Aircraft on replay not visible as moving on MP.

[Vodoun da Vinci]

In the past I have flown multiple instances of FGFS (in 2.0.0 and before) with one instance on replay. I’d fly a sequence and then put it on replay and then launch another instance and capture video of the 1st instance from another aircraft. This was done over MP and worked very well.

I tried to do the same yesterday with FGFS 2.4.0 and the first instance window shows the aircraft happily flying on a replay sequence but when observed by the second aircraft over MP the aircraft is frozen in time and space. Other MP pilots also saw the aircraft on replay as being stationary - it is visible but it is motionless.

Apparently the replay function is not visible in FGFS 2.4.0 over MP. Does anyone know how to make it visible perhaps thru a menu setting?

Or is this feature not supported in FGFS 2.4.0?

Thanks in advance!

VooDoo

[Tuxklok]

Or is this feature not supported in FGFS 2.4.0?

Yes. In 2.4 replays are no longer broad casted over multi player. Next version will have the new and improved replay system and I should again allow replay over multi player, but will be disabled by default to avoid unintentionally annoying others.

cheers

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Thank you for your complete and expedient answer, 'Tux!!

VooDoo

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Next question: Is there any way in 2.4.0 to fly a complex series of aerobatic maneuvers and then replay/record the flight so that it *can* be replayed over MP in a seperate instance and seen? I have used the Route Manager to construct flights for a tanker so that multiple aircraft can track and refuel over MP...can this or some other method be used to record a run thru the "Mach Loop" such that it can be played at will in an instance of FGFS running over MP?

Sorry...I need this functionality and I'm impatient for the next release which will (hopefully) give my replay over MP functionality back to me.

Thanks in advance for the help!

VooDoo

[zakalawe]

I think what you want here is a scripted AI scenario that does the tanker movements - it won't be as easy as recording flight data using the replay system, but then each MP client can load the same AI scenario and see the same tanker movements. Although, hmm, probably not synchronise.

What you really want is an 'AI MP client', which looks like a client to the MP network, but is simply a very small program that plays back a recorded flight. Such a thing could be written in Python or Perl, I expect, but it doesn't exist already, as far as I know.

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Jano has suggested I try using this technique:

http://wiki.flightgear.org/Suggested_Prerecorded_Flights

It looks a little daunting to a user like myself without extensive familiarity with using "command line" functions but I'll have to try it/learn how to make it work for me. In your opinion, Zakalawe, will this provide the necessary functionality? I really need to be able to replay an exact flight as the maneuvers will not be gentle/easy. Setting up Route Manager to do this I do not believe is possible.

Thanks in advance

VooDoo

[Tuxklok]

What you really want is an 'AI MP client', which looks like a client to the MP network, but is simply a very small program that plays back a recorded flight. Such a thing could be written in Python or Perl, I expect, but it doesn't exist already, as far as I know.

I actually had a python program I hacked together to do this. It acted as a proxy to the mp server and saved outgoing mp packets to a file before forwarding them to the mp server. Then it could later 'replay' the flight over mp by resending those packets to the mp server. It worked ok, and I had intended to refine it for public consumption but got busy and never did get back to it.

cheers

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Wow, Tux. This sounds just like what I and my group need!

My desire is to fly various target aircraft or a drone thru significant terrain that I have scouted in various areas of the world...not a leisurely flight. More like a fighter flying low and following the terrain thru various difficult areas for another aircraft to track and target it. The idea (I used to be able to do this via the replay feature no longer supported in 2.4.0) was to replay the flight repeatedly over one instance running on my computer over MP. These long running replays were always done in remote areas and not over highly MP populated airspaces to avoid "getting in someones hair" or making a nuisance.

I could then fire up a second instance and myself and sometimes several other MP pilots would chase the Target Drone while enjoying the difficulty and beauty of the various terrains. Lots of fun while learning skills. I have a growing group over at FGUK that would enjoy this kind of thing tremendously while flying thru areas of Wales and Ireland as well as thru significant terrain around Mono Lake and the surrounding mountains in California.

Tuxklok, is your program able to be operated by a newbie or does it require a significant amount of programming skills and being adept at code manipulation? And are you willing to share it if it is?

I'd give it a complete and thorough test if I can make it go.

[Tuxklok]

Tuxklok, is your program able to be operated by a newbie or does it require a significant amount of programming skills and being adept at code manipulation? And are you willing to share it if it is?

Does not require any programming skill or anything really. One would just need to have python installed and be comfortable running a program from the command line. Other than that just need to change fgfs mp settings as needed to point to computer running the program.

I can try to dig up the files and see what kind of state things are in, been a while since I touched it and it was never thoroughly tested.

cheers

[Vodoun da Vinci]

I had a look at Python and this is way more complicated than I have time to invest. I'm not comfy or experienced with running a program from the command line. So please don't knock yourself out getting this ready to go as I'm probably not adept enough to make use of it.

I do sincerely appreciate your help and interest - I just think making this go is gonna be more time consuming than I have time resources to exploit.

VooDoo