8 replies to this topic

[Mr. Schutte]

I would like to make sloping runways. Is there a way you can make an invisible runway surface with AFCAD? But the lines still show up, so that the lines follow the terrain changes in altitude.. I c that you can make a helipad with an invisible surface.. I just like the whole idea about sloping runways.
Please don't talk to me about GMAX, I tried to get that working and it doesn't seem to run on my machine.

Also wondering when the next AFCAD will be available, hopefully allowing you to place scenery in it, instead of using seperate programs.  

[IBtheSarge]

Nope.  Remember, AFCAD doesn't render a layer-valued display.  It is purely "invisible" data and only appears on-screen if other layer-valued textures and/or terrain do not override it.  AFCAD deals ONLY with ATC data .... runway type, length, width, surface; taxiway intersections, type, width, length; ramp surface, size; routes of travel between runways/parking spots; navaid types and frequencies; tower and other ATC frequencies.  Only what is necessary for the ATC engine to launch, recover, taxi and park aircraft.  That's it .... it is not a scenery design program, only an airdrome identification program.

To do a true sloped runway, you would need several tools .... one to adjust the mesh (elevation) of the ground, one to apply terrain texture(s), and one to create the actual runway/taxiway/ramp surfaces.  Over the top of that you would use AFCAD to define the landing zones, starting points, and paths-of-travel between runways and parking spots.  TCY, PiP and a couple of others can give you more details in the Scenery & Terrain forum on that process.

[TechnicolorYawn]

It wouldn't work. AFCAD runway data overrides any height or mesh data thats underneath it. You could lay an AFCAD over an area that you have sloped, and it would just raise (or lower) the level of the ground underneath the runway to the height you specified in AFCAD. Even if you very carefully used flattens (which override the flatten effect of AFCAD data) to get your slope back, the plane would still sit at the height you have the AFCAD set at, not at the ground level.

The only way you can do a sloped runway that works is to have a purely aesthetic airfield - ie, one with no AFCAD data at all, which means no ATC, ILS or AI using it.

[Mr. Schutte]

Thanks chaps. How would I make that TCY?

[TechnicolorYawn]

You'd either have to make the runway with the dreaded Gmax or lay a texture of the runway onto the mesh as a ground texture (which I don't know how to do). You'd also need to either delete or move the AFCAD of your original airport. Not just have no file, you need to override the default AFCAD.

[Mr. Schutte]

Thanks, Its odd GMAX doesnt work. I install and everything, click on the desktop shortcut to run it, a little window comes up sayin initiating. Then it just closes.. no error message.. nothing, just shuts. hmm...
How do I get the groundtexture thing, I mean like, If I lay down a polyogn and put a texture on it, it becomes stretched... Do I need to create a patchwork of textures?

[TechnicolorYawn]

Don't know - I've never tried to lay a texture directly onto the mesh before. I've always just used Gmax groundpolys.

[IBtheSarge]

TechnicolorYawn, on Feb 6 2006, 06:12 PM, said:

It wouldn't work. AFCAD runway data overrides any height or mesh data thats underneath it. You could lay an AFCAD over an area that you have sloped, and it would just raise (or lower) the level of the ground underneath the runway to the height you specified in AFCAD.

Oops, my bad .... you're right.  You have to give AFCAD the elevation of the airdrome, and that elevation will be applied throughout the area around the aiport reference point.  Disregard ....

TechnicolorYawn, on Feb 6 2006, 06:12 PM, said:

The only way you can do a sloped runway that works is to have a purely aesthetic airfield - ie, one with no AFCAD data at all, which means no ATC, ILS or AI using it.

Yep; ran a little test and tried creating the airport using strictly XML code, but it won't compile to BGL without a field elevation.  And that just throws the whole process out the window; it's the same as putting a field elevation into the AFCAD.

[IBtheSarge]

Jonathon Schutte, on Feb 6 2006, 07:11 PM, said:

Thanks, Its odd GMAX doesnt work. I install and everything, click on the desktop shortcut to run it, a little window comes up sayin initiating. Then it just closes.. no error message.. nothing, just shuts. hmm...
How do I get the groundtexture thing, I mean like, If I lay down a polyogn and put a texture on it, it becomes stretched... Do I need to create a patchwork of textures?

You might also try looking for SBuilder, by Luis Sa.  A mate in Oz uses it exclusively to rework mesh, apply terrain textures, etc.  You still won't have an airport usable by AI (since there will be no ATC, navaids, etc.) ... but you should be able to manipulate the mesh and textures to get what you want.

The registration isn't all that steep, either .... I think my personal license was only US$16.00 or so.