GSX and AFCADs

[sticky1202]

Not sure if this is the right place to post, so feel free to move it. The FSDT airport AFCADs' come with the airline parking spots listed as GA. (Can't remember the reason why). Is this for the scenery itself, or is this for GSX. If it is for GSX, should all of my AFCADs that I edit be changed to this format since I have GSX? Any pros/cons to either format? Thanks for the great sceneries! 

Jim

[virtuali]

Yes, it has been discussed many times on the forum, and it doesn't have anything to do with GSX. The reason to flag all parkings as GA, is to get rid of default ground vehicles that would conflict with the vehicles or static detail in the parking provided with the GSX.

GSX, if anything, would help you overcoming the minor annoyance of having them listed as GA in the FSX "Go To Airport" menu because, if you use GSX instead to position your airplane, you'll find them arranged in a more logical way that the default FSX system could ever do, grouped by terminal and gates, with terminal having their real life names.

To do this, position to the airport using the FSX standard menu, but place the airplane on the runway, then open GSX menu, select a parking, and the "Just Warp me there" option.

[sticky1202]

Thank you very much for the reply. As to the question of editing other (other then FSDT) AFCADs to the GA parking system, that is a good idea then? I would not lose the functioning jet ways? It appears to me that as I am "tweeking" my FSX AFCADs ( as I aquire more sceneries), that it is a positive move to change the airline parking spots from "gate" to "GA Parking" correct? I appreciate your time! (and sceneries of course).

Jim

[virtuali]

As to the question of editing other (other then FSDT) AFCADs to the GA parking system, that is a good idea then? I would not lose the functioning jet ways?

No, it won't affect jetways, but it might affect AI positions, unless you put the proper airline codes in every parking. But in general, unless you want to remove default ground vehicles that interfere with the scenery, there are no other benefits. And you can turn off default ground vehicles more easily, by turning the ground traffic slider down.

[johannvr]

As the topic says GSX and AFCADs, is there anything else in AFCADs we can look at and improve to get the follow me service functions better and faster? I often have to wait for the follow-me vehicle to arrive and then sit and watch it while making up it's mind what direction to go to lead me to the requested gate/parking, looking like a drunken driver. Sometimes have to do a u-turn on the taxi way or apron as the follow me changes it's mind and go in an opposite direction to the parking spot. I now don't trust the follow-me service any more. Any suggestions?

Johann

[virtuali]

Sometimes have to do a u-turn on the taxi way or apron as the follow me changes it's mind and go in an opposite direction to the parking spot. I now don't trust the follow-me service any more. Any suggestions?

If this happens on 3rd party airports only, the problem is not surely the Follow me, but the scenery AFCAD, that maybe has problems like unreachable paths, parkings, overlapped nodes, etc. GSX can't automatically fix AFCAD with mistakes.

If you see a problem on a default scenery, please provide all the following details:

- The airport used

- Your position when you called the Follow Me

[johannvr]

This happens only with some 3rd party scenery. That is my question, what mistakes in the AFCAD do we have to look at? I take note of  unreachable paths and overlapping nodes (Fault Finder indicates it). Anything else we can look out to improve an AFCAD for the follow me to function better?
I usually call the follow me while still on the runway or just vacating and then mostly have to wait for it. It would be nice to have the follow me "spawn" next the aircraft and then drive on leading the way.

[virtuali]

This happens only with some 3rd party scenery. That is my question, what mistakes in the AFCAD do we have to look at? I take note of  unreachable paths and overlapping nodes (Fault Finder indicates it). Anything else we can look out to improve an AFCAD for the follow me to function better?

You don't want to fix AFCAD errors "just" for the GSX Follow Me: the whole GSX will work better, and of course even regular AI traffic at that airport will work better too.

Any problem reported by the Fault Finder should be fixed, if possible. But there might problems not reported, like unreachable locations for example, but they should be easy to spot at first sight.

Some scenery developers use questionable design techniques, like the one known as "plumbing", which creates unrealistically long taxi routes by rewinding the path over itself several times, to trick the AI engine to use specific paths/runways, etc. This will surely force the Follow Me, for example, to follow those routes and lose a lot of time doing it.

You can recognize sceneries made this way, because they have unreasonably complex taxi paths.

I usually call the follow me while still on the runway or just vacating and then mostly have to wait for it. It would be nice to have the follow me "spawn" next the aircraft and then drive on leading the way.

Well, NOT having the Follow Me (and other vehicles like the catering or the fuel trucks) unrealistically spawning close to you, and instead having to follow the airport layout, as it would had to do in real life, was a FEATURE that user usually appreciate...

[sticky1202]

When the fault finder reports an "altitude problem" (IE FSDT DFW scenery reports that the ILSs' are at the incorrect altitude), should those be corrected?

Jim 

[virtuali]

When the fault finder reports an "altitude problem" (IE FSDT DFW scenery reports that the ILSs' are at the incorrect altitude), should those be corrected?

Have you checked by *how* much, according to ADE, are "incorrect" ? 1mm! It's more likely a rounding issue, and AFCAD files have a maximum precision of 1/128th of a meter when handling altitudes, which means a difference in 1mm can't even be registered in the sim, but I doubt it would make any difference even if it could.

As a general rule, you don't want to "fix" FSDT AFCAD to be used with GSX, since they are obviously well optimized to it. If you think to have found a problem, report it here, instead.

[johannvr]

Well, NOT having the Follow Me (and other vehicles like the catering or the fuel trucks) unrealistically spawning close to you, and instead having to follow the airport layout, as it would had to do in real life, was a FEATURE that user usually appreciate...

The suggestion is ONLY for the follow me to spawn near the aircraft, not the other service vehicles. To sit and wait for a follow me to eventually arrive is undesirable. I, and I think many users, would appreciate the follow me to be close to the aircraft and start leading the way when requested.
Realistic or unrealistic is not the issue here, but a follow me that can, without delay and correctly following the airport layout, guide the user to the assigned or requested gate/parking.

Anyway, thank you for those points on the AFCADs to look at.

Johann

[virtuali]

The suggestion is ONLY for the follow me to spawn near the aircraft, not the other service vehicles. To sit and wait for a follow me to eventually arrive is undesirable.

That's how it will happen in real world. They surely don't pop-up in front of you.

I, and I think many users, would appreciate the follow me to be close to the aircraft and start leading the way when requested.

We can tweak the starting parking spot to be closed to your position, that CAN be done, and it would make some sense, but not to pop-up next to the airplane. It will still come from a parking so, of course, if *all* parkings are very far, you will still have to wait for it.

Realistic or unrealistic is not the issue here, but a follow me that can, without delay and correctly following the airport layout, guide the user to the assigned or requested gate/parking.

That's exactly what it does. It correctly follows the airport layout and guide the user to the assigned or requested gate/parking. The "without delay" might be tweaked a bit, but you will still have to wait.

[johannvr]

We can tweak the starting parking spot to be closed to your position, that CAN be done... ... you will still have to wait for it  ...The "without delay" might be tweaked a bit, but you will still have to wait.

Thank you, Umberto, for accepting the "challenge" in doing some tweaks in improving an already very nice product and I will do the waiting...

Johann