OTHH v4 Compatibility

[iceetoo1]

Hello,

I noticed when was about to by Taxi2gate Doha that it's only compatible with v1 & v2. Does anyone have some kind of patch that would make it compatible with v4 and if so, how to install it? I love flying Qatar and would love to be able to use this airport. Thank you!!!!!

[drobinho]

Hi - I got my T2G OTHH working just fine in P3D4 without any compatibility issues; and it looks rather good with the additional iniBuilds GSX and Dynamic Lighting tweaks. That being said, it took me a while to get the hang of installing older sceneries into P3D4.

I am sure this isn't the only way, however this is the process that I follow for installing older sceneries:

1.  I always choose the 'FSX' version when installing, never any P3Dv1/2/3 editions. I do this because P3D4 is 64bit whereas older versions of P3D are 32bit; this is just a precaution I take to avoid the risk of having any installers overwrite my existing 64bit registry keys with older, 32bit data. I would rather accidentally have new registry keys created for a program I know I don't have installed (FSX) that I can then confidently remove without breaking my P3D or related clients (SimConnect/FSUIPC/etc).
2. I always select an install pathway to a completely different hard drive. I basically use an alternative root directory, and it's really important to see how the installer extracts files in this alternative location; as you'll want to clone that setup wherever you end up storing your scenery.
3. Once the installer is complete I'll move the entire scenery to the location of my choice & build the add-on.xml document.
4. Then I'll open up Lorby-SI Addon Organizer and add the XML document to my P3D, save, and launch the sim.

That's the quick explanation for the process, which doesn't take too long once you get the hang of it. But if you don't have much practice with this, then it may sound somewhat confusing.

Coincidentally, I'm in the process of doing a full P3D4 reinstall, so I'll be doing exactly this very soon with my OTHH scenery. I'll take some screenshots of my install process and get back to you.

[iceetoo1]

I REALLY appreciate this! Very helpful. thanks again and happy new year. 

[drobinho]

Hey no problem, happy to help! I know the pain of looking for P3D compatible sceneries! So given that you and I have a whopping 4 posts now on this forum lol, I'm not really sure what technical level you're at; so forgive me if these steps are already obvious to you. I've got this down to 10 steps...hope this helps!

1. If you don't already have it, go get the Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, available here: https://www.lorby-si.com/downloads.html
   IMO its a must-have for managing your sceneries (I always deactivate sceneries in locations I'm not visiting in order for performance and load time). So download and install that, and spend a few seconds in the program so you're a little familiar with it because some steps below dive into it.
    
2. Next, install T2G OTHH FSX version to any folder OUTSIDE your P3D, preferably on a separate HDD. When the installer completes, your folders should look something like below. You're going to want to move the entire collection to a location of your choice (like for me, I have "FSX Addons\[Publisher]\[Scenery]" but this is up to you):
   You can double check the location of the actual scenery by going to "Addon Scenery\T2G Hamad Intl Airport" where you will find the 3 key scenery layers OTHH-TERRAIN, OTHH-CITY, and OTHH (Docs just has all the manuals) :
3. If required, navigate back to the main folder for where you're storing the scenery. Download and save the attached file I've included in this post called 'add-on.xml' into this folder, so it looks like this:
   
    
4. Open the XML document in Notepad (Right click > Open with... > Notepad). Notice the three scenery layers that have placeholders "ADJUST BEFORE INSTALL" :
   
    
5. Open up Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, and go to the highest layer in your scenery library, right click & select Edit:
   
    
6. Note the layer number, in my case it is 372.
   
    
7. Return to the notepad and locate the placeholders "ADJUST BEFORE INSTALL." Always start with the value of the highest scenery layer +1. Because there are three scenery layers we are adding, we do this sequentially with the other placeholders. So for me, that would be 373, 374, 375... see the screenshot. Just in case this needs to be said, make sure to use the values that are specific to YOUR library, don't just paste 373, 374, 375 in there. If this document is not formatted correctly, or is missing required information, then it will likely not load correctly... so it is always important to check the accuracy of your XML data.
   
    
8. Save the XML document (CTRL+S) and close it. It should still be sitting with the other "Addon Scenery", "Effects", "SimMarket", and "Texture" folders, but now with updated scenery layer values specific to your library. In Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, go to the PACKAGES tab, select "ADD", navigate to your OTHH scenery location and select the XML document we've just modified. You should get a successful message that says "package added" when completed:
   
   
   
    
9. Verify the components appear in the OTHER ADDONS and the SCENERY tabs:
   
   
   
    
10. Save the changes in Lorby-SI, close the program, launch the sim and test! Lorby-SI will ask you if you want to clear the scenery cache each time you save, and I typically say 'No' unless I am experiencing funky layering problems. Clearing the cache is a good way to iron out layering problems, but it will take a bit longer to load the sim when you do.
    
     

 

Once you've got that up and running, I highly encourage you to check out the free GSX and Dynamic Lighting profiles from iniBuilds to make this scenery really shine (especially if you plan to fly in/out at night, which is a popular time for this airport).

Let me know if you run into any snafus or have questions along the way.

add-on.xml

[drobinho]

LOL well I went browsing over on Avsim and look what I found...

 

Since we have an existing dialogue about this very airport, I'll just answer your question about AI here.

Yes, that's correct - based on when I last used UTLive (about a year ago). It uses the old OTBD airport code. So to get UTLive traffic there, you would need to completely rebuild the ADE file for the old airport so that all the parking spots are actually over at the new airport. That means moving the location of every runway, every parking spot, and every taxiway in Airport Design Editor to correspond with the new locations, and recompiling the file. Not only will this take significant time, but you will have to repeat the process with each new airport that comes online (Istanbul, Beijing Daxing, etc).

While setting up the freeware Alpha India Group AI traffic can take some time, and is a bit of a learning curve, I find it suits my needs far greater than UTLive especially because I can access the source data and modify it as needed (like moving to the new Istanbul airport for example). They also have better models and more up-to-date flightplans, but I'm venturing into the range of personal opinion here. FWIW that screenshot in my previous post shows freeware AIG traffic at the gates. Look up the AIG AI Manager program and read into it...you might find the time investment to be worth your while.

I hope that helps, and Happy New Year to you as well!

[iceetoo1]

6 hours ago, drobinho said:

Hey no problem, happy to help! I know the pain of looking for P3D compatible sceneries! So given that you and I have a whopping 4 posts now on this forum lol, I'm not really sure what technical level you're at; so forgive me if these steps are already obvious to you. I've got this down to 10 steps...hope this helps!

1. If you don't already have it, go get the Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, available here: https://www.lorby-si.com/downloads.html
   IMO its a must-have for managing your sceneries (I always deactivate sceneries in locations I'm not visiting in order for performance and load time). So download and install that, and spend a few seconds in the program so you're a little familiar with it because some steps below dive into it.
    
2. Next, install T2G OTHH FSX version to any folder OUTSIDE your P3D, preferably on a separate HDD. When the installer completes, your folders should look something like below. You're going to want to move the entire collection to a location of your choice (like for me, I have "FSX Addons\[Publisher]\[Scenery]" but this is up to you):
   You can double check the location of the actual scenery by going to "Addon Scenery\T2G Hamad Intl Airport" where you will find the 3 key scenery layers OTHH-TERRAIN, OTHH-CITY, and OTHH (Docs just has all the manuals) :
3. If required, navigate back to the main folder for where you're storing the scenery. Download and save the attached file I've included in this post called 'add-on.xml' into this folder, so it looks like this:
   
    
4. Open the XML document in Notepad (Right click > Open with... > Notepad). Notice the three scenery layers that have placeholders "ADJUST BEFORE INSTALL" :
   
    
5. Open up Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, and go to the highest layer in your scenery library, right click & select Edit:
   
    
6. Note the layer number, in my case it is 372.
   
    
7. Return to the notepad and locate the placeholders "ADJUST BEFORE INSTALL." Always start with the value of the highest scenery layer +1. Because there are three scenery layers we are adding, we do this sequentially with the other placeholders. So for me, that would be 373, 374, 375... see the screenshot. Just in case this needs to be said, make sure to use the values that are specific to YOUR library, don't just paste 373, 374, 375 in there. If this document is not formatted correctly, or is missing required information, then it will likely not load correctly... so it is always important to check the accuracy of your XML data.
   
    
8. Save the XML document (CTRL+S) and close it. It should still be sitting with the other "Addon Scenery", "Effects", "SimMarket", and "Texture" folders, but now with updated scenery layer values specific to your library. In Lorby-SI Addon Organizer, go to the PACKAGES tab, select "ADD", navigate to your OTHH scenery location and select the XML document we've just modified. You should get a successful message that says "package added" when completed:
   
   
   
    
9. Verify the components appear in the OTHER ADDONS and the SCENERY tabs:
   
   
   
    
10. Save the changes in Lorby-SI, close the program, launch the sim and test! Lorby-SI will ask you if you want to clear the scenery cache each time you save, and I typically say 'No' unless I am experiencing funky layering problems. Clearing the cache is a good way to iron out layering problems, but it will take a bit longer to load the sim when you do.
    
     

 

Once you've got that up and running, I highly encourage you to check out the free GSX and Dynamic Lighting profiles from iniBuilds to make this scenery really shine (especially if you plan to fly in/out at night, which is a popular time for this airport).

Let me know if you run into any snafus or have questions along the way.

add-on.xml 1.09 kB · 1 download

So im decently versed in this "stuff" but, what is the reasoning behind using Lorby product? I understand the process and will try it out once I am back home and report back. 

 

Thanks again!

[iceetoo1]

I am not sure if this is the place to ask but do you think the installation process for T2G LTBA would be the same as what you described above? Thanks. 

[drobinho]

There are definitely a few ways to tackle this. Ultimately it depends on the level of organization you want with managing your scenery library.

My preference for using Lorby's tool is for 2 reasons (I'm sure there are other programs that do this too) :

1. I can choose the exact layering of XML-loaded scenery, which P3D won't allow me to do with its own config panel.
2. I deactivate any scenery I'm not using in a given session (this was a big habit change for me, but scenery activation is now part of my preflight check). My full scenery library includes a few hundred addons, so having them all activated at once increases the loading time and prevalence of stutters in my sim.

One alternative would be to place the add-on.xml file in a dedicated folder inside your Documents\P3D Addons folder. P3D always scans for new XML entries in there and will auto-add them. Then to remove the scenery or deactivate it, just move the xml document outside of that "Addons" folder.

Also, you could always do the classic method of "Add Area" in the sim's Scenery Library too. If you choose to do this however, you will also need to paste the files from "Texture" and "Effects" into the corresponding folders inside your root sim directory, otherwise certain features will appear missing (that is why the XML document has 5 total entries: 3 for the sceneries, and one each for Texture/Effects).

 

This method should work for other, older sceneries; but I can't stress enough how important it is to respect the intended locations of the installed files. I've used this to get all my FSX sceneries installed into P3D4 (my recent project has been to get LVFR Central/South American sceneries to work). I would speak more directly to LTBA but I do not own it. Using OTHH for example, the files in "Texture" and "Effects" must be stored in a location that is correctly defined via XML as components with valid directories OR in the corresponding root directories themselves. This applies to all files outside the core 'Addon Scenery' elements. The complexity of each scenery will dictate the number of components and directories to consider (the easy ones to install are sceneries that come with just the BGL files and texture files; it gets tricky when they include elevation data, landclass, autogen, global textures, effects, or scripts). This is why it took me a little bit to wrap my head around it, but it should click once you've spent some time and get familiar with all the various components.

[iceetoo1]

I will definitely have to give it a try!! Thanks

 

Sorry for all the questions, but would you happen to know how to not create two versions of the same airlines when updating UTL flight plans? I was sucessfull getting OTHH installed and AI traffic moved there, however, in the process of updating the flight plans, it created a second Qatar Airways. I'm just trying to ensure this does not happen in the future.

 

Thanks again! 

[drobinho]

Nice work! We're close to the edge of my UTL knowledge, but I do have one idea. You might consider this clunky, and someone else may have a better method.

You could theoretically assign 'broken' aircraft entries to the old flightplans while having separate, valid entries assigned to your new flightplans. This requires some edits to the aircraft.cfg file in your AI planes.

Can you tell/show me how you mapped the AI planes to your new flightplans? I presume you used the UTLive client / settings area and selected the various airplanes with those drop-down menus? Can you tell me if both flightplan sets use the same AI planes (ex: "UTLive_TFS_B77L_QTR.QTR")?

[iceetoo1]

I just realized, after performing a second schedule update using the UTL_FP, that when you update schedules for an existing airline, the error message says "If you choose YES to replace with new schedule, default schedule will be disabled" so we're good to go!

I appreciate the help!! 

[drobinho]

Of *course* it's solved by a simple check-box. Way easier!! Glad to hear you got it working, it's such a transformation to get the new airport fully loaded in the sim. Enjoy the flights!

PS (last comment and entirely optional) -- there are some editvoicepack mods available online that can help change the ATC from saying "Oscar Tango Hotel Hotel" to "Hamad". That was the last piece of the puzzle for me. Let me know if you're after more info on that.

[iceetoo1]

That'd be great to change. I'm all ears.

 

I have another question, sorry to keep bugging.  I used the BAW summer 2018 to update the flight plans so that i could have the BA 7879 at OTHH. 1. I cannot figure out what time it flies in at ( i don't understand how to read it). 2. I cannot figure out if the update of schedule worked. It's showing up on UTL dashboard.

EGLL,0/21:20:00,@1/04:05:00,390,F,123,OTHH,1/05:40:00,@1/13:10:00,380,F,122,EGLL

 

 

[drobinho]

Not bugging at all. I'm a bit of an AI maniac. That line of code is broken down as:

[Departing Airport ICAO code], [Day of week]/[UTC Departure Time], @[Day of week]/[UTC Arrival Time],[Cruise Altitude],[IFR or VFR flightplan...pretty sure...in any case for commercial airlines this 'F' never changes],[Flightplan number],[Arrival Airport ICAO...which now becomes the departure airport ICAO code]

...and rinse/repeat. This is the pattern for all flightplans. Day of week is 0-6 (0=Sunday) and time is always UTC.

Based on your flightplan, that flight BAW123 LHR>DOH should arrive at 0405UTC - or 0705 in Doha - and depart back to LHR at 0540 UTC - or 0840 in Doha. So I'd check anytime between 07:30a-08:30a in Doha to see if it installed correctly.

If it's not showing up, check for:

* Enough parking locations?

* +1hr and -1hr, in case the flight plan data (or your own sim timezones) are misaligned

* Correctly installed AI plane/texture/cfg entry

 

Updating ATC voice/language does take a few steps, and requires:

1. Editvoicepack. You can download old versions for free here: https://editvoicepack.com/try-and-buy/download-old-versions/

2. The custom voicepack file for Hamad, available for download here (account at AIG required... if it were my work then I'd have attached it) : https://www.alpha-india.net/forums/index.php?topic=19874.msg191356#msg191356

 

Once you have Editvoicepack installed, import the custom Hamad files, save your voicepack and you should be good to go. Seemingly with all the bells & whistles I've suggested... it'll take a moment to familiarize yourself with Editvoicepack and how it works, but I don't sim without it. The voice acceleration feature is so crucial for AI-heavy locations, and it's always jarring to hear things like VICTOR TANGO BRAVO SIERRA over ATC. Just say Suvarnabhumi dangit...!

[iceetoo1]

It arrived at 7:30am just like you said. 

 

I'll definitely give it a try.

Thanks again for all the help!

[iceetoo1]

Did you ever have an issue with the ILS @OTHH? I tried to land on both 16 L & R but the localizer was never captured. 

[drobinho]

I personally haven't, although I'm not sure I've attempted ILS from that direction...always been the 34s for me. But they did work.

 

That is less obvious / could be a number of things.

• What aircraft are you flying?
  • If its something complex like QW787 / PMDG then it should come with its own navdata, including airports. Check the OTHH text file and make sure the ILS data is there, and that it matches the ADE file
  • If there is any OTBD data in your aircraft's database, might be good to deactivate it too
• What does it say in your ADE files?
  • Are the ILS' missing?
  • This is what mine looks like fresh from the installation - would be interesting if yours was different: https://imgur.com/a/CSHPAhF
• Check for competing/duplicate ADE files
  • Do you have any Orbx stuff? If so, there may some intrusive files there that require deactivating
  • Any active OTBD data in the sim library (not just aircraft data)? Maybe the old airport ILS is still active in your sim and interfering with capturing the new ones?

[iceetoo1]

On 12/29/2020 at 8:37 PM, drobinho said:

I personally haven't, although I'm not sure I've attempted ILS from that direction...always been the 34s for me. But they did work.

 

That is less obvious / could be a number of things.

• What aircraft are you flying?
  • If its something complex like QW787 / PMDG then it should come with its own navdata, including airports. Check the OTHH text file and make sure the ILS data is there, and that it matches the ADE file
  • If there is any OTBD data in your aircraft's database, might be good to deactivate it too
• What does it say in your ADE files?
  • Are the ILS' missing?
  • This is what mine looks like fresh from the installation - would be interesting if yours was different: https://imgur.com/a/CSHPAhF
• Check for competing/duplicate ADE files
  • Do you have any Orbx stuff? If so, there may some intrusive files there that require deactivating
  • Any active OTBD data in the sim library (not just aircraft data)? Maybe the old airport ILS is still active in your sim and interfering with capturing the new ones?

Okay, i will give this a try and report back lol.

 

Do you use SCENERYTR LTFM?