/city groups to working that I could undo?

I would like to return to when I just opened a map, selected the icon/group/block and it highlighted without going to the Mission tree and setting global Groups to Working".

 

Meanwhile, a big thank you to everyone for putting up with my rants and stoopidity.  The way it's going I figure I'll finally get the hang of the ME about the time a new iteration of IL-2 is released, some 20 years from now.?

 

ADDENDUM:  After again consulting the Manual it does say that before creating a map you should right click the first entry in the Mission Tree  (My Mission by default) and select 'Set Group to Working' before importing objects from the Template folder.  However until this situation arose I had never done that yet retained the ability to select, highlight and manipulate individual icon blocks and Groups.  Just sayin'.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Beebop

[Zooropa_Fly]

22 minutes ago, Beebop said:

The way it's going I figure I'll finally get the hang of the ME about the time a new iteration of IL-2 is released, some 20 years from now.?

 

You must be a quick learner then

 

[Beebop]

Quick you say.?  Why yes I am. In fact sir, to prove it, I will challenge you to a race! 

I will drive my Ess-Car-Go.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Beebop

[JimTM]

4 hours ago, Beebop said:

...

What still baffles me is my friend doesn't have to go through all that minutia to highlight and modify towns and objects in his game.  He just, as the manual states, draws a rectangle around the icons, they highlight and then he can manipulate them.  Now that I know how to make it work I can edit but is there a "default" setting that automatically makes icons on the map set to working so that I don't have to go into the mission tree to kick things off?  Did I possibly set something so that I have to manually set town/city groups to working that I could undo?

I would like to return to when I just opened a map, selected the icon/group/block and it highlighted without going to the Mission tree and setting global Groups to Working"

...

 

Note:

• There is no "default" setting to set icons to working. 

• You can only select icons that are in the current working group.
   
• If the current working group is your entire mission, you can select only group icons, MCUs, and objects that are one level down under your mission name. The same applies to whatever group is the current working group, that is, you can only select icons that are one level down under the current working group.
   
• You can set the working group directly in the mission tree by right clicking a group at any level in the tree, and choosing Set Group to Working. You do not have to set any of the higher  ("global") groups to working first.
   
• You can select icons in the mission tree or on the map. However, you can only select icons on the map if they are one level down under the current working group. You can also click and drag to select group icons, MCUs, and objects that are one level down under your current working group.

[WWSitttingDuck]

have to be honest, this is the first time i have ever imported from that template directory.

I do not believe ALL missions made on the moscow map have the towns and villages all in those 2 groups, so there is a chance that is what your friend is looking at, or maybe a mission on another map.

 

But do pay attention to what Jim is telling you, it will help you in the long run.

[Zooropa_Fly]

I'm in the RoF editor here... but let's assume it might be the same..

 

I've just tried adding objects from 'Buildings' and 'Blocks'.

Once I've clicked away from the icon it disappears (the icon is 'E').

The only way I can then selesct it is via the block listing in the mission tree (right click / select).

This means I can only work with one of these objects at a time, therefore not group them.

 

[WWSitttingDuck]

screenshot?   not sure I have seen the "E" your referring to

[JimTM]

6 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

I'm in the RoF editor here... but let's assume it might be the same..

 

I've just tried adding objects from 'Buildings' and 'Blocks'.

Once I've clicked away from the icon it disappears (the icon is 'E').

The only way I can then selesct it is via the block listing in the mission tree (right click / select).

This means I can only work with one of these objects at a time, therefore not group them.

 

 

The only thing I can think of is that the Blocks checkbox is cleared in your Object Filter ("OBJ FILT" button in toolbar).

 

You can select multiple items in the mission tree. Right click on each selection you make and choose Add to Selection.

 

[IckyATLAS]

11 hours ago, JimTM said:

 

You can select multiple items in the mission tree. Right click on each selection you make and choose Add to Selection.

 

It does not seem to work for items that are inside the mission tree. Jim can you confirm this is true.

I can select only the items under the top mission item. Or the items with one sub level. For items that are down two levels or more direct select does not work for me. It never worked.

The only way is using the "Search and Select" facility.

[JimTM]

On 2/14/2020 at 5:13 AM, IckyATLAS said:

It does not seem to work for items that are inside the mission tree. Jim can you confirm this is true.

I can select only the items under the top mission item. Or the items with one sub level. For items that are down two levels or more direct select does not work for me. It never worked.

The only way is using the "Search and Select" facility.

 

Confirmed! You're right IckyATLAS. You cannot use Add to Selection for items more than one level below the top mission item (i.e., "My Mission" or your mission name). This applies even if you make a lower level group the working group.

Edited February 15, 2020 by JimTM

[IckyATLAS]

Another feature that unfortunately makes our life miserable. And we know it will never be corrected. ?

Edited February 15, 2020 by IckyATLAS

[Jaegermeister]

I have a problem similar to these sometimes, but it’s a wireless mouse conflict with my usb hard drive. When they are both plugged in at the same time, I cannot drag and group objects or type numbers into data fields. I get functionality back by removing the external hard drive.

 

check for USB conflicts. I only get this in the IL2 ME, no other graphics programs.

[IckyATLAS]

11 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

I have a problem similar to these sometimes, but it’s a wireless mouse conflict with my usb hard drive. When they are both plugged in at the same time, I cannot drag and group objects or type numbers into data fields. I get functionality back by removing the external hard drive.

 

check for USB conflicts. I only get this in the IL2 ME, no other graphics programs.

Mamma mia !!!

Edited February 16, 2020 by IckyATLAS

[jollyjack]

On 2/16/2020 at 5:36 AM, Jaegermeister said:

I have a problem similar to these sometimes, but it’s a wireless mouse conflict with my usb hard drive. When they are both plugged in at the same time, I cannot drag and group objects or type numbers into data fields. I get functionality back by removing the external hard drive.

 

check for USB conflicts. I only get this in the IL2 ME, no other graphics programs.

 

Sideline tip on USB. With a laptop you usually have only one USB controller chip covering the whole USB household.

You could try USBdeview and delete all unused USB drivers still there from old plugged USB devices, careful that you do not remove mouse and keyboard.

Besides you could set USB bus priority with JoyID.

 

I must say that a PC with more controller chips aboard makes life easier.

There's an expensive Sonnet card that has 4 of them, a must if you work professionally with audio via USB.

[Jaegermeister]

It's an updated PC with onboard dedicated USB 3.0 controllers, The front USB is plugged into the auxillary 3.0 slot. It's not really a problem for me, just something to check off the list.

 

With VR and a HOTAS + Rudder + Trackball + Keyboard + Wireless Headphones, I have a lot of USB usage going on.