I was playing around with AI today...

[Lionheart]

Hey guys,

I was flying around in Colorado today with TileProxy. Seems my fave airfields around the state are almost empty, so I decided to fill some planes in there. Most of the airports (I like) are small and in the Southwest, so I worked on it from there.

Planes used;
* Stock FS9 Piper Cub
* Bill Lyons Piper TriPacer in Red/Cream
* Ito-sahns Ercoupe
* One new, shiny Epic LT
* Fairchild 24
* AlphaSim Rutan O-320
* Bucker Jungmann Bu-131 by O. Fischer
* Quest Kodiak

Aside from the Kodiak and Epic, I figured those would realistic at the small airports in Colorado. The Kodiak and especially the Epic will look proper at Vail, Aspen, and other such 'nice' airports.

Now, when I fly in TileProxy mode, I am passing Cubs and Pacers and Jungmanns all over the skies. :d

The Cirrus I was flying in today is a freeware plane I downloaded perhaps 2 years ago, done by a German gentleman. I have no info on it, unfortunately. Nice little freeware bird though.




Bill

 

[rayrey10]

Looking nice Bill! Whenever I get my rig up and running I'm definitely gonna make sure that my favorite airfields and airports aren't bare. Guess I should take advantage of this down time to read up on some "how to's" for AI, because I've never messed around with it.

 

[Lionheart]

Its so easy...

I learned to read the Flightplans strings, so I can just copy/paste some, convert to my own airfields, do the airplane list, then the airports list, double check times, then check in FS. Usually I can get them running now on the first round. Used to take about 3 rounds.

There are alot of AI programs out there. I tried about 3 of them and none worked for me, so I learned how to write the raw FP strings and I havent had problems since then.



Bill

 

[Astoroth]

Hey guys,


The Cirrus I was flying in today is a freeware plane I downloaded perhaps 2 years ago, done by a German gentleman. I have no info on it, unfortunately. Nice little freeware bird though.




Bill

Hey Bill, and friends,

That particular Cirrus SR20 is by a gentleman named Gunter Kraemer, and it can be downloaded friom:

http://www.gkflusi.de/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=29&func=select&id=6

It comes with a classical analog panel, but there is a very nice glass cockpit you can get on the same page.

~A~

 

[Lionheart]

Thanks Astoroth for the heads up.

:ernae:

Its a sharp little model. I hadnt flown it in ages.



Bill

 

[Dangerousdave26]

Also availible at Avsim with loads of repaints for it.

[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Category: Flight Simulator 2004 - Original Aircraft[/FONT] [FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Cirrus SR20 with Classical Cockpit [/FONT]



[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Images related to this file:

• cirrus2six-1.jpg

[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]

[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]File Description:[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]FSDS 2 model with full moving parts and fully instrumented virtual cockpit and opening doors. This model has a classical panel and is equipped with an ARNAV GPS. [/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Filename:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]cirrus2six.zip[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]License:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Freeware, limited distribution[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Added:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]30th April 2005[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Downloads:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]24343[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Author:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Guenter Kraemer[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Size:[/FONT][FONT=verdana, sans-serif]6889kb[/FONT]


Bill would you mind posting your BGL file for the AI Traffic. I would like to install it I don't have all fo the planes but it would still make a nice addition to FS9. [/FONT]

 

[Cazzie]

And Gunter did that excellent Bf-108 too. Wish more would come out of his poly fingers.

Great stuff Bill, someday you must do a tutorial on write one's own raw strings.

Caz

 

[Lionheart]

Hey Cazzie,


I actually did do a tutorial. :d I did one here, which is gone now, and one at FreeFlightDesign.com also.

http://www.aerodynamika.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1197320359



Here is a normal 2 point traffic string...

AC#1872,GLST,2%,4Hr,VFR,16:00:58,16:19:26,080,R,1123,CD82,17:30:00,17:48:28,080,R,1123,00C


You can break it down into sections as follows

Aircraft section
AC#1872,GLST,

Air Traffic Density Setting at which it starts showing up
2%,

Time that each flight 'restarts'..
4Hr,
2Hr, 4Hr, 6Hr, 8Hr, etc.. 24Hr, and Week. With Week restarts (great for static aircraft) you must have a 1/ in front of each 'start' of a departure time. This is a day of the week. Sunday is day 1, Saturday is day 7.

VFR or IFR selector
VFR,

First Airport Leg flight
16:00:58,16:19:26,080,R,1123,CD82,

Final Airport Leg flight
17:30:00,17:48:28,080,R,1123,00C


Here is a break down of a 'leg' flight.

Flight leg
17:30:00,17:48:28,080,R,1123,00C

Starting Departure Time
17:30:00,
Arrival Time
17:48:28,
Altitude (this says 8,000 feet)
080,
I forgot this setting... arrghh
R,
Flight Number if used (Might be the R sign)
1123,
Arrival airport is 00C, could be KDVT, KLAX, 2V8, etc.
00C

Here is one that is a 'static' plane....
AC#1875,GLST,2%,WEEK,VFR,1/01:00:58,1/01:19:34,080,R,1123,00C,1/04:30:00,1/04:48:36,080,R,1123,CD82
As stated above, the 1/ designates the day of the week the flight departs. This one all runs on the same day. I could stagger the days to make it interesting. With a number of planes staggered, they would all be at diff airfields all week. (Sort of like musical chairs game).

Here is a string that has a plane doing touch and goes....
AC#1876,GLST,2%,4Hr,VFR,19:00:58,19:26:32,080,R,1123,CD82,22:30:00,TNG22:55:34,080,R,1123,17CO

Remember... The first leg is 'where its going to first. The last leg is 'where you started at... You must return to where you started from in AI traffic plans. You cannot go 'one way'. It must (must) loop, and start over.

Now one can have many legs in a flight, but you must ensure that the plane can get to each leg on time including traffic engagements, taking off in a line of planes, and other such delays. Also, with some flights, weather might keep them grounded.

You should also note Altitudes. In my case, the mountains are huge. Some flights to Northern Colorado require 12,000 feet plus (120 on the flightplan legs), so the little Piper Cub must do some radical stuff to get over those mountains. So times are a really important element that can keep flights from showing up.

If you do a AI Bagel, and your planes arent showing up, make sure your:
* Times are good, and in GMT time
* Planes have enough fuel range
* Enough parking spots (you can add parking spots easily with AFCAD)
* Correct entries for aircraft and airport.
* Airport must have all taxi links including a runway center line link and links to parking or the plane wont show or will just sit there. (Hold short points also).
* Allow times for a flight to restart (2Hr, 4Hr, 6Hr, etc) or you can lose your plane that way also, (disappears or wont show up).


I'll post the AI Bagel I did when its totally working. Right now, I found that 2 of the airstrips I linked to, dont have parking or AI layouts for planes to taxi on. It will require the AFCADS I did as well.

I wish I had some quick scenery to plop some buildings down with. Arrgh... Ive been out of the scenery loop too long.


Bill

 

[Fauville]

Thanks Bill for the insight into AI, been toying with trying it out (as opposed to doing it the easy way with WOAI and MAIW) for a while (that and AFCAD) and am now populating my flying skys before getting into a FS9 session, sure makes flying more interesting (FAF E-3F making a late go around following a C-160 on Landing at Fauville AB LFOE, France while I'm waiting for clearance)


As both come with easy to understand instructions its straight forward to pick it up, start simple, then get into more complex legs.

also straight from the TTools manual:
F or R
‘F’ in this field specifies that if the aircraft is associated with an airline then the airline name and flight number are to be used for an ATC call sign (e.g. "Landmark 1213"). ‘R’ forces the aircraft registration (tail number) to be used as a call sign even for airlines. All stock flight plans use the ‘F’ setting to allow airline flight number call signs.

 

[Lionheart]

Thanks Bill for the insight into AI, been toying with trying it out (as opposed to doing it the easy way with WOAI and MAIW) for a while (that and AFCAD) and am now populating my flying skys before getting into a FS9 session, sure makes flying more interesting (FAF E-3F making a late go around following a C-160 on Landing at Fauville AB LFOE, France while I'm waiting for clearance)


As both come with easy to understand instructions its straight forward to pick it up, start simple, then get into more complex legs.

Its fun, isnt it! Super easy to do. I didnt want to do the base route when I first started, and tried all of the AI traffic programs I could that appeared to be really easy. But dang if none of them would work a single route I made. I fianlly resorted to learning to hand write the strings and found out how easy they were. TTools drops the Bagels right into FS for you, and the other programs use TTools as well, so basically you are just simplifying the operation.

also straight from the TTools manual:
F or R
‘F’ in this field specifies that if the aircraft is associated with an airline then the airline name and flight number are to be used for an ATC call sign (e.g. "Landmark 1213"). ‘R’ forces the aircraft registration (tail number) to be used as a call sign even for airlines. All stock flight plans use the ‘F’ setting to allow airline flight number call signs.

Ahh, thank you. I knew it was something like that but wasnt sure. So much to know about in FS, so easy to forget about fragments of the 'big picture'. :d



For you guys learning this, you can make things slightly easier by starting out your traffic plans with one or two flightplans from another group and editing them to your own.

If you are going to do say 4 or more planes, and many airfields (like what I did), then try this. Copy/paste the planes down below into your Flightplans TXT file. Then copy/paste the airport codes below those. Now you can 'see' all the planes and airfields you will be using 'in' the Flightplans TXT file. When you are all done, delete the airplanes list and airfields list, clean up the Flightplans TXT file (I start with lines between FP strings, then delete the spaces later) then you are good to go.

When I start out with a new FP section, I grab a FP TXT file that I have used in the past that is similar, make a copy to desktop, and start digging into it, rechanging the planes, airfields, etc. Then start on the times.. Rename, make your planes list, airfields list text files and you are good to go.

Always expect to edit/repair/diagnose FP's. There is always something wrong, unless you are an Einstein at this.....


Bill

 

[Terry]

Bill

Have you tried making an AI and AFCAD file for Hank's (KHA1)? The aircraft are fine on the runway but sink to their windows when entering parking spots. I have tried changing the AFCAD elevation to no avail. Had the same problem with Mustang Landing but managed to fix it.

 

[Willy]

Terry are you talking about Micheal Carr's Hank's place in Alaska scenery add on? If so, I've got an AFCAD that I did a couple of years ago for it. I did the AFCAD so that it would appear in the FS airports menu and I also put AI flying in and out of there.

If that's the one you're talking about, I can attach it here for you.

 

[Terry]

Terry are you talking about Micheal Carr's Hank's place in Alaska scenery add on? If so, I've got an AFCAD that I did a couple of years ago for it. I did the AFCAD so that it would appear in the FS airports menu and I also put AI flying in and out of there.

If that's the one you're talking about, I can attach it here for you.

Willy,

Yes, that's the one. Please attach.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Willy]

Here ya go! Just remove the .txt at the end of the file name and place in your Add On Scenery/Scenery folder. You can find it in your airports menu as AK37.

Enjoy!

Willy

 

[modelr]

In Bill's Touch & Go string...

Here is a string that has a plane doing touch and goes....
AC#1876,GLST,2%,4Hr,VFR,19:00:58,19:26:32,080,R,11 23,CD82,22:30:00,TNG22:55:34,080,R,1123,17CO

he has the TNG occuring on return to home airport. Since it is a VFR flight, the aircraft will do an actual touchdown, slow to taxi speed, then take off again. Depending on flight time, it will do multiple t&gs until scheduled arrival time. The last one, if there is not enough time for another t&g, will be an extended approach, which will seem like a flyaway, unless you follow it to see what's happening. If the flight type was/is IFR, the aircraft will do missed approaches.

It is possible to have the aircraft do touch & goes at the start of the flight, before departing to another airport. Use three legs. In the string, put your departure airport first, with a tng in proper place, then your destination airport, then your base airport again. (Remember, ALL strings MUST be a round trip.)

If you want to just do tngs at your home airport, use it at both ends of the string. Flight time should be a minimum of 1/2 hour to allow time for all the prep stuff to occur.

I test my afcads and planes this way. Unfortunately I don't have any of my plans, after losing them all in a hard drive crash.

 

[dandog]

Hey Willy,

I just installed Hanks Place yesterday. How do I change it from a .txt file. It shoes up on my desktop as a wordpad document named "AF2_AK37.bgl". No .txt to gey rid of. I am running XP Pro. Please advise and thank-you.

Daniel

 

[Dangerousdave26]

Hey Willy,

I just installed Hanks Place yesterday. How do I change it from a .txt file. It shoes up on my desktop as a wordpad document named "AF2_AK37.bgl". No .txt to gey rid of. I am running XP Pro. Please advise and thank-you.

Daniel

Goto your My Docs folder.

Select Tools then folder options

Click the View tab

Scroll down the list and UNCHECK "Hide extensions for known file types"

Click apply and OK

Done

Change the name

Right Click the File

Select Rename

press the right arrow key

This should place the cursor to the far right.

Backspace until all that is left is AF2_AK37.bgl

Press enter

 

[Willy]

What Dave said! :ernae:

 

[dandog]

Well now, you can teach an old Dandog new tricks. I always had 'Show Hidden Files", but not "Show Known File Extension Types".

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you!!!!

You've just made Windows that much more user friendly :d.

Daniel