Can anyone provide some useful help and assistance please with setting up AI aircraft?Specfically, I would like to set up my AI aircraft from scratch. I do not want to buy a payware AI package like Traffic 2005 or Ultimate Traffic, mainly because I want to control all the AI aircraft, flight plans and AFCADS myself. Also, having looked at the AI available at Project AI, EvolveAI, AI Aardvark, etc., these look absolutely fantastic and are good to frame rates, etc.However, I am under no illusions that this is going to be no small task, but I am committed to putting the time in. The question is, How best to start? Which aircraft, airlines, flight plans etc. would you suggest I start with? For instance, I fly with Fly UK Virtual Airways from their Gatwick (EGKK) hub. Would it be useful to start with the airlines/ aircraft that operate out of there? If so, where do I get this information?How is it best to build up and expand your AI fleets - on a Airport basis, region basis, country basis, or what?Are there any documents, tutorials, etc. out there that can help me in this please? I understand the rudiments of setting up AI - I would just like some help in putting some logical process in to tackling such a large project.Thanks for your patience ! Help anyone?Malcolm

it is a huge task, Malcolm!Personally, I would start out by going to airliners.net and searching for your airport. Then once you find the companies that fly, search for their plans here in the library, also the library of project ai, and flightsim.comOnce you have a flight plan file, it is an aircraft text file, which has a certain number assigned, followed by the aircraft speed (200 and below is better, 200 for jets, smaller number for props), and the actual title. This title is in brackets, " " and that title minus the brackets goes in the aircraft.cfg file, under a new entry when you download the repaint. usually that repaint has instructions on what to enter in and where to get the base aircraft package. The airports text file just tells the game what location the airports are in your plans. The flightplans text file tells the game where to send each aircraft, so in your aircraft file, if your AC#1 is american airlines 757, the flightplans text file will start out with AC#1,registration number, type of plan, WEEK is the best, and ifr or vfr, flight level, flight number, departing and arrival time, then arriving airport, etc.If you want, you can download the ai packages from project ai to see the basics as to how it is all done. Sorry for such a brief overview, there is so much to learn. I think project AI has some tutorials.Anyway, good luck, I spend half my FS time adding to my plans and repaint collection.

Hi, Check out www.calclassic.com Tom Gibsons site as he has created fleets of AI aircraft and routes and there may be help available in the AI airplanes section on AFCADS etc.Andy.

Firstly (and you may already have) get to know how to manually install AI through traffic tools so you can grasp the basics of how it all works (as explained above, the PAI site gives a good tutorial.) I would very much recommend learning how to use the MRAI installer and install AI Aardvark, Evolve AI, CDAI & FS Painter models rather than the PAI models, as they're generally better on framerates and look a lot more realistic. With the MRAI installer you can install an individual traffic .bgl for each airline, which means that when you want to eventually update flightplans plans for them, it's a simple process and doesn't require you trawling through the aircraft/flightplans.txt of one huge .bgl file to edit things. There are a lot of airlines now that have flightplans in the library which are MRAI installer-compatible. Also, keep a record of each airline you install, with such information included as which models of aircraft you installed (i.e. X Airlines - Aardvark B732, B734, Evolve AI A321), when the flightplans were from (e.g. Winter 2005/06), and how they were installed (i.e. whether it be with the MRAI installer, World of AI installer, manually through Traffic Tools, etc.) Start off with the bigger airlines in order to fill up your airports quicker. British Airways may be a good start! Devote a few sessions maybe to installing AFCADs for the areas that you fly in most. You'll find good AFCADs here, at flightsim.com and at PAI.Hope this helps

Malcom,I smiled when I saw your post, since I actually started the same process as you just last week. A few tips I found along the way:1. You will get addicted2. Install TTools 2, and learn how to use it3. Don't go crazy. Like others mentioned, start by your favorite airport or area to fly4. There's LOTS of stuff out there, and also lots of other AI addicts to help.5. You will get addicted.6. Start with downloading flightplans first (from right here in the library). Then decompile in TTools, and take a look at the airplanes. Then... go hunting.7. I really like World of AI. They do a lot of the hunting for you, and already have good packages. They include the best of the best in AI models (Evolve AI, AI Aardvrak, FSPainter, etc).8. You will get addicted9. Must stop here... Must go find more flighplans...Cheers!VFR_Canuckhttp://bryansblog.lumacs.caMy hangar: Flight1 PC-12, MAAM DC3, Carenado 182 RGII, Carenado 206 Stationair, RealAir SF-260, Dreamfleet A36 (with Turbo kit).

Malcom,Another quick tip. Do yoursefl a favor and go here: http://aita2004.pvdveen.net/ And then download "Aircraft Analyzer 2005". It is an AMAZING tool to make sure your traffic.bgl's are in order.VFR_Canuckhttp://bryansblog.lumacs.caMy hangar: Flight1 PC-12, MAAM DC3, Carenado 182 RGII, Carenado 206 Stationair, RealAir SF-260, Dreamfleet A36 (with Turbo kit).

The way I am doing it was to first install PAI and the airlines you will find in your usual airports.Then I replace the aircrafts with the ones from Aardvark or if missing there from ARNZ. Later on I will use Eevolve for the Airbus.It is a long, very long process but I did come addicted to it. At the same time I learned how to use AFCAD to increase wherever it is needed more parking space (mainly small airports - I also use GA Traffic) or correct the parking spaces and taxi ways.All the AC in Aardvark and Eevolve and ARNZ duplicate PAI AC

I also can use that tip. Thank you

I use Ultimate Traffic for flight plans and then replaced all the models and AFCADs with better versions. Nice thing about this approach is UT updates the flightplans a couple times a year and you get a buttload of AFCADs with increased parking spaces. Right UT is about the only source of updated real world flightplans.Matt

Thanks everyone for the great help and tips.That's what I love about this forum.CheersMalcolm