How to make a new airfield for FSX Part 2 of 2

[IZ0JUB 162]

Making a new airfield for FSX flight simulator Part 2 of 2

 

Open Airport Design Editor 165 and make sure you are connected to the internet, it will update automatically.

 

Setting Up

 

Click on Settings top tool bar, select Options, a window will open like this....

 

 

General Tab, enter your initials, then move across to the Folders Tab and set up all the folders for FSX and SDK and Save. Images select BMP as the FSET software has saved the satellite image as a BMP. Then onto the Project Tab, Save Projects to Folder, select which folder you want this to go to in your computer. Select Compile to Specific Folder. Select Do Not Save XML. Press Save.

 

 

Now go to top left hand corner press File and select New Airport and this window will open....

 

 

Complete all the information Lat, Long, altitude, Airport ID etc. Under other Data make no changes. Press Save.

Right mouse click on the working  area, anywhere in the yellow zone, a new window will open, select Add, go down the list and select Image.

 

 

Click the button top right hand corner and select your saved satellite BMP image from the Works folder of FSET. Tick the Enter Corner Coordinates and enter the top left and bottom right that you recorded from FSET. If Long is negative make sure you put this in the decimal figures. Press Save. Your satellite image should appear like magic in your working area.

Right click the mouse and Press Add and select what you want to add, ie Runway, Runway Start, Library Object, Generic Building, Windsock etc. Once the object is placed you can change sizes, direction etc, eg runway position, length, width by clicking on it and selecting Edit from the window.

 

Then make a polygon around the airfield. Click on the GREEN polygon symbol on the tool bar draw the polygon, double click and select Airport Background in the top list and Flatten in the bottom list. Press OK.

 

 

Almost there, now go to File top left hand corner, select Compile Airport and save the files into a sub folder "scenery" which is contained in a main folder eg "Airfields UK". To check everything is OK, open the new "Airfields UK" folder this will show the "scenery sub folder, open this and you should see 2 files one ending in bgl and the other CVX.bgl.

 

Add "Airfields UK" into FSX in the normal way you would add additional scenery to the library.

 

 

 

[hlminx 301]

Thanks Mike

Gonna give this a whirl as soon as I get some time to myself and the sim.

The way you have described it makes it sound so much easier than it was when I tried building from scratch about 3yrs ago!

I hope you've inspired others too to give it a go and make their own from scratch.

[brett 2,284]

Thanks Mike, I appreciate you taking the time out to do this.

[allardjd 1,853]

Looks like a good method, Mike. I'll have to give that a try. What is the CVX file? Does FSX need it?

 

John

[IZ0JUB 162]

Hi John,

 

In my case I only use home made photo real scenery in FSX and if I don't make the CVX (created from the polygon) file you end up with the aircraft either floating up in the air and not on the RW or sitting in a very large hole.

 

Just to make certain I temporarily removed the CVX file from a recent airfield I built and can confirm the above results.

 

Hope this helps. Cheers, Mike.

 

 

 

 

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I may have to give this a try. There are a few small strips around the NorCal area I would love to flesh out a bit. There are a set of three fields along the coast near Gualala, Ca. that are wonderful X-wind practice strips...they are rather plain in ORBx standard and could use some decorating.

 

And I don't suppose there will be any other way to get my Mt. Doom Landing crater made.

 

Are there any tools available to mess around with landclass type stuff...making mountains specifically?

Like a 30 mile across crater? Criss-crossed inside hollow walls with tunnels large enough for large aircraft to fly through them...and airfields scattered on the outside and inside walls and rims.

 

Yeah, I want an FSX Batman Base.

[hlminx 301]

 

Yeah, I want an FSX Batman Base.

 

Now that's one I'd like to see !! 

[Kasper 14]

Thanks Michael,

I will try this method to add some African airports - the continent is not really well represented in FSX.

Just the right place to fly some propliners and bush planes.