• 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.

FS2004 Harden a Runway ???

Messages
502
Country
unitedstates
Hi Folks,

RE: FS9

Todays question - one of the airports I'm working on never existed in FS9 - as it was built after FS9 was released... It's just a normal airport on the ground... I put down a runway and a flatten underneath the runway - added all my traffic points and almost everything seems to be working well... AI Aircraft arrive and depart - as they should... Only issue - is when I use my plane on the runway - it's bumpy - as if it's not a runway at all... I don't have dirt clods flying or anything - it's just the landing gear is bouncing up and down like it is an unimproved surface... I removed the flatten as a test - no change - I had though the fact that I was placed a paved runway in ADE should have smoothed that out...

What am I missing ???

Thanks...
:)

Regards,
Scott
 
Hi Gary,

The links provided seem to allude to the fact - that - the runway should be smooth by it's very nature...

The SCASM tweak - even mentions that it is an alternative to putting down an invisible runway to smooth out the ground...

The MCX solution - seems to specifically address Aprons and Taxiways...

While my taxiways may be bumpy - I really haven't looked at them yet - it's the runway itself that is bumpy... Do these methods apply to runways as well ???

Regards,
Scott
 
Scott,

You don't say what the runway surface is. FS9 does regard some surfaces as rough. Check that your flatten alt. and runway alt. are exactly the same. I have used an apron path to smooth the paved area of a ground polygon in FSX. Maybe that would work for you in this case.

Ed
 
Hi Ed,

It's Bituminous... I'll try playing around with your idea - thanks... File attached as well...

Regards,
Scott
 

Attachments

Hi,

Bituminous is simulating a runway made from tarred earth. It is very bumpy. You can't change that without changing the surface type.
 
Hi Gary,

The links provided seem to allude to the fact - that - the runway should be smooth by it's very nature...

The SCASM tweak - even mentions that it is an alternative to putting down an invisible runway to smooth out the ground...

The MCX solution - seems to specifically address Aprons and Taxiways...

While my taxiways may be bumpy - I really haven't looked at them yet - it's the runway itself that is bumpy... Do these methods apply to runways as well ???

Regards,
Scott

Hi Scott:

Indeed, these SCASM commands refer to RWYs (as well as Aprons and Taxiways) ...as seen in the linked thread at PTSIM:

http://www.ptsim.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7295


...and also in the SCASM documentation for that Runway( command and its sub-parameters:

http://www.scasm.de/doc/sca_rwys.htm


IIRC, the SCASM RWY command and its sub-parameters works with FS9 airports for RWY / Apron / Taxiway surfaces visible at the top scenery display layer, as well as when ex: RWYs/ Aprons / Taxiways are covered up by ex: custom photo-real land class textures.


NOTE: If you wish to use the FS2Kx default RWY textures for custom ground polygons (aka "G-Polys"; ...with or without attached hardened concrete platforms) superimposed over default RWYs (...or when used to entirely replace default RWYs ;) ), the names of legacy format *.R8 textures to be used are listed in the above linked SCASM Runway( command documentation:

Code:
SURFace number of surface type

Number  Type              FS2000      FS2002
0      mud/dirt      runway00.r8     ?
1     concrete     runway01.r8    ?
2     asphalt     runway02.r8    ?
3     grass             runway03.r8    ?
4     coral             runway04.r8    ?
5     gravel             runway05.r8    ?
6     oil treated     runway06.r8    ?
7     ?             runway07.r8    ?
8     snow             runway08.r8    ?
9     water             runway09.r8    ?

AFAIK, the above legacy SCASM RWY command and its sub-parameters still works in FSX, and the listed "FS2000" textures are still installed by default in the [FSX install path]\Texture sub-folder


BTW: The above *.R8 textures are already in a 256 x 256 pixel "power of 2" format


PS: If you opt to make a textured custom ground polygon with a attached hardened concrete platform using any 3D modeling app output file that ModelConverterX (aka "MCX") can import, MCX also has a "Auto Platform" tool to simplify this process:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=ModelConverterX#Attached_object_editor


FYI: IIUC, one can essentially make one's own custom FS9 compatible RWY by filling out the airport "Properties" section of ex: ADE for FS9, AFX, AFCAD, Flight Simulator Scenery Creator, Airport for Windows, SceneGenX, etc. (to create the ICAO, ARP, and other location data required for display in the FS airport pick list).

One can then place other required airport elements such as Start Locations for the RWY ends (...but NOT make a RWY with the preferred 3rd party "airport creation" utility...), and instead use a custom textured G-Poly, a flatten, and the SCASM Runway( command Surface definition ...to make one's own custom RWY with both the texture and the "surface attribute" that one prefers. :idea:


CAVEAT: SCASM RWY Headings require a specific floating point parameter value range or FS run time performance degrades:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/scasm-lights-kill-my-fps.21793/page-2

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=SCASM_Runway_Overlays


Hope this helps a bit more with your project !
santahat.gif


GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Scott,

I tested your airport. First let me say that my tip about the apron path would not have any effect in this situation. If I had thought about it for a few minutes I would have realized that to begin with. Now when I tested I changed the height of the flatten to 580'. I don't think that this makes a big difference just me being precise. Then I ran down the bituminous runway in the stock 172 gradually gaining speed. From the spot view I could see the main gear flexing quite a bit. I then changed the runway surface to asphalt and ran down the runway again gaining speed as I went. The main gear was not flexing at all. As Tom Gibson said the bituminous surface is rough compared to a paved surface and I think this is why you are seeing the airplane bumping around.

Ed
 
Back
Top