Getting the Air Traffic view list to show all AI planes.

[TextRich]

Hello! I have Googled this and couldn't find anything that would help me, so I thought I would ask here. I have AI traffic maxed out in my settings. When I go to the menu bar Views-->View Mode-->Air Traffic, the list of AI traffic is very long (and have almost exclusively 737-800s). I would like to be able to see the remaining planes on that list.

There is not an arrow to scroll the list up/down. My mouse wheel does not work. Highlighting a plane and using the up/down arrow keys do not work.

My best workaround is to select a plane, and then use the A and Shift+A keyboard commands to go through the list forward/backward. That seems to show planes NOT in numerical/alphabetical order of the list (meaning I don't see only 737s for the first 50 presses of A). I am guessing it shows planes in increasing distance away from me. Please let me know if I am incorrect.

I just completed a flight and went through all the AI traffic near my plane (Nashua, New Hampshire) has 212 total AI aircrafts. My left arm hurts from pressing A so much. Does anyone know of an add-on, fix, or workaround that will let me easily view all the planes in that long Air Traffic list without having to actually go through hundreds of different planes one-by-one to get to the AI plane that I want? Thank you!

[yellowjacket]

I can think of 2 choices you have. The 1st is payware.

Purchase FSUIPC

In the Miscellaneous Tab set the Limit TCAS range to 0nm (0=no limit) and set the TCAS id string for Flight.

Download from the following link the freeware Traffic Look utility.

http://forum.simflight.com/topic/66136-useful-additional-programs/

Traffic Look installs outside of FSX in a folder of your choice. It only gives you a list of certain data for each AI plane within your visual AI zone which is 108 Nm radius of your plane position.

Your 2nd choice is free and comes with your copy of FSX:SE

Use the SDK Traffic Toolbox Explorer addon which is already in your FSX:SE SDK folders. In the dll.xml you activate the Traffic Toolbox by using >False< in the disabled xml code. This will add a tool menu to FSX.

Make sure your drive letter path is correct since my path might be different

<Launch.Addon>
<Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>F:\FSX_SE\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>

Once you have the SDK utility working it will show all AI Planes, Ships and Carriers within 108 NM radius of your plane in both a List and Map Mode.

This is a sample picture of the List. I am at the JFK airport and there are 594 AI planes that the FSX default ATC is working in the New York area. As you can see in the picture FSX gives you a lot of information per each plane. If you right click the mouse on any plane a popup menu appears. In this menu you can control the AI Plane you have selected.

http://s2.postimg.org/pn8r0bg0p/g19.jpg


The following picture shows the Map Mode. Each plane is assigned a target to fly toward. If you select (highlite) a plane in the lower left column the data you see is coming from the AI Player.dll. It will give what the AI_Player engine is requesting (Desired) from the AI Plane and what the AI Plane is actually doing (Current status).

http://s15.postimg.org/n9rl74bnf/f13.jpg

[TextRich]

Thank you for your suggestions, Yellowjacket. I am happy to pay for useful add-ons, and I will look at both possibilities when I have more time later this week and see which is the best workaround for me.

[JWNoctis]

Note that maxing out AI traffic would cause severe congestion as FSX is not really designed to handle that much. Setting that above 70% and you would start to see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active, aircrafts stacked together on approach, and impossibility of completing flights for being vectored too close into AI traffic and repeated going around on approach in busy airports. Though there are tools for clearing any traffic ahead of you when you are on approach.

Most AI packages had a recommended number somewhere, if you use those.

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by JWNoctis:

Note that maxing out AI traffic would cause severe congestion as FSX is not really designed to handle that much. Setting that above 70% and you would start to see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active, aircrafts stacked together on approach, and impossibility of completing flights for being vectored too close into AI traffic and repeated going around on approach in busy airports. Though there are tools for clearing any traffic ahead of you when you are on approach.

Most AI packages had a recommended number somewhere, if you use those.

All good points to consider

Do understand that the AI Traffic slider DOES NOT control the percentage of AI aircraft displayed. It only sets the threshold for the cut-off of the number of AI aircraft displayed.

The AI slider only determines which AI flightplans will be used based on the percent value compiled with each individual FP.

For example - many freeware AI flight plan writers used 1% for all their flight plans - thus at 1% or higher on the AI slider - 100% of the AI traffic will be displayed. Its all or none.

The commercial programs do use randomized flight plan settings - but they do not produce exact percentages due to the way AI flight plans work. The only way to truely compare two programs is to adjust the AI slider so that the exact same number of AI aircraft are active in the user aircrafts visual AI zone, and the exact same number of aircraft are displayed on the active airport.

FSX also has an additional throttle valve called the Traffic Scaler.

FS2002 and FS2004 used a hardcoded ratio of parking spots to the amount of AI traffic at any given airport. FSX exposed the traffic scalar to allow throttling back the AI traffic at certain airports. The problem at some airports is the ratio of parking spots to a minimal taxiway infrastructure or what is called choke points causes head to head gridlock. The Traffic Scalar which is set to a default of 0.70 in the Airport database record helps to eliminate choke point problems.

That means if the AI Traffic slider is set to 70% its not a realistic number for all airports based on what I have used as a throttle valve percent in the compiled airport record for KJFK or lets say EGLL.

There is no doubt we may see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active and aircrafts stacked together on approach. However, if we decided to add real world flight plans and not use what FSX gave us as AI Traffic then it is left it up to us to activate all the runways if needed to handle the additional traffic.

When we activate all the runways for both departure and arrival only then can we now introduce the prop aircraft size/jet weight restriction code embedded in the multiple runway usage code.

I agree there are tools for clearing any traffic ahead of you when you are on approach but the SDK Traffic Toolbox Explorer will also delete any traffic in your way during the approach. See the picture above that shows the list and popup menu. Delete is the last AI Traffic command on the popup list.

At the end of the day we have all these AI traffic programs that inject huge amounts of planes but the airport scenery developers fail to give the user a airport that works. Airports have 2 types of scenery and each has a goal.

1. Visual Scenery -- Make the airport look as good as or better then the default
2. Non-visual Scenery -- Make the airport work as good as or better then the default

The above no.1 is the priority for many 3rd party airport developers and they break the working part of the airport.

[JWNoctis]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Originally posted by JWNoctis:

Note that maxing out AI traffic would cause severe congestion as FSX is not really designed to handle that much. Setting that above 70% and you would start to see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active, aircrafts stacked together on approach, and impossibility of completing flights for being vectored too close into AI traffic and repeated going around on approach in busy airports. Though there are tools for clearing any traffic ahead of you when you are on approach.

Most AI packages had a recommended number somewhere, if you use those.

All good points to consider

Do understand that the AI Traffic slider DOES NOT control the percentage of AI aircraft displayed. It only sets the threshold for the cut-off of the number of AI aircraft displayed.

The AI slider only determines which AI flightplans will be used based on the percent value compiled with each individual FP.

For example - many freeware AI flight plan writers used 1% for all their flight plans - thus at 1% or higher on the AI slider - 100% of the AI traffic will be displayed. Its all or none.

The commercial programs do use randomized flight plan settings - but they do not produce exact percentages due to the way AI flight plans work. The only way to truely compare two programs is to adjust the AI slider so that the exact same number of AI aircraft are active in the user aircrafts visual AI zone, and the exact same number of aircraft are displayed on the active airport.

FSX also has an additional throttle valve called the Traffic Scaler.

FS2002 and FS2004 used a hardcoded ratio of parking spots to the amount of AI traffic at any given airport. FSX exposed the traffic scalar to allow throttling back the AI traffic at certain airports. The problem at some airports is the ratio of parking spots to a minimal taxiway infrastructure or what is called choke points causes head to head gridlock. The Traffic Scalar which is set to a default of 0.70 in the Airport database record helps to eliminate choke point problems.

That means if the AI Traffic slider is set to 70% its not a realistic number for all airports based on what I have used as a throttle valve percent in the compiled airport record for KJFK or lets say EGLL.

There is no doubt we may see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active and aircrafts stacked together on approach. However, if we decided to add real world flight plans and not use what FSX gave us as AI Traffic then it is left it up to us to activate all the runways if needed to handle the additional traffic.

When we activate all the runways for both departure and arrival only then can we now introduce the prop aircraft size/jet weight restriction code embedded in the multiple runway usage code.

I agree there are tools for clearing any traffic ahead of you when you are on approach but the SDK Traffic Toolbox Explorer will also delete any traffic in your way during the approach. See the picture above that shows the list and popup menu. Delete is the last AI Traffic command on the popup list.

At the end of the day we have all these AI traffic programs that inject huge amounts of planes but the airport scenery developers fail to give the user a airport that works. Airports have 2 types of scenery and each has a goal.

1. Visual Scenery -- Make the airport look as good as or better then the default
2. Non-visual Scenery -- Make the airport work as good as or better then the default

The above no.1 is the priority for many 3rd party airport developers and they break the working part of the airport.

Interesting...Thanks!

[TextRich]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Originally posted by JWNoctis:

There is no doubt we may see unrealisticly long queues on departure end of active and aircrafts stacked together on approach. However, if we decided to add real world flight plans and not use what FSX gave us as AI Traffic then it is left it up to us to activate all the runways if needed to handle the additional traffic.

When we activate all the runways for both departure and arrival only then can we now introduce the prop aircraft size/jet weight restriction code embedded in the multiple runway usage code.

So by default, not all the available runaways, for airports that have two or more, are used by the AI? Are there add-ons or other methods to enable that to reduce the likelihood of traffic at busy airports, or is it already ingrained in the original FSX source code?

As things stand I am a relative newbie with no add-ons and have everything in the game maxed out, including AI traffic. For now I mostly fly around my home region in New England. KBOS puts me in traffic patterns from time to time, but for other airports I usually deal with one or fewer other plane. It is good for me to know how much of airports are actually utilized by the AI for future flights to and from busier airports.

[JWNoctis]

All available parallel runways are normally used in FSX, in contrast to FS9, as far as I know. Though I'm less sure about crossing ones since I've been running without AI traffic for a while for performance and multiplayer reasons.

For the rest, I'm...out of idea. Better listen to what yellowjacket has to say.

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by BF Bullpup:

So by default, not all the available runaways, for airports that have two or more, are used by the AI?

That is correct. FSX will only use more then one active runway if they are parallel to each other. That does not mean all parallel runways are used. Atlanta, GA has 5 parallel runways but only the outer 2 are used for landing (based on arrival direction).

If the winds are from the west in Boston (KBOS) then runway 33L is the only active runway for takeoff and landing. The same applies to airports like Manchester, NH (KMHT). Only one runway is active at a time which can cause takeoff and landing backups/missed approaches for AI planes.

Originally posted by BF Bullpup:

Are there add-ons or other methods to enable that to reduce the likelihood of traffic at busy airports, or is it already ingrained in the original FSX source code?

Some developers enhance the default airports to make them look better and work better. Example -- all the airports done by Ray Smith. The following is his KBOS which can be downloaded from flightsim.com

Name: kbos_ade_rs_fsx.zip
Size: 679,705 Date: 05-29-2012 Downloads: 2,310

FSX AFCAD File For KBOS, Boston/Logan International Airport, Massachusetts (MA), USA. This airport update was designed with the latest version of ADE (Airport Design Editor). These files are made only for the FSX default airport, one version with the crosswind runways activated and in full operation where all six runways will be used for takeoff/landing and one version has the default runway operation. Runway 14/32 added with RNAV (GPS) for runway 32 included, assigned parking with extra parking, taxiways and taxi signs updated to the latest charts, extra fuel trucks, lighted helipad, support vehicle roads rebuilt and many other improvements. Airport views are from the roof of the control tower (when in tower view). By Ray Smith. (Previous version had 5408 downloads)

All of Ray Smith's airports have 2 versions. One that uses all runways and one that uses just the default runways. If I want to see if he did an update to KMHT I search using KMHT at flightsim and look down the list and this comes up

Name: kmht_ade_rs_fsx.zip
Size: 37,628 Date: 05-15-2010 Downloads: 1,862

All of my 3rd party airports that are not payware have been enhanced using Ray's airports that open all runways for departure/arrival use.

hope this helps

[TextRich]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Originally posted by BF Bullpup:

So by default, not all the available runaways, for airports that have two or more, are used by the AI?

That is correct. FSX will only use more then one active runway if they are parallel to each other. That does not mean all parallel runways are used. Atlanta, GA has 5 parallel runways but only the outer 2 are used for landing (based on arrival direction).

If the winds are from the west in Boston (KBOS) then runway 33L is the only active runway for takeoff and landing. The same applies to airports like Manchester, NH (KMHT). Only one runway is active at a time which can cause takeoff and landing backups/missed approaches for AI planes.

Thanks again for your thoughts YJ and JWN. It makes sense to me that FSX would do better with parallel runways. I had a flight, I can't remember where, to an airport that had crossing runways. The ATC had me land on one of the runways. After I followed all instructions and landed, before I was able to clear the runway, another (AI) plane landed from the other runway and nearly crashed into me! I guess it is just easier to program AI behavior for parallel runways.

I look forward to trying the various solutions in this thread. My weekend can't come soon enough.

[TextRich]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Your 2nd choice is free and comes with your copy of FSX:SE

Use the SDK Traffic Toolbox Explorer addon which is already in your FSX:SE SDK folders. In the dll.xml you activate the Traffic Toolbox by using >False< in the disabled xml code. This will add a tool menu to FSX.

Make sure your drive letter path is correct since my path might be different

<Launch.Addon>
<Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>F:\FSX_SE\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>

It took me an hour, but I found the dll.xml file I needed to edit to activate the Traffic Toolbox. For my default installation, the file is located in C:\Users\BFBullpup\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX (obviously another user would need to use their correct drive letter and Windows user name). All I had to do was change <Disabled>True</Disabled> to False and change the <Path> to my default installation, which is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll

I love the Traffic Explorer very much. The best part is being able to double-click the airplane I want to immediately view it in action in a separate window (when viewing my plane) or its own full screen display (when viewing AI traffic). I also like being able to change the aircraft display label to show additional information not available in the game's standard options.

I will also be sure to look up edited/fixed airports that uses more runways than allowed in the original FSX coding for future flights. Thank you for all the useful information.