Simviation Forum - AFCAD Help

Sep 9^th, 2003 at 7:50pm

Tex Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 6

Having troulbe creating a layout for a home airport (1M4). When i go into FS2k2, I hit the (.) to put waypoints for taxing as the help tutorial lists. AFCAD freezes up when i go back to it without the waypoints. I think its due to the new version of FSUIPC. Was hoping if someone could do a simple layout of the airport so that I could have parking spaces and be able to put in AI Traffic. Cant wait for AFCAD version for 2004!

Powell

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Reply #1 - Sep 10^th, 2003 at 12:21pm

emh8 Offline
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Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Posts: 331

Powell,

I've been chatting in this forum with others that have reported problems with using AFCAD with the newest version of FSUIPC. Thankfully, I still have FSUIPC version 2.95 which works.

I'll see what I can come up with for 1M4.

Erik

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Reply #2 - Sep 10^th, 2003 at 7:42pm

Tex Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 6

Yesterday I added KAUO to the airport list of TTools. The file came along with an ATL file by Eric Joiner. It had the file to add taxiways and parking spots. I had a GIV flying from AUO to JFK and back. I never saw the flight at the supposed time at AUO departing or arrival. I did see the aircraft come into JFK a few minutes late and dissappeared immediately after touchdown. Never saw it depart JFK either.Here is the info i put in for the flights:

AC#37,465,"Gulf_IV"

KAUO,N32* 37.14',W85* 26.17',781

AC#37,N128AU,50%,2Hr,IFR,15:15:08,17:05:23,280,R,0093,KJFK,17:15:03,19:05:18,290
,R,0096,KAUO

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Reply #3 - Sep 10^th, 2003 at 10:29pm

emh8 Offline
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Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Posts: 331

Well...............

It's hard to say exactly what caused the plane to disappear when it landed at KJFK, but it is definitely one of two things:

The posted flight plan is problematic for two reasons. First, the 2-hour interval doesn't allow the aircraft to complete the flight plan in the time alloted. You might consider increasing the interval to 6 or 8 hours. Second, the standing time at KJFK is ten minutes. Most literature I have read about Traffic Tools recommends a minimum standing time of 30 minutes at the end of each leg of a flight plan. Personally, I have used a standard minimum of 35 minutes in the plans I have created, with good results.

The other possibility is that the aircraft you are using is not suitable for AI traffic use. Personally, I am not aware of a Gulfstream IV that was designed for AI traffic use, but whenever I have a question about a particular aircraft, I always test it in a controlled environment before putting it into a flight plan.

If you get around to testing and discover that it works, please let me know! I'd love to have that aircraft in my hangar!

By the way, I hope you received the AFCAD file I mailed you......

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Reply #4 - Sep 11^th, 2003 at 12:25am

Tex Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 6

Thanks for the file. Im not quite sure when you mean add 35 minutes to the standing time? How would I go about testing a plane to use as an AI?

I notice at AUO with the new afcad file there is still no ATC to select. I read somewhere where that is required for AI traffic.

Is there anyway I can talk to you on MSN messenger so we can talk more easily?

Powell

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Reply #5 - Sep 11^th, 2003 at 3:48pm

emh8 Offline
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Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Posts: 331

Powell,

Sorry, I don't use MSN Messenger............

Quote:

Im not quite sure when you mean add 35 minutes to the standing time?

Looking at the flight plan, you'll notice that first leg is scheduled to arrive at KJFK at 17:05, and the second leg is scheduled to depart KJFK at 17:15. This allows for 10 minutes of standing time in between legs. To increase the standing time, simply push the scheduled departure for the second leg back to at least 17:40 to allow the 35 minutes (or whatever you desire.)

Quote:

How would I go about testing a plane to use as an AI?

Using your traffic editing program, create a series of flights using the aircraft you want to test. Use the same departure and arrival airport for all of the flights (example: Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta) and schedule them so that they arrive approximately 5 minutes apart.

Open fs2002 and create a flight at the arrival airport at a time a few minutes before the flights are scheduled to arrive. Make sure you set the clock according to Greenwich Mean Time, because all AI flights are built using GMT. Then you can just sit and observe how the aircraft behaves during approach, landing, and taxi to the gate. If you get bored (which I often do), you can speed up the simulation as high as "4x" while waiting for the next plane to show up.

I usually like to observe at least three daytime arrivals, then I edit the flight plans so they wil occur at night and I re-open fs2002 and check the aircraft for night lighting. To ensure a controlled environment, I also like to set the experimental flight plans to 1% traffic and then change the traffic setting in fs2002 to 1% to eliminate interference from other AI traffic.

Quote:

I notice at AUO with the new afcad file there is still no ATC to select. I read somewhere where that is required for AI traffic.

Adding ATC to an airport is simple using AFCAD, and required for AI traffic use. The manual explains how to do this in detail. To summarize, you need to add a tower frequency in "Comm Frequencies."

Please me know if I can assist further..................

Erik

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Reply #6 - Sep 11^th, 2003 at 6:00pm

Tex Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 6

Well I noticed the GIV show up from the KJFK-KAUO flight on time but it never landed and continued on. Not sure where it headed to, probably 1m4 lol. Never saw it take off from either kauo or 1m4. Didnt check at JFK. Would it be possible for you to create a flightplan or 2 such as KJAX-KATL for testing. I added the tower frequency to KAUO. Its weird that the aircraft is not even showing up for takeoff. There is probably something wrong with the airports.

Its the "Gulfstream IV Version 3 for FS2002" if you want to take a hack at the aircraft. I think if we work the kinks out we will have a suitable Gulfstream as an AI aircraft. Its a good gmax model.

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Reply #7 - Sep 11^th, 2003 at 10:59pm

emh8 Offline
Colonel
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Posts: 331

I'm not sure if there is a problem with the AFCAD for KAUO without looking at it myself. You are welcome to export it to a directory and e-mail it to me in .txt format if you like...................

You'll still want to rule out problems with the aircraft. I would be happy to draw up the flight plans, but I need to know the cruise speed of that Gulf IV.

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Reply #8 - Sep 12^th, 2003 at 8:16pm

RollerBall Ex Member

Quote:

Its the "Gulfstream IV Version 3 for FS2002" if you want to take a hack at the aircraft. I think if we work the kinks out we will have a suitable Gulfstream as an AI aircraft. Its a good gmax model.

Dead easy this one. Reckon this is what you're after.

Have to say the textures of the model I have (Italian Air Force) are shocking (must be a bmp type problem - mostly they are totally blurred) but the plane looks majestic on approach and landing.

Tex, I'll send copies of the files to you by email. If anyone else is interested post here or let me know and I'll put em on my website.

Roger

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Reply #9 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 12:15am

Tex Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 6

Thanks to emh8 and Rollerball, my personal project is coming along nice. Hopefully I can expand my ai to other airports and more ai aircraft into local airports. And now that we fixed some of the kinks out, there is a very nice Gulfstream AI aircraft that can be used for anyone.

Rollerball, did you have any framerate problems? or anything else since you've used it?

One more problem, When I go into the flightplans and put in the times, they change. I decomile it to read it and they usually read 00:15:00 or around that time for the departures. Any info on to fix this? Sucks having to watch your AI come in the pitch black.

Thanks so much emh8 and Rollerball!

Powell

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Reply #10 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 7:18am

RollerBall Ex Member

Quote:

Rollerball, did you have any framerate problems? or anything else since you've used it?

Not that I've noticed

Quote:

When I go into the flightplans and put in the times, they change. I decomile it to read it and they usually read 00:15:00 or around that time for the departures. Any info on to fix this? Sucks having to watch your AI come in the pitch black.

Times always change by a fraction every time you compile

Re night times - assuming you are on an 8 hour flightplan cycle, just go to the airport 8 hours later when it's daylight!! Grin

Roger

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Reply #11 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 3:33pm

emh8 Offline
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Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Posts: 331

With Roger's modifications to the fde file, the Gulf IV is functioning very well as an AI aircraft!

Those textures are just a tad offensive, though........

Erik

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Reply #12 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 4:26pm

RollerBall Ex Member

???

Yeah don't know what to do about those textures. Think it may be some kind of model problem. Remember once there was quite a bit of discussion about a problem with the starboard (or port?

) wing of a Project Airbus A320 that kept doing the same thing. PA didn't believe it but a whole bunch of people reported the same problem including me.

I've tried converting the 16 Bit 444s to DXT 3 but still have the problem. Pity as it's a good looking plane.
But I could live without the VC in the flyable version (regular readers will know how enthusiastic I am about ALL VCs) as I don't like the panel and with the VC I can't presently change it.

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