Sorry if this is dumb - I want to populate an airport with several static AI (low polygon count) aircraft. I have fiddled with AFCAD2 but I never see any AI static aircraft when creating dock, parking, or ramp spots. I cannot use actual AI traffic since the taxiways are sloped and AFCAD wants level areas. So, just want some aircraft for general scenery. Airport is Ketchikan PAKT.Dick Boley @KLBE

>Sorry if this is dumb - I want to populate an airport with>several static AI (low polygon count) aircraft. I have fiddled>with AFCAD2 but I never see any AI static aircraft when>creating dock, parking, or ramp spots. I cannot use actual AI>traffic since the taxiways are sloped and AFCAD wants level>areas. So, just want some aircraft for general scenery.>Airport is Ketchikan PAKT.>Dick Boley @KLBE You should be creating SCENERY bgl's , not trying to use AI aircraft, for your purpose. I have used a little utility program called "MDLtoBGL.exe" to create static aircraft on airport ramps and carrier flight decks. You'll also want the "SCASM.exe" utility to assemble the files created by MDLtoBGL. It's a fairly straight forward process once you've gotten past the initial learning curve. Basically, you open MDLtoBGL and specify the aircraft .MDL file to convert. Then you select a few variable parameters...gear up/down, flaps up/down, etc... then input the LAT/LON where you want the scereny model placed as well as the number, orientation and spacing, if you want a line of the same model. In the "output options" section, specify "Stand-alone Aircraft Set Files" to create the files needed for SCASM. If the program doesn't recognize the MDL file you are trying to use, try selecting a FS98/FS2K version or an AI-only version to create the static scenery. AI Ardvark aircraft seem to work OK and there are tons of aircraft available from them. Paul

Another option I use is to create flight plans on a weekly basis where my plane only flys out to a local airport for an hour or two and comes back.There is an excellent tutorial on how to do this in the Avsim forum called fs9stat.zip. You can do a search under fs2004 utilities and find it.I've not found many very good static design general aviation planes, so I use this method.

>Sorry if this is dumb - I want to populate an airport with>several static AI (low polygon count) aircraft. I have fiddled>with AFCAD2 but I never see any AI static aircraft when>creating dock, parking, or ramp spots. I cannot use actual AI>traffic since the taxiways are sloped and AFCAD wants level>areas. So, just want some aircraft for general scenery.>Airport is Ketchikan PAKT.>Dick Boley @KLBEA proper AFCAD is only half the equation. TrafficTools (also by Lee Swordy)is the other half. You need TT flightplans for an AC to show. Create your static ac by creating flightplans that are set to fly once a week, or every 24hrs at 3:00am Lee's help files are not the avg help files. They're very informative. They'll get you up and running in no time.Hope this helps,MikeI'm confused. Wait...maybe I'm not!www.flightontario.com