Simviation Forums

I have searched the site and even printed off several instruction sheets, but in all honesty, I never have been able to learn from reading textbooks or listening to lectures. Watching someone do something, being able to ask questions, I could learn that way, THEN it would click. We all have different ways of learning, I guess.

I'm having problems with downloaded planes from the site not showing up. FSX (non-accelerated) runs fine on my rig with 3/4 of the detail sliders maxed. Missions, free flight, planes included w/ basic install, all run fine.

Went to the site last night for some new heavies, private props, military planes and downloaded them just fine after making sure they didn't require acceleration and were for FSX.

Downloaded them as zipped folders.
Unzipped them into temp folders (1 for each plane)
Went into My Computer, hit Explore, split my screen, went into the main FSX folder, opened Sim Objects and found 2 folders (Airplanes & GroundVehicles).

I opened Airplanes (empty folder) on the left side of the screen, and my temp folder of one of one of my new downloads.

I dragged the downloaded folder (unzipped-containing model, panel, sound, textures) into the airplanes folder and copied over.

I then shut down the Explore, rebooted, and fired up FSX. Went into free-flight and went to select the new plane. All the original ones were there, but not the new one. Not just no thumbnail, nothing.

What went wrong?

Also, it seems very odd to me that these new planes aren

If you installed FSX on C drive then the below path should be the path to your airplanes folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\airplanes

Are you saying that this folder is empty?  From reading what you wrote it looks like you did everthing right, but I am wondering if you got your new aircraft into the right folder.  Also when you go to select aircraft in FSX you need to look carefully, it is easy to miss aircraft.  Also make sure that you have selected to show all aircraft and to show all variations.  In each aircraft folder along with the model, panel, sound and texture folder you also need a aircraft.cfg file.  Also I have read that you need a thumbnail, I never had a problem with not having a thumbnail for a new aircraft, they just showed up with no picture (blank panel), but the aircraft was there.  One thing to look for as an example is if you downloaded a JetCity MD95, maybe you are looking in the M's for McDonald Douglas, but it is in the J's for JetCity, I have had that happen.

Rod

I'm with idahosurge.  Sounds like you did everything right, but the airplanes folder shouldn't be empty.  Thats a weird one

I just thought of something else.  The start of your aircraft.cfg file will look something like:

[fltsim.XX]  XX=next sequence number
title=VIPER Carswell AFRC
sim=f-16d
model=jsow
panel=
sound=
texture=dc
checklists=
description=F-16 Fighting Falcon                                                             ---by Kirk Olsson--

Note: [fltsim.xx], most aircraft.cfg files that you download as freeware have the "xx".  In order for the aircraft to show up you have to change the "xx" to a number.  Start your numbers at "0" and then increase as you add textures to the same aircraft folder and aircraft.cfg file, so if you have two textures the first part of your aircraft.cfg file would look something like:

[fltsim.0]  XX=next sequence number
title=VIPER Carswell AFRC
sim=f-16d
model=jsow
panel=
sound=
texture=dc
checklists=
description=F-16 Fighting Falcon                                                             ---by Kirk Olsson--

[fltsim.1]  XX=next sequence number
title=VIPER Carswell AFRC
sim=f-16d
model=jsow
panel=
sound=
texture=dc2
checklists=
description=F-16 Fighting Falcon                                                             ---by Kirk Olsson--

Note the changes in the [fltsim.xx] and texture= lines.  Make sure that you have these set up.  If the [fltsim.xx] line is not changed and you left "xx" in there then the aircraft will not show up no matter what you do.

Rod