Dumbest question of the year

hurricane3

hurricane3

SOH-CM-2023
Ok ,this should rank as the dumbest question of the year if not decade award.I say that because I've been flight simming since the Commador 64 days and I should know this.(gosh this is embarresing)
What and how are AFCAD files used for in the flight sim? They just look like diagrams of airports,so how do you use this in a flight sim?I ask you guys cause your family and when you laugh at me it won't be so humbleling.you can laugh all you want at my spelling.Thanks. Oh try and make it so a 63 year old dummy can understand ,I have issues.
 
Simply put, with AFCAD you can make or modify the runways, taxiways, ramps and parking in FS.

Heck, I wear boots because some days I have trouble remembering how to tie my shoes ;)
 
I still accidentally drool on myself some days...while sober, nonetheless...so don't be so hard on yourself.

Willy is correct in his explanation. AFCADs can be created or edited using the AFCAD tool which is freely available on most of the major FS sites. It's pretty intuitive to use once you get the hang of it.

I know some people have differing opinions on this, but I personally place AFCAD files in the Addon Scenery/Scenery subfolder.
 
Also, with all the necessary information in front of you, you can build your own airport using the AFCAD program as the starting block. Basically, without an AFCAD, you have no airports, they are the heart and soul of every airport supplying such information to the sim as ICAO code, location, elevation, rwy headings and lengths, aircraft parking, NAVAids and so on.:salute:
 
ok ,now let me get this right

SO ,with the AFCAD tool ,you can turn the AFCAD files into airports or modify existing airports.Is that right?Also where do the buildings and other airport stuff come from?And as my feeble mind grasps this ,all airports in FS were created with AFCAD files.
 
I use to work for this Old CMSgt and he would always say: "The only question that is stupid, is the one you don't ask". He always followed it up with "Now ask me what you wanted to know, Stupid!"
 
know what you mean

I had a CM Sgt., who if you asked a question ,his favorite reply was "you got s.... for brains boy"
 
hurricane3 said:
SO ,with the AFCAD tool ,you can turn the AFCAD files into airports or modify existing airports.Is that right?Also where do the buildings and other airport stuff come from?And as my feeble mind grasps this ,all airports in FS were created with AFCAD files.
Click to expand...
Think of it this way. . .the AFCAD file "IS" the airport. If you want to modify an airport, or design an entirely new one then you use the AFACD program by Lee Swordy (I think ver 2.2 is the last one he did).

As for the buildings, there are freeware programs available available (I don't use any of them, lol) that will allow you to place some buildings on your airport or delete ones you don't want. None of that is easily explained in a paragraph or two. If you decide to get into scenery design, then the best place to go for information is here:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/

Check out the forum, browse through some of the threads and ask questions, there is a wealth of knowledge in that forum and some of the best developers anywhere.:salute:
 
hurricane3 said:
SO ,with the AFCAD tool ,you can turn the AFCAD files into airports or modify existing airports.Is that right?Also where do the buildings and other airport stuff come from?And as my feeble mind grasps this ,all airports in FS were created with AFCAD files.
Click to expand...
Just throwing this in, the files are actually called AF2 files, AFCAD is the name of the programme to create and edit them. The files tell FS where the Airport Facilities go and you use a Computer Aided Design to make them. Hence AFCAD. Every airport needs an afcad, it alone contains the info for the runways, taxiways, aprons. Read the manual for AFCAD, it should answer all your questions. The buildings are a whole other kettle of fish and are seperately placed by other programmes ( although I believe ADE9X does both, not sure though, don't use it )
 
.........................and... the AFCAD program basically produces a 'BGL' file, such as KDVT.BGL, or EDTQ.BGL, etc. If you were making your own runway or installing someone elses, you would usually put it in the Addon Scenery/scenery folder, or create a new custom folder like EDTQ, then put it in the Addon Scenery folder, then put a folder in 'that' folder (EDTQ) and name it 'scenery' and then place your new 'Bagel' (BGL file) in 'that' scenery folder and when you boot up FS, activate that addon scenery, reboot and check it out..


Its all about Bagels... BGL files. :d
 
I don't make my own airports, but there are lots of little flaws in smaller airports all over the virtual world. I use the program to fix those errors in my Sim. How easy is it to use? Answer - I can use it!:isadizzy:
 
Thanks to all

Thanks to all of you who took the trouble to explane all this stuff.I think now I have a fairly good idea of what AFCAD is all about, although I'll never get into scenery design myself I at least know what it's for and roughly how it's used. thanks again.
 
And if you are interested, ADE9 (Airport Design Editor for FS9) does the same exact things as AFCAD, looks similar and actually can do many more things than just plain old AFCAD can do. It's also freeware.
 
hurricane3 said:
although I'll never get into scenery design myself.
Click to expand...
Never say never. There is a programme by abacus called EZ Scenery that makes it unbelievably easy to make complex scenery. You use it in sim, scroll through the available object libraries (there are tons of custom library objects floating around on avsim and MAIW scenery objects can be used with it.) , move it to where it looks best, one click and its in. One of the best utility programmes I've ever bought.
 
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