AIBTC compiled Boat doesn't appear in FSX

[markself]

I apologize for having to ask this question. I've worked on this problem for nearly a week and have been unable to solve the problem.
I am using AIBTC to create a simple (4 points) boat plan. The boat doesn't appear in FSX. I have creqated several other boat plans with AIBTC and have had no problems. But, for some reason, I can't get this one to work. I decompiled another one of my working boat plans and used it as my template for this one. I get no compiler errors. I've cross checked these against several of my working boat plans. It seems as if Google Earth is corrupting the .kml files, but I'm not sure. I'm stumped.
Below are the contents of the three files requirreds by AIBTC to compile a traffic.bgl
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location: Flathead Lake, Polson, MT (8S1)

Path is 13.5 miles long with a start, 2 turns and a finish

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boats1948.txt
------------------
AC#1948,25,"VEH_water_yacht_280ft_sm"

Plans1948.txt
------------------
AC#1948,B1948,10%,1Hr,00:01:00,00:29:05,1948,reverse,cargo,00:31:00,00:59:05,1948,normal,cargo

Routes1948.kml
---------------------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<name>File created with kml.KMLWriter</name>
<Placemark>
<name>1948</name>
<Style>
<LineStyle>
<color>ff0000ff</color>
<width>2</width>
</LineStyle>
</Style>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>-114.1288072117104,47.71687494835912,0.0
-114.0964066741955,47.75758449025563,0.0
-114.0980285119653,47.78601137055551,0.0
-114.1302605063532,47.90411747485647,0.0
</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
<Placemark>
<name>1948</name>
<Style>
<LineStyle>
<color>ff0000ff</color>
<width>2</width>
</LineStyle>
</Style>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>-114.1288072117104,47.71687494835912,0.0
-114.0964066741955,47.75758449025563,0.0
-114.0980285119653,47.78601137055551,0.0
-114.1302605063532,47.90411747485647,0.0
</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

 

[cattz]

I understand from George (and he should know ) that Google have changed the format for .KML files which are no longer compatable with AIBTC. However as it is a text file this can be changed to the correct format for AIBTC.
I haven't tried it myself yet.

 

[ALain152]

Hi,

Plans1948.txt
------------------
AC#1948,B1948,10%,1Hr,00:01:00,00:29:05,1948,rever se,cargo,00:31:00,00:59:05,1948,normal,cargo
Don't know if it's a copy mistake...

Routes1948.kml
---------------------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<name>File created with kml.KMLWriter</name>

Try to change last line for
<name>Routes1948.kml</name>

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

good observation Alain, but I will try with 1948.kml,anyway you must take into account the ships must go and back. looking the speed to achieve that route.

 

[markself]

Still not working

I can't seem to get it to work.

So I created a small .csv file with LibraOffice.org. Checked it with CSVEd 2.

Here is the .csv file:

1948,483,482,
{
-114.1288072117104,47.71687494835912,
-114.0964066741955,47.75758449025563,
-114.0980285119653,47.78601137055551,
-114.1302605063532,47.90411747485647,
}

AIBTC returns the error:

Error Cannot read traffic: Need at least one route

I cn't seem to figure out this problem. How do we create AI boat traffic, now that Google Earth is not working correctly?

 

[ALain152]

did you try naming your boat AC#1 both in boats and plans files ?

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

This is what work for me:
AC#1,B0003,60%,2Hr,00:05:00,00:55:00,3,normal,ferry,01:00:00,01:59:00,3,reverse,ferry
And I not move a comma even, the ships will go and came back.
And look in the route file in the "name field", writte the number of your route.
..."<name>File created with kml.KMLWriter</name>" this is the only thing I see and the AC#1 issue as said by Alain, what could be wrong. but as I said before I get a file which work and copy the same schema everywhere

 

[markself]

This is veeeerrrry frustrating. I have attached 2 .zip files (Flathead Lake.zip & Polson AI Boats.zip).

Flathead Lake.zip is a scenery file that places 2 sets of (4) floating helipads, static boats in Flathead Lake. One group of helipads is located in the southern end of the lake while the other group is located in the northern end of the lake.

Polson AI Boats.zip contains the files to create 2 AI boat plans. One is called Polson_Riverboat while the other is called Polson_Shutlle.

Polson_Riverboat contains 4 files:
Boats1947.txt
Plans1947.txt
Routes1947.kml
Traffic1947.bgl

Polson_Shuttle contains 6 files:
Boats1948.txt
FLH-N.kml
FLH-S.kml
Plans1948.txt
Routes1948.txt
Traffic1948.bgl

Polson_Riverboat has "veh_water_yacht_280ft_sm" traveling back and forth from the bridge (Located just a bit S.W. of 8S1) down the river to the dam (Appro.x 5.2 mi.). This file works GREAT!!

Polson_Shuttle is trying to run "veh_water_yacht_280ft_sm" from the southern set of floating helipads to the northern set of helipads.

Since the Boats1947.txt, Plans1947.txt and the Routes1947 compiled into Traffic1947.bgl and worked correctly. I used these files as my templates.

I took Boats1947.txt
AC#1,25,"veh_water_yacht_280ft_sm"

and changed the AC# from 1 to 2 to give me this:
AC#2,25,"veh_water_yacht_280ft_sm"

I saved this as Boats1948.txt.

Then I took Plans1947.txt
AC#1,HC7A,10%,1Hr,00:01:00,00:19:27,1947,reverse,ferry,00:31:00,00:49:27,1947,normal,ferry

and changed the AC# form 1 to 2. I changed the boat name form HC7A to B1948. I also changed the route #'s from 1947 to 1948 to give me this:
AC#2,B1948,10%,1Hr,00:01:00,00:26:28,1948,reverse,ferry,00:31:00,00:56:28,1948,normal,ferry

Next I opened Routes1947.kml with Notepad. I copied (CRTL +C) the header info from the beginning of the file to the ">" right after the word "coordinates":

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2" xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<Document>
<name>1947.kml</name>
<Style id="sh_ylw-pushpin">
<IconStyle>
<scale>1.3</scale>
<Icon>
<href>http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/kml/pushpin/ylw-pushpin.png</href>
</Icon>
<hotSpot x="20" y="2" xunits="pixels" yunits="pixels"/>
</IconStyle>
</Style>
<Style id="sn_ylw-pushpin">
<IconStyle>
<scale>1.1</scale>
<Icon>
<href>http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/kml/pushpin/ylw-pushpin.png</href>
</Icon>
<hotSpot x="20" y="2" xunits="pixels" yunits="pixels"/>
</IconStyle>
</Style>
<StyleMap id="msn_ylw-pushpin">
<Pair>
<key>normal</key>
<styleUrl>#sn_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
</Pair>
<Pair>
<key>highlight</key>
<styleUrl>#sh_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
</Pair>
</StyleMap>
<Placemark>
<name>1947</name>
<styleUrl>#msn_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>

Changed this line
<name>1947.kml</name>

to this
<name>1948.kml</name>

I also changed this line from
<name>1947</name>

to this
<name>1948</name>


I copied (CTRL +C) the footer info from "<" just befopre the "/coordinates" to the end of the file

</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

I placed this data block between the ">" in the header and the "<" in the footer.
-
114.1288072117104,47.72587482352911,0 -
114.0964066741955,47.75758449025563,0 -
114.0980285119653,47.78601137055551,0 -
114.1302605063532,47.90049529541587,0

Here is the complete Routes1948.kml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2" xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<Document>
<name>1948.kml</name>
<Style id="sh_ylw-pushpin">
<IconStyle>
<scale>1.3</scale>
<Icon>
<href>http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/kml/pushpin/ylw-pushpin.png</href>
</Icon>
<hotSpot x="20" y="2" xunits="pixels" yunits="pixels"/>
</IconStyle>
</Style>
<Style id="sn_ylw-pushpin">
<IconStyle>
<scale>1.1</scale>
<Icon>
<href>http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/kml/pushpin/ylw-pushpin.png</href>
</Icon>
<hotSpot x="20" y="2" xunits="pixels" yunits="pixels"/>
</IconStyle>
</Style>
<StyleMap id="msn_ylw-pushpin">
<Pair>
<key>normal</key>
<styleUrl>#sn_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
</Pair>
<Pair>
<key>highlight</key>
<styleUrl>#sh_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
</Pair>
</StyleMap>
<Placemark>
<name>1948</name>
<styleUrl>#msn_ylw-pushpin</styleUrl>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates> -114.1288072117104,47.72587482352911,0 -
114.0964066741955,47.75758449025563,0 -
114.0980285119653,47.78601137055551,0 -
114.1302605063532,47.90049529541587,0
</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

Now here is thee really weird part. This file actually worked this morning, but the latitudes were too close to the helipads. I changed them (Just the latitudes) about 100 yards (to what you see here). Now the file doesn't show traffic. Traffic1947.bgl works fine. While Traffic1948.bgl does not.

I've struggled with this simple (4 point) boat plan for almost a week. and it aoppears that i haven't made any progress. Any advice, hints, tips anything would be greatly appreciated.

 

[markself]

Still no go

ALain152 & Tejal:
Thank you for your suggestions. As you can see from my previous reply, I did change the names in Routes148.kml. ALain152, I was confused when you suggested changing the AC# to 1, but when Tejal reiterated the suggestion and nothing else worked I gave it a try just now. It didn't work either.
I would very much like to create other boat plans, but it's so hard to check them out that I don't want to put all the work into them and not know whether they didn't work or I just couldn't find the boat.
I'm wiling to try the "Routes.csv" file method, but can't find the proper SDK. I looked through the Environment SDK and could find no mention of this file type. Was I looking in the right place, or did I just miss it? As I mentioned in a previous post, I tried to duplicate the format as shown in AIBTC's documentation, but AIBTC gave me an error.
AIBTC is the only boat traffic tool that I can find. Do either of you gentlemen know of other boat traffic tools? And thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[ALain152]

Of course you can refer to SDK...

 

[GHD]

It sort of works, but you have set a very tight schedule.

Starting at the south end of the track at 19:01, it doesn't reach the north end until 19:36 which is later than the start of the return journey.







I have attached the file set which generated the above pics.

 

[GHD]

It returns to the start point at 20:09 so it is getting further off-schedule.

You would do better by making it a 2 hour repeat.

 

[ALain152]

Well, I merged and compiled your files. It works fine.
Feel free to analyse sources and doublecheck your boat traffic slider is full right in FSX config panel...

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

No.Aibtc work in "someway", I have not got the hang of all this yet but I have success placing traffic, there are routes that don't work and don't know why, but more or less you will be knowing what routes work and what not always look at the time schedules, and all will go well. above all don't give up because is cool to get your own ships in fsx.

 

[markself]

Eureka!! Boats are moving and visible

ALain152, Golf_HotelDelta & Tejal:
Thank you guys so much. It appears to be working just fine now. Now after a full week of fighting this demon, I can finally get back to flying.
It seems that Google Earth really makes a mess of the .kml file header. I'm not familiar with the .xml coding to be able to clean up the header/footer from the Googlized .kml. Golf_HotelDelta the Routes_Mark.kml file that you sent was so clean and organized that I created a "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml" file. Here's what it looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<name>File created with kml.KMLWriter</name>
<Placemark>
<name>1948</name> <<--- Change name
<Style>
<LineStyle>
<color>ff0000ff</color>
<width>2</width>
</LineStyle>
</Style>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>

------- DATA -------

</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

Now you can use Google Earth by creating a path with a very nice point & click interface. Go into that file, copy the data points and insert them into the "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml". Be sure to change the name and remove "<<--- Change name" and "------- DATA -------". You should be ready to compile. I used the "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml" several times and it worked beautifully.

P.S. I followed the instructions in the SDK to enable the Traffic Toolbox. But, it said that iot had to be started via a "DOS prompt". I can bring up the window, but I don't know enogh DOS to be able to intialize the Traffic Toolbox. Could you please give me that info. I couldn't find it in the SDK

 

[GHD]

P.S. I followed the instructions in the SDK to enable the Traffic Toolbox. But, it said that iot had to be started via a "DOS prompt". I can bring up the window, but I don't know enogh DOS to be able to intialize the Traffic Toolbox. Could you please give me that info. I couldn't find it in the SDK

Traffic Toolbox is started by an FSX menu item. You will need to edit the dll.xml which is in the same directory as FSX.CFG and set disabled false:

<Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
    [B][COLOR="Red"]<Disabled>False</Disabled>[/COLOR][/B]
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>F:\FSXSDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>

 

[GaryGB]

ALain152, Golf_HotelDelta & Tejal:
Thank you guys so much. It appears to be working just fine now. Now after a full week of fighting this demon, I can finally get back to flying.
It seems that Google Earth really makes a mess of the .kml file header. I'm not familiar with the .xml coding to be able to clean up the header/footer from the Googlized .kml. Golf_HotelDelta the Routes_Mark.kml file that you sent was so clean and organized that I created a "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml" file. Here's what it looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<name>File created with kml.KMLWriter</name>
<Placemark>
<name>1948</name> <<--- Change name
<Style>
<LineStyle>
<color>ff0000ff</color>
<width>2</width>
</LineStyle>
</Style>
<LineString>
<tessellate>1</tessellate>
<coordinates>

------- DATA -------

</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

Now you can use Google Earth by creating a path with a very nice point & click interface. Go into that file, copy the data points and insert them into the "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml". Be sure to change the name and remove "<<--- Change name" and "------- DATA -------". You should be ready to compile. I used the "MASTER_KML_File_Header-Footer.kml" several times and it worked beautifully.

P.S. I followed the instructions in the SDK to enable the Traffic Toolbox. But, it said that iot had to be started via a "DOS prompt". I can bring up the window, but I don't know enogh DOS to be able to intialize the Traffic Toolbox. Could you please give me that info. I couldn't find it in the SDK

Hello:

Thanks for sharing your discoveries as you solved the KML and AIBTC input file problems.


BTW: I'm curious if the above described issue with Google Earth *.KML file formatting is the same as that which is fixed by use of "PreFSXKML" ?

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showpost.php?p=235281&postcount=25


PS: Glad your boat traffic is working properly now !

GaryGB

 

[notned_247]

This all seems an extremely complicated way to see a ship in FSX.

How i do things.
Start FS go to start of route in slew mode
Start AFCAD/AFX add coordinates to show position in FS
Start with a parking spot then plot your course
End the route with a hold short node,make sure they are all connected
Save to desktop as any name but must be an AF2 file
Open it with Make Track and save as KML file
Click or open with google maps you should see your route
""SAVE TO MY PLACES"" in google
Now rename as 1600 and ""SAVE PLACE AS"" a KML file
You now have your route
3 files
Routes_my canoe
Boats_my canoe(adjust vessel here)
Plans_my canoe(adjust time here)
Use AITBC to make your traffic then add to FS

Hope this helps,all info was obtained from FSDeveloper's members.

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

What is "Make track" ?, very smart solution, but ... I think is much more simple even. I know people use Afcad to control better the ship but I see Aibtc as a usefull tool.whay do you use both tools?
What I do, go to google earth, make a path for you kml file, rename the kml, make the three text files and compile. people are saying that there are compatibility problem with google kml and Aibtc, don't know, never had a issue with that.Maybe, the last route I made could be one month ago.

 

[notned_247]

What is "Make track" ?, very smart solution, but ... I think is much more simple even. I know people use Afcad to control better the ship but I see Aibtc as a usefull tool.whay do you use both tools?
What I do, go to google earth, make a path for you kml file, rename the kml, make the three text files and compile. people are saying that there are compatibility problem with google kml and Aibtc, don't know, never had a issue with that.Maybe, the last route I made could be one month ago.

With making track first in AFCAD/AFX you can make very accurate tracks very close to the dock/shore.
I have found that google isn't that accurate if you want vessels to dock.
Make track converts AFCADS/AFX planned routes into a KML file to see it in google then export the route as normal.