[HOW-TO] (WIP) Adding Real World GA / Updating Airline AI Traffic w/ AIG Aircraft: Custom AI Traffic

[Ryanosaurs13]

Hi guys,

Here with another AI Tutorial, this time an updated one to demonstrate how to:

1. Update AI Airlines to newer flightplans
2. Add Real World G/A AI Traffic

To start here are some resources to find updated AI Flightplans:
For updated airlines
aitraffic.ch
AIG member flightplans

For G/A and smaller Operators
OneClickHangar
AIBizJet (Note that request + Account is required but generally a great resource as most AI flightplans are very recent)

Required Items:

• AIFP3

• AIG AIM

Before starting, you will want to have your desired AI Airline installed in AIG AIM, this is to ensure that the paints will be available in the system.

Updating AIG Flightplans

This is generally the easier of the bunch, Let’s do the latest Air Canada flightplans (Winter 2022), but this tutorial will work for any airline:

Once you have your desired flight plan downloaded, lets configure AIFP3:
In essence, ensure the “Target Version” is set to FS2020 and the “Copile parameters” are set to

…\aig-aitraffic-oci-beta\Scenery\world\scenery

Once that’s all setup you will have a screen that looks like this:

If you haven’t already done so, open the flightplan in AIFP3 by following these steps:

Select “Files” in the top left of AIFP, then select "Open TTools-style Flight Plan File (.txt, or .zip). Then select the AI Flightplan you downloaded.

Now that the flight plans are opened, right click the first plane on the right and select “substitute” as shown below:

A window will open that looks like this:

As in the image, put the ICAO code of the airline in the search bar below. You will end up with a screen like this:

Now you just play a matching game. Basically, select the airplane that matches with the one you have chosen in the aircraft list. When you have all airplanes matched your “aircraft list” will have all black text, unlike before when they had red text:

Do note that in some cases, there will be some repaints missing, for example “United 737-800 New Colours”. In this case, see the "Installing AI Repaints section.

Now select “compile” and then rebuild the msfslayout using the layout generator. Once that is finished, you have successfully updated your flight plan!

Installing AI Repaints

Let’s install Lynx air’s 737MAX8.

Go into C:\MSFS\Community\aig-aitraffic-oci-beta\SimObjects\Airplanes(Aircraft installing - in this case its a 737MAX8 so the location is AIGAIM_AIA_B737-MAX8)

Then open the repaint that you’ve downloaded. Select the textures in the “FSX” folder if there is one. In this case, there is so copy it over to the 737MAX file, then create a unique model for the airplane by copy and pasting any model file that matches. It should now look like below:

Next is the fltsim entry. Open the “readme.txt” or “fltsim.txt” in the file that you downloaded you will have something like this:

Then, make sure to match the model and add the following lines of code:

isAirTraffic=1
isUserSelectable=0
icao_airline=(Use the same as the “atc_Parking_codes”)

Once finished you will have an entry like these. Notice the new sections and unique models:

(Note that you do not need to do these next two texture steps if you downloaded a new model from scratch as it will be in FSX format)
Now, ensure that the texture format is the same, look at these two folders, the naming conventions are different. Now match the ones that you just downloaded to another texture file that already works:

Then ensure proper orientation and format, see below:

Now, use Paint.net, GIMP, or Photoshop to flip the textures, and you should end up with the format below:

NOTE: ALL TEXTURES MUST BE IN DDS FORMAT

What if I do not have the airplane model?

Let’s make things simple. Go download the aircraft base model from here then drag and drop the folder containing all of the aircraft.cfg, model, etc. into :

C:\MSFS\Community\aig-aitraffic-oci-beta\SimObjects\Airplanes

NOTE THAT THE BASE MODEL MUST BE IN FSX FORMAT, NOT IN P3D OR FS9 OR IT WILL NOT SHOW UP!

Ensure that the repaint is the correct one you are installing. For example, the “FSPXAI A340-300” is not the same as the “TFS A340-300”. You can verify this by looking at the fltsim entry (sim entry does not match), or textures are different (the naming convention does not match the other textures in the file. See the two examples below:

Here is an example of a non-AIG standard aircraft and its folder configuration. Note the file structure should be similar and the location should be the same.

Adding a completely new AI Flightplan (Ie. GA airplanes)

This text will be hidden
Finally, lets do a comprehensive aircraft installation for real-world GA Aircraft. Let’s do London Air Service, which operates CL605s, LJ45s and a Global 6000.

Start by downloading the flight plans - its aibizjet so accounts are required.

1. Load the downloaded Flightplan to AIFP3
2. Install the required repaints using the tutorial “Installing AI Repaints” above.
3. Note that you will need the model for the Global 6000. Do this by following the “What if I do not have the airplane model?” tutorial.
4. Once all of the steps are followed and all repaints are defined in AIFP3, hit compile in AIFP3.
5. Regenerate layout.json and you now have GA Aircraft in your simulator.

Note that for many G/A Aircraft, lots of planes are not painted. You can substitute other repaints simply enough using AIFP3. In this example, there are no LearJet 75 repaints for the LAS flightplans, so I simply use the LearJet 45 repaints.

Troubleshooting

1. Did the liveries install correctly and into the correct folder?
2. Is everything in the correct folder? (AI Traffic folder is in the community folder, base models are in the airplanes folder, bgl in the scener/world/traffic folder?)
3. Did you convert FSX native models? (FS9 and P3D native models do not work)
4. Did you spawn at an airport with appropriate gates? (Some airports in FS2020 are only coded as “RAMP” when these AI planes can only spawn in “GATE” positions. For best results, spawn in a third party airport)
5. Did you refresh the layout.cfg?
6. Are there any issues with the base-model folders? (Ie incorrect model name, incorrect texture name
7. Were the textures that you installed in the “dds” format? (Like the models, bmp or any other format will not work and cause airplanes to be invisible)
8. Were there any airplanes in red font when compiling using AIFP3?

Lastly, this is tutorial is not associated with AIG or any other AI Aircraft provider. By using this tutorial, you are going out of bounds in regards to support available by AIG or any other AI provider. Do not ask for support in AIG’s AIM or TC channels (or any other AI system) if you are dealing with custom AI traffic.

However, feel free to reach out with AI Support questions here or any other AI forums for custom AI traffic.

[sttovo]

Wow! Thank you so much for this!! I can’t wait to dig through it!

If you’ll allow me, I do have what I hope isn’t a stupid question. Feel free to tell me I’m stupid.

I use AIG and am very happy with it. However, I want to add more GA traffic like 152/172 type planes. I don’t care about a specific company and their flight plans being exact. I care more about having a reasonable number of generic GA aircraft around the airport I’m flying and flying to some destination. Just to deepen immersion a bit more.

I can do the legwork, is this something possible with the tools you listed? Like take a region and pair up departure/arrival with a generic model and schedule, rinse and repeat 1000 times.

Note: I’m aware there’s a mod to add GA back to MSFS AI traffic, however, with AIG, I can run that on different CPUs from the MSFS main AI thread. I’m CPU bound and any AI traffic in-game kills my FPS.

Thank you again for this!

[Ryanosaurs13]

For sure, you can add sort’ve randomized GA via flight plans using flight plans you can find here:

AVSIM Library

Same sort’ve process but you can substitute the airplanes in AIFP with anything you want

[UNC1RLM]

Just curious…in the picture of AIFP with the red aircraft shown. I notice in the flight plans the frequency of the ac is 1%> Why is that. The AIFP results are BGL’s vs AIG formats which is not shared but anyway… By adding that to AIG… will it work better (the AIFP) versus just a Custom AI Folder in community used by AIFP? Hope you understand. I have aircraft but they just don’t move…they just sit there…maybe afcad issue but no errors showing in DevMode. Thanks…Greets and Best Wishes,
BobM.

[Ryanosaurs13]

Hi Bob, hope these answer your questions:

@UNC1RLM

Just curious…in the picture of AIFP with the red aircraft shown. I notice in the flight plans the frequency of the ac is 1%> Why is that

This dates all the way back to FS9 believe it or not, from the old ttools format. Here’s a short description:

This specifies at what level of the FS ‘Traffic Percent’ setting (on the ATC/Traffic settings window) this flight will appear. If this is 56% then this AI flight will only appear if the traffic percent control is 56% or greater. This must be between 1 and 100%. If you run with 100% traffic all the time then this value is not important.

@UNC1RLM

By adding that to AIG… will it work better (the AIFP) versus just a Custom AI Folder in community used by AIFP?

In a sense, yes. AIGAIM does not like it when there is a custom AI folder and basically you won’t be able to use one-click-installer if you try to use a different folder. (Based on my testing)

@UNC1RLM

I have aircraft but they just don’t move…they just sit there…maybe afcad issue but no errors showing in DevMode. Thanks…Greets and Best Wishes,
BobM.

Likely an afcad issue, which airport is this?

[Semor76]

Interesting topic, But I wont dig too deep into this stuff. I really wish we would have some one or two click solution or some ready to use files…

[UNC1RLM]

Thanks @Ryanosaurs13… My airport KINT is virtually dead. I have redone the airport and it looks nothing like the original. I have done AI’s for Piedmont Airlines which no longer really exists (at least not like it was before USAir and American screwed it up. I worked for them 50 years ago and was just trying to have some old Piedmont planes. The planes backup and disappear and I am not getting either the red or yellow error messages about taxiways not being connected to main network like in the old sdk just updated. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! the only error is about Runway 4/22 because it is closed or not used. It talks about "must contain taxipoints inside runway? I think there was something about for taxiing from parking to taxiways and even taxiways had to be named PATH and not Taxi and then you have to draw all the aprons yourself? Well thanks for the help.

Thanks
BobM.

[UnbentOhio43748]

can you add a video tutorial since its more easier since just images makes harder like us to do it

[SageWings224813]

Ahoy there. I have 2-year AI Traffic installs (i.e. 2022/2023, 1998/1999, etc) running all the way back to the 1970s in P3D, but I’m trying to just get 1998/99 in there for now as that is my primary project. From everything I’ve read and researched myself having done this ■■■■ since FS2002, it looks correct, but no traffic displays.

I have created a folder called “Custom AI Traffic” in my directory outside of the community folder which contains all my add-ons. Within this folder is all the aircraft I have cannibalized from FSTL and AIG OCI with my P3D textures added and converted. All relevant effects and textures required for said aircraft are also in the proper directories. I have re-compiled my 1998\99 AI Flightplans with AIFP as FS2020 traffic.bgls and created a directory which matches what I have seen working in other tutorials (scenery\world\traffic) in which you’ll find all my .bgls. The .json files are updated everytime I make a change.

Now, despite the fact that if I fly on VATSIM and let’s say a United 737-500, Ryanair 737-200, JAL 747-400 etc is around, my P3D traffic does indeed show up for model matching and working properly. AIFP also recognizes the traffic correctly. Despite this, with the Offline Traffic on and at 100%, I do not see any of my custom traffic. The AI aircraft ONLY show up when spawned by model matching with online traffic. So, they are indeed working in the sim, but the traffic files are not. I make scenery so I am very aware of the “ramp” parking limitations and I am sure I have tested airports with the proper parking (as AIG’s offline traffic will spawn on gates).

I am very confused as no matter what I’ve tried as far as directories go, nothing works. The files do show up in my community folder, where the aircraft work but flightplans do not. Here is my manifest:

{
“dependencies”: [],
“content_type”: “CUSTOM AI TRAFFIC”,
“title”: “AI TRAFFIC 1998-1999”,
“manufacturer”: “AI”,
“creator”: “Various”,
“package_version”: “1.0.0”,
“minimum_game_version”: “1.17.10”,
“release_notes”: {
“neutral”: {
“LastUpdate”: “”,
“OlderHistory”: “”
}
}
}

Any help is much appreciated, as since the aircraft show up, once I figure out the flightplans issue, then I can share my retro traffic with MSFS users whereas now it is limited to P3D and FSX/9 users. Plus it doesn’t feel immersive flying retro A310s or MD80s to me with modern traffic, nor with no traffic. I’ve spent all of December on this so far, and while it’s nice the aircraft are there for model matching, I’m very frustrated that I can’t seem to get my traffic going…

[ktc767]

So here is my conundrum, I would like to edit a newer flight plan . Example 2022/2023 Alaska Airlines, I want to “substitute” AC such as the the FAIB A321neo, A320 etc. with the FAIB 737-800, 900 and the 900ER. I basically want to manipulate the AC and liveries in the flight plans to the old Alaska livery fleet. Is this at all possible?

[Guillaume3511]

Very interesting topic! I would like to create flightplans the way we did with FSX and TTool (edit txt files).
I just don’t get how to make work in the sim the BGL created with AIFP.
I did a try with AIG AM but can’t find a way to select a BGL (other than select a ZIP file which I did with a ziped version of the BGL but with no result).
I found the layout generator but it needs a layout file in the first place to update it.
Then I created a new project in the SDK (scenery type) and put the BGL in the sourcefile folder but I get these errors:
PackageBuilder | No partial lister for asset type BGL
PackageBuilder | Failed to find asset group for file D:\FS2020\Mes scenes\Traffic\Traffic-CSK5\TRAFFIC-CSK5.XML

Any idea?
Thanks !