Best way to control AI aircraft?

[MSFS 2020] Questions & Community Discussions
1

What is considered the best way to control the movements of an AI aircraft? Slew functions seem to be not functional. Are people using velocities etc to control, or the AI waypoints?

2

depends on how those AI airplanes are injected. If you have nonATC airplanes injsuted yourself you have full control over the SimVars for speed, heading and so on.

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3

Thx a lot!! That seems indeed to work. However, now struggling why I cant control gears and lights on the same AI aircraft. Do you need to do anything special for that?

4

list of variables I use to control non-ATC aircraft by SimConnect:

Velocity Body X
Velocity Body Y
Velocity Body Z
PLANE HEADING DEGREES TRUE
PLANE PITCH DEGREES
PLANE BANK DEGREES
LIGHT STATES
GEAR HANDLE POSITION
GEAR LEFT POSITION
GEAR RIGHT POSITION
GEAR TAIL POSITION
GEAR CENTER POSITION
TRAILING EDGE FLAPS LEFT PERCENT
TRAILING EDGE FLAPS RIGHT PERCENT
LEADING EDGE FLAPS LEFT PERCENT
LEADING EDGE FLAPS RIGHT PERCENT
CANOPY OPEN
FOLDING WING RIGHT PERCENT
FOLDING WING LEFT PERCENT
TAILHOOK POSITION
WATER RUDDER HANDLE POSITION
AILERON LEFT DEFLECTION
AILERON RIGHT DEFLECTION
ELEVATOR DEFLECTION
RUDDER DEFLECTION
SPOILERS LEFT POSITION
SPOILERS RIGHT POSITION

also some main engine and fuel variables works

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5

Thx!! (10 char :-))

6

Do you know if is possible to send velocity to NON aircraft Simobjects?
Like Landmarks ?

i’m able to set latitude, longitude, altitude, pitch, bank and heading, but velocity is not working (no exceptions in simconnect inspector),

and sending SetDataOnSimObject in a cycle to smootly move them is very intensive imho, so looking for more efficient way (and waypoint are not an option because i need them to move on a very precise 3d path )

7

Have you tried animating the object in blender, then programming it’s movement?

8

tried on windsock - velocity set does not work. only aircraft and ground vehicles reacts on velocity changes.

sending data to single object each frame not so bad, may be noticeable only when dozens of such objects updated same time. in fact, simple inserting simobjects by simconnect already cause performance drop, regardless is any data send to them or not.

  1. with distance animation frequency decreased
  2. if node get too far from object center it may disappear
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