AFCAD airport not showing up in airports.txt file?

[JBaymore]

Hi.

I downloaded Dennis Waggoner's "Groom Lake / Area 51" airport addition.  It installed nicely and it looks great.  But there were no tower frequencies or anything installed.....no AFCAD info.

So I created and AFCAD file and put in taxiways, parking, a tower with freqs, ATIS, glideslopes, markers, and such.  Great.  The ATC works when I go there, the parking gates work when I choose them as start locations, and so on.

The problem is that for some reason, when AIMover (front end for TTools) checks the airport.txt file..... it doesn't find the airport.  So I can't add AI flights.  When I check airports.txt..... the ICAO does no show up there.  But both the graphical and the AFCAD airports seem to be installed in MSFS2002 OK.

Any suggestions for me?

Thanks.

best,

....................john

[Holger]

Howdy:

the latest version of TrafficTools (v1.3.3) comes with a handy little utility, called CollectAirports.exe, that will take care of your problem. Run it and it will update your airport.txt file with any additions you have made.

Cheers, Holger

[JBaymore]

AIMove has the same kind of thing.  It is supposed to go to the MSFS data and create a lisitng of ALL of the airportrs in the database..... including ones not set up for AI or ATC.  

When I run it to update the airports.txt file....... the file I am looking for is NOT there.  Even after specifficially doing an update.  Other airports I have modified are there..... but no the one I added.

Thanks ....... I'll chack out what version I have of TTools running under AIMover.

best,

..................john

[emh8]

John,

Based on your description, it sound like your AFCAD file doesn't contain an airport reference point.  This reference point is necessary for any AI traffic editing program to guide traffic to and from the airport.  On a standard AFCAD file, this point is represented by a pink dot with spikes on it.  It contains the coordinates and altitude info for the facility.

Erik

[JBaymore]

OK..... so I'm dumb ....really dumb

The airport I am working on is for an airport that was not incluced at all in MSFS2002........ Groom Lake.....Area 51.  So it is NOT in the default database that is in the program.  The visual airport file was installed after the fact as add on scenery.  

So.... dumb me..... when I would go into AIMover to check to see (over and over) if the darn AFCAD work I had been doing was working OK.... the function I used would go and create a new airports.txt file and then ...... here's the mistake........ I would go to the "Search Airports" function.  That function would then go to the DEFAULT MS database (NOT the airport.txt file) and load the airports.  If I had changed an exisitng airport with adding AFCAD AI functions and such.... it wouild have shown.

But it is not an airport in the dafault file!!!!!  So THAT function of AIMOver apparently does not find it in the airports.txt file that the AI part of the program uses with TTools.

When I once happened to go and try to add a flightplan for Groom Lake in the "Add Flight" function....... lo and behold....... there it was!!!!!!!

SO...... a major lesson learned.  Particularly about "assumptions".

So now I am happily adding militarty and governmental traffic into Area 51  ;) .

Hoe this information helps someone else who hits this same "wall".

best,

....................john