@srcooke, Stephen, my own will have a different name and location. That should ensure they remain untouched. Surely?

I haven’t done my own JFK yet. Too much work and I know where the BA terminal is so can find my own way.

In a separate location your files will be fine.

4 minutes ago, srcooke said:

In a separate location your files will be fine.

As I suspected. 😀

1 hour ago, Midnight Music said:

Has anyone tried the DRZEWIECKI DESIGN JFK by comparison?

 

Yes I have both. I didn’t like the ground textures in the fsdt version so currently have the DD version installed. While the dd version isn’t incredible, The fsdt version looked very dated to me 

I keep a spreadsheet database with known good parking spots for different type acft (pax small/medium/heavy, cargo medium/heavy) which gets updated each time I customize a parking spot in GSX.  Typically when starting a flight, I first look to see if there's a spot that I've already set-up for the acft type, and if so, I plan on using that.  Same for the destination.  If not, then I use ADE to find one or more candidates, fire up the sim, and go there to check that everything fits and do a quick parking spot customization in GSX, and then annotate that in the spreadsheet for future use.

When I do start at a known spot that I've already customized, I start the scenario on the runway, then use GSX to warp me to the desired spot, which puts me exactly in place on the spot in reach of the jetway with all the GSE parked properly.  And GSX allows you to specify the parking spot size (for your acft, not for AI) overriding the ADE, so a spot that's got a 35m radius defined in the ADE that won't allow a 38m B747-8 can be set to 38m in GSX, allowing it to park you there.

I find this especially necessary for jumbos like the 744/777 and most especially the 748, as many parking spots that appear to be big enough in the ADE turn out to be sticking a wing through a building or parked with the nose embedded in the terminal, etc.

At places I frequent, I sometimes use ADE to mod the parking spots I've customized in the airport file, setting the radius to 5m so that P3D doesn't park AI there, in effect leaving it always available for me (since GSX will override the spot size for me and support me parking there).

Regards

 

2 hours ago, duckbilled said:

I gave up because every time something updates in the FSDT ecosystem it checks your airports to make sure you have an updated AFCAD. It will deactivate the one you created and replace it with the original crappy one. When ever this happens you have to go through all of your FSDT scenery, delete the FSDT ones and reactivate the one you created. It is a pain to do this when you have all of their scenery.

 

2 hours ago, vc10man said:

Just in time, on home PC, about to start that that tip by Ray, till I read your post.What a total waste of time and energy re: FSDT airports. Grr-rr! No wonder Umberto wants to avoid the issue. That's done it for me. Bin their KJFKv2. I have tons more to enjoy the 747-8i from. Thanks for that heads-up.

 

37 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Really? It will delete the one I created and placed in my custom folder? Hmmm, are you sure? If you keep the name of yours the same and in the same folder I agree it will probably be deleted but if you place it elsewhere I don't see how it can.

 

23 minutes ago, srcooke said:

As long as the afcad has the SAME name it will not be automatically deleted, you are prompted as to whether to replace it.

I have several modified in this way.

Should you use your own file name then the file is deleted as it is not a recognized FSDT file.

Quoting you all only so that you can see this comment from Umberto himself on the FSDT forum on how to avoid live updates changing files:
 

Quote

Create a file named DONTUPDATE in any folder you want to prevent from being updated, so the Live Update will skip it. It's not recursive so, if you have a sub-folder inside that you want to exclude from updating too, you must create another DONTUPDATE file there as well.

The file doesn't have to contain anything, it can be an empty text file, the only things that matters is that is called DONTUPDATE with NO extension (no .TXT extension, for example)

How you achieve this no extension (in case you don't already know) is to open Notepad and save the blank file using Save As with the name "DONTUPDATE". Use the quote marks in the file name to prevent a file suffix from being added.
Place this file in every folder that you don't want the Live Updater to touch.

Thanks for that insight F737NG.

28 minutes ago, F737NG said:

How you achieve this no extension (in case you don't already know) is to open Notepad and save the blank file using Save As with the name "DONTUPDATE". Use the quote marks in the file name to prevent a file suffix from being added.
Place this file in every folder that you don't want the Live Updater to touch.

Cool. I wasn't aware that we could do that. Still, it would be a lot nicer if they were correct from the beginning.

25 minutes ago, duckbilled said:

t would be a lot nicer if they were correct from the beginnin

++1 with you on this.

The major problem with placing your own ade/afcads in their own folder is that you are creating duplicates which will introduce all sorts of AI and also visual anomolies. The sim will still read and use those placed at a lower priority. With the FSDT airports and the live update issue, it's best to use the same filenames so that live update asks you if you want to update the airport file. 

Also for user parking positions, you can just use GSX to rename or resize spots to fit your aircraft, then there's no need to use ADE if you don't want to. Once completed you don't even need to reboot the sim to see your work, just restart couatl and your edits will be in.

2 minutes ago, Dave_YVR said:

The major problem with placing your own ade/afcads in their own folder is that you are creating duplicates which will introduce all sorts of AI and also visual anomolies. The sim will still read and use those placed at a lower priority. 

With respect Dave, I disagree. If I rename the BGL added by FSDT to BG# where’s the duplicate? I’ve been using this system for years without issue.

The only time I’ve been unable to create a custom AFCAD is when custom buildings are in it and if I use mine I’ll lose those buildings. Classic case is Aerosoft Heathrow Xtended. I can live with a few duplicated ramp numbers.

7 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

If I rename the BGL added by FSDT to BG# where’s the duplicate? I’ve been using this system for years without issue.

 That itself isn't a duplicate of course, but why then put them in their own folder and doesn't the FSDT Live update detect that a file is missing and replace it on it's own?

Quote

I augmented AFCADS all the time, but I gave up doing it with FSDT airports. Besides the fact that I shouldn't have to augment their products to make them operate properly, I gave up because every time something updates in the FSDT ecosystem it checks your airports to make sure you have an updated AFCAD. It will deactivate the one you created and replace it with the original crappy one. When ever this happens you have to go through all of your FSDT scenery, delete the FSDT ones and reactivate the one you created. It is a pain to do this when you have all of their scenery. I just wish they would create AFCADS that are accurate AND operate properly from the beginning

Wow, that would annoy the hell out of me. I have modified hundreds of AFD files in my time, and I do not expect my modified versions to be overwritten at any time. As for the "Gate Heavy" definition, I was not aware that this actually mattered. Maybe it's because I always have animated vehicles set to "0%" in the options menu, so default vehicles (thankfully) never grace my airports at all. To be honest, I have never noticed a difference between Ramp GA (Large/Medium/Small), or Gate (Heavy/Medium/Small). All that seems to matter on my PC is the parking radius, and whether the parking spot has any associated airline codes.

Edited January 26, 20197 yr by Christopher Low

Boy, if I was befuddled at the beginning of this thread, I am now even more befuddled. 🤔Guess I'll just skip FSDT's New York2 as 7 hours ago I took off from Flightbeam-s KSFO and it replicated the gate exactly as I remember our Virgin Atlantic 747-400 arriving there.
 

23 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

Wow, that would annoy the hell out of me. I have modified hundreds of AFD files in my time, and I do not expect my modified versions to be overwritten at any time.

 It's not as crazy as it sounds, the live updater will replace missing files or files that have names that aren't supposed to be there. Any ade updates you do to FSDT airports you just rename to the same as how FSDT named it. Next time you run the updater which is generally a VERY good thing to do as they do very frequent updates, it will ask you if you want to replace it, simply select NO and it moves on.

As for parking at Heavy Gates or Medium etc, it's kinda stupid really. They aren't labeled like that IRL, know the gate or stand number that you want to park at or should be using and go from there.

Edited January 26, 20197 yr by Dave_YVR