Flying with live traffic!

[KL Oo 699]

This sounds like a fantastic addon! Can I just clarify;

 

- It uses existing AI models to represent the traffic? The data itself is just being drawn from ADSB?

 

- How often are you guys seeing models disappear as their taxing? I love the idea but I also like being able to look around and see aircraft sitting at the gate for a while waiting to taxi. It seems the gates might be a little empty if the aircraft disappear when their transponder turns off.

 

Cheers!

[johnbla 31]

Can someone let me know how the default ATC works with this add on. I am presuming it dosn't as the manual says to put your traffic sliders to zero.

 

As good as this is with real live traffic, it looks like it comes with the cost of not having any ATC. Would some please clarify this. Thanks.

[Skywolf 992]

Does this app save VAS?

 

What settings does AI traffic needs to be in the sim and how does it work with MyTraffic 6a

[Pe11e 812]

This sounds amazing! I'm very curious to try this, but I have two questions:

 

- only the planes with transponders on will appear in the sim? So those with it off will not populate the gates, means the fair amount of gates are empty?
- I usually (if not always) flying during night, and in that time traffic is sparse. Is there any way I could use historic flight data like AS2016/ASN is using historic weather?

 

 

Thank you in advance! 

[johnlgjm 9]

I just got this running tonight, but now have a few hours under the belt.  Here are my observations so far:

 

Absolutely Fantastic!!!!!

 

I'm using MyTraffic for the models.  Setting AI Traffic to 0% since it doesn't use the bgl's.  Instead it injects traffic that is "live" at whatever airport your at.

 

Someone asked about default models.  The only issue I might see using default models is they don't match up with the codes at the gates.  Not far enough along to know how it handles this yet, but there are mapping files, so I assume you could map the default AI to airline codes and at least get something showing.

 

As for density of traffic, when I started at CYYZ, I had 82 planes at the gates and 27 in the air.  Far from empty!!  There was an absolutely steady stream of taxi, takeoff and landings, on correct runways to boot!!  Takeoffs on 24R and landings on 24L.  The planes are even taxiing to the de-icing pad first, as it's snowing in Toronto.  So far I haven't witnessed any disappearing planes at gates or taxiing.  I actually found myself setting my view about 50ft in the air and just plane watching.

 

Two odd things I have noticed: 1) planes at the gates seem to have engines running and taxi lights on (seems like all gates) and 2) occasional very fast taxi speeds, but not always.  Other than that, very smooth.  No impact on frames or VAS for me as it's not showing any more AI then when I was using the BGL files (less than 100 altogether).  I have not flow yet, so cannot comment on how it goes with airborn traffic.

 

Overall, as a first cut beta, this seems like a great program.  It solves the problem of too many airplanes at large airport and not enough at small ones.  The number of planes at each airport seems to be pretty consistent with what you would expect to be there.  Remember I only have a few hours running, so don't take my words as those of a long time user, but so far I'm very impressed.  Also note that I'm pretty much a commercial flyer, so don't know how well it works with GA planes.

 

That's about it.  Awesome work and thanks,

 

John

[KL Oo 699]

This looks awesome. To the author - well done Sir!!

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

I bought the license to Real Traffic, as it is really a modest price. Now some points about the PSXseeconTraffic_v5.0 beta (In the words of all those XP11 users, Remember, it is a beta.").

 

1. If one is not running the app across a network, make sure that you rename simconnect.cfg to something else or the app will use it. SimConnect.xml gets moved anyway in a networked setup, so one can just leave that file untouched.

 

2. VMR Generator produces 3 files. One of which (AILiveries.txt)  needs to be manually copied to the PSXseeconTraffic_v5.0 folder as per the manual. The other two can either be ignored, or one can go about editing all the AI aircraft.cfg files to make sure that they contain valid ICAO airline and aircraft codes. MyTraffic 6 has a bunch of "bogus" airline codes (mostly military and/or historical) and a few incorrect aircraft codes (primarily because of the historical aircraft that are included). But it's easy to add one's own corrections for the aircraft to the file InvalidAircraftCodeFixes.txt which is part of VMR Generator.

 

3. If one has trouble with the VMR Generator finding either WOAI or MT6 AI aircraft locations, just add them manually by editing VMRGenerator.cfg.

 

4. Neither the sim nor any ATC apps will communicate with the live AI aircraft, but I would suggest using the donationware app LAAP which dynamically changes the LiveATC feed as one switches radio frequencies. Or just run a LiveATC feed manually when airborne. Unfortunately, the comm frequencies for ARTCCs are not usable by LAAP since it relies on MakeRunways to create the database that matches up LiveATC feeds and comm frequencies. Center radio frequencies (and boundaries) are part of the sim's file bcvf.bgl. Also, live ATC feeds are not available now for much of Europe.

 

5. It is obviously not necessary to use AI Controller 2 when using the live AI traffic, as the live traffic will follow proper approaches, departures and arrivals.

 

6. The parked aircraft options are a little cumbersome, but they do work. But don't expect any of those parked aircraft to do anything remotely related to a  schedule. They just sit there like duck decoys on a pond.

 

I can't really tell yet whether either AI Traffic Manager or FSUIPC will maintain a maximum number of AI aircraft when using  live traffic AI traffic. Interestingly, VOXATC 7.2 beta seems to coexist with PSXseeconTraffic_v5.0, although I haven't used both apps together long enough to say that their coexistence is bulletproof. Based on the fact that the live AI is recommended to be used with the AI sliders within the sim both set to 0, the two addons probably won't play nicely. And don't use the parked aircraft option in PSXseeconTraffic_v5.0.

[netshadoe 144]

Looks like a neat program, so I decided to give it a try...

 

Only, it doesn't start at all for me.  I tried on my networked machine...nothing.  Ran the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 with no different results.  Figured it might me a SimConnect issue, but not likely since AS16 was still working.

 

OK, lets try the FS machine.  Same result, no start at all.  Ran the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, and the program still refuses to start.

 

I don't have a log, because the program never even started...not even a blip or a flash...nothing.

 

I even tried re-downloading the file from the website...no difference.

[Mochi 82]

Devin, it does also use Java so perhaps check that your Java is installed and/or up to date...

[netshadoe 144]

Devin, it does also use Java so perhaps check that your Java is installed and/or up to date...

 

Yes, I checked that too.  RealTraffic starts fine (which also uses java), but doesn't show any traffic.  I'm guessing it's because it hasn't connected with PSXseeconTraffic, which of course, doesn't start at all.

 

I can use all the other programs Nico provides (VMRGenerator and ParkPosGenerator), which look similar to PSXseeconTraffic

 

Thanks anyway Tom for taking a stab at it!  :smile:

 

edit:can't type...

[Bryn 72]

This looks really good!  

 

I have one general question:  If you're approaching or departing EGLL, or KJFK or any busy airport at peak time, what's the best way to fly with this traffic?  Hold and wait for a spot?  Only worry about traffic in front of you, and not behind you (so you might have another plane 200m behind you on approach?).  Any thoughts on the best set of compromises?

 

Bryn.

[Pe11e 812]

So, if I only want to try/test this neat app, I must purchase 1 year licence for real traffic? Not sure I'm ready to pay 10 bucks to test something, and I'm not even sure that I will use it at all.

[Pluto7777 10]

I wrote about this idea 6 months ago... now its coming ?   SUPER !!

[ZKOKQ 984]

 

 

3. If one has trouble with the VMR Generator finding either WOAI or MT6 AI aircraft locations, just add them manually by editing VMRGenerator.cfg.

Thank you Jay, that fixed my issue.

So, if I only want to try/test this neat app, I must purchase 1 year licence for real traffic? Not sure I'm ready to pay 10 bucks to test something, and I'm not even sure that I will use it at all.

Has a 10 min  demo mode.

[GSalden 4,656]

Great to see that you guys like it.

 

Regarding parking spots and being alligned to the gate : it all deoends on the accuracy of the Afcad files being used.

 

MyTraffic live costs 10 euro per month and is only compiled schedules worldwide at the moment of compiling it.

 

Imho this is amongst the must have addons like a weather program.

More realistic than realtime aircraft traffic it will not be.