How to change AI aircraft's behaviour using external programs

[g1235813]

Hi,
I'm trying to inplement a control panel program to simulate communications in a flight formation. The scenario would be something like this: there is an AI wingman always following the player, and keeps a fixed relative position, say,1000 meters behind the player aircraft. Now I want my control panel program(on another computer) can send data via socket to change this wingman's AI, like change the relative position or change the AI from wingman to combat patrol, etc.

I'm studying simDirector and simConnect documentations, but so far I have no clue on how to begin with. For now I think the workflow might be like:
a)Create a scene using simDirector
b)Write a program to receive the data sent fromg control panel,and
c)Using simConnect,Input said data to Prepar3d to change certain parameters of the scene (wingman distance from player, AI behaviour type,...)

Is this workflow correct and recommended for my purpose? And how exactly can I implement part c)?
Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

[JorgenSA]

The thing is, as least as far as my knowledge of AI flight plans go, that AI flight plans are in effect fixed programs that tells the AI aircraft what to do, with no regard to any user-controlled aircraft. The AI aircraft does what the programmed flight plan tells it to do, nothing else.

To change this behavior, you have to exit the simulator, re-program and re-compile the AI flight plan, and then start the simulation again. But - the above rules for AI aircraft still apply.

Now, as I said above, this is as far as my knowledge of AI flight plans go - maybe I should say traditional AI flight plans? If there are any new things possible here, or any workarounds possible, I sure would love to hear about it too!

Jorgen

[g1235813]

The thing is, as least as far as my knowledge of AI flight plans go, that AI flight plans are in effect fixed programs that tells the AI aircraft what to do, with no regard to any user-controlled aircraft. The AI aircraft does what the programmed flight plan tells it to do, nothing else.

To change this behavior, you have to exit the simulator, re-program and re-compile the AI flight plan, and then start the simulation again. But - the above rules for AI aircraft still apply.

Now, as I said above, this is as far as my knowledge of AI flight plans go - maybe I should say traditional AI flight plans? If there are any new things possible here, or any workarounds possible, I sure would love to hear about it too!

Jorgen

Thanks for the reply!
I once made a scene using simDirector, where I put two AI aircraft near the player's aircraft, set their ai type to "wingman", and set some proprties such as leader, distance, direction... And the result being those two AI aircrafts stay formation with player, one always 500 meters above player, and one always 500 meters behind.
This was done in simDirector. What I want now is that my external program can change those properties, like change "wingman" to "combat patrol", change "above" to "ahead", change "500" to "1000", etc. I wander is that possible via simconnect functions?

[JorgenSA]

I think the real question here is if something like what you say can be done "on the fly"?

This is where my lack of SimDirector-knowledge is like a round 0...

Jorgen

[g1235813]

I think the real question here is if something like what you say can be done "on the fly"?

This is where my lack of SimDirector-knowledge is like a round 0...

Jorgen

Yes it has to be on the fly, which is the hardest part...hope I can find a way or some workaround