Frequently Asked Questions

There are different ways to find the sceneries in Flight-Sim.org:

(1) Overview map "Aerofly FS2 Scenery-Map":

With a click on a green marked country in the overview map the category of the country opens.

In this country category the individual contributions can then be selected.

(2) Categories in the menu "Filebase":

With a click on "Filebase" the overview of the categories opens.

Another click on "addons/scenery/..." opens the list of categories for the countries.

You can then select the individual contributions in the individual country categories.

The planes can be found in Flight-Sim.org here:

• The menu "Filebase" opens the database overview.
• The category "Aerofly FS 2" contains the subcategory "addons/aircraft/..." for the aircraft.
• The subcategory "addons/aircraft/..." contains the subcategories for each aircraft manufacturer, in which the individual contributions with the files are stored.

A small guide from our user "flightXtreme"
( this is only a recommendation from users, it also works with other systems/ paths)

According to Ipacs, you should never copy addons into the Aerofly installation directory.

With the DVD version you have two options: (ok, actually three. See below.)

A)

The standard addon directory is located in:

C: \ Users \ [login name] \ Documents \ Aerofly FS 2

So you didn't save it somewhere else on the operating system side.

B)

You have defined your "extra user addon" directory in the Aerofly file main.mcf.

This can happen, for example:

<[string8][extra_user_folder][D:\Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Addons\]>

You can now install new addons either under a) or under b).

In principle, there are:

.\aircraft <- This is where your add-on planes come in.

.\external_dll <- This is where interface DLLs come in (you shouldn't have used them almost never).

.\scenery <-Here all scenery addons come in.

But now it gets special:

We generally have the directories directly under scenery:

.\elevation <-there can mesh files / directories in

.\images <- This is where the photosceneries come in

.\places <- That's where cultivation and airfield scenarios come in

Furthermore, building_texture, texture_shared can be found here. vegetation and xref.

You can also freely define subdirectories in the directories yourself,

e.g. e.g. by country. \ ch \ \ de \ or \ us \ ... etc.

So far so good. If you install one addon after the other, it will quickly become confusing,

which elevation belongs to which cultivation ... etc.

A better approach - at least from our point of view (and also that of most Payware manufacturers):

Below the scenery directory I define a structure again, only with the addon name as the directory name.

At least that's what I do with my addons now.

So I just have to push the ZIP completely into the scenery directory, and good is:

The Czech Republic then sees e.g. like this:

D:\Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Addons\scenery\cz\documentation\--

D:\Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Addons\scenery\cz\elevation\--

D:\Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Addons\scenery\cz\images\--

D:\Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Addons\scenery\cz\places\--

(And here, too, the data does not have to be located directly but can exist in subdirectories.)

And I also build up such a structure for third-party add-ons. So I have everything that belongs to an addon.

In Aerofly there is no sequence of scenes like in P3D / FSX / XP.

FS 2 and FS 4 can access the same scenery data in a shared user folder.

General information about the user folder can be found in the article "Aerofly FS Paths" in the AEROFLY FS WIKI.

SUGGESTION:

FS 4 is the more modern version and it is advisable to

- save the actual scenery files in the FS 4 user folder and

- access these files from FS 2.

IMPLEMENTATION:

In the main.mcf of the FS 2 (located in the FS 2 user folder), the second additional user-defined user folder is defined as that of FS 4:

NOTICE:

In the (FS 4-) user folder, the scenery files can be saved under

• /Users/[loginname]/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery

as well as under

• /Users/[loginname]/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/scenery

(see underlining for differences). However, the proposed implementation only works with the second variant:

• /Users/[loginname]/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/scenery

ORDNER "scenery":

The "scenery" folder contains eight subfolders:

• scenery
  .../airports/
  .../cultivation/
  .../elevation/
  .../images/
  .../poi/
  .../textures_shared/
  .../vegetation/
  .../xref/

The five subfolders marked in bold above are used differently by FS 2 and FS 4 (italics = only used by FS 4

• .../airports/
  - FS 2: full FS functionality but no objects
  - FS 4: full FS functionality and all objects
• .../cultivation/
  - FS 2: -/- (not available in FS 2)
  - FS 4: full FS functionality (large-scale cultivations (mostly TOC files) from the FS 2 folder "places" can now be found here)
• .../elevation/
  - FS 2: full FS functionality
  - FS 4: full FS functionality
• .../images/
  - FS 2: full FS functionality
  - FS 4: full FS functionality
• .../poi/
  - FS 2: -/- (not available in FS 2)
  - FS 4: full FS functionality (small-scale cultivations (folder names in the structure "w00000n0000_abcde") from the FS 2 folder "places" can now be found here)

The user folder is described in the article "Aerofly FS Paths" in the AEROFLY FS WIKI.

On a Mac computer, this FS 4 user folder can be found like this:

• open FINDER
• click on "Go" in FINDER MENU
  => a selection list opens
• press and hold (!) the "option" key
  => the selection list expands to include the "Library" option
  
• click on the now visible selection "Library"
• ... now the rest should happen "by itself"

The FS 4 user folders have these path names:

• FS 4 from the AppStore:
  - /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Containers/Aerofly FS 4/Data/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4
• FS 4 from STEAM-Stream:
  - /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4

It is a good idea to save the FS 4 user folder "Aerofly FS 4" in the sidebar.

(A) Contents of the FS 4 Scenery Addons

The FS 4 Scenery Addons have one or more contents (the respective folder name is given):

• airports: ........individual airports
• cultivation: ...standardized objects relating to areas (e.g. plants)
• elevation: ......elevation structure of the terrain
• images: ..........surface graphics of the terrain
• poi: .................individual non-standardized objects

Usually only some of this content (primarily airports, poi and images) is part of a FS 4 scenery addon. Often each content is offered for download in a separate ZIP file.

(B) Storage locations for the contents of the FS 4 Scenery Addons

NOTE:

Please always save FS 4 Scenery Addons in the FS 4 user directory (!), because they will not be overwritten by FS 4 system updates.

There are two ways to save the contents of the FS 4 Scenery Addons in the FS 4 user directory. Both are equivalent in terms of function and can also be used together. However, both differ in terms of the folder structure:

• ".../Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery/...":
  - first subfolder level = a kind of "intermediate" folder
  - second subfolder level = content folder ("airports", "cultivation", "elevation", "images", "poi")
• ".../Aerofly FS 4/scenery/...":
  - first subfolder level = content folder ("airports", "cultivation", "elevation", "images", "poi")

Experience from FS, FS 2 and now FS 4 shows that it is generally sensible to group the content separately by country in both variants. The two-digit TLD used in Internet addresses (e.g. "ch" = Switzerland) is a good country identifier.

This results in the following structures for the two variants:

• ".../Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery/...":
  - first subfolder level = country folder (e.g. "ch")
  - second subfolder level = content folder
  • .../ch/...
    • .../airports/...
    • .../cultivation/...
    • .../elevation/...
    • .../images/...
    • .../poi/...

• ".../Aerofly FS 4/scenery/...":
  - first subfolder level = content folder
  - second subfolder level = country folder (e.g. "ch")
  • .../airports/...
    • .../ch/...
  • .../cultivation/...
    • .../ch/...
  • .../elevation/...
    • .../ch/...
  • .../images/...
    • .../ch/...
  • .../poi/...
    • .../ch/...

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, which essentially depend on the individual interests of each person. So everyone has to find their preferred option for themselves.

(C) Installing FS 4 Scenery Addons

Most FS 4 Scenery Addons are offered for download as a ZIP file and must therefore be unzipped first.

The contents must then be saved in one or both variants:

• Mac computer- version FS 4-STEAM:
  - /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery/<TLD>/airports/...
  or
  - /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/scenery/airports/<TLD>/...
• Mac Computer - version FS 4-AppStore:
  - ~/Library/Containers/Aerofly FS 4/Data/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery/<TLD>/airports/...
  or
  - ~/Library/Containers/Aerofly FS 4/Data/Library/Application Support/Aerofly FS 4//scenery/airports/<TLD>/...
• Windows computer:
  - C:/Users/<USERNAME>/Documents/Aerofly FS 4/addons/scenery/<TLD>/airports/...
  or
  - C:/Users/<USERNAME>/Documents/Aerofly FS 4/scenery/airports/<TLD>/...

(D) Adjust folder name

The directory names should always comply with IPACS specifications, as deviations from these can lead to problems:

• lowercase letters a-z (English alphabet, no umlauts, no special characters)
• numbers 0-9
• underscore instead of space (no double underscores in a row)

Each airport has its own airport folder "icao" here.

Note:
The general term "airport" includes all types of airports (large, small, airfield, gliding airfield, heliport, air base, etc.).

The airport folder "icao" contains the files
- icao.tmb (TMB),
- icao.tsc (TOC),
- icao.tsc (TSC) and
- icao.wad (WAD).

The files TSC and WAD must always have the same name and the file TMB should also always have the same name. The file TOC usually also has this identical name, but it can also be changed - if you know what you are doing.

Usually, these four files are compiled with only a low data volume (IPACS).

However, some third-party providers sometimes also attach these files as TXT files (e.g. icao.tsc.txt) or even publish them fully functionally uncompiled directly in text format.

In addition, the TAP file may be present, from which the four mentioned files are created. The TAP file is a text file and thus always shows the content of the compiled files.

Additional TTX files may be included in specially designed airfields, but these will not be discussed further here.

Example LSZH Zurich - Content of the airfield folder:
(- LSZH.tap)
- lszh.tmb
(- lszh.tmb.txt)
- lszh.toc
(- lszh.toc.txt)
- lszh.tsc
(- lszh.tsc.txt)
- lszh.wad

(- lszh.wad.txt)

The name is on the at least first four to at most six digits of the airport code:

1. In the case of an airport with an ICAO code, the ICAO code is used.
2. In the case of an airport without an ICAO code, the 6-digit code should be used, as it is for example with
   - METAR & TAF or
   - OurAirports
   is taken.
3. If 1. and 2. is not given, a 6-digit code must be freely assigned:
   - digits 1-2: TLD of the country (usually identical to 2.)
   - digits 3-6: letter-number combination not yet used in FS 4

Please note:

• May be used:
  - lowercase letters "a" - "z" of the English alphabet
  - numbers "0" - "9"
• All other characters may not be used.
• The first four to six digits may only occur once within FS 4.

The four- to six-digit name can be extended to better identify the airport folder; the extension must be separated from the first four to six digits with an underscore "_".

Example LSZH Zurich - some possible names of the airport folder:
- "lszh"

- "lszh_zurich"
- "lszh_zurich_airport"
- "lszh_zurich_intl_airport"
- "lszh_zuerich"
- ...

3

5

IPACS launched the AirportCreationTool (ACT) on 2023-02-15 in the article "Aerofly FS airport creation tool ( early alpha version, work in progress)". Since the launch, around 25 external users have participated in the beta test, with very few of them using ACT intensively.

ACT is a program with which you can create and save different elements of an airfield online using a graphical interface. The result is then a file icao.tap (TAP). Unfortunately, ACT has not come out of the beta phase for us users, because it is too time-consuming to adapt ACT to the continuous development of the TAP elements.

We users can still edit all elements of a TAP with a text editor.

Airfields are generally created using the file icao.tap (TAP). However, the TAP itself is not used for the FS 4, but only serves as a master file.

"aerofly_fs_4_tap_converter" (TAP converter) has the task of generating up to four other files from the TAP.

For more complex elements such as "tarmacs" and "lines" the TAP converter is mandatory, simpler elements such as xref objects can also be transferred manually.

During the conversion, up to four airfield files are created:

• icao.tsc (TSC):
  ... is always created and contains data for the elements "general", "objects", "objects_animated", "runways","helipads", "start_positions" and "cultivation_files".
• icao.wad (WAD):
  ... is always created and contains data for the elements "general", "runway_pairs", "helipads", "glider_winches", "glider_aerotows" and "parking_positions".
• icao.tmb (TMB):
  ... is created as needed and contains data for the flat elements "tarmacs", "lines" and "groundtext" as well as the 3D elements "taxisign" and "jetway".
• icao.toc (TOC):
  ... is created as needed and contains data for the 3D elements "plants", "buildings", "lights", "airport_lights" and "xref-objects".

The TAP converter is executed locally on the user's computer and must therefore be downloaded and installed from the Internet. There is one version for Windows and Mac computers. All further information is available here in Flight-Sim.org.

(0) SUBJECT

In FS 4, parking positions for aircraft without access rights can be added to the respective airfield file by adding a small airfield with the parking positions. This article describes the procedure:

- First, the data "position" and "direction" are defined in FS 4.

- Then this data is written to the files.

The time required with some experience is approx. 5 - 10 minutes.

The italicised example (published here) illustrates the description:

At the KSBA (SBA) Santa Barbara Airport, the additional parking position TERMINAL_2B with pushback function is created.

(1) SET POSITION AND DIRECTION

• start FS 4

(1.1) PARKING POSITION

• park the largest suitable (!) aircraft
  - correctly aligned on the guide line
  - within the limits
  - without collision with objects
  - with space for the pushback tractor
• determine the position and direction

A B737-500 is at the gate "TERMINAL_2B" at the position [-119.837000 34.424255] with the heading [105].

(1.2) HELIPAD

Airports always need a runway or a helipad as an "anchor point" on the map in the "Location" menu. It is a good idea to use a helipad because it is simpler than a runway. This helipad can be an existing or a still free one or even the parking position itself.

• set the position and direction

The Helipad "H3" is created with the position [-119.834860 34.431370] and the heading [271] in the HELICOPTER PARKING area at taxiway F (see https://adip.faa.gov/agis/public/#/simpleAirportMap/SBA).

(2) WRITE DATA TO THE FILES

PRELIMINARY REMARK:
There are two ways to store the data, both are in the FAQ section "... FS 4/addons/scenery/" described.

The files are stored in the user directory ".../addons/scenery/us/ksba00".

• close FS 4
• change in FS 4 to the user directory ".../addons/scenery/us/" - if necessary, "us" must also be created first
• create the folder ".../addons/scenery/us/ksba00"
• change to this folder

There are two ways to enter the data:

- The data will first be entered into the file KSBA00.tap and then with the locally installed (!) TAP converter converted to the files ksba00.tsc and ksba00.wad.

- The data will be entered directly into the files kbsb00.tsc and kbsb00.wad, whereby the positions and directions must be converted for the WAD, information on this is available in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

(2.1) CREATE AND CONVERT TAP FILE

CREATE TAP FILE

• create empty text file "KSBA00.tap" in the folder "ksba"
• copy the source code to the "KSBA00.tap"

Information on the relevant data can be found further down in the section "(2. (I) INFORMATION ON THE RELEVANT DATA".

CONVERT

Before converting the TAP, the KSBA00.tap must be copied to the "airports_tap" folder. After the TAP conversion, the two generated files ksba00.tsc and ksba00.wad should be moved to the folder ".../addons/scenery/us/ksba00".

=> FINISHED ✅

(2.B) CREATE TSC AND WAD FILES

CREATE A TSC FILE

• create empty text file "KSBA00.tsc" in the folder "ksba"
• copy the source code to the "KSBA00.tsc"

Information on the relevant data can be found in the section "(2. (I) INFORMATION ON THE RELEVANT DATA".

CREATE WAD FILE

• create empty text file "KSBA00.wad" in the folder "ksba"
• copy the source code to the "KSBA00.wad"

Information on the relevant data can be found in the following section "(2. (I) INFORMATION ON THE RELEVANT DATA".

=> FINISHED ✅

(2.I) INFORMATION ON THE RELEVANT DATA

AIRPORT DATA

TAP 3. | <[stringt8c][icao][KSBA00]>

TSC 4. | <[string8u][icao][KSBA00]>

WAD 4. | <[stringt8c][icao][KSBA00]>

FS 4 requires a 4-6-digit ICAO code.

As a fictitious ICAO code, the ICAO code "KSBA" is supplemented by "00" and thus establishes the reference to KSBA.

TAP 4. | <[string8][name_short][KSBA00]>

TSC 3. | <[string8][sname][KSBA00]>

WAD ---

FS 4 does not require an short name for an add-on, but then shows "(none)". Therefore, it makes sense to repeat the ICAO code.

TAP ---

TSC 6. | <[vector2_float64][position][-119.834860 34.431370]>

WAD 5. | <[vector2_float64][position][10952.7294862222 39487.409316309]>

FS 4 requires a general position for the airport. When converting the TAP, the position of the helipad is automatically written to the TSC and WAD. When entering directly into the TSC and WAD, this is done manually. Information on the calculation of the WAD values can be found in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

HELIPAD DATA

TAP 8. | <[vector2_float64][position][-119.834860 34.431370]>

TSC 12. | <[vector2_float64][position][-119.834860 34.431370]>

WAD 10. | <[vector2_float64][position][10952.7294862222 39487.409316309]>

The TAP automatically transmits the position of the helipad when converting as a general position of the airport in the TSC and WAD. Information on the calculation of the WAD values can be found in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

TAP 9. | <[float64][direction][271]>

TSC 14. | <[float64][heading][271]>

WAD 12. | <[float64][direction][3.12413936106985]>

Information on the calculation of the WAD value can be found in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

A helicopter is focussed in the direction of 271°.

TAP 10. | <[float64][radius][20]>

TSC 13. | <[float64][radius][20]>

WAD 11. | <[float64][radius][20]>

A helicopter may have a maximum rotor radius of 20 m.

TAP 11 | <[string8][name][H3]>

TSC 11. | <[string8][name][H3]>

WAD 9. | <[string8][name][H3]>

The helipad has the designation "H3".

PARKING POSITION DATA

TAP 17. | <[vector2_float64][position][-119.837000 34.424255]>

TSC 21. | <[vector2_float64][position][-119.837000 34.424255]>

WAD 19. | <[vector2_float64][position][10952.3399111111 39485.8181721363]>

Information on the calculation of the WAD values can be found in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

The position is on the guide line.

TAP 18. | <[float64][direction][105]>

TSC 22. | <[float64][heading][105]>

WAD 20. | <[float64][direction][6.02138591938044]>

Information on the calculation of the WAD value can be found in the article "FS 4 - Conversion Table...".

The orientation of an aircraft is parallel above the guide line.

TAP 19. | <[float64][radius][20]>

TSC 23. | <[float64][size][20]>

WAD 21. | <[float64][size][20]>

An aircraft may have a maximum wingspan of 20 m.

TAP 20. | <[string8][name][TERMINAL_2B]>

TSC 24. | <[string8][name][TERMINAL_2B]>

WAD 22. | <[string8][name][TERMINAL_2B]>

The parking position has the designation "TERMINAL_2B".

TAP 21. | <[float64][type][pushback]>

TSC 25. | <[string8u][tags][pushback]>

WAD 23. | <[string8u][tags][pushback]>

The entry "pushback" automatically releases the Pushback function for aircraft suitable for this purpose.