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P3D v4 All compiled GP objects missing in P3D

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unitedstates
I have run into a situation wherein all of the listed GP objects in ADE are compiled without error but DO NOT appear when P3D for that particular airport is run.
This appeared after I added 2 HOLD SHORT and doing some backtracking, if I delete the 2 added HOLD SHORTs, all of the existing GP objects are then visible in P3D.
If I keep the 2 added HOLD SHORTs and simply create a GP Poly (3 sided patch of concrete), again, everything compiles with no errors but ALL (including the just added GP poly) are
not seen when P3D loads the airport.
I then removed (from the GP Objects list) 3 GP lines (dble yellow) and kept the previously mentioned HOLD SHORTs and once again, ALL of the GP objects were displayed when P3D ran.
Have I added to many vertex's as that seems to me the only common denominator?? Is there a limit on vertex's and if yes, can it be increased or at least present an error during compile...or maybe there is
an error but I have no access to the ADE compile log, etc.
The airport in question is PHNL and bringing PHNL up to date has required extensive adds of "vertex's" given the changes to runway aprons, etc. I can share all work with you to debug if needed.
Thanks in advance.
Lemon
 

gadgets

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Lemon, I know of no reason why one particular GP (or in your case two) prevents the display of all the others - unless your airport lies at/near the intersection of QMV11 boundaries and some of your GPs fall in a QMV11 area other than the one in which your ARP lies - in which case we know that some or all of your GPs will not display - a situation I can do nothing about.

Please attach your .ad4 file that includes the two problematic hold-shorts and identify them.
 
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unitedstates
Don, help me to understand QMV11 boundaries...totally stupid on this end regarding such.
As per your instructions, I have attached (2) items.
1. Screen capture of ADE with 2 items circled in RED. The first is the 3 point concrete GP Object that comes and goes with the presence or after the deletion (Note: I have also tried to move the circled HoldSHorts to other locations, no change) and the second RED circle is the 2 HoldShorts taxiways RB and RC that end at Rwy 8R.
2. The PHNL ad4 file
I have a couple of static military MDLs that I use to populate the Mil. area (old Hickam), holler if you need them, I have tried the scenario without them and there is no difference.
Let me know what else you might need.
Thanks for the quick reply
Lemon
 

Attachments

  • PHNL_ad4.PNG
    PHNL_ad4.PNG
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  • CS-Honolulu_PHNL_4.ad4
    2.8 MB · Views: 108

gadgets

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At the moment, all I can say is that I have been able to duplicate the issue and it has nothing to do with QMV11 boundaries. (P3D/FSX breaks up scenery into rectangular areas about 20km per side at the equator. That scaling is known as QMD 11. As I noted above, if the GPs lie in a QMV11 area different from the ARP, the GPs are not displayed. But, compiling FS8-style GPs avoids this issue. Compiling FS8-style GPs does not help in your situation.)

I will attempt to identify and fix the problem. But, it may be a few days before I get at it. In the meantime, you'll have to imagine those two hold-short lines.
 
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unitedstates
:) Thanks Don. No problem with your "few days"...I have spent at least that trying to narrow it down. That said, please understand that the 2 HS are representative...its not caused by them but adding them to the AD4 surfaces the problem. I have taken out 1 or 2 of the DBLE Yellow Lines at certain places, left the 2 HoldShorts in and it did not fail, so is it some sort of combination.
Anyway, its the holiday season and please enjoy your holiday and think about this stuff after the holiday smoke clears. Its time to spend with family and friends...this AD4 can wait.
Cheers
Lemon
 

gadgets

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I struggled for a while this morning to understand what was going on. I confirmed that both FSX and Pv4 exhibited the same behavior-using both ground planes and FS8-style GPs.

Then, I wondered if maybe the GPs were being drawn beneath the aprons/taxiways. So, I deleted a couple aprons and, sure enough, the ends of the GPs that previously had been not been displayed appeared.

I then added a flatten around the entire airport and all the GPs appeared.

So, it appears that, in the absence of a flatten, even apparently flat terrain is not truly flat and the terrain elevation used to display (or not) a particular GP is affected by the terrain elevation under other GPs.

Bottom line, always include a flatten if you have GPs.

Don
 
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unitedstates
Don, dont take this the wrong way, but I am glad others more knowledgeable than myself struggled...I though I was loosing what little mind I had.
Thanks for the solution/insight...now I have a question along the lines of the "fix"...I dont believe ADE will allow me to set different elevations for runways, or does it.
Reason I ask is that PHNL in ADE is set at 12.9' above sea level, Rwy 8L is 11.6' and Rwy 8R (where the GP objects showed up) is 10'. Before I go off an try this and whack months of work, I wanted to
ask the expert.
Thanks again and wishing you and yours a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Lemon
 

gadgets

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I believe ADE allows you to set different runway elevations (though it's not clear what this accomplishes if you have intersecting runways). To determine what Pv4 does with those differing elevations you'll have to experiment.

What I can tell you is that GPs are drawn at terrain elevation. If any airport element on which a GP is to be drawn is above terrain elevation at the GP, the GP will be drawn underneath that element.
 
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unitedstates
I believe ADE allows you to set different runway elevations (though it's not clear what this accomplishes if you have intersecting runways). To determine what Pv4 does with those differing elevations you'll have to experiment.

What I can tell you is that GPs are drawn at terrain elevation. If any airport element on which a GP is to be drawn is above terrain elevation at the GP, the GP will be drawn underneath that element.
Many thanks. I have to remember this. Will experiment, but for now...I will do as you directed and flatten the airport.
Lemon
 

scruffyduck

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You can change anything in ADE if you have a ProKey. However whether it is wise or not is another matter.

1578125748246.png


This is the Raw Data View (Tools > Raw Data View) showing runway properties. The altitude can be changed to anything you want. But there is a reason that ADE generally does not allow the runway altitude to be something different than the ARP. Many things are locked to the ARP such as taxiways, parking and aprons so it would be odd of the runway they service was set at some other altitude. I suppose there are some reasons you might want it different than the ARP, perhaps if you needed one on top of a building, but personally I have never had the need.

Now if you find a runway in a project file that is not at the reference point then someone may have changed it or used a tool that does not force the runway to the ARP. In that case using the Raw Data View to change the altitude to the ARP would probably be the right thing to do.
 
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unitedstates
Jon, many thanks. I have had ProKey but have not used it very much and certainly have not even looked at the "raw data" option. Suspect I should RTFM :)
Your insight in invaluable!
If I could also ask you or Don along this topic, what is a *_cvx.bgl file and who / why is it generated. And, is there any facility to view the contents of a cvx.bgl. I gather it has
something to do with such things as flatten, etc. and am curious as to any pointers as to where I could find (and read) the details.
Cheers
Lemon
 

scruffyduck

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CVX files are terrain files compiled by Shp2Vec. This includes flattens, land class, roads, shorelines, exclusions (for terrain not for airports). If you add any terrain elements in an ADE project then these will be compiled by Shp2Vec into a _CVX.bgl file. This stuff is covered in the relevant SDK
 
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