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Flatten .xml template needed.

R

Reider

Messages
76
I need to level off an area for a runway. No matter what height I set it at its either under or over the ground. Worse at both ends of the runway where the plane vanishes into the ground. I`m no expert, would I need a flatten to perform this? I looked around for one I can use as a template and just change the coordinates, but to no avail. I just keep going around in ever decreasing circles. Could someone please post an example xml file I can edit, to use as a template?

My runway is];

20x800

altitude;

according to FSX map is +170, but around 46.00m seems to just hover over the ground in some places. not sure how this works.

location of airfield is;

Scarborough
54.1353 , -0.383333

Already posted this in the KML forum, as I`ve been trying to sort it a couple of days now. I`m going to be doing the same for Skegness too after I work this one out. I lived on the East coast of the UK some 20 years ago and I`m trying to get some virtual airfields for the places I used to visit often. I think the Skegness one I have is the old Butlins Airfield, I took my first flight in a light plane from there when I was about 20.....many moons ago!

Reider

AKA Steve
________
Suzuki GT380
 
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For FSX, only the SP1a will flatten the ground when adding a runway (SP2 will not).

The correct way to flatten the ground is make a shp2vec bgl using the SDK or one of the utilites like SbuilderX or FSX_kml.

If you want to keep the swells and hills around the runway slide a apron under the runway. Keep its width smaller then the runway but the same length.
 
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Steve,

Do you have the Horizon Generation-X photographic scenery? If so I could easily create a blended flatten at Scarborough to fit in with their 5 metre mesh.

Are you sure they are the correct coordinates, it seems a long way from Scarborough:





George
 
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Yes, its not in in Scarborough itself but classed as a Scarborough airfield. Its an unlicensed one still in operation now, Eddsfield. It looks to be the right location, using several sources to double check it-though its nearer to Flamborough Head than Scarborough, which is right. I used this site to initially get the coordinates;

http://www.content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields/

Thanks Jim, I unsuccessfully tried the flatten and am using the Acceleration version of the SDK with SP2 included. All I get is a little portion of the runway in the middle and the aircraft sinks at both ends. To make matters worse I swear the ground runs downhill sideways. The scenery is stunning in that area too so I would like to keep it as it is but maintain a flat runway.

I have COPD and cannot get around like I used to. I used to walk 30 miles, now I`m lucky to get 50 yards. This is my virtual world and brings back so many memories of the places I`ve been. I`ll complete it one day, may have to shelve it for now. Thanks to all and sorry if I get a little irritable at times.

Reider
________
Honda TLR200
 
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Reider

In order for the apron to work under the runway you have to create a airpot header (new airport) with ADE. Use TcalcX to get a Lat/Lon and a altitude of the ground where you want the runway.

The apron under the runway will flatten the ground to the proper haeder altitude so the runway is showing properly. This works with Accel/SP2.

Do you have the exact Lat/Lon in decimal format?
 
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Hi Steve,

I've found it at coords 54.1106, -0.461111:





Give me a couple of hours and I'll see what I can do.

George

ps.Bones gives the ICAO as X9ED
 
Yes, I used X9ED in a previous failed attempt weeks ago. I left it on my system to look at again. So, when I came back I used EG77 as a temporary one while I got it nailed down.

Reider
________
buy silver surfer
 
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Steve,

Try the attached flatten. Load it into TmfViewer to see the coordinates.



George

Edit. I forgot to say that the height is 161 metres.
 
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The first location appears to be a model flying site. Zoom in to the small field top right of the one containing the cursor, and you'll see a small (85m or so) mown runway with some cars and RC model aircraft parked by it.
 
The flatten is working, I got rid of the SDK SP2 for now. Tried the sample file and got nowhere (that will be my fault, but still prefer the first area). I went back to the start again and found it was my mistake in the KML creation. Right or wrong I`m using the first location, I love that valley. At least I now know how to do it properly, thats why I used templates up to now. If I needed a new KML file I dropped an existing one on Notepad and manually adjusted it. Now I can create it properly-at last ;)

Now, I just need to find why no aircraft are landing and taking off, they just appear and then vanish. I have parking and taxi lines as per any other airfields. I added them to the traffic.bgl I should be able to sort that in time.

I have another concern, Jim especially. I took off SDK SP2 to complete this, only using SDK and SP1a as suggested. Once done and working, if I then put SDK SP2 back, will it still work as it should??? Or will the flatten stop working? Can`t see that because some people would download a free ware airfield with a flatten included and only be using FSX standard with no SDK. Or have I misread this situation?

I aim to get this working, then type all the info into a word doc so I can do it again. Then I`ll do Skegness the same way, stick of rock anyone? Thanks all, no one person fixed it, this was a collective effort and I posted all comments into a text file to peruse at leisure. I looked at the sample file in the tmfviewer, tried it in action but got nowhere (probably my fault). Everyone elses words were useful, very useful in diagnosing it, Jim`s idea of not using SDK SP2 was put into action. His example flatten/exclusion command was utilised too, this saved me excluding a couple of buildings seperately-so dead handy.

Thanks to all, I now know more than I did yesterday and will have more to learn tomorrow! The Quest for the holy Grail continues.....

EDIT: Aircraft going in and out now, just some tidying up to do and more Aircraft traffic to add. Even got microlights flying in and out from EGCC Manchester, not used them as AI traffic up till now. Thanks all

Reider
________
storz & bickel volcano vaporizer
 
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