A2A Spitfire does not work with AITrackerX

[styggron 1]

Hello everyone,
Was really keen to use AITrackerX so I can fly a Squadron of A2A Spitfires.

Two issues I have found.

1 - AI Traffic A2A Spitfire tips over when Taxiing when controlled by AITrafficX
Whilst I can generate the AI to follow my plane when I am flying. If I generate them to start off on the ground with a flight plan, as soon as tyhe taxi procedure starts, the A2A Spitfire tips over onto it's propellar A2A spitfire tips over onto it's propellar and starts to smoke and catch fire.

I have crash detection off/damage off and G-Forces off as the manual suggests but nothing seems to work. The A2A Spitfire will just Tip on it's nose when starting to taxi.

I have tried turning off accu-sim but the same problem happens.
This effectively means I cannot use thet A2A Spitfire as AI traffic which is what I wanted AITrafficX for. All I can do is have them follow me in a pattern.The A2A Spitfire I have has Accu-sim add on.

2 - Manual flight plan problem
If I create a flight plan that is generated by FSX, things seem to work. If I create a flight plan in a tool such as LittleNavMap, then the AI I add simply do not appear on the list.

AITrackerX  does not seem able to import flight plans with manually added waypoints.

 

I really hope we can fix the A2A spitfire problem because I really would like the AI to take off and fly rather than tipping over during taxi.
With the second problem, not sure why AITraffic does not like manually created flight plans with manual waypoints. They load but the AI never gets added to the list.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.
I currently have CameraX, WAMA, FirefighterX and AITrackerX. All Excellent products.  :)

kind regards
Styggron

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hi,

both of these issues have their cause in how the simulator handels AI aircraft. When you create a plane with a flight plan, it is not controlled by AITX, the simulator has full authority.

1. The same would happen if you would use the Spitfire as AI with a BGL based flight plan. The simulator has trouble controlling taildraggers, the Spitfire is not the only plane where this happens. Your only option is to create the formation when you are already flying, or with a waypoint or binary recording. Edit: there is another option: make a copy of the aircraft folder and turn it into a simulator AI compatible plane. Remove the panels, rename the sound folder, then alter the aircraft.cfg, change the model names/titles and manipulate weights and contact points until the simluator is able to handle it. I admit that this is only a theory though, I'm no aircraft designer.

2. AITX is not loading the flight plan - it just tells the simulator where the file is. So if the plane is not created, there is something in this plan that the simulator cannot understand (or it can't access the file?). If you want, send one of those plans that don't work to me via email, I'll check it out. The address is on the last page of the manual. Please include proof of purchase if you do.

Best regards

 

Edited May 20, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

About 1.: I just applied the method that I outlined in my "Edit" to the Alabeo Pawnee Brave and the default P-51. After turning them into AI in their own folder, by replacing the first three contact points (the gear) with the ones from the default C172 I changed them from taildraggers into tricycle gear planes. After a fair bit of tweaking of the contact point height to make them sit correctly on the ground, they now taxi without jumping and they turn a lot faster too - no more wandering around across half of the airfield just to make a turn. With the P-51 I had to copy over the numbers for gear extension and retraction too, otherwise it stays deployed (the C172 has a fixed gear).

I can also recommend the ACG historic AI packages, those models behave pretty good too on the ground - out of the box. There are a few Spitfires in one of the packages.

Best regards

Edited May 20, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[styggron 1]

Thank you so much for your reply.

1. It is a real pity re the Spitfire control. I was hoping to have them all sitting there watching them taxi and take off. It seems to work with large taildragers such as Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, but not the Spitfire. Maybe one day there might be a utility etc to allow this to work better. Thank you very much for that.

As you say and as I have discovered, the only real way is for me to take off and then create the AI following me. I wish there was a way of giving them a plan to follow once I select "release AI" though. My plan was to fly around duxford UK in formation and then when I am ready to land, for me to "release" the AI and for them to land in the same airport. When I release the AI they just fly off to an unknown destination.

2. I will try my created flight plan from littlenavmap again because I normally make these and load them into FSX without a problem. There seemed to be an issue only if I try with AITrackerX  I always make a flight plan with manual waypoints.  I will run a few tests and then email you (including my proof of purchase) and see how we go.

Thank you again for your AMAZING products and most of all thank you for not having DRM ! That was the primary reason why I went in and bought them all bar the cropduster addon (which I will soon because I'd like to support fantastic developers such as yourself).

 

Thank you again

 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

56 minutes ago, styggron said:

1. It is a real pity re the Spitfire control. I was hoping to have them all sitting there watching them taxi and take off. It seems to work with large taildragers such as Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, but not the Spitfire. Maybe one day there might be a utility etc to allow this to work better. Thank you very much for that.

HI,

Please try the solution that I outlined in my last post, altering the contact points seems to be working quite well and it is not too difficult, it just takes time to get it right. I made a few simple tests with the ACG spitfires too, and those seem to work OK out of the box - turning radius is still a bit wide, but at least they don't jump or fall over.

About the release and planes landing: I have the same problem in the other addons too. I always wanted to make the AI fire fighters in FFX land and then taxi in, but no dice. One can take control away from the AI logic when an aircraft is following a plan, and make it follow a waypoint list instead, but it doesn't work the other way around, the sim is stubborn that way. I will try again with the latest incarnation of P3D, they changed a few things in that region (like the new option to have helicopters as AI). And I just had an idea of the crazier variety that should work, I need to try that too...

Normally, when you can load the flight plan as your own, it should also work sending it to an AI. But that is not a strict rule, as two different parts of the sim program are in play. Could be a localization error, I have encountered a few of those (= wrong number format somewhere). If you send me the file, I will check it out. You could also try loading the file into the sims built-in flight planner, then save it again in the native format, and make AITX use that new file.

Best regards

Edited May 24, 2018 by Lorby_SI