Heads up on new AI separation utilities for P3Dv4

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

Some updates:

AIFlow v1.1 HF3: https://www.mediafire.com/file/donrrkqljazpnn3/AIFlow_v110HF3.zip/file

Added: (1) start minimized; (2) periodic read of .ini file to aid tuning/tweaking (can save changes and keep AIFlow running); (3) auto switch to external airport database (included in package) if simconnect bug reading internal database; (3) option to specify min. AI approach speeds in terminal area (good for slower AI or AI in a long-slow approach from distance).

AIGround v1.1 HF3: https://www.mediafire.com/file/6phos9ju3vtte54/AIGround_v110HF3.zip/file

Added (1) start minimized; (2) periodic read of .ini file to aid tuning/tweaking (can save changes and keep AIGround running); (3) option to specify target landing rollout time (by automatically changing braking scalar) yielding more consistent results for different AI sets used at same time.

New Utility: AICull

AICull v1.0 https://www.mediafire.com/file/d60ip7ktp28uxqh/AICull_v100.zip/file

In-sim, multi-mode AI traffic limiter.  Operates via P3D menu system located under the "Add-ons" menu.  Provides options to limit AI traffic to the user's departure and destination airports (if flight plan loaded), the user's current airport or the closest 25, 50 or 75 AI to the user's aircraft.  Exceptions can be made for enroute AI (e.g., higher than 10,000 or 18000 ft).  AICull requires FSUIPC v5 or later (registered preferred).

Edited May 22, 2020 by Clipper Ocean Spray

[virtualstuff 754]

Great stuff 😎

[KL Oo 695]

2 hours ago, Clipper Ocean Spray said:

 

New Utility: AICull

AICull v1.0 https://www.mediafire.com/file/d60ip7ktp28uxqh/AICull_v100.zip/file

In-sim, multi-mode AI traffic limiter.  Operates via P3D menu system located under the "Add-ons" menu.  Provides options to limit AI traffic to the user's departure and destination airports (if flight plan loaded), the user's current airport or the closest 25, 50 or 75 AI to the user's aircraft.  Exceptions can be made for enroute AI (e.g., higher than 10,000 or 18000 ft).  AICull requires FSUIPC v5 or later (registered preferred).

Hi Roland,

I've asked this of a number of developers that work with AI but all have indicated only a luke warm response. In UT2 there was a feature that allowed the user to remove all AI traffic that was operating to and from particular airports. That was really useful in places like Heathrow where you could elect to completely remove all traffic into say, London City, Gatwick or Stansted. This would mean the sim wasn't processing AI that you couldn't see, had no involvement with but were still within the reality buble.

There are a number of programs that kill AI, not least of course FSUIPC but none that I can find that do this. Is this something you could program?

Cheers and thanks for the tools!

EDIT - Looks like you edited your post to show this is possible for enroute aircraft - EXCELLENT!

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by KL Oo

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

1 hour ago, KL Oo said:

In UT2 there was a feature that allowed the user to remove all AI traffic that was operating to and from particular airports. That was really useful in places like Heathrow where you could elect to completely remove all traffic into say, London City, Gatwick or Stansted. 

 

Hi Kael, I could do it, but (and I realize you've probably been asked this question before 😉), how is that a significant advantage over the option to just limit traffic to the departure and destination specified in your flight plan?  For example, you're flight plan is EGLL-EGPH, that removes all the AI at London City, Gatwick and Stansted.  

[KL Oo 695]

Doing it the suggested way you're still going to see traffic en route and on other displayed AI software (such as STB). 

I presume doing it the way you've programmed AI CULL will still allow all traffic departing LHR to ALL OTHER DESTINATIONS to complete their flight and all traffic arriving from ALL OTHER DESTINATONS to EGPH?

Now that I think about it your way is actually pretty close to what I'm after - would just eliminate enroute traffic that would otherwise be seen that didn't originate or depart  from LHR or EDI.

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

FYI, here's the non-default .ini file settings I'm currently using (may not work best with your preferences/setups however).

AIFlow.ini

AIANTIRUNWAYINCURSION=1 //view readme to understand what this does before enabling
AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 //AIFlow can deal with AI injected too high and close, but why bother?  Get rid of them from the get-go!
AITERMINALAREAMINSPEED=170.0 //Get those turbo-props and GA moving
INSIMMESSAGELEVEL=1 //prefer minimal feedback as to what program is doing
INIPERIODICUPDATE=1 //prefer option to change settings and not restart AIFlow although doing so will not cause any problems

AIGround.ini

AIEXTENDEDPUSHBACK=1 //at the very least prefer AI pointed toward apron after pushback
AILANDINGBRAKINGSCALAR=15.0 //good initial value if using landing target time below
AILANDINGTARGETTIME=25 //probably between 20-25, GA and turbos will automatically be less, heavies more
INSIMMESSAGELEVEL=1 //like minimal feedback as to what program is doing
INIPERIODICUPDATE=1 //prefer option to change settings and not restart AIFlow although doing so will not cause any problems

AICull.ini

Currently using all defaults.

 

[KL Oo 695]

Just out of interest, do you think there would be any benefit of rolling all of these programs into the one central program?

[jonezy10 1]

Hi fellow captains

I was wondering if anyone has worked out the 'best settings' for busy airports such as EGLL. I've tried out reducing the reality bubble as I found the AI flow was making several inbound flights go forever around in a circle.

[fs1 295]

I will be testing an API that will be able to change active runways (both departures and arrivals) and active approaches, as parking indexes as well.

If would like to test, please PM me with email address.

Thanks!

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

On 5/22/2020 at 2:12 PM, KL Oo said:

Just out of interest, do you think there would be any benefit of rolling all of these programs into the one central program?

I think it would just be too complex if they were all parts of the same program.  E.g., it is possible the user is just interested in extended ground rolls, so all they have to figure out is AIGround.

49 minutes ago, jonezy10 said:

Hi fellow captains

I was wondering if anyone has worked out the 'best settings' for busy airports such as EGLL. I've tried out reducing the reality bubble as I found the AI flow was making several inbound flights go forever around in a circle.

If you're watching AI from the user aircraft while airborne, do you have USERAISEPARATIONDISTANCE=0  set?

If that's fine, probably ok to decrease AIMONITORRADIUS to 175940 or so (95 nm), but I wouldn't go below that (for AIFlow). 

I've done a lot of testing at EGLL and the AI tend to get injected there high and too close to the airport, especially when landing west.  Rather than have AIFlow try to rehabilitate the situation (which will involve AI circling descending rapidly in the terminal area), just use AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 to get rid of them.  They were not injected in a realistic manner to begin with.

Try AITERMINALAREAMINSPEED=170.0 to keep the turbos moving to final intercept.  

You can also reduce AIARRIVALSPACING=1.5 to tighten spacings and reduce holding, but his will increase go-arounds.  Make sure to retain AIGOAROUNDLEAVEAREA=1 (default) so going-around AI(s) do not loiter in the terminal area.

Holders will eventually land, but if there are too many at one time to your liking, reduce the max number of holders (e.g., AIMAXHOLDING=10). 

[jonezy10 1]

36 minutes ago, Clipper Ocean Spray said:

I think it would just be too complex if they were all parts of the same program.  E.g., it is possible the user is just interested in extended ground rolls, so all they have to figure out is AIGround.

If you're watching AI from the user aircraft while airborne, do you have USERAISEPARATIONDISTANCE=0  set?

If that's fine, probably ok to decrease AIMONITORRADIUS to 175940 or so (95 nm), but I wouldn't go below that (for AIFlow). 

I've done a lot of testing at EGLL and the AI tend to get injected there high and too close to the airport, especially when landing west.  Rather than have AIFlow try to rehabilitate the situation (which will involve AI circling descending rapidly in the terminal area), just use AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 to get rid of them.  They were not injected in a realistic manner to begin with.

Try AITERMINALAREAMINSPEED=170.0 to keep the turbos moving to final intercept.  

You can also reduce AIARRIVALSPACING=1.5 to tighten spacings and reduce holding, but his will increase go-arounds.  Make sure to retain AIGOAROUNDLEAVEAREA=1 (default) so going-around AI(s) do not loiter in the terminal area.

Holders will eventually land, but if there are too many at one time to your liking, reduce the max number of holders (e.g., AIMAXHOLDING=10). 

Thank you for your advice - I will try this one out in a mo. I've been testing the monitor radius by reducing that to 18000 - just about where the final starts so planes start their rotation there, which seems to work relatively well - although I'll try your suggestions.

Also - does anyone else get this weird bug where planes land way too early. For example I see a couple landing 20nm out and bob along the ground until eventually reaching the runway. This happens even after the 15 min cool down time. Again I find this at EGLL. 

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this bug.

Thanks

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

11 minutes ago, jonezy10 said:

Thank you for your advice - I will try this one out in a mo. I've been testing the monitor radius by reducing that to 18000 - just about where the final starts so planes start their rotation there, which seems to work relatively well - although I'll try your suggestions.

Also - does anyone else get this weird bug where planes land way too early. For example I see a couple landing 20nm out and bob along the ground until eventually reaching the runway. This happens even after the 15 min cool down time. Again I find this at EGLL. 

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this bug.

Thanks

AFlow wasn't designed to go that low on monitor radius, but perhaps it unintentionally works ok.

You shouldn't be seeing AI landing 20 nm out and bobbing along the ground as of HF2.  Do you have the latest version, HF3?  https://www.mediafire.com/file/donrrkqljazpnn3/AIFlow_v110HF3.zip/file  What typically causes that problem is the AI injected too high, too close goes into a dive-bomb (under control of the P3D AI engine) and can't pull out of the dive.  HF3 (and HF2) will detect this and get the AI airborne again, however again this relates back to the original issue of the AI being injected too high.  That's why I suggest AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 to just get rid of these problematic AI from the beginning.

[jonezy10 1]

10 minutes ago, Clipper Ocean Spray said:

AFlow wasn't designed to go that low on monitor radius, but perhaps it unintentionally works ok.

You shouldn't be seeing AI landing 20 nm out and bobbing along the ground as of HF2.  Do you have the latest version, HF3?  https://www.mediafire.com/file/donrrkqljazpnn3/AIFlow_v110HF3.zip/file  What typically causes that problem is the AI injected too high, too close goes into a dive-bomb (under control of the P3D AI engine) and can't pull out of the dive.  HF3 (and HF2) will detect this and get the AI airborne again, however again this relates back to the original issue of the AI being injected too high.  That's why I suggest AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 to just get rid of these problematic AI from the beginning.

57 minutes ago, Clipper Ocean Spray said:

I think it would just be too complex if they were all parts of the same program.  E.g., it is possible the user is just interested in extended ground rolls, so all they have to figure out is AIGround.

If you're watching AI from the user aircraft while airborne, do you have USERAISEPARATIONDISTANCE=0  set?

If that's fine, probably ok to decrease AIMONITORRADIUS to 175940 or so (95 nm), but I wouldn't go below that (for AIFlow). 

I've done a lot of testing at EGLL and the AI tend to get injected there high and too close to the airport, especially when landing west.  Rather than have AIFlow try to rehabilitate the situation (which will involve AI circling descending rapidly in the terminal area), just use AIBADAPPROACHFILTER=1 to get rid of them.  They were not injected in a realistic manner to begin with.

Try AITERMINALAREAMINSPEED=170.0 to keep the turbos moving to final intercept.  

You can also reduce AIARRIVALSPACING=1.5 to tighten spacings and reduce holding, but his will increase go-arounds.  Make sure to retain AIGOAROUNDLEAVEAREA=1 (default) so going-around AI(s) do not loiter in the terminal area.

Holders will eventually land, but if there are too many at one time to your liking, reduce the max number of holders (e.g., AIMAXHOLDING=10). 

Yeah I have HF3 installed already - But I've started again installing it onto the same hard drive as P3D. I will let the sim run for half hour or so and report back. Love the program by the way 😄 

[hero93 12]

Hi Roland,

I still use your AI Controller 1.4 and it works satisfying with P3D v4.52.

Is there a setup where AI Controller can be used in combination with your new tools or will they interfere?

In my opinion there is nothing more exciting than AI following SIDs and STARs, so this has the highest priority for me.

[weeksy 45]

I'd just like to add my vote of thanks to Roland for these tools. It has really improved my enjoyment of the AI in the sim.

Thank you for your time and effort in making them.