Author Topic: GSX static jetways and ADE  (Read 3014 times)

bcars

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 28
GSX static jetways and ADE
« on: December 22, 2018, 05:48:22 pm »
I installed GSX Level2 and it replaces the standard airport_objects.bgl file.  It also changes the default static jetway such that the replacement is an Empty mdl object, but uses the same GUID as the default static jetway.  
When I open ADE to make a change to one of my airports,  All the static jetways I had defined are replaced with the GSX empty jetway.
For performance reasons, I build the airport with static jetways. When I am flying I fly a specific airline and go to its terminals. I only want specific gates at those airports to have GSX controlled gates and jetways and ground services.

If I say the gate has no jetways, GSX shows the empty one.
If I restore the default jetways through the Jetway Control panel, it is global.   I want to use the default static jetway for a Given airport, then selectively tell GSX which ones to change.   Short of exporting the default static jetway mdl  and changing its GUID and then using that in my airport... but that defeats the purpose.

I have two questions:
1.  How can I preserve the default bgl file for input to ADE ( it points to whatever sim I am building for   FSX / P3D and uses that bgl file
2.  Is there a way in GSX that I can say I only want to replace 'these' jetways with the GSX/SODE controlled jetways?
« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 05:52:00 pm by bcars »
Thanks
Bruce

virtuali

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51400
    • VIRTUALI Sagl
Re: GSX static jetways and ADE
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2018, 07:38:17 pm »
When I open ADE to make a change to one of my airports,  All the static jetways I had defined are replaced with the GSX empty jetway.  For performance reasons, I build the airport with static jetways. When I am flying I fly a specific airline and go to its terminals. I only want specific gates at those airports to have GSX controlled gates and jetways and ground services.

That's exactly what GSX already did: it replaced default jetways (which are all animated, if you have AI, with no way to turn them off, unless you disable AI), with static jetways that only move if YOU go to a parking and activate the jetway.

So, basically, GSX did all the work for you...


Quote
Short of exporting the default static jetway mdl  and changing its GUID and then using that in my airport... but that defeats the purpose.

That seem to be a sensible solution, which will offer the best possible performances. Why you said "defeats the purpose ?".

Quote
1.  How can I preserve the default bgl file for input to ADE ( it points to whatever sim I am building for   FSX / P3D and uses that bgl file

That's what restoring it with the GSX Control Panel does. It won't disable itself again, unless you reinstall GSX.

Quote
2.  Is there a way in GSX that I can say I only want to replace 'these' jetways with the GSX/SODE controlled jetways?

If you replace the GUID with a static version of the default jetway, those airports will be just like any other 3rd party airport with CTRL+J jetways, that you have to explicitly replace with GSX customization, airport by airport, and  even on some parking spots only.

bcars

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 28
Re: GSX static jetways and ADE
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2018, 08:53:53 pm »
I am not talking abut the default Moveable Jetways,  I am talking about the library object  Jetway01  the STATIC  non moveable one.
It appears to be also converted.   If I reset via the Editor, then GSX wont replace any.   

Like I said.  I want to have the STATIC NON moveable jetways in most locations, with only a few ( user selectable) being replaced by the GSX/SODE moveable jetways.
Unless I am totally misundertanding how this works.   

I  thought the sode jetways were non-movable, static until you selected a gate and then it was replaced with the SODE movable jetway.
However, it seems like it is not showing any jetways until I am fairly close to the gates.
Thanks
Bruce

virtuali

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51400
    • VIRTUALI Sagl
Re: GSX static jetways and ADE
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2018, 09:56:05 pm »
I am not talking abut the default Moveable Jetways,  I am talking about the library object  Jetway01  the STATIC  non moveable one.

They are one and the same. There's only one jetway in the default library, and it's the animated one. But it's only animated (=responds to CTRL+J) if placed as a jetway object in a scenery AFCAD. If it's just "placed" as a normal library object in a scenery, not inside a <Jetway> tag, it won't respond to CTRL+J, but it's STILL an animated object, with its bones/skin all active.

So, if you are trying to save some performance by doing all that work, you won't gain much other than preventing AI planes to use the jetway, but that's it. The airport would still have to load dozen/hundreds of unused bones for all the jetways, regardless if they actually move or not.

Instead, the GSX/SODE replacement jetway, and all the whole library of GSX jetways, are REAL static objects, with no bones/skinned meshes, so they are really optimized, even if (of course), you won't see much of a performance gain, because they are far more detailed than the default one, because we obviously chose to keep the performance similar to default, and spend what we gained by making the inactive jetway a true static object, to improve on their looks.

Quote
It appears to be also converted. 

Of course, it's only one object...

Quote
Like I said.  I want to have the STATIC NON moveable jetways in most locations, with only a few ( user selectable) being replaced by the GSX/SODE moveable jetways. Unless I am totally misundertanding how this works.   

Yes, it seems you misunderstood how GSX works. It already did all the work for you.

Quote
I  thought the sode jetways were non-movable, static until you selected a gate and then it was replaced with the SODE movable jetway.

Exactly so, what's unclear ? Aren't we saying the same thing ?

GSX replaces every default jetway (which is not even truly static) with a true static jetway and, since they don't work with AI as well, you can be sure it will become animated only after you go to that parking and ask for it.

Quote
However, it seems like it is not showing any jetways until I am fairly close to the gates.

I don't know what you did but, you can be sure GSX jetways are normally visible around the whole airport. With multiple fps-friendly LOD levels, of course.

bcars

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 28
Re: GSX static jetways and ADE
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2018, 10:33:23 am »
Umberto
Thanks for the clarification, I understand now.
My observation is that with native p3d, the is no pause/stutter. Not sure if this is because they load and render as the distance the plane is from airport(eg 1 mile) or that gsx is flooding simconnect.  In my case,with gsx,  I don't see any jetways until I am on the ground and within a few hundred yards of the terminal, then they all start to show up , rendering in clusters. It doesn't seem to be a CPU issue, I have a 7700k at 4.8ghz, and the airport has approx 50 gates.

At least now I know how it is working, and I need to look at exclusions.

Thanks again for the clarification
Thanks
Bruce

virtuali

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51400
    • VIRTUALI Sagl
Re: GSX static jetways and ADE
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2018, 11:53:33 am »
In my case,with gsx,  I don't see any jetways until I am on the ground and within a few hundred yards of the terminal, then they all start to show up , rendering in clusters.

GSX will loads jetways at about 3NM out from the airport center so no, it's not normal they would appear only a few hundreds yards from the terminal.

But of course, if Simconnect is flooded by commands by other addons, it's possible the commands GSX sent to creat jetways at 3NM out, might be eventually executed by the sim with a delay so, by the time all jetways are created (which will be slower, if the sim is already taxed by too many addons and/or too many sending commands at the same time, you are already closed to the terminal.

The issue is, we cannot possibly know with how much delay the simulator will execute the commands we send to it. Normally, it should be almost immediate (but a pause when creating jetways IS normal), but it's not really under our control.