Yes, i’m with you on this.
I just want the seas to be well populated as well.
Flying over oceans/seas gets a bit boring when there is just water. I’m not too bothered about real life routes or ships either (although it’s nice). Just lots of ships even if it is a bit unrealistic.
Obviously with MSFS still being very much a work in progress I’m optimistic that this will be one of those things improved over time. I hope Seafront update their work to reflect any improvements Asobo make to the engine and allow for more models etc.
If this so called sea level bug could be fixed then I think that alone could help a bit. Not sure though what the eta is for that fix though 
I’ve been with this mod practically since it began and am more than happy with it. But this is a FLIGHT simulator and whilst ships and boats are a nice addition to me they’re just additional scenery. I have road traffic enable but I don’t fly around looking for trucks.
I do see what you would like but respectfully suggest that this is a lot more than Henrik is commiting to, for free and in his own time. When you understand the intricacies that he is involved in, you’d maybe appreciate this more.
So for the moment I would suggest that this issue should be addressed direct to MS/Asobo as a request. There are plenty of ships and boats already - you just need to turn up the sliders in the Options menu. Of course there is now an addon available at flightsim.to which allows you to “drive” various ships if that is an interest.
Below answers and explanations to some of your questions and comments.
Not entirely correct. You need to understand there are two different ways for AI boats operate. Leisure boats density is controlled through the Leisure Boat traffic setting. They spawn at random in certain areas and they sail in what ever direction. They spawn around populated areas when you fly there. They don’t follow routes and are therefore quite performance neutral. Global AI Ship Traffic does not include at this point leisure boats spawning in this way. Enhanced AI replaces the default boats spawning with nicer models, but is correct that they Enhanced AI do not change anything on where they spawn - it is all controlled by the sim engine, however, if you want you can treat a yacht as it was a ship and as described below place it on a route and thereby manually increase the density of pleasure boats.
Ships and Ferries are on the contrary controlled by a schedule files and routes files made by the developer. You can increase your setting for ships and ferries but ultimately the developer decides how much you will see.
The first section of the schedule file defines a traffic setting at which the particular route and ships on that route are activated. All ships in Global AI Ship Traffic are so far set to appear at 5%. In the default the value goes from 1% to 100%.
The below are lines from the file controlling the default AI and Enhanced AI. Each line includes a ship “AC#3” corresponding to a particular model, a ship name “B2576”, a traffic percentage “36%” and a repetition time - here every “6Hr”, a departure and arrival time for outbound, a route number referring to a KML route file defining the route, a behavior at the end of the trip (ferry or cargo) a departure and arrival time for the return, route number and a behavior. Arrival times are calculated based on a speed set for each ship on each route in another file and the length of the route. The sim checks all these program lines a start up which increases load time.
AC#3,B2576,36%,6Hr,00:05:26,01:42:52,2847,reverse,ferry,03:05:26,04:42:52,2847,normal,ferry
AC#3,B2176,1%,4Hr,01:09:55,01:55:11,2837,normal,ferry,03:09:55,03:55:11,2837,reverse,ferry
AC#5,B2416,55%,12Hr,04:51:47,09:23:53,2823,reverse,ferry,10:51:47,03:23:53,2823,normal,ferry
AC#4,B2336,66%,2Hr,00:05:36,00:13:54,1930,reverse,ferry,01:05:36,01:13:54,1930,normal,ferry
AC#4,B2256,66%,2Hr,00:26:59,00:37:19,2807,normal,ferry,01:26:59,01:37:19,2807,reverse,ferry
So it is possible for the developer to control 100% when and where ships and ferries appear - at least when there is no bugs like it is unfortunately the case after SU5. And you can add leisure boats in the same way, but it is a hell of a lot work and not good on performance compared with the inbuilt spawning. Global AI Ship traffic includes some yachts, sailboats, and motorboats sailing on routes in some areas like Cote d’Azur, but not a lot.
The default AI/Enhanced AI file contains approx 600 such programming lines corresponding to 600 voyages (1200 counting t/r) divided between the 14 default ships. Equally Enhanced AI contain the same 600 ship voyages equal to 42 repetitions of each ship on average.
Global AI Ship Traffic contain approx 24.000 lines corresponding to 24.000 voyages (48.000 legs counting t/r) divided between the 1300 ship models. That gives an average of 18 repetitions per ship, however one car carrier model is the champion with 122 voyages across all parts of the world and the ferries only function on one specific route.
So obviously choosing between those two you don’t loose anything by choosing Global AI Ship Traffic. You get more and more diverse traffic at 5% with Global AI Ship Traffic than at 100% with default; but you are free to chose. If Seafront continue their present model of charging for add ons containing the same ships in different packages I guess most users will spend their full sim add on budget way before reaching the numbers and diversity achieved in the Global AI Ship Traffic. Remember their Global Shipping uses again the same ship models as Enhanced AI and before that Anguila and just adds 5 new… Global AI Ship Traffic has existed since 2013 and adds around 100-150 new ships per year - this year apart from the Global AI Ship Traffic for MSFS we launched 250 classic ship models for FSX/P3D based on ships from the sixties…
Among the 600 default AI ship routes quite a few are related to ferries… And if you turn up the traffic setting to 100% the ferry routes is exactly one of the places where you will have conflict between default/enhanced AI and Global AI Ship Traffic. The Global AI Ship traffic contains models of the real ferries and they are put on the same routes giving you ships on top of each other at end points, disappearing, colliding etc… Also at end points for the cargo routes you will see the same issues. Therefore Global AI Ship Traffic is designed with 5% to appear at a traffic setting where almost no default ships would appear - it was a simple way to avoid telling users to mess with their standard set-up and delete the default file containing the TrafficBoats.bgl to avoid the conflicts. Now Seafront recommend 100% for ships and ferries which is in conflict with Global AI Ship Traffic. I
Finally… the routes added by Seafronts second add on Global Shipping are according to Seafront mostly across oceans; the routes in Global AI Ship Traffic are mostly along the coasts, and the routes in Default AI is a slightly strange mix… In that way Global Shipping and Global AI Ship Traffic can to a certain level complement each other, but I have not analyzed their route end points so I can’t say if there are conflicts in e.g. harbors - but that package require both Enhanced AI and high traffic settings so again you create a conflict - AND - AI ship routes pull performance at start up while calculating routes, so if you have performance issues, high AI ship traffic setting and having a lot of routes in areas you don’t fly in will increase load time, so you might need to make a choice.
@FlyingFishin - @Kjave767 I hope the above answered your below questions. Further questions should probably be asked to Asobo, because they have designed the AI sim engine. They do think about an AIS based AI ship traffic which would completely change the above, but I think they have other things to solve first…
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Thanks for the detailed explanation Henrik. It’s enlightening to see what’s involved, and kind of makes sense why Seafront have separated out their releases. Enhanced AI is basically graphic design and modelling, their global shipping mod is thousands of lines of coding, and their localised scenery mods are hand placements of their assets.
It certainly seems expensive when they all add up, but if it all really involves lots of man hours I think it is fair for skilled work. Free community projects like yours make it seem poor value in comparison, but it certainly sounds like you have invested hundreds, if not thousands of hours over the years on this, and even working for minimum wage it would have cost tens of thousands dollars to pay a team to do the same.
I think I will stick with Enhanced AI for better stock boats, and then retry your mod once the new version comes out and the freezing issue is fixed. I always liked with your mod that I would see different ships, 14 (or 21 I think they have in Seafront’s global shipping) is just nowhere near enough to populate the whole ocean, I found their blue ferry repetitive after two flights, and I only saw it about 5 times.
I imagine in time Asobo will improve their ship offerings and then the Enhanced AI mod will get some more and better functionality. Maybe Asobo have kept ship spawns low for performance issues.
I’m looking forward to your next release and I will certainly donate on the flightsim.to forum as you do create excellent work.
hnielsen’s project is a higher quality product imho. It is like comparing a bag of plastic army men, like we all played with as kids, with the detailed models . over the ocean chances are one is flying at 35k feet, unless they are insane, and would be too high to see ships in the sea lanes. It is more important to have them near coastlines, bays, AP’s etc.
They are canceling cruise ships in Venice, but with his project you can still “buzz” St. Marks from a cruise ship.
It is also good to hear he found a fast way to convert so the project can be converted in 2 months , as oppose to a year. The “mdl” issue hasn’t been fixed by ASOBO , and depending on them to do so, well…
FWIW, I’m running GAIST and all the Seafront addons simultaneously with the traffic values in the 60-70% range, and I haven’t seen any weirdness or issues popping up, and I’m getting a decent mix of ships when I’m flying. But I haven’t been really looking very closely.
I’ve also had the random ship textures showing up at airports issue. Deactivating the icao model matching folder seemed to help with that, although I assume that’s because fewer things are spawning and being textured now, and so there aren’t as many opportunities to see the problem, not because anything was actually fixed by that change.
Glad you folks found a shortcut to converting the FSX models! Although from the outside, it seems like that’s something where there should have been a batch tool that was provided to developers as part of the SDK to speed the process… /casts shade at Asobo
Keep up the great work - you are all appreciated. And FWIW, I’d gladly pay for this project, so double thanks for keeping it free.
@hnielsen791 thanks for taking the time to explain in detail. It’s much appreciated as is your work over the years so I am sorry for asking yet another question… The 1,300 models have made me wonder about ‘repaints’. Between posts I read something about the GAIST having 200 models. I honestly thought it was a typo (more like 2000 I thought!) So I checked myself. I found 222 unique models (still a lot in my book) and a lot, presumably around 1,100(?) repaints. The ones I saw were ship name and number plus maybe a flag change but I imagine others have bigger changes. So as a VFR pilot mainly my guess is I’d have to get pretty close to tell the difference between one or another and read their name anyway? The reality is I personally don’t mind a degree of repetition whether it’s in your, Seafront’s (their St Martin is beautiful) or anyone else’s mod. It keeps it efficient and presumably less of a drain on my computer. Also it makes much more sense now that you can do 100-150 models per year rather than being a superhuman in your spare time 
. Sorry if this comes across as nitpicking, I do really respect what you’ve done for us all for free over the years but I really have a dislike for ambiguity. 
Thank you again for coming back to us with details
You apparently didn’t count very thoroughly - there are 375 AI ship folders in GAIST - each folder contains from one to fourteen unique model files… There are not 1300 unique Mdl files, but there are around 1000 unique ships based on IMO numbers - navy ships, lesser fishing boats and sailboats do not have IMO numbers and fill the remainder to the 1300.
Sister ships can have same model file but can have quite different visual appearance e.g. the Rizhao Orient ferry sailing between Korea and China, the similar ferries Corragio and Forza sailing in the Mediterranean. Check e.g. the folder UT-755 and see if they look the same… Visually I guess you will notice and those doing repaints know that it can take quite some time, so I don’t see your point.
UT755
@flyingfishin You joined the forum 22 hours ago, you are not correct with the information you post, and spend your time asking questions based on wrong info and assumptions… not contributing…
and where did you get that assumption from…? I never mentioned that figure anywhere.
You are far beyond the nitpicking and I would love to see what you have created and shared before you will get anymore answers as the time I spend answering you I will deduct from doing something productive to the benefit of others.
For those others wanting information you can download Carl Vokes Global A.I.traffic ship locator from avsim. It describes the traffic and ships on the first 22600 routes published for FSX/P3D. It is despite being from March '21 not updated with the additional routes and ships of the launch for MSFS.
Hi!
I was wondering if norwegian road ferries are included or will be at some point?
Also this has probably been answered, will the new update have wakes?
@hnielsen791 it seems I stand corrected. I now see that it is my computer skills that are rusty rather than my brain. The 2,000 I think I saw in an earlier post about your aspirations. I wasn’t saying that you actually had 2,000. I do not apologise for asking the questions though Henrick, they are for all of us a contribution in themselves you see. I am not the only person here that finds this confusing and your answers have helped all of us (We all appreciate you using some of your time to answer us). So I will leave with another thank you and let you concentrate on bringing us more good things.
Huh? lol, the ambiguity was /is in your own head. That being said, it is a free add on, no ones forcing you to “buy” it, or use it, so you have no rights!
Hi FlyingFishin, we all make mistakes friend.
No harm done.
Take care and have a great day 
Huh? Lol, no actually Henrik clarified the ambiguity
…but I’ll leave that with you to mull over at your own pace.
Actually, that depends what you consider a “unique” MDL. For all events and purposes based on how the sim reads “mdls” up until recently (actually SU5 changed that) EACH model he has is considered a “unique” MDL. Sure the model might be the same with different "liveries(dds) but MSFS 2020 sees it as a different MDL, even if he keeps the name of the MDL file the same. So technically speaking, they are considered different mdl’s by MSFS 2020.
Using my example, would be my fsx aircraft mod. I have 200 different liveries of B738. MSFS 2020 sees it as 200 different unique MDL’S by the fact each model folder is linked with a texture folder, which is why I CTD and have to disable my mod since SU5. From what I see, the ship mod is written/created the same way as my airplane mod. He has 1874 BGL files , which means AI routes(flightplans), so no dioubt he has the ships there. That isnt counting if he has any without a flightplan(sea route). What he names the bgl file is irrelevant.
As an uneducated layperson with no experience other than what looks pretty when I fly over it I consider every paint job and livery to be a unique model. All variety is equally good, and I’m not getting close enough to inspect minor detail changes to type of ocean liners or tankers , if one is primarily blue and another primarily red they are different to my eyes.
Side note: I’ve worked in the maritime shipping industry for well over 3 decades, I’d like to point out that most ship designs are not “one off” designs, rather, a successful hull design is often reproduced in a production run. Generally speaking, shipping lines prefer to standardize their ships because it’s makes maintenance and repair logistics more cost efficient.
A perfect example is the company “Royal Wagenborg”. I’ve always been quite impressed by their operation. They design their own ships, build them, operate them, broker them, and own several port facilities. Very cool company, imo. I’ve worked many of their vessels, and I’ve seen their ships used by several other shipping lines. (they are very distinctive)
Couldn’t agree more Waldo - it is exactly what we use to create diversity e.g. having sisters with different deck cargo and repaints across different shipping companies having purchased ships of the same model - well the later is exactly as for AI liveries for e.g. the 737 standard and the first can be compared to planes with or without winglets just with even bigger visual impact. But it is still rare that more than a small group of companies use the same model.
yes, the Global AI Ship Traffic has quite a few Norwegian road ferries, fishing boats etc…
yes, we will add wakes, smoke, light etc but it will done little by little after the quick fix. First priority is a quick fix to resolve urgently the issues we experience after SU5 and regain ALL the traffic. Good news is that we expect to get the quick fix out even faster than first thought as several people are now assisting, which is just FANTASTIC 
Great news you are doing a fantastic job.
