Live manipulation of AI Traffic

[a1cbyrnes]

Mr. Dowson:

As carried over from our previous correspondence, you wanted to know what I was talking about when I said it was possible to track and even delete an AI aircraft while the simulator was running. The utility that I was referring to is the "AI Tactical Display." I picked that one up on http://www.planesimulation.com, and I'm sure it's available elsewhere. If you get a chance to evaluate that module, let me know how you think it's able to do what it does in real time. Thank you for your time and attention, and have a great day.

Sincerely,

A1C Byrnes

[Pete Dowson]

As carried over from our previous correspondence, you wanted to know what I was talking about when I said it was possible to track and even delete an AI aircraft while the simulator was running. The utility that I was referring to is the "AI Tactical Display." I picked that one up on http://www.planesimulation.com, and I'm sure it's available elsewhere. If you get a chance to evaluate that module, let me know how you think it's able to do what it does in real time.

Tracking AI aircraft is the same as what FSUIPC does, isn't it? i.e providing AI data such a latitude, longitude and altitude.

I know there is a way to delete AI aircraft, but I don't know how to do it.

I don't know of any way to create them or change them or their routes except by compiling new data into the Traffic BGL and re-running FS.

Thanks,

Pete

[a1cbyrnes]

With regard to tracking the aircraft and reporting information about that traffic, yes, the two pieces of software perform an identical function. The specific ability to trigger the deletion of an aircraft at a specified time is what intrigues me. Do you have any thoughts as to what I might look into to pursue this investigation? Thank you again, and have a great day.

-- A1C Byrnes

[Pete Dowson]

The specific ability to trigger the deletion of an aircraft at a specified time is what intrigues me. Do you have any thoughts as to what I might look into to pursue this investigation?

You want to be able to delete aircraft programmatically?

Really I am loathe to start ferreting into any more innards in FS2004 until I have got full compatibility with FS2002 for all application programs. Besides which, when the FS SDKs start coming out there may be more information there, or at least clues. to make things easier.

But I must admit, providing a facility to delete AI aircraft seems a strange thing to me. What is the application for this? Why would you want to be able to? Because they are in your way or something?

Regards,

Pete

[a1cbyrnes]

Mr. Dowson:

What I'm looking for is that through any combination of methods over any number of layers of simulation, I seek to be able to do the following: inject traffic at a programmed location, provide updates to the speed and direction of that injected traffic, and delete the traffic upon sequence completion. Since you identified that there is a way to delete the traffic (even if you aren't immediately aware as to how), but have no knowledge of being able to inject new traffic, I thought I'd pursue the investigaiton in reverse order, so to speak. If we can delete an object, we're obviously performing some type of write operaiton that modifies the FS environment. My hope is to use the knowledge learned from uncovering that operation as a springboard into completing the rest of the objectives, that's all.

Thank you again for your graceous support, I truly do appreciate your efforts, knowledge and expertise.

Very respectfully,

A1C Byrnes

[Pete Dowson]

If we can delete an object, we're obviously performing some type of write operaiton that modifies the FS environment.

I think the deletion is really just a use of the function within FS to delete one of two AI aircraft which find themselves in contention on the taxi-ways. If neither of them move for so many minutes (the timeout is less in FS2004 than in FS2002) then one (or both?) is deleted.

I still don't think there'll be a way of creating and manipulating AI traffic in the way that you want. I think you have to use the multiplayer input for that. But good luck. It would be nice to think you might be able to do such things.

Regards,

Pete

[a1cbyrnes]

Would it be logical to believe that it were possible to have an external application act as a multiplayer client? Then (to complicate matters further), can I have each one fork off as it's own process so that I have multiple instances of the "fake" multiplayer client on a single, 4-way CPU machine? Pardon me for being a bit clueless, but where would I even start with that one?

Thank you,

A1C Byrnes

[Pete Dowson]

Would it be logical to believe that it were possible to have an external application act as a multiplayer client?

All multiplayer 'clients' are external to FS. They provide details of aircraft, their positions and movements through a TCP/IP connection to FS (before FS2004 IPX could be used as an alternative).

Then (to complicate matters further), can I have each one fork off as it's own process so that I have multiple instances of the "fake" multiplayer client on a single, 4-way CPU machine?

Sorry, I don't know what you are getting at really. As far as I know any multiplayer link can provide any number of aircraft and their movements. Of course performance may suffer. But this is how Squawkbox shows the positions and images of the other aircraft when flying on-line.

Pardon me for being a bit clueless, but where would I even start with that one?

Well, start with the FS Multiplayer SDK I suppose. Please don't ask me about this, though, I haven't got it and I've never used it. However, there are folks who visit here who have.

I think the MP interface has changed with FS2004, and the SDK isn't available yet, so if you wanted to pursue this you'd need to work with FS2002 for now, and convert it for FS2004 when more is known.

Regards,

Pete

[jcboliveira]

Aircraft manipulation is something that I only know how to do in multiplayer. If you search the forum I have an idea dealing with 2 computers to manipulate AI but never tried.

FS2004 multiplayer interface is very diferent from FS2002. SDK and API. So maybe it's wise to wait a litle for the SDK and start to learn DX8 directplay.

José