AI Aircraft invisible?

[Major Kirrahe]

I just bought a payware airport for FSX from simmarket. It's Niigata airport in Japan (RJSN). http://secure.simmarket.com/wing-creation-inc-niigata-rjsn-fsx-p3d.phtml

The problem is, my AI aircraft in this airport are not showing up, as if they are invisible! I've never had this issue before, my Japanese AI aircraft have all shown up elsewhere. Any ideas where this problem stems from? It's disappointing spending money on an airport and being the only people there. It feels much more realistic when other aircraft are around.

Thanks!

[UnderTaker2020]

sometimes your AI are randomly thrown into any airport, check the AI logs and change them to appear at the airport you choose, cheers.

[pirateinparadise]

What Japanese AI?

Are they FS9 AI Japanese AI airplanes by any chance?

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by Lloydy | Togusa:

I just bought a payware airport for FSX from simmarket. It's Niigata airport in Japan (RJSN). http://secure.simmarket.com/wing-creation-inc-niigata-rjsn-fsx-p3d.phtml

The problem is, my AI aircraft in this airport are not showing up, as if they are invisible! I've never had this issue before, my Japanese AI aircraft have all shown up elsewhere. Any ideas where this problem stems from? It's disappointing spending money on an airport and being the only people there. It feels much more realistic when other aircraft are around.

Thanks!

Turn off aircraft cast shadows and see if that helps.

[Major Kirrahe]

Thanks all for your replies!

Yellowjacket, I tried that and it worked! Thanks a lot! Very strange but I am glad it works now. What has turning off the shadows got to do with it though? Thanks a lot!

[Karim]

Is there anyway to fix it without turning shadows off?

[udidwht]

Originally posted by Karim13:

Is there anyway to fix it without turning shadows off?

No...in short a known bug in FSX. It will happen when FS9 traffic files are mixed with FSX traffic files.

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by Karim13:

Is there anyway to fix it without turning shadows off?

First it is not a FSX bug and has nothing to do with mixing FS9 and FSX traffic files.

The problem is related to the airport scenery and the type AI Plane being used.

Many developers of what some would call highend scenery take shortcuts in the way they design the scenery. Each version of Flight Simulator may have some backward compatibility but there is always something that does not work properly when compiled.

FSX is not 100 percent backward compatible with FS2004 (FS9) the same that FS2004 is not 100 percent backward compatible with FS2002 etc., etc.

All of FSX and some of FS2004 use a scenery format called XML which is a text-based file format. Prior to FS2004 (which includes FS98, FS2000, FS2002) all scenery was created with BGL op-codes or the BGLC compiler. Microsoft has always told us the BGL op-codes (pre FS2004) which uses older BGL op-codes are supported for backward compatibility, and may work in certain instances but are not guarantee.

You purchased an airport scenery that is not 100 percent FSX XML file format. The designers have compiled at least one bgl with the old FS98 BGL SCASM op-code BGLC compiler or they used airport scenery designed for a old version of FS and forced an update into FSX.

When this happens in FSX the AI planes that are FS2002 / FS2004 aircraft.air, model.mdl and texture.bmp files become invisible except for the lights and Aircraft Labels.

Any of the AI Planes that are designed with FSX air, mdl and textures will always be visible even with the older op-code pre FS2004 type compiled scenery. That means you can place the checkmark in the Aircraft cast shadows on the ground and the FSX AI planes will still be visible.

[Major Kirrahe]

Well, right on the mark. Thanks a lot for the explanation Yellowjacjket, very informative.

[mikeytwc]

pound for pound the most imformative person in steam FSX, IMHO....not to diss anyone, but he has a vast knowledge of the internal settings/programming within FSX...
the only other i have seen that has similar knowledge is scruffyduck...who makes airports and scenery i believe