Traffic Limiter Enhancement Request

[mach2000]

Pete,

First of all, thank you very much for the traffic limiter functionality you've provided recently in FSUIPC... it's a very handy tool !

If you're up for a challenge, some additional enhancements in FSUIPC to eliminate excessive AI "go-arounds" would really be appreciated.  While AI traffic flow management could get rather complicated, a simple process to delete AI traffic that gets too close on final would really go a long way in masking FSX/P3D's poor approach logic.  Here are some of my random thoughts on how it might be implemented:

 

Required AI Variables:

Enforcement Zone - Where AI conflicts would result in deletion. Probably 5-15 miles from the destination airport (user-adjustable).

Minimum separation - The minimum distance below which one of the compared AI aircraft (probably the one furthest from the runway) would be deleted.  Make this user adjustable (probably 3 to 5 miles)

 Aircraft parameters -  destination airport, landing runway, position, altitude, heading

Logic:

• Within the Enforcement Zone, identify AI aircraft that share the same destination airport and/or landing runway, altitude (plus or minus about 1000'), and heading (plus or minus about 30 degrees).
• If the position of any 2 identified aircraft is less than the specified Minimum separation value, delete the trailing aircraft.

I know some other dedicated programs already do something similar; but it would be nice to have this integrated into FSUIPC to minimize the number of applications needed for a flight.  Admittedly, this may require more time/effort than you're willing to devote; but it never hurts to ask :-).

Thanks for your time,

Marc (a.k.a. "Maddog" over on ProATC/X forum and other places)

 

 

 

[Pete Dowson]

6 hours ago, mach2000 said:

If you're up for a challenge, some additional enhancements in FSUIPC to eliminate excessive AI "go-arounds" would really be appreciated.  While AI traffic flow management could get rather complicated, a simple process to delete AI traffic that gets too close on final would really go a long way in masking FSX/P3D's poor approach logic.  Here are some of my random thoughts on how it might be implemented:

Sorry, though I appreciate the thought you put into your idea it is really way beyond the simple deletion option I currently have, wildly different from the simple "an aircraft has been added -- if we are above the limit now or below the target frame rate -- delete furthest or xxx (choices very limited dictated by the options)". The current code is simple and efficient, only a little complicated to read because f the different options (which can interact) and the deliberate method of randomising the choices.

The important thing to note here is that action is ONLY taken at present if the addition of an aircraft pushes the total over the limit, or a drop below the target frame rate is current whilst an aircraft update is going on. There's no continuous computation or examinations of aircraft positions going on at all.

To impose that much more processing I would really say that having it as a separate Process, not running within FS's process as FSUIPC does, is preferable. May I point you to existing add-on programs which do just this sort of thing -- AISeparation, AISmooth, both of which do work okay but are not perfect, and of course the much more ambitious and more competent and complete AI Controller  -- which also makes them follow correct SIDs and STARs when properly configured to do so (a bit of work involved to get that sorted, but there are some good examples to try).

For that last one look here for the open Beta of Version 2:

http://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/498931-ai-controller-20-gate-to-gate-control-open-beta/

6 hours ago, mach2000 said:

I know some other dedicated programs already do something similar; but it would be nice to have this integrated into FSUIPC to minimize the number of applications needed for a flight.

Well, it may be easier for the user, but overloading a process rather than separating such jobs into separate ones, is often just not the best way. Also separate programs can often be run on a Networked PC, saving even more of the load on the FS PC. I think all the current examples are networkable.

6 hours ago, mach2000 said:

Marc (a.k.a. "Maddog" over on ProATC/X forum and other places)

Ah, yes, the one who provided the voice wave files I found I couldn't interpret too well! ;-)

Pete

 

[mach2000]

Pete,

 

Thanks for the reply.  I totally understand your reluctance... I just thought I'd throw the idea out there for consideration.

I've tried the other programs mentioned and found them all lacking in one way or another.  AI Controller has a lot of potential... but still needs a LOT of work. I currently use a module in Super Traffic Board which seems to work the best.  It actually behaves similarly to what I proposed; but also goes so far as to recreate the deleted aircraft at a vacant stand so it can depart on its next leg.  It just has so many other features that I rarely need, I often feel like I'm firing up a nuclear reactor to boil a pot of water.  I wonder if something similar could be done with LUA... I've been meaning to take some time to learn how to write scripts.

Yes, I'm the one... I tried to find a "distorted" font to use for this message; but didn't have any luck ;-)