How to add an airport to FS9

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi allThis might be a really silly question but can anyone just run through what you have to do to add an airport to fs9. I am trying to update some of my airports and am adding VTBS. I have added the scenery that I want (buildings show OK but not the taxiways or runways)? Just want to know how I should do this properly as their are several add ons that need the airport code (VTBS). I have also added an AFCAD but thats as far as I have got so far. If anyone could just run through what you should do for this process it would be my mind at rest to make sure that I am doing it right?Thanks for your help! :)

[Mike... 7]

An airport is an Afcad. If you have an Afcad, you have an airport. The rest is dressing.Now, are you making something yourself? Or are you trying to install a scenery? Where have you placed your files? What folder structure? Have your added any new folder to FS' library? If you open Afcad and type VTBS, does it list your Afcad?

[tgibson 11]

Hi,One thing you need to do is make sure your runways show up. While taxiways and aprons will bring the terrain to their level, runways will not. So place a long thin apron underneath each runway, from end to end. This will bring the terrain up to meet them.You will also most likely need to remove the autogen (buildings and trees). I use ExcBuilder 2 for that.How I use it:1. Go into Slew mode (Y)2. Go into Top Down view (Ctrl-S)3. Press the Space Bar to point true north.4. Slew to the upper left of your exclude area. Click the two buttons in the upper left of ExcBuilder5. Slew to the lower right of your exclude area. Click the two buttons in the lower left of ExcBuilder.6. Select to exclude Generic Buildings and Library Objects (for example), or select All Objects to get rid of the autogen trees and buildings. 7. Click the Generate XML button.8. Click the Generate Exclude File button. I give mine names that start with x (xklax_terminal.bgl).Move the resulting .bgl file from your ExcBuilder folder to your scenery's folder, or to the Addon Scenery/scenery folder, or any other active scenery folder.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[RFields5421 1]

In the Go To Airports screen - you do not see the names/designators of the runways at the airport - you see the Start Locations.Sometimes folks will make a new airport AFCAD and not add start locations for the runways. Without those - you will have many issues - but one of them will be you cannot select the runways to place your aircraft.

[Guest flightsimmernick]

HelloI have downloaded and installed scenery as I normally do for any addon airport that I normally modify in FS. Everything normally works but seems to be a scenery issue with this one(I think)?I have an AFCAD (well their were 3 with the scenery I downloaded but have deleted the other files to leave me with the most realistic AFCAD.So this is the folder structure of the scenery area which I have added to the FS9 library. C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator 9Addon Sceneryvtbs (This is the directory I have added to FS scenery library)All the scenery files are within scenery folder in vtbs and all texturte files within a texture folder in vtbs (as like all my other addon scenery areas. All the terminal buildings, aprons, ground vehicles and taxiway signs are showing as they should but not the taxiways themselves or runways. I have not edited the scenery or texture folders since I have unziped and downloaded from the website. Any ideas or can anyone point me in the direction of any good scenery for this airport as I dont seem to be having much luck with this one.

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi ThereI have just been into AFCAD and there are start locations listed there as there are in the GO TO Airport Screen. They list all the runway start points and all gates in the AFCAD are listed.(See above for more info that I have posted)

[Mike... 7]

Is your Afcad in VTBS's scenery folder as well? I recently did some work for VTBS, "hard-coding" some basic ILS info for ATC and AI and during some tests, the runways would disappear just like you describe. It had to do with the placement of the files.The scenery I'm using is from SiamAvsim]. It takes some guessing registering, but the scenery's great. Speaking of which, perhaps take a look here:http://www.siamavsim.com/main/index2.php?o...pic&p=2691#2691http://www.siamavsim.com/main/index2.php?o...pic&p=2687#2687By the way, I'm using this Afcad: http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=91472[/i.

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Thanks for that. And yes I am using exactly the same AFCAD and scenery package as you. The scenery look's great (even though half the textures are missing)! My AFCAD is not in the scnenery folder for VTBS and is stored with all my other modified AFCAD's in C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator 9Addon Sceneryscenery. Are you saying this has to be in the main scenery folder for the addon scenery? Also just to be clear I am a little confused about what is mentioned on the links you have given to the siamavsim forum abv. At the moment I have just downloaded the base scenery package and have not downloaded the jetways and gate package. Do I have to download a specific version of this and update some of the files that I am currently using in the base package?Thanks for your help though Mike! :)

[tgibson 11]

Hi,It is always safest to keep the AFCAD in the same folder as the rest of the airport's scenery BGL files. The reason is that there might be an exclude file in there and if your AFCAD is present in a lower scenery layer it might get excluded too. I've also seen visual problems (like layering and flattening) problems unless they are all together in the same folder.When I need to decide such an issue, I follow whatever the original author did. That's how it was tested.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Mike... 7]

Nope you do not need additional files. The links explain that you may need to remove some if you've used the jetways and gates package. If you never had that, disregard.And I agree with Tom on the placement issue. I don't understand why people tend to move all their Afcads to Addon Scenery/scenery. Does this have to do with an addon or something? FS Nav?

[Guest flightsimmernick]

>And I agree with Tom on the placement issue. I don't>understand why people tend to move all their Afcads to Addon>Scenery/scenery. Does this have to do with an addon or>something? FS Nav?No I dont know why all my AFCADS have just ended up here instead of in there proper scenery directories. I think I just did that for all of them as I have a few modified AFCADS and dont have additional scenery areas for themAnyway I have now moved the VTBS AFCAD into the scenery directory as you suggested and indeed the runways and taxiways do appear! Great!Byt I was in slew mode just having an airport overview and as I moved down some of the textures for taxiways and the runways dissapeared and as I moved further back they would re-appear??

[Mike... 7]

As long as it happens only in slew, don't pay attention to it. If it happens during normal use of the airport, it might be a flattening issue. Texture bleed-through. One of the links I gave earlier have some info about flattens I believe. Me, I never really fly there, it was just a way to get AI to use both VTBS and VTBD.

[Guest flightsimmernick]

It was happening even when I flew the aircraft not just in slew mode. But now I have flattened the scenery as described in the link above. All scenery displaying as it should now so Thanks for all help on that Mike! I dont fly into VTBS/VTBD very often either but I have flewn from the UK a few times in a 747-400 which has been quite a good flight and it would be nice to fly into the new airport there instead of the old VTBD although will miss flying in there! Also have mainly done as you say for the sake of my AI traffic as most of the flightplans that I now use VTBS insead of VTBD. I think there is another airport in Hong Kong that needs updating but will leave that for the moment until I know more on that one! As I said in one of my earlier posts I was a bit confused about how to add an airport I know as long as you have scenery and an AFCAD all should be OK. I use FSAI seperation to control my AI traffic and the airport list in this did not include VTBS. I have managed to follow the instructions and manually entered the details for this airport! Very pleased but I think that the next step is to install an AI flight plan here and make sure my aircraft are behaving. The other thing that I have noticed on the taxiways that their are allot of NO-ENTRY signs painted on the taxiways. When I asked ATC for clearance to taxi to the gate I was given a route which went through about 3 of these no entry taxiways. Is there a way I can close the taxiway for aircraft going in a certain direction through the taxiway or Is it best to close the taxiway in AFCAD? Scenery work's now though which is great! Thanks Mikey! :) :)

[Mike... 7]

You cannot make a link a one-way link. The only option you have, is deleting the links in question, but that might complicate the overall traffic flow around the airport. Setting a link to closed in Afcad does not necessarily close it. It is not always (or never?) honored by the sim. Glad to help. ;-)

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Cool Thanks for thatThink I will just leave it as it. I said I dont use the airport enough to start playing around with the AFCAD!One other thing I have added the airport and when I open and speak to ATC at the airport it normally says Ground or Tower. Basically it says the name of the airport followed by what control I am speaking to then the ATC message. However for VTBS is only says Ground (does not say the airport name). Is this because I need a sound or EVP for the airport name? Thanks again Mike :)!