If you are importing airports already in the default FS 2000 scenery, and therefore, already have an entry in the Airport Facility Directory, it is recommended that you do not highlight these airports when compiling your AFD .bgl file.

Another critical component of the airport properties page is the airport Elevation. This will determine the elevation command for the airport runway(s). If the runway elevation does not match the underlying terrain altitude exactly, your runways may not be visible in your scenery. The Elevated Surface box is designed for use with FS 98 elevated mesh terrain, and should not be necessary in FS 2000 scenery. It was used to place hard surfaces on top of the elevated mesh terrain that was sometimes used in previous versions of the simulator. 

There are many other features that are accessed through the Airport Properties Page, so a brief review is in order:

The Objects tab is used to examine the objects associated with airports and groups. Use the Drawing Order buttons to manage the drawing order of objects within a specific type. The selected object may be moved up or down in the drawing order.

This is very useful for making your runways appear in the order you wish, or in creating the correct visibility of ground polygons, without having to resort to using Layer commands.

Objects that have been deleted during your current session of ASD will also appear on this page, indicated with the word "deleted". The Restore button can be used to recover them. This can be a very powerful tool for making fine adjustments to your scenery, or for hunting down troublesome scenery errors, etc.

When starting a new airport, it is a good idea to visit the Visibility tab, and set your default Area Range (distance from aircraft that the objects loads into memory). A range between 10-20 km is generally a good place to be. Unless a new value is set, the default value of 255 km will be used, and every polygon, taxiway, or object from the toolbar (hangars, beacons, fuelboxes, heliports, windsocks) will be encoded into the scenery at that very long Area Range, unless you edit each object one-at-a-time. Objects with this long an Area Range will result in very poor frame rate and system performance in the compiled scenery.

Inserting Objects in Airport View

n the Flight Simulator scenery *.bgl files, there are data structures that uniquely define airports. These include airport identifiers, menu commands (Go To startup location) and runway instructions. The rest are collections of unassociated taxiways, buildings and polygons that, if rendered in the proper order, give the appearance of an airport. However, within the context of Airport and Scenery Designer it is convenient to consider an airport as an aggregate object that you can view or manipulated either as a whole or by its individual components. An airport is displayed on the map as either a dark blue circle or, if you zoom in close enough, as the actual runways if any are defined.

Adding and Editing objects in airport view

To create and edit the individual components of an airport, open an airport view window. This is done by clicking on the Diagram button on the Airport Property page, or by choosing Diagram from the pop-up menu that appears when you click the right mouse button on an airport.

Airport view differs from map view in these respects:

• Much closer zoom factors (up to 1:100), compared to 1:10000 in map view.
• Views and icons are scaled to actual size. Object icons can be sized in relation to the runways, ground polygons, taxiways, etc. The view may be rotated, for better perspective. Useful for orienting objects horizontally or vertically when adding parallel components such as taxiways associated with runways.
• Polygons, taxiways and 3D objects may be rotated for more detailed work.
• Map view regions may also be edited in more detail within airport view

To edit an object in the airport view, first select it by clicking on it. Runways, polygons, taxiways, buildings and lines will display handles that can be used to change the dimensions or shape of the object. The object can be moved by simply dragging it with the mouse to a new position.

Use the Rotation Tools              on the toolbar , or select the menu item View/Rotate CW or Rotate CCW to rotate the view of the airport, either clockwise or counter-clockwise in one degree increments. Hold the shift key down while using this command to increase the increment to ten degrees. Note that this command does not rotate the geographic position of the airport, only the view the airport diagram.

The orientation of 3D ASD toolbar objects, such as hangars, buildings, etc. can be determined by simply left clicking and selecting the object. The handles will appear on the four corners of the icon, and an arrow will come into view, showing the orientation of the object. ASD signs, heliports and macro objects show their orientation by the symbol inside the icon.

 

In ASD you can use the Copy and Paste function to duplicate any object placed on the airport view diagram. Select Edit/Copy, or Edit/Paste from the menu, or select and object and right mouse click on it, and select the copy and paste functions from there.

Object Tools in Airport View

Objects may be placed in Airport view by using the menu commands, or the corresponding toolbar selections.

Runway Tool

Place your cursor in the approximate location of the runway, and while holding down the left mouse button, drag it into the approximate size and heading desired.

When you drag the icon to create your runway, the runway designator for ASD will be in the direction you drag the mouse. In other words, if you are drawing runway 35/17, exactly north and south, if you start at the top of the screen, and drag the runway shape toward the bottom, ASD will designate the runway as 17. If you do the opposite, and drag it out from bottom to top, the runway designator will be 35.

When your runway is the approximate size and heading you wish, simply let go of the mouse button. Now, double left click on the runway, and the runway properties page will appear. Use this page to set the physical characteristics of your runway such as length, width, heading, elevation, etc. The two fields associated with ID are used to set the runway ID. The location edit boxes (Latitude and Longitude) establish the center of the runway. Elevation should precisely match the elevation of the underlying FS 2000 terrain. Heading determines the cardinal orientation of the runway (degrees True)

The runway Surface can be any one of the ten that are available in FS 2000. Use the Length and Width edit boxes to set precise values for these items.

Runway lighting is set on the Runway Lighting and VASI property pages. Runway lighting consists of both the Runway Illumination and Approach Lights systems. Use the radio buttons to select LIRL, MIRL, HIRL or illumination systems. RCLS is controlled with the checkbox. Approach Light Systems (ALS) are established separately for each runway end. Threshold lights must be enabled before any ALS can be enabled for a runway. REIL is controlled with the checkbox and ALS type is set from the drop-down selection box. The default value for Strobes is typical for each ALS type—change it as necessary for the specific installation.

As you probably know, most airports really don't have their runway lights burning 24 hours day. They use Pilot Controlled Lighting (PCL), where the pilot keys the mike on the COM channel, and the lights pop on. ASD now supports PCL lighting. Select a runway and go to the Lighting tab. Along the top left corner you will find data entry fields for PCL. Select the box, specify the COM frequency it responds to (almost always the UNICOM/CTAF frequency for the airport-check your Jeppesen Guide and/or NOAA-AFD directory for the real-world data) and specify the length of time you want the lights to remain on after you key the mike. 15 minutes is default. The coding within Microsoft Flight Simulator does not support such time duration. It will simply turn the lights on when that COM frequency is active, and off when it is not. But we are anticipating that future versions of FS will support this feature, and therefore, it is a good idea to put something into this field, so as ASD updates to code that parameter, your data will already be available.

Use the VASI/PAPI tab to set the markings for the runway, displaced thresholds and runway extensions. Either a two- or three-bar VASI or a two- or four-light PAPI system may be selected from the drop-down Type selection box. For VASI systems, Spacing indicates the vertical distance between the light bars; for PAPI systems, it indicates the horizontal distance between the lights. For PAPI systems, Width specifies the width of an individual light. The default placement of these approach light systems is to the left of the runway approach. The values specify offsets in feet from the runway midpoint (vertical and horizontal). The plane is oriented such that the y-axis is in line with the runway - positive values indicating the far end of the runway and the right side; negative values indicating the near end and the left side.

Only one VASI or PAPI system may be placed at each runway end.

Summary information about the runways at the airport is displayed on the Features tab. ID, surface type, elevation and runway extension or displaced threshold dimensions can be established here.

The Menu tab on the runway properties page is identical to the polygon menu entry page. In this case, your startup (Go To) location will be exactly at the end of the runway, aligned for takeoff. When the Enabled box is checked, this start location data will be compiled into the Menu .bgl file. This start location is found in FS 2000 under the FS 6.0 and before menu.

The Runway tab on the airport's Properties Page allows you to set the Priority drawing level of your runways, as well as the drawing order. This will determine which runway will be drawn on top of another.

Recommended reading: Compiling your Scenery

Taxiway Tool

To create a new taxiway, click on the Taxiway Tool         , or select Taxiway from the Insert Menu.

Taxiways are drawn by clicking the left mouse button to set a point at each vertex. The direction of the line segment between vertices can be constrained to increments of 45 degrees. To do this, hold the shift key down when the first point of a segment is set. Taxiway creation is completed by double-clicking the left mouse button or by holding the c key down when you set the last point.

The initial width of a taxiway is set to whatever you have selected in the File Preferences menu, when you did your initial setup of ASD. You establish the length and the direction of each segment while drawing. The current dimensions and direction are shown on the far right end of the status bar whenever you are drawing or editing a taxiway.

Taxiways are edited both graphically and through the Taxiway Property page. To edit a taxiway graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere within it.
Reposition it by holding the mouse down within the taxiway and dragging it to the desired location. Change the length or direction of any segment with the handles that appear at each vertex after selecting it.	Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles.

Points may be removed from a taxiway by positioning the mouse pointer over the edit handle of the point to be deleted, holding down the D key, and clicking the left mouse button. Points may be inserted by holding down the I key, positioning the mouse pointer over an edit handle near the insertion point, and clicking the left mouse button. The new point will be inserted halfway between the edit handle and the previous one.

The other characteristics of a taxiway are set through the Taxiway properties page. The property page is opened by either double clicking within the taxiway or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu, which appears when you click the right mouse button in the taxiway.

If you would like a center stripe down your taxiway, use a 512 x 32 pixel texture with the stripe drawn on top. This dimension texture will reduce the mip-mapping visual effect. FS 2000 will always draw the stripe down the exact center of the taxiway.

Recommended reading: Display properties of roads, rivers and taxiways

ILS Tool

To add an ILS to your runway(s), select the ILS Tool       from the toolbar, or select ILS from the Insert Menu.

The Add ILS Dialog box will appear.  Select the runways you wish to add the ILS transmitter to.  You should also select whether or not the particular runway(s) should have marker beacons. The properties of all of these individual elements will be selected in a moment.

	ILS transmitters will be displayed on top of your runways in Airport View whenever this selection is active in the Display menu.
		Whether or not the ILS transmitters are visible by default when you open Airport View can be selected when you setup ASD in the File/Preferences/Display menu!

To edit the parameters of your ILS transmitter, double click on the ILS transmitter (the red dot on the runway) to bring up the ILS Properties Page. An ILS can consist of up to five components: Glideslope transmitter, Localizer transmitter, Inner marker, Middle Marker and Outer Marker. The glideslope and localizer transmitters are usually located on the runway axis. While this would not be the case with a real glideslope transmitter, it is necessary in the Flight Simulator in order to bring an aircraft down on the runway and not off to the side.

The initial positions of these objects are based on the runway threshold position, the threshold crossing height (TCH) and the decision height (DH). The controls on this page are used to set the position and capabilities of an ILS. You can also position the TCH manually by moving the red dot on top of the runway. Use the Transmitters box to specify Localizer and Glideslope transmitter capability.

The Glideslope box is used to establish the position, elevation, and angle of the glideslope. The three buttons in this box, in conjunction with the TCH edit box, allow you to calculate these values using various combinations of parameters. For example, if you require a glideslope of 2.8° and a TCH of 55', and want to know where to position the transmitter, set those values appropriately and click on l,lo = F(gs,tch) button. Airport and Scenery Designer will calculate and fill in the position for you.

The DME Capability box allows you to associate DME with one of the transmitters (at the localizer is the more common location). The localizer transmitter is offset from the opposite end of the runway by 100’.

You also need to select VOR-DME or VORTAC on the VOR tab. The VOR Properties page is used to establish the type of transmitter, the magnetic variation to apply, and, for an ILS, the approach heading of the localizer. VORTAC is the same as VOR-DME. Often used for ILS localizer. Approach shows the direction of the ILS beam.

An actual glideslope transmitter would be positioned to side of the runway, rather than on the runway centerline where Airport and Scenery Designer will place them and where they are normally located in the Flight Simulator. The runway centerline location is referred to as the Navaid Perpendicular Point. It is specified by latitude/longitude coordinates in the NGS data at http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/AERO/aero.html.

Enable and adjust the positions and elevations of ILS marker beacons on this property page. The three checkboxes, IM, MM, and OM, are used to enable or disable Inner, Middle, and Outer marker beacons respectively. You can enter the latitude and longitude of the markers directly or have Airport and Scenery Designer calculate the positions, based on a required DH (Decision Height) for inner markers and distance form the runway threshold for middle and outer markers.

For absolute precision, you can copy the Outer Marker beacon coordinates here and apply them to an NDB(LOM) navaid that you have placed in Map View.

FS Building Tool

Since FS 5, the simulator has provided for the use of "standard buildings" for placement in scenery.  These have been relatively simple structures that remained pretty much unchanged, until FS 2000.

Although the coding for any of the standard buildings you have placed in your maps will compile and show up in FS 2000 A-OK (with an upgraded FS 2000 texture), the default scenery features hundreds of varieties, which you have no doubt seen.  ASD uses the same opcodes to create any of these buildings, and incorporates a powerful new tool to design them, with a What you see is what you get interface.

Add a new FS 2000-style building by selecting the Building Tool          from the toolbar.

Use the Building Tool to draw the basic shape of the building you want.  The cursor will show a small building icon as you adjust the shape of the object. You can always edit the size of the building later by simply clicking on it and changing its dimensions by applying the cursor to one of the "handles" on any corner of the icon.  Or by specifying the exact dimensions on the Properties Page below.

Double-click on the building and go to the Building Properties Page. Under the Style section, check the box labeled FS2000. If this box is checked, you can then proceed to the FS2000 Styles tab to design your building.

There are two elements to the FS2000 Styles tab.  The first page simply shows dimensions and texture offsets.  Offsets means that the textures may be applied in repeating patterns, to produce the appearance you want.  Note that both the perimeter dimensions and the height dimension are now in meters.  Where before, the height of a building was always expressed in number of floors.  Five (5) meters per story is a good rule of thumb to follow.  Also note that an FS 2000 building has three different vertical sections, which may have different textures applied to them, and a roof texture.  Click the Design button to access the custom design tool.

In the Building Designer tab, the left hand window shows an actual scaled view of your building, according to the dimensions you have selected.  Note that the Texture Offsets are also displayed on this page.  The bottom, middle and center sections are displayed with whatever texture you select for each one.  The right hand window shows the roof texture. The texture selectors on the far left will scroll through the various textures for that particular layer.  The second column sets the height, in meters, of each individual layer.  The third column controls the texture offsets.  The higher the number, the more the texture pattern is repeated.

Adjusting the X and Z offsets for layer 2 creates a pattern in line with what we have in mind.  Since this section has 40 meters height selected, at 5 meters per story, there should be 8 vertical windows.  Scrolling up with the X offset will provide the proportion you want to match the Z offset. Note that I have adjusted the Zoom distance, to allow viewing of the entire structure.  This specifies viewing perspective by distance, in meters.  In this case, 49 meters.

Scrolling through the different textures and adjusting the X Offsets for layers 1 (bottom) and 3 (top) will produce the image of the completed building walls.  This is how the building will actually appear in the scenery.  Note that only level 2 has a Z Offset (height) adjustment.  These levels are really intended as single story bottom and top sections. Note that there is no reason why you must use Levels 1 and 3 if you do not need them.  You can select both (or one) of these heights as zero if you like and just work with Level 2 if you prefer.

Now scroll through the texture selections for the roof, and set the X and Y offsets to the pattern you like.  Your building is done. Note that this building is a perfect square, 60 x 60 meters.  Therefore, the offsets for both length and width are the same values.  For irregular rectangles, you will need to adjust the offsets to match accordingly.

More "modern" building designs often do not lend themselves to different texture patterns for the bottom or top. In this case, you can set the height of layer 1 and 3 to zero. Then, only the pattern for section 2 is drawn.

And here are the completed buildings compiled into the scenery. Night lighting effects are inherent values of the standard FS 2000 building and texture code, and do not need to be selected in any way.

ASD Hangar Tool

To create an ASD generated hangar, select the         Hangar Tool from toolbar, or select Hangar from the Insert Menu.

Use the Hangar Tool to draw the basic shape of the hangar you want.  The cursor will show a small hangar icon as you adjust the shape of the object. You can always edit the size of the hangar later by simply clicking on it and changing its dimensions by applying the cursor to one of the "handles" on any corner of the icon.  Or by specifying the exact dimensions on the Properties Page below.

Hangars can be edited either graphically or through the Hangar Property page. To edit a hangar graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere within it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down within the hangar and dragging it to the desired location. Change its dimensions with the handles that appear in the four corners after selecting it. Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles. When you select a hangar by clicking on it, an in-pointing arrow will appear, indicating the front of the hangar (where the door is).

You can also edit a hangar ‘s dimensions through the Hangar Property page. The property page is opened by either double clicking within the hangar, or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu, which appears when you click the right mouse click in the hangar. The Style tab is used to set the shape and dimensions of your hangar. The RefPoint coordinates establish the position of the hangar; Rotation sets its orientation in relation to true north.

The values in the Dimensions box refine the shape of the hangar and control its dimensions. Width is the width of the front and back walls. The length of the side walls (left and right) is controlled with the Length edit control. Height controls the wall height of rectangular hangars and cylindrical hangars with side walls. Roof is used to indicate the height of the peak of the roof above ground level. This control is dimmed for hangars with a flat roof since the wall height specifies the roof height.

The arc used to construct cylindrical hangars is determined by finding the circle which contains the two width points and the roof point. Therefore, to create a semi-circular, cylindrical hangar, specify a roof height equal to ½ of the width.

Check the Open at both ends box if you want openings (with or without doors) at both the front and back of your hangar.

If you want a lighted interior at night for your hangar, check the Lighted interior box.

The radio buttons in the Doors box control the presence of doors and whether or not they operate. If you specify Operating doors, the doors will open as you approach the hangar entrance in three stages as follows:

• Closed: greater than 80 m from the doors.

• 1/3 open: between 60 m and 80 m from the doors.

• 2/3 open: between 40 m and 60 m from the doors.

• Open: less than 40 m from the doors.

Use the Texture/Color tab to specify the color and/or texture of hangar walls, roof and doors with the controls on this page. The triangular section of a rectangular hangar roof cannot be textured; the color specified for the walls is used instead. The front and back walls of cylindrical hangars cannot be textured; the color specified for the roof is used instead.

The colors used for the interior surfaces of a hangar cannot be changed. The floor and interior roof color is F002 during the day and F016 at night. The interior wall color is F003 during the day and F015 at night.

Textures are mapped onto hangars surfaces by assigning 8 pixels per meter. Since a texture file (*.r8) contains 256 x 256 pixels, the maximum coverage is 32 m (about 105') square. The texture is repeated for the length dimension of a hangar wall and for the surface of a roof (rectangular or cylindrical) if they exceed 32 m. However, the texture will be "stretched" if the height of a wall or door exceeds this limit. The maximum width of door section is also 32 m. Since there are six door sections, the maximum opening is therefore 192 m (about 630'). These limitations apply only to textured surfaces.

You can also select whether there is a door, either closed or automatic. If the selection Automatic is selected, the door will open when you approach the hangar in your aircraft. If the Door Closed radio button is selected, the door will always be closed, and no hangar interior is drawn with the object. The selector fields for door texture and color will be dark if the radio button Always Open is selected. There simply is never any door drawn with the object.

You can preview the appearance of the basic hangar  from the Preview tab.

Fuel Box Tool

Add a fuel box to an airport by selecting the          Fuel Box Tool from the toolbar, or select Fuel Box from the Insert Menu, and clicking the left mouse button at the location where you want the fuel box positioned.

A fuel box appears in the scenery as a square with the letter "F" inside, or as a square without an "F", but with a 3D fuel pump in front of it. If an aircraft is parked within a fuel box in FS 2000, it will be refueled.

To edit a fuel box graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere within it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location. Change its dimensions with the handles that appear in the four corners after selecting it. Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles.

You can also edit a fuel box through the Fuel Box Properties Page. The property page is opened by either double clicking within the fuel box or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu, which appears when you click the right mouse button within the fuel box. The property page is also used to establish and edit the other characteristics of a fuel box, such as whether or not a 3D pump will be displayed in front of it, its day and night colors, its dimensions and its rotation.

Don’t set the dimensions too small or it will be difficult to locate an aircraft within it for refueling.

ASD Beacon Tool

Add a beacon to an airport by selecting the          Beacon Tool, or select Beacon from the Insert Menu, and clicking the left mouse button at the location where you want the beacon positioned.

Beacons are edited both graphically and through the Beacon Property page. To edit a beacon graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere in it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location.

You can also edit a beacon through the Beacon Property page. The Properties Page is opened by either double-clicking on the beacon or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu which appears when you click the right mouse button on the beacon. The property page is also used to establish and edit the other characteristics of a beacon, such as the colors of the light, the height and style of the mast and the dimensions of the base.

Typical colors used with beacons are:

• White and Green lighted land airport

• Green alone* lighted land airport

• White and Yellow lighted water airport

• Yellow alone* lighted water airport

• Green, Yellow, and White lighted heliport

*Green alone or yellow alone is used only in conjunction with a white and green or a white and yellow beacon, respectively.

Line Tool

Lines are added to an airport by choosing the          Line Tool,  or select Line from the Insert Menu.  Lines are drawn by clicking the left mouse button to set a point at each of the two endpoints.  The direction of the line between the endpoints can be constrained to increments of 45 degrees. To do this, hold the shift key down when the first point is set. The line tool has the ability to place continual, multiple segments to an individual line. Simply left click drawing points along the desired path of the line. Line creation is completed when the last point is set by double left clicking the mouse button.

Lines are edited both graphically and through the Line Property page. To edit a line graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere near it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location. Change its length or direction with the handles which appear at each endpoint after selecting it.

You can also edit a line’s endpoints through the Line Properties Page. The property page is opened by either double clicking near the line or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu which appears when you click the right mouse button near the line. The property page is also used to establish and edit the other characteristics of a line, such as its color and whether it is solid, dashed or dotted. The altitude box tells the Flight Simulator scenery engine not to display the line above the altitude specified. Values greater than 110 meters are recommended here

FS 2000 does not display solid lines very well, or in many cases, not at all.  The main value of lines in FS 2000 is for dotted lines, simulating taxilights, etc.

Select the color of your line on the Color tab.

Polygon Tool

Use the         Polygon Tool to create ground polygons in Airport View, or select Polygon from the Insert Menu.

All polygons in airport view are drawn by clicking the left mouse button to set a point at each vertex. The direction of the line segment between vertices can be constrained to increments of 45 degrees. To do this, hold the shift key down when the first point of a segment is set. Double-clicking the left mouse button, or holding the c key down when you set the last point completes polygon creation. The Status Bar in the lower right hand corner of the ASD display provides vectoral information in relation to the starting point.

To edit a polygon graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere within it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down within the polygon and dragging it to the desired location. Change the length or direction of any segment with the handles which appear at each vertex after selecting it. Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles.

Points may be removed from a polygon by positioning the mouse pointer over the edit handle of the point to be deleted, holding down the "d" key, and clicking the left mouse button. Points may be inserted by holding down the "i" key, positioning the mouse pointer over an edit handle near the insertion point, and clicking the left mouse button. The new point will be inserted halfway between the edit handle and the previous one.

All polygons created in Airport View can have FS startup location menu entries assigned to them, just as you can with runways. The only difference being that you will need to specify the exact lat/lon coordinates and heading in the dialog box for the desired FS start location, as this is not calculated automatically as it is when applying a menu entry for a runway.

Airport polygons are typically used to create an enclosing boundary or "property" polygon to make the airport easier to identify. They are also used for ramps, aprons and other paved areas. Airport and Scenery Designer makes no assumptions about polygons; they can be used for whatever purpose you devise and can be textured or a solid color.

When applying polygons to your scenery, it is also important to pay attention to the Visibility Tab for the object. Whenever a polygon is created in Airport View, it will be assigned the default visibility properties on the airport's Properties Page.

There are two basic types of polygons that ASD will generate in Airport View:

• Airport Property polygons
• Apron/general  polygons

The property sheet is opened by either double clicking within the polygon, or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu which appears when you click the right mouse button in the polygon. The other major characteristic of this class of polygon is that they are drawn before all other airport features and polygons.

Note that FS 2000 does not support the surface type commands used in previous versions of the simulator. Declaring your polygons as "smooth" or "water" will have no effect in FS 2000.

Airport Property Polygons

All Airport View polygons which are declared Airport Property will automatically trigger ASD to generate an additional Flatten Polygon (not visible) in that same exact shape.  In this case, when you want to place this airport on top of the FS 2000 elevated terrain, the box on the airports Property Page labeled Elevated Surface should not be checked.  With the box not checked, ASD will generate all polygons, taxiways, hangars, etc. as standard RefPoint 7 objects, just like the default scenery.  When the Elevated Surface box is checked, ASD will do the same as before, and generate everything using RefPoint 2 with altitude commands.  This Elevated Surface feature remains mainly for people who are still compiling for FS 98 and before.

Note that when compiling for FS 98, ASD will generate a hard "elevated surface" (section 16) for the area of the airport polygon.  When FS 2000 is checked in the File/Preferences/General menu, ASD does not generate this code, as it does not work the same way in FS 2000.  It generates the flatten polygon (in the separate .bgl file with an _m extension) instead.

What all this means is that if you have an .scb map file which was previously used with the now obsolete flat synthetic tiles, and if you have your airport is designed with one Airport Property polygon underneath, and all other polygons are non-Airport Property, you don't have to do a thing.  Assuming you have the FS 2000 box checked under File/Preferences, and you do not have the Elevated Surface box checked for the airport, ASD will know what to do with everything and compile the scenery in the format you need. What is very important is that you specify the correct airport altitude on the Airport Property Page, as this altitude will be assigned to the flatten polygon.

Airport View polygons may also have a Menu Entry applied to them.  The polygon's Properties Page has a tab titled Menu, which will allow you to set an aircraft start location. Unlike runways, where the Menu Entry start location is automatically applied to the runway threshold, you can declare any lat/lon and heading you like here.  ASD will insert the coordinates of the center of the airport here by default.  You can edit this manually in the respective windows on this dialog box. The radio frequency selections on the right-hand side are for FS 98 and before.  FS 2000 will not respond to these selections.

An easy way to establish the start coordinates you want is to double-click on the polygon exactly at the place you want.  Those lat/lon coordinates will be displayed on the Status Bar.

Some tips for Airport Property polygons:
 

1. Only use one (1) Airport Property polygon per airport.  You do not want to have ASD generating redundant flatten polygons.  To check this, in airport view, go to the Display menu  and uncheck Airport Polygons.  Only the large underlying airport polygon should disappear.
2. If you are recreating a default airport, it is best to use the same altitude.  Otherwise, you will have to try and fight the default flatten polygon, and you will most likely lose.
3. Avoid complex concave polygon shapes like the plague.  They can result in FS 2000 either not drawing them at all, or displaying odd visibility effects.  Also, Airport Property polygons are automatically tesselated, and complex shapes may not be possible for ASD to resolve.  This can result in compile errors.
4. Avoid drawing Airport Property polygons counter-clockwise.  These types of polygons, and their flatten polygons, are intended to be rendered in a clockwise fashion.  Otherwise, scenery errors/lockups can occur in FS 2000!

Apron Polygons

All other polygons (non Airport Property) are considered Apron Polygons.  These are typically used for creating ramps, taxiway connectors, parking lots, and of course, aprons.  These polygons do not have flatten attributes.  They are simply general purpose polygons in every sense of the word.  There are only a few things to consider with respect to Apron Polygons:

1. ASD always puts them after the Airport Property polygons in the ASD source file, so in principle they will be drawn after the Airport Property polygon. However, sometimes the Z-buffer in the FS 2000 scenery engine has a different idea. This can cause your Apron Polygons to get "swallowed up".  This can usually be solved by applying a smaller RefPoint Scale Factor, to force the Z-buffer to draw it last.
2. When scale factors do not help, or when there is any particular reason that you need your polygons to appear in a certain order, you can assign Layers (or Priority) to your polygons.
3. Taxiways will always cover any type of polygons in FS 2000.  No exceptions.  This is because taxiway scenery elements are actually the same thing as roads and rivers in the FS scenery engine, with some special parameters for edge lighting added.  To make road-type objects appear on top of the elevated terrain, it was necessary to code the scenery engine to always display them on top. So you can try and layer things over them all you want, but it won't work.

Polygon Texturing

Textures are applied to all polygons in the same fashion as all other objects in ASD, using the Texture tab on the respective object Properties Page.

Double-click on the polygon, or right-click and select Properties from the drop-down menu, and the Polygon Properties Page will appear. The Texture tab allows you to select seasonal swapping, as well as Daytime Only rendering. Make certain that the Textured box is checked, otherwise ASD will render a flat-colored polygon. The Image Smoothing and Palette selections are intended for previous versions of the simulator, and will have no use for FS 2000 scenery.

If a complete set of seasonal textures exist in the local Texture directory ASD is working with, selecting the Season Adjust box will que ASD to generate the scenery code to perform the seasonal texture swapping in your scenery.

The Texture Selector will allow you to browse anywhere on your hard drive, and select the desired texture. The texture viewer on the right hand side will illustrate the texture you select. The color selector from the Texture tab will also bring up a special dialog box, allowing you to select a polygon color.  This color will effect both the display color on your ASD interface, and the background drawing color of the polygon in your scenery (the color you occasionally see before a texture loads).

Windsock Tool

Add a wind cone (windsock) to an airport by selecting the          Wind Cone tool, or select Wind Cone from the Insert Menu then clicking the left mouse button at the location where you want the object positioned.

You can edit a wind cone through the Wind Cone Properties Page. The property sheet is opened by either double clicking on the wind cone, or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu that appears when you click the right mouse button on the wind cone. Use the Style tab to set the type, size, and appearance of wind cones. The Height parameter should be set large enough to allow the wind cone to remain clear of the ground in calm wind conditions.

A Size 1 cone (8 feet) is attached 1 foot below the top of the structure. A Size 2 cone (12 feet) is attached 2 feet below the top of the structure.

Two types of wind cones are available:

1. Type L-806 mounted on low mass supporting structures
2. Type L-807 mounted on rigid supporting structures

Either structure can be a simple pole or a metal framework. Although Airport and Scenery Designer allows you to choose any color for the supporting structure, the FAA specification requires that it be painted a "nonfading orange color paint."

Two sizes of wind cones can be used with these types:

1. Size 1; 8 feet, for use with Type L-806 and L-807 assemblies, mounted on low mass supporting structures
2. Size 2; 12 feet, for use with Type L-807 assembly, mounted on rigid supporting structures

A wind cone is designed to fully extend when exposed to a wind of 15 knots or greater. Airport and Scenery Designer allows you to choose any color for the fabric of the cone, however, the FAA specification requires that it "be natural (white), yellow, or orange."

Note: Included on the ASDv2\ASDesign directory is the FAA specification for wind cone assemblies: 5345-27c.pdf. This is a PDF document and can be read or printed with the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Sign Tool

Add a sign to an airport by selecting the Sign Tool          or select Sign from the Insert Menu and clicking the left mouse button at the location where you want the sign positioned.

To determine the location of the sign, in relation to the other scenery objects, use the bottom of the sign, along the same axis as the left-end of the arrow.

To edit a sign graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere in it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location. To move or rotate a sign, simply select it with a single left mouse click, and handles will appear on the four corners of the icon. You can rotate and/or move it just like any other airport object, as described at the beginning of this chapter.

You can also edit a sign through the Sign Properties Page by either double clicking on the sign, or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu that appears when you click the right mouse button on the sign. You can also specify any special effects you want such as a shadow or legs. Use the sign Message page to set the message displayed on the sign.

The Styles tab allows you to select:

• If the sign is night illuminated.
• If the sign should cast a shadow in FS.
• If the sign has legs underneath, and how high up, or is simply flush to the ground.
• The physical size of the sign
• The sign type. Four types of signs are available:

1. Type L-858Y Direction, Destination, and Boundary signs: black legend on a yellow background
2. Type L-858R Mandatory Instruction sign: white legend on a red background
3. Type L-858L Taxiway and Runway Location signs: yellow legend and border on a black background
4. Type L-858B Runway Distance Remaining sign: white legend on a black background

Use the Message tab to set the message displayed on the front (and back) of an airport sign. The buttons in the Symbols box can be used to add special characters to the sign. Position the insertion caret at the position in the edit box where you want the character inserted and click on the button. Use the buttons in the Change Type box to change the sign type for sign arrays. Note that a message divider is not used when changing to a different sign type. If you delete a special character, be sure to also delete the escape character (backslash).

The directional arrows are indicated with a two-character sequence. The first character, a back slash, is a lead-in or escape character. It indicates that the next character has special significance. The characters indicating directional arrows are laid out like the numeric keypad: 1 is down-left, 2 is down, 3 is down-right, and so on.

The type change sequences are:

• \Y L-858Y (Black/Yellow)
• \R L-858R (White/Red)
• \L L-858L (Yellow/Black)
• \B L-858B (White/Black)

The other characters are:

• | message divider
• _ safety area
• # ILS critical area

Note: Included on the ASDv2|ASDesign directory is the FAA specification for these signs: 5345-44f.pdf. This is a PDF document and can be read or printed with the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Insert Control Tower

A control tower is added to an airport by selecting the Tower command from the Insert menu.

The cursor will change form, indicating the tool has been selected. Click the left mouse button where you want the tower placed. Reposition it by holding the mouse down within the tower and dragging it to the desired location. Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles. Double left click on the new icon, and the tower Properties Page will appear.

This Properties Page is used to set the shape, dimensions and colors of your control tower. The RefPoint coordinates establish the position of the tower; Rotation sets its orientation in relation to true north. Set the shape of the tower with the buttons labeled: Square, Hexagon (six-sided) and Octagon (eight-sided). The most pleasing octagon-shaped tower is obtained by setting the RefPoint scale factor to 0.5 on the Visibility page. This increases the resolution of the points used for the vertices of the walls, but decreases the visible range by one half.

 The Walls Width parameter specifies the dimension from wall to wall of square-shaped towers and specifies the radius of the circumscribed circle for polygon-shaped towers. The Walls Height parameter specifies the total height of the tower including the control room.

Use the Control Room parameters to specify the Height of the control tower windows, whether they will be Lighted at night, and whether you want opaque or Framed Windows.

The roof will extend one meter beyond the walls so that the control room windows will extend outward.

Use the controls on the Colors tab to set the colors of the control tower walls, windows and roof. The walls may be textured if you desire. The Windows color parameter controls the color of the windows at night. The Beacon parameters control a flashing light on top of the control tower roof. If an airport beacon is located on the control tower, use the color settings described for the Insert Beacon command. Use Constant Intensity red (F00F) for both colors to obtain a flashing obstruction warning light.

Heliport Tool

Add a heliport to an airport by selecting the Heliport Tool         or select Heliport from the Insert Menu and clicking the left mouse button at the location where you want the Heliport positioned.

To edit a heliport graphically, first select it by clicking anywhere in it. Reposition it by holding the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location. Change its dimensions with the handles that appear in the four corners after selecting it. Rotate it by holding the shift key down and dragging one of the handles.

The image represents the dimensions of the FATO and TLOF. The FATO is marked by a segmented white line and the inner TLOF is marked by a solid white line and the letter H in the center oriented in the direction of approach. The TLOF may be optionally lighted with yellow perimeter lights.

You can also edit a heliport through the Heliport Properties Page. The property page is opened by either double clicking on the heliport, or by selecting Properties from the pop-up menu which appears when you click the right mouse button on the heliport. The property sheet is also used to establish and edit the other characteristics of a heliport, such as optional lighting.

Included in the ASDv2\ASDesign directory is the FAA specification for heliport design: 5390-2a.pdf. This is a PDF document and can be read or printed with the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Display Menu Features

Display menu in airport view

When creating highly detailed airports, sometimes the airport view display can get very cluttered. ASD offers a Display menu to allow you to free up space.

When creating highly detailed airports, sometimes the airport view display can get very cluttered. ASD offers a Display menu to allow you to free up space.

Use this commands on this menu to show or hide the placement of:

• Airport polygons; this will show or hide polygons created in airport view which are designated as "airport property".
• Taxiways and Aprons; shows or hides the taxiways and standard polygons created in airport view.
• Approach Lights; shows or hides the runway lighting features
• ILS and Markers; shows or hides the ILS icons, and associated markers (this selection will be dark if no ILS has been installed at a particular airport)
• Displaced Thresholds; If any of your runways feature displaced thresholds, you can show or hide them with this selector.
• Lines; if you have drawn any lines with the Line Tool, you can show or hide them with this selector.
• Macros; you can show or hide the icons for all of the macro objects you have placed at the airport.
• Signs; shows and hides any signs created with the ASD Sign Tool.
• Navaids; shows and hides any navaids which are part of the ASD map, or exist ini the default FS scenery, and are within the airport area.
• Filter; Use this command to enable/disable the display of user features and/or BGL file features in map or airport view.
  • Map features; Regions on map view, which are normally not visible in airport view, may be selected and edited within the airport view environment as well. This can be particularly useful for placing 3D objects in the area of the airport, and for doing finely detailed editing of things like rivers, to produce extremely smooth river bends. Coordinates may be inserted into or deleted from objects on the map (lakes, rivers, roads, etc.) or taxiways and polygons on an airport diagram.

  

   

  To edit map regions from within airport view, go to the menu bar and select

  Display/Map Features. You can select which features to view, or choose to view all regions.

  

  First, select the object for editing by single left clicking directly on it. To delete a point, hold down the D key and click the left mouse button in the handle of the point to be deleted. To insert a point, hold down the I key and click the left mouse button in the handle of the point where you want the new point inserted. To move a point, make sure your cursor is directly on one of the "handles" and simply left-click and drag it to the desired position.

  Objects placed in airport view, but outside of the immediate airport property are placed in Groups. In airport view, a new scenery object is automatically associated with the airport or group closest to it. If one of these is not within a specific radius, the Object dialog box will appear, allowing you to specify which airport or group you want the object associated with. At this point, you can also decide to create a new group by clicking on the New Group button in the Object dialog. This action will open the Group Property Page.

  

  You can force the Object dialog to appear for any object by holding the Shift key down when you complete object creation. For a building, simply hold the Shift key down after you begin drawing the building, but before you release the left mouse button. For a polygon or taxiway (road), hold the shift key down when you complete the final segment (double-click or Control-click).