Military AI Works

Has anybody ever considered creating the boneyard here, but say for only MAIW packs?? For instance the Holloman F-117 pack is obviously now outdated (F-22 update anyone?? ) so has anyone considered taking those F-117s that many hours were put in on to create and having them park permanently in our version of the boneyard?? Now everytime a unit we've already re-created (Tomcats too if anyone wants to take the existing model and bang out some repaints of the non-museum airframes) retires an a/c type we can permanently store those models at DM, so the package doesn't become TOTALLY obsolete.

I suggest only using MAIW packs because of the obvious frame-rate issue if we were to recreate the actual boneyard to even 50% real-world capacity. Our comps would start running as fast as calendars lol.

This is a project I'm happy to undertake, (given permission to add-on to the already existing AFCAD from our DM pack) I just wanted to put it out there and see if anyone thinks it's a good idea to even try.

I feel that this is a pretty easy project to undertake, and it's very easily updated. Also if anyone is working on a retro pack, the paints would already be there so users could choose "Fully operational Retro" or "DM storage" versions.



Just some thoughts, if ya like it great if not send it back like i said I'm just putting it on everyone's radars for criticism

Jumpshot724 wrote:Has anybody ever considered creating the boneyard here, but say for only MAIW packs?? For instance the Holloman F-117 pack is obviously now outdated (F-22 update anyone?? )

I have an update including the drones but i thought i'd wait since we currently only have 2 here at the moment, and won't be getting any more untill after january. I guess I could always update the file on avsim as we get more
I think the Bone yard would be a good idea to include with some scenery for DM. You would have to make them static scenery tho wouldn't you?

I think the Bone yard would be a good idea to include with some scenery for DM. You would have to make them static scenery tho wouldn't you?

Well initially we could do the "final flight" stuff with flightplans to DM and have them park on the arrival apron, then a few weeks later place them out in the yard. I would THINK that there would be a way to write a simple flightplan where the a/c doesn't move from that spot, but I could be wrong it's been a while since I wrote FPs.

Parking is easy, since a/c are generated every time FS is booted you just change a/c parking codes and assign them a single parking spot. For instance:

F-117 buno 12345 ATC Parking Code = F17A
F-117 buno 67891 ATC Parking Code = F17B
F-117 buno 23456 ATC Parking Code = F17C
F-117 buno 78912 ATC Parking Code = F17D

This way each a/c is auto-generated to the same spot everytime.

The difficult thing is the FPs, there has to be a way to write it so that the a/c doesn't move, maybe write one that has it depart DM on Mondays at 1200 and arrive again at 1201 so therefore it doesn't even taxi out but is generated by the sim at it's parking spot?? If that doesn't work than yes I guess they would have to be made into static scenery, which is an area of FS I don't mess around with



I see 4 cool things with this possible pack:
1) Showcases "retired" MAIW products in a real-world updated set-up
2) Models the boneyard, a very impartant (albeit sad) part of US military aviation history
3) DM's boneyard receival ramp would be ever changing (an update available every month or so, not hard to do given what we'd be trying to do) and thus keeps DM very dynamic and full of suprises
4) Allows people to use "retro packs" without compromising the time setting of their FS (I keep my FS as up to date as possible, and therefore have not DL'd the Tomcat's packs, a very hard thing not to do . But with this idea, I'd still have the Tomcats in DM)

The "easiest" way to turn the ai aircraft into "statics" is to FP them on a weekly basis taking off in the middle of the night, say 3am Monday, and RTBing immediately. I am pretty sure that the a/c actually has to takeoff and be allowed time to fly 1 circuit before landing. In FSX, you can do this easily, but I think that in FS9, you needed to make it a 1 time TNG and then land FP. That's if memory serves me correctly.

Coding unique parking spaces into the DM afcad for the specific aircraft is obviously not a big issue - but there's no way I know of to be 100% sure that no other aircraft EVER load and park in those spots. Traffic bgls and aircraft seem to be loaded into the sim alphabetically from the ..\world\scenery directory, so that might help. But, I'm still not sure that guarantees 100% parking accuracy.



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As I run a mixed retro/real setup, this is just a mental exercise for me.

Just an idea here guys, but why park individual aircraft permanently in the same place? After all we don't do that for live packages, why not just do type parking, I think that you are just making it harder for yourselves.

After all once installed are you going to spend a lot of time driving around it?

Well, with respect to DM, it's a "boneyard". Things are parked/stored in specific places on a permanent basis. So, following that logic, coding parking places to reflect that is a "given".

OTOH, my post was actually simply following Jumpshot's premise.

there is some freeware photoreal scenery for DM on avsim that has the boneyard

Jumpshot's idea is a good idea.

Great idea, but for the guys with lower spec machines, there is some great photoreal scenery out for the area, showing the "boneyard" as well.

there is some freeware photoreal scenery for DM on avsim that has the boneyard

I understand that, but the driving factor behind my thinking was to just showcase MAIW material. Think of it as the "MAIW museum of retired aircrafts"

It is not necessary to do a TNG, just have the a/c take off and return to base in abuut 10 - 15 minutes. TT will adjust the time a little if necessary, however, the a/c will return after a single circuit, land and park (unless it is forced to do a go-around due to traffic), and this only needs to be done once a week.

I think the idea is ok, and even tho I love the photo real scenery, neither of the two that are available look all that good as far as the boneyard goes. However, the yard won't look all that well with actual a/c and the flat pic's of other a/c, so it will be a toss up for each user to decide.

Ron

ronniegj wrote:It is not necessary to do a TNG, just have the a/c take off and return to base in abuut 10 - 15 minutes. TT will adjust the time a little if necessary, however, the a/c will return after a single circuit, land and park (unless it is forced to do a go-around due to traffic), and this only needs to be done once a week.

I think the idea is ok, and even tho I love the photo real scenery, neither of the two that are available look all that good as far as the boneyard goes. However, the yard won't look all that well with actual a/c and the flat pic's of other a/c, so it will be a toss up for each user to decide.

Ron

you wouldn't happen to know of an afcad that works with the maiw package would you? the one in the DM package doesn't line up very well with the photo scenery.

I seem to recall someone here doing a workup to modify the MAIW afcad to work with the older of the two photoreal's, Dan Relfes' version, but don't know if it was finished or not. Do a search here and see what turns up. It would be nice to have an afcad or afx for each version.

Ron

I started working on it, I pretty much just paved over the default scenery using a dirt apron, I only did a few smaller areas of the boneyard snce my intent is to only showcase MAIW stuff. I stayed clear of areas with trees and buildings and left those parts alone.

I looked at the photoreal sceneries on AVSIM, and to tell you the truth I thought they were pretty bad but maybe that's just because I hate 2D things in FS lol

From what i've done so far it actually looks pretty good. I'll post some screenshots in a little while but for now I started working on flightplans for the T-37s we have. Got em all taking off at 0300 on Monday and doing TNGs until 0330 lol.

Anybody have an accurate count for the number of T-37s that were in the original package?? There are only 11 paint skins

There's no reason to have them doing TNGs... it's just going to bog down ATC, particularly if they all take off and land at the same time. And since they're performing at night no one is going to be watching them. You should have them perform a normal flight from KDMA(or whatever you're using for ICAO) to KDMA(or whatever you're using for ICAO) but stagger t/o and landing times.

Steve is also correct to have them park by type instead of a specific code. No one is walking around these planes and is going to know which serial parks where. As long as the F-117s park with the F-117s(although they are really at Palmdale) and the T-37s park with the T-37s why does it matter which serial parks where?

It is an interesting project and could look pretty cool... I would just make sure to think of the most efficient way to do things.

There's no reason to have them doing TNGs... it's just going to bog down ATC, particularly if they all take off and land at the same time. And since they're performing at night no one is going to be watching them. You should have them perform a normal flight from KDMA(or whatever you're using for ICAO) to KDMA(or whatever you're using for ICAO) but stagger t/o and landing times.

Steve is also correct to have them park by type instead of a specific code. No one is walking around these planes and is going to know which serial parks where. As long as the F-117s park with the F-117s(although they are really at Palmdale) and the T-37s park with the T-37s why does it matter which serial parks where?

It is an interesting project and could look pretty cool... I would just make sure to think of the most efficient way to do things.

Point taken. I did stagger the times a bit. I guess I'll change the codes for type specific instead of a/c specific. However are there any a/c in the T-37 or F-117 pack that have "special-one-aircraft-only" paint schemes? Those would have to have their own "spot", even if nobody notices it will bug me inside knowing how it should be lol

To tell the truth, I honestly didn't remember if the departure and arrival airports could be the same in FS9 if you were not doing TNGs. I know in FSX they can be the same and so you can get a single circuit without a TNG.

Jumpshot724 wrote: Point taken. I did stagger the times a bit. I guess I'll change the codes for type specific instead of a/c specific. However are there any a/c in the T-37 or F-117 pack that have "special-one-aircraft-only" paint schemes? Those would have to have their own "spot", even if nobody notices it will bug me inside knowing how it should be lol

There was only one special scheme F-117, but I seem to recall that we didn't use it due to permissions, so the answer is no for them. I can't recall a special one for the T-37s, but don't take make would on that as definitive.