How do I add an XREF aircraft to an FSC airport?

  • I was looking at the available XREF aircraft models, and noticed a couple of DC-3s. So if I created an airport on FSCloudport, and put in one static Cessna to identify the location, is there any way to manually edit that airports .tsc file to replace the Cessna with the XREF DC-3?

    - Kenneth

  • I Kenneth,

    There are 2 methods:

    1) place a dummy object and name it after the XREF object you want to appear. It's easy but usually requests a tool like 3DSMax or AC3D to place the dummy object.

    2) XREFS may be placed as cultivation (it's actually now a 4th category of cultivation objects after plants, bulidings and lights).

    The second method is much easier and versatile. There's even now a scale parameter that allows scaling the object (very useful for generic objects like pylons, churches, etc.)

    Below an extract of xref_lib_LFPL_APT_access_X_10_81C0_A800.toc file, showing the code to place 3 XREF objects from a custom-made XREF library (the complete toc file contains many more entries).

    Like any other cultivation, the TOC file must be declared in a TSC file

    Example of TSC file declaring the above xref_lib_LFPL_APT_access_X_10_81C0_A800.toc file

    Hope this helps

    Cheers

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

  • As soon as i switch fscp to the TOC method it will be a lot easier. I’ve been working on it, but there are complications as presently i mix some non xrefs into my list of available objects so it isn’t a straightforward swap over. I’ll have to split out the non xrefs (water towers and helipads) and keep them in the TSc

  • Creating own custom XREFs libraries is quite easy too : just superpose all 3D objects of your library in a single TGI file and compile as XREF.

    Perhaps it's better to define all your objects as XREFs, you can even scale them (water towers, helipads are good examples)

    Cheers

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

  • Most of this is double Dutch to me I’m afraid. No idea how to compile objects into a library, or how to create .toc files. Pity we don’t have .tmb files of the other objects. As far as I can see you just change the name of the file being called for in the .tsc then. Thanks for you input gentlemen. I may have to wait for your next version Phil.

    Kenneth

  • No idea how to compile objects into a library, or how to create .toc files.

    You have above an example of TOC file with 3 objects.

    The first, easy step is to just copy-paste and edit it with Notepad (or even better Notepad++, it's free) to call 3 specific objects from an existing XREF library (see IPACS XREFs) and place them to your desired coordinates (lonlat). It may be 3 times the same object, like the DC3 for instance.

    You save that text file with a .TOC extension in your scenery folder.

    You do the same with the example of TSC file, or if you already have one for your airport, you just add the bottom cultivation call block (lines 28-31 of my example) to your airport TSC file. Make sure you edit the TOC file name at line 29 to match the file you just created.

    Cheers

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

    Edited 2 times, last by Trespassers (January 8, 2020 at 3:52 PM).

  • Creating own custom XREFs libraries is quite easy too : just superpose all 3D objects of your library in a single TGI file and compile as XREF.

    Perhaps it's better to define all your objects as XREFs, you can even scale them (water towers, helipads are good examples)

    This approach seems very interesting to me. But, how can I compile a TGI file as XREF-library (do you have an example of a *.tsc file for the "content converter" of IPACS)?

    And do the XREF objects also work if they have multiple textures?

    Regards,

    Christophe

  • This approach seems very interesting to me. But, how can I compile a TGI file as XREF-library (do you have an example of a *.tsc file for the "content converter" of IPACS)?

    Here's a quick XREF generating tuto.

    Below the TMC code, with [type][xref]


    Quote


    And do the XREF objects also work if they have multiple textures?

    Yes if you mean a single object uses for instance a set of 3 textures. What is relevant is object name : you call an XREF object by this name, not by its textures...

    If you mean a same aircraft with 3 liveries, each must be defined as an object in the library, i.e. 3 aircraft, each with 1 livery.

    Cheers

    Antoine


    One more point : if you place objects at an airport for which you have a ground polygon (flatten) defined, then it's important to call all objects, cultivation or XREFs from the same airport TSC file, otherwise autoheight calculation won't take the airport ground polygon into account, resulting in floating/sunk objects.

    Cheers

    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.