The airport lot assembly line

[krbe]

As Swesim earlier this year reported running into a dead end regarding the airport lots he was working on it's still necessary to lot all custom props by Tabi and Kumba individually. However, I have lotted some of the planes in the following configurations:

* On taxiway (2x4 lots)
* On runway, with (2x4 lots)
* On runway, against (2x4 lots)
* At gate, with airbridge (different lots)
* By stairs (different lots)

There are of course some issues with these lots:

Selectivity
I've lotted all these planes for my own pleasure, which means that some airlines are left out. I've prioritised those I could use in fictional settings, which means that I've left out most planes with a national entity in its name, such as British Airways, Air France or Turkish Airlines. The planes I've lotted thus include:

* Atlasair (747 Freighter)
* KLM Cargo (747 Freighter)
* Icelandair (757)
* Northwest (757, DC-10)
* United (737, 757, A320)
* DHL (A300, 757)
* FedEx (A300)
* Swiss (A320)
* Cathay Pacific (A340)
* Iberia (A340, DC-10)
* Lufthansa (A380, A340, 737)
* Olympic (A340)
* Scandinavian (A340)
* Continental (737, 757, 767)
* Delta (737, 757, 767)
* British Airways (Concorde, A380)
* KLM (DC-10)
* World Air (DC-10)
* Emirates (A380)
* Singapore Airlines (A380)
*Aeroflot (Tu-154, Glenni's model)

In addition to these there might be a few I've forgot.

Ground clutter
The lots are mostly made for being used on smaller airports, which few planes, so most of the lots are quite similar; only the actual plane differ. Also, from my experience, most airport utility vehicles are kept away from the plane stands most of the time; usually only a catering vehicle and baggage trolleys are used (in addition to the baggage loader, which doesn't exist as a prop), plus a stair on non-airbridge gates. The lots reflect that. The non-airbridge lots don't have a lot of people waiting to embark; again, this is because of relatively small airports these lots where mostly made for. That makes them look a little "dead", which is pretty much close to the truth (every other month or so I visit my family back home, and I can guarantee you that there is extremely little going on airside in plain view on small airports!).

Air bridges
The gate lots are made for parked aircrafts. That means that I've tried to decipher the parking markings (you know the dashes on the centerline which says [B737] [A320] [MD80] when parked at the gate), and place them accordingly. I've also tried to "connect" the planes to the air bridges, which works well at two angles and crappy at the two others (see examples below). This we'll just have to live with (for now). Some of the air bridges don't quite add up to the placement of the doors on the planes, which is mainly due to a) the desire to connect the body with the air bridge, and b) the desire to be able to use the same gate for several plane types. Despite the wish to retaine the same bridge type, there are differences between them. Some gates just don't work with some plane types, which is why I also want to add empty air bridge stands.

RLS
Oh yes, the exams are upcoming, so I'll only be able to work on this in my some of my now-sacred spare time. Mid-June I'll also emigrate to work (rent has to be paid), but I hope I'll be able to finish them soon.

Conversion for release
The biggest obstacle to release is in fact none of the above mentioned. Before they go public I'd like to change the stats to something more realistic (and the name from Aeromexico 737!), move them from the park menu, and make them pay you, so that cheating, err... budget correcting airport managers aren't so dependent on the moolah from their local aviation agency.

These lots depends on Voltaires RMIP packages and the ACB-VLT Terminals for textures and gates, and plane props from Tabi, Kumba and Mike_Oxlong. Too late I also discovered that some of them require the white markings from the SWAP package (the ones with the line to the far end instead of in the middle, like the markings for the heavy ramp); I might make some lots for them too.

Examples
A340 SK, A300 DHL, Tu-154 SU, DC-10 NW (shows the air bridge problem from the "bad angle")
Planes on taxiway
767 DL and SK, 757 DL, Concorde BA, A320 LX, 737 LH
747F AT/KLC, A340 SK, DC-10 KL (all on TWY)
757 CO, DC-10 IB, 737 UA, A320 LX (all on TWY)
737 LH, A300 FedEx/DHL, DC-10 WO (all on TWY)
DC-10 NW, 737 DL, 747F AT, 737 CO (all on TWY)

Thus I'd like some suggestions for:

* Realistic stats for water, power, garbage
* Suggestion on how much income they should bring (look at your airport expenses and gates for example!)
* Some info on custom icons, such as bit depth, size, format, etc.

[summer365]

Please release them to public as soon as possible!
I'm in full hope for them!!!   

[krbe]

I've finished the airbridge planestands for the 737s, A320s, and 757s for one type of airbridges (don't bet on more coming before I've finished other parts; Mike_Oxlong has already made a different type of 737 gates if you need it). Below you can see the three different plane types and how they appear. Note the lack of ground-clutter: As I've written before, passenger planes don't have tons of cars, pallets, etc. lying around before take-off. I have however added traffic cones at the wings and before the engines for all planes.

The problem with the gate is that it looks bad from one angle, and strange from another (it doesn't continue into the terminal from one angle, instead lying "on top" of it, and is halfway on the outside on the other). See below.

The different plane types and the empty plane stand


View of how the bridge itself conforms to the terminal.

[/i]

[krbe]

AIRBUS A320s LOTTED: ALPHA AVAILABILITY

You can now download the first lotted airport lots. Be aware that some glitches are present.

The following lots are lotted, but not fully "modded":

KRB_AC320_AB1 -- Airbus A320 from Air Canada
KRB_AF320_AB1 -- Airbus A320 from Air France
KRB_LX320_AB1 -- Airbus A320 from Swiss
KRB_UA320_AB1 -- Airbus A320 from United

With Ilive's LEprop I've managed to move the lots from the Park Menu, give them "airport" sounds and given them the proper menu description. They now display right info in the menu, but in the query window it still says "Aeromexico 737 Jetway", and the query window is the same as the park query window.

The lots require the SWAP package (STEX), the RMIP packages (STEX), the ACE-VLT Terminals and Jets packages (STEX), and Tabi's A320 props (LEX).

I'd like anyone who can help me rectify these problems to give me a hand; I've tried to change the Item name/description in Ilive's reader, but "Aeromexico" is still prevevalent.

-Kristian

[BarbyW]

I'd like anyone who can help me rectify these problems to give me a hand; I've tried to change the Item name/description in Ilive's reader, but "Aeromexico" is still prevevalent.

You need to delete the Item Name and Item Description properties from the exemplars. You should also change the Exemplar Name to the name you want to show in the query.

[pilotdaryl]

The 'jetway bug' is caused by the lack of custom LODs to these aircraft.  The aircraft use the normal box LODs, which interfere with the jetway LODs and cause the jetway bugs.  My aircraft will have custom LODs constructed to avoid this bug; otherwise, these planes are how they are.  You'll have to live with the bug unless you contact tabi about this problem.

This was also the reason that current AC team aircraft have the jetway attached to each one of them.