Groups.cfg ‐ Define your world
The groups configuration file is where you define where all the bases are located that you want to fly contracts to. Each base is defined by two waypoints, the Runway and the Terminal.
The Runway is the definition of the geographical location of the base. It is typically in the centre of the main runway. The Terminal is the specific location at the base site that you must reach with your aircraft to complete the mission parameters of the contract. It typically located in an area of the base that is connected to the runway by flat taxiways that can be used when moving the aircraft into position on the ground.
In this example of the Stock KSC You can see the Terminal Waypoint is positioned just in front of the SPH and the Runway Waypoint is in the center of the main runway. There are various variables in the Groups.cfg that need to be populated with the Waypoint information from the two locations above.
Do not edit the groups.cfg file directly. In order not to overwrite your hard work you need to define all of your base information in a Module Manager patch file. In the GAPFAS/Patches folder there is a file named GAPFASContractGroupPatch.cfg.StockTemplate. Copy this file to a directory in your GameData where you normally keep your Module Manager patch files. Rename the file to GAPFASContractGroupPatch.cfg. When your game boots up, Module manager will patch your base data into the GAPFAS Groups.cfg file for in game use.
Please note that the KSC location on your particular world must always be the first (or 0 ) index of all the variables.
The full name and the short name the base is known by. You can use any naming convention you like, I prefer full name and the 3 letter IATA Airport Code.
siteFullName = ["Kerbin Space Center", "Island Airfield", "Desert Airfield"]
siteName = ["KSC", "IAF", "DAF"]
The coordinate data of the waypoints that you can gather from Waypoint Manager using the decimal setting. You do not need to worry about altitude as it is assumed by contract configurator to be on the ground.
siteLAT = [-0.0492631496694876,-1.517718751,-6.520091272]
siteLON = [-74.614253751157,-71.906177285227,-144.0394052]
terminalLAT = [-0.0657987936980026,-1.523578027,-6.528841525]
terminalLON = [-74.6234648947342,-71.89942326,-144.0300105]
The last item you need to define are the continuing flight locations for multi site missions. In this setup the number in the list is the next airport to be flown to on the mission
siteMultiFlight = [0,2,1]
For example: If you have a multi flight mission to the Island Airfield then the connecting flight will be to site 2 on the index. All the indexes begin and the number 0 and increment by 1 with each comma in the list. The continuing flight from the Island Airfield in this example would be the Desert Airfield. The first index of the multiflight list is always 0 as it is the KSC.
To add more bases to the lists, just add a comma after the last value in the list and input the information. The bases do not need to be in any specific order. Text for the names must be enclosed in "Quotations". Each new base needs all 7 data elements configured. Once you have added a new base, the contracts will start to make use of it automatically.
If you are building new bases it is a good practice to place your waypoints and collect the 7 variables as you go.
Editing the GAPFASContractGroupPatch.cfg file to modify your world configuration can get messy If you have a lot of sites. To make it easier you can use a spreadsheet program to help keep it organised.
In this example I use columns to define my sites. The first column contains the variable names and the open brace character followed by the data for my world's KSC information. The last column has the information for another site and the closed brace character to indicate the end of the list. I have coloured these columns in red to indicate caution when changing the information in them. You don't want to change the variable names or the brace positions in them.
The middle column only contains site data and it is safe to freely change. When you want to add a new site you can select the middle column and insert a new column that you can use to enter the 7 values to make a new site.
Once you are happy with the sites you have entered in your spreadsheet you can use the save as a CVS file which will result in a file you can open with a text editor like the image below;
Now you have the data you need that you can copy into the GAPFASContractGroupPatch.cfg file to update your base information.
I have included my LibreOffice spreadsheet file for you use. It should open in Excel or Google Sheets if your prefer those programs. GAPFAS Site Planner.ods