Airport Modification via AFCAD

[Guest bobsingh1]

Hi,I was modifying an existing airport (VIAX) which to begin with was just a runway. I followed instructions on AFCAD and added taxiways and other stuff which went fine. When I opened the airport in FS, the taxiways and parkings had trees and and shrubs on them. No problem, AFCAD had instructions to a link hosted by microsoft as how to "exclude" the dynamic scenery but it categorized that for objects, navaids. I used object exclusion switch in scenery.cfg and all the objects from that latitued and longitude disappeared. What switch should I use to make just the trees and shrubbery disappear?I could not find any instructions on AFCAD help or microsoft for that matter.Please help!ThanksBobby

[arno 1]

Hi Bobby,I think you will see that the new elements you have placed are outside of the grass polygon of the default airport. This grass polygon makes sure the autogen is excluded as well.So you best option would be to place a new VTP grass polygon, which will remove your autogen. You can do this with SBuilder for example.

[BMBANISTER 0]

Could you explain how to build a VTP grass polygon with SBuild? I've been trying but can't seem to figure it out.Brad

[betelgeuse 41]

Yes, I agree! In recent threads, several of us have been advised to build VTP polygons to exclude FS9 autogen. It would seem that some of us are trying to do this with heavy-duty programs like Ground2K4, others with DefArea, others with SBuild. I can't speak for Brad but it would help me a lot if someone could point me to the easiest way of creating VTP polygons. I have a fair knowledge of how to use AFW. I also have a day job! I do not understand scasm or scasm code, so the more user friendly the utility is the better. I've read the 'Beginners Guide to Scenery Design' posted here. This tells what can be done, but it gives little clue as to how to do it. In case anyone thinks I'm ungrateful, I'm not. I appreciate all the help I get from different sources on this and other scenery design forums. I'm constantly amazed at the generosity of the 'gurus' - so thanks for all.

[Guest GCBarni]

Since you're familiar with AFW, try the following. Create a runway, of sufficient dimensions to cover the offensive autogen object(s), and apply an "invisible" texture to said runway. You can make as many of these as required, but ensure that the assigned elevation is consistent with that of the scenery area or you'll end up with either holes or hills!I have done this in the past; however, I don't know what if any, the overall effect is on FPS doing things in this manner.

[Holger 0]

Howdy,I'm not really familiar with any of the airport design utilities (i.e., there might be simpler ways for making a VTP2 poly or suitable substitute) but here's a relatively (!) simple way for drawing VTP2 polys in Ground2K4:1. Install Jim Keir's LWMViewer -http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/LWMViewer.html - and use the "Open by coords" function to load the default files for the area of your airport.2. Uncheck the mesh file and any other default files that you find unhelpful with respect to creating a "topographic map" of your area of interest.3. Determine the LOD 8 Cell ID that contains your airport (shows at the bottom of the LWMViewer screen).4. Use "Export > bitmap" with your single cell as output dimensions (or more than one cell, if you want).5. The generated bmp file can be used directly as background image for G2K4; the required corner coordinates are provided in the .txt file of the same name.6. Initiate a new project in G2K4 with your bitmap, then start FS9 and use the FSConnect feature to roughly draw the desired outline of your polygon while slewing in the sim.7. Redraw that outline with straight lines as VTP poly and fill it with a landclass texture without autogen (e.g., 010) or your own custom seasonal textures.8. Compile and use the *._5 bgl file, which contains your new VTP2 poly.Hope that helps.Cheers, Holger

[Guest GCBarni]

Holger, thanks for this small "tutorial"....I'm copying it now for future reference. While it might be an excellent choice for larger areas, it seems like a lot of bother when one is trying to eliminate individual autogen objects like trees poking through various parts of an airport infrastructure, such as aprons or taxiways. That's why I advised the invisible runway usage within AFW. It takes mere moments to create these and locate exact coords of the offensive objects while connected to FS.

[arno 1]

Hi Barney,I do not fully agree here. Every airport has some grass below it anyway and placing it as a VTP polygon is a very efficient way to remove the autogen from that area. And it is also the technique that MS is using in the default scenery to remove the autogen.When you are using an invisible runway you never know exactly where the autogen will be gone (usually it is in an area bigger than the runway itself). And you are adding something to the scenery that you don't really need.

[Guest GCBarni]

Actually, Arno, I have been successful in "removing" exactly that which is planned in more than one instance at more than one airport. I did mention that FPS is an unknown factor because, as you so correctly point out, we're adding something. On the other hand, we're also "taking away"...the offensive object!As for the grass below it, I have begun removing that default polygon from my works and allowing the under lying landclass to display instead. I then re-work the landclass to my satisfaction. I now get seamless terrain and seamless seasonal change. If autogen is a problem in a particular spot, then a more suitable landclass is applied. Some specialty areas, like aprons can also be done in the Afcad construction phase.In my opinion, the MS use of the VTP polygon to remove autogen, while effective to be sure, also exagerates the coverage; at least at those airports that _I'm_ dealing with and I prefer to get rid of it altogether.I suspect that there might be some misunderstanding about the size of the proposed runway I'm inserting. It is just big enough to affectively suppress a given object......it is not of wholesale size designed to "replace" the default VTP2 polygon or otherwise encompass the airport. We're talking less than 50 x 50 meters or in the case of a small cluster of trees, perhaps 50 x 100 meters and as many of these as is needed for "de-forestation".While this may not be the recommended method among those who are more skilled with scenery design, I mention it only as another option for those who may be just starting out....it is simple and effective; take it or leave it.

[betelgeuse 41]

Thanks to all for these suggestions. Very helpful. I've got rid of the poking trees with multiple excludes in AFW - effective but very slow to do. I still have the remnants of the original runway showing as a white 'scar' (winter). I want to get rid of this or, better still, mask it a bit. I'll experiment and report back later.