I couple of questions about AI traffics and maneuvers

[Quev]

Hello everyone!!!

 

I have a couple of questions about the AI traffics and AI maneuvers.

 

I'm trying to make a mission with an AI Group / an AI Unit (I created the traffic, I select the skill level to Average, I actívate de late startup...).

 

But when I try to create a trigger with a 'Group AI On', 'Group AI Off', 'Unit AI On', or 'Unit AI Off' action, I have nothing in the box below (it's empty).

 

Any help, please!!!

 

Apart from that, the AI traffic works fine in every sense (it follows the waypoints route and everything else), but I have nothing in the unfolding box.

 

My second question is about the circle and hippodrome orbit maneuvers. Is it posible to make a right hand hippodrome? The left hand maneuver works perfect, but I couldn't find a way to make the airplane do the same to the right.

 

Thanks in advance and have nices virtual flights!!!

[feefifofum]

Hey Quev-

 

GROUP AI ON/OFF only works for ground units, as shutting a plane's AI off midair would probably be disastrous. ;)

 

As for your orbit question, I don't believe it's possible to select the direction of orbit, only select between patterns. If you're in to .LUA scripting you can probably make something work with the set waypoint function, but I'm not the guy to give you .LUA advice.

 

You could also accomplish this by using the SET WAYPOINT function of the ADVANCED WAYPOINT ACTIONS menu. Manually draw in your orbit, then use SET WAYPOINT to return to the first point upon reaching the final one.

 

Hope this helps!

[Quev]

Thanks, Feefifofum!!! You are always ready to help!!!

 

About the first question, it's a shame this doesn't work with airplanes. I would like to create an airplane and stop it in the runway before it takes off (until all the other units are in position in the zone, are in position).

 

About the second one, I will go throught with the SET WAYPOINT function. I'm afraid at the end I'll have to enter in the lua programmation world.

 

Thanks for your help and 'see you' in the virtual air.

[DarkFire]

Thanks, Feefifofum!!! You are always ready to help!!!

 

About the first question, it's a shame this doesn't work with airplanes. I would like to create an airplane and stop it in the runway before it takes off (until all the other units are in position in the zone, are in position).

 

About the second one, I will go throught with the SET WAYPOINT function. I'm afraid at the end I'll have to enter in the lua programmation world.

 

Thanks for your help and 'see you' in the virtual air.

 

There is a work-around for aircraft that are still on the ground: you need to create really, really small trigger zones. This kind of works... Sometimes... but is generally unreliable.

 

It looks like for the remaining life time of DCS 1.x that we'll have to leave ground traffic to the AI. Hopefully this is something that will be improved with the new ATC system in DCS 2.

[feefifofum]

Aha...for that purpose, you can also use a scripted ground vehicle to block your AI flight from moving until you're in position.

 

Set up your blocking truck on the runway and your "lead" should still taxi out to takeoff position, then add a radio message or location based flag trigger.

Use that flag trigger to either turn group AI on or stop a conditional GROUP HOLD advanced waypoint action to move your blocker off the runway, and off you go.

[DarkFire]

Aha...for that purpose, you can also use a scripted ground vehicle to block your AI flight from moving until you're in position.

 

Set up your blocking truck on the runway and your "lead" should still taxi out to takeoff position, then add a radio message or location based flag trigger.

Use that flag trigger to either turn group AI on or stop a conditional GROUP HOLD advanced waypoint action to move your blocker off the runway, and off you go.

 

Good idea! I'd never thought of doing that! Plus under some circumstances it might be more realistic. Call it a 'runway inspection vehicle' or something. Nice!

[Quev]

Excuse me guys!!! I haven't entered in this post for the last two months and I haven't read your answers.

 

Thanks again to both of you!!!

 

I'll create this ground unit. This could work!!! Great idea!!!

 

Thanks a lot!!!

 

'See' you. Bye!!!

Edited September 27, 2015 by Quev

[Quev]

Hello again!!!

 

I try what you said, and it works beatifully. A 'runway inspection vehicule' enter in the runway and my AI traffic stop.

 

Nice!!! Really nice!!!

 

But now I have another problem. When the vehicule exit the runway my AI traffic remain stoped forever. I try everything, but it doesn't move.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[DarkFire]

I think that might be a known bug with the current version of DCS World. Taxiing works correctly if a group of planes has a human player as the lead aircraft, but I think the AI has problems recognising when it's safe to move again. You could try increasing the time between the vehicle providing the obstruction and the time at which the AI aircraft reach their hold-short position, i.e. just short of the runway.

[Quev]

Thanks, DakFire, but I need the leader to stop on the runway for a while (to allow other traffic in the formation to enter into their position).

[DarkFire]

Ah, now I understand. I don't think that will be possible - I remember someone commenting in another thread that air traffic control behaviour - including taxi behaviour - is currently hard coded and not necessarily subject to the normal game AI system.

[Quev]

Ok!!! That's a shame!!!

 

Well, there is another way to get the same result for me, but I don't know how to do it.

 

Is it posible to change the hard coded parking positions? I mean, can I move the parking positions to any other location on the airfield?

 

If this could be possible, them I would move all the parking position to the runway thresthold and the result would be almost the same.

 

See you and thanks indeed for your help!!!

Edited September 28, 2015 by Quev

[DarkFire]

Yes and no. It's not possible to specify in the mission editor exactly where an aircraft will appear on an airfield - that part is hard coded. However, the game does avoid spawning aircraft on top of other aircraft and static objects. So, if you fill up the available parking areas with static objects (other aircraft etc.) then you might be able to control where the aircraft actually appear.

 

I've just realised though that there's a much easier way to do what you want. Place the first waypoint for your aircraft on the airfield. Set that first waypoint to "take off from runway" but also set them to "visible on map before mission start" and also set them to "late activation." You can then use a "time more than" trigger to activate the group. This way they'll be sat on the runway waiting to take off but won't be active so won't move or do anything until the trigger activates after the specified amount of time.

 

The only disadvantage with doing this is that until you activate that group of aircraft the runway will be blocked for everything else, so they'll have to be the first group to take off from that airfield, but otherwise it should work nicely for what you want to do. Can't believe I didn't think of this before!

[Quev]

DarkFire, this is a terrific idea!!!

 

I'm going to try it right now. I hope I understand everything you said. I'll let you know what happend.

 

About the 'disadvantage', no problem at all for us.

 

Thank you!!!

[Quev]

Hello DarkFire!!!

 

I'm really sorry mate, but there is a problem!!!

 

When you said 'Place the first waypoint for your aircraft on the airfield', you mean waypoint 0 or 1?

 

If I change the waypoint 0 to 'TakeOff from runway', DCS places the aircraft in the middle of the runway (in length), and I can not move it.

 

If you are speaking about waypoint 1, I have only three choices:

- Fly over

- Turning point

- Landing

 

Maybe the names of the choices are not exactly those because I have the Spanish version and I'm translating them. Sorry!!!

 

Do I explain myselft? There is not a 'TakeOff from runway' choice for the first waypoint.

 

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if I'm not understanding what do you want me to do.

 

Can I ask you something?

 

Would you mind to create a mission with just one airplane and send to me? I think this will be faster and easier!!!

 

If you can do that for me, that would be awesome!!!

 

Thanks one more time for all you help and for your patient!!!

[NakedSquirrel]

Next to the option on waypoint 0 when you have start from parking HOT or start from ramp you should see PRK and a number. Select the number of the parking spot on the runway.

[Quev]

Hi NakedSquirrel and thanks for your help!!!

 

When I choose 'TakeOff from the runway, the 'PRK label' and the box with option for the positions disapears.

 

Do I explain myself? There are not parking spots when I choose to take off from the runway.

[DarkFire]

I was wrong - aircraft don't have an option for "visible before mission start." As NakedSquirrel said, it's possible for you to specify to some extent where on the airfield an aircraft will spawn if you have it's first waypoint set to "takeoff from parking hot" or "takeoff from ramp" but I'm not sure that this will do what you want.

[Quev]

Well, when I set the first waypoint (I mean number 0), to 'TakeOff from parking hot', I have a box called 'PRK' and a list of positions, but I can choose only the hard coded parking slot positions on ramp.

 

When I set it to 'TakeOff from the runway', the box with the list to choose the positions disappears.

 

Well, we'll have to continue the search for new ways to do it.

 

Thanks both of you for your help. I really appreciate it a lot.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Quev