AFGAD updates in FLight SIm X

[Flyboyfitzy2]

Hey guys and gals and everyone else.

I am trying to make an Airport in FSX AI compatable. IM pretty sure i have the right AFGAD file, however i don't seem to be able to find all the Airport txt documents, in the FSX folder in Microsoft Games.

Where are they found all the txt documents for all airports in the Flight Sim X directory folders so i can update my favorite Airports in Australia.

Can't find them anywhere..

Cheers..

Liam

[reider]

Have a look at this site.....

http://www.airportdesigneditor.co.uk/

You may a find it a whole lot easier than the way you`re doing it now, if you have the deluxe version and the SDK installed.  Basically you get the real site in it, make a copy, amend it as you wish and place it in your add on folder.  Doesn`t get much easier!

Reider

[Flyboyfitzy2]

reider, thanks for that website..

However i don't have the delux version of flight sim X..

How can i get the SDK other wise..

liam

[reider]

Sorry, you`re stuck then.  It only comes with FSX Deluxe.  You`re missing out on a lot too, its the easiest and most effective method around by far.  Its going to get even better mid year when the Pro version comes out.

Reider

[Flyboyfitzy2]

Reider,

I have now bought FSX delux edition and have installed my new airports, however.

The Airport im editing had many trees around in and where i have added an apron and some taxi ways.. i have a forrest on them, how can i get rid of the trees around the airport.

[Gypsy_Baron]

Reider,

I have now bought FSX delux edition and have installed my new airports, however.

The Airport im editing had many trees around in and where i have added an apron and some taxi ways.. i have a forrest on them, how can i get rid of the trees around the airport.

You will need to create an exclusion poly using a utility such as FSX_KML
or SBuilderX to remove trees in FSX. Since you are getting into
scenery and\or airport mods, I suggest you go over to fsdeveloper.com
and check the forums there. There are forums for alot of the
new FSX tools and plenty of experts to answer questions.

   Paul

[reider]

Ok, in at the deepend.  This is an exclusion xml example only, find an .xml file, copy it, rename it to EXCLUDE_EGCB.XML but change EGCB to whatever your airport code is.  Then paste these details over the top of the current ones and save.  Keep this as a template for future exclusions.  See the instructions after the exclusion example.....



 version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
 xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
     latitudeMinimum=" 51.6542983333333"
   latitudeMaximum=" 51.6549259722222"
   longitudeMinimum="-0.325028166666667"
   longitudeMaximum="-0.320661583333333"
   excludeAllObjects="FALSE"
   excludeBeaconObjects="FALSE"
   excludeEffectObjects="FALSE"
   excludeExtrusionBridgeObjects="FALSE"
   excludeGenericBuildingObjects="FALSE"
   excludeLibraryObjects="TRUE"
   excludeTaxiwaySignObjects="FALSE"
   excludeTriggerObjects="FALSE"
   excludeWindsockObjects="FALSE" />


Right now, set FSX going with the airport such as it is, in windowed mode.  Set ADE going with the airport loaded.  Hit CONNECT button in ADE.  Go to the FSX window and move the plane to the trees.  We need the coordinates of the first rectangle, you may have to do a few to get rid of them.  Now, imagine a rectangle and you want to be at the front right facing in to the rectangle.  Go to ADE and write down the lat/lon when touching the cursor on the tip of the plane.  Now, back to FSX and move the plane carefully to the exact opposite side so you`re once again facing rear right and toward the rectangle, again go into ADE and write down the coordinates at the tip of the plane.

Look at the coordinates and decide which is the higher number out of the two sets, write next to it MAX.  Then write MIN next to the other set.  Now overwrite the current coordinates in the example EXCLUDE_EGCB.XML file with the correct ones in MAX and MIN for both LAT and LONG.  Right, open the following folder and make a shortcut to the desktop....

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\BGL Compiler SDK

Now, every time you construct the exclusion.xml file you need to compile it to a .bgl file.  So, carefully drag the EXCLUDE_EGCB.XML file or whatever yours is called to the BglComp program and it should produce a EXCLUDE_EGCB.BGL file in the same place.  If it doesn`t then check the max min and the coordinates themselves, if its a long building/scenery rectangle then you may need to take long/lat readings from the ends instead of the sides but with practice and careful opposing angles it should take.

You need to experiment with what is FALSE/TRUE depending on the circumstances of the exclusion, be it a building, windsock etc....  Once the area is clear you can put something else on it provided the exclusion file is read before you make a similar scenery file to put something there in its place.  This is achieved by careful alphabetical naming.  You probably just need to get rid of the trees this time.  You can place further exclusion rectangles with different coordinates in this same file.  Place them directly after the second to last line and they must end before the line.  So you could add this block to the existing file, more than once with different coordinates.  If you do this with say three blocks, I would introduce one at a time and test compile, then you can easily find the faulty one out of the three.

   latitudeMinimum=" 51.6542983333333"
   latitudeMaximum=" 51.6549259722222"
   longitudeMinimum="-0.325028166666667"
   longitudeMaximum="-0.320661583333333"
   excludeAllObjects="FALSE"
   excludeBeaconObjects="FALSE"
   excludeEffectObjects="FALSE"
   excludeExtrusionBridgeObjects="FALSE"
   excludeGenericBuildingObjects="FALSE"
   excludeLibraryObjects="TRUE"
   excludeTaxiwaySignObjects="FALSE"
   excludeTriggerObjects="FALSE"
   excludeWindsockObjects="FALSE" />

Close FSX before proceeding, you can leave ADE running but use the DISCONNECT button before closing FSX.  Just place the EXCLUDE_EGCB.BGL file and the airport.bgl into the add on folder and you`re good to go.  On start of FSX it will build all new scenery files and use the new exclusions.  Normally I wouldn`t answer this in here.  I`m no expert and the ADE forum is a better place.  However this isn`t described in any detail so I`ve done it this time.

Reider

[Gypsy_Baron]

I don't believe thatg type of exclude will get rid of the trees, reider.

My understanding is that it requires a "shp2vector"  type.
You can create an exclude poly in SBuilderX and tag it to do the
job. In his case, tagging it as an airport backgound should do it.

FSX_KML will do this as well.

   Paul

[Brando14100]

Question: Once I modify an airport, how do I make the changes appear in the sim?

[reider]

Question: Once I modify an airport, how do I make the changes appear in the sim?

By placing all the files in the add on folder and starting FSX, as I said earlier.

Paul:  I saw some trees in the library so thought exclude all or exclude library objects would get rid of them.....

Reider

[Gypsy_Baron]

Question: Once I modify an airport, how do I make the changes appear in the sim?

By placing all the files in the add on folder and starting FSX, as I said earlier.

Paul:  I saw some trees in the library so thought exclude all or exclude library objects would get rid of them.....

Reider

That may depend on whether they are 'scenery' or 'autogen'.
I know that I had some scrub brush and small trees that were encroaching
on one of my fields, showing through a taxiway and a ramp and I
tried the 'usual' excludes but they didn't do it. I finally got rid of
them with one using either SBuilderX or FSX_KML. I can't
remember the details now, unfortunately. I do know I've seen a
thread of two on the subject overat fsdeveloper.com.

   Paul

[Brando14100]

What/Where is the add-on folder? Sorry, not good with developing.

[Gypsy_Baron]

What/Where is the add-on folder? Sorry, not good with developing.

You main FSX folder contains a folder named "Addon Scenery".

Within that folder is a folder called "scenery". Any BGL placed in
that folder is automatically enabled.

If you are modifying an airport, one usually creates a NEW folder
in the "Addon Scenery" folder named anything you wish. I often
use the airport name or IACO code. Withing that folder you create
another folder named "scenery" and if your modifications have
any unique textures, you also create a "texture" folder.

The BGL file(s) go in the "scenery" folder and and BMP's go in the "texture"
folder.
If you have created a new folder as above, you must use the FSX
Scenery Libray munu "Add Area" function to add this to the scenery
configuration ( i.e. activate it ).

   Paul

[Brando14100]

Okeeedokeeee.

[Brando14100]

When I go to compile the airport, it says that it cannot find the file specified. Any ideas?