Saving the Airport

Any changes you make to an airport are initially done only in memory. As long as you don't do a ‘Save’ none of the changes you make will affect Flight Simulator. If you want to experiment first before you do any serious work then just don’t save the airport you are working on.     Saving in ADE is different to compiling the .bgl.   ADE has its own special format with an ‘.ade’ extension.   These files will seem quite big compared to a .bgl file.   However they can save information about the airport when you are working on it including:

• Information about Background Images but not the images themselves

• Guidelines and position markers

• Locking objects to stop them being accidentally deleted, moved or edited

• Saving information about other things like nearby airports and navaids that will be displayed but not compiled

• Helper shapes

• Other design time information

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

As a general rule always save your airport in .ade format.   do not be tempted to compile to Bgl and load that (as you will be used to if you have used AFCAD).   Not only will you lose the extra information that Airport Design Editor stores but repeated compile and decompile of Bgl files can cause a number of errors including rounding and creep of co-ordinates.   There is no need and no advantage in using any other format that the ADE project format.

 

So to save the airport   select Save from the File Menu.   If the airport you opened is not an ‘.ade’ file then you will be asked to give it a name before saving.

 

 

 

The name is made up using the ICAO of the airport followed by ‘ADE’ as the design tool and the initials you entered in the New User Wizard.   You can change this name as you wish but do not change the extension.   Click the Save button and after a few moments you will see a message confirming the file is saved.   Note that first time you do this ADE will offer to save in it’s own work folder.   You can change this and the program should remember the folder and use that next time.   ADE will make a backup of the airport before saving the revised version

 

ADE will remind you if you need to save a file.   If you make changes and then try to open another file, or close the application you will be asked it you want to Save the open file first:

 

 

If you do not want to save it then just click the No button.; if you change your mind about what you are about to do then click Cancel.   In some circumstances you may not see the Cancel button. Airports that are opened from the .ade format will save without asking for a new file name.   To change their name use the Save As… menu option