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FS Birds Frequently Asked Questions:
How often will I see birds with FS Birds installed?
Please keep in mind the design of the product is to replicate how often you would see birds in real-world flying, so you may see only a few birds one flight or you may see multiple birds the next flight. Also, you will be much more likely to encounter birds if flying at low altitudes, just like in the real world.
What settings affect the display of birds?
The only display settings that have an affect on the display of FS Birds is the "Object Level of Detail" and "Render Resolution" sliders in the MSFS display settings.
Why can I not see any birds around an area that has a 3rd party airport add-on?
Many payware and freeware 3rd party airport add-ons use an exclusion zone in their products. This exclusion zone will exclude FS Birds if the loading priority of FS Birds is lower than the 3rd party airport. To resolve this, first uninstall FS Birds. Next, ensure MSFS is not running, and delete the "Content.xml" file found at Drive:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache. Now, re-install FS Birds. Finally, open the community folder (or the official, onestore folder if purchased from the in-game marketplace) (Drive:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community, find the FS Birds folder, and rename it by adding the letter "z" to the beginning, such as "zsouthoakco-fsbirdswus". This allows FS Birds to be loaded at a higher priority, reverse alphabetically. Now start MSFS and you should see the birds at that conflicting 3rd party airport.
I have installed FS Birds, why I am not seeing any birds?
First, please ensure that you are loading in the correct region that is covered by the FS Birds package that you have installed. Next, please verify that that in your Flight Simulator content manager, FS Birds shows as being installed. If it is not, please re-install. Rest assured, the birds are visible frequently, especially near the ground (like most birds in the real world). Each bird model is in an animated loop that flies in various directions around that center point. Some animation loops are as large as one mile, so looking for the birds at the center point of that loop is not the most likely spot to see the birds. Additionally, you can find the birds animation center point in game via the following method (PDF file with how-to pictures, click here): 1.Enable developer mode in the game. 2.Enable the debug model LODs via the developer mode. 3.Use the drone camera to move towards the LODS that appear in the air. You should be able to see "Floating" LODS in the air, which is where the center of the bird animation is. The birds should be nearby. Start by looking near any runway end, there should be birds nearby every runway threshold in the package. If you have a 3rd party airport covering the area in which you do not see the birds, please see the topic above.
Traffic in Sight Frequently Asked Questions:
Where will I see Traffic?
Helicopters will be found more often in urban areas, while coast guard helicopters will be found near coast lines. Glider type aircraft and hot air balloons will more often be seen in rural areas. Traffic (except for drones) is excluded from within an approximately 2 mile radius of every runway end.
What settings affect the display of Traffic in Sight?
The only display settings that have an affect on the display of traffic is the "Object Level of Detail" and "Render Resolution" sliders in the MSFS display settings. The AI Traffic setting does not affect Traffic in Sight.
Why can I not see any traffic around an area that has a 3rd party airport add-on?
Many payware and freeware 3rd party airport add-ons use an exclusion zone in their products. This exclusion zone will exclude traffic if the loading priority of Traffic in Sight is lower than the 3rd party airport. To resolve this, first uninstall Traffic in Sight. Next, ensure MSFS is not running, and delete the "Content.xml" file found at Drive:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache. Now, re-install Traffic in Sight. Finally, open the community folder (or the official, onestore folder if purchased from the in-game marketplace) (Drive:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community, find the Traffic in Sight folder, and rename it by adding the letter "z" to the beginning, such as "zsouthoakco-tisneus". This allows Traffic in Sight to be loaded at a higher priority, reverse alphabetically. Now start MSFS and you should see the traffic near the conflicting 3rd party airport.
I have installed Traffic in Sight, why I am not seeing any traffic?
First, please ensure that you are loading in the correct region that is covered by the Traffic in Sight package that you have installed. Next, please verify that that in your Flight Simulator content manager, Traffic in Sight shows as being installed. If it is not, please re-install. Each traffic model is in an animated loop that flies in various directions around that center point. Some animation loops are as large as 3 miles, so looking for the traffic at the center point of that loop is not the most likely spot to see the traffic. Additionally, you can find the birds animation center point in game via the following method (PDF file with how-to pictures, click here): 1.Enable developer mode in the game. 2.Enable the debug model LODs via the developer mode. 3.Use the drone camera to move towards the LODS that appear in the air. You should be able to see "Floating" LODS in the air, which is where the center of the traffic animation is. The traffic should be nearby. If you have a 3rd party airport covering the area in which you do not see the birds, please see the topic above.