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Changing runway designators?
http://www.ocs-support.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3162		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  martinlest [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 1:44 am ]
Post subject:  Changing runway designators?
PF3 is (as an example) announcing runways 05/23 at HKJK, whereas everything else in my system (X-Plane) has 06/24 for Nairobi, so I'd like to change it. When I go into PF3 SIDs/STARs and enter the airport ICAO, it is only the FSX data that has it as 05/23, so that must be what PF3 is using. But where is PF3 getting the FSX data from? I do still have FSX installed, but there is no runways.csv file in the folder (I do have one in XP11 and in FS9, but both of those show 06/24). The file PF3_FSX_Runways.dat in the PF3 data folder also has 06/24.. so I am at a loss to know where the FSX data (with 05/23 used by PF3 ATC) is located.. Could anyone help?

Thanks!
Author:  Dave March [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
PF3 builds its own database files from Runways.CSV, which is created by the MakeRwys utility, named PF3FS9DATA.DAT, PF3FSXDATA.DAT and PF3P3DDATA.DAT. They are Random Access files and cannot be read using a text editor.
Author:  martinlest [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Hi Dave. Yes, I am familiar with that, but I was asking where the Runways.CSV that PF3 is apparently using to make its database files can possibly be. PF3 must be using an FSX file, because, as I said, it is when I choose the FSX database radio button in SIDs/STARs that I see the 'wrong' runways listed. But my FSX root folder has no Runways.csv file in it.

I always point PF3 to the runways.csv file that is in my X-Plane folder for database updates (provided by PFEtoXplane originally), but that copy has the correct runways for HKJK, 06/24 listed, not those which PF3 ATC gives me. So from which runways.csv file can PF3 be getting 05/23 when it builds its files? I'm stumped.

Hope you see what I mean! Thanks.
Author:  Dave March [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Hi Martin

PF3 only uses the Runways.csv file that you point to and it only uses it the once, during the DB updates process, it doesn't use it at any other time. So why the one you say you point to has the correct data I can't answer you I'm afraid. Try running Makerwys again and then update the PF3 DB and ensure all the files are being recreated
Author:  martinlest [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Thanks. Not sure if makerunways works in X-Plane?? Well, it is a mystery then, and looks like it will remain one. I point PF3 to the runways.csv file that is in my XP11 folder, and that has all the correct runways in it. PF3 should be using the runway data there. :shock:

Even though I am pointing to the runways.csv file in the XP11 folder, PF3 is clearly not using it - at other airports the runways are totally different in the FSX database which PF3 seems to want to load up at database updates (and wrong) from the FS9 database .

Idea: I will try copying the runways.csv file that is in my XP11 folder over to my FSX folder and then point PF3 to that file, in the FSX folder, when it runs its database update... Will report!

Report: No change! FS9 and P3D (which I don't have) have the correct runways, according to the SIDs/STARs window, FSX database does not... Ho hum. Far more irritating not to be able to get to the bottom of this than it is to have the wrong runway designators in the sim! :lol:
Author:  Dave March [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
And does the PF3 DB update refresh all the data files?
Author:  martinlest [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Yes, it does - I was just checking their file dates to be sure. It's really odd.

As a 'workaround', since the FS9 database seems to have mostly the correct information, I have backed up the PF3 database files for FSX (PF3FSXDATA.DAT and PF3FSXDATA.idx), made a copy of those two FS9 files and renamed them to FSX. The SIDs/STARs page now shows the correct runways for FSX too, as you'd expect, so PF3 ATC should now use these as well. I'll have a test flight after lunch and let you know!
Author:  martinlest [ Fri Aug 16, 2019 1:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Quote:
As a 'workaround', since the FS9 database seems to have mostly the correct information, I have backed up the PF3 database files for FSX (PF3FSXDATA.DAT and PF3FSXDATA.idx), made a copy of those two FS9 files and renamed them to FSX.
That worked, ATC uses the correct runways now, but not sure what will happen next time I come to update the database...
Author:  martinlest [ Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Hmm, I am still getting some incorrect designators, it's odd. I run the database rebuilder, and although the runways.csv file has this (when opened with a text editor):

SVMI,0090,10.598654,-66.997710,234,88,5244,0
SVMI,0270,10.602138,-66.983522,234,268,5244,0
SVMI,0100,10.603698,-67.012840,234,100,9930,0
SVMI,0280,10.604650,-66.985164,234,280,9930,0

which is correct, in the PF3 SID/STARS window, when I list the runways for SVMI, I still get runway 09 showing as runway 08. There is no runway 08 at SVMI in the runways.csv file, so I can't understand why PF3 is creating a database containing that runway. Maybe someone else can...!

Martin
Author:  Rustydog [ Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Changing runway designators?
Try changing the values in r4.csv
worked for me.
Regards Steve

Don't forget to back up first.
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