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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

Airport Improvement?

I almost had a heart attack when I couldn't find the modified airport file, restarted the utility, loaded the adjusted file and it said Airport file: E:\Flight Simulator X\Scenery\0601\scenery\APX49130.bgl

But turns out it does not make any changes to the existing file, but that line could read Source file, instead of Airport file.

Finding the changed file took a bit of snooping and I finally found it located on my system at;

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FlightSimTools.com\Airport Wizard\scenery_FSX\scenery

Now that I know where it is, I know where to look. But having it in the Addon Scenery folder OR a location chosen by me would be a better option, IMHO.


Now to go see what it does in-sim!
 
LCSims said:
I almost had a heart attack when I couldn't find the modified airport file, restarted the utility, loaded the adjusted file and it said Airport file: E:\Flight Simulator X\Scenery\0601\scenery\APX49130.bgl

But turns out it does not make any changes to the existing file, but that line could read Source file, instead of Airport file.

Finding the changed file took a bit of snooping and I finally found it located on my system at;

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FlightSimTools.com\Airport Wizard\scenery_FSX\scenery

Now that I know where it is, I know where to look. But having it in the Addon Scenery folder OR a location chosen by me would be a better option, IMHO.
Click to expand...

OK, can you send me the modified file after you're done so I can check it out without having anything else installed? If they're using Jon's (vertical reality) method it shouldn't have to have any effects along. The Taxiway lighting may be specular based too.

Jim
 
Here is the modified file I did a quick tinker with.

But I have some questions I'm going to need to ask the developer about, so it probably won't work?!? The product can be used as a trial for airports in Belguim and that's where I did the quick run through.

Why it may not work is there is a scenery library that contains the taxi light file, but in my install I did not see an EULA or maybe I missed it? So to see the lights, you need to redistribute the scenery library file, which I'm 99% sure that is the intention. But again I didn't see an EULA, so I'm holding off including what's needed.

Downloading and installing the demo from the developer's site is the best option for now.

I like how it draws the lines. But I noticed that if you toggle the scenery layer OFF in the scenery library that the lines still display, along with reverting back to the original lines. I'm guessing a restart of FSX is necessary, as the line drawing is being done externally to FSX.

But it's a cool little application, IMO. But I know the developer, so I have to issue that disclaimer.
 
Keep posting guys on the usefulness of this tool. It looks promising and I might pick it up for the airport I'm starting work on now. I guess you would redraw your taxi lines and lights after working on the airport in ADE? Or maybe not draw any lines or lights and then add them with this tool? Don't know how it works...maybe I'll download the demo when I get closer to that part of my project. Anyway, I'm interested to hear your thoughts and glad you started this thread Jim. Looking forward to more info!

Brandon
 
You're right, Lance, it didn't work. I had the debugger active and it claimed to need TransparentTexture.bmp, EBWE_ApronIllumination.bmp, and EBWE_TaxiLines.bmp There was no indication that it needed any objects. (I would normally see a "Failed to load object...GUIDxxxxxxx").

Is this for self improvement and not distributable?

That would be a bummer.

Jim
 
jdhaenens said:
Is this for self improvement and not distributable?
Click to expand...

Greets Jim!

Heard back and the answer if yes and no, but let me explain. Airport Wizard installs a module, much like if you're using Instant Scenery or Heli Traffic. There is also the scenery library for taxiway lights and center line lights. Those are not distributable. So what to do? Instruct the end user to download and install the demo version of Airport Wizard. This will install the module and scenery library onto the end user's system. They would get the module installer screen after installation, then get asked if they want to run and trust the module upon the next startup of FSX. Thereafter the end user doesn't need to do anything with Airport Wizard to see it's effect.

A designer would distribute the revised airport file BGL and .DAT file for any enhanced airport. I did not ask a followup about BGL and DAT file placement, if it could be with the rest of a scenery package, like how your work is done. But I'll bug the developer again in the morning.

I only spent a few minutes with the tool earlier today, so my input is limited. But the little I saw gave me a "Cool!" response. The lighting effect for a non-Gmax'er like myself was nicely done. Just wish there was a light pole to go along with the effect. And the airport I tinkered with didn't have taxi or runway lights, so I still need to see how that looks. But the line drawing looked much better than the default SDK lines, as in way smoother, not point to point.

So I would recommend downloading and installing the demo, see how it works on one of the airports in Belguim and then decide if it's right for you.
 
Whats it do to an AI sitting on the apron? Does it illuminate it too?
Installing the demo now.
 
Airport Wizard installs a module, much like if you're using Instant Scenery or Heli Traffic. There is also the scenery library for taxiway lights and center line lights. Those are not distributable.
Click to expand...

Bummer. I really like to make sceneries self contained: nothing required but the one download. I'm sure that more than a few other folks that do sceneries would feel the same, but that's up to them.

For $15.00 though, it's not too costly for personal use, as a matter of fact, it's way cool, but not the time-saver I'd hoped for development. Does it come with an uninstaller?

Jim
 
LCSims said:
Greets Jim!
Heard back and the answer if yes and no, but let me explain. Airport Wizard installs a module, much like if you're using Instant Scenery or Heli Traffic. There is also the scenery library for taxiway lights and center line lights. Those are not distributable.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying that. It's an interesting program, but that requirement knocks it out of the running as a professional scenery design tool. Still, it's interesting to see developers continuing to innovate.

JoeW said:
Whats it do to an AI sitting on the apron? Does it illuminate it too?
Installing the demo now.
Click to expand...

I think that's beyond the abilities of FSX in general, Joe, much less this tool.
 
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