AI Aircraft Editor.NET Initial Release

[gsnde]

It is done!

After a much longer period of fine-tuning, changes and bug fixes than expected I now feel that AIAE.NET can be released.

To write this tool from scratch in another programming language was a great experience. I hope you are happy with the result.

I would especially like to thank Pete Bramley, Sean Galbraith, Steve Holland and Hartwig Ulrich for their thoroughness while testing and for the many great ideas they have brought into AIAE.NET. It was a pleasure to work with you!

AIAE.NET is up in the MAIW download center. It will be successively added to The Owl's Nest, AVSim and FlightSim.com in the next weeks.

Feature list

Code: Select all

• application is self-updating via web
• application sending crash reports back to developer (hopefully you never see this)
• detection and support for FS9/FSX/FSX-SE/P3Dv1/P3Dv2/P3Dv3
• all fields in [fltsim.x] sections editable
• for all fields where it makes sense changes can be applied to all sections
• aircraft type changeable (normal, helicopter, AI)
• error checking for selected aircraft for:
     o duplicate [fltsim.x] sections --> if duplicates found you can renumber sections
     o duplicate titles --> if duplicates found you are asked to correct this
     o [fltsim.x] sections numbered --> if sections like [fltsim.xxx] are found you can renumber sections
     o [fltsim.x] sections in sequence --> if not true you can renumber sections
     o defined models found
     o defined textures found
     o defined sim (*.air) files found
     o duplicate non-[fltsim.x] sections
     o duplicate [fltsim.x] keys
• renumbering of [fltsim.x] sections
• sorting keys in [fltsim.x] sections
• remove all comments from aircraft.cfg
• format aircraft.cfg and align all comments at the same column
• edit wing_span value (with parking spot size calculator)
• edit FS8/FS9 model size in model file
• edit keys of the [general] section
• edit the [exits] section (needed for finger operation)
• easy removal of non-AI relevant sections
• easy removal of non-essential unwanted [fltsim.x] keys
• model viewer integrated (thank you, Arno!)
• model viewer optionally in separate window (great if you have two screens)
• texture list for currently loaded aircraft with detailed per-texture analysis (resolution, bit depth, compression, mips)
• texture viewer in separate window
• option to define external texture editor
• backup aircraft.cfg before each change
• removal option for aircraft.cfg backups
• logging of all AIAE.NET operations
• optional tooltip help for every AIAE.NET element

Make sure you read the Manual (Help --> Open Manual). There are some know issues you should be aware of.
Please also make sure to check the acknowledgements so that you know which components from other authors I use in AIAE.NET.

And this is how it looks like:

[petebramley]

Am glad I could help out with the Beta testing. it was a most interesting experience.

This will be a MUST HAVE for all FS users whether you have FS9/FSX/P3D. Like the older Version 2 it will become an essential tool for all of us who have extensive AI flying around our sims.

Tks Martin for persevering with this project.

[hschuit]

Thanks Martin! I went through all my AI traffic folders and the program found at least a dozen inconsistencies which could be fixed easily thanks to the clear feedback from the program.

[gsnde]

Now this is exactly what I have hoped for (and which was the feedback from the beta team as well).

Thank you!

[Victory103]

Thanks Martin for continued progress on a great program and I do use it everytime when working with my installed AI

[SeanG]

Thanks Martin, as I have said a million times before (and I don't exaggerate!) this is one of my "can't live without" tools, and it has just gotten even better!

SeanG

[gsnde]

Your comments make it worth the time and sweat!

[Dave Waffler]

What a great tool Martin, I downloaded it last night and have been cleaning up the messes with my AI.

I do have one question though. I noticed on a couple of my AI, some of the texture folders are not showing up in the Texture box under the General tab. Example... I have a special paint under the Malaysian airline folder. I have the main texture right inside the folder, and I have another folder under the main folder for the special. Under the texture line for the special paint, I have it as "texture=malaysia\special. But, when I look at it with the tool, the special texture does not show, nor does it show under the dropdown. This doesn't happen on all folders like this, only a couple though. Hopefully I explained it good enough.

[gsnde]

Hi Dave, could you please post a screen shot that illustrate it? That would be most helpful. Thanks!

[Dave Waffler]

Here you go Martin. In the first shot, you see the Malaysian texture is selected, and the Malaysian shows in the Texture box. in the second shot, I have the Malaysian OneWorld texture selected, but the OneWorld texture doesn't show in the Texture box. I also included the left side of the app where it shows the folders for the texture, and how the OneWorld texture is under the main Malaysian folder. This doesn't happen to many of the subfolder, but some it does.

Hope that helps out!!

[Firebird]

Dave,
Before Martin responds a quick question.
When you select the oneworld texture, and it doesn't list it in the texture field, what happens if you click on the 'Textures' tab. Are you able to see the textures lsted there and can you 'Show' them successfully?

[gsnde]

Hi Dave,
Some more questions...
1. Is there an entry "Malaysia\oneworld" in the dropdown list box?
2. Are there either bmp or dds files in the "Malaysia\oneworld" folder?
3. On the screenshot I see that we have two comparable situations with "Korean Air\HL7660" and "Malaysia\Old Colours". Do they also not show up?

[Dave Waffler]

Steve, when I click on the textures tab, and select those that aren't working, yes, they show up fine. As a side note, if I go to the Model Viewer tab, and select the texture in Livery box in the upper right hand side, I can select it from there.

Martin,
1. No, there is not an entry in the dropdown box. I tried to get a screenshot of it, but everytime I tried to get it, the dropdown would disappear, sorry about that
2. Some have .bmp files, others have the .dds files, it does not seem to discriminate which files.
3. Neither the Korean Air\HL7660 show, nor the Malaysian\Old Colors show, but further down the list I have a Nok Air\HS-DBA that will show up.

[Firebird]

Thanks, Dave.

What this will do is to help Martin narrow down the problem quicker.
The fact that in the Textures tab the correct textures are there and can be shown means that it is in all likely just a problem with the texture dropdown box.

[Dave Waffler]

I also tried shorting the name on the main folder too, just to see if this might be a character limitation, and this didn't seem to matter either.

I will continue to see what I can find, maybe we can figure something out

[gsnde]

Dave, please check your messages...

[pslinger]

Martin, this is an outstanding utility. I needed to re-install the Windows operating system and have slowly been rebuilding FS9 AI traffic. Your utility has pointed out numerous install problems and save a lot of headaches. Thanks for you hard work and providing the Aircraft Editor to the community, much appreciated.

[gsnde]

Thanks for that nice feedback!

Dave, your issue is fixed as of today's version 3.1.6

[VulcanDriver]

Hi Martin

AVG is blocking the update for AI Aircraft Editor and removing it as its detecting a virus.

Any idea how I can resolve this, dont really want to turn AVG off, last time I did that my HDD was nuked by a virus!!

Thanks

[gsnde]

I will contact them. This is sooooo annoying.