Pushback issue (noted at EGCC UK2000 scenery)

[JohnMcP]

I suspect this may not be a GSX issue, but I'm hoping you'll understand what is happening and know how I can fix it!

I've just started using GSX and I like it. Thanks.

My VA uses stands 2,4,6,8 at EGCC. I use the popular UK2000 EGCC Extreme scenery (latest version). At 2,4, and 6 GSX pushback operates as advertised. At stand 8 the only option (LEFT) delivers a RIGHT pushback (ie. nose left, tail right).

I've checked in the 'customize parking' dialogue and GSX is using the correct AFCAD. Also, correctly, it is only offering one pushback direction: LEFT. But when I select this option it turns the tail right.

I tried editing the parking at 8 to offer both LEFT and RIGHT options. On testing, both were available but both delivered the same result: nose left, tail right! 

Any ideas? Has anyone seen this at EGCC (or anywhere else) and fixed it? It really annoys the VATSIM controllers when you agree to P/B Face South and end up facing North!!

[virtuali]

GSX can only use information which exists in the AFCAD. If the parking is flagged as a Left, but the only nodes that comes out of it in the AFCAD result in a pushback to the right, that's what GSX will do so, nothing you do in GSX can change that.

Or, it's possible that nodes might be available, but cannot be used because they were placed wrongly, overlapped, orphaned, too close inside the parking radius, so GSX ignored such nodes, because they would result in errors like the plane making a 180 deg while being pushed.

So, basically, whenever you see something "strange" in GSX, it's almost invariably a problem with the source AFCAD, but of course I cannot precisely tell what it is, without having a look at it.

You might also TRY the "Custom Pushback" option, which allows you to specify the destination node, but it still must be an existing node.

[JohnMcP]

GSX can only use information which exists in the AFCAD. If the parking is flagged as a Left, but the only nodes that comes out of it in the AFCAD result in a pushback to the right, that's what GSX will do so, nothing you do in GSX can change that.

Or, it's possible that nodes might be available, but cannot be used because they were placed wrongly, overlapped, orphaned, too close inside the parking radius, so GSX ignored such nodes, because they would result in errors like the plane making a 180 deg while being pushed.

So, basically, whenever you see something "strange" in GSX, it's almost invariably a problem with the source AFCAD, but of course I cannot precisely tell what it is, without having a look at it.

You might also TRY the "Custom Pushback" option, which allows you to specify the destination node, but it still must be an existing node.

Thanks Umberto...that makes sense. I've flagged it with the UK2000 designers to have a look at. I don't have an AFCAD editor (it's years since I played with any scenery design!) so I'll leave it to them. Meanwhile I'll have to hope I get dispatched from gates 4 or 6!!

[JohnMcP]

Solution found. A UK2000 beta tester on their forum showed me that a taxipath in the desired direction was missing between the relevant two nodes.

The designer says that is probably deliberate, to manage AI traffic.

As a VATSIM pilot I don't use AI traffic, so I've added the missing taxipath to my personal copy of the AFCAD and GSX now performs as advertised.

[p3dx3]

I see pushback that goes wrong when the parking stand I am on is at the end of a taxi path. The node connecting the taxiway to the parking spot is similar to a right angle, so GSX does not know what to do. I have edited the afcad often to extend the taxi path beyond the end that branches off to the parking spot, that way GSX sees it is pushing perpendicular to the taxiway and will push the correct way. There should be logic in GSX to see when a node is at a similar angle to a right angle and that tells it that it is on the end.

[Eisbahn]

. There should be logic in GSX to see when a node is at a similar angle to a right angle and that tells it that it is on the end.

Why do you suggest that GSX should always know when AFCAD's are designed in a poor way. You would be better off if you complained to the AFCAD designer
instead of always complaining about GSX!

[virtuali]

Why do you suggest that GSX should always know when AFCAD's are designed in a poor way. You would be better off if you complained to the AFCAD designer instead of always complaining about GSX!

As scenery developers ourselves, GSX has forced us to be more careful when making our own AFCADs.

[p3dx3]

. There should be logic in GSX to see when a node is at a similar angle to a right angle and that tells it that it is on the end.

Why do you suggest that GSX should always know when AFCAD's are designed in a poor way. You would be better off if you complained to the AFCAD designer
instead of always complaining about GSX!

What? How is that a poor design? The last gate at the end connects to the ramp at a right angle usually at most airports. That is not "bad design"

[virtuali]

What? How is that a poor design? The last gate at the end connects to the ramp at a right angle usually at most airports. That is not "bad design"[/quote]

There IS a reason why GSX has the ability to customize the pushback location: which is precisely to sort out the last gate at the end issue, where an exit on a direct would result in ending into a building, and an exit in the other direct would result in facing the wrong direction. We even made an example in the manual.

It's not as if we don't create AFCADs ourselves, but we don't do *anything* special, just to make GSX happy. We just try to make them as clean and simple as possible and, most of the times, it's enough to specify a custom pushback for problematic parkings, and it will always work.

If you think you have a case where you cannot fix it even using the custom pushback nodes, then please send me an example AFCAD, and I can tell you if the problem is GSX not having enough "logic" (and in that case, we can obviously work on it), or if it's really a problem of the AFCAD or, how you could use the proper custom pushback nodes to sort it out.

[p3dx3]

There IS a reason why GSX has the ability to customize the pushback location: which is precisely to sort out the last gate at the end issue, where an exit on a direct would result in ending into a building, and an exit in the other direct would result in facing the wrong direction. We even made an example in the manual.

It's not as if we don't create AFCADs ourselves, but we don't do *anything* special, just to make GSX happy. We just try to make them as clean and simple as possible and, most of the times, it's enough to specify a custom pushback for problematic parkings, and it will always work.

If you think you have a case where you cannot fix it even using the custom pushback nodes, then please send me an example AFCAD, and I can tell you if the problem is GSX not having enough "logic" (and in that case, we can obviously work on it), or if it's really a problem of the AFCAD or, how you could use the proper custom pushback nodes to sort it out.

Hello thanks I am sorry I am not blaming anyone or anything just did not figure out how to set a gate parking spot at the end of a row with a right angle to the apron link, does that make sense? When I am at the end and select to pushback left or right it does not push me back that direction, I will look into the exact parking spots for some examples.

[virtuali]

Hello thanks I am sorry I am not blaming anyone or anything just did not figure out how to set a gate parking spot at the end of a row with a right angle to the apron link, does that make sense?

It's just easier if you could send me an example to check.