• 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:

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Legacy Aircraft as FSX AI or Multiplayer

Unchecking Aircraft cast shadows is a symptom to the cause. The reason that aircraft are in visible at certain airports is not the cast shadow problem but that many 3rd party airports have FS2002 type scenery coding.

AI Planes display properly in any FSX default airport scenery with cast shadows checked (including DX10 minus certain plane textures). When the airport designer says the airport is FSX compliant and FS2002 compiled bgl scenery exist the AI planes are invisible except sound and lights.

This does not occur if FSX is updated to SP1 but SP2 is not compatible with backward FS2002 bgl's.
 
Hi Jim,

This is interesting. What do you mean with SP2 not being compatible with FS2002 BGL files? AFAIK the FS2002 style ground polygons work fine with SP2. Since MS never provided another way to make detailed ground layouts, many developers will keep using these techniques.
 
arno said:
Hi Jim,

This is interesting. What do you mean with SP2 not being compatible with FS2002 BGL files? AFAIK the FS2002 style ground polygons work fine with SP2. Since MS never provided another way to make detailed ground layouts, many developers will keep using these techniques.
Click to expand...

Arno

Add a single scasm bgl into a FSX SP2 airport scenery and the FS9 AI Planes that are ported up to FSX will disappear if cast shadows are set to on. Those users that only update FSX to SP1 will not see the problem.

When SP2 arrived we started seeing many post on forums complaining of aircraft not showing (lights and sound only). The fix is to turn cast shadows off. The problem is certain type FS2002 scenery in the FSX/SP2 airport files must be removed and bgl's compiled with FS2004/FSX BglComp Compiler.

Some of my FS2004 airports have a compiled runway using scasm code overlaying a XML runway. I do this to utilize the FS9/FSX weight restriction runway code since XML does not allow 2 runways of the same number to compile (see EDDF for FS weight restriction runways).

The only work around I have found at this point when keeping a single scasm coded runway in FSX/SP2 is to turn off aircraft cast shadows. FSX/SP1 works fine with a added scasm coded runway in with the XML coded runway.

I have only tested Scasm code in FSX/SP2 (where the problem exist) but other type FS2002 compiled airport scenery (polygons) may not cause this problem.

I get many e-mails about my FSX KATL and EHAM when a user updates to SP2about all planes become invisible. I could remove the single compile scasm coded runway and All planes are now visible but I tell users to turn off cast shadows until I make a decision which will force me to loose the weight restriction runways I have set at these airports.
 
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Thanks for the details Jim. I would be interesting to see if it is only the SCASM style runway or also other legacy commands (e.g. those used for ground polygons) that cause this.
 
arno said:
Thanks for the details Jim. I would be interesting to see if it is only the SCASM style runway or also other legacy commands (e.g. those used for ground polygons) that cause this.
Click to expand...

I need to find an FSX airport with those poly's so I can test.
 
Or I need to find some AI (don't have much installed) so I can test :). Most airports with custom ground layouts will use those FS2002 techniques.
 
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