Military AI Works

You thought about converting the MAIW F-16s?
Would save Mike and I a lot of time creating brand new FSX models.

Cheers

Weescotty wrote: ↑22 Sep 2017, 01:54 You thought about converting the MAIW F-16s?
Would save Mike and I a lot of time creating brand new FSX models.

Cheers

If you guys would be ok with me doing it I will take a look and see if it is feasible with my skills.

Gavin

I think I can speak for Mike and say go ahead.

Thanks,
I did a quick look and it will be a non trivial effort. There are a number of the attached objects (chocs, engine covers etc) that appear to be welded to the main fuselage (as opposed to separate objects) when I pull the model into MCX. This means that I will need to export each LOD into FSDS and separate the parts, then re-import.
There also looks to be some pretty hairy xml but hopefully you can help with that.

Gavin

The HTAI F-16 family for FSX is now available in our Download Hangar.

Get them here.

A big shout-out to Gavin (and to Henry for the permission to convert his models)!

Hang on a sec, I've been busy getting married and all that, Kevin and I need to discuss this first.

My fault Mike, I didn't think you would mind as it would take a lot off us doing the FSX versions, so I told him to go ahead.
My bad.

Okey dokey....
Had a chat with Mike....

You may take the released MAIW F-16s and convert them to FSX standards.
Please use MAIW for distributing the converted models.

If you need help with the XML, give me a shout.

NOTE - Unlike HT's Falcons the MAIW General Electric and Pratt & Whitney Falcons ARE different, so there are changes between for eg the Block 50 and Block 52 models. There isn't a generic one for both.

Weescotty wrote: ↑26 Sep 2017, 00:34 Okey dokey....
Had a chat with Mike....

You may take the released MAIW F-16s and convert them to FSX standards.
Please use MAIW for distributing the converted models.

If you need help with the XML, give me a shout.

NOTE - Unlike HT's Falcons the MAIW General Electric and Pratt & Whitney Falcons ARE different, so there are changes between for eg the Block 50 and Block 52 models. There isn't a generic one for both.

Weescotty, Mike.

Thanks for the authorization, appreciate your confidence.

Like I said it is a very big job (much more complicated than the HTAI models) and there are some compromises that will need to be made (how to handle the boarding ladder is one).
If I decide to tackle the job I will reach out to you guys via PM so that you are ok with any changes before it is made public.

Gavin

No probs.
Can't remember the XML we used, but any using the nav light may be a problem.
If I recall correctly the nav light in FSX and P3D comes on AFTER pushback?

The animated canopy, the pilot and all the parts attached to him, the boarding ladder and the weapons flags/covers are all tied to the nav lights.

I'm not sure you can just 'convert' the model like you are proposing to do.

The only way to do it in FSX/P3D, I've found, is to use the Nav light or beacon light as the trigger with everything happening at engine start, just as the aircraft moves off. You can kill the pushback by placing a blue node on the forward parking link in the AFCAD and dragging it back so that it sits right over the centre of the parking spot without going behind it. Nowhere near as flexible as FS9, but it will generally work.

John

John Young wrote: ↑26 Sep 2017, 20:43 The only way to do it in FSX/P3D, I've found, is to use the Nav light or beacon light as the trigger with everything happening at engine start, just as the aircraft moves off. You can kill the pushback by placing a blue node on the forward parking link in the AFCAD and dragging it back so that it sits right over the centre of the parking spot without going behind it. Nowhere near as flexible as FS9, but it will generally work.

John

Yes, that is what I have been doing. Using visibility conditions tied to the beacon light I can get things to appear (ie pilots) or disappear (ie chocks etc) using that as a trigger. Cabin lights come on early but that only works when the sim thinks it is night.

So if the MAIW F-16s get converted having the ladder on the ground with the canopy closed until 10 minutes before pushback, then on the aircraft with the canopy open will be impossible.

Gavin

Isn't there a tool that shows you what aircraft conditions are active at any given time? For example, oil pressure, radio #1, etc???

Do the AI in FSX/P3D call for their clearance before they taxi???

Yes they do Mike, but I don't know how the radio call can be used as an xml animation or visibility trigger. Kevin and I have tested all sorts of possibilities using different FSX parameters but with no success with a pre-taxi solution to date. The radio call is a logical suggestion and maybe Kevin can work out if a trigger is possible.

John

Here is the link to all the FSX variables....

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-au/library/cc526981.aspx

Using a cube for testing and basic visibility code...


<Code>
(A:<insert variable here>,<insert variable type here>) 1 ==
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>


For eg...

<Code>
(A:COM TRANSMIT:1,bool) 1 ==
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>

might be...
COM TRANSMIT:2


There is a whole host of AI TRAFFIC STATE variables, but we have never got aircraft to respond to them...

<Code>
(A:AI TRAFFIC STATE,string) 'taxi out' scmp 0 ==
if{ 1 } els{ 0 }
</Code>

scmp is string compare, if they are the same it returns 0 (no differences)

I thought about this a bit more overnight. I don't think a radio call will work. With a nav light or beacon light trigger, the part is visible or is animated when the light is on. With a radio call trigger, even if it can be recognised by the sim, isn't the part going to be visible or animated only when the radio call is made. As soon as the transmission stops, won't the parts revert to their cold state?

John

I have just opened up the F16 conversions and it seems that there is a model missing. The F-16C Drag Chute does not have an updated "model.normal" in the package. Was this done on purpose ? and if so do I just need to change those entries with "normal" in my Aircraft.cfg to one of those models present.

Regards

petebramley wrote: ↑28 Sep 2017, 07:59 I have just opened up the F16 conversions and it seems that there is a model missing. The F-16C Drag Chute does not have an updated "model.normal" in the package. Was this done on purpose ? and if so do I just need to change those entries with "normal" in my Aircraft.cfg to one of those models present.

Regards

Geez - There is always something. It wasn't done on purpose, it just slipped thru the cracks. I don't have the conversion handy but do have the intermediate steps.

I am going on a business trip for a couple of days but should be able to re-compile the normal model and upload an update on the weekend.

Gavin

John Young wrote: ↑28 Sep 2017, 06:41 I thought about this a bit more overnight. I don't think a radio call will work. With a nav light or beacon light trigger, the part is visible or is animated when the light is on. With a radio call trigger, even if it can be recognised by the sim, isn't the part going to be visible or animated only when the radio call is made. As soon as the transmission stops, won't the parts revert to their cold state?

John

Can use a g:var to overcome that.