Help adding markings at airports

I will write a little guide when I do this for KAI TAK INTL AIRPORT these days.

I remembered that in mid-2025 I created the GMME airfield especially for a comprehensive demonstration. I enclose this airfield and explain very short how it works.

This is the contents of the zipped file:

• Folder "ma_gmme_rabat_sale_airport_fs4"
  - "ma_": I add the TLD of the country to all airfields in my user directory.
  - "_fs4": I add this note to all airfields in my user directory, if the airfield also exists originally in FS 4 - if the file is named TSC identically, the airfield is loaded from the user directory as a priority.

The TSC and WAD files are the airfield files that are always needed, the TOC and TMB files are the additions. The file GMME.tap is the file from which the aforementioned data is generated by a conversion program.

Briefly some information about the remaining files:

• __GMME_signs.txt:
  This file shows an excerpt from the TAP with the raw data for TAXISIGNS.
• _GMME.tap___ADDITION_PUSHBACK_JETWAYS_GROUNDTEXTS_TAXISIGNS:
  This file contains as a backup the data of the TAP file, which must be completed manually when creating the basic data with the AirportCreationTool.
• _gmme.tsc___ADDITION_CULTIVATION
  This file contains the supplementary call for the gmme_pbb_footways.toc, which must be completed manually. If you look closely at the last two elements in the gmme.tsc, you will see that there is a difference in the line use_height_offset, because unfortunately different elements behave differently in terms of height.
• gmme_pbb_footways.toc
  This file is only separated from the gmme.toc because of the aforementioned height problem.

Quote

... how i can manually add ground markings at specific airports ...?

In principle, the process is not difficult, but it is time-taking diligence.

ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE:

• You need the TAP file for the airfield to enter the passages for groundtext there.

PROCEDURE:

• And then the hard work begins, because for each basic text the data must be determined and entered into the TAP.
• Then convert - and you're done.

Here is an example from the GMME.tap:

            <[tm_airport_pd_groundtext][element][]                     //[^R1] Q1 262 LEFT
                <[vector2_float64][position]    [-6.749979 34.038004]>
                <[vector2_float64][size]        [3 4]>
                <[float64][direction]           [262]>
                <[string8][value]               [R1]>
                <[string8][textcolor]           [black]>
                <[string8][background]          [box]>
                <[string8][backgroundcolor]     [yellow]>
                <[string][pointing]             [left]>
            >

• <[tm_airport_pd_groundtext][element][]                     //[^R1] Q1 262 LEFT
  I got into the habit of noting the content and localization in the first line of the comment in order to find my way around quickly. The text content is "R1" with a price up, the text is on the Taxiway Q1 direction 262 on the left.
• <[vector2_float64][position]    [-6.749979 34.038004]>
  The exact position must be determined from a map - and tried to see if it fits exactly.
• <[vector2_float64][size]        [3 4]>
  The text field has the size 3m x 4m.
• <[string8][value]               [R1]>
  The text is "R1".
• <[string8][textcolor]           [black]>
  The text color is black.
• <[string8][background]          [box]>
  The form is a box.
• <[string8][backgroundcolor]     [yellow]>
  The background color is yellow.
• <[string][pointing]             [left]>
  The box has an arrow to the left.

My experience is that you just have to get there - good luck.

I have set up various test airfields for myself on a small island in the Pacific, including one for all variants of GROUND TEXT:

Here is this island:

The file is attached.

This is the basic idea for creating airfields for the FS 4:

• All data is entered into the text file
  - ICAO.tap.
• The tool "Aerofly FS 4 TAP Converter" then generates the required files from this ICAO.tap
  - icao.tmb (tarmacs, lines, jetways, taxisigns, ground texts)
  - icao.toc (lights, objects)
  - icao.tsc (runways, parking positions, heliports)
  - icao.wad (runways, parking positions, heliports)

This link should lead to the current WINDOWS version:

• https://dl1.aerofly.com/aerofly_fs_4_t…up_20250423.exe

Basically, the converter generates compiled files, which is also very useful with regard to file sizes. This is particularly useful for the TMB, which otherwise covers several MB and cannot be interpreted as a pure text file.

The situation is different with the files TOC, TSC and WAd, because these can be adjusted directly for experienced users just as quickly as it can be done via the TAP - and you save yourself the conversion. You have to note the differences in the coordinates and directions between the files TOC and TSC on the one hand and WAd on the other:
- In TOC and TSC, the coordinates show the longitude and the latitude (attention: maps usually show the coordinates in the order latitude - longitude) and the directions as compass rose.
- In WAD, the length is displayed from W180° to the east and the width starting from the south pole to the north pole and the direction starting from the east is displayed counterclockwise in rad.

To get text files when converting, you have to set the value true in the code line debug.