VRC Forums

[xandersmith]

Hello Alexander, Vipermat lend me your code. I have everything, but which txt file do I open with FORMAT5.BAS?

I am trying on LEMG, I converted AF2.bgl to xml. The chart to DXF. But I dont know the next step, can you help?

[Anselmo]

Hi Alex.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but we have everything clear to the issue of working for the AutoCAD file, the problem I have is the format of the export from Autocad to SCT.
Please if you can help me to get the software for this conversion.
Another doubt I have is if you can also work with the Euro Scope
Best Regards.

[dtsaunders]

Alex, what you have produced is by far the most exact sector file I have seen, maybe a quick document showing and explaing with some screenshots to show in basic terms how you achieved this, then place you small program somewhere where people can get it. I would love to have a go and change some sector files of ground layouts of certain airfields.

[Alexander Fath]

Ok guys, I stick in exam preparation for my study at the moment, so give me 3 weeks, then exams will be over and I got time for you.

Br Alex

[GokouZWAR]

if anyone has this converter program please post it so everyone can get access to it please! We're all looking for a faster way to make sector files and this by far seems to be the most accurate, and probably the simplest way to make the sector files and not only that, make them real good. If someone can post this I can possibly convert the code to Visual Basic and make a simple user interface. I'll at least give it a shot.
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Tyler Walton
-VatUSA (C1)
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[Ross Bristo]

BUMP....

Please someone
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Ross Bristo
Vatsim-UK - S3

[Alexander Fath]

Ok, now here some short tutorial.

As I already said, I use AutoCad for designing.
After that I use my software to convert the X,Y-coordinates into the
VRC-format.

Let's start with a basic layout. If you have a chart which you want to bring into VRC, you have to convert from the pdf-format into dxf-format which can be read by Autocad. You will find many converters in the Internet. Just google pdf-to-dxf. I use this one: http://www.aidecad.com/download.html
It has a free trial period of 20 times.

When you are finished, open the dxf file with AutoCad and you should see something like this:


If you have more charts just doit the same way. I used 3 charts.
He's another one:



Bring them to different layers so that you can select each by itselves. Then start moving the layers and resize them, so that all charts you have imported fit eachother as precisely as possible. Things you don't need, like a frame of the chart, you can delete, but always make a backup.
Give you layers different collors, so you know where you are.
You should end up with something like that. (I turned the charts already north up by using the grid of one chart)


Ok, now you need some references. For shure, when you designing you sectofile you should know where you are, but realife-charts doesn't fit the scenery exactly. First I used the old sectorfile as reference, but this was not a good idea, as the scenery had already changed. So Afcad came into the plan. The afcad-files comes with the scenery, or you will find them at avsim.com. I found my one at avsim, it's a bgl-file called AF2_EDDS.bgl

Get afcad and take a look if the file is ok for you.


Ok, now we have to bring it into AutoCad. First we use a bgl-to-xml converter, which is also available by avsim.com.
I use this one: "BGLXML 1.8, by Alessandro G. Antonini (C)2004"
Search avsim.com for "bglx180.zip"

Ok, then convert you bgl-file. You should get an xml-file like this:









From these data, which tells you the taxiways and parking spots, we have to make a dxf file. But I didn't convert directly from xml to dxf. First I make a sectorfile, which can I load into VRC and take a look if everything is ok, e.g. no offset from the afcad-file, and then I convert from the sectorfile-format to dxf-format.

Ok, step by step.
What you need to run the different programs is qbasic. I used this programming language because it is easy, and, hehe, the only one I can.
You get it for free in the internet: e.g. http://www.antonis.de/qbdown/qbcompil.htm

You have to change the programs to meet you requirements. That's because I have 4 versions.
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/AFCAD.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/AFCAD2.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/AFCAD3.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/AFCAD4.BAS

After conversion you will have a file which only contains coordinates in the sectofile-format. So take an existing sectorfile, delete everything under the GEO-section and paste these coordinates into the file. When you load the sectorfile into VRC you should see your afcad-layout. Then connect to the network and look if the aircrafts are on the correct position. It should look like this:


Ok, here are no parking positions included, that's one of the first versions.

The next thing is to convert from sectorfile-format into dxf-format.
At the beginning I used DXFMagic to convert from an Excel-list with coordinates in dxf format, but this was not a good idea. Now it goes directly. The software converts from sectorfile-format into X,Y-Format. Then it creates a dxf file, using a blank which I still have from DXFMagix.
The Format of the the dxf-file you can find here: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=12272454

Oh one thing, when I started I used a scale factor which I had to find out mathematically. Also not a good idea. Better to scale by the factor you find in the sectorfile, and to use the same factor when you convert back from dxf into sectorfile. You will find it in the sectorfile under the info section:



Here are the program to convert from sct into dxf
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/DXFMAGIC.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/DXFMAGI1.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/DXFMAGI2.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/DXFMAGI3.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/DXFMAGI4.BAS

and the blank
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/rohling.DXF

Ok, open your dxf-file in autocad, and you should see the afcad-layout, like this:


And NOW, work begins to start. Lock your afcad layer, this is you basic layout which is at the exact position of your airport. So you should never move, turn or scale it. It is your basic orientation.
Move the other layers over the afcad layer, turn and scale it (all together please) to fit the afcad-layer as best as you can.

That's what you should have now:


Now start designing your sectorfile. If you want to give something an extra color later in the sectorfile, then move it to a new layer. If you want to get things extra e.g. for the SID/STAR section, also move it to a different layer. I ended up with 43 layers for Stuttgart. Here's an example:


Now some screenshots:
































One big thing to remember, VRC can display only lines, no circles or anything else, so everything you design has to be a line or a polyline, depending which converter you use. Earlier I only used lines but today I use polylines too for things which should by compatible with Euroscope. You can use circles or spline curves as a template, but at the end it must be lines or polylines.

Ok, when you are finished (or between for testing) you have to convert back from dxf into sct format. Remember the scale factor you have used, it must be the same. Your file should be saved in the 2007dxf-format, otherwise you have to reprogram the software to the correct format. What you have to do is to tell the software which layers you use, and which of them you want to convert. Just take a look at the program, you will find the right lines. I'm working at a new program which will make this by itself, but I think this will still take some time.

Ok here the programs, some of the first ones are for testing only, as they can't differentiate bettween the layers

http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/FORMAT.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/FORMAT2.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/FORMAT3.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/FORMAT4.BAS
http://events.edff-fir.de/sectorfile/FORMAT5.BAS

And that's it. You should now have a really impressive sectorfile.

[residual8effects]

Ok so, i took a existing sector file and converted it, loaded it in autocad and its mirrored backwards, north is north, but the east runway is west and vise versa, the entire airport looks like your staring at a mirror. i didnt modify the script, i didnt change anything at all from what was said in the tutorial. Im using autocad 2010, let me think if there is any other pertinent information im missing. Not sure if it matters but im using qbasic64. I know the script is working, becouse the airport is exactly the same as it shows in VRC minus the being mirrored. Anyone know what could couse this? also, anyone able to get any of the XML to SCT scripts to work properly?

[luca]

Hi has anybody the BAS files available? the link don't work anymore...

Thanks
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Luca Benelli - ACCIT2
VATSIM VP Network Assistant