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FSX Change Afcad While FS is Running

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catchman86

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unitedstates
I know that the common understanding and practice assumes that you cannot replace or otherwise wholly update an afcad while FS is running, but I'm not convinced that it is completely impossible.

Has anyone ever changed an afcad while running FS? If you have, to what extent was FS running? What did you do to 'trick' FS into using the file?

I ask because I have currently authored two batch files that are capable of selecting the correct runways at KBOS and KJFK. I have only released the former at this time. While I enjoy using those programs, forecasts change, sometimes enroute and such that opening particular runways while closing others can result in the wrong runways being activated. Is there any way that FS could re-scan the .bgl and accept a replaced afcad while the simulation is running? Maybe a way exists, but the information just isn't known yet. It would be a great step forward if people could run the batch file without exiting the sim.
 
In FSX you can go to the Scenery Library and press OK. I don't know of a way in FS9.
 
Hi Tom, can you please elaborate on that? If I already have a third party afcad installed and change it with another third party afcad, will FSX recognize the change? Do I need to exit my flight or restart the sim for the change to take effect?
 
AFAIK, doing what I said will force a complete scenery reload, complete with loading new or edited files. Certainly works for me. That said, there are many files that are locked by FSX after it starts, and you may not be able to change those files while the sim is running. For example, it seems that I can load and edit exclude files and library object placement files (i.e. created by Instant Scenery, etc.) but cannot load any terrain files (CVX files) while the sim is running. I don't know about AFCAD type files (also called AFD files). All of my ADE files create a CVX file, and thus cannot be compiled while FSX is running.
 
I think the bottom line here is that some methods are known to work some of the time. In some cases I understand it is possible to make changes on the fly to what is seen in Sim. To the best of my knowledge there is no foolproof method to change an airport bgl file while the simulator is running. As Tom says FS locks files that are actively being used so that they cannot be changed and compromise the display. Switching a long way from the airport to another is known to release the lock on the original. It can be changed then and switching back to that airport should reload it. Just to add to the mire - just changing a file will not change what is in FS unless FS is forced to reload the file. So there are two ways that it can appear that changes did not take. First if the file is locked - in that case the MS compilers tend to fail silently and appear to compile the changes but the file in FS does not get changed. Second the file does get changed but not reloaded at the time.

ADE for example won't let users compile to FSX if the target file is locked. It is possible to check whether files are locked or not - provided you know which ones to look for - not always that easy. The only sure advice to avoid changes not taking is to close FS and restart it.
 
Thanks Jon and Tom for your input. Something I've been contemplating is running an outside program that could force FS to redirect traffic onto the correct runways via simconnect, but I'm not sure how practical that would be, since it would effectively kill any approach/tower coordination with the standards FS ATC. While this some users might be okay with this, I don't think it would work for most.
 
For everyone's general info, here is what I find when modifying airfield layouts.
Having used ADE to change the airfield where I am currently sitting in my open FSX, I save the compiled BGL file into a folder which sits under my ADE folders. If I now try to copy this file into my 'Addon Scenery' folder, I get a message "Unable to copy - file in use" (or something like that). In FSX, I save my current situation to a "Temp" file after which I open a different saved file to get to a different airfield. Now I can copy the modified BGL into the 'Addon Scenery'. Then I can go into the Scenery Library in FSX and press OK after which I can reload the "Temp" file to get back to my original situation and review my changes. Presumably, if I was in the middle of a flight and had to change my destination airfield, I could SAVE my flight, modify the BGL, copy to the 'Addon Scenery', re-load the Scenery Library' and re-load the SAVE'd flight and carry on from there.
This is the only way I have found to get over this situation.
 
raymk said:
For everyone's general info, here is what I find when modifying airfield layouts.
Having used ADE to change the airfield where I am currently sitting in my open FSX, I save the compiled BGL file into a folder which sits under my ADE folders. If I now try to copy this file into my 'Addon Scenery' folder, I get a message "Unable to copy - file in use" (or something like that). In FSX, I save my current situation to a "Temp" file after which I open a different saved file to get to a different airfield. Now I can copy the modified BGL into the 'Addon Scenery'. Then I can go into the Scenery Library in FSX and press OK after which I can reload the "Temp" file to get back to my original situation and review my changes. Presumably, if I was in the middle of a flight and had to change my destination airfield, I could SAVE my flight, modify the BGL, copy to the 'Addon Scenery', re-load the Scenery Library' and re-load the SAVE'd flight and carry on from there.
This is the only way I have found to get over this situation.
Click to expand...

For me this procedure looks okay but I think it's not as straightforward than re-booting FS.
 
That would depend on how long it takes to load 2 flights, vs reboot FS. Probably about a tie for me. :)
 
Tom, even if I always start thinking of rebuilding my rig when re-booting my FS in order to shift the system and the sim to SSDs, it usually should be cached and therefore coming up faster after the first run. I principle I can follow your weigh up. However I think the worst case while rebooting is selecting first a wrong saved flight. Then it's time to get something to drink (non-alcoholic, of course :coffee:).
 
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