FSX-MS Ai Controller (Sid, Jet Route, Star And Final Approach) Beta

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

I've renamed my AI control utility from AISIDSTAR to AIController, so I'm starting a beta thread under the new name to avoid confusion.  The old thread was very long too.

 

Why the name change?  The program now controls the AI through all phases of flight from takeoff, SIDs, jet routes (new), STARs, final approach and landing.  The old name (AISIDSTAR) gave a limiting impression of the program's capabilities.

 

A new beta version of AIController v1.3A is available at the following link:

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download/bo07iatiqyk5827/AIController13A.zip

 

If you're using an older (but customized) version, but you want to try this beta version out, perform the following steps:

1) install a separate version 1.3A (stock).

2) test to see if everything seems to be working ok

3) copy and paste in your custom folders and .ini files.  The .ini files will need to be renamed from AISIDSTSAR.ini to AIController.ini.

 

New:  Automatic selection of jet routes!  AIController will vector ALL enroute AI (not just AI departing/arriving at monitored airports) along jet routes (airways) automatically selected to minimize the distance between each AI’s departure and destination airport.  The user can also enter average winds aloft data so that jet route selection is adjusted based on best winds.  The user can also control other parameters, such as the range of flight levels assigned to jets and props.  The user can also put AIController into a "Jetroute" only mode, where the utility only vectors AI through jetroutes.  By default, the jet routes option is turned off, see the ReadMe1st.txt file for basic instructions on how to enable.

 

New:  An easy to use windows based converter (SIDSTAR Converter) is now included to convert the user’s existing navigation data to a format used by AIController.  Very special thanks to its writer:  Matias Sorcinelli.  Here is a link to his support thread:  http://forum.avsim.net/topic/446398-sidstar-converter-for-aisidstar/

 

Revised: Users can now start AIController first, then start FSX.   When FSX is ready, AIController will then auto-connect to it.  Of course, users can still start AIController the old way (FSX then AIController).  This new flexibility is useful in different usage scenarios.

 

Fixed:  AI released when AITrafficPattern=0 option were sometines not getting assigned a final approach even though one was available for the detected runway in use.

 

Important Revision:  A registered version (4.9x or later) of Peter Dowson's FSUIPC utility is recommended to use the full functionality of AIController.  For example, the new AICull function requires FSUIPC.  For networked configuration users, Peter's WideFS (ver. 6.9) is also recommended.

 

Various other fixes/revisions were also made.

 

Important New NOTAMS!

 

ENTERING FINAL APPROACH COORDINATES.  Do not use FSX when entering final approach coordinates for runway positions (e.g., touchdown, rollout) as the FSX in-game coordinate display (shift-Z) lacks the necessary precision (significant digits).  Use the freeware Airport Design Editor X (or similar) instead.

 

ENTERING RUNWAY DATA.   Ensure the runway number corresponds to the FSX runway description (for whatever airport scenery you are using).  Often, the latest FMS data will reference changed runway numbers that do not correspond to stock FSX runway descriptions.  For STAR files, if the runways do not match (STAR versus FSX), AIController will choose the STAR based on the waypoint having the closest entry point to the AI’s current position (i.e., not based on runway data), which often is satisfactory, but not always.  For Final Approach files, if the runways do not match, AIController might choose the final approach file having the incorrect runway data.

 

Demo (old AISIDSTAR Ver. 1.2Q, but still helpful):  

 

Here is a link to the old AISIDSTAR beta thread:  http://forum.avsim.net/topic/408490-ai-aircraft-sid-and-star-controller/

 

Thanks!

-Roland

[masneoquil 66]

Congratulations on this new version.

Looking forward to see more of it.

If you need anything don't hesitate to contact me.

[ysfsim 22]

+1 on the new program!

 

An approach creation utility would be nice.

[mike2060 4]

So do the jet routes simply mean that when an AI aircraft leaves a SID, they fly a jet route away from the airport until they are no longer being monitored by AIController?

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

So do the jet routes simply mean that when an AI aircraft leaves a SID, they fly a jet route away from the airport until they are no longer being monitored by AIController?

 

No, the user always has an FSX reality bubble around him that contains all the generated AI, scenery, etc.  All enroute AI in the reality bubble are assigned a jet route.  

 

That means, if a user is flying his aircraft along a route (moving reality bubble), the AI he see at flight levels along the entirety of his route will be flying on assigned jet routes.  

 

While the user is stationary at an airport (stationary reality bubble), AI landing at a monitored airport in the bubble area will transition from a jet route to a STAR to an approach and landing.  AI departing a monitored airport in the area will transition from departure to SID to jet route until they leave the reality bubble.  AI "flying over" the bubble area will fly jet routes.

 

-Roland

[b2onyx971 0]

Hello Roland, 

 

Thank you for your efforts to this software. 

 

After testing this new version, there is novelty (jet route very appreciated). 

 

Regarding the entry of AI aircraft on one of the points of the STAR according to its altitude, the problem is still present. AI aircraft always goes to the beginning of the STAR on the highest attitude (eg 37000.27000). 

 

thank you 

 

Best regards.

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

Unanswered question from Abraham in the old thread:

 

 

1) do you think its possible to arrange the "ai taxi speed?"..like this, im sure many "go-arounds" would die. Before, in fsx, the software "flusifix" did it, but now, prepar3d v2 uses an "aiplayer.dll" differente from fsx.
 
2) is there a way that AISIDSTAR manage only the planes under an alttitude specific?. i know you have "aicull", but the problem is that i like to see the other planes flying to their destinations although they are not going to the same airport than me. "AIcull" deletes them. Is there a way to use AISIDSTAR ignoring the planes that are flying high?....
 
3) if for example, i go to "lemd" but i even dont have any folder with sidstars of "lemd" in the main AISIDSTAR, (and aisidstar.ini) will the program manage those planes?

 

My program doesn't control taxi speed, however I hope to eventually control AI on the ground.  Jet routes were actually a proof of concept for taxi support, as I will be using the same node routing algorithms.  There are a lot of simple improvements that can be made to FSX taxiing.  Here's a link to a FSX utility that changes FSX taxi speed (I haven't tried it, but I've read about it quite a bit):  Flusifix for FSX  http://www.wolfgang-picheta.de/

 

For AICull, just add the AICullHeight = 10000 to your .ini and any AI above 18000 ft MSL will not get culled.  The stand-alone version of AICull (AICULLV11.zip) in the AVSIM library provides more flexibility because the standalone version can cull a different set of airports than what AI Controller is monitoring.  For example, the stand-alone version could exclude LEMD from culling even though AIController isn't monitoring the airport.  The stand-alone version of AICull and AIController can be run concurrently, but make sure AIController's internal version of AICull is  turned off.

 

-Roland

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding the entry of AI aircraft on one of the points of the STAR according to its altitude, the problem is still present. AI aircraft always goes to the beginning of the STAR on the highest attitude (eg 37000.27000). 

 

If you're automatically generating STARs from nav data, the STAR entry point should have an entry altitude that accounts for the entry waypoint's distance from the airport and a typical AI descent performance.  

 

Perhaps the transition distance from jet route to STAR is too short.  Try bumping up AIMaxSpawnDistanceFromSTAR (add AIMaxSpawnDistanceFromSTAR = 160) to the .ini file.  What this means (when the jet route option is enabled) is that AI within 160 nm of their destination airport will leave the jet route and get assigned a STAR.  That should leave a good bit of distance for the AI to descend from flight level to the STAR's entry altitude.  Please let me know how it works out.

 

-Roland

[JSkorna 137]

Amazing piece of software!

[Andydigital 93]

Gonna give this a try later, I already use UT2 so the aircraft already follow proper routes, but it would be nice to see them fly procedures and be spaced more realistically, plus it would be even better with MyTraffic X which has far more flights and paints but they don't follow routes.

[Mooze 10]

Thanks for the hard work, Congrats for the new version!

[riccardo74 36]

Thank you very much guys formyour work, I'll test asap. Great idea in joining two programs. Good work!

[Clipper Ocean Spray 189]

Amazing piece of software!

 

 

Thanks Jim and everyone for the kind words.  I appreciate it!  A lot of the heavy lifting in the program is really brought to you by "math" rather than me!  A good example is the jet route finding algorithm -- I'm using off-the-shelf, freeware Dijkstra libraries that have been researched and fine-tuned for years (due to their applicability to the economically important field of network routing).

 

 

Gonna give this a try later, I already use UT2 so the aircraft already follow proper routes, but it would be nice to see them fly procedures and be spaced more realistically, plus it would be even better with MyTraffic X which has far more flights and paints but they don't follow routes.

 

 

I'm glad you mentioned UT2, I'm still trying to get a handle on default values in view of the new jet route feature.  Although I mention in the read me files to change AIMaxSpawnDistanceFromSTAR to 70 nm when using UT2, that's probably doesn't provide enough distance for the AI smoothly transition altitude from a jet route exit to STAR entry.  I would leave it at 120 nm and see how that works.

 

MyTraffic X (or any .bgl based traffic add on) should be inherently compatible with AI Controller.  You'll get the UT2-like jet routes plus the MyTraffic flights and paints (as you mentioned).

 

-Roland

[Andydigital 93]

OK Roland I'll leave it at 120 then, I've still not used it yet I'm using SID/STAR converter to do all my PMDG data.

[abranpuko 369]

Thanks again!

 

You make dreams come true! ^_^  This is a present and im gonna test it now!

moreover, thanks also for the quick second answer from the last thread.

 

i hope i can help someday in something about prepar3d or fsx

[riccardo74 36]

Roland, I'm sorry, I'm trying your new version but I can't understand the meaning of "geographical" folders from Australian Airport Sample to US Metro Airpots Sample, in total 15 folders. Or better I think to understand its meaning but not sure if I can delete them.

 

Do these folders contains already all converted sid/stars for geographical areas which refer to? Suppose if I want start from scratch can I delete all there "geographical" folders and the reference into AIController.ini lines?

 

Just for clarify, thanks