Military AI Works

Well for now, this is just one package featuring one single unit: the 495th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath. The plan is to release more packages in the future for more units, much like we did for FS9 back in the day, slowly building up our portfolio.

Once we have enough content, we might build an application that automates the download and installation, like we did for P3Dv4, but we're not there yet. For now, we're just focusing on one package at a time.

There also isn't any injection going on. We're using plain old traffic bgl's without any SimConnect voodoo, so there's no need for extra tools running alongside MSFS to get the traffic. Just drop the package(s) in your community folder and make sure your AI traffic is set to offline.

Greg wrote: ↑17 Jul 2022, 13:14 .....
Once we have enough content, we might build an application that automates the download and installation, like we did for P3Dv4, but we're not there yet. For now, we're just focusing on one package at a time.

.....

May i suggest the use of Addon Linker ?
The player will simply have to create the MAIW folder, and then link it. The advantage is that any additional folder needed by the MAIW packages, and all related files, will be automatically linked within the Community folder. From the program panel you can easily decide which scenarios to activate and which not, even creating presets based on the geographical area of interest, thus lightening MSFS loading times. .

You are correct about the use of these tools can be very beneficial once you get to a certain number of folders in your Community folder. I use Addon Linker myself.

The key problem is that we can't force people to use such a tool, even if it is freeware and helps keep your MAIW folders separate. It could even be down to a person deciding that they don't want to use a tool when they can just dump things in their Community folder.
This is why we plan the simple drop into the folder option. Whether it be the standard folder that the vanilla system comes with or a folder that is activated in a third party tool.
In either case the drag and drop works. Our plan is to name things in a certain standard way so that all of our files are obvious and sequential so that people that use the vanilla way can find everything easily.

Yes, sounds correct indeed !

Hey gang, the new guy checking in! Just saw a post on the official MSFS forums about you guys, and I'm happy to find you!

Former US Marine, I was stationed at (then) Marine Corps Air Station Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi. The MCAS still exists, but now it's part of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi. (I live 1.2nm from the 04 end of the runway!)

Unfortunately, we don't have F-35s there. Right now the helo units are drawing down, and we'll have drones (plus more BIG drones), the MV-22s, and eventually a couple of squadrons of KC-130s here. When I was there (early 90s) we had all kinds of stuff - 3 squadrons of Hornets, a couple of CH-53E squadrons, and more CH-46s than you could knock down with a stick!

The default MSFS scenery for PHNG is poo. A developer made some "Honolulu City" scenery that looked beautiful...until you tried to use either PHNL or PHNG. "melted" buildings, 95% of parking spots clipping the ground, etc, etc. From 2,000' it looks like the real deal though. The runway is unusable though, so I'm stuck on default. :\ Hopefully with some assistance from you folks we can change that!

Welcome to the forum.

I have to say that at the moment you are being a little bit previous. We are in the stage of working out how to convert aircraft, how to restore the animations, how to paint schemes in the new standard, how to mod afcad files and finally and how to package things up for users.
At this moment we have not successfully produced anything for MSFS but I don't think we are far removed from being able to do that.

What we have discovered is that the conversion process is quite long and the painting might be a lot more complicated. We are in the infancy of afcad modification. We haven't even got as far as a completed SDK yet as Asobo are still making it up as they go along.

So whilst we welcome you and your support we are very limited at the moment as to what we can achieve and the number of people that are available than can achieve it.
The bottom line is that it may take some time to get around to an area of your particular interest.

I'm very much looking forward to being able to port some of my stuff over to MSFS, but much of it won't be portable as it was made for P3D and won't survive the FSX-MSFS process of transition (or at least not yet!). I've recently discovered that the level of detail I put into my buildings is likely to be visible in MSFS, which it largely isn't in FSX and P3D, and I can't wait to try doing t!

Incredible news! Looking forward to anything and everything!

Wij zij vol in verwachting an uw eerste MSFS- package, echt waar.
Hopelijk kunnen jullie informatie geven hoe we misschien zelf vroegere packages kunnen aanpassen voor MSFS; ik bedoel hoe we misschien bestaande FSX-packages kunnen aanpassen om in MSFS2020 te gebruiken. Ik den daarbij bijvoorbeeld aan EBBL, een Belgische militair airport dat bestond voor FSX, maar waar geen alternatief voor verschenen is voor gebruik in MSFS. En de specialist van Belgische sceneries is niet meer. Kan iemand van MAIW de scenery EBBL misschien aanpassen voor MSFS?
Groeten
Jive1 - Belgium

We are expecting your first MSFS package, really.
Hopefully you can provide information on how we might be able to adapt previous packages for MSFS; I mean how we might be able to adapt existing FSX packages for use in MSFS2020. I am thinking for example of EBBL, a Belgian military airport that existed for FSX, but for which no alternative has appeared for use in MSFS. And the specialist of Belgian sceneries is no more. Can someone from MAIW perhaps adapt the scenery EBBL for MSFS?
Greetings
Jive1 - Belgium

I am no where near being an expert on MSFS scenery, I haven't even created any.

What i do understand is that you can't adapt any scenery at all. The scenery is a completely different process and it has to be built from within MSFS itself. It may be that existing scenery objects can be merged into MSFS libs, I have some addon libs in my system, and used for new scenery but at this moment in time we have no scenery producer that is working on this area.

To give you an example of where we are at the moment we can't even modify an afcad of some MSFS scenery to add or amend parking. The only tool at the moment only allows you to mod default MSFS scenery, but if we are using some scenery that has been created then we need the scenery source to modify it.

Hopefully this is one of the things that will change as time goes on.

So as we currently stand we either have to amend the default scenery or get the creator of the scenery to create a modified afcad for us. Any new scenery modifications will require scenery builders and we currently have nobody that feels that they can help in this area.

Thanks for the information.
Why did MS change their simulator into a game?.... Stupid!
Greetz
Jiv
e1 Belgium

It is not a game in the normal sense. MSFS is a lot more complicated than before but then again for twenty years people have complained that their sim wasn't realistic enough.

You can't make it more realistic and allow things to be built easier.

I feel confident that eventually we will have tools to enough us to do what we could do before. It will just take time for people to work out all of the rules before they can create the software that will be easy to use.

Hi all.
Just asking what’s happening with this first package?
It said “in the coming weeks” which I know is a bit vague, but it’s been 30 weeks now.
There’s nothing on the forums (or I can’t find anything on the forums)
Has this been cancelled as it’s been very quiet on here since the start of August 2022?
Any information would be greatly appreciated

OK it has been mentioned in other threads but I will try to encapsulated the situation as briefly as possible here.

There were two packages prepared for imminent release. What stopped them was SU11. With that update Asobo broke aspects of AI behaviour. The developers here were not comfortable releasing the packs in that situation. In simple terms, you the user would expect the developers to fix any problems. Not unreasonable, but the cause was outside of the developers hands.

The only viable solution for the developers was to wait until Asobo nailed down their system, or until it was fixed and that the behaviour would not change again.

In short nobody will do anything until after SU12 is released in a few weeks when they see if the situation has changed or not or if any further info becomes available.

Now, I think it is fair to say a couple of things in Asobo's defense. Firstly, they have never stated that the AI system is finalized. Secondly, their first priority is towards the flying side of the software. The AI system is always going to be a lower priority for them. This has always been the case with every other FS out there as well.

We may not like it but it is a fact.

Thank you Steve

Really looking forward to this when something can be eventually sorted

Trust me, we all do.

...so, after a long period now without any news regarding developments for MSFS, I am now able to reveal news of something which might actually be a bit of a gamechanger for us going forwards.

As many of you will know, for the most part the MSFS default offline AI Traffic engine has been broken since SU11. This amongst other things had made further development of our MSFS AI Aircraft grind to a halt.

Over the last couple of months or so, I have been testing a version of Kai Kamjunke's AIG Traffic Controller which has been specially modified to read FSX type of Traffic Bgl files created by AIFP.

The Traffic Controller uses Simconnect to inject AI Aircraft independently of the default MSFS AI offline system.
Some of you will no doubt be using AIG already for your Commercial AI Aircraft and therefore will be quite familiar with it.

I have been able to test AI Aircraft injection at RAF Alconbury, RAF Bentwaters, RAF Woodbridge and RAF Lakenheath.

Just in case you were wondering, the AI injector ( TC ) follows the data of the flight plans and that includes the timings.

Seen in the Image below, once you are at your desired location with MSFS running, AIGTC is initialised.


You can see the Injected AI Aircraft ( Woodbridge and Bentwaters Shown ) on the AIGTC Map.


The Status page of AIGTC will give details of the MAIW Injected AI Aircraft.


It only takes a few seconds for the Aircraft to start appearing after injection.















Whilst all of this still requires ASOBO and MS to sort out the core AI engine within MSFS for the better handling of AI Aircraft in general, what Kai has given us is a huge step forward to what was a totally broken Ai Aircraft System, since SU11 and 12.


More information to follow.

Best Regards,

Pete.

I hope this huge step forward will continue in todays announcement of FS2024...

(Announce trailer can be found on youtube)

As John Young has explained elsewhere on the forum, the development of military AI for MSFS 20 has stalled because of Asobo's cavalier approach to AI within the sim and their willful changes of the SDK protocols for injecting traffic breaking his enormous efforts to make something work.

I love the trailer video but I'm not optimistic that the program will be any more friendly to our inputs.

Bora wrote: ↑11 Jun 2023, 21:22 I hope this huge step forward will continue in todays announcement of FS2024...

(Announce trailer can be found on youtube)

well I hope so, because if it is no longer working our (AIG) whole AI system will go downhill^^ So basically every change required to get our AI traffic back will also allow MAIW to keep their packages running (as long as only the AI-System is effected).