:( Ah - so how is it meant to be used then? If Meigs has the same problem (which it has - check it out) that would seem to suggest that there is no obvious solution I would have thought, or surely the MS scenery designers would have applied it.Trouble is we're being pushed into a situation where there will be only a single design tool available - and that seems to have some amazing shortcomings from the look of this thread.Any ideas - am I being too pessimistic?

HiYes, probably much too pessimistic. We haven't seen the full story and the full tool set yet. Hang on for a while before you go getting depressed - there's more to come.Airport runways have never been the way to place landable surfaces on aircraft carriers etc. anyway - you need hardened elevated platforms for that and they will doubtless come in the MakeMDL SDK similar to hardened surfaces in the previous BGL code.If you can't wait, build your stuff with the older tools - it will work fine for the time being and hardened elevated platforms are no problem at all.Hope this cheers you up!Gerrish

Hi Gerrish. Thanks for that.I agree with what you say about landable platforms. Actually the carriers at scale 1.0 are fully landable so that isn't the problem. But if you want to start experimenting with AI you have to get into AFCAD2 - and that's when the problems begin with these unwanted side effects that were previously totally avoidable when the system files were separate.Hopefully it's early days yet and the mists may begin to clear as and when MS get their act together.Hmmmm - a first maybe:-)

Here's an XML helipad I made:<?xml version="1.0"?>This is a NEW airport, as the airport elevation will control the height of the helipad. The helipad section is just the eyecandy ( for the most part ). The runway section is the actual helipad surface. The Runwaystart is for the GoTo Airport menu.This bgl will make an entry in the Airporty menu right after Rockford Illinois' KRFD.I haven't looked for the effect on water... but I made some pads on oilrigs that were over water with no effect on them at all.Dick

Hi Dick,As I mentioned in reply to Gerrish's post, I think the problem arises when you try to open the airport up for AI. Then of course you need parking and for that you have to use AFCAD which I think automatically and probably unavoidably stitches the levels together.I haven't had a chance yet to experiment with creating a new airport with runway on a carrier using your XML approach and then modifying that with AFCAD to add parking and apron taxiways. That should confirm it one way or the other I reckon.Either way I'd have to leave it to you guys to explain the theory :D Roger

Just quickly placed a runway with Tower and start location on a carrier. Surface unknown seems to be invisible (see carrier deck in day and night light). Everything seems to be fine. Object (heli) positioned correctly with shadow and surface is hard.See no reason why when I find out how to do parking and taxi links in XML that they should complicate things. So coding not AFCAD looks like the way to go in situations like this at the moment.

gday guysIm going to try Dicks Last code later this week when time permits for the helipad and see if it will work with a custom made rig that the advanced building code works on.Ill post screenshots and results as soon as i have them.best regards Jeff

Ok i couldnt wait !!!Here are the results of my test useing Dicks Code.1st shot is of code at location off a working rig using Advanced building code with bitumen surface.2nd shot is same code with transparentA test was done with surface as water and you end up in the drink as it removes the hardening.3rd shot is same code as 2nd shot with small pad size , note we still get the White circle and H ( pity )4th shot is the working rig without the advanced building code but with new XML code.it works !!!! rock solid and allso shows in GPS and Airport Goto.previous hard pad had AFD file from afcad 2004 but one would allways start in the drink and not on the Pad, new XML code has fixed this.Notice there is no H or Circle as this is a fluke as it is sitting just under the pad texture.Thanks Dick and J.R. again for your wisdom and efforts, tho we could all have done it with time, you both made the effort 1st. I for one have again added to my knowledgebase thanks to your efforts.Dicks Code edited to suit!**CODE**<?xml version="1.0"?>***CODE***Best rgds Jeff

Hi Jeff.The structure is eyecandy. To make an invisible pad with minimal code:========================================<?xml version="1.0"?>========================================If all your pads are the same altitude, you can add more runways and runwaystarts to the code. That way you don't add unnecessary airport entries to the airport menu and the map. The Airport-alt controls the hardened altitude... which is a shame because if each runway had it's own hardened altitude we could have dozens of pads, with dozens of altitudes, with one Airport ID.A tower view can also be added to the Airport code.Dick

Again your a life saver Dick.Id just lost my HDD and had to do a total wipe and the one folder i forgot to recover was my XML Notes !!!!All i haveto do now is redo all my darn source code LOL, pity we still cant decompile the new BGL files as it would save a mountain of time haha.Oh well, such is life :0)again many thanks for your efforts.rgds Jeff

Dick,First, a minor complaint.....While flying XC in my sim chopper, between Galena, IL and Lake in the Hills (3CK) in Illinois, it seems that I clipped your 'very hard' landable surface that you seem to have left behind after trouble shooting this little (massive) problem..... Ouch...At least that is my side of the story.... heheheNow down to business. Thanks for the code. It is as solid as a rock and works great. Finally, a helipad that we can trust. I placed it on a platform out in Lake Superior and it works absolutely great. Somehow, it seems we have gone the complete circle. I seem to remember doing code back in FS4 and FS95 days.... Here we are again. Later,Al