Active Sky Cloud Art

Art Tools API Documentation

Last Revision: 10/11/2016
 ASCA Art Tools API Documentation

Legal Notices

By using this software, you are bound by the End User License Agreement which you
accepted during installation. Please refer to the EULA.rtf or EULA.txt file included with your
installation, located in the base program installation folder, along with the
AdditionalLicenses.rtf or AdditionalLicenses.txt file.

Under no circumstances is this software to be used for real aircraft operation or planning
activities. This software is designed for use as an entertainment and educational product,
is not fault-tolerant, and is not acceptable for use in high risk activities including, but not
limited to, aircraft operation and planning.

This software may only be used by one person on one computer. Attempting to use this
product by more than one person or on more than one computer may result in the product
becoming unusable.

An internet connection is required for each use, including automated registration and
activation of the product, as well as usage of most product features. This product will be
unusable without a working internet connection.

This software’s online services include access to private servers, which keep track of all
online activity and usage. Illegal or unauthorized access to our servers, by way of
unlicensed product usage or piracy, is automatically identified and tracked. Continued
illegal usage may result in prosecution.

Distributing content processed with Art Tools and/or ASCA should be done with care and
with the understanding and agreement that all content/imagery processed is original and
owned/licensed by the user. DO NOT PROCESS OR DISTRIBUTE COPYRIGHTED
IMAGERY/CONTENT.

Copyright © 2016 HiFi Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Page 1

 ASCA Art Tools API Documentation

Overview

The Art Tools API

This utility allows anyone, including artists, developers and/or users to easily create ASCA
and AS16-compatible dynamic image content.

At this time, only Sky Color textures are supported by Art Tools API. We plan to expand the
API over time as demand and feedback dictate.

Using ASCA Art Tools is easy:

1. Using traditional FSX/P3D SDK documentation and tools, create the desired
content imagery and place it into a temporary folder path. For example, with a Sky
Color texture set, include the 14 Sky_*.bmp files. Also include a screenshot for
ASCA, which should be called 1.jpg.
2. Run ASCA and bring up the Art Tools screen (Art Tools button).
3. Specify the temporary content imagery path that you have created, name the
texture set, and press the Create Content Package button.
4. Your new texture set will now be available within ASCA.

Copyright © 2016 HiFi Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Page 2

 ASCA Art Tools API Documentation

Important Notes:

 The source imagery should follow the exact format as specified in official FSX/P3D
SDK documentation.
 For Sky Textures, use only the *_0.bmp "day cycle" variant. ASCA will appropriately
handle the additional day cycle variants automatically. This means that you should
include exactly 14 Sky_*.bmp files (plus the 1.jpg screenshot file), and each file
should be a 32x32x32 bitmap.
 You are permitted to share and distribute your ASCA-compatible creations in the
proper SkyColor folder format (see below for details). You are NOT permitted to
share default/included content.
 If you encounter any problems, have questions, have suggestions or just have
general feedback, please join us at www.hifisimtech.com/forums. We appreciate
any and all feedback!

Copyright © 2016 HiFi Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Page 3

 ASCA Art Tools API Documentation

Sharing Art Tools Content

Distributing/sharing content that you've created and processed using the Art Tools API is
permitted. In order to share/distribute such content, please follow the instructions below:

1. The processed content path contents (after processing with Art Tools API) should be
zipped into a single .zip file. For example, if you have created a Sky Color set called
"Perfect Colors" with Art Tools, a folder named [ASCA install
path]\Data\SkyColors\Perfect Colors will be created with the proper content that
ASCA can read. The contents in this folder should be zipped. This will include a
Contents folder (which contains 1.binz) and a 1.jpg file. For help with creating
compressed .ZIP files, see this link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-
us/help/14200/windows-compress-uncompress-zip-files
2. This .zip file should now include the required files that ASCA can read by any user.
To share with another user, you can provide the .zip file and instructions to UNzip
this file to the [ASCA install path]\Data\SkyColors path. Once a new path is placed
within ASCA Data, ASCA must be restarted to read this content.
3. You may alternatively create your own installation process/technique and
instructions, so that the appropriate files/paths are placed in the appropriate
location.
4. Remember that DEFAULT, ASCA-included content is NOT SHAREABLE and MAY NOT
BE DISTRIBUTED. Only your own creations, processed with Art Tools, may be
shared.
5. DO NOT PROCESS, DISTRIBUTE or SHARE copyrighted content/imagery! See the
End User License Agreement distributed with this software for details.

Copyright © 2016 HiFi Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Page 4