I would like to learn how to....

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 31 Mar 2008, 22:35

....create flightplans. If anyone is willing to give me an introduction to it I would be most grateful

. I ask because there are some very nice AI models on AVSIM but no flightplans for some of the military units I would like to see. For example there is a nice Arizona ANG KC-135 on there but no flightplans, so I would just like to learn how to take that model and create some simple flightplans for it to bring the AZ ANG to life.

Again, if anyone is willing to take the time and effort to either teach on here or have a PM chat or even online chat if you PM me a SN and time I would be most grateful. Thanks all!!

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 31 Mar 2008, 22:37

I would point you to the TTools Read Me. It really explains things very nicely.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:03

Ok, that definetly helped. I'm working through creating some flightplans for the 161ARW out of Phoenix Sky-Harbor.

Question: The model/paint I got off of AVSIM only had two tail numbers, does that mean there can only be that two aircraft ever or can duplicates fly at the same time?

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:10

You can create as many duplicates with the same paints as you would like. When we first started at MAIW we typically only used a few repaints to represent whole squadrons.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:23

Ok awesome. Do I have to edit the aircraft.config to duplicate or is there a way to do it with TTools?

Also does the arrival time I set in the file have to be exact? Basically what I'm asking is should I actually fly the flight myself and time it lol

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:40

You just use the same aircraft number in your Aircraft_Your Package.txt file.

AC#1,500,"NBAI_F14A_Tomcat_Dry"

AC#1,1-100,25%,WEEK,IFR,1/12:59:46,TNG1/14:02:31,050,F,0100,KNFL
AC#1,1-101,25%,WEEK,IFR,1/12:59:46,TNG1/14:02:31,045,F,0101,KNFL
AC#1,1-102,25%,WEEK,IFR,1/13:58:50,TNG1/15:02:49,050,F,0102,KNFL
AC#1,1-103,25%,WEEK,IFR,1/13:58:50,TNG1/15:02:49,045,F,0103,KNFL

Now, I have 4 aircraft showing up. BTW...the above is a shortened flightplan just to show.

NBAI_F14A_Tomcat_Dry This is what is in your aircraft.cfg.

No, TTools will calculate the arrival time regardless of what you put in there. There are some exceptions...circuits and TNG at the same airport, etc. You should decompile some flightplans to get an idea.

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:50

I have found this little program works well for me, and is very easy to use.

TTapfel 1.10 by apfelerich found on AVSIM

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 02:08

Yea I found a GUI program too that interfaces with TTools, AIFP Utilities. Pretty easy to use.

Thanks for all your help BadPvtDan, it seems to be comming along nicely lol

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 01 Apr 2008, 02:16

You should stop now before it's too late

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 01 Apr 2008, 02:37

And just so you know those Phoenix based KC-135's were covered in one of Dan Bourque's ANG packages in case you want to have a look at his plans for comparison.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 03:08

Ok, I wonder why I never found that one....

Anyway, last question I swear lol. Is there anyway to set dates for activities? I know you can set flight plans to days of the week but what if I want to have like 4 planes deploy to Guam for 2 weeks in April and then com e back and not do that again till next April, can I do that??

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 01 Apr 2008, 03:11

No, you are stuck with weekly at best.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 01 Apr 2008, 03:20

And therein lies one of the big limitations with the FS9 AI engine. Hopefully you are starting to see the limitations we deal with on every package we create.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 03:35

And therein lies one of the big limitations with the FS9 AI engine. Hopefully you are starting to see the limitations we deal with on every package we create.

Yea I made do. I fisnished all the flightplans I could using only the 161ARW's 8 aircraft flying Mon-Fri. I always respected the time and effort y'all put into these packages but now I see even more what a pain in the a$$ it can be. Great job MAIW.

Now to see if I wasted my tme or it actually works lol....

Ford Friendly · Post by **Ford Friendly** » 01 Apr 2008, 03:56

You know, it occurs to me that a "batch file" system might be a possible solution to solve this "deployment" issue....
1. create two sets of plans --- one for datesA-B and the other for dates B-C.
2. In FP-swap batch file
--check system date
--assign variable to datesA-B or B-C as apprpriate
----based on variable
------copy Flightplan_for_datesX-Y(A-B or B-C) from an in-active FP storage location to ..\scenery\world\scenery
-----------could either copy straight over the FPx.bgl (renaming as you copy)OR do a copy with appropriate name and delete the old FPx.bgl operation
3. Create a second MSDOS batch file that executes the FP-swap batch file and then executes FSx.exe.... Hook this up to the icon for FSx.

A straight MSDOS batch file probably won't work for the FP-swap batch file as MSDOS batch files couldn't detect the system date.

However, this basic logic should work in Java or any other "simple language" that CAN detect the system date.

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 04:58

Hurray!!

Only one problem, in creating my flightplans I had 2 models to work with but I used the 8 tail numbers (which I got off Airliners.net lol) for their 8 aircraft. Because of that, I was very careful in making sure i only had flightplans for 8 or less aircraft per day, especially with the overlaps. However, when I started up FS I had 9 on the ramp in the above picture, but there were also 8 other aircraft scaqttered everywhere else

Any ideas?

MACC · Post by **MACC** » 01 Apr 2008, 06:38

did you compile the flightplans to two different locations?

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 01 Apr 2008, 07:33

Did Hickam too, same problem though

MACC · Post by **MACC** » 01 Apr 2008, 07:37

did you make the afcadat the sae time, i.e have you used the fcad before you made the flightplans?

Post by **Firebird** » 01 Apr 2008, 10:07

Well, starting from the basic level. Either, as Chris stated, you have compiled your own flightplans under two separate names, or as was mentioned earlier you still have Dan Bourque's ANG package installed in its entirety.

If you have the Traffic_USAF_ANG_Southwest in your system that is the problem. To fix it, you would need to decompile his traffic file, remove the reference to PAI KC135R RCH_XX_197, and its flightplans, and recompile.

N.B. I would then watch out for potential weird timing issues and behaviour form anything else in that pack. Experience has taught us that decompiling and recompiling is not exact and timing fault can be introduced.

Are either of those two circumstances apparent on your system?