FORMATION FLYING

[hawkeye52]

From time to time I see screenshots of multiple aircraft flying in formation. I want to create a grouping of 4 to 6 a/c in loose formation.

How would I go about doing that?

-H52

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Haven't tried it on my own yet, but I think the key is "FS Recorder":
http://www.fs-recorder.net/

[MIKE JG]

Recorder is what you want to use. It is very easy to do once you get the hang of it.

This is a shot I made with the help of the Recorder module:

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/MGAI_RFON_001_003.jpg

[Flyboy208]

FS recorder is a remarkable tool - I use it alot - Flightsim for me would not be complete without it ...

Mike :jump:

[TomSteber]

I have it, but how do you get two different aircraft to fly together?
Everytime I try that, it gives me a duplicate of what ever I'm flying.

[Wing_Z]

Tom, try using "Play as AI" instead of "Play" when replaying the recorded file.

[awj112]

One gotcha - Use models without xml accessories (remove before flight tags, engine covers, boarding ladders, etc) for your "AI" aircraft. Otherwise you end up with aircraft flying with junk they should not be airborne with.

[MIKE JG]

Make sure you have the latest beta version of FS Recorder.

It has an "Advanced Playback" feature, in addition to the "Play as AI" feature, that lets you use ANY aircraft in your hangar to plug into a Recorder file. One key is that using this feature, you have to set your current user aircraft to the one you want to see in your playback. Then for example if you have three other aircraft in a formation you are playing back at the same time, you can set those others to any other aircraft you want.

So for the Raptor shot, I had to have my AS Raptor as my current user model. The "camera" then follows that model for all four views, 2d, VC, tower and spot. You CAN switch the view to the other aircraft in the formation but only for the spot view

It also, if you have multiple recorder files cued up at the same time, allows you to choose which aircraft to set as your user aircraft. So if I want to have my current user aircraft as the no.4 aircraft in a formation, I choose that one and then change the other three to the same model.

Some aircraft work better than others. For example the Iris F-15 all show the RBF banners hanging onto the aircraft as it is flying along, that's the XML coding that you can't do anything about.

Most of our AI aircraft have this limitation as well but I'm twisting some arms for our guys to release "flyable" versions of each new model they make for the FS Recorder fans and the online players.

[hawkeye52]

OK, it appears to be unanimous! Thanks for the replies, fellas. I'll get to it just as soon as I'm through with my yard work! :salute:

- H52

[TomSteber]

Make sure you have the latest beta version of FS Recorder.

It has an "Advanced Playback" feature, in addition to the "Play as AI" feature, that lets you use ANY aircraft in your hangar to plug into a Recorder file. One key is that using this feature, you have to set your current user aircraft to the one you want to see in your playback. Then for example if you have three other aircraft in a formation you are playing back at the same time, you can set those others to any other aircraft you want.

So for the Raptor shot, I had to have my AS Raptor as my current user model. The "camera" then follows that model for all four views, 2d, VC, tower and spot. You CAN switch the view to the other aircraft in the formation but only for the spot view

It also, if you have multiple recorder files cued up at the same time, allows you to choose which aircraft to set as your user aircraft. So if I want to have my current user aircraft as the no.4 aircraft in a formation, I choose that one and then change the other three to the same model.

Some aircraft work better than others. For example the Iris F-15 all show the RBF banners hanging onto the aircraft as it is flying along, that's the XML coding that you can't do anything about.

Most of our AI aircraft have this limitation as well but I'm twisting some arms for our guys to release "flyable" versions of each new model they make for the FS Recorder fans and the online players.

Downloaded the lastest version. Works AWESOME! Finally, different aircraft in formation!
Thank you!