AI Traffic_Payware vs Freeware
- Thread starter falcon409
- Start date
magoo
SOH-CM-2013
I've been enjoying the freeware World of AI files. It's a massive task if you wish to download ALL of their files and install them. Instead, I dl just the files for the region that I'm currently exploring.. (Asia, Mediterranean, Oz, etc..)
WoAI provides models, textures, flightplans, all installed nice and neat, and free. Saves time tracking down models and textures to fill flightplans.
For light GA flights, I've been using GA-Traffic by Marcus Brunner, an excellent traffic randomizer for civilian aircraft below (60,000 lbs?).
I suffer from little free time. These programs and files have provided an experience real-enough, and thanks to the generosity of their creators, totally for free.
Keeps me happy.
WoAI provides models, textures, flightplans, all installed nice and neat, and free. Saves time tracking down models and textures to fill flightplans.
For light GA flights, I've been using GA-Traffic by Marcus Brunner, an excellent traffic randomizer for civilian aircraft below (60,000 lbs?).
I suffer from little free time. These programs and files have provided an experience real-enough, and thanks to the generosity of their creators, totally for free.
Keeps me happy.
VPL Paolo Lao
Charter Member
World of AI indeed is a good freeware, AI models are good too, installed almost all asian traffic, no conflict, crashes or whatsoever,. Great stuff.
Moparmike
Administrator
Yup, another vote for the World of AI stuff.
I use that for the majority of my commercial AI traffic, but I've done a few custom tracks to correct the schedules at my local airports.
I prefer to "roll my own" when it comes to the GA AI traffic using Yroute. I like seeing the same birds that I spot locally...I just wish there'd be an easy way to do an AI crop-duster track. :isadizzy:
I use that for the majority of my commercial AI traffic, but I've done a few custom tracks to correct the schedules at my local airports.
I prefer to "roll my own" when it comes to the GA AI traffic using Yroute. I like seeing the same birds that I spot locally...I just wish there'd be an easy way to do an AI crop-duster track. :isadizzy:
Odie
Charter Member
I've always had very good luck with Project AI sets of AI. Easy to install and really populate the FS world.
I have used only freeware. I have mostly WoAI and PAI (which I am replacing with WoAI when there will be an option because PAI models aren't in my opinion as good as WoAI models). Then I have CYYJ and VOZ (VOZ for the East and Australia). MAIW serves military purposes (there is some others too like PAI's and WoAI's military models and flightplans). The still quite empty sky of Russia I have filled up with SKJ and RATS. For my own country's civil traffic (private) there is GAFFIN (available on FS Nordic) and I've done some my own traffic too (from scratch). What to I need payware for?
Pekka
Pekka
Terry
SOH-CM-2016
You might consider what your losing with either one, which is the enjoyment of creating your own traffic to suit your taste. Once I got into it I found it to be at least as much fun as flying the models.
:ernae:
G
GZR_Sactargets
Guest
There are over 90 Military AI sets by MAIW. It took me days to reload them all after a recent rebuild. When you get done with those try the UKMIL sets (some for both FSX and FS9). Part of the fun is finding an airplane at some field where you least expect it. Of course if you are REALLY organized you will have a list of airfields visited.
Wing_Z
Charter Member 2011
I'd agree with that...a couple of years ago, I started tinkering with some GA AI because there was none in New Zealand.
Together with a few others, the project grew a lot bigger, and we called it GNZLAP (Hence the SOH handle).
As Moparmike said: "I like seeing the same birds that I spot locally" and so we painted them in authentic rego's and gave them flightplans from their RW homes.
At one time there was a dozen or so folk from all over the world doing custom paints, even some new models, and FP's.
There are a few hundred aircraft now in this rather unique project.
(Sorry, this wasn't meant to be a plug, merely to illustrate that it can be fun.)
Freeware AI also allows you to pull out the bits you need (PAI/WOAI/VOZ) to custom-fit your FS environment.
I'm not sure to what degree the readymade packages allow that.
. . .and Terry, in all sincerity, I'm very happy for you, but I've tried "getting into it" several times and it was absolutely Greek to me. If you can suggest a tutorial that doesn't talk over an idiots head, I'd love to give it a go, but the ones I've looked into read as though you should already know how to do it and they're just giving you few hints, lol.
Terry
SOH-CM-2016
I read and re-read the instructions that came with TTools until I started to understand it. Then I found a couple simple traffic files and decompiled them. Going back and forth between the instructions and decompiled files it it all starts to make sense. Start with something simple like one aircraft doing touch and goes at the same airport as below.
AC#1,N1234,1%,1Hr,VFR,00:00:00,TNG00:23:00,007,F,0000,CYXC,00:30:00,TNG00:55:00,008,F,0000,CYXC
The instructions tell you what each portion does. Give it another shot, persistance will pay off.
Well, I tried it and was actually successful in using a Quad City Challenger as AI. I set it up to fly between two airports only about 18nm apart. I watched as the airplane started up, taxied to the rwy and then just sat there, lol. Never did take off. At this point I'm amazed that I got as far with it as I did. I just have to figure out why it never took off.
Thanks for the push!!
Most likely the reason it never took off was that the airfile wasn't compatible for AI use. Some airfiles just won't work as AI. With those, I find one with similar performance that I know will work, change the contact points to match the model and use it.
Hope this helps
Willy
Hope this helps
Willy
Terry
SOH-CM-2016
It could also be the airports. Either check the airports with "AFCAD fault finder" or use airports that default aircraft are currently using. Quad City Challenger comes with flyable and AI nonflyable planes. Did you use the right ones? I just used them a couple weeks ago and the AI aircraft worked fine.
If the AI just sat there not moving again after taxyng to the runway end, I would suspect something is wrong with the airport's AFCAD. Most likely there was no hold point (a red node at the end of the taxi line to just before the runway). If there is no hold point, the AI will just sit there forever till it disappears.
I ran fault finder prior to saving the AFCADs and it found a few which I corrected. I used just the standard QCC Clipped Wing, I don't have any AI Challengers in my aircraft folder. Could be I deleted them thinking I'd never use them. Looking into it.
As for how far it taxied, the airplane actually taxied right up onto the rwy to the numbers and stopped. I did fail to put a hold short position on the taxiway. I'll have to correct that as well.
Looks like I have some fine tuning to do before this does what I want it to, but it's a start. Thanks for the assist guys.:ernae:
Welllll. . .lol. . .another question has come to mind now that I've watched the QC AI take off from two of the airports I have it set to fly from. The first one is actually not so much a question as it is an observation. . .the Challenger doesn't have the power to climb to the necessary altitude to clear the Mountain range, lol, lol. . . .once it impacts the mountain, does it continue "through" the mountain or does the flight "terminate" there :costumes:?
That brings up the second question, which is, can a flightplan be programmed with the AI to allow it to fly waypoints rather than a straight line from one airport to another?
I was pretty jazzed when I saw the Challenger taxi, stop at the hold short line, then taxi into position and actually take off and begin it's climb. However as I flew alongside it and watched it's climb angle, airspeed and the distance to the mountainside, I threw the slide rule on it immediately and came up with "POW", lol. Which is pretty much what resulted. The only other option is to have it fly around the mountains to several other airports where a major climb to altitude isn't necessary.
That brings up the second question, which is, can a flightplan be programmed with the AI to allow it to fly waypoints rather than a straight line from one airport to another?
I was pretty jazzed when I saw the Challenger taxi, stop at the hold short line, then taxi into position and actually take off and begin it's climb. However as I flew alongside it and watched it's climb angle, airspeed and the distance to the mountainside, I threw the slide rule on it immediately and came up with "POW", lol. Which is pretty much what resulted. The only other option is to have it fly around the mountains to several other airports where a major climb to altitude isn't necessary.
Terry
SOH-CM-2016
You can open AFCAD on that airport and change the pattern altitude, or use a different runway by changing the wind direction. The aircraft will choose their runway based on wind direction. Some AI aircraft have a steep take off and landing, some are shallow. I don't know how to change that. Try an AI fighter, they have a higher climb rate.
AI only go from airport to airport as far as I know, never read anything about waypoints. If it hits a mountain it is done but will reset at parking for next timed take off. I try to avoid using airports where your only option is into a mountain.
Wing_Z
Charter Member 2011
This could turn into a really long thread :mixedsmi:
It is possible to add waypoints by creating a fake airport in the airports text file with an elevation (if I recall) > 1,500 ft.
In one of the RNZAF AI packages, I have Orions cruising the shores doing just that.
If the waypoint is inside the departure point visible radius, you need a fake AFCAD as well, with notional runway of 10 ft or whatever.
In this case, you'd probably put the airport on the mountain so you don't hit the runway with flyables.
In the FP, you tell it to do a TNG with a departure a minute or 3 later, so it doesn't actually land.
It is possible to add waypoints by creating a fake airport in the airports text file with an elevation (if I recall) > 1,500 ft.
In one of the RNZAF AI packages, I have Orions cruising the shores doing just that.
If the waypoint is inside the departure point visible radius, you need a fake AFCAD as well, with notional runway of 10 ft or whatever.
In this case, you'd probably put the airport on the mountain so you don't hit the runway with flyables.
In the FP, you tell it to do a TNG with a departure a minute or 3 later, so it doesn't actually land.