Seafront: Vessels Enhanced AI and Global Shipping!

[captain420 3,099]

Thanks! That's great to know! Keep up the excellent work!

[Seafront Simulations 90]

4 minutes ago, captain420 said:

Thanks! That's great to know! Keep up the excellent work!

🙂👍

[hanhamreds 592]

23 minutes ago, Seafront Simulations said:

To be fair to MS/Asobo the wakes are just something we need to spend more time with and need more documentation/tutorials/samples for. I have no doubt the technology is there, it's just that all of the developers are having to learn a brand new system for creating effects and the only tutorials out there are for smoke. I'm confident we'll get there though!

Well I’m loving your work so far, and looking forward to seeing it grow👍

[Lord Farringdon 493]

1 hour ago, captain420 said:

It's great to see more ships and all. But if let's say we fly at FL180 and above where most commercial airliners fly, will we be able to see the ships that are way out in the middle of the ocean? I really hope you implement LOD levels for the higher altitudes flyers to see these ships. Or else it won't be pointless to have thousands of routes, and not be able to see any of the ships.

I really love the details of the models and how they have lighting and wake effects, but I do agree on improving the look of the wakes. Hopefully it's something that Asobo can work on their end to make these particle effects even better.

This is my perspective on this, based on real world experience. When enroute at altitude you obviously need to be clear of cloud to see any ships. You don't see that many if any in open ocean but when you do see them (through archipelagoes for example), you wont see much detail. So why should that be any different for Seafront models?  The larger vessels are easier to spot from FL300+  especially their wakes in calm seas but smaller vessels will be difficult to spot in rough seas. The reality is that you have to be  looking out of the window a lot to spot that one container vessel out their in the mid Pacific and too bad if there was some cumulus between you and the ship when you passed. But approaching a big port like Singapore you will see a lot more. Again, very limited detail from this altitude. 

So .........   'implement LOD levels for the higher altitudes flyers to see these ships. Or else it won't be pointless to have thousands of routes, and not be able to see any of the ships."    No!!  That is unrealistic. 

 

Edit: Sorry, I dont mean you shouldn't be able to see them, I just mean you shouldn't be able to see any detail.  

If you want to do ship spotting then simulating maritime patrol rather than high level airliner flying is a much better way to do this and a helluva lot of fun too!. 

Pick yourself up a P3 Orion or other suitable military or coast guard type aircraft with a livery of your choice.  As Seafront suggest, use littlenavmap as your radar.  Now, let 's do an EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) patrol on behalf of a friendly nation or two. For me, that would be say flying from New Zealand to Rarotonga for an overnight. Then early the next morning just as the sun is rising get airborne to patrol the Cook Islands 200nm EEZ. On board (pretend) you have a list of foreign fishing boat licence numbers approved by the Cook Islands to fish their EEZ.  You will need to check every FV you come across for name, registration and position (not allowed to have lines in the water inside 12nm). To do this you will establish your patrol route at 7000 feet and descend to 200 feet for an abeam pass of each target while taking imagery (Nvidea snapshot for example). If the vessel is legal climb back to 7000 feet and continue patrol. If you come across cargo, passenger or research vessels, apply the same descent to target profile and abeam fly past with imagery taking note of any illegal bilge dumping usually identified by trailing oil slicks. When this portion of the Cook Islands EEZ patrol is complete climb to FL200 and head for say Tonga. Descend enroute for any targets say 20 -30 nm either side of route before reaching Tonga's EEZ and commencing the 200nm patrol again at 7000 feet looking for unlicensed FV's. Land at Tonga for the overnight after a 6 to 7 hour patrol.  Get airborne the following morning and patrol enroute to NZ at 7000 feet until clear of the Tongan EEZ. Climb to cruise altitude for return to New Zealand (RTNZ). Enroute, investigate any high interest targets such as military vessels while being aware they have right of navigation, so stay well clear of them and don't be intimidatory.  Take photos! On RTNZ breakout all the imagery and see what detail you have captured. Refine your skills on your next patrol. Thank you Sir, for your service.:) 

 

And have fun !!       

Edited August 9, 2021 by Lord Farringdon
Clarification

[riverreveal 145]

If I purchase this product, will it increase the amount of  yachts and sailing boats in coastal places? I fly mainly around Washington State and the South West UK and hardly see anything despite sliders set to 100 for leisure boats in the settings.

[Seafront Simulations 90]

18 minutes ago, riverreveal said:

If I purchase this product, will it increase the amount of  yachts and sailing boats in coastal places? I fly mainly around Washington State and the South West UK and hardly see anything despite sliders set to 100 for leisure boats in the settings.

Hi @riverreveal - Enhanced AI just changes the models but uses the default traffic so no you won't get an increase in leisure traffic but you might notice them more with the night lighting and wakes. Global Shipping adds a lot more traffic, but the focus for that is cargo, utility and some fishing trawlers, not yachts. Additional coastal leisure traffic is more of a focus for our core product range of sceneries. The South West is on our list to look at (you're not the first to ask 🙂 - it's a lovely area) but we have the South East and Balearics to complete at the moment so UK South West, if it happens, is some way off at the moment.

[Noooch 1,084]

1 hour ago, Seafront Simulations said:

Hi @captain420

All of our LODs are set up to be visible from the very first opportunity and many are visible from FL300+. However, it obviously depends on the size of the ship itself. Some of the smaller and medium supply vessels or fishing trawlers are not visible from that height although there's a chance you could see their wakes. The sim still isn't perfect in that regard, as there are still some LODs (thankfully not lots) that aren't showing when they should be.

I bought the Enhanced AI only and I see them popping out in front of me when I am only 1 or 2 nm from them. When I am at 3000ft for example, they pop out under my plane so I basically don't see them at all.

I would like to be able to see them from far away with a very little LOD.

Is it an issue on my end? Does it have to do with a graphic slider ? (I am on VR with medium settings) or is it a known issue?

Thanks

Edited August 9, 2021 by Noooch

[Seafront Simulations 90]

5 minutes ago, Noooch said:

I bought the Enhanced AI only and I see them popping out in front of me when I am only 1 or 2 nm from them.

I would like to be able to see them from far away away with a very little LOD.

Is it an issue on my end? Does it have to do with a graphic slider ? (I am on VR with medium settings) or is it a known issue?

Thanks

We've noticed that on VR too @Noooch. Everything seems to get sacrificed a bit with VR. Did you re-setup your sliders for the VR (as they're independent of the Desktop settings) - silly question perhaps but just checking? Also more out of interest, which VR headset are you using?

EDIT: The sim seems to interpret the same settings differently in VR too.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Seafront Simulations

[captain420 3,099]

I would love to see a Sea Vessels package for the entire Hawaii area. Oahu, Kaui, Maui, The Big Island, etc.

[ADamiani 470]

On 8/2/2021 at 12:48 PM, Ricardo41 said:

There is nothing wrong with making a "quick buck". And you guys seemed to be up on things.

You could deliver a pitch-perfect product and folks would still whine incessantly.

I mean, Rihanna could be knocking on an avsimmer's bedroom door and make him an offer he couldn't refuse for $10 - he'd probably say: WUT? Get the f... outta here, you just want to make a quick buck!

Maybe if you read your post again you will find it a bit .... unelegant.

A.

[Noooch 1,084]

36 minutes ago, Seafront Simulations said:

We've noticed that on VR too @Noooch. Everything seems to get sacrificed a bit with VR. Did you re-setup your sliders for the VR (as they're independent of the Desktop settings) - silly question perhaps but just checking? Also more out of interest, which VR headset are you using?

EDIT: The sim seems to interpret the same settings differently in VR too.

My headset is the HP Windows Mixed Reality.

My VR setup is on lower settings than PC settings, do you know which slider affects the boats distance view in VR?

Edited August 9, 2021 by Noooch

[YoYo 374]

Sorry for different question but before buying ......

How can I see any DEFAULt (right, default!) ship and traffic in MSFS? I've been flying for a year and in all, I have never seen any ship sail in MSFS 😄. Before my slider was at level 60%, ok Today I set up to 100% (ships/ferries), did few flight, near Homer (Alaska), Catalina to L.A. and still I dont see nothing where in the real life these places are full of vessels. So here is a reason for demo or version try before to buy of this products ... because I can't see anything in MSFS related to water ;>, so i am not sure if it works (and yes, I use VR only for flying).

Any idea? Maybe something else needs to be set in MSFS? Btw. AI air traffic I see.

Edited August 9, 2021 by YoYo

[Kilo60 660]

Nice! 

 

 Will this work with:

 

Vessels; Anguilla, St martin and St Barts 

 

From ORBX?   I already have it installed....

 

What about ORBX; Vessels Global Shipping and Vessels Enhanced AI from ORBX?

 

Seems like everyone is jumping on the AI Shipping Add-on market lately!

[riverreveal 145]

4 minutes ago, Kilo60 said:

Nice! 

 

 Will this work with:

 

Vessels; Anguilla, St martin and St Barts 

 

From ORBX?   I already have it installed....

 

What about ORBX; Vessels Global Shipping and Vessels Enhanced AI from ORBX?

 

Seems like everyone is jumping on the AI Shipping Add-on market lately!

All the products you mention are developed by Seafront Simulations, so yes it will be compatible. Seafront Simulations sell their products on Orbx storefront.

[Noooch 1,084]

4 hours ago, Seafront Simulations said:

We've noticed that on VR too @Noooch. Everything seems to get sacrificed a bit with VR. Did you re-setup your sliders for the VR (as they're independent of the Desktop settings) - silly question perhaps but just checking? Also more out of interest, which VR headset are you using?

EDIT: The sim seems to interpret the same settings differently in VR too.

I just want to add that I see Henrik's ships from 25000ft...