Simviation Forums

I heard a rumor from someone that you can change aircraft in FS2002 to AI aircraft by making a change in the AIR file.

Is this true? If so can someone PLEASE explain to me how to do this step by step so that I don't mess the aircraft up.

For example, if I made my Continental 777 into an AI, would it change ALL the AI 777's into the Continental scheme??

If this is possible please give step by step directions...

Scott.

Read all of this before you do anything.

Getting Started:
To do this, first go download AirEd from here:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hsors/FS_Soft/fsairfile.html

Now go download TrafficTools by Lee Swordy.  This is an essential file if you are even thinking of adding any aircraft or flightplans to your AI system.  It decompiles a file called traffic.bgl, which contains all the information the AI uses.  This is explained in more detail in the TrafficTools info.  Download it here:
http://www.simviation.com/fs2002utilities_ess1.htm

If it doesn't already have an interface, or you don't like the one you have, I recomend Traffic Magician, available at www.avsim.com.  Just search for Traffic Magician.

Okay, now you're ready to convert the aircraft.  Remember, doing this will mean it won't show up in your aircraft database, but it will be available to the AI.  Likewise, you can do this with the Dash 8 that is already an AI aircraft.

Open the *.air file of the aircraft with AirEd.  Look at the structure.  You have a list of different places in the airfile that are available to put in information.  Search down the list for "aircraft type=".  This is what specifies whether the aircraft is AI or flyable.  To make the aircraft AI useable only, enter 2 here.  To make it flyable, enter 0 here.  That is all you have to do for the conversion.

Now, if you made an aircraft flyable, you will notice in that aircraft's folder there is probably no panel folder.  To fix this, come over here to SimV and perform a search for that aircraft's panel.  For the Dash 8, search for "Dash 8 panels", or something similar.

Allright, you can now add this aircraft to the AI system, although for future reference, it is in no way necessary to switch an aircraft from flyable to AI for it to work for the AI.

Just follow the directions for Traffic Tools to add it in.

Good luck, and I hope you haven't gotten bored with this long-winded explanation!

Also, you could make a copy of the flyable plane folder that you want to turn into AI and name it differently, then use AirEd to change the copy's .air file as Ender Baron indicated.

Then, edit the aircraft.cfg file, to change the aeroplane's title in the first line under [fltsim.0] (just add 'AI' to it, for example), as programs like Traffic Tools look for plane identifiers, and this will stop it using the flyable model.

This way, you still get to fly the plane you like, and also have it available for AI. I have Concorde set up like this, so it will keep flying after October 2003! On my machine, anyway.

This all seems a tad confusing if you don't mind me saying so.
AirEd is posted at SimV. http://www.simviation.com/fsutilities_gen2.htm

Use it to open the AIR file of the aircraft you wish to convert & change Section 105 "Aircraft Type" from 0 to 2.

Done.

For example, if I made my Continental 777 into an AI, would it change ALL the AI 777's into the Continental scheme??

This will only remove the particular aircraft (+ repaints in the same folder) from the selection menu.

PS. It might be convenient to duplicate some aircraft & convert them into AI Only drones as Microlight suggests. I don't see the point if you also wish to fly the aircraft.

As Hagar quite rightly points out, there's no point duplicating the files for an aircraft as an AI that you want to keep flying if it works OK in both roles.

However, very often 3rd party aircraft that fly great make terrible AI planes and may not even work. The FS2000/2002 Concorde is a case in point - it only works if you use the files from eg the deafult 747 as I did in my fde.

Then you will invariably need to have duplicate aircraft files because the AI plane usually has poor flyable characteristics. So all you do is change the title in the first line of the cfg file as has been suggested and delete all the panel files and the panel folder before saving the AI aircraft files in a separate folder. But you should change the aircraft type to 2 to keep everything nice and tidy otherwise you'll see the AI in your list of planes.

Hmmmm...So you are saying that it's not enough to just change the arcraft type in the AIR file. I have to have a program (ttools) to convert and compile it??

I also have PAI wich I have not loaded yet. I wanted to try this first.

You only have to have TTools to put stuff into the AI.

I guess, if you don't want to mess with TTools, you could just change the texture file of the default aircraft (in the aircraft.cfg under [fltsim.0] look for texture= and type in the name of the texture you want to use).  This would make the default AI of that aircraft be whatever texture you specified.  

Guess that sounds a little long-winded.  I'm known for that!

sorry im a newbie!
bit off the topic but if you down load a plane i doesnt become AI? so your still left with soar pacifica landmark orbit airwave and american pacific even if you have 400+ a/c?
This cant be true boys and m/s shud think about this first!

bit off the topic but if you down load a plane i doesnt become AI? so your still left with soar pacifica landmark orbit airwave and american pacific even if you have 400+ a/c?
This cant be true boys and m/s shud think about this first!

It is true. The ONLY way an aircraft will show up as AI, is if you add AI routes using that aircraft to the traffic.bgl file with the use of Traffic Tools.

What if I just wanted to change the textures of the AI aircraft? I'll leave the aircraft and their flight plans. I just want to change the textures on them. Is that similar to what was said three posts above? Just change the texture= line?

Yeah, for the stock 777, change

[fltsim.0]
title=Boeing 777-300
sim=Boeing777-300
model=
panel=
sound=
[glb]texture=[/glb]

TO

[fltsim.0]
title=Boeing 777-300
sim=Boeing777-300
model=
panel=
sound=
[glb]texture=yada-yada-yada[/glb]

Where "yada-yada-yada" is the name of the texture folder you want to use.

If you want to go ahead and keep the stock texture in use, just leave one of the other [fltsim.*] texture= sections blank.

OR

You can change the title of the aircraft, like so:

[fltsim.1]
[glb]title=Boeing 777-300 blah-blah blah[/glb]
sim=Boeing777-300
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=yada-yada-yada

To

[fltsim.1]
[glb]title=Boeing 777-300 AI[/glb]
sim=Boeing777-300
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=yada-yada-yada

Man, I just KNOW this isn't making any sense!  Somebody please explain this in a simple manner!!!

Here's what I did. I changed the texture= line in fltsim.1 to "max" (a scheme I had).

I did not make this change to fltsim.0 because I though it would affect the default model and give me problems. I mean, ftlsim.0 is for the default (non AI) flight model...right? .1 and .2 are for the AI aircraft.....I think?

Am I on the right track with my logic?? I think I am getting warmer.

I posted a tute on adding a repaint to a default aircraft. See if this makes sense.
http://www.simviation.com/lair/Repaint2002.htm

Remember this Andrew? Think I originally did it for you.

PS. On the defaults, [fltsim.0], 1 & 2 are all flyable aircraft, selectable from the menu. Take it in easy stages. Learn how to do this first.

Or if that's over your head, which it is mine, you can just go to www.projectai.com and use the PAI installers.  Couldn't be easier!

I posted a tute on adding a repaint to a default aircraft. See if this makes sense.
http://www.simviation.com/lair/Repaint2002.htm

Remember this Andrew? Think I originally did it for you.

I certainly do!

I still can't thank you enough for helping me as much as you did when I was a 'newbie'