Placing fully working carriers in FSX?

[Quixoticish]

I was wondering if there were any good carriers out there that I can place as scenery objects in various locations around the world that I can trap on and use the catapult to launch?

I've had a play with the default FSX carrier .bgl's and placed them using Instant Scenery but they don't seem to be allowing traps and launches.

Is there anything out there that will accomplish this?

[AndyE1976]

You want aicarriers2, it adds a menu option that allows you to place the carrier or a whole battle group at a predetermined distance in front of you - much better than having to hunt around for a carrier on a track pattern.

The carriers are fully trappable.

[Quixoticish]

You want aicarriers2, it adds a menu option that allows you to place the carrier or a whole battle group at a predetermined distance in front of you - much better than having to hunt around for a carrier on a track pattern.

The carriers are fully trappable.


I've used AICarriers before but it's a bit of faff; I want to be able to start on a pre-placed Carrier from a saved flight. Like a scenery object I can place at a variety of places around the globe and have cold/dark saved flights from these different places.

Having to load up, slew around, place the carrier, slew to the carrier, position, then cold start is something I'd like to avoid.

[Meshman]

Aren't Javier's carriers able to be placed as scenery objects? It's still early for me and the coffee isn't having an effect!

[SkippyBing]

One way of doing it is:
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>
Set up the carrier you want on an AI track where ever you want it using the AI Boats tool.
Set your aircraft up on deck how you want it using slew.
Save the flight and exit FSX.
Edit the Saved Flight.FLT file and change the line
Sim on Ground=False to
Sim on Ground=True
<o:p> </o:p>
Now when you load the flight you’ll be back where you were on the deck of a moving carrier.
One important thing to note is you shouldn’t set this as the default flight, if you do it will take the system time as the time of flight which generally means the carrier will have moved when you enter the sim.

[Quixoticish]

One way of doing it is:
<o:p></o:p>
Set up the carrier you want on an AI track where ever you want it using the AI Boats tool.
Set your aircraft up on deck how you want it using slew.
Save the flight and exit FSX.
Edit the Saved Flight.FLT file and change the line
Sim on Ground=False to
Sim on Ground=True
<o:p></o:p>
Now when you load the flight you’ll be back where you were on the deck of a moving carrier.
One important thing to note is you shouldn’t set this as the default flight, if you do it will take the system time as the time of flight which generally means the carrier will have moved when you enter the sim.

Thanks Skippy. What do you mean by the AI Boats Tool?

[Dave Torkington]

Thanks Skippy. What do you mean by the AI Boats Tool?

If I might stick my oar in [pun intended], SkippyBing is talking about AI Boats Traffic Compiler. It's an excellent tool that allows AI boat traffic [and other traffic] to be compiled into a bgl. This is a little better than AICarriers IMHO because you can share the bgl.

Here's a link to d/load AIBTC (http://perso.numericable.fr/sonny3/RFN/grenier/aibtc02.zip)

[SkippyBing]

That's the one, I tried editing my post to add a link at which point my internet connection went down!

[expat]

I use the AI Carriers and tracks etc but like the originator of this thread have a real need also for carriers that are "fixed scenery", and in this regard use the AS Big E in FSX a lot. These boats however are confined to limited fixed locations. There are, however, a number of advantages - easy saved flights starting on the cat; use of ILS approaches (not done IRL but fun to do and similar to alternative INS approaches in the dark/foul weather; and last, but not least, you can set up working AI catting and trapping. None of this is possible with moving cv's in FSX.

I sense there may be a way to convert some of the newer FSX carriers, e.g. Javier's cvn and Micahel's Essex class boats using some sort of converter that converts a 3d model (moving boats are essentially a/c models) into a Scenery Library Object, that one can very easily "plant" anywhere using various utitlities - I would use ADE which is simple to use.

[Quixoticish]

I use the AI Carriers and tracks etc but like the originator of this thread have a real need also for carriers that are "fixed scenery", and in this regard use the AS Big E in FSX a lot. These boats however are confined to limited fixed locations. There are, however, a number of advantages - easy saved flights starting on the cat; use of ILS approaches (not done IRL but fun to do and similar to alternative INS approaches in the dark/foul weather; and last, but not least, you can set up working AI catting and trapping. None of this is possible with moving cv's in FSX.

I sense there may be a way to convert some of the newer FSX carriers, e.g. Javier's cvn and Micahel's Essex class boats using some sort of converter that converts a 3d model (moving boats are essentially a/c models) into a Scenery Library Object, that one can very easily "plant" anywhere using various utitlities - I would use ADE which is simple to use.

When you place a boat as static scenery is it possible to use the cat and trap system included with Acceleration? Or is this only possible with moving AI type boats?

[Daube]

I'm not sure for static boats.
But if you create an AI "flight plan" for an AI boat, its cables and catapults will be active for sure.
For example, there are some AI carriers (default Acceleration) going back and forth between Hawaii and the US West coast. You can land on them, their cables and catapults are working perfectly.

[orionll]

When you place a boat as static scenery is it possible to use the cat and trap system included with Acceleration? Or is this only possible with moving AI type boats?
I believe wires will work, but not the IFLOLS or catapults. You need the boat to be AI for full functionality.

[GypsyBaron]

I use the AI Carriers and tracks etc but like the originator of this thread have a real need also for carriers that are "fixed scenery", and in this regard use the AS Big E in FSX a lot. These boats however are confined to limited fixed locations. There are, however, a number of advantages - easy saved flights starting on the cat; use of ILS approaches (not done IRL but fun to do and similar to alternative INS approaches in the dark/foul weather; and last, but not least, you can set up working AI catting and trapping. None of this is possible with moving cv's in FSX.
-SNIP-.

Have you thought about using the AI Boats Traffic Compiler to create non-moving instances of
the carriers where you want them? Or set them yo sail a very short route once a day or so and they
will then sit at the origin most of the time.

I've not tried it since I only use the moving variety but I should think it would be possible and you wouldn't
need to mess around with the RCBO utility to add the trap/catapult zones as you would with
the scenery object carriers.

Paul

[expat]

Thanks Paul,

Thing is, I use Rob B.'s RCBCO-30 gauges for FSX for all my carrier ops and it has a neat "global" setting such that you don' need anymore to hassle with setting up trap zones. Works great on both moving and fixed carriers. Not a "cheat" at all - with crash detection on believe me trapping is difficult and you can bounce and bolter if you aren't right on the button. Just need to set up the panel - takes a minute - when you get a new carrier bird and away you go.

I want a cv Scenery Library Object because:-

you can start easily from a saved flight
you can add parking and AI
you can find the boat in dark and fog on the map
Now, I think I have seen recently a program that will convert any aircraft model into a Library Scenery Object. Maybe that would work - anyone try this? Not sure how you assign the textures to the object bgl though.

[Quixoticish]

Thanks Paul,

Thing is, I use Rob B.'s RCBCO-30 gauges for FSX for all my carrier ops and it has a neat "global" setting such that you don' need anymore to hassle with setting up trap zones. Works great on both moving and fixed carriers. Not a "cheat" at all - with crash detection on believe me trapping is difficult and you can bounce and bolter if you aren't right on the button. Just need to set up the panel - takes a minute - when you get a new carrier bird and away you go.

I want a cv Scenery Library Object because:-

you can start easily from a saved flight
you can add parking and AI
you can find the boat in dark and fog on the map

Now, I think I have seen recently a program that will convert any aircraft model into a Library Scenery Object. Maybe that would work - anyone try this? Not sure how you assign the textures to the object bgl though.

I've never used RCBCO-30 before but a quick look reveals it'll be a bit easier to set that up on static placed scenery carriers using InstantScenery than using the FSX Acceleration cat and trap system on AI carriers set up with the AI Boat Tool.

Now to find some suitably busy and/or attractive carrier scenery objects with hard decks that I can place! The default one is a bit on the bland side :)

[expat]

LOL, this thread seems to want to wander a bit off the original topic to i) moving carriers - it is about fixed and ii) various cat/trapping systems - which are what they are . .

The question is what utilities - preferably freeware - are there that can convert a model in FSX to a static scenery library object that can be easily placed in any location, in particular a carrier at sea.

Discussion of a freeware tool that seems to do exactly this showed some enthusiasm but a bit hazy on results. Seems some had luck with making static a/c on dry land but no mention of success with ships.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=45857&page=1[/URL][URL="http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20688"] (http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22132)

Anyone else have any success to report?

[Quixoticish]

LOL, this thread seems to want to wander a bit off the original topic to i) moving carriers - it is about fixed and ii) various cat/trapping systems - which are what they are . .

The question is what utilities - preferably freeware - are there that can convert a model in FSX to a static scenery library object that can be easily placed in any location, in particular a carrier at sea.

Discussion of a freeware tool that seems to do exactly this showed some enthusiasm but a bit hazy on results. Seems some had luck with making static a/c on dry land but no mention of success with ships.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=45857&page=1

Anyone else have any success to report?

It was my topic and I see no post where it has really deviated from the original subject matter. Everyone has been very kind and helpful in discussing the many varied ways of getting cat and trappable carriers going so they can be placed in FSX.

[expat]

My apologies - I re-read your post and you are quite right. Because you have Instant Scenery you, unlike me, have solved the problem of creating and placing the object and indeed you were looking for suggestions re getting the cats and traps to work.

If you do want to try the RCBCO gauges which will allow cats/traps on any kind of carrier, which I do recommend, and have any problems getting them to work let me know if I can help.

Regards,

expat

[Quixoticish]

Thanks expat, I'm looking forward to giving it a go this weekend.