FSDT Frustrations

[somiller 694]

6 hours ago, bills511 said:

+1 Thanks for this tip.
I have to add KIND to several sim.cfg files otherwise the default GSX liveries loaded instead of the current desired airline.

Bill,

Could you expand/clarify on this...I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, but have a feeling it might benefit me to know.

Regards,

[somiller 694]

6 hours ago, downscc said:

I've had my fair number of complaints with FSDT over the years, and I still have a pet peeve with their updater removing my customized AF files, but my experience with their products with their updater in the past past year has been good and I found if I mark the AF file as read only they will be left in place.  I look forward to their increased use of the PDK strategy which is a very good solution to the many limitations of simconnect.  My biggest complaint today is that KORD update is loooong overdue!!

Dan,

Is "AF file" AFCAD file (.bgl)?

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I think I might benefit from knowing what you're doing?

And a HUGE +1 regarding ORD...man do we need a new one. I'm tired of trying to figure out taxiways and runways, when my aircraft FMS's and P3D nav data/magvar tables are up-to-date, but the ORD airport layout is completely wrong.

Regards,

[Indy511 686]

1 hour ago, somiller said:

Bill,

Could you expand/clarify on this...I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, but have a feeling it might benefit me to know.

Regards,

There are several folders in (P3D\Addon Manager\Simobjects\Misc\) of each GSX objects; FSDT_Baggage_, FSDT_Cargo_, FSDT_Pushback_, and FSDT_Staircase_. In each folder is a sim.cfg file.

For KIND the airlines AA, DL, FFT, UA, and WN always load a default GSX vehicle.

What I edit in the sim.cfg: For example I look for the airline (AA for American) and add KIND to the end of couatl.icaoprefixes= line.

[fltsim.7]
title=FSDT_Baggage_Loader_AA
model=01
texture=AA
couatl.icaoprefixes=K KDFW KJFK KLAX KMIA KORD KBOS KSFO KDEN KMCO KDCA KTPA KPHX KPHL KMCI KMEM KCLT KSDF KIND
couatl.atc_parking_codes=AAL,AALX,LOF

Save file, open the file properies and set as read only so each time you run the FSDT updater it will ignore the read only sim.cfg files.

Edited April 1, 2018 by bills511

[downscc 1,327]

13 hours ago, somiller said:

Dan,

Is "AF file" AFCAD file (.bgl)?

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I think I might benefit from knowing what you're doing?

And a HUGE +1 regarding ORD...man do we need a new one. I'm tired of trying to figure out taxiways and runways, when my aircraft FMS's and P3D nav data/magvar tables are up-to-date, but the ORD airport layout is completely wrong.

Regards,

Yeah, I like to use AF instead of AFCAD for the airport file because the program AFCAD is an ancient fossil, most popular today is ADE.  You could also call them ADEX files (compiled for FSX) or ADEP for P3D.  There is a payware AF file editor at Aerosoft (AFX files) but the free ADE is much better.  GSX has gotten pretty good at customizing a parking place so that has eliminated some of the need to edit the AF file, but the primary reason is to modify the taxi links at a parking spot to provide a realistic backup that GSX follows.  It is ironic that I modify the AF to take advantage of GSX features but then FSDT wants me to use their AF files.  The secondary reason I modify AF files is to correct navaids, for some reason developers (not pointing a finger a FSDT here, this is all developers) seem to think it is okay to use default navaids in payware and at least in the US the default navaids at airports is almost always wrong.

I place my AF in the scenery folder, add an ".OFF" to the developer's AF file and from then on, GSX will use my AF file for parking and pushback.  I mark both files 'read only' so when i run the updater all I have to do is go through each FSDT scenery folder and delete the new AF the updater put there and leave my AF file and their .OFF file alone.  I should point out that I do not use AI traffic so I really don't care about taxi lanes and gate assignments, which are of paramount importance to users of AI traffic and would want updates from FSDT for the AF files.  I've asked FSDT in the forum a couple of times to provide an option to not replace AF files but it's not something he wants to do.

[virtuali 4,421]

3 hours ago, downscc said:

I've asked FSDT in the forum a couple of times to provide an option to not replace AF files but it's not something he wants to do.

Why you say that ? You have TWO options at your disposal to prevent files for being updated:

1) The creation of a text file named DONTUPDATE, which will prevent the updater from updating *anything* in the folder you place it, and this was added to the Live updater in June 10th 2017, just 8 days after the Live Update was released first:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,15922.0.html

2) The question which recognizes that, when the AFCAD is updated, will ask you if you want to overwrite your version. This has been added a bit later, September last year I think.

Of course, this question can only work if your modified file has the same name of our original one, or it the file changed because we updated it, and in both cases you are being given the option to update or not AND it will do a backup of your existing file anyway, in a "backup" sub-folder.

So, if the reason of using a different name was to prevent your file to be overwritten, there's no real need for it anymore, because you can now safely keep the original name, and just reply NO to the update question, without worrying about replying YES by mistake, since a backup will be made anyway.

And, by keeping the same name as the original file, you won't lose an eventual GSX customization we made for our own airports, which is tied to the name of the AFCAD (if the name is different, GSX will work in "default" mode, like on an unknown airport, leaving you with the onus of having to customize it from *scratch* in GSX).

[virtuali 4,421]

16 hours ago, bills511 said:

Save file, open the file properies and set as read only so each time you run the FSDT updater it will ignore the read only sim.cfg files.

This is useless now, and possibly VERY dangerous to do, because (and we *did it* in the current update) we might change other parameters not related to the airline assignment, for example the object measurement in the [Couatl] section, or the various "Conditions" that will add additional control to the object usage, usually tied to the size of the parking, the airplane weight, the airplane kind (cargo/non-cargo), etc.

So, by making the file read-only, you are preventing the updater to do its job, possibly causing strange behaviors, because we might have updated the software, expecting the objects having all the most current parameters, but they don't, because you blocked from updating them. Sometimes, if we add an entirely new parameter which the updated software requires, if it's not there (because you kept the old version), it might crash with an error, since it was looking for data that's just not there.

Since more than a year, with the August 10th 2016 update:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/couatl_liveupdate_notes.html

We added the ability to override the operators assigned to an airport, without touching the AFCAD and without touching the SIM.CFG  of the GSX vehicles, which was really a pain to do (that's why you wanted to prevent them to be updated...)

The airline codes you set in the GSX parking editor will override *everything* set in the GSX SIM.CFGs files, and you can do it by parking, by terminal, or even by airport, depending what you have selected in the left side tree-like structure.

The Airline Codes override is also explained in the GSX manual, on page 29.

[Indy511 686]

@virtuali Thank you Umberto,
I did away with the sim.cfg read only attributes and ran the live update. The airline code entries in the GSX customization were already entered without any input from me but the default liveries were still loading. So what I did was reenter the codes and hit apply and now the correct liveries will load. GSX is now working as intended.

[virtuali 4,421]

3 hours ago, bills511 said:

The airline code entries in the GSX customization were already entered without any input from me but the default liveries were still loading. So what I did was reenter the codes and hit apply and now the correct liveries will load. GSX is now working as intended.

Yes, this is how is supposed to work.

If you don't edit the codes, it will show you what's in the AFCAD, so you have an idea of the codes there, which will be used only to break ties if an operator is already assigned to that airport from the SIM.CFG files.

If, instead, you edit them manually, even if you put the same code as before, GSX will know that you did it yourself, so it will ignore its own assignments, and will trust what you set.

Yes, I know the user interface it's not entirely clear about this so, the next upgrade will modify the window a bit, showing the existing unedited codes as greyed out, and there will be a checkbox named "override operators", which will enable the editing field, making it more clear what's really happening.