Pinned this topic. Very useful info, thanks 

This would be even better if the map outlined whether they have actual buildings (3D) as opposed to basically what already comes in sim (2D - concrete).. Good job though as it must have taken some time to do this.

 

:rolleyes:

 

Pivot

 

Pivot, the map should only show airports that HAVE 3D buildings.

 

This is the way the aiport system currently works (from the lowest tier up to the highest):

 

1.) Default airports with no custom taxiway information

 

The data for these airports resides in the apt.dat file which is in the X-Plane/Resources/default scenery/default apt dat/Earth nav data folder. They usually contain accurate runway information (gleened from official databases) and a default taxiway that simply stretches in parallel to the runway.

 

 

This is the type of airport that X-Plane initially started out with in it´s earliest versions

 

2.) Default airports with a custom made apt.dat

 

The data for these airports resides in the apt.dat file which is in the X-Plane/Resources/default scenery/default apt dat/Earth nav data folder.

These are airports that have been worked on by users before the 10.30 run, often still in X-Plane version 8 or 9, uploaded to Robin Peel and added by him to the database manually. These airports never have 3D buildings, but can have 3D items like airport beacons, taxiway signs, windsocks, etc. Generally only this data can be represented in the apt.dat file.

 

3.) Global airports

 

These airports reside in the X-Plane/Custom Scenery/Global airports file. The information is partly in the apt.dat file in this folder, and also in the .dsf folders in the earth_nav_dat subfolders (many, for many different areas).

These airports have been made by users and uploaded for the collection of "lego-brick" airports. Currently about 725 airports are in that collection, uploaded to Robin Peel for the 10.30 run, and hand-added by him. These are the ones that show up as WEDbot in the new airport gateway and are also shown on the above mentioned map.

In the future all airports uploaded through the airport gateway will go to this folder, and are distributed to everyone doing an X-Plane update (beta or release version) automatically.

 

4.) Custom airports

 

These airports sit in the X-Plane/Custom Scenery folder (if you have any).

 

These are airports created by users, mostly using library objects from 3rd part scenery object collections like OpenSceneryX. They are therefore not eligible to be uploaded through the airport gateway.

These airports must be manually downloaded and then installed (by extracting them to the Custom Scenery folder, mostly) by the user - therefore you need to find the download packages first. These airports are usually more elaborate and realistic than any of the first three tiers.

 

Airports in tier 3 and 4 should have "exclusion zones" made during their creation. Information about these zones sit in the .dsf file, and therefore the default airports of tier 1 and 2 can not have them.

These exclusion zones "suppress" objects from lower tier scenery and also from the default X-Plane terrain, i.e. trees or buildings. If you have trees in the middle of your runway, chances are that your airport is either a "default" airport, it has not exclusion zones, OR it is in the wrong layer in the file scenery_pack.ini, which resides in your Custom Scenery folder and determines the layering of your custom scenery (tiers 2 and 4). If a scenery is BELOW another one, its exclusion zones can also not suppress that scenery.

 

Jan

Jan, I must be doing something wrong in the map then. I just zoomed into the Texas area and clicked the little Google markers and more than half that are flagged are 2D airports only. There are some that state 3D buildings are already applied but most are only 2D concrete runways/pads. I just thought it would be a better idea to have those that have 3D buildings be flagged with one color and those that are 2D be flagged with another. Again, it may be just me but all I see are red markers.

 

Anyway thank you for the information regarding the system itself.. I am sure it is going to be a great repository in the near future..  :smile:

 

Pivot

Hi Pivot,

 

you are right, I have just checked and some of the airports uploaded are just 2D - i.e. only runways and taxiways and such. ENBR is an example.

 

While this was not the original idea of the gateway, its still better than nothing - i.e. a wrong or nonexistant taxiway system like in tier 1 airports. Now someone else can download the data for ENBR, plop down some buildings and voilá.

 

Ben mentioned this in his blog, he fully expects the quality of the airports uploaded to slowly improve. Maybe the first upload is still pretty crude, then someone else decides to fill in some missing buildings, and so on...

 

Jan

Well alright Jan, I thought we were looking at two different maps for a minute there.. If there is a way to color code the 2D versus 3D projects it would make it much easier for developers to quickly locate locations to build on.. Anyhow, as stated before, this is going to turn into something great in a short time for XP..

 

Pivot

This is really excellent! Much easier to find airports this way. Thank you!

Thank you for the map.  Very cool!

 

Just a heads up.  I'm getting strange results using the Safari browser on OS X (zoom and pan issues).

 

Switched to Firefox real quick; all is well

 

Thanks again!

 

Mike

Just found this map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zKdUoyDRH6j0.k7Q3rMFgZpe4

It shows a overview of user created sceneries with ratings.

I noticed there have not been any posts since September 2014 and was wondering if this map is still getting updated?

Also, on the map there is a little window to search for Airports and the options for types. There are two options on there that I need to know what they are for

 

1.Airport Taxi flow

2.Taxi Route Network

 

 

Thanks much

Bob 

How do I know if these airports are already installed as a part of my beta updates?

How do I know if these airports are already installed as a part of my beta updates?

Hey Ryan,

 

I checked KORS and a couple others in Washington State and they were blank, or 2D as they say.

I then added them in. From looking at the ones I installed, they are not "as real as it gets", but certainly much better than the default (nothing).

So if you need a place to fly to, they are worth it for sure.  I have been getting a little more interested in XPX as I love the dusk

and night flying, and now with the addition of Skymaxx Pro it is quite a bit more enjoyable.

 

Regards

Bob

I noticed there have not been any posts since September 2014 and was wondering if this map is still getting updated?

 

Yes, the map is getting updated. I'm not sure if it's automated, but seems to be as my submissions show up on the map soon after.

 

 

 

How do I know if these airports are already installed as a part of my beta updates?

 

The first push of gateway airports will be happening with 10.35. See here: http://developer.x-plane.com/

 

Vince

Yes, the map is getting updated. I'm not sure if it's automated, but seems to be as my submissions show up on the map soon after.

 

 

 

 

The first push of gateway airports will be happening with 10.35. See here: http://developer.x-plane.com/

 

Vince

Vince, if you already have airports installed how will that affect the install? Will it just replace or duplicate?

 

Just curious

 

Bob

 

 

Vince, if you already have airports installed how will that affect the install? Will it just replace or duplicate?

 

Unfortunately, the gateway is not really meant for download (although you can certainly do that). It's main purpose is for upload for future Xplane updates. If you manually download an airport from the gateway, you will need to keep track of that and remove it when it is finally included for everyone.  If you don't remove it, it will take precedence over any further updates that may have happened at the gateway.

 

I don't know of any way to tell if you have duplicates.  Maybe they will include something in a future update.

 

I'm hoping we can assume that all approved airports will be included in future updates so that after an update, we can remove ALL airports that we manually downloaded and put in Custom Scenery.  You could always just put them temporarily in another folder outside of the Xplane directory and if they dissappear put them back.

 

Vince

Is there a map or list of airports in the stock Xplane 10 that have detailed buildings and other objects?