Military AI Works

My principal area of interest in flight simulation involves the use of tactical jet aircraft in operations closely mirroring those of real world military units. Having been active in simulation since the earliest days of Sub Logic by Bruce Armstead, I have followed the development of the platform through FSX. This includes several combat/weapons packages such as FSX@War, CCP, and FSXCAI to name just a few. Nearly exclusively, I "fly" the VRS Superbug F/A-18E, as it is the finest tactical jet ever created within flight simulation.

Microsoft has left the playing field with their 2020 (and 2024 offerings as announced), leaving Lockheed Martin as the sole "player" with the Prepar3D platform, which not only is continually in development, but is also is in significant use by the US Government agencies. Using VATSIM, IVAO, and/or POSCON for "human" ATC, and ActiveSky for real-world weather, makes the platform the most realistic environment possible.

To the end of continuing use of the P3D platform in Multi Player operations, I have begun to update & migrate the excellent scenery packages present here in MAIW. I'm not interested in having an extreme level of detail on the buildings, and geographic features of an airport, but rather presenting a reasonable level of fidelity to that which exists in the world. For my purposes, the level of detail provided by the issued packages is quite sufficient, as I'm a "Flight Simulator" person, not a "Drive around the airport" person.

Since a great deal of my operations are of comparatively low-level (bombing, strafing, etc.), it's necessary to have a "photoreal" background, so that the terrain features stand out in fidelity to the world. I primarily use MegaSceneryEarth payware for the underlying terrain, although BlueSky Scenery also offers a reasonable alternative.

This brings me to the genesis of my little project.

I am taking existing MAIW "Package" scenery, and updating/re-locating it to be in proper position on the Earth. I'm also converting the "Scenery Objects" using Model Converter X. Once the "AFCAD" is properly positioned over the most recently available photoreal background, I am placing the hangars, buildings, shelters, tanks, vehicles, etc. appropriately on the airport.

I have recently reached a point where MCAS Yuma, Az. is useable, and am wondering if there's any interest in this group to "host" the airport? If there's no interest here, I shall attach cover documents to each airport, fully crediting the authors and developers here at MAIW. Jim D, and Jon S, as well as a multitude of others have contributed so much to the simulation. It would be a shame if their work couldn't live on in Prepar3D.

I'm not creating AI traffic for the airport, since I will be using it principally in an "Online Multi Player" environment. so AI traffic is of no use.

I have attached to screenshots showing MCAS Yuma, in place over MegaSceneryEarth - Arizona 4X photoreal.

Thanks for a great product

Regards

Al Rosenberg

Al, this looks really good!

If my memory is not failing me too much, then there are AI packages for MCAS Yuma available here on MAIW already, so I think my question to you would be if you're creating parking suitable for AI?

Jorgen

Many of the legacy MAIW packages, including scenery, were converted for P3D in the Matrix project. Unfortunately, those converted files are no longer available, but many people will have them.

The problem with any package conversion is copyright. You need the permission of the original author to do it and then share it. That's why it wasn't possible to convert everything through Matrix.

John

Jorgen wrote: 18 Jun 2023, 15:38 Al, this looks really good!

If my memory is not failing me too much, then there are AI packages for MCAS Yuma available here on MAIW already, so I think my question to you would be if you're creating parking suitable for AI?

Jorgen

This is based on the MAIW package from 2004, updated in 2018 to FSX. What I've done is convert all "objects" to P3D v 4.4 format, move the airport using ADE 1.7.9 to sit properly on MegaSceneryEarth, Arizona 4x-Ultra Res, and then add the Hangars, tanks, and other objects from the converted/updated MAIW_yuma_objectslibrary_2.BGL. After that, it was just a matter of signage, ramp lighting, and filler objects (Trucks, carts, etc.). I really didn't add very many parking spots, retaining and simply moving the ones that were there to proper geographic location. Since I'm a Multi-Player and online guy, the AI traffic stuff hasn't been touched by me. I don't know if AI traffic from FSX will even work in Prepar3D V5?

John Young wrote: 19 Jun 2023, 06:42 Many of the legacy MAIW packages, including scenery, were converted for P3D in the Matrix project. Unfortunately, those converted files are no longer available, but many people will have them.

The problem with any package conversion is copyright. You need the permission of the original author to do it and then share it. That's why it wasn't possible to convert everything through Matrix.

John

This is what I've done, and will continue to do as time allows.
This is based on the MAIW package from 2004, updated in 2018 to FSX. What I've done is convert all "objects" to P3D v 4.4 format, move the airport using ADE 1.7.9 to sit properly on MegaSceneryEarth, Arizona 4x-Ultra Res, and then add the Hangars, tanks, and other objects from the converted/updated MAIW_yuma_objectslibrary_2.BGL. After that, it was just a matter of signage, ramp lighting, and filler objects (Trucks, carts, etc.). I really didn't add very many parking spots, retaining and simply moving the ones that were there to proper geographic location.

Kind of like Jim's lights from ages past. He pulled them from AVSIM/Flightsim, etc. but I had long since had them, and was told by him that's it fine, so long as credit is given, and no money is made from them.

When I package an airport, it comes with a cover letter, including history of the airport development, and full credit to all whose objects were used.

If you guys don't want to host the packages, that's fine with me. Should anybody wants to use anything I've done, just give me a pm or email. One of the reasons this hobby is dying off is that too many folks are worried about "legal", and are afraid to do what's "Right". Just my $0.02 on the subject.

Regards
Al

Al, AI flight plans, compiled for FSX, and AI aircraft models for FSX, do work in P3D v. 4 and v. 5.

Jorgen

texxasal wrote: 20 Jun 2023, 02:54

John Young wrote: 19 Jun 2023, 06:42 Many of the legacy MAIW packages, including scenery, were converted for P3D in the Matrix project. Unfortunately, those converted files are no longer available, but many people will have them.

The problem with any package conversion is copyright. You need the permission of the original author to do it and then share it. That's why it wasn't possible to convert everything through Matrix.

John

This is what I've done, and will continue to do as time allows.
This is based on the MAIW package from 2004, updated in 2018 to FSX. What I've done is convert all "objects" to P3D v 4.4 format, move the airport using ADE 1.7.9 to sit properly on MegaSceneryEarth, Arizona 4x-Ultra Res, and then add the Hangars, tanks, and other objects from the converted/updated MAIW_yuma_objectslibrary_2.BGL. After that, it was just a matter of signage, ramp lighting, and filler objects (Trucks, carts, etc.). I really didn't add very many parking spots, retaining and simply moving the ones that were there to proper geographic location.

Kind of like Jim's lights from ages past. He pulled them from AVSIM/Flightsim, etc. but I had long since had them, and was told by him that's it fine, so long as credit is given, and no money is made from them.

When I package an airport, it comes with a cover letter, including history of the airport development, and full credit to all whose objects were used.

If you guys don't want to host the packages, that's fine with me. Should anybody wants to use anything I've done, just give me a pm or email. One of the reasons this hobby is dying off is that too many folks are worried about "legal", and are afraid to do what's "Right". Just my $0.02 on the subject.

Regards
Al

The problem is that what you've done is you've edited someone else's work. And, with several MAIW airfields, that 'someone' is more than one person, and often they are no longer in the field or contactable to secure their permission for the editing and subsequent release.

As John has said, a lot of that work was done for Matrix - MAIW's P3Dv4-specific scenery and AI package. All relevant permissions were obtained, but Matrix is no longer extant as its progenitor is no longer active here. We have no access to the permissions that were given so that those airfields can continue to be shared by MAIW in P3Dv4/5 format. John and I have, on a couple of projects that use scenery from a single author who was very keen that his work should remain available, assumed the spirit of those permissions (in this one author's case) stand, but even then it's something we've agonised more than a bit over.

Personally, I think that if all credit is given and the airfield you are reformatting (but is otherwise unaltered) for P3Dv5 is from a single author, you're morally ok but legally, of course, you are not. It's up to you how you regard that, but I don't think many of the well-known hosting sites will brush aside the legal considerations. Of course, anything you do for your own use is absolutely fine.

The best way around that is to learn to make your own scenery which, given your stated lack of need for great detail, is actually fairly straightforward. Between SketchUp or Blender and ADE, and using libraries which are explicitly available for public distribution (which many of the MAIW libraries are), you are on sound legal ground creating and distributing your airfields. MAIW already has almost any AI traffic schedules and aircraft you need, already in formats compatible with any version of P3D (AI in P3D is exactly the same as FSX except that in V5 many ICAO codes and airfield locations have been updated).

Thank you all for your responses.

I shall just keep flying what I have done, and refrain from publishing it here, so as to not offend anyone.

Regards
Al

Al, we thank you for the well intended offer and appreciate your response.

Any news this project?