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MkAFD2

G

Grinseed

Charter Member
After another long absence (internet problems) I have returned to working on the Flanders Roads project. While I was gone, the proverbial penny dropped for me on how to use GoogleEarth directly with G2k with greater precision without resorting to a lengthier method involving FSSC. But in the meantime I have apparently forgotten how to use MkAFD. :help:
I have followed two sets of instructions and several approaches of my own, but I end up with bgls and airfield data that plonk me hundreds of miles from my intended airfield destination.

Could someone prod my confused grey cells? I recall there was a certain trick about entering the co-ordinates...or did I dream that bit?

Thanks and cheers, Grinseed
 
Grinseed said:
After another long absence (internet problems) I have returned to working on the Flanders Roads project. While I was gone, the proverbial penny dropped for me on how to use GoogleEarth directly with G2k with greater precision without resorting to a lengthier method involving FSSC. But in the meantime I have apparently forgotten how to use MkAFD. :help:
I have followed two sets of instructions and several approaches of my own, but I end up with bgls and airfield data that plonk me hundreds of miles from my intended airfield destination.

Could someone prod my confused grey cells? I recall there was a certain trick about entering the co-ordinates...or did I dream that bit?

Thanks and cheers, Grinseed
Click to expand...

Well, my version of Google Earth displays coordinates in decimal degrees - that is, degrees to the left of the "." and decimal parts of a degree to the right of the "."

So, for example, N50.50* in Google Earth degrees is the same as N50 degrees, 30 minutes, 0 seconds in conventional degrees, minutes, and seconds format. If you were to interpret the .50 (Google) as minutes, you'd be 20 minutes off. But that wouldn't account for hundreds of miles.

Conversion from decimal degrees to degrees, minutes, and seconds goes like this. Say you want to convert 50.93 degrees to degrees, minutes, and seconds:

multiply the decimal part of the degrees (0.93) X 60. This gives you your decimal minutes = 55.8

Now multiply the decimal part of the minutes (0.8) X 60. This gives you your decimal seconds = 48

The decimal seconds just happened to come out a whole number in this example.

Now combine the degrees, integer part of the minutes, and seconds like so: 50* 55' 48" - that's 50 degrees, 55 minutes, 48 seconds in plain english.

However the "airbases.dat" file uses degrees and decimal minutes format. So forget the seconds and go with 50* 55.8' - that's 50 degrees, 55.8 minutes in plain english.

You can tell what format is being used by paying attention to the symbols. For example, N50.93* means 50.93 decimal degrees in plain english. When you see a "." symbol anywhere, it means that number is a decimal number. So 55.8' means 55.8 decimal minutes in plain english. If a number is decimal, there shouldn't be anything to the right of it. That's included in the decimal part.

And, just so there's no misunderstanding, 55.8' does not mean 55 minutes and 8 seconds. It means "55 point 8 minutes". Big difference. "point 8 minutes" is 48 seconds.

Also, there is an offset between Google coordinates and CFS2 coordinates even after you get them into the same format. The offset varies in different parts of the globe. You just have to figure out what the offset is in the area where you're working. It's not a huge offset. Maybe a mile or so in some areas, but it's noticeable.
 
Thank you for the reply Ettico. Its always good to have a refresher on the different co-ordinate expressions.
HOWEVER, the co-ordinates, are not the problem. The one set I've been trying to enter into MkAFD (N 51 3.02 E2 21.30) is taken from Mission Builder not GoogleEarth.
The real problem is that the coordinates, elevation and heading aren't being registered.
I have used this utility successfully many times before, but not for the past six months, and whatever method I was using before is now forgotten (damn grey cells).
When I create a bgl, the minutes of my coordinates, 3.02 and 21.30, revert to 302 and 2130 in their respective windows (is this natural?) and the airbases.dat creates a record of N56.20 W5 33.00 which is reflected in the results of the bgl created.

I don't understand why my entries are not taking effect. I'm using the 2.12 version and the latest scasm version. I have even swapped keyboards. Pretty ironic that while I have learned to use G2k I now cant make airfield entries with MkAFD, lol.
Is there any other way to create afd and airbases data?

Cheers Grinseed
 
Hi Grinseed,

Beats me. I have MKAFD ver. 2.5 according to the readme. I've used it to make airfield entries and AFD's the same way, by taking the coord's from Mission Builder, without a problem.

That reversion you report shouldn't happen.

Maybe you just need to download the latest version of MKAFD.
 
Good idea Ettico, not much else I can do.
I notice now I can change alt and headings in the airbases.data but the coordinates are still determined to avoid Dunkirk.
Would you please supply a link for the latest MkAFD version. I've just looked in the file libraries of Fightsim and Avsim and the addons here but got no results.
Thank you.

Grinseed
 
Never mind, I found the newest MkAFD version at Martin Wrights site, but I already had it. Version 2.12 is the latest, version 2.5 leads the version list in the readme.

Still no luck. I can change names, altitudes and headings but the co-ords remain:
base_lat=N56 2.00
base_lon=E5 33.00

There must be some simple technique to entering the co-ordinates that I am overlooking.

I've done everything from erasing all versions and starting completely fresh to varying inputs with the numberpad off and on, using the cursor, not using the cursor, and those bloody co-ords only change to S and W occasionally. Witchcraft and the sacrifice of small furry animals is all I have left to try (the cat just left the room, he senses something unpleasant).

Any help, any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. I need someway of creating airbase entry point for new airfields. I am not creating runways just airfields, WW1 and all that.

I'll be in the shed with kitty, sharpening my knives.

Grrrrrinseed

ps and I have also run MW's registery clearing program which made no difference....I'm starting to think this is God's way of telling me to abandon flightsims....and judging by the hours I've wasted trying to make this work I'm starting to see His point of view....
 
:icon_lol:

I'm having the same problem with Qbasic. It's not doing what I tell it. Keeps saying a "file is already open". There are 3 problems with this complaint.

1. I'm telling it to kill a file, not open it.

2. There are a whole group of CLOSE statements directly above the KILL statement, and no way to avoid all of them. A CLOSE statement is supposed to close all open files.

3. I don't have a cat to sacrifice.

:banghead:


OK...now I see what it did. It cleverly exploited a misnumbered GOTO statement below the KILL statement to cunningly sneak back to the KILL statement after opening the file.

It won't get away with that again...
 
Hi Ettico.

CFS2 coordinates are the same as Google Earth. It's the coastlines and rivers that are misplaced in the sim... which is exactly what I've been working on for the last few weeks. The Aces team used poor data, and got poor placement. It's not their fault, as it was the best free data at the time.

Some of the default pacific islands are tremendously misplaced, as well as mis-shaped.

My plan is to throw out all the bad data, and replace it with less-bad data.

Dick
 
rhumbaflappy said:
Hi Ettico.

CFS2 coordinates are the same as Google Earth. It's the coastlines and rivers that are misplaced in the sim... which is exactly what I've been working on for the last few weeks. The Aces team used poor data, and got poor placement. It's not their fault, as it was the best free data at the time.

Some of the default pacific islands are tremendously misplaced, as well as mis-shaped.

My plan is to throw out all the bad data, and replace it with less-bad data.

Dick
Click to expand...

Hi dick,

Yes, that makes sense.

Do you mean you plan to start reshaping the CFS2 world? Other than what you've already done with the mesh?

I haven't downloaded your mesh. It would take forever with my poor ISP. But everyone is praising it.
 
Grinseed,

Can you post a screenshot of your MKAFD screen? Maybe a before and after? Sometimes that helps.

I'm clueless as to what could be going on. I've never had a problem with MKAFD.
 
Hi Ettico.

Yes. I am making new coastal-trimmed mesh at LOD8 for the European and Pacific theatres, and I'm making new watermasking to replace the poor data in these areas.

The watermasks are much smaller than the mesh, so even a dialup internet should be able to download them. About 2 weeks work left.

SDC's European sets may be OK, and if so, can be used in conjuction with the new watermasks, giving them greater priority.

Dick
 
Thanks for your continuing interest in this problem of mine Ettico. Its an annoying issue I'd like to resolve so I can process the airbase data as I go along. In the past few days I have completed the St Pol sur Mer, Coudekerke and Bray Dunes airfields.
The following pics were taken in sequence as I tried to process St Pol sur Mer. I hope they help to help you help me.
I set the compiler, entered the Location details, then the Airfield Details, then hit Create AFD BGL: the decimal points disappear, and I get the N56 2.00 etc result in the airbase.data which is reflected in the resulting bgl when it is applied in the game.
I can change the altitude and heading and the airport name and it shows in the airbase.data. Any changes in the coordinates results in similarly incorrect locations in the bgl and I do no think there is any rhyme or reason in the variations, but even if there was I would be hard pressed to work out what they were. I want to do what everyone else apparently does, hit the button and get the correct result. :)

Cheers Grinseed
 
Be warned. If I cant get MkAFD to work on my computer I might need a volunteer to process bgls from the data I collect. Dont all take one step back now, I have a ways to go yet :)
 
Hi Grinseed,

I copied your info into my location fields. Then I clicked on "airbases.dat", "view/edit", then "copy". Then I pasted the copy into notepad for a test. There was no problem.

Then I clicked on "AFD", then "create AFD bgl", and the thing created an AFD bgl and a scasm file.

The numbers in the location fields never changed. In fact, I've never seen them change unless I manually change them.

If you do exactly the same things I did, then exactly the same thing should happen. If the same thing doesn't happen, there must be something wrong with your copy of MKAFD

The MKAFD I'm using came with MW's cfsTmap, which is a CFS1 scenery generator. My MKAFD resides in the same folder with cfsTmap, along with the scasm compiler. I think Martin says it's the latest version of MKAFD.

If all else fails, you could try downloading and installing cfsTmap like I did. You'll end up with the same setup I have. With some minor tweaking, cfsTmap and MKAFD can be used to create flat texture tiles usable in CFS2.
 
The comma may just be my problem then. I type a "." and get a "," .
The "," is present when the utility opens after being zipped.
My Region/Languages set at English/Australian and we use the "." for decimal points. A day or two ago I changed to German numbering, because I was told once that the decimal point was represented by a "," but that didnt fix anything either. Maybe I need to set to English/US or English/English.(ps that didnt work either)
In any case, I copied the original MkAFD zip I've been using to my daughter's computer (having solemnly promised it would harm no Sims characters!) and it works fine there. Its my computer that's the problem and it has something to do with how the decimal point in MkAFD is shown on screen....thats just typical, of all the puters I had to choose from in the shop I got the mutated one. Any way I know now I can use my daughters computer to make the bgls and airbases files (until the Sims start dying off mysteriously).
Thanks for your time and effort Ettico and Rhumba et al, it is all much appreciated. The cat got its reprieve and its all quiet on the MkAFD front - back to work :typing:

If I ever come up with a real solution to my computer's refusal to work with MkAFD I'll report back.

Cheers Grinseed
Cheers Grinseed
 
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