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Just beginning

SubLogical

SubLogical

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ca-britishcolumbia
Getting SDK working was real fun but it's done and ADE is zooming into life.

I'm trying to get started on renovating a stock airport and managed to get as far as downloading it and staring blankly at it's nice plan layout.

I did a lot of work with Google Earth creating an ATC sector file for the Singapore Airport using GE's ability to provide the correct coordinates for doing the job to scale. It was painfully slow requiring each line or part thereof to be mapped by its lat/long into the sector file. See attahced
Singapore Airport ATC Sector File.png


It seems to me that the same reference might be used to get my renovation project to scale but I now face the bewildering state of how to start the designing with ADE.

I'm wondering where to look for a kick start which would suggest the next steps ... if there's a starters manual hidden somewhere I'll pay handsomely for the information as to it's whereabouts.

Ken

PS to Jon
The secret to getting past the SWOD's during the SDK loads from my various disks was to click on the go button and then go on holidays! It looks like it loaded the whole disk in memory before it started to install!
 
Apologies for that gigantic photo ... looks like I hit the wrong button. Dropbox links are the way to go.

OK ... good old Google! I found more tutorials that I'll live long enough to digest. Just what I wanted and would recommend to any newbie.

See ya when I can walk the walk.

Ken
 
Google can be very handy, but there is a darkside to it as well. :censored:

Beware of becoming addicted to Google, it can and will consume your life! :yikes:

Google conclusively demonstrates that there is no "end to the internet." It is in truth a Moebius loop! :rotfl:
 
OK Bill, because you're my new best friend you have my solemn commitment to not report you to Google as we're supposed to ... but I fear they've already read your post!!!

A "Moebius" loop ... I love it ! Can I use it if I give you credit?

Best,

Ken
 
Of course. You may even use it unattributed if you like! :stirthepo
 
I've reached the end of my cad knowledge. In the attached link you can see that my airport (Kamloops CYKD) needs some real help with the runways and the rest. Can someone advise me on the following:

1) How to make (what tools do I use) the stock runways adjust position and length to match the Google Earth pic ... or is it easier to delete and install new ones.

2) Is there a way to confirm that my revised runways (when completed) are in line with the advertised measurements of length and width.

3) The taxiways look like they need help but that's next in the learning curve ... I presume they can be moved around without deletion

4) Is there a library of up-dated airport terminals that I could use to replace the old stock "prison style that currently exits. See the link of the actual terminal face.

5) You can see that a small runway crosses the main rwy ... should that small rwy be two "joins" one on each side of the larger or can it cross the main and maintain the same altitude.

Many thanks for any pointers.

Ken

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jire0x9bfr606u9/Kam Airport started.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1klulfnh5fq4k1d/Kamloops-Airport-011.jpg?dl=0
 
Ken,

Let me try to give a few hints in order to start (it's quite late here).

  1. First consider deleting your background picture and replace it by an other one. You obviously made this Google Earth screenshot not from a vertical position. Please consider the following link to get a correctly geo-tagged result as it will provide the coordinates ADE wants to see: http://www.ludowise.x10host.com/gmaps/rhumbamaps.html.
  2. Try ADE's Guideline tool in order to find out the runway length shown in your picture, even better would be the use of airport charts.
  3. Double-click the runway and change its length in the properties (don't care for the links at this stage), but take care for features like overruns that should be considered.
  4. Correct the runway angle first, there is a handle at on side after it is selected, and drag it with your mouse into position (this might require a few iterative steps).
  5. Do the same with the second runway (it will have the correct altitude).
  6. Now select each node which connects a runway path with a taxiway and drag it into its correct position according to the background picture.
  7. Lengthen each runway link to the respective end of the runway, and straighten all segments after selecting all of them.
  8. Add missing taxiways.
However, please read the manual. You'll find most of the stuff likely better explained there. I'm not sure how to help you finding better buildings for replacement. Even here the manual is your friend (how to deal with different objects).

Have fun!
 
Axel you are a friend indeed!

1) roger that

2) I have the charts

3) may be there now but like your method better ... to be reviewed

4) got the rwy angle fixed using the "edit the object --rwy" but its parallel and needs to be moved onto the correct image runway. Gotta find your handles ... what a bonus that would be!

5) main rwy looking pretty well on target - see new link

6) will have to figure out the way to get the segments straightened and in the correct places .. but I'm on it

7) I believe that's done except for small rwy

8) yes sir ... going to work on that tonight.


Thanks so much for taking the time to help me with this ... much appreciated

I'm worried I'll get addicted to this business like I did with that Sector file ... 3 months work.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/3dq9xr3z17vx4gj/Latest CYKA.png?dl=0

PS I was looking for a manual but couldn't find one however I enjoyed those excellent tutorials.
 
BTW, there is a Straighten command for taxiways.

1. Select the first taxi link (line) by clicking it.
2. Hold down the Shift key and click the rest of the links to select them.
3. Right Click and choose Straighten Links.

The first and last taxiway nodes (vertices) will remain in place, while the links in between will be straightened.

Hope this helps,
 
Very nice to receive your mail and maybe I can get you to suffer through another development pic. Please give me the benefit of any advice that appears needed ... !

I really feel as though I'm starting to get on board although it's slow going, especially when I don't know where to "quickly" find all the available tools but that's coming mostly by clicking enough and getting lucky.

BTW Axel after you mentioned the Manual I found it, printed it out for easy reference ( all 227 pages ) ... that should really speed me up.

From what I've seen so far Jon, the professionalism in the creating this program along with the championship efforts of your Manual writer and tutorial-ist are hard evidence of real talent not often available to enjoy.

In my poking around FS recently, another programmer whose noteworthy creativity and "manual" writing efforts that jumped out at me is AivlaSofts EFB.

1) If you take a look a my work so far you will see that I'm having some trouble bossing the Taxiways around. I can sorta straighten them alright but terminating them ... especially where they are supposed to balloon for wide turns has me baffled. Also, having them turn nice easy corners will surely have me studying the manual in bed tonight!

2) Also I'd like to add some new asphalt in the form of pads and roadways and need a pointer to the secrets of how you get them started.

3) At the left end of the main runway is a concrete structure that doesn't serve my purposes and since it's my airport ... I'd like to cover it in, move the Taxiway up to the 08 end of the runway and use the concrete area as the entrance way. I can pluck the taxiway and maybe extend it but is there a simple way to fill in the concrete that would make it look like it was planned. Maybe another asphalt entry pad ... or?

4) How do you add "handles" back onto a line item so you can manipulate turning corners or right angles. I made the mistake of deleting a pile-up of them and then regretted it and couldn't figure out how to retrieve them. It was too late for the Undo.

5) Is there any way to get a view of what kind of mess you've made without compiling and installing to FS. I'm guessing not but it would be very helpful for picking out your bungles.

Many thanks to you Tom for the Taxiway trick ... I expect to be using that baby tomorrow.

Regards and thanks to all,

Ken
https://www.dropbox.com/s/allz1ngui9gvf94/Moving forward I think!.png?dl=0
 
Hi,

Glad to help.

I will take these out of order, since you need to know one before I explain the other. BTW, these are all described in the manual.

4. You add Nodes to create more handles. It's the button with the blue circle on it. Click the button, then click on the taxiway line where you want the new handle to appear. Make sure the line lights up yellow BEFORE you click, or the node will not divide the line (but just be added without any connections). The red circle is to create a hold short node (required each time a taxiway meets a runway) and the yellow circle is an ILS hold short (for visual effect only).

2. First, it's easiest to edit existing aprons if you simply want to extend them or change their shape. Click inside the apron, and the edge will turn yellow with green dots along it. Grab a green dot and move it. Zooming in makes this easier (use the mouse wheel). To add more green handle dots, hold the mouse over the *edge* of the apron and Ctrl-Click. You will see the tooltip change when it is OK to Ctrl-Click. If you don't need all the existing vertices (green dots), you can click on an unneeded one (it turns yellow) and press the Delete key. If you accidentally delete something you need, use Undo.

If you want to add an entirely new apron (pad, etc.), you click on the button that is a gray square with green dots at the 4 corners. But before that, choose the surface type in the drop down box just to the right of the button. Then click on your airport, move the mouse to the next vertex location, and click. A green dot will appear. Move (not drag) the mouse to the next location and click. Continue this until you are placing the last vertex. Double click that one to create the final apron. Then you can edit it as in the paragraph above, if desired.

1. Creating variable width taxiways can be done in several ways. First, when you want the taxiway to start changing width, place a blue node into the taxiway line at that point, and edit one resulting segment's properties to make it wider/narrower (click the line to select it, then press Enter). This will cause the taxiway to change its width over some distance.

Another way to change widths is to create an apron (using the same surface type) that will give the shape of the changed width. This is handy when the change in width is not symmetrical. This has the disadvantage that if the taxiway has lines along the edges, those lines will not follow this change. One way to fix this is to turn off edge lines for that section (again, you can place a blue node to divide up the taxiway and turn off edge lines only for the offending part) and use a Ground Polygon to create a custom line shape. This is a slightly advanced technique, however.

3. I assume this concrete is create as an apron. See #2 to edit this existing apron.

5. No, you have to put it into FS.

Hope this helps,
 
Did you select that green segment and press Enter, then use the Left and Right Edge drop down boxes to select SOLID?

Even if you did, check out the lines in FS too. Sometimes ADE will not draw them as FS does.
 
Hi Tom,

Went backwards today ... lost my background image and made the decision to start from scratch again which I'm happy about. I think I'll be farther ahead to quit renovating and learn how to put the airport together from the runways up!

Thanks for your advice which I didn't get a chance to use but I've got it down in my notes for the next time it comes up.

I'll put up a post when I get back up and if you're around I'd appreciate any thoughts you have to offer on how it looks from your angle.

Ken
 
I have some questions regarding deleting and replacing the Stock ILS (which is very well covered in the manual) and they are:

1) Does my present runway go with the deletion or will it remain as is with the various changes I've made.

2) Can I retain the present "charted" Loc ID (XPP) and Frequency 109.9 for the new Loc.

3) Am I correct in assuming I will insert a new DME and it's frequency will be the same as the Loc i.e. 109.9

4) There is no GS now but I want to add one ... any problem with that.

Thanks,

Ken
 
Hi Don,

I was about to but apparently you can't get it back once it's deleted if I'm reading the manual correctly.

Ken
 
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