How to delete Taxiway Signs ???

[Guest XQ-NUE]

Hello,is their a way to delete all the taxiway signs of the airports?I deleted the Traffic Sign.bmp in the texture folder and it works but only when its day. When it is night their are still the white ploygons viewable, without the the bitmap.How can I delete the taxiway sign?Many many thanks for any helpable answer!best regards!

[tgibson 11]

Hi,My best guess:1. Open the Traffic Sign.bmp file in DXTBmp, and give it a black alpha channel (totally transparent). Save as a DXT1 plus alpha.2. Do the same thing for the Traffic Sign_LM.bmp file. This is the texure used at night.Backup first!Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest XQ-NUE]

Hello Tom,how is the "Traffic Sign_LM.bmp" exactly calles / written? Can't find it in my texture folder :-(

[jvile 1]

If you delete the .bmp's you will delete every single sign in FS2004. Are you sure you want to do that?Each airport uses a reference sign to place all signs at the airport in FS2004. If you exclude the reference sign this unlocks all signs so a 2nd exclude is used for the remaining signs.The hard part is knowing which sign is the reference. If we knew what airport you are working on then I can read the sign code and tell you which one is the reference sign.

[Opa 6]

Fascinating response Jim.I had suspected there was a "trigger" or as you call it a "reference" sign upon which all others are keyed as I have had mixed results when trying to exclude them.The "reading the sign code" to which you refer......... is that something anyone can do if they know what to look for? Or does it require some special program or utility?Your continuing thoughts would be appreciated.

[scott967 62]

You can use SceneGenX to do this.find the AP9 bgl file containing the object, then open the file in SGX. click the "scan" button. On the "Airports" tab select the airport of interest. Note that SGX defaults a 5000 meter radius around the airport ref point to search for objects. Once your airport is selected, go to the "objects" tab. The objects that have been checked are the ones within the 5000m radius. This will include taxisigns and certain library objects which MS compiles into the AP9 files. You will see that the taxi signs are grouped, with the position of the reference sign given (the other signs are defined in terms of x/z distance from the reference one). Here's an example I picked at random (KJAX):http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/188725.jpgYou can use the position to set an exclusion rectangle.scott s..

[Opa 6]

So if I understand you correctly, using your example, the "reference" taxiway sign for group 55 is the one showing the coordinates.If I make an exclude based on those coordinates, I will get the reference one and any others in the general area - assuming my exclude is large enough to catch them.Can I also assume that if I do not "capture" the reference sign, I will likely not be able to exclude others (individually) in the general area which are a part of that sign's "group". Is that correct?Thanks in advance for your clarification.

[jvile 1]

DavidThere are several methods to removing the signs in FS9. Scott shows that some airports have more then one reference sign. Some airports only have one reference sign. Excluding the reference in most cases will exclude the group that belongs to that reference sign.I use a different method for finding the reference (SDE App data utility) but Scott and I are doing the same thing.A taxiway sign does not belong to a airport but to the reference it's X, Y is sourcing from. In some cases based on airport you can remove all signs with a single exclude. Because Scott is showing KJAX I will use it and one single exclude to get all 4 reference signs at one time.The following exclude is the entire KJAX airport. I had to zoom out in top down view mode so I could visualize the rectangle based on my plane in slew mode pointing north. I use Exclude Builder V2 to get the correct Lat/Lon. You have to make sure your exclude is very large and encompasses the entire airport. That single exclude took out the 4 references at one time so all taxiway signs were deleted. This method will not always work but is the simplist and should be used first.Now you can copy back into your Airport XML (under the airport header)all the stock Taxiway signs from the root AP9.bgl and they will show back up as long as the above exclude is above the airport header as follows. <------ All airport XML data plus the copy of all signs from the root bgl ----------> You are now free to move, edit, change and individually delete signs as needed.If the above method does not remove all the signs with a single exclude then we identify which signs that are left are the reference and go from there with additional excludes.If by chance you are designing your airport with AFCAD you cannot open as a XML and place excludes and Taxiway signs in the AFCAD. On a save AFCAD will flush out all excludes and signs.You have to make a seperate XML compiled to bgl that looks like<------ Only Taxiway signs from the root bgl ----------> Once compiled place this bgl with a unique name like KJAX_Signs.bgl into the ....FS9SceneryGenericScenery folder so it loads before the AFCAD which is at a higher priority. Always keep the XML that makes this code as a Master to work with. Edit all signs at this XML and then compile.hope this also helps.

[Opa 6]

Thanks for the additional information Jim. I shall try to digest it all over the weekend.I assume from your logon name that you are Jim Ville (excuse the last name spelling if not correct) to whom we all owe an enormous debt of gratitude for your excellent work on curved approaches - specifically Kai Tek.Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[jvile 1]

>Thanks for the additional information Jim. I shall try to>digest it all over the weekend.>>I assume from your logon name that you are Jim Ville (excuse>the last name spelling if not correct) to whom we all owe an>enormous debt of gratitude for your excellent work on curved>approaches - specifically Kai Tek.>>Thank you, thank you, thank you!>>>> That's me