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How can I exclude a particular airfield from an AP###.b...

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I have a particular problem.I have payware add-on for Manchester EGCC.The payware add-on includes an update for the airfield in the form of an AFCAD2 file.I also have Traffic 2005.The airport has two parallel runways 024R and 024L and 06R and 06L.I

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There are some others here who know much more than I do, but I will give a guess:I think that Ai is handled in two different ways--1. AI that are populated at an airport during initial scenario load are positioned in accordance with AFCAD data found in the default regional scenery folders, the ones containing the AP9 files.2. AI that fly into an airport will use ATC/routing info based on the current active AFCAD data, including all active sceenry areas.Proper setting for case 2 requires that the approach code be correct, and that runway/taxiway setups be done correctly, such as with the star system.Case 1 is trickier, it seems to me that a properly designed AFCAD should work, but I know in the case of airport elevation, it won't. The fix for airport elevation is place the AFCAD file in the default scenery folder. I've found that I need to name the AFCAD such that it starts with a "higher" letter (I use ZZ_afcad name.bgl). I've never tried it to fix the problem you are describing, but you might give it a shot and see what happens.scott s..

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To remove an airport, create an xml file with the desired delete flags, something like this:Compile with BGLComp and place in a scenery folder.This will not remove the terrain elements, though - that is, the airport background or the flatten. Best regards.Luis

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Hello ScottMany thanks for responding.This is getting more and more complicated the more I try to understand.In addition, when using AFCAD2 and opening the "MOD" airfield I notice that one of the ILS is positioned over a taxiway and not a runway.When I try to delete the "out of position" ILS I get the message "stock ILS cannot be deleted......"So something somewhere is not right and I think I need to re-install from my back-up before moving forward.After which I will try again and use some of your "tips".Will let you know how it goes.Stuart

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Hello LuisMany thanks for responding.Let me get back to square one via my back-up as mentioned in my previous post and then I will try as you suggest.One thing, which scenery folder do I put the new "exclude" Bgl? In the same scenery folder as the stock AP.bgl file?Stuart

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HiI have some further comments, building on the information provided to me so far and what I have been able to glean from the web.Because of the way FS works or is structured, if I want to make changes to the way EGCC operates then I have to take into account both

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AFCAD2.21 can't delete stock navaids. This is stated in the ReadMe.htm file.

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>AFCAD2.21 can't delete stock navaids. This is stated in the>ReadMe.htm file.HiYep, understood that some time ago when I read the AFCAD2 file documentation.You can "exclude" airports (in whole or in part) as explained in the BGLComp documentation and as demonstrated by Luis.And in fact, if you "play" a little with AFCAD2 and AP.bgl files you can make certain deletion type changes within the AFCAD file that effect the "stock" ILS. But this seems to be a "quirk" rather than anything else.The problem seems to stem from the fact that I want to make changes to the use of Runways that was not anticipated in the original AP.bgl and so as a result all the "approach" elements do not align properly.Live and learn is what I say.And then work a little harder..............Stuart.

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Hello Stuart,That is exactly correct. Good luck with your project.Best regards.Luis

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Afcad2 allows inheritance from the AP* files, in particular navaids. The only way to add new navaids is to decompile the file produced by Afcad2, add the new navaids to the xml and recompile.George

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Many thanks to all those who responded for the help.Many thanks also to this forum and the search engine. Although

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Thank you very much, Stuart, for resuming this process. This should help all those who want to do the same.Best regards.Luis

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You should not have to remove the default airport with a separate exclude file.AFCAD puts this statement into every file it compiles:So when you create a separate file, you are only duplicating the first few lines of the AFCAD file.The most common reasons that modifications to an airport AFCAD file do not make changes in behavior are (1) multiple AFCAD files for the same airport, (2) the scenery.dat files have not been refreshed and carry old data, and (3) the new AFCAD has an internal error which FS cannot reconcicle, thus changes are ignored.Also, did you disable the MyTraffic AFCAD type file? Which by the MyTraffic default setup is placed in a higher level scenery folder than the Addon SceneryScenery folder?If you were seeing the impact of the default AP9nnnnn.bgl file data on EGCC, you would have a maximum of 26 aircraft on the airport, and that would be an almost impossible number to cause congestion problems. If you had more aircraft, a different AFCAD was being used.Another critical element in the EGCC airport taxi setup is that the default segmentation of taxiway A, B, C, F , J and S needs to be maintained.Lee was most likely not aware of the way FS uses that default segmentation breaks when he completed the work on AFCAD. AFCAD prevents us from creating such segmentation, and we have still not worked out how to create segmentation well with XML coding.Breaking up the default taxiway segmentation in at EGCC will cause aircraft to be told to hold short for other aircraft on taxiways far away from the hold short aircraft.EGCC also requires careful work because the runway use patterns are not flexible enough to be used in FS.I have two different AFCAD files for EGCC based on landing direction so that the 6R is used for landing and 6L for takeoffs when the winds are in that direction. Then 24R is used for landing and 24L for takeoffs when winds are in the opposite direction. This does require me to know / choose a wind direction and copy the correct AFCAD to my active folder before starting FS.Microsoft tells us in the SDK's that we need to use folders for files carefully.Normally an exclude file should be placed in the SceneryGenericScenery folder. This is also where modified approaches, runway and approach number changes, and modified airport polygons need to be placed.If we have to modify an airport altitude with a change file, the SceneryWorldScenery folder is the place for this file which contains only the airport header with the changed altitude.That way using the Addon SceneryScenery folder will keep an addon AFCAD file properly layered.One consistent issue is the three floors which Jim Vile worked out on airport elevation.The first floor is in the AP9nnnnn.bgl file, or alternately in an elevation modification file in the SceneryWorldScenery folder.The first floor will be the elevation used by AI aircraft. The AI aircraft parking spots will be based on the highest scenery level file with parking spots - the modified AFCAD.The second floor is the airport polygon elevation. This is where the user aircraft will be placed. This elevation can be taken from the default airport polygons, or from addon scenery.The third floor is the elevation of the runways and start locations in the addon AFCAD file. This will be used by landing AI aircraft, and will be taken from the highest level airport data file, normally the AFCAD.

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A note on Navaids.An airport is also made up of common scenery objects places in the first section of an AP9nnnnn.bgl file, and common scenery objects placed in the OB9*.bgl files.Most Navaids are in the NV9*.bgl file.We have found that moving a default navaid, such as a localizer or an ILS glidepath transmitter, VOR or NDB works very well most of the time, because the Addon SceneryScenery folder is a higher level than the default SceneryRegion folders.We can also create "Terminal" navaids, and a very few are located in the default AP9nnnnn.bgl files.This sharing of navaids is essential for the approach system to work. EGCC and EGNO share serveral navaids.Terminal navaids are only used by one airport's approach system and can be nested under an airport header.You cannot delete default Navaids because they are not in the same file as the airport information.

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