SDE Build 2604

[scruffyduck]

Latest weekly build release. This is a version change release. Version is now 0.7 and the program is considered stable for the most part.

Many changes under the hood and:

Added ICAO Search to the Airport Scanner
Fixed The de-compile of apron edge lights - they should be ok now
Changed - connection to FSX which is now via SimConnect
Changed the way in which decompiler logging is carried out.
Made it possible to bypass the schema validation of XML introduced in the last release build.

Downloadable from the usual place

 

[bertvk]

Latest weekly build release. This is a version change release. Version is now 0.7 and the program is considered stable for the most part.

Many changes under the hood and:

Added ICAO Search to the Airport Scanner
Fixed The de-compile of apron edge lights - they should be ok now
Changed - connection to FSX which is now via SimConnect
Changed the way in which decompiler logging is carried out.
Made it possible to bypass the schema validation of XML introduced in the last release build.

Downloadable from the usual place

hi Jon,
Do I miss something? I cann't find the new version at your site
Regards
Bert

 

[scruffyduck]

try www.scruffyduck.co.uk/files/sde_current_build.zip

 

[jvile]

Jon

Maybe I am just dense on this end but explain the connect function.

I have a registered version of FSUIPC and now I see simconnect but don't understand why I am connecting to the sim or its function at this time.

 

[scruffyduck]

Jim

Please excuse me if I am answering the wrong question

Using the buttons at the top right of the main window (next to the red square) it is possible to connect to FSX when it is running.

You connect by clicking the Connect button. If all goes well then you see a Green square and the buttons to disconnect and read become active.

you can use the read button to update the co-ordinates, altitude, heading and so on of the object currently highlighted in the tree. So if you wanted to move an airport tower a bit:

• Select the tower object in the SDE Object Tree
• Place your plane in the required place in the sim
• Click the Read Button in SDE
• Move off the tower in the Tree to something else
• Click on the tower again and the coordinates will have changed to the location of your aircraft

At this time there is no linking between the tower and any scenery object associated with it so this might be abad example - future builds will deal with that sort of housekeeping. It is a primitve function right now but will be extended over time. SDE has the capability to take in FS data like that and this demonstrates that it works and how it is done. I use it to build test airports in SDE using the plane as a positioning tool


If that wasn't the question then please put me right

 

[bertvk]

SDE error report

try www.scruffyduck.co.uk/files/sde_current_build.zip

Thanks Jon, i got the new version.
When i open a xml file i get sometimes this error report at first and when i click OK it continues in the right way.
Please see the attachement.
Regards
Bert

 

[scruffyduck]

OK that means that the frequency of a Navaid is out of the allowed range.

If you can find which one then change the value to between the frequencies shown on the error message and it should not return

 

[jvile]

That was the answer I was looking for with the connect button that does turn green when I select it.

I will have to try different examples from this point on when possible. I have been using TcalX to get new cood. when moving something that I am working with in SDE.

I agree the tower is not a good example because it is another area that the SDK does not explain.

In the default APX bgl the Control Tower is attached (nested) inside the airport records along with the eyeview point.

example of the default record for KSAV

<Tower
lat="N32 8.04712"
lon="W081 12.45806"
alt="0.00M">
<SceneryObject
lat="N32 8.04712"
lon="W081 12.45806"
alt="0.0000M"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
pitch="0.00"
bank="0.00"
heading="89.63"
imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE">
<LibraryObject
name="{F3509EA4-5817-46A5-9CD3-EDA3C449F25C}"
scale="1.00"/>
</SceneryObject>
</Tower>

That Control Tower is in the wrong place at KSAV and needs to be moved. The LibraryObject also needs to be changed to a newer taller style Tower.

The deleteAllControlTowers = "TRUE" does its job and removes the complete Tower however, if I place the new Tower after this element tag everything appears to be ok until you go to Tower view. No matter what Alt= is used the view height alt= value is not honored.

The Control Tower must now be seperated from the view point. The only way I have been able to get this to work is to seperate the eyeview point from the Tower and move the Control Tower record above the Airport Header as a stand alone <SceneryObject

<!-- New Tower-->
<SceneryObject
lat="32.1370825789433"
lon="-81.207987264144"
alt="0.0000M"
altitudeIsAgl="TRUE"
pitch="0.00"
bank="0.00"
heading="89.63"
imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE">
<LibraryObject
name="{87D440F0-DCFB-42A3-9504-61CEE8607FCD}"
scale="1.00"/>
</SceneryObject>

and close the scenery object.

Now I leave the eyeview point nested inside the airport record just below the

deleteAllControlTowers = "TRUE"

<Tower
lat="32.1370825789433"
lon="-81.207987264144"
alt="260.00F" />

and close the statement with /> for the compiler

and the view point is now set to what ever altitude I use. This allows me to set the eyepoint inside the glass or above the Tower a small amount if needed. Of course the Lat/Lon of both must stay the same so the eyepoint is in agreement with the new Control Tower position.

I need to check all this in respect to the Controller Tower mode (new to FSX) view to see if it causes problems when we are placed inside the Control Tower.

Just a little food for thought.

 

[jvile]

On a unrelated issue I will start a new post with a list and explainations on what is and is not honored in the decompiled recored.

I will work on the Airport runway/taxiway records first and then expand the list into approach code area.

You can then decide on how to treat these areas in SDE for the long term effects. I still am just amased on how far SDE has come in the short time you have been designing it.

I remember not to along ago when you posted that you planned on designing a utility for the AP9/APX records and I thought to myself this ought to be interesting.

I have to applaud your design. Since FS9 I have been struggling with what does work vs what does not and you are doing excellent work with SDE and are open minded in the design of what works best.

thankyou Jon

 

[scruffyduck]

Hi Jim

Thanks for the kind words - it is very satisfying to be doing something that is helping with our hobby.

SDE should be able to get as accurate results as TCalcX. Certainly the resolution is down to a few inches which should be enough. I will also activate the move button as soon as I get the time. The move button concept comes from my Library Object Manager and means that you can move the plane to any object that is in the tree - useful for finding things.

As for the tower - I know we discussed that in a thread a month or two back and it does seem to be another one of those things that cannot be correctly handled by using the source XML route.

The lists will be a big help thanks

 

[jvile]

I did something that is very interesting.

Working on a new KSAV with SDE I had to create a new cvx file with the shp utility because I needed the airport to look more like what Google Earth displays.

Of course this required a deleteAllBoundaryFences = "TRUE" to get rid of the default fence.

After pondering what would be the easiest way to WYSIWYG, replace and get all the angles set correctly for the fence I decided on trying to use the AFCAD program.

I used the edge light strip string and completely surrounded the airport following my new airport ground mask keeping all start and end points connected so there would only be one Boundray Fence record with all the LAT/LON Vertex. I also went counter clockwise like we did in FS9 with certain type Flattens, etc, just in case it mattered on how the vertex points were created. Did not connect the last point back to the first and left a space in the fence at the end point.

Opened the AFCAD bgl with SDE and changed the correct <ApronEdgeLights> to the proper

<BoundaryFence
profile="{A3A491B1-EF49-47DB-9C2B-080F48A5EA5D}"
instanceId="{9320C132-E404-4A42-ACA2-D2EF51EFB805}">

closed the vertex record and compiled (no errors)

The fence is now there and set very precisely with all the correct angles/turns as per what the Edge Ligths used as the vertex.

I did cut and copy out all my edge lights first just in case I started to get fold backs and then put them back in after making the Fence.

Working on the list as I design/check KSAV with SDE.

 

[scruffyduck]

Thats a very interesting way of doing it Jim. I would not have thought of that

Well I am off to bed now 11pm in the UK and I need my beauty sleep. Have a good evening

 

[Phantoms]

Jon, just wanted to let you know that the current SDE version decompiled my FS9 KSAV Afcad without problems. Now I can have a look about as to how SDE and Afcad differ on an afcad I have experience with. Thank you.

Jim, sounds like you are getting closer on KSAV. I spend most of my FS9 and FSX time in either KSAV or KATL (mostly spotting). Your KATL was great and I'm now looking foward to KSAV. Just wish Arnt would make a FSX version of TVB. Then FSX would be perfect.


James

 

[jvile]

Phantoms

The reason SDE was not opening your AFCAD or for that matter many AFCAD's was the edge lights. It appears Jon got that fixed with His lastest build.

Remember that when you look at your FS9 AFCAD with SDE there will be a lot of data that is not in the AFCAD. This is usually a "FALSE" statement in most cases.


Just a quick blurp on KSAV. You had a lot of military parking spots in your AFCAD. I was just wondering if Military FlightPlans are loaded how many of those spots are actually occupied.

I do not run any Military FP's so have nothing to test against.

I am checking all my work now. If you want a pre-released bgl just let me know here and I will send it for you to look at.

 

[scruffyduck]

The reason SDE was not opening your AFCAD or for that matter many AFCAD's was the edge lights. It appears Jon got that fixed with His lastest build.

Please see the Known Issues in the Release notes regarding this. SDE does get them correctly now but the tree display may not show the vertex list correctly for any set of edge lights which folds back on itself in the main vertex list. It is easy to work around - After loading into SDE just save it as XML and open the XML file or compile it and open the compiled Bgl. I prefer the second as this unravells and fold backs.

 

[jvile]

Alright I like the new colors and you centered the screen when SDE opens but we can no longer maximize the window.

Will there be a feature to sort the Airport Tree by ICAO code before opening any airport records. It looks like the sort order is the same as the bgl that it is reading.

None of these things are real issues just wanting your thoughts.

Now once I highlight the airport ICAO code can you explain the reason for that sort order.

Working with other decompilers after the last 4 years I may have to get use to how you are sorting the list.

Aprons and Edge lights just looks out of place to me sitting up top rather then down toward the bottom.

 

[scruffyduck]

No the window is fixed size now I will look at changing it When I started out I just knocked together a quick GUI with no re-sizing of components.

Felt like a change with the colors

Sort order of airports is the order they are loaded in from the Bgl but I should be able to sort them in ICAO order before they go to the tree display. Order of the elements in the Airport display is determined by how I load them so that can be changed as well. Is there a preferred order?

 

[Phantoms]

Jim, all the 165AW ANG C-130 ANG spots were used (could of used a couple more in fact).

None of my flightplans used the other military spots. That part of the airport is CG and CRTC ANG though I had no flightplans for them. I'm attaching a pdf of KSAV.

 

[José]

Hi, Jim

Before all, excuse if my understanding of English is not correct, regarding to the following method you described:

I did something that is very interesting.
Opened the AFCAD bgl with SDE and changed the correct <ApronEdgeLights> to the proper

<BoundaryFence
profile="{A3A491B1-EF49-47DB-9C2B-080F48A5EA5D}"
instanceId="{9320C132-E404-4A42-ACA2-D2EF51EFB805}">

closed the vertex record and compiled (no errors)

The fence is now there and set very precisely with all the correct angles/turns as per what the Edge Ligths used as the vertex.

To my understanding, you decompiled a FS9 file (AFCAD), edited and compiled to FSX, since FS9 doesn't show Boundaryfence.

I think you've found out the fastest way to convert a FS9 AFCAD to FSX usage or am I wrong?

Best regards,

José

 

[jvile]

Jon

Just as soon as I upload KSAV (almost finished) I will start on the list we talked about.

In the list post I will give you some preferences on what my request would look like in sorting the Airport Records.

It would be nice if the order of the Airports was in ICAO order (or an option) so airports that need to be opened and worked on are easy to find. Some of the very large bgl's have over 100 airports nested.

@Phantoms

Thanks

I will have to add a few more parking spots for the C130 side of the Military ramp. I placed some of the FSX default Military jets (12 total) as per Google Earth over in the CRTC ANG side so it looks more alive. These are FSX default static Military Jets and I placed alot of the static GA type planes over in their correct area. Makes for a Airport that looks busy with all those parked static planes occuping empty space and animated ground support vehicles moving in and out of those areas.

The animated ground support travel from the GA, Cargo, Military, Jet Manufacturer and then on to the Airline Terminal. Makes for a lot of ground movement. They do not use the airplane taxiways because I built new tracks for them to visit all the coded GA/Cargo/Military/Airline parking spots.

Just wish FSX had Static Corporate Jets for the Jet Manufacturer that is based at KSAV so I could populate that area.

I am using SDE for most all this work so I can try to accomplish several beta test in design of airports and SDE issues at one time. A little mix of AFCAD is also being used as a frontend GUI.

EDIT

I see some differences in the pdf (dec 2006) you have and the one I have (Feb 2007) from Jepp. They show the control tower on the North Side of the Ramp same as Google Earth so I am not sure if it is still on the Southside of the Ramp.

Also those Taxiway/Ramps coming off C1 down to A are no where in sight on Google or my pdf (2007). Are they new and if so I need to add them in.