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RayM View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 Jan 2015 at 2:22pm
In the process of completely re-installing my FSXA, TrafficX, Scenery addons, aircraft addons, etc. to my new PC, I have remembered a topic that I have previously wondered about.
In the TrafficX TCC, when you go into creating new Flight Plans, there is a box "Filter to Carrier Fleet" which, when 'ticked', all aircraft 'belonging' to the airline/carrier can be seen in the "Aircraft" dropdown. I have always found this very useful. I have always assumed that this list is generated from the data that is created when, if you go to the "FleetDataBase" and go to "Edit Paint Scheme" area there is a box "Airline / Carrier" where you can 'assign' the aircraft to a specific airline / carrier.
Now, this all makes sense so far and it even works.
But, I cannot find any file that seems to be storing this 'tie-up' information. I would have thought it would be in the files stored in the folder "\presets\data\aircraft\" but I cannot see such a tie-up in any of them.
Has anyone been keen enough to discover where this tie-up of data is stored or am I on my own in trying to understand the workings of TrafficX?
The main reason why I am interested in this is that I have developed methods of editing Traffic X files using NotePad or Excel as it allows me to do changes that 'stick' - sometimes changes made in the TCC don't always get registered (at least not when I do it!).
A long time FSXA and Traffic X user
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freddy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jan 2015 at 10:39pm
Ray,

Like you, I have developed methods of editing Traffic X files using Notepad or Excel. I first use the Traffic Control Centre and the Paint utility to do all the usual stuff such as adding new planes/liveries, updating airport information with newly downloaded or modified AFCADs, adding/editing flight plans, and all the other usual stuff. But when it comes to "fine tuning" that information or wanting to do changes that (in your words) "stick", it is Notepad and Excel that provide the means to really achieve that goal.

I know of the "Filter to Carrier Fleet" check box you speak of ...

But, like you, I have been unable to determine where the data files that make this check box work are stored/saved. If you use the FLEET DATABASE screen in the Traffic Control Centre, set it to EDIT PAINT SCHEME mode, and then modify the AIRLINE/CARRIER that's set for one of the aircraft types ... you'll notice the DATE MODIFIED dates of the files found in the "\presets\data\aircraft\" location do change. However, if you initially take a backup of the original files in that folder, BEFORE you make the modification, and then use a file comparison tool such as, say, Notepad++, to compare your backed up files against the (supposedly) newly created files in the folder, you will see that the file contents of the files remains UNCHANGED. This would suggest that all that's happened is that the files in this folder have merely been (re)saved, despite you making modifications to the Airline/Carrier. And, even though the Date Modified has changed, if the contents of the files hasn't changed, it would indicate the data we're looking for is not stored here in these files, in this folder location.

So ...

Logic therefore indicates that the software is storing/saving this data ELSEWHERE. That would lead one to investigate "other" folder locations in Windows where a program's data might be stored (folders such as "C:\Users\..." or "C:\ProgramData\...", for example). As someone who works in IT, I know how Windows likes to "hide" certain folder locations and can also sometimes have a tendency to keep files saved in strange and obscure places. I've looked in as many of the data and folder storage locations that I know about, including the "hidden" and the "sneaky" ones, but I've still been unable to determine where the information that makes the "Filter to Carrier Fleet" check box work is stored/saved.

In conclusion, I just accept that this is the one and only part of the workings of Traffic X that I haven't been able to solve. Thankfully, it doesn't affect my use of Traffic X in any way, and so, personally, I am not too concerned about it.

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RayM View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RayM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2015 at 12:06pm
Freddy,
thanks for your thoughts. If there was anyone who would have given this some thought, I guessed it would be yourself.
You have come to the same conclusion as myself in that 'linking' a particular aircraft variant to an airline/carrier is obviously (?) done in a mysterious way.
It is clever in that, when setting up a new schedule, you do NOT have to select the airline/carrier specific aircraft but can select the generic TYPE of aircraft and, when compiling, TrafficX goes and looks for an aircraft of the airline/carrier you are working on. For example, if working on Air France and you just select A319 as the generic type, it will find an AirFrance version of the A319. At least, I am fairly sure that this is what it does?
I guess software developers like to keep some of their secrets hidden from us users!
A long time FSXA and Traffic X user
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2015 at 8:46pm
Yeah, I think it is best to put this one down as a mystery.
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RayM View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RayM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2015 at 9:56am
Originally posted by freddy freddy wrote:

Yeah, I think it is best to put this one down as a mystery.

Freddy,
I just couldn't give up on this. As a result of a complete new computer install including FSXA and TrafficX I decided to sort out these installations as much as possible.
The Fleet Manager section of the TCC does not work consistently in that if you apply edits in either of the left and right sections, the edits do NOT always get put into the relevant files, namely "AircraftTypes.tcc" and "Aircraft.tcc", so, even if you 'Save & exit', the added/altered data doesn't appear when you go back into this section. The file date stamps do change however. I now edit both of these files using Excel as this now always makes the changes I am doing.

Whilst looking at this I have also sorted my query re 'airline/operator' fleets. The "Aircraft.tcc" file has a series of columns -
Manufacturer Type Variation .............. Airline ATC_ID ..... etc

It is the 'Airline' column that controls which aircraft appear in a 'fleet list' when editing schedules. All aircraft entries with, say, AFR in this column, will be listed if doing Air France schedules, etc. Of particular note is that entries in this column MUST correlate with the 'airline/operator' codes that are found in the "AirlineCodes.tcc" file.

Not surprisingly, in looking at the supplied Aircraft.tcc file, I found loads of inconsistencies in the codings which I am now in the process of correcting. Traffic X is a useful addon but a pity that the developers did not do more to get more of it right. From looking at the Traffic 360 forum I suspect that most of the inconsistencies got written over to this as well!
A long time FSXA and Traffic X user
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freddy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote freddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Feb 2015 at 8:26am
I was aware of the inconsistencies when making changes and those changes (apparently) NOT being saved. I'd seen that many times when doing my own work.

Interesting about the 'Airline' column controlling which aircraft appear in a 'fleet list'. You would think I would have found that after making changes and using a file comparison tool to "notice" any changes ... which it did not. But, with the mystery now solved, all that is moot and it is another thing that will be handy to know for future reference and use. Good on you for pushing on with the research, eventually leading to the answer. Well done.

I completely agree with your last paragraph, Traffic X is indeed a very useful addon but it has MANY MANY inconsistencies and errors. I could name plenty. Although, to be fair, to populate the ENTIRE WORLD with aircraft, and do that accurately, would be a monumental task. So they did pretty well considering. Still, some of the errors are just plain OBVIOUS and should have been fixed before release. And, yes, one would have thought that Traffic 360 would have made an effort to do such fixes - especially when you consider all the posts in this forum pointing out the obvious (Traffic X) ones - but, alas, it does seem that Traffic 360 is just a "rebadged" version of Traffic X, complete with all of the same errors, untouched, and it even comes with some of the (Traffic X) features REMOVED no less! But, regardless of Traffic X's errors and shortcomings, I still remain a happy Traffic X user. Traffic X has been the most used of all of my utilities and it has single-handedly improved my FSX experience ten-fold. My Aussie skies look fantastic and feel very realistic. I've put in LOADS of work to achieve that, and I have Traffic X to thank for making it all possible. It may have some errors, but in a twist of irony, it gives you the means to fix it's own stuff-ups. So, despite it's quirks and issues, for everything it has done for me, and as a result the joy it has given to me when I fly the Aussie skies, Traffic X still deserves plenty of credit.
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RayM View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RayM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Feb 2015 at 11:24am
Freddy,
I couldn't disagree with anything you have said here. Have many hours of flying - I am looking forward to getting some flying in now that most of my setup is back to scratch.

Ray
A long time FSXA and Traffic X user
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