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Adding 3rd party Airports in FSX

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X_Man View Drop Down
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    Posted: 07 Nov 2010 at 8:17pm
Here is what I have found to work for me:
1. Install new airport
1a. If using Win XP,
#1. Copy the folder containing the AFCAD .bgl file into your Addon\Scenery folder.
#2. Start FSX, go to the settings tab on the left of the start up screen.
#3. Go into your scenery area, and click on Add Area, point to the scenery folder of your FSX/Addon Scenery folder then click on the new folder and click "OK"
#4. Manually install any objects .BGL files into FSX\Scenery\Global\scenery.
 
1b. If you have Windows 7, use this:
#1. Copy the folder containing the AFCAD .bgl file into your Addon\Scenery folder.
#2. Start FSX, go to the settings tab on the left of the start up screen.
#3. Go into your scenery area, and click on Add Area, point to the scenery folder of your FSX/Addon Scenery folder then click on the new folder, when it open the folder, click on blank white area then OK. Scenery will be installed.
#4. Manually add any objects .BGL files into FSX\Scenery\Global\scenery folder.
 
Note: For installing payware, follow instructions provided (usually a folder is created directly in your FSX folder  - eg: C:\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Imagine Simulation).
 
2. Run a data dump (eg: Airport.dat) in FSX using the instructions in the Traffic X manual.
 
3. Update TCC airport information using newly creates Airport.dat using the instructions in the Traffic X manual; I always use "Import New".
 
3a. Open TCC and select Airport Information and visual verify that the data there matches the data in the Airport.dat file and spot check data you were expecting to change (eg: an additional runway). 
 
3c. Anytime a change is made to the TCC, the Traffic X flight plans have to be recompiled.
 
4. Run FSX once to update the database.
 
5. Open the Scenery.cfg (in Win 7, it's located in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX) and verify the [Area.xxx] is the same as Layer=xxx and that they are sequential.  If they are out of sync, manually correct it (...make a copy 1st Wink) then run FSX once more and you are done!
 
Now if you are using Flightsim Commander:
 
6. Follow the instructions in updating the FSC data files - making a copy of the FSX scenery.cfg file and renaming it scenerycfg.fsc etc...
 
7. Open FSC and go to Window/Airport Information and type in the ICAO of the airport you changed. If you see the change you were expecting, you are done.

Note: If you see a duplicate, you have to figure out the one you want to delete. This is simple: both AFCADs will be identical, but the airport information will be different (in the example I gave above, we were expecting to see an additional runway). One AFCAD will show 2 less runway IDs than the other. Note the .BGL in question (it will read "Based of file: APXxxxx.bgl" - this is the FSX default and the 3rd party airport will read "Based on file: XXX_ADE.BGL). Do a search for the APXxxx.BGL file in your FSX folder and remove it. After you remove it, repeat Steps 6-7 again. Done - if no more issues.
 
With airport issues with parking space issues, that is in the manual and had been documented here.
 
edited: Nov 17, 2010
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Nov 2010 at 11:31pm
Great information!  Very handy.  Thanks for sharing.  I've made a copy and stored it away for my records. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote X_Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2010 at 3:33am
Anytime Freddy! I was messing around with that today - so I figure I share. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote X_Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Nov 2010 at 12:44am
Freddy! I have found the issue with the Addon Scenery Folder.
 
Apparently I was not adding the scenery correctly into FSX. Here is the correct method:
 
#1. Copy the folder containing the AFCAD .bgl file into your Addon\Scenery folder.
#2. Start FSX, go to the settings tab on the left of the start up screen.
#3. Go into your scenery area, and click on Add Area, point to the scenery folder of your FSX/Addon Scenery folder then click on the new folder, when it open the folder, click on blank white area then OK. Scenery will be installed.
 
Now I can dump AFCAD into my Addon folder, and not Scenery\Global Folder like I posted above. Also, FYI - the Traffic X AFCAD folder has a high priorty too (...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\JustFlight\TrafficX\AirportFacilities\Scenery), so if you don't want to use the Addon folder. Remember to rename the orginal, so there are no duplicates.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Nov 2010 at 6:19am
Ah yes, I remember reading on one of the other Flight Simulator forums about this little scenery trick where you have to click on a blank white area before clicking OK.  I think this a Vista and Windows 7 issue only; I believe you don't need to do that for XP.
 
I am now a little confused though ...
 
I am guesssing this new information replaces ALL of the 1 - 1a, 1b and 1c section?  Is that correct?
 
Hmmm, is this why you were getting duplicates?  Because you were not adding the screnery correctly in to FSX?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote X_Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 12:35am
Originally posted by freddy freddy wrote:

...I am guesssing this new information replaces ALL of the 1 - 1a, 1b and 1c section?  Is that correct?
Yes - It replaces 1a  and Ic (actually, there is no need for 1c anymore). 1b is whatever instructions your payware comes with. Payware adds its required folder directly into FSX main folder and assignes it highest priorty automatically. 
 
Originally posted by freddy freddy wrote:

Hmmm, is this why you were getting duplicates?  Because you were not adding the screnery correctly in to FSX?
Yes - My old method (wrong) was installing the freeware .bgl airports into the Scenery\Global folder, which has the lowest priority. When I add the airport .bgl in there, airports in other folders like (...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery) and (...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\JustFlight\TrafficX\AirportFacilities\Scenery) were clashing with it. 
 
I edited the instructions, let me know if that's clearer.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 9:34am
Originally posted by X_Man X_Man wrote:

I edited the instructions, let me know if that's clearer.
 
Affirmative ... clear.  That answers my questions nicely.
 
Thanks again.  I've updated my records accordingly.
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