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Fuel Trigger Tutorial?

falcon409

falcon409

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us-texas
I have designed a custom objects airport in FSX and would like to add the final touch which would be a fuel trigger. I use AFX (which has no option to set any triggers). I don't have any desire to move to a different program (ADE, Flightplanner, etc) and so can anyone suggest a tutorial that might show me how to do it manually? That is unless there's something similar to LOM by Scruffyduck (FS9 only). Thanks:)
 
Hi Ed:

No doubt someone here has a very detailed tutorial they might refer you to. ;)


[EDITED]

But just as a general conceptual overview, the "Fuel Trigger" is a small section of XML, often seen inside the code for the main airport XML in legacy airports (which is compiled to a BGL).


However user feedback suggests that it may best best to a keep Fuel Trigger code in a BGL separate from the airport-specific code, and also from other scenery objects, so it can be more easily disabled by the end user when desired for certain compatibility issues (see below in this same thread):

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426852

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showpost.php?p=645303&postcount=10

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showpost.php?p=645306&postcount=11


[END_EDIT]



ADE allows one to easily place such objects. :wizard:


Make a copy of your custom airport AFX*.BGL file, then:

1.) Open it in ADE via "Open Airport from BGL"

2.) Add a Taxiway Parking Fuel Trigger

(see: ADE Manual - Section 14.5 Fuel Triggers)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526978.aspx#Trigger


(see: ADE Manual - Section 11.5.1 Creating Parking)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526978.aspx#TaxiwayParking


3.) Save, then Compile the airport to a BGL with a new "ADE" file name prefix


4.) Make a copy of your custom airport ADE*.BGL file as a AFX*.BGL, then open it in AFX



To see the Fuel Trigger XML code (aka a "Fuel" type parking space):

* Click that "Fuel" Parking space icon to 'select' it

* Right-click that Parking space icon (context menu opens); Choose "Show XML" ("XML" box opens)


A 'quick and dirty' fuel trigger XML example copied from ADE:

Code: 
<TaxiwayParking
   index="1"
   lat="47.4863935993152"
   lon="-123.117473317039"
   heading="0"
   radius="16.0M"
   type="FUEL"
   name="PARKING"
   number="1"
   pushBack="BOTH"/>

[EDITED]

BTW: Apparently this code block ensures that ATC deals with availability of fuel at the airport: :spushpin:

Code: 
<Services>
         <Fuel
            type="100"
            availability="YES"/>
         <Fuel
            type="JETA"
            availability="YES"/>
      </Services>

[END_EDIT]



Hope this very general introductory orientation helps with the learning process ! :)

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Well, that's how to make a parking spot designated "fuel repair" but it won't fuel your aircraft for you. You need to specify the trigger itself and it doesn't necessarily need a parking space associated with it, here's an example, this makes a 24' trigger box (kinda small intentionally):

Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<FSData
   version="9.0"
   xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
   xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

<SceneryObject
   lat="48.73012474"
   lon="-116.29281740"
   alt="0.0F"
   altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
   pitch="0"
   bank="0"
   heading="259.00"
   imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE">
   <Trigger
      type="REFUEL_REPAIR"
      triggerHeight="0.0F">
      <Fuel
         type="100"
         availability="YES"/>
      <Fuel
         type="JETA"
         availability="YES"/>
      <Vertex
         biasX="-12.0F"
         biasZ="-12.0F"/>
      <Vertex
         biasX="-12.0F"
         biasZ="12.0F"/>
      <Vertex
         biasX="12.0F"
         biasZ="12.0F"/>
      <Vertex
         biasX="12.0F"
         biasZ="-12.0F"/>
   </Trigger>
</SceneryObject>


</FSData>


Then put ShowTriggers=1 in the [SCENERY] section of your FSX.cfg to see the trigger in the sim. The code above results in this:

fuel_trigger.jpg



GaryGB said:
No doubt someone here has a very detailed tutorial they might refer you to. ;)
Click to expand...


David Opa Marshall did a fuel trigger tutorial for FS9, I'd use the FSX version of bglcomp to compile it but I think the XML is the same for both sims. It'll explain the coords and vertex bias, etc. for the XML:

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.ph...er&FileName=&Author=David+Marshall&CatID=root

Jim
 
Thanks, Jim... that's the code I recall seeing in FS9 in a few decompiled airport BGLs. :)

It was rather late last night when I posted, and I could not recall reading whether there were any XML syntax changes implemented for the FSX SP2 version of BGLComp.XSD as pertains to Fuel Triggers, so I didn't chase that fully before my head hit the pillow. ;)

I do recall that FS9 format airports with refueling stations still work in FSX SP2 / Acceleration, so unless there has been an XML code change for FSX which somehow enhances 'Fuel Trigger' performance at airports beyond what a FS9 code version does, it seems quite reasonable to use the "legacy" code format you kindly posted above.

I didn't de-compile the test BGL to which I added the Fuel Parking Space in ADE last night, but I'll do so today to see if the "vertex" code was actually inserted by ADE beyond that seen in the "Show XML" box example code in my post above when I only added the "Fuel Parking Space".

Chances are that there is another step required via the ADE GUI to make the Fuel Trigger fully functional, that calls for drawing an additional "trigger area polygon" separately beyond just adding a "Fuel Parking" space ....which I missed seeing in the ADE manual due to the lateness of the hour.

At the time, the ADE manual seemed to suggest that there was a correlation between the size of the 'Fuel Parking space', and the size of the trigger area which I presumed might mean that ADE will insert the pertinent XML code for the actual trigger area vertices "somewhere" (but maybe that inference on my part was just due to a "lingering effect of pain-killer medication for a dental procedure" from a couple of days ago). :confused:


I also haven't yet seen where, in the SDK docs, ACES detailed use of a "Vertex" code section for triggers in the context of a Fuel Trigger.

Hmmm...; another SDK doc topic written in "Obfuscation-Speak" (... to motivate us to 'dig' and figure things out for ourselves ?) :scratchch


Looks like I'll be 'digging' to learn even more today than I had anticipated ! :D

< ...puts on mining hard hat with carbide lamp, grabs pick axe and lunch box >


PS: The "ShowTriggers=1 in the [SCENERY] section of your FSX.cfg to see the trigger in the sim" will also show legacy coded thermals, so folks who try this Cfg switch out, need not fly through green cubes in the sky to get refueled, as they might be in for a surprise ! :rotfl:

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Hi again:

I de-compiled the test airport BGL to which I added the Fuel Parking Space in ADE last night. :scratchch

Although I had previously saved and compiled the airport to a ADE project and a BGL, the Fuel Trigger "Refuel_Repair" XML code was not to be found in the XML of the de-compiled test airport BGL.

Worse yet, the option to add a "Fuel Trigger was still missing from the right-click "Add" context menu when the existing "Fuel Parking" object was pre-selected in the ADE GUI.

Curious if the 'Services' Tab needed to be manually edited under File > Airport Properties, I opened that tab and toggled "YES" for availability of AV100 and JETA, clicked OK, and exited that dialog.

I re-checked the option to add a "Fuel Trigger was still missing from the right-click "Add" context menu when the existing "Fuel Parking" object was pre-selected in the ADE GUI.


I then saved the Airport, re-compiled the BGL, and tried again.

This time, the option to add a "Fuel Trigger was no longer missing from the right-click "Add" context menu when the existing "Fuel Parking" object was pre-selected in the ADE GUI.

After adding the Fuel Trigger attribute to the Fuel Parking space, a stand-alone version of the Services tab from the Airport Properties dialog popped up, showing that I had already selected for availability of AV100 and JETA.



Curious as to why this happened, I added another Fuel Parking space nearby at the airport (and again did not yet open the Airport Properties dialog).

Again, I attempted to add a "Fuel Trigger, but that entry was still missing from the right-click "Add" context menu when the existing "Fuel Parking" object was pre-selected in the ADE GUI.

So, I again selected the new test "Fuel Parking" object in the ADE GUI, then I opened the Airport Properties dialog and clicked on the Services tab which showed that I had already selected for availability of AV100 and JETA.

I once again saved the Airport and re-compiled the BGL.

This time, when the new test "Fuel Parking" object was pre-selected in the ADE GUI, the right-click "Add" context menu showed an option entry for "Fuel Trigger".

I added the 'Fuel Trigger' attribute, again saved the Airport, and re-compiled the BGL.

When de-compiled, the Fuel Parking entry was present in the "airport" BGL's XML code as before:

Code: 
<TaxiwayParking
         index="0"
         lat="47.4863889813423"
         lon="-123.117470294237"
         heading="20.0576801300049"
         radius="16.0M"
         type="FUEL"
         name="PARKING"
         number="1"
         pushBack="BOTH"/>

...with this new entry:

Code: 
<Services>
         <Fuel
            type="100"
            availability="YES"/>
         <Fuel
            type="JETA"
            availability="YES"/>
      </Services>



But the separate "object placement" companion BGL now showed this new code:

Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!-- Created by Scenery Design Engine (SDE) on 7/17/2013 -->
<FSData
   version="9.0"
   xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
   xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">
   <SceneryObject
      lat="47.4863889813423"
      lon="-123.117469847202"
      alt="0.0M"
      altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
      pitch="0"
      bank="0"
      heading="20.0555419921875"
      imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE">
      <NoAutogenSuppression/>
      <NoCrash/>
      <NoFog/>
      <NoShadow/>
      <Trigger
         type="REFUEL_REPAIR"
         triggerHeight="0.0M">
         <Fuel
            type="73"
            availability="NO"/>
         <Fuel
            type="100"
            availability="YES"/>
         <Fuel
            type="JETA"
            availability="YES"/>
         <Vertex
            biasX="-17.0M"
            biasZ="-17.0M"/>
         <Vertex
            biasX="17.0M"
            biasZ="-17.0M"/>
         <Vertex
            biasX="17.0M"
            biasZ="17.0M"/>
         <Vertex
            biasX="-17.0M"
            biasZ="17.0M"/>
      </Trigger>
   </SceneryObject>
</FSData>

Go figure ! :eek:

Seeing an apparent in-congruence between what ADE's manual states to be the workflow with resulting pop-ups etc., and what it took to "activate" an option to Add > Fuel Trigger in the right-click context menu when a "Fuel Parking" space is pre-selected, I thought this may be (...dare I say it ?) ...a bug ! :o


So I checked to see if an update was available for my current ADE version 01.55.4860.23619, and saw "none" was available. :redflag:

A quick search turned up a thread which IMHO still raised questions in my mind about whether this functionality was previously detected by others, and by redundant re-navigation, saving, re-compiling etc. the "Fuel Trigger" attribute was finally activated, but exactly how the workaround was achieved got lost in the shuffle: ;)

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=425489


Oh, and I also posted about this in another thread ...with "Bonus content": :D

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426861


Perhaps ScruffyDuck et al could look into this (...again) ? :wave:

Thanks ! :)

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
GaryGB said:
...unless there has been an XML code change for FSX which somehow enhances 'Fuel Trigger' performance at airports beyond what a FS9 code version does, it seems quite reasonable to use the "legacy" code format you kindly posted above.
Click to expand...

An assumption on your part - that's been cross-checked and determined to be FSX compliant. Thankfully however we still have the FS2004 bglcomp SDK laying around to shed some light on the vertex definitions since the FSX SDK is a bit ambiguous in that department :) .

Had no problems adding a fuel trigger in ADE (1.50.4402), it's all in the manual and worked as advertised for me. Seems "square" is the only option, and size is based on the size of the fuel parking area and not directly editable.

In my case however I needed a stand-alone fuel trigger because I wanted to make it user-switchable via an airport control panel option.

Jim
 
Hi again:

Thanks to both Jim and George for the feedback and suggestions ! :)


[EDITED]

PS:
GaryGB said:
...unless there has been an XML code change for FSX which somehow enhances 'Fuel Trigger' performance at airports beyond what a FS9 code version does, it seems quite reasonable to use the "legacy" code format you kindly posted above.
Click to expand...

JRobinson said:
An assumption on your part - that's been cross-checked and determined to be FSX compliant. Thankfully however we still have the FS2004 bglcomp SDK laying around to shed some light on the vertex definitions since the FSX SDK is a bit ambiguous in that department :)
Click to expand...

Jim:

I think I goofed up with the wording of my original post above, then somehow lost that part of the post while editing ! :o


Sorry, but I meant to convey that I personally had not yet checked the syntax used in FSX BGLComp.XSD file to see if it had changed from FS9.

I greatly appreciate your sharing the fact that you have looked into that already, and determined that it had in fact not changed.

I'm confident with the very high level of thoroughness you show in your posts and work shared thus far; so it seems reasonable to assume we are good to go with use of the legacy format FS9 code. :teacher:

That should save me (and falcon409 aka 'Ed Wells' ?) some time and effort... thanks again ! :cool:

[END_EDIT]

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
If I may....


please, don't. The discussion seems very informative, but please, refrain from using these things at your sceneries unless you have to. They are extremely disruptive, especially for people who use FS Passengers and the likes.
At the very least, give the users an easy option to disable (e.g. delete a bgl that only contains fuelbox).
 
pfabian said:
If I may....


please, don't. The discussion seems very informative, but please, refrain from using these things at your sceneries unless you have to. They are extremely disruptive, especially for people who use FS Passengers and the likes.
At the very least, give the users an easy option to disable (e.g. delete a bgl that only contains fuelbox).
Click to expand...

Precisely why I wanted a stand-alone fuel trigger and a CP option to turn it off.

(and also, aircraft exits don't work while sitting on a fuel trigger and I wanted screenshots of the airplane sitting in front of the pumps with it's doors open)
 
Thanks again to Jim, and also to pfabian for sharing those additional insights regarding the Pros and Cons of using Fuel Triggers.

What I probably should have written above to begin with, was that in my inspection of the XML code for a number of legacy airports, the Fuel Triggers code appeared within the code for the "Airport" more often than not.


However, the idea of placing the Fuel Trigger inside a separate "object placement" BGL (and particularly, as a stand-alone BGL containing no other objects other than ex: placement code for a scenery object as visual model of the fuel facilities) is a good way to allow the end user total control over how they may prefer to utilize an airport. :)

Thus, I have edited my original post above to reflect that there is a different work-flow which is preferable to use when implementing Fuel Triggers. ;)


And many thanks go to ScuffyDuck as well, for implementing the option in ADE to allow separation of various object types for airports when compiled to BGL; by default my present ADE version 01.55.4860.23619 compiled the Fuel Trigger code into a BGL separate from that of the "airport" itself. :wizard:

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
If interested PM me - I will give you an old program which I use for this very issue. I can also use ADE, but sometimes one wishes to have an alternative way of doing things.

This you might also be able to find on Avsim or Flightsim... Opa Marshall's rotating beacon tutorial.

copy what some fellows here posted and use that code in 'rotating beacon' of Opa Marshall. It is the same process. doing this you can now make fuel triggers and place rotating beacons. His program... or utility comes with bglcomp.

Yes- it was for FS9 but it works in FSX. Opa Marshall- R.I.P.

Highly respected man in our sim world. He used to call me Grasshopper when I was getting started. :) Bob
 
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