Some questions abuot AI

[Guest TDINTBL]

I've got some questions about AI in FS2002, and I'm hoping everone else will have answers.Firstly, how do I get repaints (either made or downloaded) to apply to default AI traffic. I have an American Airlines repaint for the default 747, which I can fly, but it won't show on any AI flights.The other question, how do I add other plane types as AI, and position them on tarmacs, etc. I'd like to add an F-16 fighter wing to my local Air National Guard base (KFAT) but I have no clue what programs I need to go do that. Reccomendations appreciated.Thanks.

[srburger 0]

Hi Mr. Man,I fly FS2004, but... As far as I know, the only difference between the AI in 2002 vs. 2004 is that only one traffic file is allowed in FS2002, whereas FS2004 allows for several. Someone please correct me if there are other limitations in FS2002 that I'm not aware of. Assuming that everything else is the same between the two programs, and acknowledging that your question is more complicated than you might have thought, here's what you need to do:1. Get a copy of Lee Swordy's Traffic Tools program. It's free, and it's very intuitive once you understand the structure of a traffic file, which is: An Aircraft file, an Airports file, and a Flight Plans file combined into a single traffic.bgl file. In FS2004, the traffic file is located in the FS9SceneryWorldScenery folder. I assume that it's in the same location in FS2002. The Traffic Tools program decompiles your traffic file into the three components so that they can be edited in Notepad. When you're done editing, the Traffic Tools program recompiles the three components back into a single traffic file. Get the Traffic Tools program here (and for the record, it has a great Help/Tutorial file):http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=347312. Backup your traffic.bgl file, store the backup in a safe place, then decompile the original using Traffic Tools. Using Notepad, add whatever aircraft you want to the Aircraft file. The format will be obvious from the default entries that are already there. You'll also need to add flight plans that use your new aircraft unless you just replace one or more of the default aircraft with your new one (which is what I'd do, since the default aircraft are pretty hard on frame rates anyway).If you want a hint for aircraft that look very good and aren't hard on framerates, go to http://www.ai-aardvark.com/ for commercial jetliners. For GA aircraft, do a search in the AVSIM library for authors Mike Cronin and Henry Tomkiewicz.After you've added your new planes to the Aircraft file, recompile using Traffic Tools.3. As for your Air Guard squadron, read this tutorial to learn about using Lee Swordy's AFCAD to edit your airport and add static aircraft:http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=64570It's written for FS2004, but I would guess that it would work as well in FS2002 as long as you add the F-16 traffic to your single traffic.bgl file.4. A few tips for your AI F-16's: Hrvoje Kovacevic has provided a really nice AI F-16 that's very easy on framerates:http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=40390But to get it to fly smoothly, you might want to edit a few parameters as shown below. Also, do a search in the AVSIM library for author Graham King. He's done a ton of great repaints for this airplane, and chances are good that your local Air Guard unit is represented.If you want the F-16 to fly nicely without continually rocking back and forth, make the following changes under "flight tuning" in the Aircraft.cfg file:pitch_stability=2.0roll_stability=2.0yaw_stability=3.0You may also want to replace the "contact points" section with the following to prevent the airplane from bouncing erratically while taxiing (I didn't come up with this... someone else did, but it works for me):point.0= 1.000, 8.833, 0.000, -5.9, 2952.756, 0.000, 0.800, 50.000, 1, 2, 0.5, 5.000, 5.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000point.1=1.000000,-3.670,-10.000000,-5.5,2362.204724,1.000000,0.97217,0.000000,0.520618,2.500000,0.867451,5.000000,5.000000,2.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.2=1.000000,-3.670000,10.000000,-5.5,2362.204724,2.000000,0.97217,0.000000,0.520618,2.500000,0.867451,5.000000,5.000000,3.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.3=2.000000,-13.250000,-23.333333,0.333333,1574.803150,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,5.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.4=2.000000,-13.250000,23.333333,0.333333,1574.803150,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,6.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.5=2.000000,-30.000000,0.000000,-3.833333,1574.803150,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,9.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.6=2.000000,36.833333,0.000000,-3.500000,1574.803150,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,4.000000,0.000000,0.000000point.7= 5, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.00, 1.0, 1.2, 0, 0.0, 0.0 static_pitch=-1.000000static_cg_height=5.406658gear_system_type=0Finally, be aware that the flight plans that you write for the AI F-16 must be IFR if you want the landing gear to retract and extend properly. I don't know why that is... just that it is.Best,Ken

[Guest TDINTBL]

Wow, thanks. That was a lot more helpful than I was expecting. Looks like the AI business is about as complicated as I figured it should, I just didn't know where to start in it, thanks for the help.

[srburger 0]

My pleasure!Good luck to you,Ken

[Guest TDINTBL]

Some further questions.I would like to add some AI helicopter flights. So far my attempts have had zero luck, is it even possible to have AI helo flights, and if so just how do I go about it?Also, I'm having horrid luck replacing the default AI planes with other repaints of the same models. The plane just quits showing up when I replace a default MS entry with a repaint in the aircraft.txt file. What am I doing wrong?Thanks for any/all help.

[tgibson 11]

Hi,Not sure about the helicopter, but I think it has to have an aircraft flight model, not a helicopter one.You have to copy the text from the plane's title= line (in the aircraft.cfg file) and paste it into the aircraft.txt file EXACTLY. Otherwise they don't show up.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___