Does anyone here use the vla.zip (plus fix).. Vintage London Airports set by John McKeon?? I've tried adding AI to it (it being Croydon.. the set includes Hendon and Brooklands but I only use Croydon) and the AI disappear at the time of takeoff. This to my mind shows there's something wrong with the afcad but looking at it, I can't fathom out what it is. Probably a 'can't see the wood for the trees' scenario as I've been up to my eyeballs in afcad and ttools for over a week now
DaveB wrote:the AI disappear at the time of takeoff
Exactly at what point?. do they perform takeoff roll, or do they simply not take off, staying on the threshold for sometime and then vanish?
If you run Traffic Explorer you'll be able to see the actual state of the aircraft when it vanishes. This will be of high relevance to debug the problem....
Quite possibly the AFCAD haven't got a HOLD-short node before entering the RWY-link.... that would produce such behaviour...
Best Rgds
Dan
Who's General Failure, and why is he reading my harddisk?
OK.. what is happening is that the aircraft simply disappears off the parking position. I know to my cost having recently made/modified afcads for Kinloss and Portsmouth that this will occur when the aircraft cannot physically get from the parking position to the runway. Sometimes, the problem is as easy as adding a parking connector node (as was the case at Kinloss which has a fully working/mapped airfield but no parking positions) but others (as with Portsmouth which had nothing but runways) drive you completely mad!! :@ Some airfields seem happy to run with apron routes from the parking position.. others only need a parking connector and they're off. The afcad for Croydon looks, on the face of it, just fine and I can't see any physical breaks but something obviously isn't right.
I wondered first off if the problem was DelP's HP42 so changed it for the default Vimy and the same thing happened so it's not the aircraft. Croydon wasn't on my 'ready use' airport.txt file so this had to be included but I don't see a problem there as the aircraft is visible prior to flight time. Again.. experience has shown over the last week that if an aircraft doesn't move (doesn't do anything) up to 1 minute after the flight is due to start.. it is not going to start and will disappear shortly after, the problem being with the afcad file itself and not the aircraft.
Techy.. if you wouldn't mind downloading and trying the file.. I'd appreciate a second opinion. There are a few texture files you need (yes.. its one of those!!) but for the simple exercise of trying the afcad.. these shouldn't be required and most are included anyway (the odd bits are included in vlatxfx.zip). No hurry though mate ;-)
1. You have to have a Parking spot that matches the half-wingspan of the aircraft (that is for AI, as user aircraft doesn't care)
2. You have to have a unbroken link to the RWY.
3. You have to have a hold-short node just before entering the RWY-taxi link.
4. You have to have a Starting position.
5. The RWY must not be closed.
If all this is in order, the aircraft should have no problem taking off. But if just one of them is missing you'll most likely be seeing what you do.
Apart from that the various TWY's must be related to the relevant RWY....etc. etc.... many factors.
I might even say that a custom made "AFCAD" based on default airport, made by a individual not deeply into all these dependencies, is bound to fail....
You might send me the AFCAD and I'll take a look at it. Never mind the scenery etc. just the AFCAD. (FSX or FS9?)
Best Rgds
Dan
Who's General Failure, and why is he reading my harddisk?
I wouldn't say that John Mckeon isn't 'deeply into' these dependancies as he's responsible for a lot of 'old time' freeware airfields. Now.. my Portsmouth afcad looks like it's been done by a drunk but it does work and fortunately, the airfield is completely grass so there are no tell-tale crooked lines visible to the naked eye
I'll have a look at the parking bays again but I think they're 'small' which should be more than sufficient for a Vimy (it's adequate for a DC3 anyway) A fresh pair of eyes may see an issue straight away (hopefully these will belong to Techy) but I've looked at it for too long now and all I see is a blur :drinkers:
OK Dave i D/L all the neccessary files and its a lovely bit of scenery.....I checked in AFCAD and other programs and there is only these taxi ways....
I set up some AI flight plans and i had the same as you....A/C sitting on the ramp then disappear after engine start up and before taxi....Yup and as you now know its the AFCAD file. Want me to try to make some new ones for the 3 airfields mate? I can make the AI start from the grassed areas and add parking areas....
Tony
The last surviving and complete Vickers Vanguard....."Superb"
You're showing Brooklands there matey which I don't use (I've got TobyV's EGBL WIP from way back when) I find the old banking snaps into and out of view a little too sharp for my liking (eg.. I see the banking texture disappearing just before it goes out of view) and this doesn't happen with Toby's version ;-) EGCR be the little tinker I'm looking at though from what you've said, there appears to be a problem with AI at Brooklands and I'd guess, this extends to Hendon too :think:
The answer is out there.. it's just a matter of finding it
I find the old banking snaps into and out of view a little too sharp for my liking (eg.. I see the banking texture disappearing just before it goes out of view) and this doesn't happen with Toby's version ;-) EGCR be the little tinker I'm looking at though from what you've said, there appears to be a problem with AI at Brooklands and I'd guess, this extends to Hendon too :think: