MSFS20 AIFP "mounted" MSFS traffic no longer working

[chasenSFO]

Ahoy there guys.

First off, I am aware of what tragically happened to the creator of AIFP, who did a lot for all of us, and thus I obviously don't expect updates to the app itself.

Until the last update a few weeks ago came out for MSFS, AIFP mounted folders in the community folder containing traffic.bgls were working in MSFS as offline traffic as intended:

After the update, I found my default offline AI reactivated (which I then deactivated), but have not been able to get offline traffic to display in the weeks since. This excludes AIG and FSTL etc injected traffic, of course. But the flightplans no longer seem to work. I say the flightplans because if I turn on "ground traffic", which randomly populates parking spots with assorted traffic, displays all my custom models. VATSIM model matching also proves that these models are available to the sim beyond being static as well, as stuff like Royal Jordanian A310s and the link appear when users are flying them:

The last update mentions SDK layout\format changes. It would appear that the folder structure, or something else related to the flightplans, has obviously changed. Despite weeks of this, including myself posting on the official MSFS forum, the AIG group forums (they seem to get very testy when you want your own traffic instead of their OCI traffic with MSFS lol), and other AI sites and it seems like no one else is trying to solve this...but that's impossible because I'm not the only person in the world using custom AI (I have my traffic in 2-year time periods ranging from the late 70s to present day).

Has anyone here seen any talk of this, any solutions, or any acknowledgment from the MSFS developers? Though AIFP will not be updated, at least we can figure out a work around...right?

 

[Gelomare]

I am so glad to see this post. I have been experiencing the exact thing as you. It is my hope that this issue can be resolved as possible. I have uninstalled and reinstall msfs several times and still cannot get the custom plans to work. Now i know i am not alone. Thanks, ChasenSFO.
Gelomare

 

[=rk=]

AIG group forums (they seem to get very testy when you want your own traffic instead of their OCI traffic with MSFS lol), and other AI sites and it seems like no one else is trying to solve this

You would want to understand that AIG is free, therefore any "support," is conducted by volunteers, who's hobby it is to make other people able to have a hobby of organized flight simulation. "Custom flight plans" is not "support." Custom flight plans is "development," which you are welcome to do.

The same can be said about AIFP. The software works perfectly, makes excellent flight plans for AI traffic, which remain valid and understood by MSFS and MSFS developers see little problem with a deprecated "mounting system" for a software that otherwise works fine. You seem to be caught in a gray area, where you know how to use some developer tools, but you do not know what they do, or how they do it. If this is the case, you're not alone! In fact, no flight sim developer that ever lived, was born with the knowledge of how to develop.

I can assure you from my own experience, the information how to accomplish what you need is already online, it is pretty straightforward, but it is too detailed to write a post that encapsulates everything AIFP does. That is what Don did so well, how he came to create AIFP and one of the things we miss him for. In order to get there, you will need to study the structure of scenery addons, you will need to find where AIFP produces flight plans before mounting them and then you'll need to create a scenery addon for it. It is actually almost exactly as easy as mounting from AIFP, once you learn it.

that's impossible because I'm not the only person in the world using custom AI (I have my traffic in 2-year time periods ranging from the late 70s to present day).

You could possibly be the only person in the world doing development without realizing it.

I am so glad to see this post. I have been experiencing the exact thing as you. It is my hope that this issue can be resolved as possible. I have uninstalled and reinstall msfs several times and still cannot get the custom plans to work. Now i know i am not alone. Thanks, ChasenSFO.
Gelomare

It is not an issue to resolve. You are using software to modify MSFS, that has changed it's file structure since the modification software was last released. You will either have to develop your own techniques, or abandon AIFP. Obviously, no one has volunteered to walk you through this transition, myself included. If you post development related questions that are fairly specific, meaning they can be answered with a hundred words or so, people are generally very eager to encourage new developers.

 

[Gelomare]

Seeing I am neither a developer nor programmer. I guess I will have to abandon Aifp. AIG is not currently suited for me. Thanks, and I am certain that someone will find a work around for this issue. Thanks again.

You would want to understand that AIG is free, therefore any "support," is conducted by volunteers, who's hobby it is to make other people able to have a hobby of organized flight simulation. "Custom flight plans" is not "support." Custom flight plans is "development," which you are welcome to do.

The same can be said about AIFP. The software works perfectly, makes excellent flight plans for AI traffic, which remain valid and understood by MSFS and MSFS developers see little problem with a deprecated "mounting system" for a software that otherwise works fine. You seem to be caught in a gray area, where you know how to use some developer tools, but you do not know what they do, or how they do it. If this is the case, you're not alone! In fact, no flight sim developer that ever lived, was born with the knowledge of how to develop.

I can assure you from my own experience, the information how to accomplish what you need is already online, it is pretty straightforward, but it is too detailed to write a post that encapsulates everything AIFP does. That is what Don did so well, how he came to create AIFP and one of the things we miss him for. In order to get there, you will need to study the structure of scenery addons, you will need to find where AIFP produces flight plans before mounting them and then you'll need to create a scenery addon for it. It is actually almost exactly as easy as mounting from AIFP, once you learn it.


You could possibly be the only person in the world doing development without realizing it.


It is not an issue to resolve. You are using software to modify MSFS, that has changed it's file structure since the modification software was last released. You will either have to develop your own techniques, or abandon AIFP. Obviously, no one has volunteered to walk you through this transition, myself included. If you post development related questions that are fairly specific, meaning they can be answered with a hundred words or so, people are generally very eager to encourage new developers.

Seeing I am neither a developer nor programmer. I guess I will have to abandon Aifp. AIG is not currently suited for me. Thanks, and I am certain that someone will find a work around for this issue. Thanks again.

 

[=rk=]

Seeing I am neither a developer nor programmer. I guess I will have to abandon Aifp. AIG is not currently suited for me. Thanks, and I am certain that someone will find a work around for this issue. Thanks again.

The community is less without Don. There are many, many preconfigured flight plans already available as scenery addon packages and also there are other traffic injection utilities, I believe Aerosoft offers one.

 

[chasenSFO]

You would want to understand that AIG is free, therefore any "support," is conducted by volunteers, who's hobby it is to make other people able to have a hobby of organized flight simulation. "Custom flight plans" is not "support." Custom flight plans is "development," which you are welcome to do.

The same can be said about AIFP. The software works perfectly, makes excellent flight plans for AI traffic, which remain valid and understood by MSFS and MSFS developers see little problem with a deprecated "mounting system" for a software that otherwise works fine. You seem to be caught in a gray area, where you know how to use some developer tools, but you do not know what they do, or how they do it. If this is the case, you're not alone! In fact, no flight sim developer that ever lived, was born with the knowledge of how to develop.

I can assure you from my own experience, the information how to accomplish what you need is already online, it is pretty straightforward, but it is too detailed to write a post that encapsulates everything AIFP does. That is what Don did so well, how he came to create AIFP and one of the things we miss him for. In order to get there, you will need to study the structure of scenery addons, you will need to find where AIFP produces flight plans before mounting them and then you'll need to create a scenery addon for it. It is actually almost exactly as easy as mounting from AIFP, once you learn it.


You could possibly be the only person in the world doing development without realizing it.


It is not an issue to resolve. You are using software to modify MSFS, that has changed it's file structure since the modification software was last released. You will either have to develop your own techniques, or abandon AIFP. Obviously, no one has volunteered to walk you through this transition, myself included. If you post development related questions that are fairly specific, meaning they can be answered with a hundred words or so, people are generally very eager to encourage new developers.

Uh, OK. Cool...AIG is also the world's largest online AI-focused community so...people could still care more than they seem to. As dozens and dozens of them, if not hundreds or thousands, also use custom offline AI flightplans...

You didn't answer my question at all, and I found your post highly condescending, so thank you. I have no interest in existing commercial AI products, just here trying to figure out for the world what MSFS has changed without bothering to tell anyone. Pretty simple.

 

[=rk=]

I found your post highly condescending, so thank you.

I did not ask, nor am I overly concerned to learn your opinion. Why do you feel it is necessary to inform? Does it ever occur to you that your posts might possibly be unlikable? Do you care? You seem to think other people care, why should they?

 

[tgibson]

Do you ever consider that your posts may be unlikable too?

The guy asks a simple question in a pleasant and friendly way and you take his head off. Wow.

As he said he asked over at AIG because it's the largest forum for AI questions and many of its users might be interested in the answer. He did comment that he got shot down for this, and I guess there are more of you over there too.

 

[=rk=]

Do you ever consider that your posts may be unlikable too?

How could I not? You seem pretty enamoured with the plight of the AIFP left behinds, for someone who could have taken the opportunity to answer the question.

 

[chasenSFO]

How could I not? You seem pretty enamoured with the plight of the AIFP left behinds, for someone who could have taken the opportunity to answer the question.

You come into a respectful AIFP thread on the FSDeveloper forums and your response to the topic of the community honoring the deceased developer by finding a workaround so his app lives on in the new sim is "why do you think anyone cares" and "the plight of the AIFP left behinds"? Why are we even having this conversation, somehow, here in the FSDeveloper forums. What the HELL is the matter with you that would have you behaving this way? I found your first post condescending, but now I'm outraged. I've never even seen Tom Gibson "checking" somebody like that in decades of these kind of forums, and then you decide to crap on him too, like he's nobody. Pathetic. Makes sense you'd be offended on behalf of AIG, who for the record I vocally always support despite thinking many of the members care more about their product than the community that made it all possible. A community that still revolves around offline AI, and don't try and tell me otherwise because you obviously are not a part of that community.

Funny that my criticism of your post is all you had to add to this discussion, ignoring everything else I said to you which was actually all relevant to this discussion. Well, this discussion that you decided to interject yourself in for no reason anyway.

 

[Gelomare]

Thanks for your posts chasenSFO and tgibson. The two of you are caring and as i am not a pilot, but a fan of flight simulator and have been since its inception way back when. I was only seeking an answer as to why AIFP was no longer working as had been. You both are correct in that it seems to offend some on these forums for one to ask a simple question. People like me depend on programs like AUFP to get the best out of flight Sim. I have the faith that the community will get this resolved as soon as possible. So those of us who use custom flight plans can get back to the simming we love. I do appreciate all the hard work of those like Don who worked to make the art of flight simming much more pleasurable for all.
Gelomare

 

[=rk=]

you decide to crap on him too, like he's nobody.

Tom has a grudge with me because I chastised him for teaching people how to circumvent EULA's. Although I do not share his feelings, I am proud of the reason he feels a need to cast insults on a flightsim site. As to insulting people who try to help you, it is probably not the best way to encourage others to take the same chance. It is not just me who will never reply your posts again, chasenSFO, good luck with your flight sim development.

 

[chasenSFO]

Tom has a grudge with me because I chastised him for teaching people how to circumvent EULA's. Although I do not share his feelings, I am proud of the reason he feels a need to cast insults on a flightsim site. As to insulting people who try to help you, it is probably not the best way to encourage others to take the same chance. It is not just me who will never reply your posts again, chasenSFO, good luck with your flight sim development.

Ok, well if Tom "holds a grudge" against you, that tells me a lot. Have you ever seen the CalClassic site? The guy kind of has a lot of support and credibility. I'll bet you anything the EULA's you're talking about are ancient and likely therefor unable to be modified by the author, who likely can't be contacted, in which case good for Tom for trying to help the community. Normally if someone is told they're being condescending, they just apologize and rephrase things. You know the only helpful part of your message didn't exist when I replied, don't be slick.

BTW, my views and opinions are always in what is best for the community vs what may be ideal for a group or developer and their wishes, so wanting me to fail as if I'm all about my own benefit is sad. One minute you're "mansplaining" AIFP and how AIG and AI Traffic work to me like I'm some noob, the next minute you're calling me a developer and telling me you've formed an alliance to kill my hopes and dreams. OK, pal. Have a great life, thanks again for your input on fixing this issue.

 

[tgibson]

Thanks for the support. I hold no grudge towards Rick AT ALL, I only wish he wouldn't be so cold to people that just want help. I have no idea what EULA I was suggesting the person to circumvent, but I'm sure it was for his own use so not a problem at all. You have the right to do what you want with software for your own personal use, and Microsoft has never said otherwise for flight sims. I agree that you should expect no support for that, but it's not a moral breach to help someone with it.

If you are not enamored with the AIFP left behinds (as you say I am) perhaps checking this forum is a waste of your time? Just wondering. I don't even use AIFP regularly, I use AI Traffic Mover. I am doing it mostly as a favor to Don, who helped me so much during his life.

Rick, I am not your enemy, it is you that insists I am. I am not insulting you, I am pleading with you to keep a friendly tone when helping people. You are a valuable resource and I want us to co-exist in peace. I apologize for my cold tone, but you know how to push my buttons...

 

[Gelomare]

Does AiTM work with Msfs?

 

[tgibson]

No, only up to FS2004. When I need FSX format I use AIFPC to convert them. Nothing for FS2020.

 

[VSP4264]

AITM is a very great tools, sadly stopped on FS2004.

 

[Gelomare]

Ok. Thanks a bunch! I hate to see AIFP go down.
Gelomare

 

[jkustom56]

AIFP Has always been one of my favorite things. If you are into military flying and creating air bases like me, then some way to edit your own AI traffic is a must. Back in my FSX days there was ZERO
AI Traffic that even went into military air bases like Edwards AFB (My favorite) so using AIFP was wonderful. When I saw Dons message about his health last year my heart sank. All I can do is
echo what everyone else has said. It's sad and a huge loss.

Currently what I find in MSFS is that some AI aircraft I programed a while back still takeoff some what randomly. The biggest problem I have, that I think is (a general problem) with all AI traffic, is that aircraft
taxi at full power since a couple of updates ago. People who only have civil and commercial aircraft fly in and out may not notice the problem. But, when the MS F-18E or an F-16 with afterburner
taxies out, it is super LOUD. My only solution is to give any afterburning fighters I have, the 747 AI sound. I do hope that some day perhaps a new AI flight planning tool comes our way
that some how works with MSFS that we can use.
By the way I have to have the default MSFS AI flight generator turned to 1% otherwise I have a bunch of Bonanzas and other
civil Aircraft invading Edwards AFB lol. Lastly, another trick I use, is to use the "Join FS" recorder and create local AI traffic that way, which is cool because, they do TNGs and missed approach's. You can also
do stuff like simulated air refueling and "Chase" flights or Join the Blue Angels or Red Arrows! But you have to record yourself flying, a lot

 

[Gelomare]

Thanks Tgibson for your update. I like you have been a user of AIFP for as long as I can remember. I custom built for my own use a major fictional airport for my location here in The Big Bend Area of Florida. The closest Florida Airport is Tallahassee to the west and Valdosta, GA to the north. So I created KMDN, which is model after KATL. I used AIFP to populate my creation with flights to wherever I want to fly.
I have found that b some of my older flight plans work, but randomly. The flight is called, Atc responds with pushback accepted and then nothing. While a few actually go all the way through to rakeoff. So AIFP does still work, but strangely random. If only Asobo was more forthcoming about the change made in the last SU. I feel the tool could be brought back to a workable option. Don, certainly brought a lot of great work to the community.

AIFP Has always been one of my favorite things. If you are into military flying and creating air bases like me, then some way to edit your own AI traffic is a must. Back in my FSX days there was ZERO
AI Traffic that even went into military air bases like Edwards AFB (My favorite) so using AIFP was wonderful. When I saw Dons message about his health last year my heart sank. All I can do is
echo what everyone else has said. It's sad and a huge loss.

Currently what I find in MSFS is that some AI aircraft I programed a while back still takeoff some what randomly. The biggest problem I have, that I think is (a general problem) with all AI traffic, is that aircraft
taxi at full power since a couple of updates ago. People who only have civil and commercial aircraft fly in and out may not notice the problem. But, when the MS F-18E or an F-16 with afterburner
taxies out, it is super LOUD. My only solution is to give any afterburning fighters I have, the 747 AI sound. I do hope that some day perhaps a new AI flight planning tool comes our way
that some how works with MSFS that we can use.
By the way I have to have the default MSFS AI flight generator turned to 1% otherwise I have a bunch of Bonanzas and other
civil Aircraft invading Edwards AFB lol. Lastly, another trick I use, is to use the "Join FS" recorder and create local AI traffic that way, which is cool because, they do TNGs and missed approach's. You can also
do stuff like simulated air refueling and "Chase" flights or Join the Blue Angels or Red Arrows! But you have to record yourself flying, a lot