'VirtualPax 2004' Announcement

[DazzyB]

Guys,

I am thinking of writing a piece of utility software called 'VirtualPax 2004'. Before I start on the project, I would like to know how many of you would be interested in such a thing.

Here's an overview...

A small utility which would allow you to view a flightboard of scheduled flights at any airport, select one of them and be transfered as a passenger into that aircraft. Being an AI flight, the aircraft would fly itself, but you would be able to sit in the virtual cabin and look out of the window over the wing during the pushback, taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, approach, landing, taxying in at the destination, and shutdown. It would fully support ActiveCamera, meaning that you would be able to walk around the a/c during the flight, as well as turn your head. I would also implement flight attendance and crew announcements, depending on which phase of the flight you are at (who knows - maybe the AI pilot would let you visit the cockpit if you asked him nicely!!)

My question is this: How many would be interested in this program?

DazzyB.

[Andrew_L]

Sounds cool....but wouldn't that ONLY work for the walk-around if the aircraft being used has an interior model to walk around IN? I think that would mean changing your AI from simple frame rate friendly planes to much more detailed frame EATERS wouldn't it?? I like the idea though, if its possible without the need for your very own CRAY super-computer in your basement :)

Andrew

(editted cause hukd un fonics dint kwite werk fer me)

[DazzyB]

Andrew,

I see your point - and I have already thought of that! - you would only see the aircraft that you had installed and selected in your a/c menu, not the AI one. This means that only your own a/c would have all the virtual cabin and stuff, but it would still be treated as an ai a/c. All other ai a/c around you wouldn't be effected.

The only downside to this is that you would need to select a similar a/c as what the original target ai a/c is - no good sitting inside a cessna that is going as fast as a 747!!!!!

DazzyB

[Andrew_L]

ok....think i understand. If i select to view ACA888 the AI would switch from an Air Canada PAI 767 to a different detailed model that i have in my hanger JUST for that one AI flight while i was 'in it'???? What happens if i don't HAVE a detailed 767 in my hanger??? This is quite interesting...i think it would be a lot of fun

[slarente]

Hi,

The idea seems great and I am really looking forward to it (I volunteer for the beta testing!!! :-)). However, I have a question:

I noticed that sometimes FS has a hard time handling flyable planes as AI (they jump on the taxiways, sink into the ground, do not fly properly, etc...). That is why the .air file is different for AI planes. I know that this does not happen with every flyable plane, but if we are to be passengers on a "flyable plane used as AI plane", is there anything we can do to prevent the plane to act crazy?

Good luck! I really like the idea!

[slarente]

... an other question (sorry!)

Would we start from a plane somewhere at the airport and then switch to the AI of our choice? In other words, I start the sim sitting in a Cessna on the GA parking and then choose the flight AC888 from the list and get warped into that plane. If this is the way to go, that AI would disappear when it gets at 50 miles from the original Cessna...

I don't know if this is vcrear enough (I'm kinda confusing myself too:))...

[DazzyB]

Andrew,

The plane that is chosen would be the one that you selected before clicking on ACA888. So. in other words you would select the a/c of your choice before clicking on ACA888.

DazzyB.

[DazzyB]

Slarente,

1) I am not sure what you fully mean here as I have never had the 'jumping' problem. I would guess that yes, it was down to the air file, and any jumping would probably be solvable by selecting a descent air file.

2) You wouldn't warp to the ai a/c itself, but more likely your currently selected plane would actually replace the ai, meaning that your a/c would never be over 50 miles off - it would be the one you were in!

This is just an idea at the moment. i havent committed myself to the project, nor do I even know whether or not it is feasable. Time will tell, but I loved aimap and I would really want something like that for fs2004, designed for a 'virtual pax' like me (as well as a virtual pilot!!)...

DazzyB.

[Garrett67]

Instead of trying to alter and configure AI and everything associated with them perhaps you should attack this from the standpoint that you select a plane, as you normally would
and somehow make that plane fly itself.
In other words, automatic flying with a normal user plane
as opposed to the way you're currently approaching it.

It just seems easier to do it that way instead of trying to figure
out the tendancies of AI aircraft and how they function.
You already have to select a plane and its plan, that part is already done for you, you now need to figure out how that plane is going to fly by itself.


Personally, I think you will have troubles either way you look at it .

[Shri]

I will like such a utility. Somewhat like AIMAP in FS2002. I like to follow the AI Aircraft right to its destination. So all you have to do is to write a program so that you are always 0.1knots behind the AI Aircraft.

Thanks


Shri