AI autopilot thoughts, concerns?

[monkie]

I finally started to work with the AI autopilot system and I'm curious what others are finding as far as usage and or issues, or tips?

For one I'm not a fan of the key for every action but that is what we have to work with, I am using the keyboard for all my bindings at this point. I've set my system up on the ole ASDFstyle keys at this point. W to speed up, S to slow down, Shift-W to climb etc. 

One issue I've come across is the "orbit" command, first the orbit seems a bit small but the biggest issue is there is no way to break out of the orbit that I've found other than the command to fly towards the Mast sight position. You would think that giving a turn left or right command would break the Autopilot out of the orbit at that point but it doesn't.

Also it would be nice to have a key that just cycles between Baro and AGL altitudes, for keyboard users this is very helpful. 

Another issue I have come across is that the Autopilot HUD is very bright for use at night, maybe there is a way to adjust this?

Edited June 8, 2024 by monkie

[Poptart]

I wish we had an AI that just manages the MMS. I really just want to fly, not manage sensors. 

[Antix70]

I see the value of the George method, but the Apache is entirely lacking in this area in regards to individual keybinds for using VoiceAttack. You CAN map the AI controls in the KW to a hat stick, but it'd be very limited.

Giving the AI a command to a heading WILL break orbit.

Still going through the commands and mapping things for VoiceAttack

[monkie]

4 hours ago, Antix70 said:

see the value of the George method, but the Apache is entirely lacking in this area in regards to individual keybinds for using VoiceAttack. You CAN map the AI controls in the KW to a hat stick, but it'd be very limited.

I simply just say a command that corresponds with what I would normaly do on my joystick switch.  "Left" "Right" "Long Left" "Long Right" "up"  etc etc. It works pretty well and corresponds with the movements I already know so no need to memorize new VA commands.

 

4 hours ago, Antix70 said:

Giving the AI a command to a heading WILL break orbit.

So you are saying using the commands "Adjust heading Left/Right" will break the orbit? if that is the case mine is not doing that. I see you can command a certain heading with a specific key stroke, for example "heading 270" is that what you are referring to as a heading command?

5 hours ago, Poptart said:

I wish we had an AI that just manages the MMS. I really just want to fly, not manage sensors. 

That would require a much more advanced AI such as the one with the HIND and Apache that actually searches for targets, I doubt we will ever see that with this module. The Kiowa is pretty much centered around the sensors since it's an observation helicopter and the focus is on the Copilot duties with the MMS. 

Edited June 8, 2024 by monkie

[Antix70]

13 hours ago, monkie said:

I see you can command a certain heading with a specific key stroke, for example "heading 270" is that what you are referring to as a heading command?

Yes.

These are the commands I have in Voice Attack so far.

[monkie]

I hope that it can be changed so that any command for a heading change will stop the orbit, no way am I going to try to map every 10 degrees of heading lol.

I am a bit shocked that they have so many commands for altitutudes and headings, guess that is specific for voice attack.

A simple fly the heading that I'm looking like in the Apache/Hind would be really useful, no need for a left/right bind or any heading call out, simply look in that direction, press key and off he goes on that heading. 

[Antix70]

Yes, a "Break orbit" or some such command would be nice.

You will notice I only created four "Come to..." heading commands

...for now.

There is ALSO a way for VoiceAttack to listen for "Come to..." and then detect the numbers you say after that, and create a single command out of it.

I have NO IDEA how to do that.

But it sure would clean up the Altitude, Heading, and Speed commands, greatly.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

There are those not using VA and don’t have many hotas buttons. So I hope PC could just give the simple option of a command wheel like in the other modules or list them in the F10 comms menu. Though I managed to map most of the AI commands using a modifier in my warthog hotas using a layout that seems intuitive to me. Works well, almost feels like a cheat, more capabilities than an actual autopilot.

[Bailey]

You can check out my Kiowa Voice Attack profile here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3338636/
You can add it to yours if you like. You could make the "Come to" commands, but I found that binding each one individually is easier to manage. If you wanted to explore that yourself, the command could be something like "Come to [1..36,10]", which translates to:
Come to 10
Come to 20
...
Come to 360
Then you would use IF ELSE statements on {CMDSEGMET:1} (which is the number part of the command) to determine which Action or keybind to launch.

I also have Kiowa Integrated Overlay - Warrior Automatis (KIO-WA):

A little different compared to VA, haha.

You can break out of an orbit by toggling the AI really fast. I hope these help.

[Floyd1212]

I feel like the AI's ability to hold a perfect hover in an aircraft that doesn't have hold modes is a bit unrealistic.

It would be cool if he would drift around within a box of some reasonable size, and within a reasonable altitude band.  Not sure what these numbers would be, but the way it is now it's like you enabled Active Pause.

[LorenLuke]

My major concerns more anything Multicrew/Multiplayer and just a lack of 'smoothness' between states. The RPM gauges and the like appear to freeze when in AI flight, which, if they had SOME sort of logical response curve to being moved by the AI pilot, I'd think that would be good, as well as having some sort of spool time when handing the controls back (because again, they just 'jump' to where's proper for your controls position as if you were flying it the whole time).

The other issue is, as aformentioned, multicrew/multiplayer where I've seen the airbags deploy midair when exiting AI pilot mode (possibly some frame lag, or just too different a state between the real controls and AI) when they absolutely wouldn't have in any realistic scenario. 

 

I don't much care about the hovering being inhumanly perfect, though I wouldn't mind a little sway/drift from things like breezes and the like. Additionally, it feels like the 'turn left/right' slews way too slow, and is generally unaffected by the 'AI turn speed slow/medium/fast' commands. Whether that's a bug or intended, if possible I'd like it to be more responsive if you hold down the button on 'AI turn speed fast' to have the turn rate of more than what feels like only three degrees per second.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

Perhaps the 'perfect hover' could be progressively less stable with the amount of wind and turbulence set in the mission. It does feel a little too good to be honest but I wouldn't want it to end up like the Apache in the early days either which was a bit of a nightmare.   

[YoYo]

6 hours ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

Perhaps the 'perfect hover' could be progressively less stable with the amount of wind and turbulence set in the mission. It does feel a little too good to be honest but I wouldn't want it to end up like the Apache in the early days either which was a bit of a nightmare.   

Yes, its a problem and looks more like „active pause” in DCS. It was mentioned in this topic about AI pilot:

 

[Plokkum]

I think the autopilot is too simplistic. It’s basically just a PID controller that’s really loose. I would have loved for it to have some basic raycasting functionality to prevent you from crashing into objects. Because to be honest, there’s no ‘I’ in its current AI. 

Edited June 16, 2024 by Plokkum

[monkie]

Having spent some more time with the AI Autopilot I can say I think it works well enough. The flight model of the Kiowa is such that honestly all you really need is the AI to hover once in awhile or just fly straight while you type away in the left seat. Anytime I needed to reposition it's easier for me to manually just fly the helicopter myself and a lot more fun to be honest.

So I find that just keeping heading, alt and speed is fine as I transit to a waypoint and input any data or set up the MMS/HSD. So simply turing the Autopilot on does this, similar to the Huey.

Once I get close to the battle position I can get the helicopter into the general position and again engaged the Autopilot and have him come to a hover. Usually the climb descend to get the beachball above obstacles to unmask and that is good enough.

So mapping the turn left/right/speed up/down climb/descend Hover, AGL/Barometric alt ref and the AI HUD ON/OFF toggle and of course AI Autopilot ON/OFF is really all you need. The rest are just jibber jabber as Mr. T would say.  The HUD I just reference once in awhile and then turn off, it's too intrusive normally to keep visible.

The orbit might be useful if you are playing police helicopter or trying to play low intensity conflict, otherwise there is little use for it as you'd be an easy target in a hot war scenario. The figure 8 is more useful and you will just command this yourself with left/right turn commands.

I'd still prefer the AH64 Rose command system but this works as is. The only thing I think would be really helpful is a simple turn to the heading I'm currently looking like available in the other helicopter modules, It's much quicker and less time intensive than holding down the turn keystroke.

just my observations

[Spyguy720]

I will say I really like the autopilot system and the key binding system for allowing me to input copilot controls from the pilots seat. between by having a universal control binding I can operate the both the aircraft and its systems fairly efficiently on my own. I will however say my only annoyance is when the autopilot lands the second I disengage it the aircraft lifts off the ground a few feet spins and rotor strikes even if I zero out my collective and try to counter with rudder before disengaging. I would also love to have the autopilot trim the aircraft while its flying so when I take over I don't feel like I am going to lose control for the first few seconds

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

On 6/17/2024 at 3:06 AM, monkie said:

The only thing I think would be really helpful is a simple turn to the heading I'm currently looking like available in the other helicopter modules, It's much quicker and less time intensive than holding down the turn keystroke.

Would be nice to have but probably more like a "hey point the aircraft over there" request to the copilot since the Kiowa's ODA (which can only come on with NVG) doesn't give your head's LOS bearing but the aircraft's nose bearing, unlike say the IHADSS in the Apache (IIRC). 

Update: Bailey's working on a great Overlay app for the AI Pilot that will include "fly to where I am looking at". 

Edited June 18, 2024 by GrEaSeLiTeNiN

[Moxica]

I'm very pleased With the AI Control
Choose binds wisely.
I mapped the following: Hover, Rotate horizontally, Increase/Decrease Altitude and Drift.
All With a "press and hold" function.
Also the AI on/off.
This Works very well for me, and I would not change anything.