Question on AI aircraft & control of them?

[KSATRoadWarrior 91]

Hopefully some one can answer a couple questions for me. I am using both some default FSX AI aircraft (less than 20%) as well as some from MyTraffic. I have a moving map that I can zoom out and I see that I have AI traffic over 100 miles out. Is this much AI traffic impacting my performance? If so, is there a way to tell FSX to only use AI aircraft that are 50 miles out? If this is a question already asked, I apologize but could not find a reference. If this is a "stupid" question please accept the fact that I am a "newbie" to tweaking FSX and have learned a lot thanks to AVSIM's forums. PLEASE do not tell me about another alternative to FSX, I am in the FSX arena to stay for awhile. THANKS!!!

[FloG 148]

I don't know whether there's a way of restricting AI to a certain area/distance around the user aircraft, but I highly doubt it. I'm not expert in this matter, but I guess that FSX loads all AI flight plans (and hence all a/c), at least those that are relevant for the area where you start (which - depending on your starting point - can be quite a lot).

In general, AI is polygons to draw which takes away memory and will decrease performance. However, my experience is that MyTraffic at such settings does not take away too much FPS.

[eldar2112 10]

The default AI are probably going to produce the biggest performance hit in your situation. If you can stand to turn off the default AI and bump up the My Traffic settings to compensate for the difference you will probably see an improvement in performance even if it is only slightly improved. I am unaware of a way to reduce AI spawn distance from your location.

[FloG 148]

If you can stand to turn off the default AI and bump up the My Traffic settings to compensate for the difference you will probably see an improvement in performance even if it is only slightly improved.

Good point, I must have missed the default AI traffic part when I replied to this earlier. It's not only that it is heavier on frames (though as Kail stated, maybe ony slightly), but why would you want those fictional airlines flying around anyways when you use real-world airlines as well?

EDIT to add: It should by the way be more than easily possible to compensate for the loss of default AI with MyTraffic.

Edited August 29, 2013 by FloG

[KSATRoadWarrior 91]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have removed all default FSX AI aircraft and I am only using MT AI which seems to help, at least a little.