Classic AI Package Beta Test

[tgibson]

Hi all,

I would like to announce the beta test of my latest update of the FS2004 Classic AI package. There are 10 new aircraft in the package (5 of them are improved versions of Dee's early jets) and over 200 new liveries. In addition, much more of the world is covered with schedules from real timetables (thanks mostly to scans from a 1961 ABC Guide by Richard Wright). The years involved are 1957 through 1962, so only those modeling those years will likely be interested. However, there are new AI jets too (CV-990, etc.).

I would appreciate it if nothing is released publicly until the beta test is completed, and if you decide to test please post your responses in my forum, if you are registered there. If not here is fine too.

The forum post that describes the beta test is here:

www.calclassic.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=General;action=display;num=1196796843

After the beta test is completed I should be able to produce an improved version of Dee's later B707-320B that I didn't use in my package. It's the variant that was common in the 70's and 80's, but I've forgotten the difference from the early version at the moment.

Thanks,

[chrisP]

THANK YOU FOR THE NEW DC-3!!!!!!!

[jetstar]

Hi Tom.

Sounds great!!

I don't have time to beta test, but looking forward to the finished package.

Paul

[tgibson]

You're welcome. BTW, the DC-3 isn't new, but it is improved - the shading on the wings has been fixed, and the main wheels have been improved.

[chrisP]

All the same, I'm very grateful

btw: on the CalClassics forums, you metioned future updates. Could I suggest a revision of the texture mapping for the DC3? Just so that all of the textured LODs have the same length and width . I'm thinking esp. about the LOD2/LOD3 mappings on calfs1.bmp. It's just a gripe and it's fine with me if it stays like that.
There are quite a few '70s airlines that use the DC3 and I've been fighting the "grey nose syndrome" for a while, now

No matter what, THANKS A LOT from snowy CYUL

Christian

[tgibson]

Hi Christian,

Glad to be of service.

Yes, very happy to fix the mapping, but I'm not quite sure what you mean. Is it that LOD1 does not use the entire texture width and the other LOD's do? If so, I can fix that pretty easily.

[chrisP]

Hello Tom - and thanks for the quick response!

This is the problem:



The pic is a combination of the uvmaps of calfs1.bmp for the DC-3 using ACM.
The red wireframe is the uvmaps for the LOD1 model and the green wireframe is the one for the LOD3 model.
The LOD2 model corresponds roughly in size to the LOD1 and the LOD4 isn't textured, so LODs 2 and 4 are not a problem.

What happens is that when the aircraft is displayed at LOD3, the part of the texture that corresponds to the nose at LOD1 gets drawn behind the .

I understand the CalClassics DC-3 AI repaints take that into account and "double-nose" the aircraft, but not all DC-3s are from the '50s and '60s and I need to do some repaints for the '70s

If it's at all feasible to set up the mapping so that the "green" nose tip ends up over the "red" nose tip, I'd be most grateful.

Once again, thank you very, very much

Christian

[tgibson]

Hi,

Thanks for being so helpful - I understand exactly what you mean now.

That was an oversight on my part when I created the LOD's . Very easy to fix (the entire fuselage is a single part) and I will do so immediately. The improved MDL file will be in the final release.

Thanks again,

[Andy]

Thanks, Tom, I'm looking forward to that. Circa 1960 is not an era that I have modeled yet mainly because I don't have an OAG from that period (I always fly flights from real schedules). I did pick up one of those Railroad guides that has a few airline schedules cheap on eBay. It is from 1961.

Is there any chance of backward-engineering some timetables from these flightplans? That would be great!

I've now got a ca. 1984 world, a 1974-75 world, and a 1956 world. I'm working on a late-60s world as well (the site update will be helpful there). I don't worry too much about the scenery. It's just the period ai traffic that interests me.

[tgibson]

Hi Andy,

The way the MRAI compiler breaks up multi stop flights that would be very difficult to do, but the source file has all the info you need. Happy to send the source files to anyone who is interested. It shows flight number, to/from, times, and equipment.

Once I have these things wrapped up, I can also send you a scan or two of period timetable pages that interest you. tgibson at sunstroke dot sdsu dot edu

[Andy]

Yes, Tom, I would be very interested in the source files once things get sorted out. If I remember, the MRAI compiler has a feature that separates them into a sort of timetable format but I can't remember exactly how it works.

Tom, when you say "source files" do you mean the text (csv) files that go into the MRAI compiler or the files that come out of the compiler? I would like the text (csv) files that the MRAI compiler uses if that is possible.

BTW -- When I say that I would like "timetables" I am really only interested in individual, non-stop, segments so the way the MRAI compiler handles it is fine.

BTW #2 -- Is there any chance that Richard Wright would share his scans?

Andy

[tgibson]

Hi,

I meant the text files that you feed into the MRAI compiler. I have no problems sharing those.

I'm not sure about Richard's scans, but I'll certainly ask him after this is behind me.

[richardegtd]

Andy

Quite happy for Tom to pass on to you my scans if he is still in a position to do so - have deleted all the copies from my PC to save disc space.

I will be doing some more scans for him, since we ran out of time before his planned release date - mainly the Middle and Far East - if you want me to e-mail copies to you too, as I go along - no problem to do so - send me a PM with yr e-mail address.

Does this help ?

Richard.

[tgibson]

Hi,

Christian, if you want to check out the new DC-3 MDL's you (and others) can download them here:

www.calclassic.com/Temp/aidc3_mdl.zip

Just put them into the model and model.stairs folders, replacing the originals.

Let me know here how they look.

[chrisP]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the new files - I just downloaded them and I'll give them a spin and report back (it'll probably be by the beginning of next week, though:

time_available = 1/(p . to_do_list_size)

where p is the panic factor and is very large at the moment...