Comments on: Screencast: Creating ATC Airport Flows in WorldEditor v1.2

By: Chris Serio

Chris Serio — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:22:32 +0000

In reply to Bob Marsh. I'm not 100% sure i know what you're asking but there is NO requirement that people use live METARS for flows to be in effect. Any sim weather is used to activate flows. I call them "METARS" in my video out of habit, not requirement.

By: Bob Marsh

Bob Marsh — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:33:15 +0000

In the interest of allowing the new Flow rules to be generated and easily used with them, I would like to suggest that you consider making all of the weather settings generate a METAR for the particular Weather setting being used. Currently, it would seem that the system is built to use the easily accessed METAR data real time from the internet. This is fine but it means that one always has to operate in real actual time. Most people do not fly in real time during simulation. However the METAR data from internet sources is real time. It would probably be OK to just overlay the selected sim flight time with current METAR data… and perhaps this is the plan… which would give a semblance of the real data.
But beyond that, in the other modes of simulation weather, I believe that METAR data should be generated consistent with the other manually or automatically selected weather modes provided with XP and that that METAR data should be displayed and available for inspection in the weather pannels — and then used as appropriate to then trigger the operation of the Airport Flow mechanism of ATC.
This would enable a means to check out any and all of the flows using the manual weather option to build a METAR input which would drive the ATC Flow.

By: Chris Serio

Chris Serio — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:34:25 +0000

In reply to Olaf Morgalla. Hmm on one hand, I could consider other aircraft types such as gliders, but on the other hand, flow rules are created out of necessity at BIG airports that need to remain efficient considering the large volume of traffic they have to deal with. Right now I think i'm of the opinion that smaller airports don't need and should not have flow rules.

By: Olaf Morgalla

Olaf Morgalla — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:25:06 +0000

Hi Ben,
creating flows for smaller airports (e.g.EDAZ) need rules for gliders and grassrunways. Pariculary if they are parallel to concrete or asphalt runways. I tried to to leave all Traffic types unselected but this XP did not accept.

What I have to do ?

By: Ben Supnik

Ben Supnik — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:41:54 +0000

In reply to Alexander Ochsner. Well, for the scenery tools bug base, we have a category for feature requests.

By: Alexander Ochsner

Alexander Ochsner — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:36:21 +0000

In reply to Ben Supnik. Ok, will do thanks! Sorry, I didn't know that was classified as a bug...

By: Ben Supnik

Ben Supnik — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:15:52 +0000

In reply to Alexander Ochsner. Oh you mean the way that the tool creates single-point links when lines are _near_ each other? Please file a bug in the _scenery tools_ bug base of type feature request, project WED!

By: Alexander Ochsner

Alexander Ochsner — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:01:53 +0000

Hi Ben, I was wondering whether in a future update of WED, you could incorporate the “slop” thing from the ATC taxi lines into the actual taxi lines. This would make it much easier to create the taxi lines. Just a suggestion, thanks!

By: Chris Serio

Chris Serio — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:13:52 +0000

In reply to Mike Burke. Flows should be thought of by preference according to airport efficiency. Controllers want the most efficient flow to be first in line to be selected and only if those conditions aren't met does the next flow get considered. When there are clear skies and calm winds, ATC can choose their most efficient flow. When the visibility comes DOWN, or the ceiling comes DOWN or the wind speed goes UP, the next flow in order may need to be considered. It's for these reasons we chose the types of comparisons that we did.

By: Mike Burke

Mike Burke — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:14:40 +0000

In reply to Chris Serio. You can browse the websites of most vARTCC's on VATSIM and pick up a copy of their SOPs. Most (at least those in the US) have already explored the avenues Chris mentioned above and model their flows to match real life. Chris, any insight behind the design decision to use maximum wind speed as opposed to a minimum or range? Most documents I've seen concerning airport flow design use minimums (eg, >15) to decide flow.