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FSX Make apron transparent/invisible

Chris04

Chris04

Messages
94
Country
unitedstates
This question has probably been asked a couple of times, but I have not found a solution yet.

I am trying to place some aprons all around the airport, generally were the taxiways are. So I finished editing the AFCAD for KRSW in ADE, and added a test apron to see if I could do this.
upload_2016-3-4_9-30-9.png


I was told to use the XML Apron to SurfaceType converter. But I don't think I know how to do this correctly. The first thing that I did was compile the airport as a .bgl, but the the XML Apron to SurfaceType converter requires a xml file of the airport, I think. So I took a look at the 'more options' tab on the compile page, and checked the Save XML with the Bgl File option.
upload_2016-3-4_9-35-45.png


Then I went to ModelConverterX and opened the XML Apron to SurfaceType converter and found the XML file that was saved with the bgl. Then I clicked convert. After this I saw that it had created a .sca file. I did not know what to do with this file, and I still don't know what to do with it.
upload_2016-3-4_9-45-45.png


So I decided to place it in the addon scenery folder with the bgl file. I don't think that was the correct thing to do, because it did nothing.

I really don't have a clue of how to make an invisible apron, but this is something I really need to learn.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
What is it you feel needs to be changed about the test apron you placed with ADE? If you just want to smooth the surface of the terrain, why not just use a "flatten"?

Don
 
G

gadgets

Resource contributor
Messages
9,388
Country
ca-britishcolumbia
If you are overlaying the terrain with photoreal scenery, it shouldn't matter what type of terrain is underneath - so long as it doesn't generate autogen. Why not just underlay with LC_Cement or some other dust-free terrain and flatten if necessary? (A transparent apron is effectively nothing more than a flatten at airport elevation.)

Don
 
T

Tejal Bernardo

Messages
3,278
Country
spain
don't know right now if a simple polygon with aphachannel applied to a texture to make it transparent and add a hard Surface with MCX will work. the mayor problema would be to place an invisible object somewhere. though I have right now another idea. just place a normal textured polygon. and then modify it making it invisible with the alphachannel a export to the library again. be sure the object have the same guid when exporting.
 
E

edphipps

Messages
988
Country
us-florida
An apron path the correct length and width for the area should create a hard surface with no dirt and dust from the wheels.
 
Chris04

Chris04

Messages
94
Country
unitedstates
I inserted an apron path, and it worked perfectly. After that I placed my ground polygon that I made in Blender and it looked great.

Thanks everyone for the help.
 
D

Dmitriy Kozyrev

Messages
45
Country
russia
Hi.

I'm having trouble making stock aprons and taxi/vehicle links invisible in FSX:SE.

I created them in ADE (P3Dv3 mode, latest ADE version) and unchecked "draw surface" checkboxes. In P3Dv3 they are indeed invisible, but in FSX:SE I can see all of them underneath my custom ground polys.

I'm using invisible aprons to make parts of my photo background "taxiable" without bumps and dust. And I need taxi/vehicle links for AI traffic. By the way, covering surface with Cement LC doesn't work - taxiing on it is still bumpy.

Is there another way to hide aprons/taxi links for sure? And I really, really wouldn't like to make separate versions for P3D and FSX just because of this.

RH3Ab1d.png
 
Last edited:
E

edphipps

Messages
988
Country
us-florida
The draw surface check boxes are only active in P3D. The LM developers chose to add that capability. If you narrow your taxi paths you can remove the pavement showing but if you put a wheel past the edge of the taxi path you will see dirt and dust. Vehicle links will always draw a surface. You can't hide them. The only way for sure to hide them that I know of to hide everything is to cover everything with a ground polygon. This means that you create a model of the taxiway or apron and convert it into a ground polygon with MCX. This will be drawn on top of your photo scenery and taxiways/aprons. ADE contains a tool to make ground polygons also. You could check that to see if it would do what you need.
 
D

Dmitriy Kozyrev

Messages
45
Country
russia
Thanks, Ed. Actually, I'm not surprised that there is no silver bullet, so I already did that tonight: moved aprons and taxi links under custom GP, and removed vehicle links (sad, but they are pretty much useless nowadays).
 
scruffyduck

scruffyduck

Administrator
Staff member
FSDevConf team
Resource contributor
Messages
34,759
Country
unitedkingdom
It is one of the different types of taxi paths. These are intended to be used on aprons so they take the surface type but I don't think there is any restriction on using the elsewhere. I haven't looked at them for a long time but I am sure someone will put me right

If you are an ADE user then it is the second path selector button from the left

1588690555545.png
 
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