[TIP] Add a copilot to your aircraft (and passengers too!)


This is a quick hack to test this and this is cool in fact

  1. Make a backup copy of A320_NEO_INTERIOR.xml in the folder:
    OneStore\asobo-aircraft-a320-neo\SimObjects\AirPlanes\Asobo_A320_NEO\model

  2. Edit the file and replace the first LOD entry level (LOD00.gltf) with the next one (LOD01.gltf):
    <LOD minSize="150" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD01.gltf"/>

Once done, you can even change the avatar:

  1. Open Settings
  2. General
  3. Misc
  4. Select any co-pilot avatar!

[UPDATE 19JAN2021]

I’ve posted the recipe here:
Complete description of how to add a copilot in the C152

And the values for adding:
A passenger in the CJ4 cabin!

In addition:
@AaronEC has kindly made a community folder mod for all default aircrafts (see below)

7 Likes

Cool idea but it didn’t seem to work for me

AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\A32NX\SimObjects\AirPlanes\Asobo_A320_NEO\model\A320_NEO_INTERIOR.xml

<ModelInfo>
<LODS>
    <!-- Highest LOD -->
    <!-- minimum display size in % (should be bounding sphere vertical screen size, sphere will often be slightly larger than you expect) -->
    <!-- default minSize is 0 -->
    <LOD minSize="150" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD01.gltf"/>
    <LOD minSize="100" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD01.gltf"/>
    <LOD minSize="60" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD02.gltf"/>
    <LOD minSize="20" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD03.gltf"/>
    <LOD minSize="10" ModelFile="A320_NEO_INTERIOR_LOD04.gltf"/>
</LODS>

Because you’re not modifying the default one… :wink:

I must have done something wrong also…
I modified the original a320, just changed LOD00.gltf to LOD01.gltf and saved. Could the A32NX mod be affecting this?

It might be the mod of course interfering because it most likely overriding these files.

You can try the same with the K350, it works there too, and I’d bet any other default aircraft where you can see a first officer in external view.

Further observations: using LOD01 interior model is not much different detail wise than LOD00 (maybe some round holes are more polygonal in the K350) and in the A320 and K350, all switches and knobs seem to be also working correctly. I don’t get any particular higher or lower fps either.

This is just experiment though giving a glimpse of how it could look like and I like this so far. I even caught myself yesterday when I turn my head to the right and for a fraction of seconds felt someone was there until a fraction seconds after I realized back it was the first officer model!

1 Like

If your using the A320 FBW mod than you will have to edit that file. A320 FBW doesn’t replace the model, but all mods now include the Models in their respective modded folders which replaces the original.

So you will have to mod the files placed in your community folders.

2 Likes

The picture above proves that the A320 scale is wrong. It’s way too large. Good luck using these rudder pedals.

Could be the seat position or the scale of the person.

1 Like

I believe it is just showing the A320 seat is the far back position, and actually when in VR, if you’re aligning the center post red ball over the white one, you’re a little farther in front of the 3D seat!

1 Like

Excellent !!

Not flying alone anymore !!

TBM 930

But when looking front i have the microphone in front of my mouth, even the glasses of the pilot

from the cabin

but i lose some controls on the front panel ! change vertical speed up & down is not anymore accessible ! and my copilot does nothing ! :slight_smile:

1 Like

Haven’t found a .XML in the Asobo_B787_10 / Model folder.
However, it’s listed in the .CFG file as this:
[models]
exterior=B787.xml
interior=B787_10_interior.XML

Any ideas ?

It works for me on the a320 mod but got a bug: when I start the engines, the wipers go on and cannot be stopped.

Nice to have a friend in the cockpit however.

2 Likes

yes, i have the same for TBM, some functions disappear from the front panel, i have tried with LOD02 to 5 and all shows pilot and copilot but the front panel becomes more and more minimalist. The LOD01 is the best one, but some critical commands are missing …

So choice is full commands “or” friend in cockpit :slight_smile:

2 Likes

sorry, correct, it does show the pilots inside but the wipers are wearing out too quick lol

1 Like

Hey guys just wanted to let you know I have found a way to place the pilot and co-pilot models into the cockpit at LOD level 0. I am just working on completing a mod to enable it for all the base planes but it is just taking a little while to edit them into every cockpit model.

Here is a little preview for you all, it’s not reducing the LOD levels of the cockpit at all so all buttons etc operate correctly and windshield effects and reflections still work (and the wipers turn off!). The animations you see in the external view (looking around etc) are all working too. Just wanted to let you all know you can look forward to having some company in the skies real soon! I will keep you updated on when I can get it fully released, shouldn’t be too long though if all goes well!

P.S. Thanks to CptLucky8 as without this thread I wouldn’t have even thought to look at the .gltf files to see if this was possible :slight_smile:

6 Likes

This sounds great! The ideal solution would be a script (for the sake of transparency) doing the merging of the entries for the pilots into the LOD0 file, so that you can do this with any futur update more easily.

I believe you’re talking about this post in particular isn’t it?
Visible co-pilot in first person view - #17 by CptLucky8

[edited - nonsense]
Can you confirm you’re adding the json entries but there are no additional references to the indices and vertices data arrays (which are in fact the equivalent of the index and vertex buffers in the 3D API), unlike the other parts of the model where these are embedded in the accompanying .bin file(s)?

The next step will ne to spawn a few more in passenger seats. This should give good results in the CRJ and the K350, but It might be not possible we can’t get different passenger types.

1 Like

Whao, excellent!!
Waiting the script !!

Great news ! I was sad for all the issues but thanks for all the efforts!
I was about to post a suggestion to Asobo.

Got it, very easy to add!!

Recipe

In short (try only if you feel you’re skilled enough):

1.) use a tool which helps counting the json array sizes for you like this one:

http://jsonviewer.stack.hu/

2.) In the “nodes” array:

Append the pilot/copilot entry.

You can copy this entry from the LOD01.gltf file (usually it is the last node but you can search the content with “PILOT_0” and/or “PILOT_1”.

3.) In the "scenes": [ { "nodes": [ array (it should be right after the nodes array seen above):

Append the new node index!

Example with the default C152

Loading the C152_cockpit_LOD00.gltf file in the online editor reveals there are 247 nodes (numbered 0 to 246)

original last node
         "translation": [
            -7.15255737e-7,
            0,
            -1.1920929e-7
         ],
         "rotation": [
            -1.921919e-8,
            1.20119947e-9,
            -3.00299874e-9,
            1
         ],
         "scale": [
            6.202617,
            6.20261765,
            6.20261765
         ],
         "mesh": 229,
         "name": "NAV_Knob_OnOff_1"
      }

Therefore appending the copilot entry found in the LOD01 file makes it node # 247.

added copilot node
...
         "mesh": 229,
         "name": "NAV_Knob_OnOff_1"
      },
      {
         "translation": [
            -0.213849753,
            -0.133827746,
            0.09663421
         ],
         "rotation": [
            0,
            0,
            0,
            1
         ],
         "scale": [
            1,
            1,
            1
         ],
         "name": "PILOT_1"
      }

Just append 247 in the nodes array which ends like this:

           237,
            239,
            241,
            243,
            245,
            247

You’re done!

“translation” values

This is a tuple of XYZ offsets in meters:

  • 1st value is +left
  • 2nd value is +up
  • 3rd value is +fwd

It is very easy to reposition the model:

  • edit the value and save the file
  • open the developer mode Aircraft Selector (can keep it open during trial & error)
  • just press the Load button

Now I’ll explore passengers…

3 Likes

The mod is up on Nexus Mods now, check it out!

Let me know if anyone gets any issues, haven’t had much time to test it and probably won’t the next few days so give me a heads up if anything doesn’t work.

I tried to make it work with the A32NX and it should fix the wiper issue (does for me at least) and the V/S knob in the TBM etc. Give it a try!