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Surface Painted Taxiway Direction Signs

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us-texas
Does anybody know how to add Surface Painted Taxiway Direction Signs in Airport Design Editor?
I did not find anything in the user manual.


Pramod
 

scruffyduck

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Check out the custom ground poly function. The manual for this should be in the manuals sub folder inside the ADE main folder
 
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Thanks Jon. I have another question - I am able to draw the poly but how do I put some text on it?
 

scruffyduck

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You need to add a texture to the poly with the text on it. I am no expert on this but someone here should be able to help
 

gadgets

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There are several textures in the ADE-GP texture folders that illustrate adding text to GPs. Look in the Textures_Dpy folder. Note that if you create your own textures you'll need to also make entries in the Textures_Def.txt, and perhaps also the Lines_def.txt files. The process is well documented in the ADE-GP USer Manual.

Don
 
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Yes, I am aware of the textures in Texture_Dpy folder and have used these to create custom poly lines. But I can't understand how to use the text. For example, if I select gp_Signs_Yellow.bmp then how do I choose the text on it? The manual, unfortunately, does not explain this.

Pramod
 

gadgets

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You select the text you want in exactly the same way as you select a portion of any other texture; in the GP Editor, move the vertices of the poly so they enclose the portion of gp_signs_Yellow you wish to use. The text is not special, its an integral part of the texture.

Don
 

tgibson

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To elaborate - create the polygon the size of the character you want. Then the editor opens an choose the texture. Then move the vertices to the same shape as the polygon, surrounding the character you want. If you want to create words (i.e. multiple characters), you create individual polygons for each character.

If you don't want individual polygons for each character then you need to create a custom texture with the words you want.

Hope this helps,
 
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Any you of guys, can you please use youtube.com how to use GP polygon sign create it? It would be easier to understand how step by step.

Thanks,

Stuart
 

tgibson

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I don't do YouTube, but here it is in pictures. We will create the word RWY on the ground.

1. Click on the purple ground polygon button and create a rectangle with the approximate proportions of your letter. You do not need to get the shape exact at this point.

ade_gp_letters_01.jpg


2. The Ground Polygon Editor box will appear. Assign the texture gp_Signs_Yellow in the Main Texture drop down box.

ade_gp_letters_02.jpg


3. Press OK to return to ADE.

4. Edit the shape of the polygon until it is exactly the size, shape, and rotation you want.

ade_gp_letters_03.jpg


5. Click on the polygon until the sides turn orange and press Enter to return to the GP Editor.

6. Press the Reset button to get the new shape.

7. Click on the left of the three Change Color buttons (the colored line) and choose Red.

ade_gp_letters_04.jpg


8. This will make it easier for us to see the lines on the black texture background. Click OK.

9. Now left click and drag the mouse across the entire polygon (a green rectangle will mark your progress) until all vertices are included in the box.

ade_gp_letters_05.jpg


10. Let go and all the vertices will turn red. If not, do it again.

11. Click on the left Rotate button and drag one vertex so the polygon is rotated upright. Note that you are not actually rotating the polygon in ADE, but you are only rotating the texture mapping.

ade_gp_letters_06.jpg


12. Click the left Resize button and drag one of the vertices until the box is about the size of a single letter.

ade_gp_letters_07.jpg


Continued in Next Post
 

tgibson

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13. Click the left Drag button and drag one of the polygon's vertices so the box is centered over the letter R.

ade_gp_letters_08.jpg


14. Using the left Resize and the left Drag buttons, resize and move the polygon until it is just outside the letter R.

ade_gp_letters_09.jpg


15. Click OK to return to ADE. Your first letter is done. Now let's create the W.

16. Click your polygon until the sides turn orange. Right click and choose Copy Objects.

ade_gp_letters_10.jpg


17. Right click to the right of the polygon and choose Paste Objects.

ade_gp_letters_11.jpg


18. Now you have a new polygon next to your original one. Select it by clicking it, and press Enter to go to the GP Editor.

ade_gp_letters_12.jpg


19. Click the left drag button and drag a vertex to the W.

ade_gp_letters_13.jpg


20. Note how much wider this letter needs to be verses our original R. Click OK to return to ADE.

21. Select two vertices of our new polygon and drag the W polygon so it is wider by the correct amount.

ade_gp_letters_15.jpg


22. Select the resized polygon by clicking it, and press Enter to go to the GP Editor.

23. Drag the mouse across the right 2 vertices of our polygon, click the middle Drag button (left/right) and drag one vertex to the right so the vertices enclose the letter W.

ade_gp_letters_14.jpg


24. Click OK and return to ADE. Now the R and W polygons are finished.

25. Repeat steps 16 through 23 to create the Y polygon. I would copy the R polygon, since it's about the same width as a Y polygon.

Now save the airport file, and compile and view your handiwork in FS. Go back to ADE and adjust the size and spacing to get the look you want.

Hope this helps,
 
Last edited:
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Thank you so much. That's great tips. Hey Jon. Can you please pull his post to the ADE Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials section?

Thanks,

Stuart
 
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The only thing I would add to Tom's useful instructions is that, if you want to have the letters appearing on a block of a different colour, then you have to create a GP Poly and make sure that it is on a 'lower' layer than the letter GP Polys.
 

gfxpilot

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THis has been great - Its probably one of the biggest pains in the APU to putting down authentic looking taxi markings etc Thank you very much
 

tgibson

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Very good point raymk, many markings are on a block of red, etc. The layer value will determine which GP displays on top of which. Make sure the letter polygons have a higher layer number than the single color block polygon and the letters will appear on top of the color block. If you look at my second image above you can find the layer number at the top left, set to the default value of 24. Set the color block polygon layer to a lower number here (or set all letter polygons to a higher number). Some combinations will work better than others, and many use layer numbers 4 layers apart for the older style (FS9 and FSX) GPs (20, 24, 28, etc.).
 
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Tom,

Sorry to bring this thread back up, Thank you for your instructions. I'm trying to add the airports name to one of the apron. After following the steps listed above, I get a prompt from ADE asking about the compile parameters. The choices are:

1) single ref point - apr elevation
2) single ref point - local elevation
3) Unlimited Line Visibility/point visibility/and auto group size.

Should I be selecting the first option (airport elevation)?

Thanks.

colin
 

gadgets

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Depends on where the poly is located. If on an airport object, 1, otherwise 2.

Wouldn't it be faster and simpler simply to experiment than to ask?

DoOn
 
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us-texas
Tom,

Thanks for the instructions. I just have one question - how do I rotate the letters so that in the scenery it appears in the correct orientation. Right now it is appearing 90 degrees counter-clockwise. And is there any way to change the color of the text?

Your help is much appreciated.

Pramod
 
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149
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Hey Don,

I tried before posting. When I went back into FSX, there was a black box where the letter should have been. Realized after posting it wasn't because I picked the wrong option, but because I was missing the obj file.

colin
 

gadgets

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how do I rotate the letters so that in the scenery it appears in the correct orientation. Right now it is appearing 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Rotate the poly vertices in the GP Editor.

And is there any way to change the color of the text?
For white, black, red or yellow, choose the relevant texture. For other colors, you'll have to create your own texture.

DOn
 
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