SketchUp, ADE, FSX, and creating custom airports

[Crimson.1]

Not 100% sure if this is the right place to post this question, but it's my first time here.
I've been trying to create CYMX as the master plan had depicted it, but I hate using ADE, because I can never place things exactly in the right spots, leading to out of place buildings, crooked taxiways, and non-rectangular ramps. While browsing the Simviation scenery library, I noticed that one package used SketchUp to model with, which I much prefer to ADE, as I'm able to measure things in metres and angles in degrees. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do this. Any experts on the topic out there, or at least others who have done it before? Help appreciated, thanks.

[dave3cu]

Welcome to SimV,

Sketchup is a3D modeling CAD that you can use to create new building or other objects to place in the airport scenery, if that is your aim. It cannot be used to create or edit the elements (runways, taxi, aprons, parking, etc.) that make up the airport.

There several tool available in ADE to assist in the accuracy of your airport design. Refer to Chapter 8 in the ADE9X Manual, found in the ....\Airport Design Editor 9X\Manuals folder. One that's very useful is setting a 'Background image', which can be any scale image such as an airport diagram or satellite image.

For units of measure in ADE, you can change your preference under Settings>Options.

One difficulty in ADE, like any 2d white board style object placer, is you can't see the exact locationon and orientation of an object until you compile the scenery file and update the FSX scenery.

A solution to this is to use the 'Object Placement Tool' that is part of the FSX SDK. It allows you to place objects while in FSX, so you see the object in FSX as your placing it. Here is a link to download a tutorial on how to place objects using the object placement tool. http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/2853/make-scenery-with-object-placement-tool-in-fsx/.

Dave

[CHUCK79]

Dave covered it, but I'd like to reiterate.......A very handy ADE feature is "Add Image". You can take a google earth image and overlay it on your project in order to know exactly where your objects/taxiways/runways belong. It takes some trial and error to get the Google Earth zoom level just right, but once you have it right it's way easier to to correctly place objects.

Here's my KSKA project with Google Earth images overlaid for reference:

[Scruffyduck]

It is also possible to connect ADE to FS so that elements can be accurately placed based on the user aircraft position.