Miscellaneous Tricks or Workarounds Concerning FSX

Like we stressed that, the Microsoft FS franchise is not a kind of software which may work at ist best out of the box. Mostly, some useful or even needed features will need that you perform tricks or workarounds to have the feature work correctly. Such modifications will be easily found using a search engine on the Internet. Some of those helps however may proved difficult to put at work. That's why we will give hereunder, as needed and when we will experiment such processes, such tricks or workaround we successfully used for ourselves. Our hints are mostly dedicated to FSX SP2 and Acceleration Pack under Windows 8.1 (and when Windows 10 that is signaled)! CAUTION! AS THE PROCESSES DESCRIBED WILL NEED that you intervene into FSX, or even your computer system's, folders or files, YOU WILL TAKE CARE to make a backup copy of any folder or file which you consider modifying, so to be able to be back to the original settings in case of trouble! When using the tricks or workarounds of that page, YOU WILL TAKE CARE, generally! It is possible that our descriptions may work also with other versions of the FS franchise or of Windows but any attempt will be under your liability and you will obviously increased your caution posture in terms of those!

->Some General Precautions to Take Against a Computer Crash or Failure
As the experience shows, computers can crash, for whatever reasons, or have some troubles working, or the FS may crash too. In the case of the Flight Simulator franchise, that may be annoying, mostly when you own freewares or paywares in number. Thus here are following some useful advices regarding that:

• first and above all, make a large backup of all your files and your installable personal programs (under the form of the original zips, for example or the registration key). That may be done on a Cloud or a USB drive, for example. Then just save any new or modified file, or program. I personally save daily anything I change on the Cloud and I bring back weekly all what I have saved unto a USB drive
• as far all your personalized folders and files which come with your FSX are concerned, that can also be said! Those are mostly found at your FSX folder, which is usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X; other items too may lie inside the SDK folder, usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK. Also, mostly, don't forget folders and files which are found through checking Hidden Elements into the File Explorer, at Display. Those folders now will appear faded in the File Explorer (as those are usually sensitive items, take care of not damaging anything). At path usually C:\Users\--your user name-- first look into Documents and Flight Simulator X Files (saved files, etc.); at last, at path usually C:\Users\--your user name--\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft, check in FSX. The best, often, will be to just backup both folders entirely. Think about, at last, the scenery.cfg, which is usually at C:\Program Data\Microsoft\FSX (that path also need Hidden Elements, check above). Another series of reference files and folders is also at path (idem Hidden Elements) C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX
• then, is sounds useful to prepare a startup USB drive or any emergency backup with your current Windows version (procedures vary according to the version). That will allow you to start your computer from emergency backup, and to reinstall your operating system. It is also useful generally, to find and write down the activation key for your original, factory install as it is keeping valid along with the evolution of your PC. Installers of Windows may ask for it, for example. Find tools appropriate on the Internet ('tools' plural because each different such tool will not give you necessarily a same key :-() to search the key (usual caution about unwanted softwares which could be also installed with the tool; caution too not to mistake the activation key --which holds letters too-- with the ID key --mostly numbers). Then keep those keys somewhere on your smartphone, for example, so to be able to use it during a reinstall, and only a activation process will tell which key is the good one ;-)

In case of a failure here are some more advices (which are of avail for Windows 10 only)

• for the less worse cases: using the F9 (of F8) key at startup, you will be able to access the blue Advanced Tools panel and go to the DOS window. In there, tape chkdsk c: /f /r a prompt which check and repair your hard drive (if not the c: one, use the approriate letter). A other command, mostly used from inside Windows through the DOS or Powershell window is sfc /scannow which performs the same with the dism additional prompt (check more on the Internet)
• a somewhat worst case 1: during 10 days, Windows 10, in the cases of a major update, allows you to downgrade to a previous version. Check at Parameters, Update and Security, Reparation
• a somewhat worst case 2: on that same page that just above, you will find a function called "Reinitialize that PC" (CAUTION! that process will erase you personal applications installed --have thus a backup of those like described above-- and some of the Microsoft ones; check more with the texts of the process)
• the worst of cases: your PC is completely blocked and you have no more alternative except being back to your original, factory settings. The whole disk where the install occurs will be erased and the process is going to reinstate your PC like it was when you bought it (ATTENTION! HENCE THE NECESSITY to have a backup of one's files and reinstallable personal programs. The command for the process is found inside the blue Advanced Tools panels (F9 or F8 key at startup). Thence, you will have then to walk back down to Windows 10 and then to reinstall all your personal files and programs

At last, should you want to use some freeware to improve the maintenance of your Windows operating system, just procede with extreme care. Some freewares proved infecting PCs with viruses, some others may slow a PC when let installed or even crash a PC with no any solution to recover (the Iobit drivers installer is of those as some drivers are better not to be installed), and those freeware may attempt, generally, to install unwanted bars and tools to your browser, for example. Of interest however, despite of the previous remark, are the Iobit freewares (multi-linguage site) as they allow to a real scan and improvements of PCs! Just begin with their 'Advanced SystemCare!'

. Finding Main FSX Settings Files, or Saved Flight Files . FSX and Windows 10 . The uiautomationcore .dll . Reinstalling the Boxed Gold Edition of FSX . Making AICarriers Work Into Recentest Versions of Java! . More Airlines Into the FS' ATC! . How to Improve the Refreshment Rate at Landing of A FSX Airliner Flight . A Faulty FSX ATC Panel Display . Crash Carrier Landing With FSX Default FA-18 Hornet? . Having the FSX Windows Names to Display Swiftly . Changing Coordinates' Display in FSX . How to Personalize the FSX AI Plane Traffic? . How to Get Rid of a Default FSX ILS

Finding Main FSX Settings Files, or Saved Flight Files

With Windows 8 and even Windows 7, finding the main, usual settings files to the FS franchise has turned complicated. Such files are however very easy to find, once educated! The trick is to allow the File Explorer to display the 'Hidden Elements'. That is done in 'Display.' Just check the mark! Such folders and files are sensitive ones but they only allow to access to needed FSX files, generally. Such folders and files, from now, will appear shaded. The files concerning FSX are at that path: C:\Users\-- your user name --\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX. It is there that you will find the most useful files in terms of FSX tuning, like fsx.CFG, dll.xml, exe.xml, and more! At last, as far the current scenery.cfg file, which holds, among others, the list of added add on sceneries, you will find it at C:\Program Data\Microsoft\FSX. Those paths are the same with Windows 10. You will note however that once I had a install of FSX directing those paths mostly towards the Cloud. The files related to the saved flights with FSX, and files related to flight plans are to be found at that path in Windows 8.1: C:\Users\-- your user name --\Documents\Fichiers Flight Simulator X, and the same under Windows 10

FSX and Windows 10

We are stopping following Windows 10 and its miscellaneous updates in their relation with FSX. Except for the first versions of Windows 10 which brought to the impossibility of using the FSX menus in the full screen mode, it looks like all that has been fixed now. A good choice, generally, is in Properties (right-click), Compatibility tab of the FSX.exe file in the main FSX folder, to uncheck any compatibility settings and, like usual since a while, to turn 'Run that program like administrator' on. It looks like turning the DirectX 10 Preview option on performs also better under Windows 10. Generally, when one is satisfied, even with a update, of one's FSX installation, the better is not to change anything

The uiautomationcore .dll

That .dll file is useful in terms of having FSX to work correctly since Windows 8. Search for it on the Internet under the name 'uiautomationcore.zip.' Uncompress the file and place the .dll at the root level of your FSX install (usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X). That often is enough to eliminate some miscellaneous troubles with the working of FSX

Reinstalling the Boxed Gold Edition of FSX

(note that that tutorial might be of no use for FSX versions other than the boxed FSX Gold) Of course first -- in case of a voluntary reinstall :) -- you will have backup by copy-paste all the personalized folders and files which come with your FSX. Those are mostly found at your FSX folder, which is usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X; other items too may lie inside the SDK folder, usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK. Also, mostly, don't forget folders and files which are found through checking Hidden Elements into the File Explorer, at Display. Those folders now will appear faded in the File Explorer (as those are usually sensitive items, take care of not damaging anything). At path usually C:\Users\--your user name-- first look into Documents and Flight Simulator X Files; at last, at path usually C:\Users\--your user name--\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft, check in FSX. The best, often, will be to just backup both folders entirely. Think about, at last, the scenery.cfg, which is usually at C:\Program Data\Microsoft\FSX (that path also need Hidden Elements, check above). Then, you will have, of course uninstalled correctly FSX and the SKD, which is done using Windows 10 'Applications and Functionalities.' At that moment, because a uninstal may let, or let, with folders and files inside or not, the Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK folders on your disk, just, at path usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games, delete that folder Microsoft Games (it holds both those folders). During one reinstal I noticed that those both folders not deleted made the first FSX, before the Acceleration, not to work. A good step now, before any new installation, may be to defragment the used hard drive -- which may takes time but is always useful -- I personally reinstalled on a PC which I had brought back to the factory settings and it may have had a influence (but that was due to my troubles with the Windows 10 Creators Update; sometimes bad luck is a good thing). Before all also, a good idea may be to clean your FSX DVDs as that proved to be useful (some denial of installation are noted on the Internet, and from my experience, to just originate there!) Another thing also to check before getting into complicated things, is to allow time to the installation process at the beginning of it (Microsoft Flight Simulator X - Installshield Wizard window), during its 'Suppression of Installations' phase as the latter can take a moment to perform; just take the time to wait as the process indicator may look halted. On a other hand, Microsoft FSX, generally, may be registered a unlimited number of times. That said, you might be stopped in a reinstallation by the 1607 or 1628 errors. That is mostly due to some mismatches inside your hard drive. Should cleaning your DVDs doesn't provide for a solution, the main reference first to that problem is that dedicated Microsoft help page, which gives miscellaneous hints. They are not the sole tricks available, on a other hand as further ones are to be found on the Internet too. A good synthesis of what can be done may the following, according to what I experienced myself

• go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32, right click on IDriver and, in Properties/Compatibility check the "Execute that program like a administrator" mark. Idem for Idriver2 and IdriverT
• download the MicrosoftKB928080 file from Fly Away. Unzip the archive, launch the mskb928080 application, which will install itself at your main hard drive. Thence use the Windows PowerShell app (from the File menu of the File Explorer; use it in administrator mode) and copy either C:\MicrosoftKB928080\resetsldl -TrustedStore, or C:\MicrosoftKB928080\resetsldl -All into. It might that it be the second occurrence which is of use
• clean any possible previous failed installation of FSX. That can be done just by deleting the FSX main folder at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X, and deleting too -- CAUTION! PROVIDED NO OTHER GAME FOLDER IS INSIDE -- the Microsoft Games folder self
• in the Task Manager (right-click on the Task Bar)/More Details/Processes locate any occurrence of idriver.exe and msiexec.exe and click End Process for all. And the same at the Details tab

From there, try to launch the FSX install DVD 1 again and you should feel a difference, or at least, let's hope that! A other solution in case of troubles for reinstall is to reinstall too the 2005 redistribuable package

The FSX installation program, on a other hand, often does not install the FSX SDK. In that case -- take care like above that your DVDs are clean -- first use the DVD 1, and, in the SDK folder, launch the setup.exe. After that first install, then used the Acceleration DVD. In SDK\SP1a, use fsx_sdk_sp1a.exe. Then in the SDK folder, use sdk. That is how that should unfold but some trouble may arise from that it is difficult to have the content of both DVDs displayed. The solution then to accede to the SDK installation softwares is to ignore the Windows 10 panel which will ask you what to do with the DVD (chose 'do nothing'). In the File Explorer instead open the DVD from the Taskbar, and clicking on That PC, click, in the folders' list left, unto the DVD which will have appeared like a icon. That will display, right, the DVD's content whence you will navigate there. Note that the solutions we gave here to get installers on the Internet are not really reliable anymore. A good page about the SDK install, for all FSX versions, is SDK Installation (FSX). At last, one may know that once the whole FSX-Acceleration-SDKs installation completed, some trouble may arise when using the miscellaneous SDK tools like, for example the Traffic Toolbox ones. Those troubles seems to come from the SDKs selves and the best is then to re-install them using the DVD1 and DVD Acceleration like described above; but during the procedure you may tumble upon another hurdle like sdk in the SDK folder of the DVD Acceleration: when asked you will have to uninstall any Acceleration SDK present on your rig but when launching sdk to reinstall, the install process may freeze; thus you will again have to act inventively like something like eject the DVD, let the Install panel opened with the display 'the support, etc. ...,' reopen the DVD, click to re-launch Install -- which usually will get nothing, cancel Install, re-eject the DVD, re-launch again and launch sdk)

->NOTE! IMPORTANT! GMAX
The FSX install usually comes with the GMax creation software. Most of the users however do not find it anymore, which is easily fixed: the GMax installer just is installed during the installation of the first SDK iteration! Thus, before continuing with the SDK's SPs installation, just go the newly created SDK folder (usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK) and cut/paste the GMAX folder elsewhere like, for example, your Desktop. Thence just install the following SDK's SPs like described above. Thence, as far as GMax is concerned, just launch the installer of it which is found in the folder you moved as GMax is installed (it is the 1.2.0.126 version). The question now is that when GMax launches for the first time, it will ask for a registration key but the refered site about is no more managing GMax. The workaround is to download a bypass which consists into two intallers of GMax data into the Windows Registry. That zip is found either at https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/tool/gmax-12-registration-workaround or at http://www.fsalpha.com/gmax_tips/ (les deux en anglais), either like a direct download at http://pages.infinit.net/browser/Projects/GMAX/GMAX_Registration_Workaround.zip. At the installation Windows warn that the latter may be potentially dangerous. You may at last use GMax now (I personally did not use it to test whether it works entirely, as some say that no). Otherwise, TurboSquid proposes a free GMax (also in the 1.2 version) and a registration procedure. That site also proposes additional GMax modules

The registration of the FSX firstly installed does not pose troubles, generally as the one of the Acceleration Pack does. Once installed and launching back FSX you may get a 1-80004005 error, which will limit the use of your FSX at 30 minute of time. The solution, which is widely given on the Internet, resides into a faulty entry of the Windows Registry. To fix that, run 'regedit' from Cortana and launch that utility. It will show you the registry content. CAUTION, THAT CONTAINS SENSITIVE DATA! DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT FOLLOWS! Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\CLASS\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. In the left column, double-click the UpperFilters entry (note! there may be there several {4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} entries; just find the one which holds UpperFilters). Thence three possibilities: either you will just read 'partmgr,' and just change that into 'PartMgr' -- with capitals -- and exit the registry by clicking to the upper right as registry automatically saves. Either you will find a '0' value; change it too to 'PartMgr' and idem. Or, at last, you may find other values of which 'partmgr'; some advice to first backup tall those, then erase everything except 'partmgr' (you will turn to 'PartMgr'; exit idem, and once the registration performed, you may paste the backup back). In all cases, once the Registry entry fixed, restart your PC and then launch FSX. The registration panel will pop up!

A last trouble may occur in case of a FSX reinstall into Windows 10, with FSX not appearing in the programs' list left of the Start Menu, in Microsoft Games, nor the FSX icon with other programs' ones in it (usually the FSX SDK is present in the program list). That is fixed like: just open C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Games (note! ProgramData is a hidden item which needs to be made visible with the View tab of the File Explorer; check Hidden items). In there you will find already the Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK folder as the Microsoft Flight Simulator X one is missing. Thus just create a new folder named with that name. Thence go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X, right click the fsx app and create a shortcut for it (which Windows will ask for creating on the desktop). Then move that shortcut into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X. FSX now appears both in the programs' list into Microsoft Games, and like a icon on the Start Menu

Making AICarriers Work Into Recentest Versions of Java

Some users have been disappointed by the fact that the excellent AICarriers carrier generator into FSX -a small utility allowing to position and make move various ships in the simulator, of which carriers whence one can takeoff and onto which one can land- had trouble working in some cases. We are considering the AICarriers2 version as it should also work with the AICarriers. Those troubles recently disappeared with the Windows 10 as you will just have to go to the Java site and install their latest version, and then AICarriers. We however let hereafter the troubleshooting text we had installed first (that workaround does not work with the freeware's installer and you thus have to proceed with a manual install (first uninstall any previous install or attempt to)). Above all, you have to connect to the Java site whence you have to dowload the latest version for your Windows 8.1. As that comes into a 32 and a 64 bits versions, first install the 64 which works with Windows 8.1. Once done, it is better to restart your computer and just install then the 32 bits. That does not seem to act upon the Windows 8.1 as it allows AICarriers to work!You will first unzip the Manual_Install folder in the AICarriers package. Thence, you will transfer the AICarriers folder there into your C:\Program Files (x86) folder. Then, in the File Explorer, at Display, allow the explorer to display the 'Hidden Elements'. Such folders and files are sensitive ones but they only allow to access to needed FSX files, generally. Such folders and files, from now, will appear shaded. Find a FSX folder found at C:\Users\ --your user's name-- \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX and in there the exe.xml file; from the Manual_Install folder, at the sample_EXE file, copy the text found and paste it into the exe.xml file. At AIcarriers\aicarriers.exe, just write down the path where you placed the AICarriers folder, which could be: C:\Program Files (x86)\AICarriers\aicarriers.exe. A last step now. Open the Windows folder, a much sensitive system folder, then System32, then drivers, then the 'etc' folder. Check the hosts file, make a copy of it and and rename the original something like hosts ORI and work on the copy. Open the file with a simple text editor and just uncomment both the last lines: # 127.0.0.1 localhost and # ::1 localhost by just removing the # character. Now just save the file as Windows 8.1 will propose to save in .txt, which you will accept and not in the current folder (save in the proposed folder, or on the Desktop, for example). From the location where saved, just place back (with the name hosts) into the folder! That's it. AICarriers is to work again into FSX according to the author's instructions of use! Of note that a version named AICarriers.NET exists, which does not need JAVA and works with the .NET Framework 4.0 Client Profile present with Windows 10, and which, according to some, might have a improved frame rate (one may transfer one personalized files from one version to the other as the app is also called in FSX through the exe.xml file). That version usually is found at https://github.com/ollyau/AICarriers/releases

More Airlines Into the FS' ATC!

One limitation of the FS franchise is that the ATC system, since available, doesn't offer other choice than the default FS airlines. The list of those is found with the airlines.cfg file which lies at the root of the main FSX folder. To change that, just use that renewed airlines.cfg file. JUST TAKE CARE to rename your original something like airlines.cfgORI and then unzip and move the new airlines.cfg file into your main FS folder. That's it! Your FS franchise ATC will recognize a lot more airlines worldwide! We unluckily do not know until which FS franchise in the past, that file was used

How to Improve the Refreshment Rate at Landing of A FSX Airliner Flight

During a airliner flight, it is possible that, on weak PC systems, a less fluid operation of the simulator can be observed when the aircraft, at the end of the flight, is approaching the airport and/or densely populated areas. The cause is not clear as either a penalty may occur in FSX with the display of the environment generally, or with that of the airports only. It is also a matter of perception: some will not necessarily be hampered by the slowdown. To have a more scientific approach, it suffices to display in FSX the rate of refreshment rate (also termed the 'frame rate' or 'fps' -- 'frames per second'), which is the operating fluidity rate of Flight Simulator. To display the value, just type the SHIFT-Z keys twice (or thrice). Fps are displayed on your screen at 'IMAGES/SEC =') in red letters above at the top left, with a set of other data. Thus you will be able to check that your fps may tend to decrease under the conditions described above

How to fix that? Here are some simple tips. They are designed from a flight with the default FSX Boeing 737-800. You will have to check if they are worth with other planes. On a other hand, our tips may also be used with the other versions of the Flight Simulator franchise but you also will have to check by yourself. One must mostly play on the display settings and, from my experience, it looks like only a few of them really have a efficacy in terms of fps. Those settings further do not impact the overall rendering of the terrain and the airport. You will gain about a little more than 2 fps. In the Options, Settings, Display menus,:

• at the Scenery tab, you can halve the sliders for Mesh complexity, Mesh resolution, and Texture resolution
• at the Traffic tab, it is possible to halve (with a value 55 looking correct) the Airliner traffic density and the other planes -- of which GA planes -- traffic density sliders. You will check that those adjustments also have the advantage, to slightly lighten the number of aircraft on the ground and thus clearing places at the gates

Eventually, you may also note that the use, at that stage of a flight, in terms of Nvidia video cards, of the Nvidia Inspector freeware utility, can add around 2 fps more. NVIDIA Inspector for the Nvidia cards is a video card setting optimizer for such or such game used (of which FSX). You will find it in a search engine with the name 'NV-Inspector-[Guru3D .com]' as it is availabe in the RAR compressed format (so, you will need a RAR unzipper; the InstallRARFileOpenKnife freeware can do the job; just check no unwanted software or tools bar is added on your system). NVIDIA Inspector is usually used before launching a flight but it also just works fine inside a flight! In both cases, just open the Tools icon right, chose Microsoft Flight Simulator 10 in the menu, click on Apply changes, and close both windows. It is possible that similar video card performance adjusters also exist for other brands of video cards

A Faulty FSX ATC Panel Display

A faulty display with the ATC windows (which is called through a keyboard's key) is oftent plaguing the FSX users. Troubleshooters often think about the video card drivers as the troubleshooting might mostly lie elsewhere. It might that the question be linked to the video card settings instead! A other solution is also to use the nvidiaInspector software, which one may found on the Internet (some versions may need a rar. archive extractor). It looks like FSX on the other hand, needs DirectX 10 Preview tuned specifically as, for example, that mode may be using the computer Intel video card only

Crash Carrier Landing With FSX Default FA-18 Hornet?

Should you experiment any crash at landing on a carrier with the FSX default FA-18 breaking its landing gear (I personally had trouble with AICarrier added with USS Nimitz & USS Eisenhower), the best way is to tweak with the F-18's aircraft.cfg file which is to be found at a path usually like Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\FA-18. Open it with a simple text editor. At [contact_points], replace first three lines of code:

point.0=1, -18.00, 0.00, -6.60, 1600, 0, 0.6349, 75.0, 0.2000, 3.5, 0.6100, 3.0, 3.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0
point.1=1, -35.50, -4.90, -7.40, 1600, 1, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.9, 3.9, 2, 0.0, 0.0
point.2=1, -35.50, 4.90, -7.40, 1600, 2, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.7, 3.7, 3, 0.0, 0.0

;ori point.0=1, -18.00, 0.00, -6.60, 1600, 0, 0.6349, 75.0, 0.2000, 3.5, 0.6100, 3.0, 3.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0
;ori point.1=1, -35.50, -4.90, -7.40, 1600, 1, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.9, 3.9, 2, 0.0, 0.0
;ori point.2=1, -35.50, 4.90, -7.40, 1600, 2, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.7, 3.7, 3, 0.0, 0.0
point.0=1, -18.00, 0.00, -6.60, 6230, 0, 0.6349, 75.0, 0.2000, 3.5, 0.6100, 3.0, 3.0, 0, 0.0, 0.0
point.1=1, -35.50, -4.90, -7.40, 5230, 1, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.9, 3.9, 2, 0.0, 0.0
point.2=1, -35.50, 4.90, -7.40, 5230, 2, 0.6349, 0.0, 0.4000, 2.5, 0.5456, 3.7, 3.7, 3, 0.0, 0.0

(where your original data are safeguarded behind the semicolons in case you would back to your original). Transformations are at the '1600' values which determine the wheel struts' strength. You will note that that solution supersedes the one proposed before

Having the FSX Windows Names to Display Swiftly

When changing of view in FSX, the simulator is displaying a red-colored text at the top right of the screen with varied informations like the view's name or zoom. Whatever the use you may have of such a display, they may be of a drawback when taking screen pictures. By default, the display is lasting relatively long, which may prove annoying. Imagine you are on a picture session, that you are passing into the exterior view, getting a fine possible picture but you have to wait that that red display vanishes! Boring! There is a way to have the display displayed during less time. That will need you to edit the FSX.cfg file. That file is in a 'Hidden Elements' folder. Such folders and their files are allowed to display by allowing those through Windows File Explorer, then Display where check the 'Hidden Elements' mark. Such folders and files are sensitive ones generally. THUS CAUTION IS NEEDED! Thence, find the FSX folder at a path usually C:\Users\-- your user's name --\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX. First make a backup of FSX.cfg. Open the file with a simple text editor like the one provided by Windows (TAKE CARE not to allow the text editor you will use like the one always opening that files' type), and search at [Display]. The first occurrence only is of interest: ChangeTime=4. Just lower the value like, for example: ChangeTime=0.160000 and just keep the default value in memory somewhere is your FSX personal archive (a folder for example, where you'll keep default files or values, you changed). A other way to procede with is: ChangeTime=0.160000 // 4, where the double-slash keeps the value 4 without using it. However that method is not stable in the FSX.cfg file. Once done, save and launch FSX. You will check how the view's name display has readily accelerated! Like a conclusion and to keep with the screen captures in mind, here is the fsscreen.zip archive which is a cute tool to use as allowing pictures in series. I allow myself to make it availabe here because I think it is no more availabe on the Internet

Changing Coordinates' Display in FSX

The default format of the coordinates, which, in various circumstances, are displayed in FSX's top right, is degrees/minutes/seconds. Some work and/or softwares may require that the format be in varied decimal ways (for example, degrees/decimals or degrees/minutes/decimals, etc.). To get that in FSX it's pretty simple! Just find the file FSX.cfg. That requires activating the 'Hidden Elements' in the File Explorer (for doing that, see, for example, above). Once done, the path of FSX.cfg is, usually, at C:\Users\-- your username --\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX. Open FSX.cfg with a simple text editor like the one provided by Windows, with the USUAL PRECAUTIONS (a backup of the file, don't assign the text editor that you use as the default editor for this type of files, etc.). Find the [Main] section. At the top of this section, copy these two lines:
FractionalLatLonDigits = 5//originally No data
LatLonFormat = degrees//idem, specify degrees, Minutes or Seconds
The first line specifies the number of decimal values which will display as the second where decimals will begin (after degrees, minutes, or seconds). Notes after // are mementos. Since the changes made in FSX.cfg are hardly stable, the best is to copy these two lines into a file or folder (which would contain your original FSX files and/or values, for example). Eventually, one way, generally, to facilitate copying coordinate values is to use Environment, Map and, at Latitude and Longitude, to select and copy useful values. To find the coordinates' original format back, just remove both lines you added

How to Personalize the FSX AI Plane Traffic?

FSX AI plane traffic -- 'AI' for 'artifical intelligence' -- are those airplanes which are seen in FSX both in the air and at terrains. Those are just planes which features a folder into the -- usually -- C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes folder. FSX is generating that AI plane traffic through a file named trafficAircraft.bgl which usually lies at path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\World\Scenery. FSX comes with a default such file as it may be adjusted to your needs in terms of plane AI traffic. That's not that much easy but attainable with some patience and care. What follows is a tutorial about! Note that the FSX SDK itself provides for a overview and instructions of use to personalize your AI traffic, a help which can be of used too (check with the fsxsdk file at path usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK and using the Environment Kit, Traffic Toolbox SDK section). Other than that, you will need to get a terrain editor to be able to gather the data needed in that tutorial, as Airport Design Editor (ADE) is a freeware easily found on the Internet and most reknown with FSX users and creators

The trafficAircraft.bgl is just a file compiled with a tool named TrafficDatabaseBuilder which comes with the FSX SDK, a series of tools provided free by Microsoft and allowing to understand or/and customize FSX. Basically, that tool is just a compiler which will turn a set of data about planes, terrains and schedules into a file which, when read by FSX, will make the latter more alive through having planes flying to and from terrains worldwide. The default trafficAircraft.bgl file has that with the default FSX planes. But it may be replaced by a one you will have tuned to suit your needs! That may be of interest to have more terrains served, more personalized planes represented, or, for people, for example, who mostly fly vintage airliners, to have a worldwide traffic constructed with those vintages. NOTE! To personalize the AI plane traffic needs you intervene upon sensitive files. So take care not to modify anything unwanted! When opening such files, Windows will ask you whether you want the editor chosen like the default for that type of file; answer No (usually by unchecking that mark)!

• first, find the Traffic Toolbox SDK folder, usually at path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit. The TrafficDatabaseBuilder is the compiler as several files, like fs10.Aircraft Types, fs10.Airports, etc. are the FSX defaults that compiler used to yield the trafficAircraft.bgl FSX uses by default to generate the AI plane traffic
• then just copy/paste the fs10.Aircraft Types and fs10.Airports files and rename each copy something like, say, customairc and customairp as that are mostly both those files which will be needed for a basic customization. All files needed are just opened using a simple text editor like the one which comes with Windows 10, for example
• let's first personalize the terrains used by the AIs: open it and you will swiftly understand what it holds and how to modify. It might sometimes that, if you can open that file inside its original folder, it will not save any modification; check that; if not just move the file on your desktop and work there! Basically, each of the existing terrain inside FSX is defined by a series of data (the following is fictitious for the sake of that training)
  

  KDCU,35.058364123,-86.564411223,299.9,G,2,0.70,United States
  {
      RUNWAY,4906,100,HARD
      RUNWAY,2180,160,SOFT
      PARKING,14.0,RAMP
      PARKING,10.0,RAMP
      PARKING,23.0,GATE    
      PARKING,50.0,CARGO
      etc.
  }

  
  The explanation for all that is given with the SDK's help as, simply, that may be rapidly defined like: KDCU in the example is the terrain ICAO code, the lat/long in decimal format (South and East negative). 299.9 is then the terrain altitude in meters above mean sea level. G is the terrain airspace class (B,C,D, or G). 2 is the number of ATC approach control frequencies available at the terrain. 0.70 is the 'traffic scalar factor' which determines the terrain's business (from 0.01 -- mostly no traffic -- to 1.00 -- max traffic --). United States is for the terrain's country or region. Then comes data related to that terrain's runway(s) and parking(s). each RUNWAY at the terrain is followed with the length, width of it in feet, the surface type (HARD, SOFT, WATER, SNOW); each PARKING slot comes with the radius of the slot in meters, the parking type (one of RAMP, CARGO, GATE, DOCK, MIL_CARGO, MIL_COMBAT). The radius value determines what type of plane can use the spot. FSX uses the half wingspan value in meters and searches a parking spot with a slightly larger value (for example the Boeing 737-800 value turns 17 which matches a parking 18-meter value). When available, the wingspan value may be found in the aircraft.cfg file for the plane (check below). A alternative is to infer one's plane parking radius from the existing ones in the AI traffic default reference files, the fs10.Aircraft Types and fs10.Airports files
  Thence you understand how easy it will be to personalize that set of data pertaining to terrains! You will just have to use a terrain editor freeware which will allow to. And the same for add-ons freeware sceneries as the ADE editor like quoted above is able to open even those ones. One may add more details about existing terrain data, or create a set for any new terrain used. Once modified, just save and close
• Now, let's pass to the planes which the AI traffic will use. It might also sometimes, like for the previous file, that, if you can open that file inside its original folder, it will not save any modification; check that; if not just move the file on your desktop and work there! Understanding the structure, here, is easy, as the keys are given in the introduction. In the original file, you will basically find all the default FSX planes. Each type is defined by a series of data, like:
  A321-2,Airbus A321 Paint2,477,250,350,200,2400,5600,HARD,18,GATE,100,yes,no WHERE A321-2 is a unique name given by Microsoft (then you) to a given type of airplane (should you want to have several A321 in the AI traffic, you will define a series of ones, each with a specific name: A321-2, ...-3, ...-4, ...-1a, ...-2a, etc. for example). Airbus A321 Paint2 is the name given by the plane's creator to each of the plane's variants, as those names are located in a file name aircraft.cfg to be found into the plane's folder, usually at path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes then the plane's folder. Here, in Airbus_A321 folder, the aircraft.cfg is just opened with a simple text editor and, at each section of the type [fltsim.0 etc.], at title=, you will find a name used by the creator to identify a variant of that plane. That's that name to be used. In that case Airbus A321 Paint2. Then comes, in that order, 477 (plane's cruising true airspeed in kts); 250,350 which are the min and max plane's flight cruise level in hundred of ft (here 250 and 350 for 25,000 and 35,000 respectively); 200,2400 are the plane's min-max range in nautical miles; 5600 is the min runway length in feet required by the plane. HARD is the place for the type of runway the plane can use (HARD|SOFT|WATER|SNOW; one or more; if several, separated by that vertical character);18 is the min parking radius in meters required by the plane (FSX uses the half wingspan value of the plane in meters; for example the Boeing 737-800 value turns 17 as FSX will allow the plane to a slightly larger parking spot, 18 that is; the value may be found inside the plane's aircraft.cfg, often in the [General] section. Usually a good idea also is to extrapolate data from what you will read in the original fs10.Aircraft Types files of the SDK for similar planes. GATE now is the parking type used by the plane (RAMP|CARGO|GATE|DOCK|MIL_CARGO|MIL_COMBATone or more; if several, separated by that vertical character). 100 represents the probability of the plane flying IFR (0 - 100); yes means the compiler will automatically generate route for this aircraft (if not, no). At last, no concerns whether the compiler will allow touch and goes when automatically generating routes (yes, or no). Generally some of those data may also be found with the plane's aircraft.cfg file
  The more variant of one type of plane you will use, the more that type of plane will be used by the compiler and the more appearing like a AI traffic inside FSX. Just customize, save and close
• Once all those modifs performed both concerning the terrains and the planes, you just have to use the TrafficDatabaseBuilder compiler. Both your personalized files, like customairc and customairp have to be located into the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK folder. Move them back should you have had to work them on your desktop. The syntax to use with the compiler is the following:
  .\TrafficDatabaseBuilder Airports=customairp.dat AircraftTypes=customairc.dat Countries=countries_regions.csv AutoSchedule=Yes Output=trafficAircraft.bgl
  The countries_regions.csv file usually is not modified (it's a file where the ICAO planes' tail numbers are defined). The command line is to be pasted into the available DOS software which comes with your Windows version. It may be the ancient Command Prompt or the more recent WindowsPowerShell. The first one is found through the software finder of your OS as the second usually in the File Explorer at the File menu. Mostly launch any of those in the Administrator mode! Paste the command line and press Enter as the TrafficDatabaseBuilder compiler will begin working. At the end of the operation, a new trafficAircraft.bgl file is generated into the Traffic Toolbox SDK folder where you worked the compilation. Thence just open the path -- usually -- C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\World\Scenery Herein you will find a trafficAircraft.bgl already existing. CAUTION! Just rename it something like trafficAircraft.bglORI and then move the new one into. The next time you will launch FSX, a new AI plane traffic will display. The volume of that AI traffic is determined inside FSX in the Display menu, Traffic tab (first line for airliners, second one for other aircraft). Of course you can just add to the default existing AI plane traffic as, should you want a special type of aircraft AI traffic file, you will just create one for that use and use it, renaming the other one(s) with a appropriate added suffix. And when returning to a more general FSX use, you will be back either to the default, or your personalized default
• of note specially to vintage airliners flyers that at the California Classics site, they have a page dedicated to running AI vintage airliners and world. That is found at page http://www.calclassic.com/AIAircraft.htm as that is a method working based upon the Scenery library. The set was originally deviced for FS2004 (FS9) but it works also into FSX. Such a method of working with the AI traffic(s) might also be of interest to flight simmers generally!

Albeit somewhat a hard work and necessitating accuracy, you will see all the benefits you can draw from such a new AI plane traffic compilation! Good flights!

How to Get Rid of a Default FSX ILS

Scenery makers may be confronted to that a default FSX ILS does not exist anymore in the real world and that they want their scenery to match that new reality. Two cases possible! One, you work with FSX default airport, second, you have already changed that airport somehow with a scenery editor. Before starting, think to download a freeware bgl decompiler which is needed! A good reference is bgl2xml_150.zip by Jon Masterson

• No Modified Airport and Changing the Appropriate Default FSX File. All default airports and installations in FSX are stored in one of the numbered folders found at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery A easy way to find what folder concerns the aiport you work on is using the freeware Airport Design Editor (ADE) software, through File/Open Stock Aiport. At the panel's bottom you will find the concerned folder and file's name. The rationale of such folders and their files' name is partially explained within the FSX SDK as additional explanations are found at https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/default-sceneries-in-fsx.5864/ With the chart displayed in the SDK Help at Environment Kit/Terrain SKD/Terrain and Scenery/Base File Information, you first can defined the numbered folder where your airport is located. Spot what red square concerns your aiport. For our example, we will search for Dijon, LFSD, France. The chart square system is that 11 columns named 00 to 11 come with 7 rows named 00 to 07. Note that the SDK chart does not mention the '0' before each number but read O, 1, etc. only. Thence, the reference coordinates for where LFSD is located is 06 (column) and 01 (row), which combine into '0601'! That is just the name of the folder where we will have to look for! In each of such folders, there is a scenery folder which contains files of which the ones related to aiports, with are named beginning with 'APX'. Now, back to the SDK chart, we have to refined the location of LFSD into the 06-01 square. Each such square contains 8x8 smaller ones. The coordinates system for those is also made of colums (8) and rows (8). The trick is that the coordinates system here depends upon the large square coordinates: column 1 bears like a number the large square column number multiplied by 8 as row 1, idem, the large square row number multiplied by 8 as the other columns and row are named accordingly. In our example (large square at column 06, row 01), small squares' coordinates columns begins at 6x8 = 48 (and then 49, etc. down to 55) as coordinates rows begins at 1x8 = 8 (and then down to 15). Thence with that second coordinates system, one has just to spot the small square where Dijon, LFSD is located further. Which is the second column (number 49) and last row (number 15). That just give you 4915; just add a 0 and 49150 added to APX, or APX49150.bgl is the file related to Dijon, LFSD! Before going further, a good idea is to fire FSX and, with the Map, to gather any data related to the ILS (of which markers), and even to make a screenshot of that map! Then you will just need to decompile that APX49150.bgl. CAUTION! ALWAYS WORK WITH A COPY AND NOT THE ORIGINAL TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO DEFAULT! Then find in the yielded xml file all what is related to Dijon's ILS (ILS proper, Approach, Missed Approach, Markers, intersections, etc.) and delete that. That is made with a simple text editor like Windows' Notepad. Then save the file and re-compile! To recompile, just use the bglcomp.exe SDK compiler at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\BGL Compiler SDK. Put the xml file into as the syntax to use, in Windows PowerShell (like administrator at File Explorer, File menu, Open Windows Powershell) is .\bglcomp.exe APX49150.xml, which yields a new APX49150.bgl. KEEP A COPY of your original and move that file into the appropriate C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\0601\scenery folder In the case where you never modified the Dijon, LFSD default, you're done!
• The Case When you Modified the Airport in Some Way. Should you have once or recently modify default Dijon, LFSD aiport with some airport editor, like the freeware one Airport Design Editor (ADE), that will give you some more work! The idea is to work the .bgl file you got when modifying LFSD (you should have that like a archive, or ADE may open that LFSD personnal file from a bgl or even a xml) with a airport design software which allows to save your work also in the xml format (ADE, for example, allows that). CAUTION! ALWAYS WORK WITH A COPY AND NOT THE ORIGINAL! Open your personalized LFSD and compile it, which also generates a xml file. Open that file and like you did -- see above -- for the xml derived from the default FSX APX airport's file, just delete in there all what is related to Dijon's ILS (ILS proper, Approach, Markers, intersections, etc.; note: that may not be exactly the same than data you deleted in the APX's xml!), save and recompile -- see above -- Note! At recompilation, the compiler may fail due to 'tranparent' attribute in the .xml (the fix is to reopen the file and delete any transparent="FALSE" occurrence). Thence use into FSX (where a original of that bgl is likely to be found in FSX' Scenery Library. THINK ABOUT MAKING A BACKUP OF IT!). Now, in that second case, you're done too

Thence, once in FSX at the airport you modified, in a case or the other, no more any ILS and related elements neither on FSX' Map nor at plane's instruments! Fine!