Getting AI to follow you down the taxiway (edited)

[OneGunnerUnder]

So I have three AI aircraft in my squadron and I am the flight lead. I command them to start their engines and then I start mine. Once I taxi to the runway they don't follow me. They just remain still with their engines running. I've found that the only way to get them to taxi is to use "autopilot" so that my entire squadron follows the predetermined taxi way points. I would rather not use autopilot, because then I don't get the satisfaction of starting my own engines and taxiing the aircraft myself.

 

Does anyone know if there is a fix for this? Or if perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by OneGunnerUnder
edited for clarity

[352nd_Wheels]

Just like telling them to start their engines they are waiting for a command from you to begin following you. Use the Squadron > Tactical > Rejoin command @OneGunnerUnder and all flights that are attached to your flight should begin to follow you. You can also choose a specific flight Red, White, Blue, Green Flight > Tactical > Rejoin if you want to make sure one flight is cleared before ordering another one to follow you. If there are multiple flights they must be attached to the first NORMFLY waypoint of the lead flight or they will just ignore the commands even though their radio responses confirm that they will comply.

 

It has been quite some time since I did this and I think they followed me while I was taxiing but you may have to takeoff before they start to move, and it may take giving the order more than once before they do follow?

 

Wheels

[Hoss]

I know on Rhineland Interactive playground, you start your engine and taxi to a certain point and the AI get a trigger somehow to follow and stay with you during your flight.  If you wanted to go solo you don't follow the taxi instructions.  So you should ask who ever did Kuban/Rhineland Interactive Playground. 

 

Cheers & Good luck

[352nd_Wheels]

I never thought this question may be in the incorrect forum @352nd_Hoss. My answer applies to 1946.

 

Wheels

[Hoss]

Oh heck, 1946 is easy, you need to assign them as your flight, they will follow you.  It's been a long time since I built missions in IL2 1946, but it's easy to do.  You can also make the rest of your flight follow you too, planes 5-8, 9-12...  Find a mission on Mission for Tonight, built with 1946 and take a look at it in FMB and you will see what they did. the ones I have on there are built with HSFX.  They are under the name BeoWolf...........  long time ago in a land far far away.. with that old name.

 

Hoss

Edited September 7, 2021 by 352nd_Hoss

[352nd_Wheels]

Lol, Well one of us is correct and at this point you have me so unsure of myself that I am definitely not insinuating it is me. Either the AI planes will follow you after you start to move if their engines are running when using the Taxi to Takeoff feature or you need to tell them to rejoin before they move.

 

I use a Stock version and HSFX 7.03 too.

 

352nd_Wheels

[Hoss]

I can't remember what the name of the command is in the FMB but you physically take your mouse and click on then and bind them to you, you can do that for each of the flights by attaching the leader of each group to you........... I used to make up huge flights of bombers and they would all stay in formation with the leader, and I only built waypoints for the lead aircraft after about the third waypoint of their mission.  I just wish this "mission editor" was as easy to use as the 1946 version. I remember I only made waypoints for me on Taxi to take off and bound my flight to me, so they followed me wherever I went in taxi and flight.  I bound the leader of the next flight to me and his flight to him. 

 

Hoss

Edited September 8, 2021 by 352nd_Hoss

[352nd_Wheels]

6 minutes ago, 352nd_Hoss said:

I just wish this "mission editor" was as easy to use as the 1946 version. 

 

 

I definitely agree with you on that point. I do not even attempt to make missions in GB anymore. Glad Deacon is still plugging away at making them or it would make for some pretty repetitive evenings when we fly on the server.

 

16 minutes ago, 352nd_Hoss said:

I can't remember what the name of the command is in the FMB but you physically take your mouse and click on then and bind them to you, you can do that for each of the flights by attaching the leader of each group to you...........

 

 

You use the Set button in the Waypoint Tab to attach the flights to one another.

 

Wheels

[Hoss]

It's been so long since I've even seen that go to Mission for tonight and find some of my old missions since you are running HSFX and just look at how I set things up. 

 

Hoss

[OneGunnerUnder]

On 9/7/2021 at 9:15 PM, wheelsup_cavu said:

You use the Set button in the Waypoint Tab to attach the flights to one another.

Wheels

Just writing to confirm I tested it and it works, thanks so much! This is the step I was missing.

 

Here are all the steps I used in case someone else wants to try this:

 

1) Choose aircraft, under waypoint select "takeoff"

2) Under waypoint options, select "taxi to takeoff"

3) Set all of the taxi waypoints leading to the airstrip, then change waypoint to "normfly"

4) Under properties, select 2, 3, or 4 planes (for AI)

5) Under plane 1, select "player"

6) For every other plane, set the spawn point to the first taxi waypoint.

7) Under waypoint options, set spacing to 50 meters otherwise the planes will spawn nearly on top of each other!

 

* edit

 

I did have to tell the AI to "rejoin." If you tell them to rejoin before you start your engines, they will follow you more closely once you begin to taxi.

 

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by OneGunnerUnder
Edited for clarity

[352nd_Wheels]

On 9/12/2021 at 9:56 AM, OneGunnerUnder said:

7) Under waypoint options, set spacing to 50 meters otherwise the planes will spawn nearly on top of each other!

 

* edit

 

I did have to tell the AI to "rejoin." If you tell them to rejoin before you start your engines, they will follow you more closely once you begin to taxi.

 

 

50 meters works for almost all aircraft except the Me-321 , Me-323, and I think the B-29 require at least 60 meters to keep from hitting wingtips. There may be more that require such a large spacing so you will just have to test them as you go. Several of the fighters would get along just fine with 30 meters in spacing.

 

Glad to here the Rejoin command worked for you, and also to know that you want to have them to start their engines before giving it.

 

Wheels