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AIFP 3 Aircraft

G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
Greetings,

I am new to downloading and creating flight plans. I recently took a stab at AIG Air Canada 2015. I downloaded the plans, models and repaints.

I proceeded to open the zip folder with the plan files. Opened in AIFP. The aircraft window entries were red. That makes sense. I had already created a folder in SimObjects containing the aircraft models, texture folders and updated aircraft.cfg files with the fltsim entries. Also added an entry for the aircraft in SimObjects.cfg

I had to substitute the red entries with the actual aircraft as assembled. I did not edit any of the titles. I selected the P3D radio button, as that was the only way to get all aircraft in the substitution window. If FSX radio button was left, there were only aircraft in the UT2 folder.

After substituting the aircraft, their descriptions were black. I then compiled the bgl and created a scenery entry.

Upon opening P3D v3 at FlyTampa CYYZ, I noticed there were no Air Canada aircraft. I closed the sim, opened the bgl and noticed that the aircraft entries were once again red.

Finally changed the titles in the aircraft.cfg files to match the aircraft file in the flight plan archive. Still no luck.

Can I get some help here. AIFP is an excellent program and I would like to use it correctly.

Thanks for your help,
Graham
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
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ca-britishcolumbia
I had to substitute the red entries with the actual aircraft as assembled. I did not edit any of the titles. I selected the P3D radio button, as that was the only way to get all aircraft in the substitution window. If FSX radio button was left, there were only aircraft in the UT2 folder.
Click to expand...
. Sounds like you are trying to use the traffic file with two versions of Flightsim but have installed the aircraft for P3D. Unless you have specified a common aircraft folder in simobjects.cfg (p3Dv3) and fsx.cfg (FSX), you are going to have to install the aircraft twice.

When you opened the traffic file the second time, you likely had FSX selected.

Don
 
G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
Thanks for the reply. I only have P3D v3 installed. However I have a dummy FSX setup so that I can install and operate programs such as UT2.

I tried using the select? radio button as well, checking the folder where the AIG Air Canada models and paints live. No luck.

Would it help if I move the aircraft to the UT2 folder and leave everything in AIFP set to FSX?

Thanks again for your time,

Graham
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
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ca-britishcolumbia
Don't know what you mean by a "dummy FSX setup". Also don't know what you mean by "select?"

With both FSX and P3D, the aircraft can be located anywhere. So long as their location is recorded in the fsx.cfg or the simobjects.cfg files as app-licable, AIFP (and Flightsim) will find then. That being said, if you only have P3D installed, why would you select FSX in AIFP?

Graham, in order to help you we need to know exactly what you are doing, using proper button/field names.

Don
 
G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
When I get back to town I'll go through the process step by step and post screen shots to illustrate. Thanks for the response.
 
tgibson

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,343
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us-california
Hi,

Some addon programs require an FSX installation to install, but also work with P3D. In these cases you need to set up a dummy FSX installation. We used to have to set up a dummy FS2004 installation to use some programs in FSX as well. I still do that on some computers so I can use ADE and AIFP on those machines. :)

By "select" I think he pressed a radio button in the Aircraft Editor somewhere? Or used the Path button there?
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
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ca-britishcolumbia
Hi Tom. I'm not questioning the need for a "dummy FSX installation", though its not clear what comprises such installation in this case. The point I was trying to make is that if AIFP is to be used with this dummy installation, the required aircraft must be provisioned for FSX (using fsx.cfg). It's also not clear with which version of Flightsim the aircraft fail to materialize for AIFP.
 
G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
Thanks for the help to this point. It appears I haven't made myself clear on this. The reference to the 'fake FSX' was unnecessary and misleading. My apologies.

I am running P3D v3 in Windows 10 64 bit.

-downloaded the Air Canada 2015 Summer schedules from Alpha India
-downloaded the required models and repaints
-copied the aircraft to SimObjects folder
-checked to ensure the schedules were compatible with FSX
-imported the schedules into AIFP
-the aircraft were shown in red
-searched, found and substituted the aircraft
-the aircraft descriptions turned black
-saved and then compiled the flight plan(s)
-ensured the aircraft folder was entered into SimObjects.cfg
-setup the flight plan in the scenery library
-disabled Air Canada in Ut2
-opened CYYZ and there were no Air Canada aircraft
-opened the compiled bgl in AIFP and the aircraft list was once again showing in red

I went through the process again and got the same result. I am obviously missing something here. Hope this explanation allows you to help me here.

Thanks,
Graham
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Graham, there's a trouble-shooting guide in one of the stickeys at the top of this forum that you may find helpful.

That being said, my first suggestion would be to see if you have any compiled for FS9 traffic files in the purview of P3D. As noted in another sticky, FS9 traffic files will suppress FSX traffic - I presume even in P3D.

If the aircraft were showing in black when you compiled and in red when you decompiled, something in your aircraft stable changed in the interim. You said you disabled Air Canada in UT. Do you know what that actually does? (I don't) Are you sure the traffic you decompiled was the same file you compiled. (Same date stamp? Did you check that all the aircraft with titles as in the flight plan were still available and where they should be when you decompiled and found them all missing?

Don
 
G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
Thanks Don,

I'll run through again and check against your suggestions. Appreciate your assistance. Re disabling Air Canada in UT2; I believe one can uncheck an airline in UT2 and it will not show in the simulator.
 
Last edited:
tgibson

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,343
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us-california
I think he was asking if that also deleted the aircraft. I don't believe that's true, though.
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
Graham, AIFP is telling you that aircraft that were available when you compiled the traffic file are no longer available when you de-compile it. You are the only one that can determine it:
1. this is true,
2. where they went.

I would point out that, if you compiled for one version of Flightsim and a different Target Version was selected when you decompiled, this would be the expected result if all aircraft were not installed for both versions.

Don
 
G

gderreck

Messages
7
Country
canada
Don and all,

I solved the issue, which probably should have been obvious to me. I spent some time checking other threads referencing aircraft. In one thread, it was emphasized that the aircraft titles had to be exactly the same as the title in the respective aircraft.cfg files.

Also, it didn't occur to me that when I checked that previously, I was targeting FSX, as that appeared to give me the best chance of finding the aircraft. Of course, AIFP won't find aircraft in SimObjects.cfg if FSX is targeted. Why I thought that is one for the ages. In addition, when I originally changed the titles in the aircraft.cfg files, there were a number of name clashes.

Anyway...this is what I did:

-ensured that the folder containing the aircraft was set up correctly in SimObjects.cfg
-changed the names of the aircraft in the aircraft.txt file; adding S15 to the end of each title. This prevented name clashes
-changed the titles in aircraft.cfg files to match those in aircraft.txt
-opened AIFP and targeted P3D v3
-opened the respective flight plan text file in AIFP and voila, all aircraft entries were black
-compiled the file set and got Air Canada in all its glory in FlyTampa CYYZ

I'm certain, had I read the manual, I would have been aware of the need to have matching aircraft titles (aircraft.txt/aircraft.cfg(s)). But I mean, why would I read the manual, when I can take up the time of good people in this forum :)

Please forgive me for taking up your time needlessly and accept my compliments on an excellent program. I shouldn't fail to also thank all of you for your assistance and help in clarifying my earlier posts as I worked through this.
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
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9,388
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ca-britishcolumbia
All's well that ends well, Graham - especially when somebody learns something,

Don
 
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