FSX Locating BGL file for a specific airport

[tgibson]

Hi,

You do NOT need to know where the original scenery is. You do NOT edit that file. You instead create a new BGL file using ADE that (automatically) contains code to override the default airport and display this one instead. NO changes to the default airport are needed, all you need to do is place the new ADE BGL file(s) into an active scenery folder like Addon Scenery/scenery.

 

[Patrick Germain]

Hi Paul
There are several ways to get the right file. The key is to find out the u,v value of the QMID grid.
If you have the SDK installed:
use the TmfViewer.exe application. The u,v values are displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the window.
load the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\BASE\Scenery\dem4km.bgl file
Use the QMID level 4 to get the folder where the file is installed. For example, Sydney will be at u = 11 and v =5, so the folder will be 1105
Use the QMID level 7 to get the file number : For example, Sydney will be at u = 88 and v = 44, so the file will have 8844 in its name.
The file in folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\1105\scenery\APX88440.bgl will contain your airport.
Note : APX for airport
If you don't have TmpViewer, see https://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/in...g_QMID_u_and_v_based_on_level_and_coordinates
It explains how to calculate u and v based on a level (4 or 7 in our case) and coordinates.

Or used the attached application (CoordToQmid.zip)

Once you have the BGL file, you can use BglViewer to see its content. (https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/bglviewer-for-fsx-bgl-files.432840/)

Hope that helps.
Patrick

 

[tgibson]

BTW, if you are looking for the airport (APX) file, the much easier way is to open the airport in ADE (Open Stock Airport)- the APX file is listed in properties.

 

[Paul S]

tgibson, thank you for your reply, however I do not need to start the airfield from scratch. Simply move a few of the objects into the proper place in the scenery. I have already attempted to use the ADE option of loading a stock airport but as I did write in my initial post. ADE can not find the airport, According to ADE it does not exist. In the actual scenery when landing at the airfield the buildings etc are there. Hence my need to manually find the .bgl files to enable me to move a few things around.

It seems that the process may be too difficult and too involved for me to fully understand. I had hoped that there may be some simple way of finding it. I am far from an expert on these things however I have created a few very basic missing airfields in FSX using ADE.

I had actually hoped that ADE would be more simpler to use for us dummies without needing some degree in programming.

Creating an airfield/airport that is not in the FSX scenery was the reason for using ADE and the upgraded option of moving whole airports was a reason for me to purchase the key. I did not expect the need to go through a multitude of steps to do that. I understood and believed that one would only need to select the airport from the map and move it in its entirety, using the mouse or co ordinates to another location. Usually 100 meters or so away from where it was situated. The case of a default airport overlapping a road in the scenery, moving it 30 or so meters away to the east say and ADE would do the rest. Start FSX and the airport would be moved.

Patrick's response seems very involved but I will give it a go if I can understand what the u,v and QMID means. I have SDK installed. My fear is that I will mess the whole thing up and destroy the FSX installation.

Wish me luck,

Thanks guys and hope you all have a prosperous 2020.

Paul

 

[scruffyduck]

If ADE does not find the airport in the stock list then it is either not a stock airport (that is one shipped with the sim) or the ICAO Ident has been changed. If YNUB is the airport you are looking for then it is not in the stock indexes.

In this case the chances are that you have a third party bgl file containing this airport. You can use a small program called Simple Airport Scanner to search for bgl files containing the airport.

You can get it here: https://www.scruffyduck.org/download/i/mark_dl/u/4012602701/4626551320/SimpleAirportScanner.zip

I am sorry but I don't understand the connection with moving airports in ADE. It seems your issue is that you have a third party airport file for an airport not listed in the stock indexes. Once you have found the file containing it then you should be able to load that into ADE and modify the airport. Have you looked into the FSX folder called Addon Scenery\scenery. Addon or third party made airports are usually stored there. Most bgl files will give an indication of which airport is in the file with the file name. If it was created by ADE then it probably starts with the four letter ident. If you find one with YNUB in the name then you have likely found the file you are looking for. Just load it into ADE and see.

You can, of course, easily start an airport from scratch in ADE: https://scruffyduck.screenstepslive.com/s/help_docs/m/20268/l/207757-how-do-i-add-a-new-airport