• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

FS2004 AF2 AFCAD and ADE questions and help

W

wiang

Messages
16
Country
unitedstates
Hi, I have ADE version 1.45.06, Windows XP SP1?
I am trying to edit some scenery files (.bgl) located in my addon scenery folder. I'm still kind of new to this ADEX. Some of the AF2/PAI type bgl files will decompile and others won't, most if not all of the MAIW type bgl files will not decompile. I try to open an airport (from bgl) from file menu and immediately I get failed to decompile bgl window. Is there a way to fix this? :D
Also, I would like to edit the approaches and runways at a local airport (KMSN). I cannot open the MAIW AF2 KMSN bgl file, do I open the stock airport to make the changes? So I save the changes to an ADE file, when I compile this, will it overwrite the MAIW AF2 KMSN file? According to MAIW folks, the military AI won't work properly without their scenery file installed.
Also, I don't understand the split compile concept. I have read the manual at length, but still am dumbfounded.
 
I just d/led the MAIW great lakes ang part 1 file from MAIW and found it has a file MAIW_AF2_KMSN_DEFAULT.BGL and an additional 4 overlay files which I believe are used by MAIW to cause AI to fly holds and had no problem opening them from bgl with ADE9 and ADEX 1.45.06. I then went into tools -> load stock data and loaded all the options, which gave me the stock approaches.

Are you getting a specific error?

scott s.
.
 
If their file must be there and you can't decompile it, then you cannot do anything at all. If you open the Stock airport and modify it, you must compile it either to the MAIW file's name (which means it's gone), or compile it to a new name and add .bak to the name of the MAIW file to inactivate it. Either way the MAIW file is now not active.
 
scott967 said:
I just d/led the MAIW great lakes ang part 1 file from MAIW and found it has a file MAIW_AF2_KMSN_DEFAULT.BGL and an additional 4 overlay files which I believe are used by MAIW to cause AI to fly holds and had no problem opening them from bgl with ADE9 and ADEX 1.45.06. I then went into tools -> load stock data and loaded all the options, which gave me the stock approaches.

Are you getting a specific error?

scott s.
.
Click to expand...

Just a failed to decompile the bgl window. Wondering if I should delete/re-install the MAIW bgl file?
 
wiang said:
Some of the AF2/PAI type bgl files will decompile and others won't, most if not all of the MAIW type bgl files will not decompile. I try to open an airport (from bgl) from file menu and immediately I get failed to decompile bgl window. Is there a way to fix this?
Click to expand...

Some of the MAIW file have been compiled not with AFCAD, but with BGLComp from XML sources. They have decompiled the AFCAD file, and added some elements like buildings and other scenery objects with their own unique model data. Sometimes they include the exclusions in the new 'AFCAD' file.

ADE9X will fail to decompile them because they have this data in the file.

AFCAD will also improperly decompile them, but not give you an error. Just destroy all the additional data.

It would be better in my opinion to put thing like that in separate files. But MAIW has several people doing these files over a period of time, and some folks do things one way, others another.

wiang said:
Also, I would like to edit the approaches and runways at a local airport (KMSN). I cannot open the MAIW AF2 KMSN bgl file, do I open the stock airport to make the changes? So I save the changes to an ADE file, when I compile this, will it overwrite the MAIW AF2 KMSN file? According to MAIW folks, the military AI won't work properly without their scenery file installed.
Click to expand...

The AFCAD file has no approaches. Lee Swordy made the AFCAD program purposely not touch with the approaches. Jim Vile always had to hand create .XML files with the modified approaches, create a .BGL file and we had to place it in the Scenery\Generic\Scenery folder for it to work properly.

I assume you want to change Rwy 13/31 to 14/32 and modify those approaches.

You probably should decompile the MAIW AF2 file and find what is non-standard in the file. Perhaps those items can be compiled into a separate file, and ADE can open the cleaned up .XML.
 
wiang said:
Just a failed to decompile the bgl window. Wondering if I should delete/re-install the MAIW bgl file?
Click to expand...
I would download the latest MAIW package if you haven't. You should be able to open that AFCAD file. You can point the MAIW installer to a temp location so it doesn't overwrite your existing setup.

scott s.
 
Hi Wiang.

I'm not sure what you're trying to do and how you're doing it, but the file MAIW_AF2_KMSN_DEFAULT.bgl opens without any issues in ADE9.

In fact all our AFD bgl's (marked with AF2, AFX or ADE) should open fine. Scenery/landclass/exclude data is always stored in separate bgl files. Of course you won't be able to open these with ADE9. There are no such additional files for KMSN by the way, only the AF2.

Are you sure you are doing "File"->"Open Airport from Bgl"? If that's the case, your issue is related to something more general and not to MAIW files only.

Greg
 
gregloones said:
Hi Wiang.

I'm not sure what you're trying to do and how you're doing it, but the file MAIW_AF2_KMSN_DEFAULT.bgl opens without any issues in ADE9.

In fact all our AFD bgl's (marked with AF2, AFX or ADE) should open fine. Scenery/landclass/exclude data is always stored in separate bgl files. Of course you won't be able to open these with ADE9. There are no such additional files for KMSN by the way, only the AF2.

Are you sure you are doing "File"->"Open Airport from Bgl"? If that's the case, your issue is related to something more general and not to MAIW files only.

Greg
Click to expand...

Well, now I'm a bit more confused...I had some 3rd party KMSN scenery, which I deleted. I moved the MAIW_KMSN bgl file to a temp folder, so now I'm left with just the stock airport. I am able to open/edit this in ADE9, but I had to re-create every parking spot and taxiway from the MAIW bgl file. I left the MAIW bgl file open in AFCAD (to capture parking, taxiway, runway data) in one window and in another window I had ADE9 open to copy everything over. Time consuming, just a bit... Yes I have tried to open airport from bgl under file menu, same thing happens. Just a failed to decompile window.
I also don't understand why ADE9 cannot decompile some PAI type bgl files and it can with other PAI files. I can compile ADE9 type bgl files into the Addon Scenery folder. If I try to open it in AFCAD, I get a warning about some items being stripped (save as another file name). Looks like I'm going to have to attempt the same thing with KMIA.
 
Last edited:
Pleased email me an example or two of the files that ADE cannot decompile. Email them to jon AT scruffyduck.co.uk
 
Phnl?

scruffyduck said:
Pleased email me an example or two of the files that ADE cannot decompile. Email them to jon AT scruffyduck.co.uk
Click to expand...

Sent a couple files your way, good luck. I think maybe when I have used AFX (not AFCAD2) to edit certain scenery files something happened to the file properties. I opened PHNL via ADE, was able to decompile and see the gates, runways. I closed the file, made no changes. Then I went to AFX, opened the file, made a small change to a runway and saved it. By chance, I went back to ADE9, started the program, opened the same PHNL file via bgl and now I get the same failed to decompile window (can't see runways, gates). So I can only assume when I make changes in AFX, it must change the properties somehow??
 
Problem found, crisis averted

Finally found an issue. It lies with the AFX version 1.08(Airport Facilitator program) and FS9. When I edit any bgl file with this program and save the changes, something happens to the file properties. This "change" to the properties is not recognized by the ADE9 program. This is why I would get a failed to decompile error/window.
On a hunch, I did a little experiment. I opened the same MAIW type file, but utilized AFCAD version 2.21, not AFX. I made a small change, saved the file in Addon Scenery folder. I started ADE9, opened bgl file and voila!!!, it decompiles and I can see all the ramps, parking etc. So all is not lost, if I cannot decompile a bgl file in ADE9, all I do is open/save the same file with AFCAD and it is "restored" which allows ADE9 to decompile.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
The problem is you should be able to open these files without having to use AFCAD first. They open straight away here so why not with you?

I remember having a problem with AFX files and the ADE9X release candidate though. I reported it to Jon and he fixed it. Are you sure you have the latest version installed?

Greg
 
I believe that the fix is in the latest beta which is, as yet, not released
 
Why can't you open the XML? The errors appear to relate to an approach and the heading data associated with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top