Metafile Editor

[guest]

Anyone know where I can get a Metafile Editor program to model SPX500
visuals. ?

[Sim4U]

I could sure do with a set of these myself.... Anyone???

[The Bored Philosopher]

From my experience and memory (was it really 16+? years ago) - the metafile editor is a very difficult way of creating/maintaining SPX visual scenes. For a novice level user it provides a certain level of comfort, as the editor screens look like the manuals. If you try and do anything larger than the simplist of edits you will find it almost unworkable. Much, much better is to use the macro language - see the appendices in the modelling manuals. It has a very simple C like syntax and you really develop a good understanding of the construction of elements in the database. It also has the advantage that that you can develop reuseable routines to create standard lighting patterns, markings. The learning curve is steeper than the metafile editor, but the rewards far outweigh the effort. Good luck.

Of course, you could just pick up a 2nd user SG box (for a give-away price) and "get" the SPX modelling software.

[guest]

I am trying to get the ground traffic to work. Not sure if it ever worked where the sim was previously installed. Willing to bet it didn't. If anyone knows where I can locate .rt files for the routed traffic or anything else that would help like, how to find the relationship between CS and the model number, or how to relate the cs number to a model like cs = 1 would maybe equate to B727 showing up on a runway and then taking off,etc.
Thanks.

[The Bored Philosopher]

The routes are defined in the models. The traffic type is a function of the CS and Select. Look in the host visual modules to get an idea of which are applicable to your installation. Then go in the sim and use the DRCU to call up the traffic. It is fun (for 10 minutes!) flying a ground truck around the visual scene. Again from memory - take a look at CS 3, 4 and 5, selects 101,...

oh yes, and isn't there some info in the SPX site file?

[guest]

DO you need the DRCU to activate the traffic or is it just a tool to see what types of traffic you have available ?
Thanks.

[The Bored Philosopher]

The route is coded as a series of waypoints in the model - along the lines of: at x,y,z coordinate the traffic will be at this heading, speed, altitude, etc.
If there is no route defined in the model, then you are not going to see any route being followed - but you should be able to call up a traffic object at the origin of the model (0,0,0).

The route is independent of the traffic type.

The DRCU is just to let you see the traffic object. Once you can see the truck/plane/fire truck etc, you know for certain the select that it is on.

Again from memory, I think you can then issue route start/stop commands from the SPX console.