South African Air Force AI

Dzerzinsky · Post by **Dzerzinsky** » 18 Jan 2008, 05:30

I have recently started playing around with traffic tools with the intention of eventually attempting to create a SAAF AI package, since there aint any around. With the help of certain members of this site, I have managed to create my own AI traffic. I intend to utilize the following aircraft: Mirage C3, Mirage F1, Cheetah C, Alouette 3, Puma, Impala, C130, B707 and a Cessna Caravan. I do however have the following questions regarding this issue. Certain airports/fields do not seem to be AI friendly and I would like to know how to change this. Do I use AFCAD2.21 or something like that? Is there any advice regarding this intended AI pack that I should take note of?

Thanks

aerogator · Post by **aerogator** » 18 Jan 2008, 13:35

Its funny you should bring this up now

. Yesterday, I was looking at the "Global Security" site trying to see what went where in SA. This a great opportunity to get the Gripens and the Mirages flying in my sim. My poor little computer can't handle Europe AND the US, but there's not as much traffic in southern Africa and there is some very interesting scenery there. I would also like to see some C-47's and other retro (to us at least) stuff flying around as well. If I can help out, let me know. There are some great sceneries by Aeroeox for FAJS and FACT as well as some Zimbabwe stuff. Some of this might have to be slightly fictional to work but to me thats part of the fun

!

KevinJarvis · Post by **KevinJarvis** » 18 Jan 2008, 14:59

Dzerzinsky wrote: Do I use AFCAD2.21 or something like that? Is there any advice regarding this intended AI pack that I should take note of?
Thanks

The answer would be YES....

You'll need to modify the airports so that they have sufficient parking for any aircraft that are based there and will visit there.

Then you'll need flight plans, which you apparently have already started, so that the aircraft will move between the edited airports.

Since it appears you're using flyable aircraft, you won't want to have too many or your frame rates will suffer. We've also found that using flyable a/c as AI can cause some strange things to happen.

My advice would be to take your time, ask lots of questions and constantly try different ideas to get the situation as you would like it.

I have an Indian Air Force pack that I've been working on for 6 months and I'm far from pleased. But, I keep at it in hopes of one day being able to share it with the simming public.

So, keep at it and don't get discouraged.

Dzerzinsky · Post by **Dzerzinsky** » 21 Jan 2008, 07:27

I have been busy this whole weekend and there always seems to be some or other thing worng, but I will persevere, no matter how long it takes.

I have managed to find some AI SAAF Aircraft so the frame rates are not as bad but I do have some flyable ac such as the cheetah, impala as well as the gripen. I have removed all the sound and panels in order to reduce the size but im not sure if thats the right thing to do since it doesnt appear to be helping much. There's a SAAF repaint for the Default DC3 so I will include this as well.

aerogator · Post by **aerogator** » 21 Jan 2008, 13:48

Removing the sound and panel folders only reduces the size of the aircraft file on your harddrive. It doesn't (as far as I know) affect framerates. But hang in there. There may be something interesting right around the corner

KevinJarvis · Post by **KevinJarvis** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:33

The problem, as I understand it, when using flyable aircraft as AI is the LOD modeling. With only 1 LOD, you see the aircrafts textures the same from any distance. Thus causing frame rates to drop as your CPU struggles to show multiple aircraft with textures that are highly defined.

I did read somewhere once where someone was saving the textures at a lower resolution in order to save frame rates. But this only causes them to look blurry up close.

Add in the fact that flyable aircraft are usually more highly detailed and this only serves to make your machine work even harder.

The only thing you can do is to limit the number of aircraft in use.

I'm sure one of our esteemed modelers can explain further.

Post by **Weescotty** » 21 Jan 2008, 15:17

KevinJarvis wrote:The problem, as I understand it, when using flyable aircraft as AI is the LOD modeling. With only 1 LOD, you see the aircrafts textures the same from any distance. Thus causing frame rates to drop as your CPU struggles to show multiple aircraft with textures that are highly defined.

I did read somewhere once where someone was saving the textures at a lower resolution in order to save frame rates. But this only causes them to look blurry up close.

Add in the fact that flyable aircraft are usually more highly detailed and this only serves to make your machine work even harder.

The only thing you can do is to limit the number of aircraft in use.

I'm sure one of our esteemed modelers can explain further.

Single LOD problem -

Assume you are flying into an airfield and all you can see is 10 dots on the flightline.

If single LOD and the poly count is say 20,000 your system is having to draw 200,000 polys just to display 10 little specks.

On an AI aircraft at that distance the poly count on the lowest LOD may only be 30-40, so your system only has to draw 300-400 polys - big difference!!!!

I do all of mine with 9 LOD's as that matches the number of bitmaps that DXT produces.

South African Air Force AI

South African Air Force AI

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