FS9 support > Las Vegas FS9

My Afcad, visible markers, texture alpha layers

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Mike...:
I'm pretty much done with my Afcad, which is based on the original one included with the scenery. It is best used with "KLAS_ILS_jv.BGL" from this Avsim package, refer to its readme for installation instructions and notes. Only install that file, not the Afcad.

A couple of comments. I've stripped all aprons from my Afcad. There's one tiny visual anomaly left that I've not been able to remove, but I'm not gonna tell you where you can find it, so you will probably not notice it. ;-p I've not seen anything to indicate the aprons are needed.

I've also changed all runways except 7L/25R to concrete, because that's what they are in real life. Cearly visible in Google Earth, although 7R/25L is still in old style there, it has recently been redone and is about to be reopened.

See my post here about the bunching up problem and its assumed cause. In my Afcad I've made sure that the link widths around the hold short nodes are wide enough. So far I've not seen the bunching up issue return, but then again, the issue has never been consistent for me, I believe it also depends on the kind of AI aircraft the FDE in use.

You won't notice the hold short markers at most runway entries (and only at those runways opened for take-offs, the inner ones), but at 25R you will, because the links do not form a straight line there. I can either make taxiway B1 the runway entry, where there is a straight line or I can look into the alpha layers of the ground textures...

I'm already experimenting with the latter. I edited the alpha layer of KLAS_34.bmp and removed the gray from the area around the hold short node. This removed the transparency and in the sim, the hold short node from the Afcad was no longer visible!

I do not know why the ground textures contain transparency, it probably has to do with FSX and the limited amount of time and resources spent to make the FS9 version, but it is that transparency that causes Afcad elements to be visible. Ideally, if the transparency serves no purpose in FS9, FSDreamTeam should provide ground textures without shades of gray in the alpha layers (black is good). But if they won't, I will, but only those areas that are affected, the hold short markers at 25R being the best example.

virtuali:

--- Quote from: Mike... on April 24, 2009, 10:17:09 pm ---But if they won't, I will, but only those areas that are affected, the hold short markers at 25R being the best example.
--- End quote ---

Sorry, but that's just not the case. No holding zones are visible in the AFCAD we provided with the product. There were ONLY  double threshold arrows, and this HAS been fixed.

If you are seeing holding zones, it doesn't have anything to do with the fact the are detail textures on top of the AFCAD, it's due to the fact that you forgot to edit some taxipaths close to the holding zone and haven't set width to 1 ft, which is a way to make them invisible in FS9, without affecting the AI (the width it's only used by the visual engine).

Just set the taxiway width on both sides of the hold short nodes to 1 ft, and the hold short zone will disappear. It will disapper in AFCAD as well.

Mike...:
Well, what is causing the bunching up issue then? If I set width to 1, there's bunching up, if set to 100, none... Why is it, that Afcad and other Afcad editors complain when you set the width of a parking connector to 0 or <15ft? Because if set to that and if the link does not line up with the heading of the parking spot, departing AI may not depart at all. So link width matters in certain cases.

What purpose does the transparency serve in FS9? Why is the issue of Afcad elements becoming visible not witnessed in other sceneries I have? No other scenery I have, needs to suppress hold short markers by playing with link widths. Does it have to do with certain effects in FSX that require default ground in order to work? Rain and whatnot? And isn't it so, that in FSX there just happens to be a different kind of hold short node. One that doesn't draw markers... You don't have those in FS9, so your solution was to reduce link widths.

I'm not saying there is a big flaw in the FS9 version, but there's definitely something going on. Something that is not an issue with the dozens of other addon sceneries I have. Not with KORD, no gray in the alpha layers there, only black. And I have a strong suspicion that it has to do with FSX and your desire not to redo the entire scenery for FS9, especially the textures. That may have sounded like a good idea at the time, but I'd say it's generating more issues for you know. So was it really worth it?

Now, we can have a another lengthy discussion, but why not just say, the transparency does not serve a purpose in FS9. The abnormal link width may or may not cause an AI issue. We're not gonna redo all the ground textures, but if you want to may some small adjustments where needed, knock yourself out. And for our next scenery, we may have to rethink how we do the FS9 version...

::)

virtuali:

--- Quote from: Mike... on April 25, 2009, 10:27:39 am ---Well, what is causing the bunching up issue then? If I set width to 1, there's bunching up, if set to 100, none...
--- End quote ---

I see no bunching here with width set to 0. The airplanes just pause for a couple of seconds on the holding zone, then go to takeoff normally. However, there was just ONE hold short node in our AFCAD (on taxi A7) which was too far from the runway, and that's might be the one creating the issue.



--- Quote ---Why is it, that Afcad and other Afcad editors complain when you set the width of a parking connector to 0 or <15ft? Because if set to that and if the link does not line up with the heading of the parking spot, departing AI may not depart at all. So link width matters in certain cases.
--- End quote ---

The parking connector doesn't anything to do with the hold short zones. If it might be an issue there, it doesn't means it's an issue on the hold short zones as well. Which Afcad editor complains about taxiway widths, not in relationship to parkings ? AFCAD and ADE certainly do not.



--- Quote ---What purpose does the transparency serve in FS9?
--- End quote ---

It's obviously serves to create a layer of details, like custom hold short zone, lines, ground patterns, etc.



--- Quote ---Why is the issue of Afcad elements becoming visible not witnessed in other sceneries I have?
--- End quote ---

There are no other AFCAD elements visible, if you use the AFCAD we supply.



--- Quote ---No other scenery I have, needs to suppress hold short markers by playing with link widths.
--- End quote ---

Should I need to start a list of "other sceneries you might have" that plays with SOMETHING ELSE, which might not be very common, to overcome any SDK shortcoming and fit with THEIR designing style and methods ?



--- Quote ---Does it have to do with certain effects in FSX that require default ground in order to work? Rain and whatnot? And isn't it so, that in FSX there just happens to be a different kind of hold short node. One that doesn't draw markers... You don't have those in FS9, so your solution was to reduce link widths.
--- End quote ---

Yes, that's a reason.



--- Quote ---And I have a strong suspicion that it has to do with FSX and your desire not to redo the entire scenery for FS9, especially the textures.
--- End quote ---

"Strong suspicion" ? We said this MANY TIMES in the open. The FS9 version is exactly the same as the FSX one. It's not a native version, is not made with FS9 in mind, and it will not use FS9 to its fullest because of this.

And, as we said (countless of times), this is EXACTLY (just in reverse) the same situation of 99% of developers out there which instead port FROM FS9 to FSX, and the result is usually an FSX scenery with many issues and glitches, like bad performances, AI disappearing, etc. This is not any different: when something is PORTED from a platform to the other one, you should expect the version begin ported not being as if it were made from scratch with that platform in mind.

It's just that, this time, the port is not made starting with your preferred platform in mind, that's why you see differences compared to other sceneries. The same sceneries that will usually have lots of issue in their FSX versions (if there is one), and it's usually the FSX users that need to live with the inferior version. Here's the opposite. We never hidden this fact.


[quote[That may have sounded like a good idea at the time, but I'd say it's generating more issues for you know. [/quote]

Is still a good idea, of course, and It's either this, or it's not FS9 version anymore. There's a Trial for both versions: FS9 users have all the means of getting to know about the results of this method by themselves, and can always choose not to buy the scenery.



--- Quote ---Now, we can have a another lengthy discussion, but why not just say, the transparency does not serve a purpose in FS9
--- End quote ---

It does: it gives the scenery the look we wanted, without having to rewrite in from scratch for FS9.



--- Quote ---And for our next scenery, we may have to rethink how we do the FS9 version...
--- End quote ---

No, it's much more simple: if FS9 users will stop buying the FS9 version because these porting issues are too annoying for them, we'll simply drop the FS9 version...

harpsi:
Hi

I had to change all widths of 1 feet to 100 feet. If they are set to 1 feet, I don´t have traffic on the airport... It is as simple as that...
That was the first thing I noticed in the original afcad. So, I changed everything from this point and no problems at all.

Mike, it would be good to continue this discussion in the afcad topic, so that everyonde can follow the conversation about this topic instead of a lot of posts about the same thing. Just a suggestion...

harpsi

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