New archive folder

[vonSzuli]

Hi Nico, 

In the version 10.0.0 release notes, you wrote it: "The archive with its subfolders and files are no longer local but on-line."
So in the new version, archive files are not downloaded to my computer. That is, I cannot manually edit the gates with incorrect coordinates, or missing gates and ramps at airports? There are many errors that I have fixed and ground traffic at airports has become much more enjoyable. Will I not be able to do this in the future?

vonSzuli

[kiek]

Just now, vonSzuli said:

Hi Nico, 

In the version 10.0.0 release notes, you wrote it: "The archive with its subfolders and files are no longer local but on-line."
So in the new version, archive files are not downloaded to my computer. That is, I cannot manually edit the gates with incorrect coordinates, or missing gates and ramps at airports? There are many errors that I have fixed and ground traffic at airports has become much more enjoyable. Will I not be able to do this in the future?

vonSzuli

Hi,

In the release notes you can also read:

"The airport file of the latest loaded airport is available at airports\park_airport.xml for users with a RT professional license."

So you can still edit the file, and send it to me to be stored in the on-line archive, like we did befiore.
Nico
 

[vonSzuli]

Ok, but i have the standard license, not the pro... 

[kiek]

2 minutes ago, vonSzuli said:

Ok, but i have the standard license, not the pro... 

Well then you know what to do 😉

Editing airport files is work for a pro.

Edited January 7 by kiek

[vonSzuli]

But I'm just doing this for social work, not for pay. 😉 In Hungary - where i live - the pro license is not cheap fun... 

So far, it's worked great, which has benefited the community. And it takes a lot of working hours to repair a large airport to this level (like EGLL, KSFO, KLAX, etc.)

 

 

[kiek]

1 hour ago, vonSzuli said:

But I'm just doing this for social work, not for pay. 😉 I

Like me. 🙂 

I'll think about it. Let me first wait for more reactions this week

Edited January 7 by kiek

[Dave_YVR]

I know that I really like and prefer having the archived airports available on the install as well. 

[AeroMaster12]

A couple of drawbacks and concerns on losing the local archived airports:

• Unable to verify if a parking spot exists (depending on AFCAD, gates are numbered differently than what's published on Navigraph or other sources).
  • We have to guess and test parking spot IDs if we want to reserve a parking spot at the destination airport in advance
• Unable to make adjustments or local changes to XML files to suit parking preferences (+1 to @vonSzuli)
• Now dependent on internet connection for statics traffic with no fallback in the event of a server or local internet outage 
• For those who have a standard RT subscription, the price to upgrade to professional is prorated at the monthly cost. This is expensive for those who just started a new subscription and pre-paid for a full year of data.
• What was once available to all users is now being paywalled by a premium tier subscription is concerning. While PSXT's mechanism was built to help traffic history files using RealTraffic data, it opens the question of who is the custodian the data - PSXT or RealTraffic? If PSXT is storing and maintaining parking data, I feel that this shouldn't be paywalled.

[kiek]

6 hours ago, Dave_YVR said:

I know that I really like and prefer having the archived airports available on the install as well. 

It will be available to all users in 10.1.0

[kiek]

1 hour ago, AeroMaster12 said:

• Unable to verify if a parking spot exists (depending on AFCAD, gates are numbered differently than what's published on Navigraph or other sources).
  • We have to guess and test parking spot IDs if we want to reserve a parking spot at the destination airport in advance
• Unable to make adjustments or local changes to XML files to suit parking preference

in 10.1.0 the airport file will be available for all users. You can still make adjustments in the Learned file. Archived files are weekly overwritten, so not much use to adjust these; or you must sent it to me like vonSzuli does. 

1 hour ago, AeroMaster12 said:

• Now dependent on internet connection for statics traffic with no fallback in the event of a server or local internet outage 

That is a non-issue. Without an internet connection RT will not work either. (Note that unlicensed usage is discontinued).

1 hour ago, AeroMaster12 said:

• For those who have a standard RT subscription, the price to upgrade to professional is prorated at the monthly cost. This is expensive for those who just started a new subscription and pre-paid for a full year of data.

No longer an issue in 10.1.0

1 hour ago, AeroMaster12 said:

• What was once available to all users is now being paywalled by a premium tier subscription is concerning. 

Still the same worry. No worries mate. 😉 

[vonSzuli]

I installed the version 10.1.1. I must be doing something wrong, but I can't see the latest downloaded airport file (“\airports\park_airport.xml”). 

 

[kiek]

1 hour ago, vonSzuli said:

I installed the version 10.1.1. I must be doing something wrong, but I can't see the latest downloaded airport file (“\airports\park_airport.xml”). 

 

You must first go to an airport and let the airport file be read...

[vonSzuli]

Hi Nico,

I still believe that the new direction to handling airport files is not ideal.

Currently, you need to log into the simulator to have the file for the loaded airport appear in the PSXT/Airports folder.

The current system is not suitable for the following:

1. I cannot modify airport files without launching the simulator, even on another computer. (Until now, I used to copy the files I wanted to modify onto a USB drive, make the changes on my work computer, then test the results on my home computer. If necessary, I would correct the mistakes. I would then send the tested files to you.)

2. It is not suitable for testing the modified parameters myself, since the park_airport file is downloaded online, and I cannot overwrite it.

3. If I purchased the airport from the marketplace, the stock file is automatically loaded. This used to be fixable by simply overwriting the stock files in the stock folder with the modified third-party files.

I suggest that the airport files database continues to be downloaded to the computer, remains accessible, and can be freely edited and tested at home. This would also solve the marketplace problem.

Other: I see that the radius values have changed in many files, even though I fixed them. This can also cause errors in parking.

Edited Sunday at 01:51 PM by vonSzuli

[kiek]

Hi,

It is not ideal but it works. Don't forget only one or two users want to update airport files. The majority of users don't care. 

@1 Well that is not a big of a problem I'd say. You have (and again thanks for that) updated now about 5 or 6 files during one year?  Besides, you are in your Simulator quite often, not much trouble to load an airport file. 

@2 You're right, therefore you have to send the file to me, and I'll put it in the on-line archive, and then you can test it. Takes a little bit more time indeed, but it still can work. I am almost "always on" you know, being a pensionado.

@3 Never buy an airport from the Market place. There are sufficient alternatives.

@Suggestion No the archive on-line has many advantages,  at least for the majority of the users. One always has the latest version, without having to check.
With the local archive users can mess things up by opening files and accidentally creating syntax problems.
Besides, with 2024, PSXT must install two archives locally.

@other Yeah that is a problem in the way it works. When a weekly download is processed errors can occur because an aircraft is (wrongly?) positioned at a stand, while the radius does not fit. PSXT will then adjust the radius. Same for the cargo info. Hence your edited airport may still get changes. An even bigger problem is, when a version 2 of an airport is released and some users sends me the TBLO file and I offline learn it with the latest week and put it in the archive. If that was one of your airports it is now gone...  It needs more thought how manually corrected airports fit in this system, if at all...

Finally. I started PSXT 10 years ago because I was a home pilot and wanted to see traffic. Static aircraft at airports, correctly placed, was nice to have, but not a must for me. But time passed and spotters made/urged me to develop that part too. It is now already very good looking. One must wonder if more energy has to be put in it to make it perfect. 

Nico

 

 

 

[vonSzuli]

I agree with you on many things and what you have created so far is respectable. I would suggest you think about one thing. How can you give freedom to those who like to improve airport files and use them?

So far it has worked. If I wanted to, I simply overwrote the downloaded airport files with my files and enjoyed the airport traffic. Now this freedom is gone.

The marketplace problem was fixable so far, now it is gone. Of course, let's not buy from there. But i have many airports that I bought there years ago, I can't change that (I can buy them again, yes, but it is anything but cost-effective). LHBP e.g. can only be purchased on marketplace... And I say again, this was easily solved.

What if there was, for example, a choice in the program interface as to where to load the airport files from? From the online interface, or from the downloaded archive files on the computer according to the previous structure. This would give us enormous freedom who like to improve the files. 

Edited Sunday at 05:21 PM by vonSzuli