I love that one surprised me that it wasn't done earlier ;-)Andr

I'm very happy that you can use the managed API calls in C#.I'll start working on my AI/ATC replacement today.EDIT:The SimConnect SDK can be used by programmers to write add-on components to Microsoft

>SimConnect is based on TCP/IP.Wouldn't that mean that it would be possible, in theory, to have one master server generating a whole world's worth of AI traffic? Then you could have FSX clients all over the world getting identical AI movements sent from the server via TCP/IP? Additionally the coordinates of FSX clients could be sent upstream to the server and then repopulated to the other clients via an AI aircraft representation? (no actual multiplayer session running, everything via AI instructions from the master server) This would result in a hybrid experience of pure AI and multiuser traffic. The system could be taken a step further in that ATC interaction could be plugged into the server via clients such as those used today at VATSIM/IVAO in order to provide atc services to both AI and human controlled traffic. This would be an ambitious project but seems feasible based on the API information so far.Such a system would be flight sim nirvana, since human ATC could plug in and out while the central server could control all human and AI aircraft in non-covered areas. Also it would be a "busy" world yet the server could efficiently create and destroy ai aircraft as their visual representation approaches and leaves 30miles or so around each clients position. World's first MMOFS.

>>SimConnect is based on TCP/IP.>>Wouldn't that mean that it would be possible, in theory, to>have one master server generating a whole world's worth of AI>traffic? Then you could have FSX clients all over the world>getting identical AI movements sent from the server via>TCP/IP? Additionally the coordinates of FSX clients could be>sent upstream to the server and then repopulated to the other>clients via an AI aircraft representation? (no actual>multiplayer session running, everything via AI instructions>from the master server) This would result in a hybrid>experience of pure AI and multiuser traffic. The system could>be taken a step further in that ATC interaction could be>plugged into the server via clients such as those used today>at VATSIM/IVAO in order to provide atc services to both AI and>human controlled traffic. This would be an ambitious project>but seems feasible based on the API information so far.>>Such a system would be flight sim nirvana, since human ATC>could plug in and out while the central server could control>all human and AI aircraft in non-covered areas. Also it would>be a "busy" world yet the server could efficiently create and>destroy ai aircraft as their visual representation approaches>and leaves 30miles or so around each clients position. >World's first MMOFS.I have a feeling, from reading the documentation, that this is entirely possible. However, if it is practical is what I'm not entirely clear on.

Oh look at that.An entry for where you can set the IP address of the SimConnect server.

Excellent... can I be a beta tester?I was writing a freeware "cockpit environment/co-pilot" utility for FS9 (using FSUIPC) but now im doing it for FSX (using Simconnect).

>Excellent... can I be a beta tester?>>I was writing a freeware "cockpit environment/co-pilot">utility for FS9 (using FSUIPC) but now im doing it for FSX>(using Simconnect).Sure.The first step, without throwing crazy amounts of data around, would be a simple program that would transfer your own flight data to a central location, and have that data update the AI in your local program. So, in addition to any AI currently in the world, there would also be AI created based on everyone else's (who was using the program) flights.Of course, there would have to be some sort of method to eliminate conflicts between those flights and between them and the standard AI, but I figure that can be handled.

Ok, I've got it loading an AI plane based on a local XML file with data I pre-inserted. The only thing I was worried about was the flight plan. I wanted to insert a flight plan for the planes to fly, but right now, it's just a local one. Turns out that I didn't know that the .pln files in FSX are XML, so it's cake.I'm going to work some more on it tonight.I love the SimConnect API. I'm a fan.

sounds like the AI world will get MUCH better with FSX! looking forward to this...

Just one thing do not perform any polling with a timer, if you want retrieve periodic variables just useRequestDataOnSimObject with SIMCONNECT_PERIODFor managed code the object browser is my best friend.Jos

Anyway to write a message to the screen... like the Green ATIS message bar?

>Anyway to write a message to the screen... like the Green>ATIS message bar?I don't see it in the SimConnect docs, but I would assume it should be possible.

Ok.Have you found anyway to query the FSX database for airport and navaid info?I think all the info that can be displayed in the default FSX GPS should be made accessible via SimConnect.Maybe there's some otherway to do it?Been too busy at work to check lately :)

I haven't really played with that yet.Right now, you run the program before you start FSX, and when you enter the sim itself, the program gets all the data (aircraft, paint, airport, filed flight plan, etc) and writes that data to a local XML file. Then it checks the XML file, parses the data, and creates an AI plane (at the first available gate) with the same data, then loads the flight plan for it. The next step is to make the writing and reading go through a php script on my webpage that returns the XML data, as to allow anyone with the program to add themselves to the master list. Also, clean up and stuff, removing the flight from the list when you exit, etc.I did forget to exit out of a loop at one point and quickly had a KIAD full of default 737-800s before I got it to stop. Pretty funny.There's a ton you can do the AI system, including detaching planes from it and ordering them around yourself. It shouldn't be that hard (hahahaha, yeah, I said it) to create an alternative method in an external program to control the AI interaction with ATC.I would like to know how to throw a ATC type window to the screen.

I agree, the SimConnect API is good.At the moment I've got it automatically saving my flight every 60 seconds and its telling me all the ids for the AI traffic as they are being created and removed. Now all I have to do is figure out how to use RequestDataOnSimObject to get their destination to that I can give them a flightplan that goes to their destination. BTW I also haven't seen anything about writing messages to a window on the screen.