I had been working on an issue with effects with AI airline aircraft, and found that AI aircraft don't seem to appear when further than around 5 miles. I found several posts that seem to echo that finding. Just wondering if anyone else had noticed this with version 3.2?  

If memory serves, this was an issue with P3D v2, more specifically with AI lights showing up.  May I ask, how do you know it's 5nm away?  Are you seeing this through TCAS or visual?

 

I honestly never gave it a second thought as far as when AI traffic starts to show.  I know that when ready to enter a runway, you want to make sure that traffic is more than 7nm away before takeoff, but even that is subject to argument.  I think for collision avoidance, anything further than 5mi is safe and not really a concern while in the air.  When I fly the Bus, I'll get TCAS warnings from AI aircraft that are closer than 5mi.

If memory serves, this was an issue with P3D v2, more specifically with AI lights showing up.  May I ask, how do you know it's 5nm away?  Are you seeing this through TCAS or visual?

 

I honestly never gave it a second thought as far as when AI traffic starts to show.  I know that when ready to enter a runway, you want to make sure that traffic is more than 7nm away before takeoff, but even that is subject to argument.  I think for collision avoidance, anything further than 5mi is safe and not really a concern while in the air.  When I fly the Bus, I'll get TCAS warnings from AI aircraft that are closer than 5mi.

 

I installed PrecipitFX effects for AI aircraft, and I and a few other people thought the contrails  were not working on the AI aircraft. What I realized is that the AI aircraft don't seem to show up, until I am within a few miles. This includes the red text if turned on, which I normally don't have on. I can see the AI aircraft on my moving map display with Pro ATC, but can't get a visual until a few miles away. If one can't see the aircraft, it is also difficult to see any contrails. Once the aircraft pops into views, the contrails can be seen. I found a few posts from a year or two ago, stating the same issue with P3D, but that was 2.5 or older. Anyway, I am strictly taking about visual, and during the day without using aircraft position lights to detect the AI. 

Well, unfortunately I can't help as I don't have the PrecipitFX package.  One simple way to troubleshoot is either disable the package or uninstall and then retest with the default AI and see if you can see the aircraft.  Sometimes going back to the beginning can help a lot.

 

If there are currently issues with that package, I would direct the questions to the developer, but only if by reverting to default, the AI aircraft show up.

Well, unfortunately I can't help as I don't have the PrecipitFX package.  One simple way to troubleshoot is either disable the package or uninstall and then retest with the default AI and see if you can see the aircraft.  Sometimes going back to the beginning can help a lot.

 

If there are currently issues with that package, I would direct the questions to the developer, but only if by reverting to default, the AI aircraft show up.

 

 

Guess I didn't make my post clear enough.  The Effects are working, because if I go to Traffic view in P3D, and go to each aircraft, I see the contrail  effects. My problem, is that I have to be within a few miles to see the aircraft in the sky. When the label on the AI is turned on, you can select to have it display how far away the AI is. I never see anything over a few miles away, either the red label or the aircraft. 

Oh ok.  So it isn't the add-on and you believe that the visibility of AI traffic is in error?  Are you using a weather add-on?  Is your surface visibility diminished?  Are you using default AI or 3rd party?

Oh ok.  So it isn't the add-on and you believe that the visibility of AI traffic is in error?  Are you using a weather add-on?  Is your surface visibility diminished?  Are you using default AI or 3rd party?

 

ASN weather, and usually at 31,000 or above the skies are clear. I use My Traffic 6 but have read posts from people that use default or other AI, 

And I am assuming that the issue you are having, others do as well and it doesn't matter what AI is being used?  Now that you brought this up, I will be curious to see if I get the same results. lol

Bob, I do not think that there is much you can do about it. However, also in real life, aircrafts are difficult to identify from the distance.

 

I was recently worried because of an other effect which concerns the nav and strobe lights of AI aircrafts, which become too big when watched from the distance. I have found a fix for FSX in the AVSIM library, which also seems to work in P3D V32: fsx_lights.zip It comes with modified fx_2.bmp, halo.bmp and fx_strobe.fx, fx_strobeh.fx files. This helps at least in regard of the too big traffic lights. It will not fix the disappearance from AI aircrafts if they are a certain distance away...

 

Cheers,
Chris

I posted on the LM forum this morning this question and the moderator said that max vis for AI is around 10 miles. I tracked an aircraft just now from around 3 miles away and at 9 miles the aircraft and the red label disappeared. 

I've had aircraft in P3Dv3 show within 2 or three miles on TCAS and have not been able to see them visually. I don't see any contrails of AI aircraft at all. I'm using MT6 for AI traffic. I was wondering if LM did this to improve performance. I remember in FS9 always being able to see contrails of AI traffic.

I've had aircraft in P3Dv3 show within 2 or three miles on TCAS and have not been able to see them visually. I don't see any contrails of AI aircraft at all. I'm using MT6 for AI traffic. I was wondering if LM did this to improve performance. I remember in FS9 always being able to see contrails of AI traffic.

 

I think that is the issue, improving performance. Someone suggested on a thread that the distance was hard coded into P3D. I can remember seeing aircraft in FS9 from many miles away.