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Default Taxi link Properties

OK so here is my understanding of things:

Storing 'last link' properties (for each link type at the moment but I read the point about sharing) when
  • a link is drawn
  • a link is edited - I am not sure about multi edit of links since this can include links of different types
Using 'last link' properties
  • If the user chooses to use them rather than the default properties
  • If a new link is drawn where the start node is not connected to another link
Using inherited properties
  • If the new link is started on an existing link
 
Yes, that seems correct to me. Final implementation of the details as you describe could be a collaborative process among all contributors, I guess?

Regarding the multi edit question, that will depend on the results of my previous post on this subject (in this thread), where the current way ADE handles the properties of the objects is questioned.
 
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Yes I see that and as I understand it right clicking on one of the objects will allow the user to set the properties for that type rather than the common properties of all the selected objects. I also not that if the right click is made not on any of the objects that the airport properties dialog is opened

However if I do this I don't get what I would expect which is all the objects of the selected type are presented to be edited at once. Unless I have missed the point then the option appears to be that I can either edit them one at a time with the Next button or I seem to only get the first. Since I am not an AFCAD expert I guess I am doing this wrong.

Also Shift Select in AFCAD does not seem to give me what I would expect either. If I select two links - one and apron and the other taxi then if I right click on the apron link for properties I see the apron link as type and if I do the same for the taxi link I see taxi.

If the request is to be able to select an object type from a rubber band selection and then open the multi edit window just for objects of that type then that would not be hard
 
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On the matter of link inheritance I will replicate the way AFCAD works if the user chooses to use that method rather than the ADE default properties and inheritance methods
 
scruffyduck said:
On the matter of link inheritance I will replicate the way AFCAD works if the user chooses to use that method rather than the ADE default properties and inheritance methods
Click to expand...
Is it just me or is this getting a bit too complicated? In the 'old days' I drew a load of taxiways (having set the width requirement in the top menu panel). Then I highlighted one of the links and altered the settings (width, lines, lights) to what I wanted. Then I highlighted this link plus all other links that needed to be the same, clicked on Edit and used 'Make same as first'. What could be simpler?
Ray
 
Maybe but different people have different ways of working and the FS9 folks are quite often AFCAD users of long experience. If we can provide different ways to do the same thing that suits different groups of users then we will try ;)
 
Yes, you are correct. You use the rubber band to select a bunch of different things (nodes, taxiway links, runway links, etc.). Then get the properties (right click) for a taxiway link, choose properties, and you get the usual taxiway link properties box with everything you can normally edit if you only have selected one. Then you make your changes and click OK, and the changes are made to every taxiway link (the other object types are ignored). Now in AFCAD, only the properties you actually change are imposed on all the taxiways. For example, if you change the surface from concrete to asphalt all the taxiways become asphalt, but the widths are not changed.

The reason I suggest this is to avoid the click, click, click of selecting each taxiway individually. The work flow becomes:

1. Rubber band select a part of the airport.
2. Right click a selected item.
3. Select Properties.
4. Make any and all changes to those properties.
5. Click OK.

If you can align the rubber band box to the display rather than to north this then doubles the effectiveness of this method, since now you can use it for diagonal groups as well.

And if this is not feasible, we'll just have to get used to doing it a different way... :)

Hope this helps,
 
OK - I think we are good. I have made the code changes that will allow users to use the 'AFCAD' way of inheriting link properties. I will release a test version for that - probably tomorrow. Rubber banding I can handle selecting one object type but at the moment I am not sure how to handle the North only rectangle - this seems driven by the graphics engine so I need to look for another way to do it. I agree it is a crap way of working as it stands :)
 
I have no problem with editing multiple taxiways from "Lists -> Taxi Links" together with the header sort.
 
scruffyduck said:
Maybe but different people have different ways of working and the FS9 folks are quite often AFCAD users of long experience. If we can provide different ways to do the same thing that suits different groups of users then we will try ;)
Click to expand...
Jon,
yes I appreciate that you have the hard task of trying to keep a load of users happy.
I use many different Windows software programs of all types and nearly all of them have a "Format painter" icon whereby you click on an object, click the Format Painter and then select all of the objects that you want to be the same. Voila that is what is wanted. This is, in effect, what I could do in the past with the 'Make same as first' button. OK I had to do a lot of clicking to select the multiple objects.
Now, if this second selection could be done with either a selection rectangle or, better, a multi-point polygon, then this would be, in my opinion, a good solution. Having made the first selection, only objects of the same type in the second selection would be changed to the settings of the initial object selected.

George,
using the "Lists -> Taxi Links" method (I haven't tried this yet) how do you know which taxiways in the list are the ones you want to edit?
 
The attached zip file contains a new executable and library. I would appreciate testing the alternative method of link properties inheritance based on the way AFCAD works.

Make safe copies of the two files in your 1.65 installation and then copy the two from the zip in their place. This is 1.65.5424 and should be stable but make these copies in case you need to revert to the last production release.

There is a new check box in Settings > Options > General Tab that controls whether or not ADE uses the default link settings method or the inherit from last link drawn method:

image340.png


Check this and save the changes and ADE will work in the new method.

I have tried to replicate AFCAD and this is what should happen
  • Taxi and Closed links are considered similar and will inherit from each other
  • Apron (Path) and Parking links are considered similar and will inherit from each other
  • Runway links are automatically handled and there is no change in the way ADE does that
  • Vehicle links are not present in FS9 or AFCAD but will only inherit from the last vehicle link drawn
ADE saves the properties for the link groups above. The properties are saved when:
  • A link is drawn
  • Link properties are edited and changed - single selected edit only
  • The settings are remembered between sessions
Properties inheritance depends on whether a link starts on an existing link or not
  • If the start node for the new link is not associated with an existing node or link then ADE will use the properties stored for that link type - respecting the groups described above. So if you draw a link entirely in new space or from a new node to an existing link or node then you will get the last drawn link properties
  • If you start a link from an existing link then provided the parent link is in the same group (Taxi/Closed, Apron/Parking, Vehicle) then the new link will inherit the properties is the parent. If there is no matching parent then the link gets drawn with the relevant last drawn link properties. Note that if the start node has multiple existing links of different types then ADE will try and find a matching one and use that before giving up and using the last drawn link
Sorry if this is a long winded explanation but I wanted to be clear what rules I have tried to apply

Perhaps those interested in and requesting these changes can do some testing
 

Attachments

Hi,

I checked it and it seems to work exactly as you describe. I like it. :)
 
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