Hello,

  I recently updated my LatinVFR KMIA scenery to version to version2. Here's my dilemna: I spent countless hours tweaking my parking in the original version to make it as realistic as possible (gate sizes, airline and cargo assignments, etc) based on parking info obtained from various sources on the web (mainly the official MIA website). The folks at LatinVFR have made a brand new afcad for version2; however, I'm still using my original afcad from version 1 with no immediately apparent issues. I would like to use the new afcad, though, (just in case I'm missing out on a potential performance increase) but I don't want to go through the headache of spending countless hours tweaking the aircraft parking all over again. Is there any utility that allows overlaying the aircraft parking only while leaving all the other parameters of the afcad file intact, e.g. taxi routes, frequencies, crossing runways, etc. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

J.C. (MYNN)

Is there any utility that allows overlaying the aircraft parking only while leaving all the other parameters of the afcad file intact

Not that I am aware of.

 

I do know that any "performance gain" from an afcad would be negligible, if it is indeed just an AFD file. With current tools so much more can show up in those files, other than just the typical parking, taxiways, runways, etc.

 

More likely having parking not lining up with buildings would be the most visual issue.

 

The only way to do what you want would be to create a new airport, in the same place, which would require a new ICAO. This would then require editing all of your traffic files so the AI would use it.

 

Far easier to edit the new afcad, with less potential problems.

 

regards,

Joe

Thanks Joe,

  I'll continue using my original afcad for now, unless someone can suggest a magic wand of sorts that would allow me to achieve my objective.

 

J.C.

Hi,

 

No, I don't know of one.  And AFD files have almost no effect on performance.

 

 

Is there any utility that allows overlaying the aircraft parking only while leaving all the other parameters of the afcad file intact, e.g. taxi routes, frequencies, crossing runways, etc. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

First, what Joe and Tom wrote is entirely accurate. No known magic wand because any utility designed to transfer the parking spot data (latitude, longitude, heading, radius and type) would not be intuitive enough to know how to reconnect it to the airport file. Meaning all of the 'taxi path' links between the spots and the airport would be broken or worse. Even if you had your preferred airport and you new airport as XML files and you attempted to hand edit those with note pad you would still be breaking the connection between the parking spots and the paths that connect the spots to the first node in the path to the airport. That said, you could go that route, compile the new airport XML, then open it with a airport editor and repair those incorrect or broken paths. Might be quicker to just modify the new airport file right from the start as Joe suggested.

 

Here is another thought: It might be possible if you are using Airport Design Editor. Open your preferred AFCAD with ADE and compile it to a temporary location with save XML checked. That would give you the entire airport in XML form. You could edit that so that only the parking and necessary elements that would allow ADE to import it remain. Open your new airport with ADE. Delete all the existing parking and then import your parking XML, next you would have to connect the parking to the taxi paths as needed to route the AI correctly. Again may still be quicker to just edit the new airport.

 

I hope this helps, . . . but, if you do find that magic wand please let me know, I might like to borrow it.

 

Regards,

Mel

AFX will allow you to select items to copy from one AFD file into another. Obviously, as has been said, there will be significant complications but if you want to copy all the parking spots across (after deleting the existing ones in the newer file) and just link up the taxiways manually that may be the easiest way to do it.

 

But my instinct is to apply the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" routine. If your existing file does you fine, then stick with it.

 

John