P3D Carrier ops expanded a bit

[SiR_RiPPER]

Well, FSX too... This weekend we'll be in Portugal for Flight Sim 2018 to present our carrier AI and our plans on how to put it to good use in our future products.

The demo will be done in a CEX version of the Enterprise, kindly provided by Team SDB.

[fsafranek]

Glad to be able to provide the ship and it was a great opportunity for an accelerated workup of the Enterprise into the SWS Carrier Extensions system.
A lot was learned that will be applied to the upcoming versions of the Big-E.
Have a great event.

[SiR_RiPPER]

Thank you Frank!

For some reason I don't see my pics?

[Navy Chief]

GO Simworks!!! Outstanding development, and really, REALLY look forward to this! NC

[SiR_RiPPER]

Bumping this up and while preparing our presentation recap, I'm posting a video of our progress in AI Carrier ops on the Big E.

So far we have managed to implement basic functions such as:

• Taxiing
• Loading weapons
• Launch (with assistance from our deck crew)
• Formation flying (needs improvement)
• Following waypoints
• Marshalling over the carrier
• Entering the pattern and arresting (no, they don't always catch the 3-wire)
• Waveoffs/bolters due to bad approach/foul deck

We are working on expanding our basic "behaviours" with many more features such as inflight refuelling, changing formations, deploying weapons, AI trucks respotting aircraft on the deck etc.

This will allow us to build a framework in which the aircraft & ships will perform their tasks with no need for the user to push buttons to command them (which feels a bit unnatural). More to come in the future.

OK, here's the juice:

[Navy Chief]

This just keeps getting better and better. I am SO impressed! NC

[awstub]

Hallelujah!
This will enable other things that are in the works to move forward.

Bumping this up and while preparing our presentation recap, I'm posting a video of our progress in AI Carrier ops on the Big E.

So far we have managed to implement basic functions such as:

• Taxiing
• Loading weapons
• Launch (with assistance from our deck crew)
• Formation flying (needs improvement)
• Following waypoints
• Marshalling over the carrier
• Entering the pattern and arresting (no, they don't always catch the 3-wire)
• Waveoffs/bolters due to bad approach/foul deck

We are working on expanding our basic "behaviours" with many more features such as inflight refuelling, changing formations, deploying weapons, AI trucks respotting aircraft on the deck etc.

This will allow us to build a framework in which the aircraft & ships will perform their tasks with no need for the user to push buttons to command them (which feels a bit unnatural). More to come in the future.

OK, here's the juice:

[SiR_RiPPER]

Is that so?

:P

[Navy Chief]

Hallelujah!
This will enable other things that are in the works to move forward.

Please expound further! NC

[Victory103]

Watched vid on FB, outstanding work and the AI movement was very realistic. This adds so much to the ever-changing environment around the boat, now an AI jet can cause me to wave-off on those extra dark night traps!

[Stinger]

Most definitely we’ll be adding this to our Fleet

[strykerpsg]

Absolutely stunning capabilities demo video Sir Ripper. It will be great just playing the part of the LSO and watching all of this unfold and recover.

Question though, how will our aircraft be choreographed into all of this? Will it be like a conventional airfield where one requests taxi, then put into a prompt and the crew then guides you to the specific catapult?

[awstub]

Yes, but I can't say more....or you'd have to kill me

Is that so?

:P

[Manschy]

Brilliant art of development....or development of art? A must have addon for sure!

[SiR_RiPPER]

Absolutely stunning capabilities demo video Sir Ripper. It will be great just playing the part of the LSO and watching all of this unfold and recover.

Question though, how will our aircraft be choreographed into all of this? Will it be like a conventional airfield where one requests taxi, then put into a prompt and the crew then guides you to the specific catapult?

Good question Matt. It all starts from the carrier and CEX. We have built-in support for carrier communications which are currently unused but will show their teeth with this product. The AI is kept from crashing into one another through a rudimentary set of rules that we'd like to call ATC.

For the player to get in the mix, we will develop a proper ATC & Deck crew system based on real-world procedures. Initially it will offer the bare essentials to comms, but our goal is to gradually expand the available actions and animations with new versions. This system will ensure safe coexistence of the player and AI-controlled vehicles, with each one going about their business. As I wrote above, we are already working on some mission-related behaviours for the aircraft, such as Inflight Refuelling - the AI aircraft shouldn't just do joyrides on and off the ship.

It is a big and ambitious project but will be worth it in the end. We intend to post regular updates on it so keep an eye on our Facebook, Youtube and here (if I'm not spamming ).

[strykerpsg]

Good question Matt. It all starts from the carrier and CEX. We have built-in support for carrier communications which are currently unused but will show their teeth with this product. The AI is kept from crashing into one another through a rudimentary set of rules that we'd like to call ATC.

For the player to get in the mix, we will develop a proper ATC & Deck crew system based on real-world procedures. Initially it will offer the bare essentials to comms, but our goal is to gradually expand the available actions and animations with new versions. This system will ensure safe coexistence of the player and AI-controlled vehicles, with each one going about their business. As I wrote above, we are already working on some mission-related behaviours for the aircraft, such as Inflight Refuelling - the AI aircraft shouldn't just do joyrides on and off the ship.

It is a big and ambitious project but will be worth it in the end. We intend to post regular updates on it so keep an eye on our Facebook, Youtube and here (if I'm not spamming ).

Thank you so much for the clarification. As before, this too will be an immediate purchase once available. Your work is immersive beyond anything seen thus far. Looking forward to updates and the release.

[expat]

The realism has left me a bit speechless. Not expecting anything quite this good!

[Victory103]

Comm wise not a lot radio traffic as the majority is hand signals and the ever present yellow shirts guiding the jets around. Now Case 3 and have the AI flying a proper marshal stack, jaw dropping either way I’ll let them land while I hold in the stack. If you’re using the Raz A-7 for AI, other models like the Tomcat I assume are in work?

[awstub]

....and what is shown is only the alpha version.

The realism has left me a bit speechless. Not expecting anything quite this good!

[SiR_RiPPER]

....and what is shown is only the alpha version.

Nope, not even there yet. It's a prototype of a piece of the package. Alpha would mean that features are implemented -the planes doing something of use.

Comm wise not a lot radio traffic as the majority is hand signals and the ever present yellow shirts guiding the jets around. Now Case 3 and have the AI flying a proper marshal stack, jaw dropping either way I’ll let them land while I hold in the stack. If you’re using the Raz A-7 for AI, other models like the Tomcat I assume are in work?

For communications on the deck there will be hand signals and the little chatter when needed. Most of the voice comms will be with your wingmen, AWACS, CATCC and so on -per the relevant reference.

The Razbam A-7 is used as AI because we had permission to show it and in lieu of a purpose-built AI Aircraft. Putting four of our Phantoms with four Raz A-7s will strain most systems a lot, so there's only one way forward: we will need (create, I guess) dedicated AI aircraft packages. We are using a new technique in order to maximise performance while keeping the aircraft "highly presentable". That will come after the tech hits alpha and I'm free from my USS Nimitz model.

[Navy Chief]

This is really going to change things. I am looking forward to the added realism!!! NC

[sp762]

This is incredible. Will the scripting be available so we can make other carriers work with the same logic? Some of us prefer to fly off postage stamps...

[SiR_RiPPER]

This is incredible. Will the scripting be available so we can make other carriers work with the same logic? Some of us prefer to fly off postage stamps...

Yes, and here's how:

• Carriers Extended (CEX) will release as a standalone version that will be usable with any carrier (right now it's restricted to our Midway/Coral Sea package). If someone has CEXed up a carrier, any user that has the CEX add-on will have whatever the developer added: animated arrestor cable, changeable statics, custom animations, custom landing physics, pitching & rolling physics based on weather, custom traction (helps with pitching decks) etc. With CEX you also add radio & TACAN frequencies and pretty much creating an AFCAD system for the carrier, as if it is a fully-fledged airport.
  
  Furthermore, by CEXing a carrier, you are automatically making it compatible with the AI package. The SDK exists at our wiki page and isn't difficult to follow from what we're told. We are also developing a visual editor similar to MCX which will allow you to have CEX on a carrier without all the text editing.

• The AI tech will be a separate purchase and will allow aircraft to launch and recover from CEX carriers, ATC and more things. You may use any aircraft that you have available (i.e. MAIW aircraft, FSXBA Hornet etc), which can be made compatible in a couple of minutes if we don't already do it ourselves, or get a dedicated AI air wing from us or someone who may develop one (freeware or payware).

The CEX base and AI package will be payware, but the SDK tools are (and will remain) free so that any object can be adapted to work with it, freeware or payware.

[Victory103]

: we will need (create, I guess) dedicated AI aircraft packages. We are using a new technique in order to maximise performance while keeping the aircraft "highly presentable". That will come after the tech hits alpha and I'm free from my USS Nimitz model.

The guys over at MAIW have been busy finally converting the FS9 models to P3D, currently the F14,F18 are done. AI F-4B, A-7,A-4, and others exist just not converted. A few models have an air file for use on a static carrier scenery and overlapped AFCAD, 1st gen compared to this WIP!

[sp762]

That’s just too cool. Thanks!