AI Traffic Separation Utility

[Guest secks]

I don't get it ... what the heck are you talking about?

[Guest QFA001]

>Radar Contact in version 4 will have quite a bit of AI>control. Look at their support forum here on AVSIM and do a>search for the version 4 thread. Their programmer is working>on seperation routines for air during approach and also to>prevent the frequent occurance of AI taxiing onto the runway>while you are in the last stage of final necessitating a>go-around.>>I am a current 3.1 user with the latest release which>recognizes AI by calling targets to you but in this version>can't cvontrol them yet. Purchase includes FSUIPC registration>for traffic features and FSUIPC provides AI control for>developers now.>If he can really pull it out he'll be the hero of several of us. It's just great when you just finished a 10 hours sleep, khmm I mean flight :) and a 737 run you over on the final AFTER you've been cleared to land. Now a question about this great new utility; can you see these slides? I mean would they break the illusion? Anyway I thank the author for sharing this tool with usQuantasluvr

[MD83 1]

>Just checked to see if it would work with FS2002. It>indicated that it 'connected' and no programs crashed, so I>assume it works OK here too. I took a flight from KSAN to>KLAS with traffic set at 81% and did not experience the usual>'go around' at KLAS.>>Cheers,>BobExcellent news! Thanks for investigating! :-yellow1 However, this program requires the Microsoft.NET framework. You can download that from the main MS site :)

[Guest Jetfan]

I have the .NET framework. But that is good information for anyone else who wants to try this on FS2002.Thanks,Bob

[3Green 80]

For me, it connects to FS2002, but I have no options to do anything with. When I select the "tab" - flight simulator - retrieve data, the program produces a program error. So with that, I don't think it works with FS2002..At least for me

[Guest Jetfan]

I think you're right. After further checking, I 'm getting the same results. It looked like it was doing something, but the airport database for FS2004 is much bigger I guess, and causes the 'error in program' message.Oh well, it was worth a try.Thanks,Bob

[3Green 80]

Maybe tonight I'll try converting the airport database to FS2002 and see if I can get it going...

[G7USL 117]

>Anyone using this yet? How is it?>>http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...util&DLID=63288Yes, I think it's brilliant and has enabled me to eventually run 50% 'Traffic' on my modest system.I still find it hard to believe it. Microsoft should study this because this will solve so many 'FPS' problems. I don't know how 'Armando' did it but it's transformed my FS experience in FS9.If you read this Armando, thank you so much.All the best,Dave.'Three greens and soft landings'

[Guest DLM9000]

I have been playing with it for about two hours.Great improvement over the default 'flocking' to the runway.If you are flying into a an airport after a long flight, you will be glad to know that your long flight will not be ruined by flocking and over taking aircraft. From the inflight point of view, this program delivers what it claims.If you are sitting on the ground, watching the traffic on approach, you will see some odd things, that you would not see from the cockpit on take off or approach. Or more correctly, you would not notice them. With all respect to the author, this was not what it was intended for. Still I observed from parked on the ground to learn how it worked.Here are the conditions I observed FS AITS under.Default weather, clear skies.Parked in the grass at KPHL between Runway 9R and 9L.I used to AFCAD to close Runway 9L for landing.(Using 9R for landing and 9L for takeoff.)Tuned the Radio for Tower, 9R Traffic. (120.425)I ran WideFS on a network machine.I opened NAV3.1 to watch the AI Traffic on the networked machine.I opened FS AITS Utility on the networked machine. (Works fine over WideFS.)I set the Minimum Distance to 4 miles, and the Desired Distance to 5 miles. I did tweak these up and down as I played.I Set the Airport NO MOVE zone to 5 miles, but later increased it to 7 miles.I set the time to 1830EST and spun my cessna around to the west to watch the show. Remember, this is a Runway Choking time of day at this airport. The results at say, KGSO were near perfect.Great improvement. I played with the settings to get less "traffic backing". I call it traffic backing and it is how FSAITS separates the traffic. It slews the traffic backwards. Once the simulation has been running for a minute or two and gets things sorted out, it is less noticeable than you think. I am a big fan of this program, and I list the odd things I observed as constructive feedback. I found that setting the Minimum Distance to 4 or 5 miles works better than the default. It lets them get a little closer a tthe busy airports. KPHL 9R has a lot of exit ramps, so the landing traffic departs the runway fairly quickly.I found that setting the desired separation distance to one mile greater than the minimum resulted in less visible slewing. Again I have only experimented with this for two hours, so I could be wrong. IF correcting a conflict, or slewing a plane backwards in a 'string of pearls', or planes stacked up on approach, a cascading effect could happen. This ultimately results in an AI track getting dropped because he can't reach his destination. I had an Air France Airbus 330 that kept getting shuffled backwards and I wanted to see it arrive. (Yes, I am a closet Virtual Plane Spotter.) The tower cleared him to land, and then he got shuffled backwards and his new slot created another conflict and he got shuffled back again. He did not acknowlege over the radio, and the tower started the "Air France 312? did you hear my last transmission??" I have never heard an AI asked that before. Eventually, the Airbus gave up and "fell to earth". I watched it plummet on Nav3.1 with a rapid descending altitude, and then nothing. (Kind gave me an uneasy feeling and I was glad I didn't become an ATC.)Another oddity, is that ILS traffic calls in from 20 miles out and gets the continue approach blessing, and then some VFR or pattern traffic at 4 miles out turns base right in front of him, and then on to final. The long approaching traffic gets slewed backwards, and possibly creates a cascade effect. This is not a problem with this program, but with FS2004 AI Traffic.The last observation I made, was that if small planes were on the KPHL RW8 approach, and the the 9R AI traffic came within the minimum distance, before both planes entered the NO MOVE zone around the airport, it would slew the traffic that was behind the other. I improved this situation by increasing the NO MOVE zone back out from 5 to 7 miles. This helped with the above paragraph as well, but did generate a few more go arounds, but that happens in real life. I did find that turning the traffic back from 100% just a little, seemed to improve the situation.The goal of this utility is not to elimenate go arounds completely, or to make a perfect plane spotting environment, it is to allow you to get into a busy airport with traffic on. I flew a flight from Baltimore to Philly in my UPS 727-100 (Flight1) and was guided in on vectors, lined up on localiser, and made a landing, with 100% traffic. That is a wonderful breakthrough. I got the frantic "Exit runway when able" twice, and when I did I looked to the left and there was a plane on short final. In fact there were a string of lights in the sky, just like I would expect. I didn't see any slewing while I was flying, or taxiing.This will change the face of Flight Simming, making it more real than "as real as it gets". Good job and thanks for your hard work.Sorry for the mistakes, I was in a hurry.Dennis Mitchell

[mnmon 0]

Anyone tried this at Newark? Using UT set at 100% this is the worst airport in my experience with both a conga line along the taxiway and a mess in the air after letting the sim frun for about 10 minutes. Mike

[Gridley 257]

I just asked over at the forum that Frank posted, but I'm wondering if this utility includes the user's aircraft position when "separating" AI, or just AI? In other words, when I'm on final, will this util move the AI away from me, or just away from each other? Anyone here know?thnks,sg

[Guest DLM9000]

I witnessed it moving traffic away from me. I was making a slow approach and a Southwest 737-800 came up on me fast. With the settings of Minimum Distance at 4 miles and Desired Distance at 5 miles, when he closed inside of 4 miles, it slewed him back to 5 miles, and we remained separated. He continied to close, but he did not make up the mile before we got to the NO MOVE Zone around the airport. I was able to land and clear the runway and he did not have to go around. The No Move Zone prevents an aircraft from being reposition once he is vry close to the airport. This prevents be cleared to land, and then being backed out beyond the clearing line (5 miles).In a second incident, the planed closed to within 4 miles, backed up to five, closed to four, backed up to five, and then we landed. I want to try to put both the Minimum Distance and the Desired Distance to 5 and see if it will simply hold him there (or appear to hold him there).Hope this helps. You have to try it, it is fun.Dennis Mitchell

[Guest DLM9000]

I forgot to mention that I was using Ultimate Traffic with the Winter Schedule Update.Dennis

[Gridley 257]

Here's a link to the FlightSimmer's thread I started...http://www.flightsimmer.com/forums/showthr...2489#post292489Officially, next version will have support to prevent "overtakes"Great addon!

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

Good post, thanks for taking the time to write out your impressions. I really wanted to try this utility last night but work and school interfered. I read your post with great interest.After reading the docs, I sort of thought that the program was geared towards keeping AI out of the way during approach and landing, so thanks for elaborating on that point and the settings you experimented with.