[SU14] AE messes up flight_model.cfg and engines.cfg

[DA40CGDFQ]

If you have an aircraft not updated in say a year and now you decide to update it. Using AE2 will mess up the flight_model.cfg and engine.cfg without any manual changes made.

To reproduce. use an aircraft not updated for a while and missing any new cfg parameters. backup cfg files for future comparison.

Notice that upon opening the AE that flight_model and engines already have a dot next to them as if they have been modified. For fun click on Save and resync. Notice that the two tabs still have a white dot. Open the cfg files and compare them to your backup. Notice the numerous things have been tagged with ;[REMOVED]

Now do a save and resync, again without any changes. And compare your back up the current state.

Notice now that your entire Fuel section has been tagged removed and you have this

[FUEL]
;[REMOVED]LeftMain = -0.4,-2.1,-1,44.400002,0
;[REMOVED]RightMain = -0.4,2.1,-1,44.400002,0
;[REMOVED]Center1 = -6,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]Center2 = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]Center3 = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]LeftAux = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]LeftTip = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]RightAux = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]RightTip = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]External1 = 0,0,0,0,0
;[REMOVED]External2 = 0,0,0,0,0
fuel_type =1
;[REMOVED]number_of_tank_selectors =1
;[REMOVED]electric_pump =1
;[REMOVED]engine_driven_pump =1
;[REMOVED]manual_transfer_pump =0
;[REMOVED]manual_pump =0
;[REMOVED]anemometer_pump =0
;[REMOVED]fuel_dump_rate =0
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector = 1 ; Default fuel selector used in case of autostart, default is ALL.
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.1=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.2=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.3=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.4=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.5=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.6=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.7=1
;[REMOVED]default_fuel_tank_selector.8=1

and you have this added.

[FUEL_SYSTEM]
Version = 3

[HELICOPTER]
collective_to_throttle_correlator = 0

Now some new parameters for engine have been added to the SDK for mixture. I see these new parameters and what can be assumed to be default table setups. However they don’t get saved to the engine.cfg. The three Mixture tables are added to the AE engine tab, however they are NOT added to the engine.cfg file. They only get added if you make a change to those tables, like add a fake table line.

this is added to a piston engine, which gives a red error (Duplicate Key found) on in sim build.

[TURBINEENGINEDATA]
rated_N2_rpm = 0
n1_and_mach_on_thrust_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
corrected_airflow_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
n1_and_mach_on_thrust_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
corrected_airflow_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

edit:
power_absorbed_cf=1.3 was reset to power_absorbed_cf=1

2000 gal of fuel in simvar, but not in AE??

it also added this due to fake adding of Fuel System section

;[REMOVED]fuel_press_tc=2
;[REMOVED]fuel_press_tuning_constant=1

more edits:

this is missing or difficult to find

rpm_on_volumetric_efficiency_table

[FlyingRaccoon]

Hello @DA40CGDFQ

Can you please provide us with the flight_model.cfg and engines.cfg to help us reproduce those issues?
Also can you please send us your FileDefs_AircraftEditor.xml file from the fs-devmode official package so we can check if it has been altered in any way?

• FUEL section disabled: I wasn’t able to reproduce this yet. Is the “use_legacy” checkbox from the FUEL section checked when you open your aircraft in the editor?

• Tables not added to the cfg: this is the behavior by design. Parameters will not be explicitely added to the cfg if they are considered optional and are set to their default value.

• TURBINEENGINEDATA section added: I have a repro on this one and will trace it. However, this will have no impact on your aircraft behavior as this section will simply be ignored.

• power_absorbed_cf: 1 is the max value if you have prop_mod_use_modern set to 1. Is this your case? I’ve tested with it set to false and I am able to set value above 1

• rpm_on_volumetric_efficiency_table missing: I have a repro and will trace this one.

Regards,
Sylvain

[DA40CGDFQ]

Opening the AE will have a dot for the engines.cfg and flight_model.cfgand no changes made. Then I just save and resynch, and it adds this.

It wants to add Spoiler_extension_time=0.01 when I have it as 0 - flight_model.cfg

Prop_mod_use_modern is not in my cfg file. (it’s an older project before that was available)

Doing a save an resynch - dose NOT remove the dot from engines tab, keeps thinking a change has been made. and again keeps adding turbine data

[TURBINEENGINEDATA]
rated_N2_rpm = 0
n1_and_mach_on_thrust_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
corrected_airflow_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
n1_and_mach_on_thrust_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
corrected_airflow_table = ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

duplicated.

I’m at a loss as how to add the mixture tables if they don’t save by themselves. How do you trigger the mixture tables to save?

use_intake_density_on_mixture = 1
does not add the mixture tables.

Dots on tabs, but no asterisk on any of the parameters.

FileDefs_AircraftEditor.zip (38.8 KB)

flight_model.zip (5.8 KB)

EDIT: fuel system happens on third attempt to save and resynch

moded files without adding anything.

flight_model_moded.zip (5.8 KB)

[Ramasurinen]

I am having all of the same issues described above, regarding dots on tabs that reappear after save and resync etc.

Even with “use_legacy_fuel” checked the editor always adds [FUEL_SYSTEM] and a version entry during any save, negating all of the legacy fuel tank entries. This makes the editor effectively unusable right now unfortunately.

Thanks.

[FlyingRaccoon]

Hello @DA40CGDFQ @Ramasurinen

The latest flighting build should address this.
Can you check and tell us if you have any other suspicious modifications on your side?

Regards,
Sylvain

[DA40CGDFQ]

Reviewing 1.35.19.0 AE2

I believe I should receive a free copy of MSFS2024 and be added to the beta program for MSFS2024 if I have to keep pointing out these issues to you guys. What’s this the third forth time I have given you a detailed list of AE issues.

AE2 no longer shows flight model engines as having changes on first load - fixed
All section are now capitalized - no issue

Aircraft tab

Added soundai and short_description - no issue
[EXITS] section
before
[EXITS]
number_of_exits = 3
exit.0 = 0.4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.1 = 0.4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.2 = 0.4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)

after adding x value -4 to exit.2
[EXITS]
number_of_exits = 3
exit.0 = 0.4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.1 = 0.4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.2 = 0.4,-4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)

assume it would add y and z as zero - I believe this is inconsistent file formatting and should be changed

A second time saving and resynching gives
[EXITS]
number_of_exits = 3
exit.0 = 0.4,0,0,0,0 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.1 = 0.4,0,0,0,0 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
exit.2 = 0.4,-4 ; (0=Main 1=Passenger)
Zeroes still missing

Exits section now stays as “needs to be saved” (Dirty) remains with white dot on aircraft tab and exit section has asterisk

LOADING section has tips all being shown as Custom Parameters

Aircraft tab does not show EFFECTS gray bar

TIPS section
text box size is too small. - allow it to be resized or fill it’s outline in the TIPS tab/dropdown

FLITSIM section
SDK docs graphic does not match new features in Aircraft tab FLIGHTSIM section - minor changes

Lots of parameters that are/were part of the cfg parameters have been “deprecated” and now appear in the Custom Properties tab - Can these be safely removed as they don’t work anymore?

ENGINBES tab
*************************** ASSUME CRITICAL ERROR ***************************
mixture_ratio_to_sfc_scalar_table was REMOVED!!!

Will continue and report if I find more issues

[DA40CGDFQ]

Continued

System.cfg

Engine vacuum - only 4? engines?

Did not find any other issues in my cursory look at AE.

ENHANCEMENT Request:

Add a way to delete the custom parameters with “-”

And whats the deal with “custom Parameters”? Is there a way to read then from cfg files?