Hi. Struggling along with the airbase.dat files. Have struck another oddity. I'm working on a semi historical campaign for 263 sqn RAF in WW2. They started their war in Norway 1940. I've downloaded and installed a very nice scenery package which includes Lake Lesjaskog, a frozen lake used by 263sqn as a base in their intitial deployment, and yes, it is 'frozen' in the scenery. You can land on it. All requisite entries were made in the various folders including the airbase.dat file, but it doesn't show up in mission builder.
In the game the base shows up as a selectable airbase for freeflight etc.
Why doesn't it show up in mission builder, and how can I access it? Any ideas?

Piers

I found the Norway 1940 scenery & installed it to check it out. Added the included airbases.dat & opareas.dat entries & it works fine for me.

Just for clarification, you say that you've created an operating area for Norway and the runway coordinates are included within that area but the airbase still won't show up in Mission Builder?

As I said, I copied the information exactly as given.



Make sure you renumbered the new airbases.dat entries correctly. It's also possible there's a limit to the number of new entries you can add. Cody will know more about that than me.

The reason I started building a database for my airfields was to avoid the duplication of numbers. The numbering sequence is correct (that is [runway.xxx]). The airfield id numbers don't ship in sequence anyway as the european theatre 9000 block are placed ahead of the pacific theatre 8000 block.

Just to be sure I moved and renumbered that airfield to the end of the sequence and tried again. Still no show.

I'm running windows XP Pro and have 245 airfields so far in the airbases.dat list.

As I said, the field shows up in the game for quick combat, free flight etc. It's only the mission builder that doesn't show it. I even tried extending the oparea for europe to cover norway as well and still only get the european airbases.

I have no doubt the install is working for others, Hagar. I fully expect I have made an error somewhere, that's why I'm asking for help in the first place 

If the numbering sequence was incorrect would I still be able to select and fly from it in free flight?

I"am pretty sure there is a limit to the number of new entries with XP Window, but its a lot higher than with Window 98.

I read some where, I do not remember where. That there is no limit to the number of Airfields entries with XP.
But I doubt that.



James007

In my experience I have been able to install more than 500 entries in one my install that I call World war two with no problem so far. I have place all of  Xavier far east full package of 360 entries plus the Mediterrenean and Western Europe plus the Polish Airfields in this install with no problems at this time so far.

What you have to do is go to the Airbase file inside the Information Folder. Open it up with  the notepad and look for the last Airbase entry and install ten new entries at a time. Then look for the last entrie Airbase in the list and make sure it was properly number. Open the Mission Builder and look for the last new Airbase you installed. If its in the Mission Builder you go on and do the same procedure all over agian untill you installed all the Airbases you wanted to install.

I hope this Information has help you

P.S. remember PC are the most complicated machine ever  created by men. What works for my PC may not work for your for reason unknown to me. But its worth trying. If you want my Airfield entries I will more than happy to send it to any member if they so desire.




James007

I think the best way over it is to have a separate install of CFS2 for each operatng area, each with its own database. It's possible to run the Mission Builder for each individual install by creating desktop shortcuts to each one.