Airport & Scenery Desginer for FSX

[remind 0]

Hi all and a Happy Easter etc.With FS9 I was using FSSC, Flight Sim Scenery Creator, but with the changes FSX made, like curved earth etc etc, any airfields I designed with FSCC will not display or work correct in FSXe.g the airfield is there, BUT if I fly over it at 2,000 feel ASML, I get a building crash, what is with that I do not know.This is the airfield I did do for FS9, but never finished, as I could never find a way of doing the complicated rwy's.http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.0623...010042&t=h&z=17What are designers recommended to design Airfields for FSX?Is this one any good?AIRPORT DESIGN EDITOR HOME EDITION http://www.scruffyduckscenery.co.uk/It allows you to import the BGL's from scenery you have already done, but actually I tried that and it said there is not airport in the BGL, not sure what is happening, but can't ask them, as their forum is down!Any other programs I should use instead?ThanksPhil

[scruffyduck 4]

PhilThe support forum for ADE at www.fsdeveloper.comAlso if you check the ADE website you will find a link to the forum and other things to do with ADE.If you are trying to open an FSSC bgl file with ADE it will not work - FSSC bgl files are not based on XML and BglComp (that is they are not compliant with FS( and FSX standards)Alternatives to my utility are FSX Planner (freeware and also has a forum over at www.fsdeveloper.com) and AFX (payware from Flight 1)Neither will be able to read your bgl file however

[remind 0]

Hi Jon and thanks for reply and info.I thought that might be the problem with the BGL being created for FS9.I'll check out the links and other programs.CheersPhil

[scott967 62]

As Jon indicated, FSSC is pretty much a dead-end as far as FSX is concerned. For most freeware utilities, you need FSX Deluxe version in order to get the SDK, which has the basic bgl creation tools. You need to get SDK updates from fsinsider for sp1 or sp2 (X-pack has an updated SDK on the distro disk). Current tools break down into terrain mods, airport facility mods and 3d object placers. Suggest checking out the followingTerrain: SbuilderX or FSX_KMLAirport Facility: ADE Home or FSX_PlannerObject Placer: WhisplacerSo far no tool appears to work with "generic buildings". The object placers mainly deal with placing default library objects, or possibly addons such as RWY12.Most of these tools operate as graphic front-ends to the SDK tools, but may also have some dissasembling or import capability as well.scott s..

[remind 0]

Hi Scott,Okay thanks, yes I have the correct SDK installed for FSX Deluxe SP2.Pitty FSSC is outdated, as it was quite a handy program for a scenery novice.Is Abacus Airport & Scenery Designer version 3.5 any good?It states on Abasuc web site that it is for FSX.I do have an earlier version of that software, I think for fs2002, of course I would have to update it, but that worked very similar to FSSC. IT complied BGL from scamim files.It also like FSCC allowed one to place macro objects or create libary of macros, is FSX different that one cannot do that now?TIAPhil

[scott967 62]

I've never used the Abacus tools so can't comment on them. I'm not usre if macros will even work in FSX any more. for the most part, designeers have gone to GMAX or other 3d tools to create FS .mdl files. These .mdls can be placed into object libraries, which is the basis for the object placing utilities, much the same as with macros. The simplest object placing is to use those provided within FSX default libraries. For FS9, there were a great deal of addon libraries, with "Rwy12" collections being very popular. I haven't seen so much library development for FSX, not sure why. Many FS9 libraries will work in FSX, though there are some issues with compatability under FSX sp2.scott s..

[scruffyduck 4]

Scott is correct - one would not expect macro objects to work in FSX and if they did it would be more by chance than intention. FS9/FSX library objects are very similar in concept to macros - just in a different format. They are kept in libraries and FSX has about 4000 objects you can use. The objects are placed by tools like or Whisplacer. The actual method is to create an AML file of instructions that tells FSX which object is to be used and where to place it. This is compiled into a bgl file that contains the placement information. Unlike macro bgl files that usually contained copies of the objects most scenery bgl files do not. They use a GUID (Globally Uniquie ID) to reference the object from a library and tell FSX wher to put it. Of course you don't have to understand all the XML stuff because most scenery tools take care of that for you.

[Guest EdrickV]

The problem with FSSC is that it was designed for FS2002. (And yeah I miss having an all-in one tool too.) The methods it used are outdated and don't always work right in FSX. SCASM has been replaced by XML.I did find a program called ModelConverterX to convert old API macros into mdl files, but it may not work with every macro and so far I'm not sure what you could use to place the resulting mdl file aside from hand-writing XML code and compiling it. (I'm not all that informed on the current tools for scenery creation.)As far as Airport Design Editor, that's basically an AFCAD replacement and very useful if you want to edit an airport. (FSSC as I recall couldn't really do FS9 AFCAD type data, it's files were FS2002 style.)Here's that macro converter I mentioned:http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=87It's still in development, but I managed to convert a house macro (originally made by Frank Betts) as well as a dock and carport style aircraft "hangar" I'd made in Easy Object Designer way back when (decompiling my BGL file to get a usable .sca file, though it's possible to use it on .api files too) and then create an XML file by hand to place the mdl files in FSX. (Had to figure out scale values to use by trial and error though and I'm not totally sure they're right yet.) It takes some effort to figure out how to really use that thing and the files it creates though. And like I said, it won't work with all macros.For placing library objects in FSX I use Whisplacer. Though I don't think it can create FSX style autogen buildings like FSSC did."Let me help you out. You're cleared to taxi any way you can to any runway you see."

[remind 0]

Thanks guys for the useful info and linksI'll check them out.CheersPhil

[scruffyduck 4]

For your information the latest version of ADE (1.20) has just been released. You can get it here on AVSIM. The Home and Pro distinction has been dropped as the new version has some more advanced features than the old Home Edition.

[Guest John Glossop]

>So far no tool appears to work with "generic buildings". The>object placers mainly deal with placing default library>objects, or possibly addons such as RWY12.>scott s.>.Whisplacer V0.9 has the ability to create generic buildings. It's a bit crude, but effective if you're careful.Here's my Avalon airport (under development) with ADE generated runways, taxiways, etc, and a Whisplacer generated simple Terminal building.

[scott967 62]

Thanks for the correction. Your airport is looking nice. I looked closer at whisplacer, and see you can do generics, beacons, windsocks, and effects / triggers in it. In other words, just about any 3d scenery you need.scott s..