Windsocks Gone?

[edwin]

Hi All,

Noticed many of the Windsocks which were present on many small Airfields seem to have gone missing--a good example are on many of the Islands in Washington Bay. Anyone noticed the same or heard of anything on this subject? Is it anything that might be sorted by ourselves? Cheers

[greggerm]

Most X-Plane airports, especially backwoods and relatively quiet ones, are generated in large part by an automatic system. In these cases, X-Plane only knows about the runway location, heading, and length, and the automated tool builds in a really basic taxiway layout... this usually includes windsocks.

I would imagine that the airports you are flying to indeed do have windsocks, but somehow aren't being displayed. In the rendering areas, check your airport scenery details - perhaps it's set too low to see windsocks.

If that doesn't seem to be the issue and you see socks at most other airports, send over a few ICAO airport codes of airstrips you don't see windsocks at... some of us can open it up in WED (World Editor) to see if they even exist at the default airport... or, if you're willing to give it a go, you can download and use WED 1.2b1 yourself and do the same thing!

(*You can also use WED to add windsocks in, should you feel the airport needs it!)

-Greg

[edwin]

Oh I can send you some over alright Gregg just let me get it all together. They 'WERE' there but are not now since the v10.11 update.

Attached is an example same Install the first being taken at the end of August (I update as they come up) and the second last night v10.11 update. Some Airfields/ports still have them many have lost them and the Major Green/White marker beacons. I'll get a list of others together. This is not a question of why are they not there---- it is a case of they are definitely there in v9.7--were definitely there in v10.10--But aint there since!! Cheers

1WA9 in photo's--there is the same happening 7WA5--90WA--WA07 & many more---- Airfields the size of KFHR and upwards seem to be ok--but it is not at all consistant.

I have not altered any settings within or without of X-Plane. It's the same on all of my three seperate installs of v10.11

Edited November 13, 2012 by edwin

[greggerm]

I'll try to take a look inside WED at your example sites later on tonight once home and settled in. (*Unless someone else beats me to it)

For confirmation, what is your "airport detail" setting at within the rendering options. I know you indicate you haven't changed anything, but maybe an update changed it for you... but that wouldn't explain why you continue to see them at other airports (hmm). Your first screenshot - that's XP10, correct? Did you happen to download any updated airport information from Robin Peel's site? I'm wondering if there's some discrepancies there, too.

Let see what we can find out...

-Greg

[edwin]

Hi Greg. I have always run X2 of my installs of v10 exactly on the same settings since day one that being everything up at max. with the exception of clouds 10%--Objects/ Roads default--Cars none--HDR No, dont like it so --Anti Alias/Anisop.Filter Max.X16 both. 3D on Aircraft. No scenery adons just default X-Plane's.(The only difference is one has Gizmo installed the other does not)

The Third install is thesame as above except it's a Virgin Default install & regularly updated like those above. The Texture resolution is set to High or very High though (Not Extreme in this case) as I keep this install for CRJ-200/Carenado Grand Caravan & Baron only as they hammer the fps otherwise or the FMC will not work properly.

I have not attempted to alter any files of any sort in any of the three installs--all three are giving the same Windsock results.

The screenshots are XP v10--the same Install--but not the same Beta/upgrade. 13/11/12 was v10.11 & I re-ran an upgrade on it yesterday to check it.

27/02/12--S31 Lopez Island

27/02/12

13/11/12--No Green/White beacon--Papi Lights--Windsocks although they are present in the former x2 shots.

61WA Rabbit run had definite Windsocks correctly placed too--just flew over in two different installs (Including the Virgin default) Nowt

If you are running v10.11 Greg are you getting Windsocks on WA18/78WA/WN07/7WA5/1WA9 or S31 ??--I used to but no longer--Cheers

Edited November 14, 2012 by edwin

[greggerm]

Edwin -

I've removed the apt.dat file in my main install, and I ran the updater to have it plop in the factory default one for 10.11. As it happens, the 10.11 apt.dat file is exactly the same size (91,202kb) as the one issued by Robin Peel earlier in the year, so they are synchronized.

Checking in WED, S31 as of this current version indeed does NOT have windsocks, PAPI, or an airport beacon.

~ ~ ~

I just installed a temporary second install, which I'll keep at virgin defaults...

Checking in WED, S31 in the DVD version, it DOES have beacon, PAPI, and windsocks present.

~ ~ ~

It would appear that the "new" airport data file from this summer does not have the elements mentioned in it. I can't fathom why, unless the algorithm that Robin Peel uses to automatically create airport layouts was tweaked and the airports you are visiting were processed differently.

I'm not sure where this leaves you - you're not going crazy.. at least with S31, the current airport data does not have those scenery elements built in.

I'm not an X-Plane aficionado, so I don't really know who to bring this issue up to - perhaps Robin?

~ ~ ~

Since I had the time (*and a small finger of Jack Daniels in a cup in front of me), I decided to give S31 a quick once-over in WED. I've attached a custom version of S31 based on an aerial shot. Took me all of 30 minutes, with my wife occasionally interrupting! Take a look at the tutorials and give WED a shot - you might be able to recreate, and perhaps greatly improve, the airports you fly into.

My work is a bit quick n' dirty, so feel free to adjust and improve as you see fit.

(Note that S31 doesn't have taxi lights - they have taxi reflectors at the actual airfield, so I did not include blue taxiway lighting per reality)

-Greg

S31.zip

[edwin]

Thanks Greg--I'm relieved that you have managed to confirm that there have been changes--even with my screenshot evidence I was beginning to shuffle through Yellow pages for a 'Shrinks' number

I downloaded Wed as you suggested & shall read up then play around with it--it looks interesting. However wont any changes I make to the Scenery files be corrected in the next update? They have obviously been changed by LR in previous updates.

The attachment is most interesting thanks--as is the info on the Taxi Lights at S31 being reflectors. I was puzzling why the Bright Taxi Lights in the earlier editions (& Screenshots) had become much dimmed in the present update. The Windsocks/various Lighting has been omitted but I have a suspicion that the Taxi lights may have been remodelled as reflectors--hence that present dimness which I have also spent some time on trying to Suss out?

Maybe I can help you in return. Ive been reading up Divorce Law regulations and a man CAN get 'Instant Annulment' if the wife interupts him whilst engaged in Flight Simulation or FS related business--(after which he can then put as many fingers of JD into whatever cup he wants)

Shall continue looking into it Greg with the knowledge that it's not my imagination or the effects of the 'Insanity Gene' that is suppossed to Run (Read that as Gallops) in the family! (Wife's side naturally)

Thanks again for your time and effort Greg--well appreciated Mate....Cheers

[greggerm]

I downloaded Wed as you suggested & shall read up then play around with it--it looks interesting. However wont any changes I make to the Scenery files be corrected in the next update?

No sir... WED will help you create 'custom scenery' versions of airports... it won't destroy the default representations or be destroyed by future updates. Custom scenery airports merely replace the defaults when the sim is run. If you put the time and effort into recreating an airport in WED, it won't go to waste if the default airport is ever updated - you'll still have your work to fly to and from.

With WED, you can redo any of the airports you've mentioned which got borked, adding back in windsocks and beacons, as well as laying down the proper taxiway layouts and markings... and if you get good at it, even submit your work to Robin. The next time X-Plane does an update of the default airports, your work could be included as the new representation of the airfield! (*Theres a bit more to it than that, but reading the tutorials, blogs, and forum posts should give you a good stepping stone towards working with WED.)

Quite frankly, I spend far more time in WED than I do actually flying in X-Plane. The simulation is lacking many elements for me, but for some strange reason, I like the process of recreating an airport... it's bizarrely entertaining for me, believe it or not. I'm no expert by any stretch, but I'm doing OK with it so far...

Any more scenery discussions and this might be a candidate to move to the scenery design forum.

-Greg

-Greg