• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

Future of ADE

scruffyduck

scruffyduck

Administrator
Staff member
FSDevConf team
Resource contributor
Messages
34,981
Country
unitedkingdom
Well no one has asked the question since the release of AFX so maybe there is no great interest. However ADE was always first and foremost a personal project and the size of any user base is not a major part of my thinking.

Offering alternatives to the community is very important and I am pleased that both FSX Planner and ADE are able to do that. FSX Planner is developing into an excellent tool for which Russell should be very pleased. As he mentioned in one of his posts neither of these programs aim to be AFCAD clones. Each has it's particular design philosophy and that is good. Also each are free. I like to think that the existence of the two has helped to make each better than it would otherwise have been.

Offering free tools is an interesting proposition. On the one hand we are free of commercial pressure and can make what we want. On the other hand these are complex projects (at least for me as an amateur programmer) and the time consumed can be very great. I personally feel that so much of what is in ADE is there are a result of what you, the community, have provided that it is not really my tool as such and I would need to give back a lot of royalties to a lot of people, so free is the best way to do that. It also, I hope, helps to ensure that payware is special and worth the money. I'm not sure that is often the case.

Development of ADE is continuing with the aim of providing the best airport design tool that I can make - whether that is more suited to your needs than FSXP or AFX is not for me to say and only you will be able to decide. During my enforced absence from my day job I have been doing some development and will continue to do so. The program is now much closer to what I would wish it to be. However, as always I find things that could be done better or what I would like to add.

Speaking of finger trouble :) Thanks again to all those who expressed their concerns and interest in my damaged digit. I am starting back in my workshop today with the set of oak windows that were in progress at the time of the accident (My customer for these is a nurse and has expressed, jokingly I might add, her view that I am now malingering :D )
 
Last edited:
Jon,

I'm glad to hear that you are well on the way to being mended. Coincidentally I've been off for the past week with a tendon inflamation, which has allowed me to get on with using ADE, so I'm hugely pleased to hear that you're continuing development. I've tried the others and, without wishing to denigrate anyone elses efforts, I am more comfortable with ADE even in it's development state. :wizard:

This past week I've been converting a large number of FS9 AFCAD files and modifying a number of others, both FS9 and stock FSX.

So, with that in mind, are you ready for the bugs I've found???? :p

Welcome back! :wave:
 
Thanks Sam sorry to hear about your misfortune. Please let me have any bugs etc found with 0.47 :)
 
I am very glad ADE development will continue - it is so important to the hobby to keep free alternatives alive! Thanks Jon. Glad you're healing well!

Best,
sg
 
Hi Jon,

Very glad to hear that you continue development.

I have been using ADE from the start, and I have used the latest version to re-create Vagar airport (EKVG). I took out (from the de-compiled default) everything related to approaches etc., edited that in xml, and worked with the rest in ADE. Then put it together (and added scenery objects) and compiled. Everything is working very well with this procedure. I find ADE very user friendly and reliable. It will remain my tool of choice for airport design.

I share your thoughts on freeware development, though I am only able to do scenery and terrain design myself. Our project on the Faroe Islands, do to be published in about a week, has indeed been time consuming (I have used close to 500 hours on the project since October last). But we can do what we like, and refrain from what we do not like. And I suppose that is how it should be with a true hobby.

Peter
 
Hi Jon

I have been on a very good and long holiday, and just recently got back. So my main thing has been updating all my AI-traffic....

I too have been using both FSXP and ADE, and I like them both. But I tend to be more to the ADE-style than the FSXP style although both are great tools. I guess that is just a matter of taste.

With you two good fellows programs we are all better served than we were in the FS9 days, where it was more or less take it or leave it. No possibility to choose between. We have that now, and I certainly hope for the both of you that you'll keep nursing your "children" and not see your self as combatants but mere appreciated free-style developers.

Thank you.
 
Hi Jon,

Good to hear you are mending. Guess you had your thoughts on two different paths again when the accident happened? ;)

Your words about ADE reflects what I just said in a norwegian forum. I posted some pics of my finished gmax ENGM terminal...and one of the first comments was that there is a rumour Cloud9 are maybe going to make ENGM as well. My answer came fast: I will finish my project no matter Cloud9. And even fly in self-made scenery, regardless of what others might upload. It gives a special pleasure to fly in self-made stuff :)

And it was SDE/ADE that started me with ENGM. First a few changes, and now it has become a major project. I thank you for that! :wave:

Cheers,
:stirthepo
 
Wow, I go away on a mini vacation for a few days and come back, and what's this "AFX" thing by Flight1??

Personally, I like to be able to talk to the program designers about features, etc.. I like accessibility. I am not sure that would be so easy with Flight1. Plus Flight1 does so many different projects, they couldn't possibly have the "specialization" that Jon and Russel have on their airport designer programs.
 
I have no interest in a payware afcad replacement for FSX. That is why I have followed ADE/SDE from the start. All the knowledge to correctly build an airport has come from the community. The community has had to figure out the workings of FS along with it's abilities and limitations. Taking this publicly gained knowledge and charging for it just takes away from the hobby.
 
Very well put James.

Someone over at AFX is asking for a way to place the CW Runways without any Tutorial (automate it).

AFX says they are looking at adding that feature. It would be nice if they gave credit to those that have studied FS9/FSX for years based on the way they are getting and using that information and appling it to an application.

However, if they did that then Lee Swordy's name would have to be at the top of the list.

If AFCAD had never exsited AFX might have exsited but not look the way it does. Regardless of all the excuses they keep coming up with some of us know how much AFCAD2 is embedded into AFX.



If it looks like a Duck
If it walks like a Duck
If it quacks like a Duck

Then it must be a Duck

Sorry Scruffy, no disrespect with the Duck. I have many that visit my pond on their way south and get fed very well with plenty of food.
 
Jim, both you and James (whom you replied to) have some valid points. I dare say at least seventy percent of "what I now know" has come from my participation in various forums, newsgroups and email exchanges over the past nine years.

Perhaps my recognition of this truth is what fuels my own efforts to assist others as much as possible, and invest the time to mentor individuals if necessary. I'd like to think that I give back to the community at least as much as I've received.
 
Phantoms said:
I have no interest in a payware afcad replacement for FSX. That is why I have followed ADE/SDE from the start. All the knowledge to correctly build an airport has come from the community. The community has had to figure out the workings of FS along with it's abilities and limitations. Taking this publicly gained knowledge and charging for it just takes away from the hobby.
Click to expand...

I fully agree with that...

Regards
Bert
http://www.worldoffs.com

I get to fly Flightsim most days of my life.. the
rest of my time I simply waste.

Lets not forget that Freeware is the foundation of our hobby!
 
I also agree that payware tools are probably nice, but might also lock-out some users from experimenting with scenery design. Just like I've used AFW/SGX and AFCAD in the past I think there is a place for multiple tools. Each seems to have its own strengths. ISTM both ADE and FSXP have much to offer the community and I hope your interest in playing around with ADE doesn't die (well, at least not too soon).

scott s.
.
 
Hi James

Finger is doing fine thank you. However the 'Honey Do List' is not getting much smaller!
 
Jon .... I too am very glad you are doing well. I was sorry to hear about the finger but am glad you are recovering. Sometimes the smallest things can throw you for a loop.
Joe W.
 
scruffyduck said:
Hi James

Finger is doing fine thank you. However the 'Honey Do List' is not getting much smaller!
Click to expand...

Hi Jon,
I am glad to hear that your finger is doing well and i hope not only your finger....
Is there any change for us that ADE will be finished in the near future as the number one designtool for FSX:)
I certainly hope so Jon.
Kind regards.
Bert
 
Hi Bert

I am certainly working on ADE and it is getting closer :) It now has most of the functionality that I would like to see in it. As for a release date I can't yet say. The big job is the manual and I will not release without it.
 
Hi Jon

That's good news , looking forward to the new release of ADE as it is still my favorite editor.

Marcel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top