Freeware AI Beaver?

[OBIO]

John Woodward did a multi-lod AI version of his DHC-2 Beaver float plane, but I don't know if he did a AI version of his wheeled Beaver. I found an AI Beaver on Flightsim.com, but it was not all that good.

Does anyone know of a good freeware AI Beaver or a freeware Beaver that works good as an AI. Preferably one that can be painted fairly easily.

OBIO

 

[rdaniell]

John Woodward did a multi-lod AI version of his DHC-2 Beaver float plane, but I don't know if he did a AI version of his wheeled Beaver. I found an AI Beaver on Flightsim.com, but it was not all that good. Does anyone know of a good freeware AI Beaver or a freeware Beaver that works good as an AI. Preferably one that can be painted fairly easily. OBIO

OBIO, I don't think John did an AI wheel version. A few years back, I just used his flyable one as AI. It worked very well even on my old rig. Sometimes you just have to use a flyable one to meet your needs.

Now that I've jumped back into AI with both feet, I'm finding out why I used to limit the amount of AI at any one airport. Even on my newest computer which gets really high frame rates, when I get close to an airport where there is a lot of AI traffic, it messes with the quality of my visual images on the screen. Fly past it and everything starts showing up crystal clear again.

Romeo-Delta

 

[OBIO]

There are 3 options for the Beaver in FS9: the John Woods verion, the Steven Grant version and the Fred Choate version.

John's Beaver comes in at 17,519 polys, Steven's comes in at 15,239 polys and Fred's comes in around 85 hundred polys. Seems like Fred's would be a shoe in...but it suffers the problem of old models....the prop does not show up. But, hey, since I am shooting for AI use only and could care less about there not being a prop....Fred's Beaver pack is the winner. BVRpack.zip at Flightsim.com. Comes in wheeled, tundra wheeled, float, ski and amphib I think...5 versions.

OBIO

 

[Desert Rat]

Obio,

beware!! Idon't know if you recall from your CFS2 days that FSDS1 (and other older models) gave poorer fps than more complex FSDS2/GMax models due to the technology level or something. Same thing happens with ports from 9 into X. Due to this model having missing props it's likely an FSDS1 or such model and you may be better off with a newer one?

just a thought,
Jamie

 

[OBIO]

JD

I was just thinking about that fact. I will probably just go with Steven Grants Beaver....and his DHC3 Otter as well (the real RADIAL one).

OBIO

 

[rdaniell]

JD

I was just thinking about that fact. I will probably just go with Steven Grants Beaver....and his DHC3 Otter as well (the real RADIAL one).

OBIO

Grants didn't have a vc did it? Since you don't even have to have a panel folder for AI, it should work just great. As a matter of fact there are quite a few models out there with either simple vcs or none that do quite well as AI.

Romeo-Delta

 

[modelr]

Grants didn't have a vc did it? Since you don't even have to have a panel folder for AI, it should work just great. As a matter of fact there are quite a few models out there with either simple vcs or none that do quite well as AI.

Romeo-Delta

RD is right. Just don't load your airports with them. Half dozen or so rarely cause any problem, but many more at a time can slow things down, even strong rigs. Some of the paints are more problem causers, causing the textures to go to fuzzy for a minute or so, once the aircraft causing it is out of the camera angle. I forget which texture type causes it.

A have a bunch of Milton's fantastic aircraft as AI, and they work great. Just remove the VC textures, or better yet, use the non-VC models he almost always makes. I also use a lot of other aircraft that a lot of people refuse to even download, because they have no VC, as AI. Work great. Just strip the panel and sound folders from the aircraft folders, renaming them as AI, both in the Folder name, and in the cfg. Also strip the references to the sound and panel folders from the cfg.

I also put some type of unique digit or mark in the front of my folder names marking them as AI, keeping all those folders together. I use # as the first "letter" in all AI folder names. 449 folders, so far, nowhere NEAR complete. These are JUST AI! I have hundreds, at least, more to install, yet. That doesn't include textures!!!

 

[rdaniell]

RD is right. Just don't load your airports with them. Half dozen or so rarely cause any problem, but many more at a time can slow things down, even strong rigs. Some of the paints are more problem causers, causing the textures to go to fuzzy for a minute or so, once the aircraft causing it is out of the camera angle. I forget which texture type causes it.

Thanks modelr. You just described a problem I sometimes have and was wondering what might be the cause. Next time I get the urge to fiddle with my AI, I think I will just take one plane out at a time to see if I can isolate the culprit.

Romeo-Delta

 

[modelr]

Thanks modelr. You just described a problem I sometimes have and was wondering what might be the cause. Next time I get the urge to fiddle with my AI, I think I will just take one plane out at a time to see if I can isolate the culprit.

Romeo-Delta

No problem, RD. I read it somewhere, and isolated a few aircraft, then abruptley forgot the fix. I do remember it was a texture problem, but that's it. Post what you find, if anything, please.

 

[rdaniell]

No problem, RD. I read it somewhere, and isolated a few aircraft, then abruptley forgot the fix. I do remember it was a texture problem, but that's it. Post what you find, if anything, please.

Sure will. I got a feeling it's going to end up being some of my older models. I have a few that were tweaked from 2002 to work in 2004. Then with AI, you just never know until you dig into it. And yeah, AI will do some really stange things if you try to fly in formation with them. I like to do that so I usually break off when the AI turns downwind. I've been able to then get right up next to them on final and just land alongside them.

I'm having way too much fun messing with FS9. I was afraid that retirement might get boring but, I have something in common with OBIO. I really like to fiddle with things.

Romeo-Delta

 

[OBIO]

A little while ago, I created a quick flight plan for Steven Grant's DHC-3 Otter and checked it out in the sim. Looks good, works good. Now, in number, this plane would bog done a system quickly, but a few here and there won't effect a system much. Next will be to get his DHC-2 Beaver in the sim as an AI. But that will wait until I get some other AI work done first.

OBIO