FSX-MS Automatically generated GA flights in UT2 ?

[Kermit_70 7]

Hello, here is a problem I am having with Ultimate Traffic 2 (UT2) in FSX.

Small airfields don't have default GA traffic. In some/most cases, small airfields don't even have AFCADs for parking AI GA aircrafts. 

I have read that such AFCADS are created and distributed by passionate volunteers. That is great news.

 

Once AFCADs are in place, there is still the problem of generating a schedule for GA aircrafts... and I certainly don't want to spend hours putting this in by hand.

 

Question: is there a tool to AUTOMATICALLY generate flight schedules in UT2? Even better if it could allow random refresh, so that every time you flight from same airfield you will get new random GA traffic, and not a pre-established sequence.

 

Any link / comment / idea on this?

 

Thanks!

[Mithras 87]

UT2 already creates GA flightplans using the default FSX aircraft. You can, like me, download and install all kinds of other aircraft and in the repaints section, tell UT2 to use these for its flight plans too. Dead easy!

[Kermit_70 7]

The point is that UT2 has no GA scheduled flights (nor airliners, but it is normal) for small airfields... So these have no UT2-generated AI traffic.

It is certainly possible to manually add new schedules in UT2, but I was looking for an option to do this automatically...

I don't need to decide at what time a Cessna172 is going to depart, but I want UT2 to fill the airport with a reasonable AI traffic for me...

 

Is it possible?

 

[stans 703]

Nope, not unless you are willing to make your own flight plans.  You can use the UT2 Power Pack to create and install flight plans into UT2.

[Kermit_70 7]

I cannot believe nobody developed some little trick to automatically generate (random) flight plans to be inserted in PowerPack...

Come on, people, surprise me once more!

 

;-)

[JSkorna 137]

There are plenty of programs that will generate the plans. Now it will be up to you to import the plans and planes into PowerPack.

[Kermit_70 7]

:(

Does that mean it has to be done manually airfield-by-airfield?

Or can it be done once for all and then UT2 will use these plans for all airfields?

Sorry I am a bit lost...

:blink:

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hi, I don't really get it. Do you want specific flightplans for GA in UT2? It is not like you have to generate the flightplans for GA. See page 8 of the manual, GA flights are created randomly by UT2. You just have to turn the slider way up. Flights may not be frequent on small airfields due to the algorithm in UT2, but it should happen by itself.

[Kermit_70 7]

In some (small) airfields there is no UT2-generated GA activity at all, even with GS traffic slider to 100%... 

For example, EGLM.

My understanding is that there are no AFCADS in place for these airports. Assuming I put AFCADS there, I would like only GA to show up, not a 777 from British Airways...

Do you think UT2 will automatically add GA aircrafts if I just put parking slots in EGLM? Or do I need to generate flight plans as well? I don't want to do that !

Yes, at page 8 of manual it says UT2 DOES generate random GA flights...that is comforting. Does it mean I really just need to ad parking slots (AFCADS)?

Can I do it manually, for those "empty"airports?

 

If I sound confused, it is because I am...

Thanks

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

You don't have to generate flightplans for GA, that is for sure. (But you could if you wanted to, by defining your own GA airline and making plans with the power pack. But then they wont be GA in UT2's sense any more, but scheduled weekly traffic. And you would have to do this with each airfield.)

 

As to what exactly makes UT2 consider your airport as active and place GA on it, that is a question for the UT2 support forums I guess.

http://ultimatetraffic.flight1.net/forums/

But you could be right, if there are no parking spots, UT2 cannot spawn aircraft there.

 

Have a look at the airport using ADE and check what may be missing. An AFCAD should not be needed if it is a default airfield, those very rarely do not have parking slots.

[Kermit_70 7]

thank you for your patience, Nuitkati,

I feel I am getting there. I think you are 100% right in saying it might be just a question of parking slots.

 

Now, could you please tell me a little bit more about ADE and how to use it? Which file (extension) am I looking for, for modifications?

How do I add a parking slot using ADE?

 

Many, many, many thanks!

[JSkorna 137]

Default UT2 will not just generate plans just because you add parking spots. You'll still need to generate the plans and add the plans and planes using PowerPack.

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

thank you for your patience, Nuitkati,

I feel I am getting there. I think you are 100% right in saying it might be just a question of parking slots.

 

Now, could you please tell me a little bit more about ADE and how to use it? Which file (extension) am I looking for, for modifications?

How do I add a parking slot using ADE?

 

Many, many, many thanks!

 

Are you using the default scenery? In ADE you open stock airports directly in the "File" menu "Open stock airport". Input the ICAO, press "Find Now" and it will open the file from the FSX stock library (APX47130.bgl). I just did. And like you suspected, no parking spots.

 

What comes next is airport design in ADE, you need to add parking spots in the correct places, taxiways to the runway, aprons, a tower, COMM frequencies, the lot.  The stock scenery is bare bone three runways with starting points, a fuel station with trigger and a tower view.

 

To get started I suggest learning about ADE and airport design, before you go further. It is not hard to do, but you will need a little knowledge about how everything works - and I can't write all that in a few senteces in a forum thread, I'm afraid. And you will need a real world map of the airport, so that you can put all the good things where they belong. In case of EGLM I suggest building an apron to the east of the runways and define taxiways around the borders of the airfield. Then you put two hangars to the east and it should look pretty realistic, judging by the aerial picture

 

The adventure starts here : http://www.scruffyduck.org/

 

Or, easier still, you search the AVSIM library for EGLM, and you will find "Alf's UK airfields Volume 20". Download it, install them and enjoy.

 

Default UT2 will not just generate plans just because you add parking spots. You'll still need to generate the plans and add the plans and planes using PowerPack.

 

Hi Jim, this is only true for the scheduled, "weekly" traffic = the airlines.

GA "daily" traffic is generated automatically.

[JSkorna 137]

 

 

GA "daily" traffic is generated automatically.

 

Based on a fixed database. UT will not say: "Oh look there is a new airport with parking spaces. Lets generate some AI Traffic for it." That is why the PowerPack needs to be used, to get the data into UT. Then it will be used

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Based on a fixed database. UT will not say: "Oh look there is a new airport with parking spaces. Lets generate some AI Traffic for it." That is why the PowerPack needs to be used, to get the data into UT. Then it will be used

Hi Jim, I see. Many thanks for clearing this up. As traffic turned up for me at any odd place, I always assumed UT2 scanned the scenery.