Martin Henare Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Hi guys, I thought i would explain some of the issues from a developers point of view regarding the use of an AFCAD or not. Please dont use this as a thread to argue if we should or shouldn't From a technical point of view a few things need to be considered. - The Primary purpose for an AFCAD is to provide the means for AI aircraft to function. For AI to use an airfield it must have a Runway, Taxiway and Parking spot. If any of these are missing AI will not use the airfield. - The Secondary purpose of the AFCAD is to provide the ATC function a way to guide you to/from the airfield in particular IFR flying. - The Third and final prupose is to provide a convienient way for an Airfield to be located with out the use of any real navigation aids, and so the user can locate them selves there easily. With the AFCAD we introduce various problems. - The AFCAD uses an automatic flatten. That is to say the AFCAD is given a reference altitude, from there all parts of the AFCAD use the reference altitude. Runways, Taxiways, Parking spots, fences, aprons etc etc. This is purely for the AI function and is a limitation of the program. Where this causes problems is when the terrain mesh is not flat... eg practically every airfield in the world. Aces have a means to hide this with special programing so all their default airports mesh faultlesly into the surrounding landscape. As developers we don't have these ability so creating new AFCADs or editing default ones can cause problems if the terrain is not flat in the first place, with big cliffs etc. We can address this to some degree with slopped flattens but it never looks very convincing. - AFCADs have a visual component so if done correctly a photoreal airport can be ruined by not so subtle default textures. This can be over some though. - Finally is the gaming/simulation perspective, should all airfield have a large neon sign saying "HERE I AM", If you add and AFCAD you cannot hide them, there are there for all the world to see and find. This is entirely up to the developer and their intended use of the airfield. I keep my opinion reserved as this is not the prupose of this post. So thats it really. So some have asked if all FTX freeware airports will be AFCAD free. The answer is no. To put it into a simple list of to AFCAD or not. - Is the airport used by AI? If yes it must have an AFCAD - Is the airport going to used for full IFR Flights? If yes it must have an AFCAD - Do i want the the airfield to use the mesh to determine the shape of the Airfield terrain? If yes I can't have a full AFCAD, only the reference point. - Do i want to be able to find the AFCAD on my GPS or FS Map? If No i cannot use an AFCAD. - Am I entitled to use my artistic licenence when making the decision to use and AFCAD of not? Of course otherwise you might as well not be a developer. My final note is that there are many easy tools to edit existing of developed scenery for ones own needs. Who knows you might enjoy it. Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgruschow Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Thanks Odd Kiwi for a very full and logical explanation. My opinion,for what it's worth, is that MS have already given us all the afcaded fields we need. An airstrip which is obviously a bush strip, would look bloody silly with a sealed runway and parking bays etc. I would suggest that any developer who is going to design a strip a thousand miles from civilization, use a spot afcad if he wants any visitors. Or build a series of strips no more than fifty miles apart. If I fly a long distance and then can't find the strip, I'll just give up on it. But a shorter distance and I will keep trying to find the place Keep up the good work. Jack, the not so odd kiwi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Eccleston Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Just my 2 cents worth, but I prefer to share my airport activities with other aircraft (AI planes), regardless of where the airport is located. Lilydale seems to me to be a classic example of an airport with an AFCAD but without the "neon sign" runway. This airstrip has everything bar a sloping or undulating runway. Surely this is the happy medium for most. it would be great if the Lilydale methodology was used for other airports. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 We all have our pet interests in FlightSim and we look at it from our own point of view. I am hooked on AI Traffic, the big stuff is no problem, but there are never enough AI country and bush strips. In real life small GA aircraft swarm all over the place. I am very pleased with the Freeware Airports, the fact that they do not have AFCADs is no problem, half the fun is doing it yourself. I have over a hundred Aussie GA AI aircraft flying in FS9 and I am starting to bring them over to FTX. BTW, you don't have to ruin a bush strip with Tarmac and Concrete. There are many little tricks in AFCAD type Utilities (I use AFX) that can help avoid these inaccuracies, but nothing is perfect. I did an AFCAD for Murray Bridge this morning and put in some flightplans. (I hope I didn't spoil it too much.) VH-DNZ is owned by a guy in NSW and frequently seen at YMBD dropping Sky Divers. My AFCAD from the air. Four parked Cessnas. And they fly too. Cheers Lyn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Just my 2 cents worth, but I prefer to share my airport activities with other aircraft (AI planes), regardless of where the airport is located. Lilydale seems to me to be a classic example of an airport with an AFCAD but without the "neon sign" runway. This airstrip has everything bar a sloping or undulating runway. Surely this is the happy medium for most. it would be great if the Lilydale methodology was used for other airports. Graham Yes and Martin has added AI to Lilydale as well. You'll notice several GA aircraft doing runs from Essendon and Moorabbin etc. Just park outside the aeroclub and increase the simulation rate and you'll see the place come alive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Eccleston Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Lyn, I share your enjoyment of AI aircraft. I have ported all my FS9 AI aircraft (some 250+) across to FSX with minimum problems. I had to change a few propeller textures on some of the models but that was about it. I think Lilydale is a classic example of what can be done with airstrips in FSX, and yes john, I am using the flightplans prepared by Martin although I did substitute the default aircraft with a few AI aircraft from my own collection. If you don't mind sharing Lyn, I would love a copy of the AFCAD you prepared for Murray Bridge. I am ok at using AFX to modify AFCADs but hopeless at creating an airport from scratch. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hi Graham, You are welcome, my Email is visible in my profile. Send me a message and we can talk some more about AI. I have only had to fix the HTAI prop so far. Lyn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krigl Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks for the explanation!! Until now I only knew an afcad was something an airfield needed if you want ai to use it, and that's about it. Interesting stuff, and changed some of my misconceptions about the whole 'afcad or not to afcad' thing... Cheers Krigl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailgunner Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Lyndale is indeed a happy medium, and I'll be a happier simmer when you experts can inject yet more more life into those sadly empty airfields. When I first started up FTX , Coff's Harbour and Port Macquarie were the first places I went to, and they were both ideal GA fields -pleasant clubhouses, lots of AI, a real buzz. I say were, because since I installed Acceleration, they've reverted to barebones FSX. Can it be that something has decided they were too close to the northern boundary of AU Blue? Will they come back as they were when Gold arrives? I devoutly hope so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailgunner Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 If this functions, it should show Coff's Harbour and Port Macquarie as I first found them, before they reverted to basic FSX-type scenery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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