ASD and FS2002.

[Guest]

I found an interesting document by Steve McClelland at abacuspub.com relating to fs2002 and ASD. Seems that ASD can be used to create new scenery for fs2002 and CFS2.The document explains which parts of ASD can and cannot be used when creating scenery for fs2002. Visit www.abacuspub.com click on the fs2002 software, select ASD, and then click on the link for the document.Dave/KAZO

[Guest]

I guess the only question I have is "why bother?".Bob Bernstein

[Guest]

Why not? Sure Airport can do more, but there are quite a few people who have ASD, and dont like Airport. So they have a tool they are familiar with, and can now use it for FS2002 scenery.

[Guest]

I imagine anyone that was familier with ASD has already figured that information out. I've been an avid supporter of ASD during fs98 and stuck with it thru fs2000, and the first thing I did last fall was to deduce what would and wouldn't work in fs2k2. In my opinion, this press activity is more likely directed to produce new sales...new sales of an obsolete product serving a market that now has free alternatives that are superior products. The number of "valid" or "optimal" scenery design notions for fs2k2 that ASD supports is no longer significant, and the number of pitfalls far outway the benefits. In the post you referred to I was dissapointed by the constant politcal correctness that in this case bordered on misinformation. Lets call it gross exageration, yet if my presumption that only the uninformed would be considering buying ASD, then misinformation in an article like this is really a bad thing.The paper starts out with the statement:"Basically, you can use almost all ASD features with FS2002"Then the next page lists feature after feature that are obsolete. LOLStarts with Region tool (stated as having "limited" function...HAW). That's followed by the terrain tool (which produces TEXRELIEF terrain, obsolete even for fs2000. again labeled as "of limited use")I'll say!!!!!!! Limited only to idiots that desire a total mess rather than useful scenery! HAWThen we get to read about the mountain tool.(another "limited use" function.....HAW ....I guess the author forgot the key to this code he's using, limited use means OBSOLETE. Abacus must have asked him to "spin" this report a tad..eh?Now this fellow reports the coast tool to work...nothing limited suggested. I know gobs of folks exploring coasts, nobody using this...wonders me on this one.The macro tool, yes, this one is the only feature of ASD that I think has much merit, not that ASD is worth money as just a macro placer but this does work. Of course the newby will likely expect to use canned ASD macros, which have recently been shown to be VASTLY inferior coding to the BGLC code produced by GMAX. finally "Tile tool", at least we get a different smoke screen, he starts out fair by saying "this tool has no use" .. too bad he didn't stop there, he ruined it by "unless you are using them as a base for terrain tiles"...in other words "unless you are still trying to use a different obsolete functions and haven't yet accepted how dumb that concept is."You gotta admit, this is far more positive than a fair report should be, especially when the real audience is people that don't know better and are trying to decide if they should spend $40 of their hard earned money to buy a program that is far less worthy than its free competitors.And yes, he does discuss in the next pages functions that he says do work, like roads placement and such, yet without the ability to import a photo background, the trial and error required to use ASD is a real turn off...this comes from years of experience. My guru, my teacher of the REAMS of workarounds to undocumented ASD bugs was Justin Tyme, back when he was the king of freeware design. In a recent forum message on his website, www.fsgenesis.com, he wrote:

[Guest]

Well said Bob! Like Bob said in the above one has enough "problems" to put up with with some the newer tools and the lack of an updatedSDK doesn't help either so listen to the wise it will save you manyheadaches(and 40 USD as well!!) Dan http://members.rogers.com/klasik2/danlogo.gifhttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif