PAI Old Installer Files question

[FSTipster]

I recently downloaded all the PAI files.

I have a couple of questions:

1) I still have my original traffic.bgl file saved. If I re-install that and remove all the PAI aircraft folders, will that get me back to where I was before I started?

2) The reason for question 1 is that I started off trying to install the "Old Installer format" files first (just double clicked the .exe files and proceeded). After the third one, I went to do a little checking. Some of the textures didn't show when the the aircraft were present in the list, some of the aircraft weren't present at all and when I went to Israeli airports to check out the El Al aircraft, none of them were there.

Do I need the old base installer? (I have the new one). I can only find a dead link to it on the PAI site. I also have Ttools installed on my P.C. The new installer docs make reference to the fact that there's no need to remove it. Was there with the old installer?

Any help appreciated and the reason I'm asking this here is because I can't find the registration link for the PAI forums.

[liran_bar]

Hey tipster what's up?
here are the answers:
1) yeap, reinstall it and it will all go back to normal.... you don't even have to remove the PAI aircrafts...... infact I suggest you don't delete them so you will be able to use them in the future.... (Only make sure that you start decompiler in TTools before you touch that program again)
2) well about ELAL's aircrafts.... I have downloaded that my self and just to let you know about a couple of things....:
a) El Al aircrafts only land in Ben-Gurion (LLBG). the "Arkia" Aircrafts are the ones who land in most of europe, LLBG and LLSD (Sde-Dov) and even Eilat.....
b) the El Al flight schedule by PAI couldn't be less realistic... therefore I have decieded to build them my self.... I will write the code line for TTools and Maxim (the owner of our site that will open soon) will create an installation file..... the only problem that keeps me from begining is that I only have the 747, 767, 777 in ElAl's livery I also need the 737 and 757 and I can't get them anywhere and it will take to long to repaint one....

Can anybody help me with finding the 737 and 757 in ElAl's livery?


Liran Bar, Israel


p.s.
Maxim and I will consider uploading the flight plans here to simviation so you will all be able to enjoy it...

[FSTipster]

(Only make sure that you start decompiler in TTools before you touch that program again)

Thanks for the info Liran.

Could you just clarify the above comment? Is this something I need to do to successfully run the old installer PAI files? I'm still unclear about the need for the old base installer etc.

[Hagar]

I think that Liran is quite rightly suggesting you run TTools TDecompiler.exe after restoring the original traffic.bgl. This could avoid future problems when editing the AI traffic, especially if some 3rd party aircraft have been removed.

[FSTipster]

I'll certainly do that.

I remain perplexed about the correct procedure for installing these old style files though.

There's scant information (that I've been able to find anyway) on the PAI site itself.

If someone could clear this up for me, I'd be very grateful as some of the larger airlines (Delta for one) are in that format.

[liran_bar]

I think that Liran is quite rightly suggesting you run TTools TDecompiler.exe after restoring the original traffic.bgl. This could avoid future problems when editing the AI traffic, especially if some 3rd party aircraft have been removed.

right on Hagar!

now tipster, about the other thing.....
PAI is a project that decided to generate Airplanes for AI use only. meaning they are designed without any panels nor gauges nor cockpits and they cannot be flown by the user...... that what makes them smaller (in MB)....
the installation files (the old ones as well as the new ones) do the following:
Configure all the aircrafts of that airline (the airline that you have downloaded) in the "aircraft.txt" file that the TTools creates.
configure all the Flight plan of that airline in the "flight plans.txt" file
and most important of all- install the aircrafts.


the PAI's aircraft are just like a car that all it has is the shield and wheels....


Liran Bar, Israel

[FSTipster]

Yeah thanks . I understand that but the problem I have is that just clicking the .exe file doesn't make the textures or some of the aircraft appear in the Project A.I. entry of the aircraft list.

In the case of Delta - they do (no sign of the AI aircraft in the sim though), but not with El Al (aircraft in the list, but textures don't display when selected). Corasair don't have aircraft listings at all. It's inconsistant.

I went to the airport you mentioned for EL AL and turned the TCAS on. Not an EL AL aircraft within 40nm and I sat there for 20 minutes clicking every aircraft that appeared on screen - nothing.

I've concluded (and I may be wrong - no idea at this point) that downloading an old installer format file and double clicking the exe file is not all that's required to make them work properly.

I'm trying to identify:

If I need anything else (old base installer for example)?

What, if anything, I have to do with my own installation of ttools during the installation procedure?

If there's anything else I need to do?

Thanks for any help.

[FSTipster]

My thanks go to all who tried to help me with this (particularly Kevin fom Project A.I.).

Unfortunataly, despite my best efforts to follow the advice given, The old installer type files haven't worked and I'm far from convinced that I've successfully uninstalled them properly.

My second effort at the EL AL package produced an error "airport not found" when compiling???

I've decided that the best thing to do is re-install and confine myself to the new installer files when I do.

As FS2002 is the largest thing on my P.C., I'm going to totally re-install windows. Having a dual boot system means this is a big job (not as big as re-installing FS2002 mind), but It's overdue anyway and I've been putting it off.

[liran_bar]

hey tipster....
about elal..... I have had that error too and I managed to solve it.... just take a look at the compiler's window and copy the line the the error was found in.
than go to the flight plans file and copy all of the most recent flight plans containing the phrase "LLBG".

post both of the thing I have told you to copy here and I will solve your problem, thought I warmly suggest you just skip the elal flight plans 'cause they are simply unrealistic. I am working on, these days, the new El Al flight plans which will be uploaded to our site and probably also here at SimV....


Liran Bar, Israel

[FSTipster]

Thanks Liran.

At this point, I've had a slight change of plan.

In the course of backing up my files, I've resolved one of the (relatively minor) windows problems I was having.

If it doesn't recur later on today (it's done this before) I'm going to leave the system re-install.

However, as far as FS2002 goes, I'm no longer sure what state the A.I. files are in. I'm going to re-install FS2002 from scratch, and leave the old installer type files as previously stated. All the new PAI files work perfectly as far as I'm able to tell, and Kevin informed me that the conversion of the old files to new is well underway. Consequently, I'm going to wait.

I'm very interested in your new El Al timetable though. The only question I have is how easy will it be to install? (Bear in mind that A.I. is a foreign country to me, and the question might be more relevantly phrased "How easy is it to mess up?" ).

[BFMF]

You could also run the old installers and choose manual installation, that way you can do it yourself and know what to remove later on

[FSTipster]

LOL - I don't know how to properly process the auto-installer for the old style files. I'd have no chance trying to do it manually.

[liran_bar]

Hey tipster....
well actually I have to talk to Maxim about how it will go.... cause we are not sure if he can create an installation file for the flight plans...
but any how... the worst thing you can do is make the El Al flight plans not work.....
but if maxim creates an installation file.. there is no way you can mess it up...


Liran Bar, Israel

[zcottovision]

@Tipster:

Aren't the old installers just self-installing .exe files?

Sometimes when I installed those, they went a bit wrong, especially after I updated the PAI aircraft models and such. The best way is to laboriously check through all your PAI folders' aircraft.cfg files, and see if the texture and model files match the ones you have. Thankfully, the newer PAI files don't have this problem.