ACTIVE Quick question about adding AFCADS to my "Add-On Scenery" Folder

[Rob Haynes]

Greetings, looked for this but didn't see anything so I figured I would ask.

 

If I wanted to add a 3rd party AFCAD (like Ray Smith's KSEA) to my Add-On Scenery folder, should there be any conflicts or file overlapping if my "Add-On Scnery" folder is placed higher than my ORBX PNW folder in the scenery library?

 

Thanks guys for the great product!

[birdguy]

It depends on where your addon scenery folder is located in your scenery library.  If it has a higher priority than Orbx it override Orbx AFCAD.  If it is lower than Orbx it won't show up.

 

Noel

[Rob Haynes]

That's what I thought thanks.  However I'm not sure if this is actually happening.  My "Add-On Scenery" folder has a higher priority than all of my ORBX products.

 

I recently used ADE to change some of the gate assignments (which I've done numerous times before with the ORBX AFCADS), but clearly did something to the KSEA AFCAD.

 

The terrain is all messed up now (all the grass areas are recessed so the runways and taxiways look like cliff's), there is a ton of autogen all over the tarmac and the B & C terminal buildings are completely missing.

 

I hoped installing Ray Smith's KSEA AFCAD would fix that but it didn't.  I am still missing the terminal buildings and the terrain issues are the same.  I did run FTX Configurator trying to fix both the ORBX & Ray Smith AFCAD, in both cases KSEA has been switched to disabled, but it didn't fix any issues.

 

Any ideas?

[Stewart Hobson]

That's what I thought thanks.  However I'm not sure if this is actually happening.  My "Add-On Scenery" folder has a higher priority than all of my ORBX products.

 

I recently used ADE to change some of the gate assignments (which I've done numerous times before with the ORBX AFCADS), but clearly did something to the KSEA AFCAD.

 

The terrain is all messed up now (all the grass areas are recessed so the runways and taxiways look like cliff's), there is a ton of autogen all over the tarmac and the B & C terminal buildings are completely missing.

 

I hoped installing Ray Smith's KSEA AFCAD would fix that but it didn't.  I am still missing the terminal buildings and the terrain issues are the same.  I did run FTX Configurator trying to fix both the ORBX & Ray Smith AFCAD, in both cases KSEA has been switched to disabled, but it didn't fix any issues.

 

Any ideas?

I'm not sure that the location of your Add-on Scenery folder is the determining factor.  It's where Smith's KSEA is located in your scenery library that would determine whether it has priority or not.  While his KSEA may be in the Addon Scenery folder, you have activated it through FSX (or P3D), and it could very well be placed above or below the Orbx stuff.  So I would move it where you want it in relation to Orbx and see what happens.  Or maybe you've already does this?  Hope I have made this clear...

[Rob Haynes]

I'm not sure that the location of your Add-on Scenery folder is the determining factor.  It's where Smith's KSEA is located in your scenery library that would determine whether it has priority or not.  While his KSEA may be in the Addon Scenery folder, you have activated it through FSX (or P3D), and it could very well be placed above or below the Orbx stuff.  So I would move it where you want it in relation to Orbx and see what happens.  Or maybe you've already does this?  Hope I have made this clear...

I think it's clear.  I hope I was clear! 

 

Ray Smith's KSEA file is in my "Add-On Scenery" folder which is in my Scenery Library with a higher placement than all of my ORBX entries.  With that being said, in theory, shouldn't any issues I had with the ORBX afcad not be present or at least be corrected when running FTX Configurator?

[Stewart Hobson]

I think it's clear.  I hope I was clear! 

 

Ray Smith's KSEA file is in my "Add-On Scenery" folder which is in my Scenery Library with a higher placement than all of my ORBX entries.  With that being said, in theory, shouldn't any issues I had with the ORBX afcad not be present or at least be corrected when running FTX Configurator?

Hi, Rob. 

 

Is that KSEA file visible in your scenery library?  Can you move it up or down in the scenery library?  It doesn't matter much for our purposes here where the Add-on Scenery folder is.  What matters is where the KSEA file is located in the scenery library.  The FTX Configurator will place the Orbx stuff correctly relative to themselves, but with Smith's KSEA, it is you that will have to place it where you want it, above the Orbx stuff, for example, so that it overrides any of the Orbx files.  Just because you can move the Add-on Scenery folder up or down doesn't mean the KSEA file inside of it will be above or below the Orbx files.  It's where the KSEA file itself is located that counts.  Whew! 

[Rob Haynes]

Ok so I am pretty confused.

 

Here are some pictures from my current situation at KSEA which is using Ray Smith's AFCAD placed in my Add-On Scenery folder.  The AFCAD is de-activated through FTX configurator.  I have FTX Global in Hybrid mode ( since I have PNW) and all packages have the current Service Packs and Library's applied.  I also have FTX Trees installed as well.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see there are lots of cliffs/canyons in the terrain, the entire B & C terminal buildings are missing and I have trees/autogen all over the ramp.  It looked like this with the ORBX PNW KSEA AFCAD and Ray Smith's.

 

Is this a Scenery Library issue?  My Add-On Scenery folder (where the new KSEA afcad is placed) is placed higher than all of my ORBX sceneries.

 

My ORBX order (after the trees install) looks like this

 

 

 

 

 

Any help on this would be appreciated.   Sorry for all the pics, just trying to supply as much info as possible

[Rob Haynes]

I also forgot to add, on new AFCADS where there has been an extension to the airport (MMUN and the new area at YPPH used by VOZ for example) are filled with trees and autogen.  Not sure how to fix that.

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi there,

 

Ray Smith's version of KSEA doesn't include its own flatten file meaning you need to leave the PNW version active. Thus, in \ORBX\FTX_NA\FTX_NA_PNW05_SCENERY\scenery deactivate or remove 

 

ADE_FTX_PNW_KSEA_Seattle-Tacoma_Intl.BGL

FTX_PNW_objects_KSEA_BCN_PLC.bgl

FTX_PNW_objects_KSEA_PLC.bgl

 

but leave ADE_FTX_PNW_KSEA_Seattle-Tacoma_Intl_CVX.bgl in place.

 

Also, make sure that the three Vector files are indeed set to .inactive, namely AEC_KSEA, APT_KSEA, and ABP_KSEA.

 

It still won't be a perfect match since Ray's KSEA version was made to work with the default landscape but at least there won't be any trees on the runways and aprons or canyons in between.

 

BTW if all you need to do is fix something that you "messed up" with the PNW KSEA then re-installing the PNW service pack 1.8 will also do the trick because it contains copies of our KSEA files.

 

Cheers, Holger

 

P.S.: also see my general comments regarding Vector and third-party add-ons here: http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/96863-trees-and-houses-autogen-issue-on-airports/?p=878245

[Rob Haynes]

Thank you for the info, I will give that a try.

 

However the FTX PNW AFCAD had the same exact issues (missing terminal buildings and terrain canyons) as well.  

 

I will try re-installing the SP and hope that fixes it all.