• 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.

I have read the manual but I'm still a bit confused.

A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
Hello,

It's my first time using AFLT and there are a few things that I still don't understand.
I am very thankful for the in-depth manual but I generally find it easier to understand if things were presented with more pictures or videos.
My first task was to create a library of elements for my taxi lights. I click 'Make Library' but I'm left with nothing on my screen, as shown here: http://prntscr.com/lp4zlo I'm not sure about the .xml file either and what to do with it. If I'm correct, that .xml file is an alternative way of creating the library of elements.

I'm also wondering if I have correctly set the paths: http://prntscr.com/lp50db

Overall, all I want to achieve in this is to create a library of elements for my taxi lights and be able to place them in ADE.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

Acer
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
The .xml file is not optional. It is the file from which AFLT determines the locations of the light elements for P3d. Presumably, you specified the position of the lights of interest using ADE. If so, the .xml file generated by ADE is the file you need.

As for your paths, without knowing you machine organization, I have n way of knowing whether or not the paths are correct.

Overall, all I want to achieve in this is to create a library of elements for my taxi lights and be able to place them in ADE.
Click to expand...
You've got it backwards. You need to first position the lights with ADE (or otherwise) in order to create the library file (actually, a set of files) for P3D. For FS9, FSX and early versions of P3D, it is a .bgl containing the required light models and the positioning data to be read by Flightsim- hence the name "library file".

Don
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Belay that earlier message. I just realized you are trying to make a library file for "consumption" by the ADE Library Manager. For that, you don't need the .x l file

I have no idea why your Make Library screen is blank. I've never seen that nor, to my recollection, has it ever been reported. Presumably, when you clicked the bottom button of the make library screen, those two list boxes were not empty. The generated .bgl should be in your Addon Scenery folder.

Don

PS: I note you are not using the latest DEVELOPMENT RELEASE 3.1.02(f). I suggest you download and install that development release. Your difficulty may not exist in it.
 
Last edited:
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
gadgets said:
Belay that earlier message. I just realized you are trying to make a library file for "consumption" by the ADE Library Manager. For that, you don't need the .x l file

I have no idea why your Make Library screen is blank. I've never seen that nor, to my recollection, has it ever been reported. Presumably, when you clicked the bottom button of the make library screen, those two list boxes were not empty. The generated .bgl should be in your Addon Scenery folder.

Don

PS: I note you are not using the latest DEVELOPMENT RELEASE 3.1.02(f). I suggest you download and install that development release. Your difficulty may not exist in it.
Click to expand...
Hi Don,

I have downloaded the development release and there's no luck so far. I still can't make a library. I feel like I may have missed a step when reading the manual.

I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can find any solution.

Acer
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Acer, there's not many steps to miss. Once you've opened the Make Library dialog, all you have to do is select the relevant FSX models and click the Create/Save Library button.
Don
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Just a thought, Acer. Have you created the taxiway light elements. If not, that would explain the empty list boxes.

AFLT supplies the base models. It's up to you to assign those models to one or more functions and to complete their specification. For example, there is an Omni stock model. It can be used as a runway light and/or a taxiway light. But you have to assign the color of the light for each application.

Don
 
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
gadgets said:
Just a thought, Acer. Have you created the taxiway light elements. If not, that would explain the empty list boxes.

AFLT supplies the base models. It's up to you to assign those models to one or more functions and to complete their specification. For example, there is an Omni stock model. It can be used as a runway light and/or a taxiway light. But you have to assign the color of the light for each application.

Don
Click to expand...

Don,
I can say successfully (I think) that I've managed to place a taxi light! http://prntscr.com/lpboj0
Hopefully, I should get the hang of this from now on.
If you think I did anything incorrect here, let me know but thank you for your help!

Acer
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
I don't see the 3D model associated with the light. Did you select the "Light Only" option". If so, turn that off and a 3D model "supporting" the light should appear.

Don
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Unless that Addon Scenery folder if specified as an active scenery folder in your Scenery Library, that would explain the absence of the 3D model. The library .bgl files generated by AFLT need to be handled like any other scenery and placed in an active scenery folder.

Don
 
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
gadgets said:
Unless that Addon Scenery folder if specified as an active scenery folder in your Scenery Library, that would explain the absence of the 3D model. The library .bgl files generated by AFLT need to be handled like any other scenery and placed in an active scenery folder.

Don
Click to expand...
I assume the taxiway model is found under "library object" in ADE? I don't know why I'm struggling to find this. I assume that everything should be working correctly.

PS: when I first got the taxi light up and running, I used the "effect" tool.
 
Last edited:
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
There is no "taxiway model" unless you created it, in which case it should appear in one or both of the Make Library dial clickog listboxes. What AFLT provides is a 3D model of a typical runway/taxiway edge light with an omni directional light source of undefined color, size/range and PCL properties.

When you open AFLT, the Make Element dialog is in view. Click the New button beside the Element combobox, enter a name for the element, e.g., "Taxiway Light", select OMNI from the Light Type combo box, fill in any necessary characteristics and click Create/Save Element. Now, when you click Make Library, "Taxiway light" should appear in the Make Library listboxes. Select it and then click Make Library. The object library file will be placed wherever you specified - if in an active scenery folder, you should see the model when you run Flightsim.

Don
 
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
gadgets said:
There is no "taxiway model" unless you created it, in which case it should appear in one or both of the Make Library dial clickog listboxes. What AFLT provides is a 3D model of a typical runway/taxiway edge light with an omni directional light source of undefined color, size/range and PCL properties.

When you open AFLT, the Make Element dialog is in view. Click the New button beside the Element combobox, enter a name for the element, e.g., "Taxiway Light", select OMNI from the Light Type combo box, fill in any necessary characteristics and click Create/Save Element. Now, when you click Make Library, "Taxiway light" should appear in the Make Library listboxes. Select it and then click Make Library. The object library file will be placed wherever you specified - if in an active scenery folder, you should see the model when you run Flightsim.

Don
Click to expand...
I followed your steps exactly, and I hate to say, I still don't see the model. I do have the .bgl file that is for the model in my scenery folder. http://prntscr.com/lpgfa9
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
That folder listing looks OK. So, perhaps the problem lies with the construction of the model.

But, before we go there, I recall from a previous post that the confirmation message from the Make Library routine said you did not provide a XML file. While you don't need the .xml file to make the object library for input to the ADE Library Manager, you do need to specify the .xml file that is output by ADE containing "Scenery Object" blocks for your lights when generating the object library for use by Flightsim. Please ensure you've done that.

Now, as regards the library object model itself, to help you with that, I'll need a screenshot of the Make Element dialog (i.e., the AFLT opening screen) showing the characteristics of your taxiway light as well as the contents of the .ini file for the light.

Don
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
That looks OK. It's most unlikely that the .ini file is not also OK. Which means I'm officially stumped.

Please .zip up your Library Folder (presumably F:\AirportDesignEditor\P34\Library Folder) and your scenery folder and either attach the .zip to your post or email to me at don at stuff4fs dot com. That way, I can see exactly what you've done and I should be able to duplicate it. (But, it may be late tomorrow before I'll be able to get to it.)

Don
 
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
Here you go. I do want to say thank you for being very patient with me. I am very grateful for your help. :)
 

Attachments

  • AFLT Acer.zip
    70.4 KB · Views: 209
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
I've had a quick look at your files. The only thing I noticed out of order was the strange configuration of your top INI folder. It appears to contain another partial installation of AFLT. Since you have only 2 elements defined, I suggest you delete AFLT entirely from your system, re-install, re-create those elements and try again. For re-installation, don't forget to install the latest general release first and then install the development release over it.

Also, I did note that one of your defined elements used the "Surface" base model. The surface model includes only the lighted portion. It's intended for runway/taxiway centerline lighting. I trust you've not used that one in your library.

Unfortunately, I am travelling and don't have Pv4 installed on my computer. (I forgot about that when I asked for your Scenery folder.) So, I am unable to validate your object library file. I'll be interested in knowing how you make out after the re-installation. But, if you are not successful, I will not be in a position to offer significant additional support until I return home this coming weekend.

Don
 
A

Acerazus

Messages
62
Country
unitedkingdom
I am wondering, am I inserting the lights into ADE incorrectly? I just apply the light effect and that's it. I don't add a model with it.
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
am I inserting the lights into ADE incorrectly
Click to expand...
I don't think so. Effects have to be attached to something. So, it's not clear what you mean by "Apply the light effect".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top