A research project: Lorby Live Traffic - next generation AI traffic

Hello @ll,

presenting my current research project: the "Lorby Live Traffic" addon for FSX and P3D.

Despite the grand title it is just a small project to determine the boundaries of what seems to be possible in our sim world.

This app takes a different approach to Ai traffic generation than usual. Using constant data updates retrieved from OpenSky Network and PlaneFinder, the AI aircraft are generated right where their real world counterparts are, and are being "pulled along" by them.

There are many shortcomings when using online data - it is not complete, accurate or available everywhere and every time. Depicting traffic on the ground or even let the AI touch down when landing is next to impossible. But it still is kind of fascinating to watch the actual aircraft fly around in my sim.

Edit: As there seems to be some misunderstanding: to make the Lorby Live Traffic more realistic, I have built three databases that make use of the aircraft models of MyTraffic, UT2 and WOAI and match these to the real world counterparts. That is why those logos appear on the main screen. Whatever techologies are used by those apps is irrelevant, none of them is in operation.

Hi Johan,

I think that you misunderstood.

My app only uses the models of Mytraffic, UT2 and WOAI - their flight plans or techniques are not used in any way, they are irrelevant for this experiment. All traffic sliders are at 0% in the sim.

The traffic is generated by constantly polling the online resources that have the real positions of real aircraft at exactly this point in time. If you watch closely you can see all the aircraft flying exactly where they are on FlightRadar24. Which is the point of my app, the real aircraft are "pulling the AI along" - live, in real time.

In a way, my application is just another type of client as all those moving traffic maps on the net. It uses the ESP based simulators to display the same data as AI aircraft via SimConnect.

Now I understand, sorry.

How about injecting them in FS9 ?

Now I understand, sorry.

How about injecting them in FS9 ?

Sorry, I don't develop for FS9.

For the type of addons that I make, FS9 is as different from FSX/P3D as X-Plane. I'm not even sure that the things that I do are even possible. I would have loved to expand my addons to XP and FS9, that would have resulted in true cross-platform multiplayer capability. But both FS9 and XP are so far behind even good ol' FSX when it comes to a programmatic API, that I would have to completely redevelop the addons, with at least twice the effort in hours and the advance knowledge that some features won't even be possible at all. That seems hardly worth it.

Hi @ll,

after finding a new data provider, the LorbyLiveTraffic (LLTX) has been released.

The app is freeware, available on the Lorby-SI website: http://lorby-si.weebly.com

The LLTX is not a finished product, it is only an experiment. As such there is no guarantee that any bugs will be fixed or that it will be developed any further than what it is now.

• It will only provide airborne (airliner) traffic

• Although you can force the aircraft to land, they will NOT taxi in or out, or populate the parking positions.

• Coverage and accuracy are limited to what the two free sources can provide

• The aircraft are invisible to the simulator's ATC

• The app requires that you have the full complement of either MT6, UT2 or WOAI aircraft models available to your sim

• You can add custom models of your own to the database

• You can change every aircraft model literally "on the fly".

• You can look up the plane that you are watching on FlightRadar24 through an automated link

• You can set the real world weather of your location in the sim (this is even more experimental - but it worked pretty well in testing)

• The app has been compiled in four different versions and installers have been provided for FSX SP2/Accel, FSX SE, P3D 2.5 and P3D v3.x

Direct link:

Hi Oliver! Are you offering the same as this guy? Is it just a coincidence there are 2 "Live traffic" programs being introduced at the same time?

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?304729-Fly-with-live-traffic!

Hi Zippy,

no, I am not the same guy, and this is not the same product. My thread here has been started last year - I just shelved the LorbyLiveTraffic back then because of issues with one of the data providers. A few weeks ago a fellow simmer told me about an alternative datasource that I could use - and so I did and revived the app.

As I wrote, this app is just an experiment. I am not planning to turn this into a commercial product, instead I have decided to release it for free (and it really is "free" free, no strings attached).

Best

Oliver

Hi Zippy,

 

no, I am not the same guy. My thread here has been started last year - I just shelved the LiveTraffic product back then because of issues with one of the data providers. A few weeks ago a fellow simmer told me about an alternative datasource that I could use - and so I did.

 

As I wrote, this app is just an experiment. I am not planning to turn this into a commercial product, instead I have decided to release it for free (and it really is "free" free, no strings attached).

 

Best

Oliver

Thanks for the reply back! I didn't think it was you but I was surprised that this other guy is basically offering the same thing you were. I did notice he said his was free but you needed a pay service to go along with it.

Thanks for the reply back! I didn't think it was you but I was surprised that this other guy is basically offering the same thing you were. I did notice he said his was free but you needed a pay service to go along with it.

I guess the "live traffic" idea has been in everyones head for quite a while. If it weren't for the other member who told me about "ADS-B Ex", I would have left the LLTX to gather dust. It initially spawned from my AiTracker X which I made a year ago. I thought that it should be possible to apply the same techniques using online data, and started to research that. Unfortunately, the really good and accurate datasources either don't have an API (FlightRadar24) or they are restrictive about their data (PlaneFinder) or prohibitively expensive (FlightAware).

The LLTX contains a fully fledged FlightAware client too - but I have decided to disable it, because there seems to be no point - the user would have to get himself a FlightAware API key, and then pay for every time he is using it - at minimum $1, at a large airport with many aircraft up to $10 per hour!

IMHO the online data just isn't good enough for a flightsim traffic addon, that is why I have decided to keep it simple and experimental. But I am still working on it if I find the time, so it may even improve over time.

Best

Oliver