AFX files & VoxATC

[Frank Jones]

I have had a eureka moment and wonder if it is news to other forum readers.

My favourite airfield is Shoreham.  I use VoxATC and when flying to a plan it "takes control" of the AIs.

On start up I was noticing that VoxATC not only placed egka_AFX_UK2.BGL aircraft it also placed others - under buildings, etc. (I'd attach a screenshot, if I knew how!)  I wondered if VoxATC was "seeing" APX47130.bgl (the stock file) aircraft as well.

Remembering Norman's frequently given advice to leave the Stock file in place, it was with some trepidation that I deleted APX47130.bgl and scenery.0501scenery_APX46130.bgl, carefully keeping them on the desktop - just in case.

And, what do you know? - problem solved.

I would be interested to hear if others using a favourite UK2000 airfield and VoxATC are seeing the same thing.

Frank

[Norman Dean]

Oh Dear, that is quite a problem, as although you can safely remove the APX file (you will have to remove the whole of the content of 0501 amd 0601 to cover the UK) you will loose a lot of other detail from FSX. I think that this is a topic to take up with the distributors of VoxATC, as it is not something that we can do with the UK2000 AFD files.

The reason for not removing the APX files, in FS9, is that the AFCADs only edit the APX content and do not replace them. Thus, one thing that you would lose is approach data.

Norman

[Frank Jones]

Hi Norman

Ouch! Weekend and hot weather lead me astray! I guess simply putting the files back won't correct things.  What have I lost?  Probably the only way to find out is to fly it.

BTW, I only use FSX, but I presume your comments still apply.

 'scenery.0501scenery_APX46130.bgl' is a cache file.  What does that do? And, how does it come into existence?

Regards
Frank

[Norman Dean]

Putting the files back should do the trick, just run a repair.

The APX files contain all the data for default airfields within a given area and the airspace between. Each file can have the data for several airfields, and that includes Comms, nav aids and approach data. Therefore by removing the file to make one airport work to your liking you are removing data that you may not want to for other airfields for quite some distance around. APX 47130 contains the data for virtually all of England and the French channel coast. It is in fact much the same for FSX as FS9, though you may notice it more in FS9. The APX fies are part of the basic FSX structure and are installed with the product.

Norman

[Frank Jones]

Hi Norman

Many thanks for that information. Yes - restoring the files has done the trick.  Aware of what you say I will now certainly never delete a Stock file again.

However, I don't understand one thing you have said.  You say that APX47130 contains the data for virtually all of England and the French channel coast.  Why does FSX/Scenery have so many APX files?  For instance 47130 seems to be specific to Shoreham, whilst Bournemouth is 48130?

Stumbling on all this, I find it so interesting that I am trying to learn more.  For example, I had involved both Shoreham and Bournemouth when I had my 'brainstorm'.  Now by running several flights with newly created flight plans and VoxATC, and using overhead views on 1 screen whilst looking at the AP layout via AFX on another, I am seeing some strange placings of AI aircraft.  Some of the AIs look too large and too poor to be MyTrafficX aircraft.  So, where could they be coming from?  Default AIs are switched off in FSX Settings.  I am doing trials in other areas and with other flight plans to observe what is happening.

One odd thing, so far, is that although APX48130 is returned to its former folder and in its former position, when I check in AFX the Stock file is referred to as APX47130.  Although selecting that to bring up the layout correctly shows the default Bournemouth.

Best regards
Frank

[Norman Dean]

Hi Frank,

George is more of an expert with this than I am. so he may be able to give you more detailed answers.

However the default scenery files contain a number of the APX files as you say. This is because each area is divided by a graticule, and each graticule is further divided itself into smaller squares. The boundaries are absolute, and take no account of geographical features, so you could have two airfields very close together, but in different files. However, I think you will find that bother Bournemouth and Shoreham are to be found in APX47130.

Now, as far as your ai aircraft and their positioning is concerned. Firstly you say that default ai aircraft are switched off in FSX; what do you mean by that? You can only have ai aircraft active or not active in the settings, it isn't just default. If you don't want the default then you must either remove the traffic file form th scenry\world\scenery folder or else use the option in MTX to do the same thing. If this is what you have done then any ai you see must either come from MTX or some other ai system that you have, so if you are sure there is no other then they must be MTX.

Now, I am sorry but I don't know how VoxATC works, but my understanding was that it only controlled the ATC function and had nothing to do with the actual positioning and movement of aircraft, but I may be wrong here. If it does control ai movement, then it would be in conflict with your MTX and you would see some unusual results. With most MSFS scenery files the position in the scenery library controls which file is used by the sim. The higher the position in the library dictates which file is used. However, AFD files are a law until themselves. Although in theory they should work exactly the same as all bgls they don't and an AFD file that is in a folder lower in the library, or even in a folder that is not included in the library but is a scenery folder, can affect the ai traffic. Thus, if VoxATC was using the default AFD files it could clash with MTX. That being said, MTX uses AFD files that are included in its scenery folder that are based on the default files, it is just that they are tweaked for use with MTX, but they are not compatible with the UK2K files, as these are correctly aligned geographically with the actual airports (so that they are compatible with photographic scenery). So any wrong positioning is more likely to be due to that.

So, to put some sort of structure on this, when you select an airfield for operation the sim first looks for that airfield in the default scenery file. Then it will look for an airfield with the same code in any other scenery folder, no matter where that folder is. In theory it takes the file that appears highest in the scenery library, but this can be affected by other AFD files where there is a difference in elements included or positioning. The only exception to this is where two AFD files are in the same scenery folder, and in this case MSFS uses the file that comes first alphabetically.

So, my advice to users is to remove any add on AFD files that they can find that conflict with their preferred scenery. That means that if you use UK2K scenery you need to remove any files in the scenery folder for MTX that begin af2_xxxx of br2_xxxx, where xxxx is the ICAO code for the airport. If you don't want to do this then change the post-fix for the MTX file from .bgl to .bgx AND make sure that the MTX scenery folder is in the scenery library below the addon scenery folder.

That just leaves the problem of products where AFD data is included within other scenery folders, and that problem is almost insurmountable.

Norman

[Frank Jones]

Hi Norman

Thank you for a most comprehensive reply. A piece like that takes a lot of time and thought to put together.  I am most grateful for that. I have copied to Word and printed it for my records as an insurance against future loss of short memory

When I said "switched off" I meant the sliders had been moved all the way to the left.  But I now realise, from what you say, that both default and MTX would be shut off.  This is what is required by VoxATC.  It means that when a flight plan is filed, VoxATC can take 'control' of the AIs.  I am sure they only use available aircraft which would be fine if they were only those driven by MTX.  When first positioned at the selected airport and parking position, a look around reveals no other aircraft.  Directly VoxATC is enabled and has completed its voice tests the airport becomes populated by AIs.  This can also be seen in FSCommander (or Plan-G).  Apart from those on the airfield the only others are in the near vicinity of the filed plan.

What you say about the scenery library and AFD files is most illuminating.  I use only MTX as my AI provider, so any conflict could only arise from default AFD files.  I have always followed your wise instruction to remove other than UK2K files and the stock.  I am paying dearly for my recent lapse

Here's an irony.  I thought I'd have a go at using 'repair' from the FSX DVD.  I have ended up with 'Appcrash'.   So now I am going to clear my hard drives and start again.  This time I am going to change myOS to Windows7 64bit - not that I blame Vista for any of this.  That learning curve never ends.

Best regards
Frank

[George Davison]

For instance 47130 seems to be specific to Shoreham, whilst Bournemouth is 48130?

Hi Frank,

Both Bournemouth and Shoreham are in 47130.

Here is its extent



and Shoreham in particular



I don't know where you got 48130 from, this is the east of England / NW France and Holland



George

[Frank Jones]

Thanks George.  I've got to resolve not to meddle in places I know nothing about.  "A little learning......."

I did use Norwich at one stage of my explorations, so that may be where I saw that number.  Anyway I am paying for it now.  A few hours work ahead   Still I hope Windows7 will be an improvement, and I have learned a lot in the past few days - thanks to Norman and to your goodself.

Best regards
Frank