Simviation Forum - Adding AFCAD airport updates.

Mar 1^st, 2009 at 5:12pm

R683AD Offline
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I usually have no problems simply adding scenery updates and addons in Flight SIm 2004. However I just ventured into this new area for me, updating AFCAD files, for specific airports.
I downloaded from scenery downloads an, Atlanta Hartsfield International AFCAD upgrade, adding gates to all terminals, and cleaning up and changing the Runway PAPI lighting and Taxiway changes.
I have researched FAQ's and found numerous references to AFCAD2. I also find numermous references to "FOLLOWING THE PARTICLAR AFCAD DESIGNERS INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING IN A READ ME FILE"
I also find several other references including "dead links" to what might have been a forum on AFCAD.
My quesiton then becomes, if the designer leaves out instructions for installation, what steps does one follow to install a particular AFCAD update.

For a Neophyte AFCAD installer, Does anyone have specific instructional information on installation . and if so Links to it...

Thanks very much in advance...

Rob

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Reply #1 - Mar 1^st, 2009 at 5:43pm

dave3cu Offline
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No particular restrictions on where you place the file. It can go in the \scenery\ subfolder of any active scenery area's folder. A typical place would be to put the file in the..\Addon scenery\scenery\ folder. Or you could create a new 'scenery area' folder to hold all Afcad files, example: ..\Afcads\scenery\ and add it to the Scenery Library.

2 notes on Afcads:

1-Afcads are generally created for either the default airport scenery or a specific add on airport scenery. Make sure the Afcad is for the scenery you are using or you could find aircraft parking in buildings or other such nonsense. Wink

2-Make sure you have only one afcad installed for any airport. Having more than 1 can cause problems. Placing all afcads in the same folder can help avoid this problem (provided the authors uses the default afcad file name convention, AF2_<airport code>.bgl).

Dave

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Reply #2 - Mar 1^st, 2009 at 5:50pm

Opa Offline
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R683AD wrote on Mar 1^st, 2009 at 5:12pm:

I usually have no problems simply adding scenery updates and addons in Flight SIm 2004. However I just ventured into this new area for me, updating AFCAD files, for specific airports.
I downloaded from scenery downloads an, Atlanta Hartsfield International AFCAD upgrade, adding gates to all terminals, and cleaning up and changing the Runway PAPI lighting and Taxiway changes.
I have researched FAQ's and found numerous references to AFCAD2. I also find numermous references to "FOLLOWING THE PARTICLAR AFCAD DESIGNERS INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING IN A READ ME FILE"
I also find several other references including "dead links" to what might have been a forum on AFCAD.
My quesiton then becomes, if the designer leaves out instructions for installation, what steps does one follow to install a particular AFCAD update.

For a Neophyte AFCAD installer, Does anyone have specific instructional information on installation . and if so Links to it...

Thanks very much in advance...

Rob

Updated Afcads usually are installed in your Addon scenery/scenery subfolder.

Care must be taken to be sure there is not another afcad by the same name already in use.

If you have a complete airport enhancement for a particular airport, it may well have a specific afcad and it may be installed in the scenery subfolder of that enhancement.

Another "updated" afcad will probably not work as the enhancement likely repositioned taxiways, gates and structures - so do not try to use another afcad unless it has been specifically designed to work with that airport scenery.

To check for duplicate afcads, I use this program:

http://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=scanafd.zip&CatID=root&Go=Search

Some authors will say their afcad should be placed in your Addon scenery/scenery subfolder while others say to add it to the scenery subfolder of the scenery they have created. It can be confusing for sure.

To make matters even more muddled, some simmers place any additional afcads they download into a completly new scenery entry named Special Afcads (or something similar). It would have a scenery subfolder and that is where the afcads would be placed. That new entry would need to be added (activated) in the Scenery Library just like any other enhancement.

The bottom line seems to be that in most cases an afcad will be seen and used as long as it is a scenery subfolder of a scenery item which is active. There are exceptions that but that is fodder for another time.

Hope that helps. Cool

David "Opa" Marshall

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Reply #3 - Mar 4^th, 2009 at 12:39am

R683AD Offline
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Dave and David..thanks very much for getting back to me with this info..I will retry doing this with the Atlanta AFCAD i downloaded....and will let you both know results.....

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