Intermittent INVISIBLE AI only at KFLL and vicinity....???

[Kilo60]

I have the HTAI payware Cessna package as well as many of the MAIW packages and wouldn't fly in FSX without them as they really populate the world nicely.

However, I've come to discover that many of the aforementioned AI planes, being native FS9 AI versions, appear invisible on the ground and in the air (only ground shadows/and strobes, lights visible) anywhere in the vicinity of my new KFLL add-on airport.

I've also heard that it's due to the custom Runway Lighting used in the FSDream Team KFLL scenery.

Is there a fix/workaround for this issue and if not could an alternative option be considered to lose the custom lights for visible FS9 A/C shadows?

I'd be willing to lose the FSDream Team KFLL lighting .bgl in favor of the stock FSX one but am unsure how to swap one for the other...?

Thanks

[virtuali]

I've also heard that it's due to the custom Runway Lighting used in the FSDream Team KFLL scenery.

KFLL doesn't use custom runway lights. The only scenery we did that had this issue with AI, is Zurich.

Is there a fix/workaround for this issue and if not could an alternative option be considered to lose the custom lights for visible FS9 A/C shadows?

Usually the fix is to turn off airplane shadows. Since there are no custom runway lights at KFLL, there's nothing else to be done. But it's the first time someone reports invisible AI at KFLL. Does it happen with other AI packages ?

[JFKpilot]

Umberto,

KFLL uses scasm runway lights and it has been reported before:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=2269.0
http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=1917.0

This was confirmed by none other than yourself on post #5 on the second link.
senior moment?

Kilo60,

As Umberto said, turning off aircraft shadows should do the trick.

[virtuali]

Umberto,

KFLL uses scasm runway lights and it has been reported before:

This was confirmed by none other than yourself on post #5 on the second link.
senior moment?

KFLL does not use SCASM runway lights, which is a specific command to create a runway lighting system only, to be used together with a fully custom runway, which is known to have the side effect of making AI to disappear, and it has been used at Zurich ONLY.

However, KFLL uses SCASM PAPIs which might also cause the disappearing AI that might also be solved by turning AI shadows off, but it's not the same as in Zurich, it's a *different* FSX issue, which just happen to be fixed in the same way.

The involved file is KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL. By removing this, the AI should reappear even with shadows on BUT, the PAPIs will look almost invisible then.

[JFKpilot]

KFLL does not use SCASM runway lights, which is a specific command to create a runway lighting system only, to be used together with a fully custom runway, which is known to have the side effect of making AI to disappear, and it has been used at Zurich ONLY.

However, KFLL uses SCASM PAPIs which might also cause the disappearing AI that might also be solved by turning AI shadows off, but it's not the same as in Zurich, it's a *different* FSX issue, which just happen to be fixed in the same way.

The involved file is KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL. By removing this, the AI should reappear even with shadows on BUT, the PAPIs will look almost invisible then.

Fair enough, I was wrong then. Always great to learn stuff from the experts. 

[Kilo60]

Umberto,

KFLL uses scasm runway lights and it has been reported before:

This was confirmed by none other than yourself on post #5 on the second link.
senior moment?

KFLL does not use SCASM runway lights, which is a specific command to create a runway lighting system only, to be used together with a fully custom runway, which is known to have the side effect of making AI to disappear, and it has been used at Zurich ONLY.

However, KFLL uses SCASM PAPIs which might also cause the disappearing AI that might also be solved by turning AI shadows off, but it's not the same as in Zurich, it's a *different* FSX issue, which just happen to be fixed in the same way.

The involved file is KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL. By removing this, the AI should reappear even with shadows on BUT, the PAPIs will look almost invisible then.

Could I replace the KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL with another and have both visible PAPI lights and Shadows...

KFLL Looks so nice it's a shame that my A/C all have no shadows now. 

[virtuali]

Could I replace the KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL with another and have both visible PAPI lights and Shadows...

That file includes just the PAPI and, as I've said, it's the very presence of the PAPI made with SCASM that makes AI made for FS9 to disappear. There's no other alternative, because how the whole airport ground is made. If there was a better alternative, we would used it already...

KFLL Looks so nice it's a shame that my A/C all have no shadows now.

The main issue is that you are using AI made for FS9. There's no such issue, if the AI are made for FSX so, that would be the real fix. The fps loss due to the use of FS9 AI, it's probably worse than having to forego the airplane shadows.

[Kilo60]

Could I replace the KFLL_PAPI_SA.BGL with another and have both visible PAPI lights and Shadows...

That file includes just the PAPI and, as I've said, it's the very presence of the PAPI made with SCASM that makes AI made for FS9 to disappear. There's no other alternative, because how the whole airport ground is made. If there was a better alternative, we would used it already...

KFLL Looks so nice it's a shame that my A/C all have no shadows now.

The main issue is that you are using AI made for FS9. There's no such issue, if the AI are made for FSX so, that would be the real fix. The fps loss due to the use of FS9 AI, it's probably worse than having to forego the airplane shadows.

I agree...

It's a shame that nobody is making any decent AI A/C packages native to FSX.  Then again I doubt anyone ever will. 

[JFKpilot]

I agree...

It's a shame that nobody is making any decent AI A/C packages native to FSX.  Then again I doubt anyone ever will.  

What don't you like, besides the fact that they are payware, about Ultimate Traffic 2, MyTraffic 2010, or Traffic X? All of them are fsx-native and qualify as "decent" in my mind... 

[Kilo60]

I don't like that none of the FSX native "Traffic" programs currently availible contain FSX GA A/C...

I have UT2 and it's great for the "Heavies" but has no GA A/C at all... 

I even had to add a twin otter and Dh-6 to UT2 (I like flying into St. Barts) as the program doesn't have those A/C and the only ones availible for A.I. are the HTAI FS9 Models.

MAIW/HTAI/WOAI/PAI are all awesome Traffic generators but all of them use FS9 A/C only.