Can anybody help me understand this custom AI Traffic stuff?

[jklinkhoff]

For FS 2002: I've tried "Traffic Tools" and I've read and followed all the instructions on how to do it the long way by adding traffic routes and specifying an aircraft (an FS 2002 CRJ that flies properly). But, the planes never show up at the designated airport at the time I specify...or any time that I've noticed, for that matter. Could I be forgetting something? Is there anythig that might typically go wrong for someone who doesn't know computers too well? If not, does anyone know where I can find more detailed instructions? I would be very grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

[fahmey]

I give it a shot, see if I can be of any help to you.

I'm having problems myself with Trafic Tools and figuring out why at some airports FS just crash. And I've learnt something that perhaps worthwhile to share with you.

There are a number of possibilities why aircrafts may not show up:-

1. Time: remember the time specified in the Flight Plan.txt file is GMT and NOT local time. Make sure you set situation at the right time and airport.

2. The frequency of the AI a/c, is it every 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 Hr? I 'm not sure if you can do that on odd hour basis. And make sure there is enough flying hours for the a/c to make the return leg. Say from KLAX to KJFK, I would add at least an 8Hr frequency for a 777 or 747 (as the flight takes 5 hrs one way).

3. A/C compatibility: are you using a 3rd party a/c instead of a repaint texture? Some 3rd party aircrafts especially those designed for FS2000 do not work properly as AI traffic.

If you think you've made mistake in compiling your AI traffic, this is to restore your original traffic.bgl and then decompile and compile the added flights with Traffic tools. This is how you can do that:

1. Go to your FS2K2 folder and look under Scenedb/ATC/Scenery for the "traffic.bgl". Delete this file.
2. Look for the "original_traffic.bgl" (or something similiar) under the same directory and rename it as "traffic.bgl"
3. In your Traffic Tools (TT) folder (or wherever you have installed it), make back up files for the "aircraft" and "Flight Plan" files. If you're not sure how to do this, please let me know.
4. Now using "Decompile.exe" in your TT folder, decompile your files by clicking on it. You will have the original 'traffic.bgl' restored now.
5. In your TT folder you will have new 'aircraft' and 'Flight Plan' files. Delete these 2. Restore the back up files respectively (see step 3).
6. Click on "compile.exe" under your TT folder and generate the new 'traffic.bgl' file.

and voila!

[Brianking]

Can I add to that, to beware of overloading the airport; if the incoming aircraft cannot find a gate to go to, it will disappear; or if AI can't find the aircraft (exact 'title' is vital), the flight will never happen.

Brian

[alheeley]

can i also add that i never got any extra traffic after modifying the bgl until the original one was removed to another directory and renamed old_traffic.bbb or Orig_trafic.xyz.
FS was just loading the original bgl all the time. Wierd but it worked for me, and Ttools documentation mentions about this anomaly.