Post by Tom/CalClassic on Oct 16, 2008 14:33:49 GMT -5
My process is:
1. Go online and look for an FAA diagram of the current airport to tell me where the passenger terminal is. Also, check the history of the airport (i.e. Wikipedia, etc.) to see if it had a different name back then.
2. Go to the airport in FS2004 and find the default building that is used as the terminal building from step 1. Check it at both Dense and Extremely Dense settings to be sure it's there all the time.
3. If I don't like the look of the building (or it disappears at the Dense setting) I add one using EZ-scenery. I have a couple of addon libraries that have a few terminals that look OK, or I use one from one of the OB.... default bgl files listed in EZS. I call these files klax_ezs.bgl, for example.
4. If I have added a new terminal in step 3, I use ExcBuilder2 to exclude the default building there (excluding Generic Buildings and Library Objects). I also exclude the tower on rare occasions when it is either very much too modern (or large) or I want to add the tower to the top of the terminal building. I only do this if the tower does NOT have the beacon on top (i.e. the beacon is on a separate tower). These are named xklax_terminal.bgl, for example (all excludes start with an x in my scenery).
5. I also exclude the taxiway signs from the entire airport (excluding Taxiway Signs only). Called xklax_taxi.bgl, for example.
6. I open the airport in AFCAD, and check the name (right click on an empty space and choose Properties). If it's something like Intl or Regional, I change those to Muni. If it's something like Taylor, I change this to Taylor Field. If I found a name in step 1 I use that instead.
7. In a program like AI Traffic Mover I check and see how many parking spots the AI traffic will take up and what kind of planes serve the airport.
In the AFCAD file I:
8. Check the runway lengths and if obviously too long for the AI traffic (and there is no obvious ANG squadron there) I will shorten the runways to fit the traffic. This is a "sometimes" thing - it's more likely if there is an obvious expansion of the airport that probably happened recently. I normally shorten runways to an existing exit point, assuming it used to be the old end of the runway. I also shorten them to make a "triangle" (for example) - a typical configuration in the old days.
9. If I shortened runways in step 6, I also move the start positions, VASI, and ILS glideslope arrows to match the new runway lengths.
10. For all runways, I change them to center line and designation numbers only. If ILS equipped, I will add threshold markings.
11. I change the runway lighting to None/Low, or None/Medium for ILS equpped ones. I set all strobes to zero and remove REIL strobes and other fancy lighting, except for the largest airports.
12. I change all VASI's to VASI2.
13. I select the entire airport, and then change all taxiways to no lines at all. I use center line only for the largest airports.
14. I place my "terminal turn" parking spots (Gate Small) at the terminal, the number based on 1 + the number determined in step 5, unless there is not enough room. Then I place as many will fit, and overflow parking elsewhere. To place them I use the largest plane that serves this airport. These are typically numbered Gate 1 through n.
15. At larger airports I also place overflow parking places (Gate Small) as Gate P 1 through P n. I also place cargo spots as Gate C 1 through C n. At smaller airports the cargo planes can park at Ramp GA Large spots instead.
16. I check that there is enough GA parking places, and always try to have at least one GA Large spot except at the smallest airports.
17. I normally change the taxiways leading directly to the terminal parking spots to center line markings.
Using EZ-Scenery I:
18. Add lights to the terminal ramp using the ESDG Ramplight library. I do this at dusk.
19. Add ramp vehicles from the Vehicles.bgl default library. I typically add a baggage conveyor for airports only served by DC-3's or twins (ConvairLiners and M202/404's), and maybe a truck or other vehicle. If it's served by larger aircraft, I usually add a baggage truck/wagons, and airstairs from the Core_Library.bgl (this is from my CA59/62 package and should be packaged in a CalClassic Core/scenery folder, along with the stairs textures in the CalClassic Core/texture folder).
20. As I wish, I also add fire engines and snow plows from the Vehicles.bgl library, and fuel trucks from the Generic.bgl default library. I increase the scale of the fuel trucks to 1.17.
21. Finally, I add people from the gw_people.bgl library - some passengers outside the terminal, and a couple of workmen around the ramp (or other) equipment.
22. Then I check each of these steps to make sure it was all done properly.
Hope this helps,
1. Go online and look for an FAA diagram of the current airport to tell me where the passenger terminal is. Also, check the history of the airport (i.e. Wikipedia, etc.) to see if it had a different name back then.
2. Go to the airport in FS2004 and find the default building that is used as the terminal building from step 1. Check it at both Dense and Extremely Dense settings to be sure it's there all the time.
3. If I don't like the look of the building (or it disappears at the Dense setting) I add one using EZ-scenery. I have a couple of addon libraries that have a few terminals that look OK, or I use one from one of the OB.... default bgl files listed in EZS. I call these files klax_ezs.bgl, for example.
4. If I have added a new terminal in step 3, I use ExcBuilder2 to exclude the default building there (excluding Generic Buildings and Library Objects). I also exclude the tower on rare occasions when it is either very much too modern (or large) or I want to add the tower to the top of the terminal building. I only do this if the tower does NOT have the beacon on top (i.e. the beacon is on a separate tower). These are named xklax_terminal.bgl, for example (all excludes start with an x in my scenery).
5. I also exclude the taxiway signs from the entire airport (excluding Taxiway Signs only). Called xklax_taxi.bgl, for example.
6. I open the airport in AFCAD, and check the name (right click on an empty space and choose Properties). If it's something like Intl or Regional, I change those to Muni. If it's something like Taylor, I change this to Taylor Field. If I found a name in step 1 I use that instead.
7. In a program like AI Traffic Mover I check and see how many parking spots the AI traffic will take up and what kind of planes serve the airport.
In the AFCAD file I:
8. Check the runway lengths and if obviously too long for the AI traffic (and there is no obvious ANG squadron there) I will shorten the runways to fit the traffic. This is a "sometimes" thing - it's more likely if there is an obvious expansion of the airport that probably happened recently. I normally shorten runways to an existing exit point, assuming it used to be the old end of the runway. I also shorten them to make a "triangle" (for example) - a typical configuration in the old days.
9. If I shortened runways in step 6, I also move the start positions, VASI, and ILS glideslope arrows to match the new runway lengths.
10. For all runways, I change them to center line and designation numbers only. If ILS equipped, I will add threshold markings.
11. I change the runway lighting to None/Low, or None/Medium for ILS equpped ones. I set all strobes to zero and remove REIL strobes and other fancy lighting, except for the largest airports.
12. I change all VASI's to VASI2.
13. I select the entire airport, and then change all taxiways to no lines at all. I use center line only for the largest airports.
14. I place my "terminal turn" parking spots (Gate Small) at the terminal, the number based on 1 + the number determined in step 5, unless there is not enough room. Then I place as many will fit, and overflow parking elsewhere. To place them I use the largest plane that serves this airport. These are typically numbered Gate 1 through n.
15. At larger airports I also place overflow parking places (Gate Small) as Gate P 1 through P n. I also place cargo spots as Gate C 1 through C n. At smaller airports the cargo planes can park at Ramp GA Large spots instead.
16. I check that there is enough GA parking places, and always try to have at least one GA Large spot except at the smallest airports.
17. I normally change the taxiways leading directly to the terminal parking spots to center line markings.
Using EZ-Scenery I:
18. Add lights to the terminal ramp using the ESDG Ramplight library. I do this at dusk.
19. Add ramp vehicles from the Vehicles.bgl default library. I typically add a baggage conveyor for airports only served by DC-3's or twins (ConvairLiners and M202/404's), and maybe a truck or other vehicle. If it's served by larger aircraft, I usually add a baggage truck/wagons, and airstairs from the Core_Library.bgl (this is from my CA59/62 package and should be packaged in a CalClassic Core/scenery folder, along with the stairs textures in the CalClassic Core/texture folder).
20. As I wish, I also add fire engines and snow plows from the Vehicles.bgl library, and fuel trucks from the Generic.bgl default library. I increase the scale of the fuel trucks to 1.17.
21. Finally, I add people from the gw_people.bgl library - some passengers outside the terminal, and a couple of workmen around the ramp (or other) equipment.
22. Then I check each of these steps to make sure it was all done properly.
Hope this helps,