Hello helpfulls,

Back when I were a lad - and before my break from simming for quite a few years - I used to download AFCAD files from the avsim file library for FSX to improve default airport layouts and the AI positioning. There seemed rto be one for every airport I ever looked for and it was normally done by the same chap. I have a memory of him being called Smith but that may be a false memory. Anyway, having just installed my first airline with AIG I popped into heathrow to see if my efforts were correct and indeed the aircraft are there as one would expect. And one would expect to see them parked at all the wrong gates which of course they all are.

So, I went to look for and AFCAD file for EGLL and there isn't one. Not for P3Dv5 anyhow. Actually there doesn't seem to be many for anywhere. So, my questions are, where do I get them these days? Are people just not uploading them anymore? or are they uploading them elsewhere? Or is it a case of I can use the AFCAD files for P3D v4 or something?

 

I'm rather at a loss so any direction I would be grateful for. I can't be seeing BA planes all over the airport except where they are meant to be.

  Ray Smith was THE guy for FSX afcads without a doubt. So many incredible default airports brought to life. P3d and then more so with V5 things changed as it uses different scenery libraries and airport footprints (some call it updated, but they mostly have less buildings and far less parking than any previous versions) that converting Ray's ade's for P3d became more difficult.

 Bringing in old V4 ade's into V5 leads to default v5 buildings and taxisigns being displayed overtop of your v4 ade's so you have to exclude the v5 scenery objects and taxisigns. It really doesn't take much to convert, often only a few minutes work for each airport. YouTube has tutorials that can show you what to do with converting ades for use in V5. Learning how to edit with ADE is a game changer imo, past that learning how to import Ray's work into V5 where able is even more so.  

58 minutes ago, Jazz said:

Hello helpfulls,

Back when I were a lad - and before my break from simming for quite a few years - I used to download AFCAD files from the avsim file library for FSX to improve default airport layouts and the AI positioning. There seemed rto be one for every airport I ever looked for and it was normally done by the same chap. I have a memory of him being called Smith but that may be a false memory. Anyway, having just installed my first airline with AIG I popped into heathrow to see if my efforts were correct and indeed the aircraft are there as one would expect. And one would expect to see them parked at all the wrong gates which of course they all are.

So, I went to look for and AFCAD file for EGLL and there isn't one. Not for P3Dv5 anyhow. Actually there doesn't seem to be many for anywhere. So, my questions are, where do I get them these days? Are people just not uploading them anymore? or are they uploading them elsewhere? Or is it a case of I can use the AFCAD files for P3D v4 or something?

 

I'm rather at a loss so any direction I would be grateful for. I can't be seeing BA planes all over the airport except where they are meant to be.

Unfortunately, most freeware FSX and P3D1-4 AFCADS won't work well with P3Dv5.  The reason is that stock airports were updated in v5, so if you load an airport made for P3D, for example, there will be a lot of extra and/or misplaced objects and buildings, plus the location of the P3D airport may not be exactly right so it won't fit well with the v5 updated vector data.  FSX airports have even more problems such as needing some taxiway and apron property changes, as well as some stock objects no longer existing in P3Dv5.

The FSX and P3Dv4 airports can be updated to work in P3Dv5 using Airport Design Editor, but it takes some work and know-how.

I offered to update some of Ray Smith's airports to make them work with P3Dv5 and upload them to AVSIM giving due credit to the original developers, but unfortunately was denied permission. 

I update airports as I visit them and in many cases upload them to AVSIM so others can enjoy them.  I hope more people do the same, as the freeware offerings for P3Dv5 are pretty scarce compared to FSX and P3Dv1-4.  Hopefully over time we'll eventually have a huge library of P3Dv5 freeware airports.

Dave

Edited December 15, 20214 yr by dave2013

Ray Smith is the AFCAD builder you are thinking of.
He is still adding new files for FSX.

For P3D v1 - v4, there was someone making Ray's files compatible with P3D. His name is Robert Catherall and you can find his files here:
https://library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=root&SearchTerm=robert+catherall&Sort=Added&ScanMode=1&Go=Change+View

Unfortunately, there has been a change to how P3D v5 deals with objects, so you will need to learn how to operate the program Airport Design Editor (ADE) available on the Scruffy Duck Software website to exclude the default objects.

21 minutes ago, dave2013 said:

Unfortunately, most freeware FSX and P3D1-4 AFCADS won't work well with P3Dv5.  The reason is that stock airports were updated in v5, so if you load an airport made for P3D, for example, there will be a lot of extra and/or misplaced objects and buildings, plus the location of the P3D airport may not be exactly right so it won't fit well with the v5 updated vector data.  FSX airports have even more problems such as needing some taxiway and apron property changes, as well as some stock objects no longer existing in P3Dv5.

The FSX and P3Dv4 airports can be updated to work in P3Dv5 using Airport Design Editor, but it takes some work and know-how.

I offered to update some of Ray Smith's airports to make them work with P3Dv5 and upload them to AVSIM giving due credit to the original developers, but unfortunately was denied permission. 

I update airports as I visit them and in many cases upload them to AVSIM so others can enjoy them.  I hope more people do the same, as the freeware offerings for P3Dv5 are pretty scarce compared to FSX and P3Dv1-4.  Hopefully over time we'll eventually have a huge library of P3Dv5 freeware airports.

Dave

Ray Smith, that's the fella! Rather a shame he wouldn't let you update them. I can't help but wonder why. Well, I appreciate the work people like you do but I'm rather astonished that no one has done Heathrow. I mean, it's Heathrow.

Your reply rather clears it up then. I'm stuck with the default. I assume that if there is an AFCAD for an airport I'm looking for this is still the best place to find them?

27 minutes ago, F737NG said:

Ray Smith is the AFCAD builder you are thinking of.
He is still adding new files for FSX.

For P3D v1 - v4, there was someone making Ray's files compatible with P3D. His name is Robert Catherall and you can find his files here:
https://library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=root&SearchTerm=robert+catherall&Sort=Added&ScanMode=1&Go=Change+View

Unfortunately, there has been a change to how P3D v5 deals with objects, so you will need to learn how to operate the program Airport Design Editor (ADE) available on the Scruffy Duck Software website to exclude the default objects.

Yes, I remember trying to get the hang of that program back in the day and I didn't get on with it. I can't see me trying to again. Not any time soon anyway. I only just got back to this hobby and at the moment I just want to get up and flying again.

If you need pre-built exclusion files (rather than using ADE) check out https://www.inibuilds.com/p3d-v5-scenery-compatibility-files

On 12/15/2021 at 6:50 PM, pgde said:

If you need pre-built exclusion files (rather than using ADE) check out https://www.inibuilds.com/p3d-v5-scenery-compatibility-files

Link is broken. Please allow me to necro post; I found the updated link:

https://old.inibuilds.com/p3d-v5-scenery-compatibility-files

Edited April 10, 20242 yr by Luis Hernandez

Thank you for the new link, @Luis Hernandez.

There are other folks that also make and post AFCADs to AVSIM, including myself. If anyone wants one that doesn't exists, please ask for it. 

 

Most of the time I'll use ADE to add exclusion zone and it works fine, backup the original _cvx or _obj .bgl file as they might get overwritten when compiling 

I guess it depends what you are after, but I find a lot of these AFCAD files unfortunately do not have an accurate layout. Gates, taxiways and sometimes even runways are not in their correct geographical location/coordinates.

If you fly online on VATSIM/IVAO along with people using payware scenery, or use a software like Volanta, you will notice how bad it can sometimes be.... 

Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the work that goes into making those files. I just wish they were more accurate.👍

I use ADE to make some Prepar3d v5 airports a little more realistic as far as gates and placement of buildings.  I also correct taxiway and runway layouts as needed and correct taxiway signage as well.  I have a few AFCAD's published in the library but their local airports to me in Georgia and a few others I fly into on VATSIM.