NAS Alameda, CA KNGZ for FSX

[gray eagle]

From what I have discovered, I can't use flyable aircraft as AI From Scruffyduck.

Still trying to figure out what to do with ADE after I add the aircraft....

 

[tgycgijoes]

Flyable Aircraft as AI

It is easy to convert a flyable aircraft to an ai aircraft. You can search on the internet how to do that. Static aircraft are scenery objects. I explained up above how to create and place them. AI aircraft cannot be placed as objects on an airport but must have a flight plan created for them. When they are at any given airport in the flight plan they will appear on a specified parking spot. When it is time to taxi and takeoff you can observe that happen. When it is time to land you can watch that as well just like the default aircraft behave in FSX or FS9 or MAIW or WoAI aircraft do. Go to the internet and download AI Flight Planner. They just told me there is a brand new version. Then open the User Manual (pdf) and start reading how to program whatever aircraft you want to fly here as ai. You may be able to find ready-made versions of the aircraft in the OWLSNEST the depository for Military AI Works (MAIW). I tried to attach the AIFP manual here for you but it is 1MB too large for the SOH forum. I gotta work on the radio for a while so I'll catch up with you later.

Richard

 

[dhazelgrove]

I'm unable to use ADE to open version 2.2 of the BGL, and AIFP can't extract any airport position data.
This means that I can't place any AI traffic at Alameda.

Dave

 

[gray eagle]

It's like drinking from a fire hose with all this input on how to populate the Alameda airport with AI aircraft. I do have SDK installed and with explorer, i can sorta conjure up a plane or two that
can see at this airport. Trying to locate them side by side is a bummer.

I tried that AIFP and the only aircraft it see's is my P3's. I can't seem to get it to recognize other aircraft that I would like to locate at KNGZ. I looked thru the users manual and
some of what it says makes sense but other parts are a little deep for me to comprehend.

 

[gray eagle]

Some aircraft spotted

Using SDK Explorer I was able to create some other aircraft to show at this airport. I didn't have complete control as to where to place them.

Got lucky I guess.

 

[tgycgijoes]

That looks good

Using SDK Explorer I was able to create some other aircraft to show at this airport. I didn't have complete control as to where to place them.

Got lucky I guess.

That looks really good. I'm still working on my programming. Fell asleep. LOL. Those 1AM and 2AM airport nights this week finally caught up with me.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Can't open the airport and make AI flight plans.

I'm unable to use ADE to open version 2.2 of the BGL, and AIFP can't extract any airport position data.
This means that I can't place any AI traffic at Alameda.

Dave

Unless you add the airport manually into the AIFP database and remove and ref's to NGZ the closed airport, AIFP won't look for it. Why you can't open the BGL I don't know though. Use ADE to open the "stock airport" called Alameda and see if you have an AFCAD for the closed airport which is what is in FSX by default. It is located in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\scenery\0102\scenery. The file is named: APX15180.bgl Take the file and put it in a safe spot like a new folder in Microsoft Games called "Unused AFCADS".

In my experience with other addon airports, sometimes the designer will tell you to do this. I didn't think of putting this in the readme because it is not an issue if you are just going to add the airport and fly from it. I will put this into the V2.4 readme for anyone else who wants to use AIFP with the airport.

I am probably the last guy to instruct on the use of ADE or AIFP. I am sure we have 100's of more qualified in FSDevelopers and Sim Outhouse than me. But that is what I did/do. Any other input from those more experienced please pipe up! One thing I just did you can try and see if you HAVE the airport is use the Airport Editor in AIFP and call up the KNGZ ICAO and see if you get the airport. I hope that this helps you.

 

[gray eagle]

As for me, I can call up V2.2 Bgl scenery and go by your last instruction on adding aircraft. I tried to add a flyable aircraft (I saw some were that flyable a/c won't work but I could load that cod
C-1 you saw in my pictures and a HU-16 and it looks like there were spotted where I wanted them. It's what do I do later with ADEX after spotting the A/C on the the ramp.

I'd like that AIFP readme on the next update.

Unless you add the airport manually into the AIFP database and remove and ref's to NGZ the closed airport, AIFP won't look for it. Why you can't open the BGL I don't know though. Use ADE to open the "stock airport" called Alameda and see if you have an AFCAD for the closed airport which is what is in FSX by default. It is located in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\scenery\0102\scenery. The file is named: APX15180.bgl Take the file and put it in a safe spot like a new folder in Microsoft Games called "Unused AFCADS".

In my experience with other addon airports, sometimes the designer will tell you to do this. I didn't think of putting this in the readme because it is not an issue if you are just going to add the airport and fly from it. I will put this into the V2.4 readme for anyone else who wants to use AIFP with the airport.

I am probably the last guy to instruct on the use of ADE or AIFP. I am sure we have 100's of more qualified in FSDevelopers and Sim Outhouse than me. But that is what I did/do. Any other input from those more experienced please pipe up! One thing I just did you can try and see if you HAVE the airport is use the Airport Editor in AIFP and call up the KNGZ ICAO and see if you get the airport. I hope that this helps you.

 

[gray eagle]

What I'd like to know is if I can open your scenery bgl in ADEX and add the aircraft to where I want it then compile it. I tried it and the date of the scenery file didn't update so that tells me no
that's not the way to do it. So, is it a projects file that I monkey with and add the static AI to or what?


I played with AIFP and I am overwhelmed with it all. I can get it to recognize any of my installed Aircraft on the KBT P3's. So I am stuck there too.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Is AIFP Overwhelming?

Yes if you have never done anything like it before. Since though I only know enough about it to get in trouble, I will try and help. Is that HU-16 the free version that was first FS9? I have that one and I have updated its panel so it has all FSX gauges. I think that a little bit of your confusion is in that fact that you are call the aircraft static ai. That is a contradiction. An aircraft is either: 1. Flyable 2. ai or 3. static. An aircraft cannot be anything else. You fly it. A flight plan flies it or it just sits somewhere you placed it like a building. I am going back and forth here while I have tracks uploading to my radio program which is a wait for thing. I am going to go look for an MAIW airport with ai flight plans tweaked for FSX and send it to you to upload. Then you can see it in action. Once you see it in action, I'll tell you how to open the flight plan in AIFP and you can see what it looks like. That is how I learned what little I know about AIFP. I wish some AIFP guru was following our post. "You're AIFP blind and I am only AIFP partially sighted" LOL and we're liable to fall in the ditch together LOL!!!

 

[gray eagle]

The HU-16 I was trying to load into your scenery was the flyable Virtavia HU-16. I guess ADEX won't allow flyable types although it looked like when I was adding models in ADEX I was pointing to the
flyable mdls and ADEX went thru the motions of adding them - I could see them parked at the ramps. After that I tried to wrestle with compile - thought that was next thing to do - and no changes
happened. Oh well. I guess in time I hope to have this all sorted.

Yes if you have never done anything like it before. Since though I only know enough about it to get in trouble, I will try and help. Is that HU-16 the free version that was first FS9? I have that one and I have updated its panel so it has all FSX gauges. I think that a little bit of your confusion is in that fact that you are call the aircraft static ai. That is a contradiction. An aircraft is either: 1. Flyable 2. ai or 3. static. An aircraft cannot be anything else. You fly it. A flight plan flies it or it just sits somewhere you placed it like a building. I am going back and forth here while I have tracks uploading to my radio program which is a wait for thing. I am going to go look for an MAIW airport with ai flight plans tweaked for FSX and send it to you to upload. Then you can see it in action. Once you see it in action, I'll tell you how to open the flight plan in AIFP and you can see what it looks like. That is how I learned what little I know about AIFP. I wish some AIFP guru was following our post. "You're AIFP blind and I am only AIFP partially sighted" LOL and we're liable to fall in the ditch together LOL!!!

 

[tgycgijoes]

A New AI Program

The HU-16 I was trying to load into your scenery was the flyable Virtavia HU-16. I guess ADEX won't allow flyable types although it looked like when I was adding models in ADEX I was pointing to the
flyable mdls and ADEX went thru the motions of adding them - I could see them parked at the ramps. After that I tried to wrestle with compile - thought that was next thing to do - and no changes
happened. Oh well. I guess in time I hope to have this all sorted.

I am sending you a dropbox link to a new (to me) AI program I just found which is much easier to use than AIFP. It is designed to work with the FSX SDK in t he background. I just downloaded the README manual and will work with it sometime. I am so far behind in scheduling now I will probably sign off for tonight after this reply. Here is the link to the folder.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymdp4ukvaod4292/aitrafficsetup11.zip?dl=0

 

[dhazelgrove]

Sorted the issues, and here are a few very quick shots of the outcome.
Can we have more parking, please?

Dave

 

[gray eagle]

I tried this program and it is buggy, at least for me. It will only find the stock FSX aircraft and not the other addons.

I'm about ready to just throw in the towel on this and move on. Some people ^ have an innate ability to manipulate these jazzy programs
and exhibit their talents. That's fine and dandy with me. I just don't like the disappointing results I always seem to conjure up.
Thanks for your help as I appreciate it and hopefully, your project will be a smashing success.

I am sending you a dropbox link to a new (to me) AI program I just found which is much easier to use than AIFP. It is designed to work with the FSX SDK in t he background. I just downloaded the README manual and will work with it sometime. I am so far behind in scheduling now I will probably sign off for tonight after this reply. Here is the link to the folder.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymdp4ukvaod4292/aitrafficsetup11.zip?dl=0

 

[tgycgijoes]

Sorted the issues, and here are a few very quick shots of the outcome.
Can we have more parking, please?

Dave

Looks good. I will add more parking to V2.4 before I compile and post it.

 

[dhazelgrove]

I tried this program and it is buggy, at least for me. It will only find the stock FSX aircraft and not the other addons.

I'm about ready to just throw in the towel on this and move on. Some people ^ have an innate ability to manipulate these jazzy programs
and exhibit their talents. That's fine and dandy with me. I just don't like the disappointing results I always seem to conjure up.
Thanks for your help as I appreciate it and hopefully, your project will be a smashing success.

I'll stick with AIFP. It's easy enough, with a little thought.

Dave

 

[tgycgijoes]

Don't Throw In The Towel

I tried this program and it is buggy, at least for me. It will only find the stock FSX aircraft and not the other addons.

I'm about ready to just throw in the towel on this and move on. Some people ^ have an innate ability to manipulate these jazzy programs
and exhibit their talents. That's fine and dandy with me. I just don't like the disappointing results I always seem to conjure up.
Thanks for your help as I appreciate it and hopefully, your project will be a smashing success.

I feel like you do right now about the ai. I had great success with it in FS9. There are many times that I am really disgusted with Microsoft for making so many changes to FSX that the two are incompatible in many areas and programs that were so great that don't work with FSX. Lee Swordy's TrafficTools was fantastic and he never made an FSX version. I think that I may be able to get AIFP to work and when I do I will PM you and tell you how in detail so you can too. In the meantime though after yesterday, I agree with you about it being frustrating. I have enjoyed working with you on NAS Alameda. I will continue posting updates to it on this thread. When flight simming starts to get frustrating and is not fun anymore its time to get back to what is fun, flying. I am going to spend my time on tweaking the airport and flying to/from it to other NAS's. Maybe sometime we can get into Multiplayer and fly together with the other couple guys here too if they want. I think that would be fun. TTYL

Richard

 

[tgycgijoes]

Aifp

I'll stick with AIFP. It's easy enough, with a little thought.

Dave

I don't know why it only picks the default a/c and I agree about AIFP. I am going to spend the free time tweaking NAS Alameda and when I get it the way I think it should be in a finished state, and do some flying for all the efforts, then I'll get to tackling ai from it. I answered Butch about a Multiplayer flight sometime in the near future. Interested? We can discuss it later.

Richard

 

[gray eagle]

Here is a little info from AIFP manual that makes me wonder how it will help me add static aircraft.

1. GENERAL
AI Flight Planner provides all the facilities necessary to install, create, edit, analyse and compile AI traffic flight plans for both FS9 and FSX versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) and Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D (P3D) - collectively referred to as "FlightSim"). Either TTools-format .txt files (zipped or unzipped) or compiled MSFS traffic .bgl files may be used as “source code” – or you may create your flight plans “from scratch” using timetable information from airlines, airports or elsewhere.
P3D is handled in exactly the same way as FSX.


Now I know that static aircraft are just that, not moving, just sitting in one place.

Here is the GUI from this AIFP program

I/m thinking this is a tool for making flight planes for AI aircraft. Well, Not knowing what button(S) to mash, I try all of 'em and as per usual, always moving and getting nowhere.
Ya Know...I have better luck with SDK creating aircraft in its explorer program except they are not permanent, when you shut off FSX, there gone.......
This AIFP thing, I don't know how in Hades one gets this program to find the aircraft you want to make a flight plan for 'cause it won't recognize ALL addon aircraft.
It will pickup on some MIAW P3 aircraft and only those.

So how I don't know how the other gentleman that posted a picture containing a plethora of aircraft at KNGZ. I've been snagged in the weeds with that program and just
running into so many dead ends. Yes, I did go thru the manual but for whatever reason, I'm not able to produce what it was intended to do.

Now, if there were some other program out there that will let you spot any aircraft you have installed in your FSX flyable/AI or whatever, I could sure use it.
But for now, all I am doing is just spinning my wheels with this. And so it goes.......

 

[mikewmac]

I feel like you do right now about the ai. I had great success with it in FS9. There are many times that I am really disgusted with Microsoft for making so many changes to FSX that the two are incompatible in many areas and programs that were so great that don't work with FSX. Lee Swordy's TrafficTools was fantastic and he never made an FSX version. I think that I may be able to get AIFP to work and when I do I will PM you and tell you how in detail so you can too. In the meantime though after yesterday, I agree with you about it being frustrating. I have enjoyed working with you on NAS Alameda. I will continue posting updates to it on this thread. When flight simming starts to get frustrating and is not fun anymore its time to get back to what is fun, flying. I am going to spend my time on tweaking the airport and flying to/from it to other NAS's. Maybe sometime we can get into Multiplayer and fly together with the other couple guys here too if they want. I think that would be fun. TTYL

Richard

Guys,

I have a suggestion that might work for you. I'm an old, with the emphasis on old, FS8 and FS9 AI flight planner using TTools and I had a large inventory of FS9 AI Traffic files that I recompiled into FSX AI Traffic files using AIFP. This recompilation process was so simple and straight forward that I have found it much easier for me to create FS9 AI flight plans and compile the FS9 AI Traffic files with TTools and then only use AIFP to recompile these FS9 AI Traffic files into FSX AI Traffic files. Of course this approach assumes that one has experience in using TTools, but for me it makes using AIFP very simple and straight forward.