13 replies to this topic

[pauly03]

Is there any way to get AI helicopters???

[IBtheSarge]

pauly03, on Jan 12 2006, 02:39 PM, said:

Is there any way to get AI helicopters???

Yes, but you may not want to.

1.  There are no helicopters specifically designed for AI (low polygon count).  You'll have to use flyable helicopters, and -- since even using as AI the cockpit and panel would be visible from the outside -- you won't be able to delete the panel and its associated textures.  In short, you're going to have 25,000+ polygon AI aircraft.  If you want to have more than one such in view at the same time, then multiply 25,000+ by however many you plan on having in view (that's within 5000m of your location, the default distance at which MSFS displays objects), and that will be the determining factor as to how much of your system's resources FS9 is going to grab to display them.  Be ready for some heavy framerate hits.

2.  You will not be able to use the .air files that come with the flyable models.  A search of the FS9 sites will be necessary to find the designers that have altered (with permission) the original .air files so the helicopter will function as AI.  That search can be exhaustive (start with the Australian FS sites first; they've got a bunch of folks down under doing some pretty amazing things with rotary wing aircraft).

3.  Even after you find those modified .air files, they will NOT take off vertically from a helipad.  The point of departure (and point of arrival) will have to be connected to the ramp routes, taxiways and runway; FS9 does not process AI for vertical take-offs, only along an established taxi path then down the runway for rotation.  Only helicopters YOU fly can lift off/land at an unconnected spot.

[IBtheSarge]

Whew!!!!  Glad you jumped in there, John .... I'm not a rotary wing kinda person, purely fixed wing.  Something that flies, not something that beats the air into submission.
      

[TechnicolorYawn]

I like the saying 'Helicopters don't really fly - they just vibrate so much that the earth rejects them'

[IBtheSarge]

johnfromoz, on Jan 15 2006, 11:32 PM, said:

   
"Helicopter - a collection of components vibrating at random in relation to one another, heading inevitably towards a crash."
I am mostly into fixed wing but have a few FS copters I like. Ones not so ugly that they don't fly, the earth repels them 
There's a bit more to AI helos, but the above ought to drop anyone in at the deep end and after that it's sit back, think, try ideas, cry into your keyboard ....

Just a follow-up:

Finally decided to put AI helo's into the scenery.  Now have the CH-46, CH-47, OH-58A, UH-1H, and UH-60 (Blackhawk and Pavehawk) in the air.  Now looking for something that says which .air file to use with Kim, Bo-hyung's AH-1S Cobra, Tom Woods' AH-64 Apache, and Pete Clayson's (reworked) AH-64 Longbow.  I have a master list of which stemme_as_helicopter_x goes with which bird, and what the prop_anim_ratio setting should be change to; but nothing on the Cobra, Apache, or Longbow as yet (that I've found).  Just had to be careful on how MANY are in view at any one time; flyables are a   on framerates.

Oh, and thanks for that tip on the [Lights] and [contact points] .... would have had a fair buggering going on without that bit.  

[gsnde]

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5. Make a helipad - or helicopter base - in AFCAD. This may mean a separate "airfield" for the copter, overlying an existing airfield, and with its own ICAO code.

Yes, this way I managed to integrate both a heliport and a floating plane base onto my airport.

You can set the width of taxy- and runways to 1 feet. This makes them unvisible in FS without affecting AI. Place the parking spots close to the start of the runway. Choppers without wheels kind of "glide" to the starting position, if they park close by this is not that obvious.

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since even using as AI the cockpit and panel would be visible from the outside -- you won't be able to delete the panel and its associated textures.

Sarge is prefectly right here. But for the sake of framerate I delete the panels. If you don't come too close when watching heli AI traffic it is hard to notice. Further I delete every texture releated to the panel or the interior. The ones which stay I convert to DX1 / MIPS format.

This way I have about seven different helicopters based there and the framerate is quite acceptable.

All I know regarding Heli and Floatplane AI is basically due to Holger Sandemann. He has commented on this topic in the forums of FSGenesis and SceneryDesign.org and made the "proof of concept" some years ago when it was said that this would not work.

[Nemo]

  

[Swallow592A]

Cheer's Guys.............

I managed to get my Ai S-61 to show. But When its departure time arrives the aircraft dissapear's.

Any clues please?

[Swallow592A]

Im using the S-61 by Dave Hardcastle, so converted to AI.



Also is a image of the AI helicopter on the left side of the screen, it travelled from the concrete helipad in a straight line, without stopping or taking off etc, using the Stemme_helicopter_2.air file




Hope this helps,
Thanks

P.s im in the process of completly re-booting my desktop so don't have all this installed at the moment.

Edited by Swallow592A, 22 August 2008 - 01:03 PM.

[Mexicana]

I have Helitraffic from flight1, and actually they work great!, like heli traffic.

But there are not too much traffic, and I have readed, you can share your flightplans, but where?

Is there a "pack of Heli", i don't want to download one by one!