How do I install AI ship traffic in FSX or Prepar3D?

To install AI ship and boat traffic in FSX or Prepar3D, copy the supplied vessel SimObjects, effects and sounds into the matching simulator folders, then place the route or traffic BGL in an active scenery folder. Enable “Ships and ferries”; vessel models by themselves do not create scheduled traffic.

What files does AI ship traffic need?

A working AI ship package needs both the vessel models and traffic instructions that tell the simulator where and when to use them.

Installing only the SimObjects gives you a vessel library but no scheduled movement. Installing only the traffic BGL leaves the simulator searching for models that are not present. Our full global AI ship package example shows how these components fit together in a large installation.

Installation steps for FSX and Prepar3D

The safest method is to extract the download into a temporary folder, inspect its directory structure, and copy each supplied component to the corresponding simulator location.

1. Read the package instructions. Some downloads are self-contained scenery packages; others expect files to be merged into existing simulator folders. Back up any file the installer asks you to replace.
2. Locate the correct simulator root. For FSX, this is the folder containing fsx.exe; for Prepar3D, it contains Prepar3D.exe. Boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition have the same internal folder structure, but their installation roots differ.
3. Install the vessel folders. Copy each complete vessel directory into SimObjects\Boats. The finished structure should resemble SimObjects\Boats\VesselName\sim.cfg, not SimObjects\Boats\Boats\VesselName. Do not change the vessel’s title= value because the traffic BGL may reference it exactly.
4. Copy supporting files. Merge supplied Effects, Sound and texture folders with the matching simulator folders. Merge their contents; never replace an entire existing simulator folder.
5. Install the traffic BGL once. Follow the package’s stated destination. A common location is Scenery\World\Scenery, although a dedicated folder containing a scenery subfolder is easier to disable or remove later.
6. Activate dedicated scenery. If the package uses its own scenery folder, add and enable its parent folder in the scenery library. Prepar3D packages supplied with an add-on.xml should be enabled through that package system instead of also being copied into the simulator core.
7. Set traffic density for testing. Open the simulator’s traffic settings and raise Ships and ferries to 100 per cent for the first test. The separate Leisure boats setting controls autogenerated small craft and normally does not replace the scheduled traffic used by AI ship packages.
8. Restart and test the documented route. Load the location, date and time stated by the package author. Scheduled vessels may be elsewhere on their route if you test at an arbitrary port or time.

Once the ships appear, reduce the Ships and ferries setting to a level that suits your system. Large global packages can place many active vessels, wakes and lighting effects around busy areas, so maximum density is best used as a diagnostic setting rather than an automatic default.

Where should the AI traffic BGL go?

The traffic BGL belongs in a scenery folder that FSX or Prepar3D actively scans, not inside SimObjects\Boats.

If the instructions specify Scenery\World\Scenery, use that location. If the download arrives as a dedicated add-on with its own scenery subfolder, keep that structure and activate the parent package through the scenery library or Prepar3D add-on system. Both methods work, but the dedicated-package method is easier to troubleshoot and uninstall.

Keep only one active copy of each traffic BGL. Copying the same file into several scenery areas can produce duplicate ships, overlapping routes or confusing results after an update.

Why are AI ships not showing in FSX or Prepar3D?

Missing AI ships are usually caused by an inactive traffic BGL, incorrect folder nesting, a missing vessel dependency or testing the wrong place and time.

• Check Ships and ferries: set it to 100 per cent temporarily. A low density setting may exclude routes compiled with a higher traffic threshold.
• Inspect the folder depth: every installed vessel folder should contain its own sim.cfg, model and texture folders without an extra unwanted directory level.
• Confirm all dependencies: regional traffic packages often use vessels from a separate model library. The route BGL cannot substitute another boat if the referenced title= entry is missing.
• Verify scenery activation: a BGL inside an unregistered add-on folder will not load. Restart the simulator after enabling or changing traffic scenery.
• Use the stated schedule: ships do not necessarily remain at the departure port. Test near a documented route at the package’s suggested time.
• Remove only documented conflicts: an older or duplicate traffic BGL can produce duplicate vessels or route conflicts. Do not delete default traffic files at random. The regional Cook Strait traffic example demonstrates the dependency and conflicting-file checks some packages require.
• Check the target simulator: if FSX and Prepar3D are installed side by side, each needs access to the required models, effects and traffic BGL. Files installed in one simulator are not automatically available to the other.

Can FSX boat traffic be used in Prepar3D?

Many FSX AI ship packages can work in Prepar3D because they use similar SimObject and traffic-BGL structures, but compatibility depends on the vessel models, effects and the Prepar3D version.

A traffic BGL may load while an old or unsupported model remains invisible. Prefer a Prepar3D-compatible release when one is provided, preserve the package’s folder structure, and use add-on.xml when the download includes it. Do not install both an external Prepar3D package and a second direct-copy version of the same traffic.

Creating or editing AI ship routes

Custom routes require a boat traffic compiler rather than ordinary scenery placement tools.

You define the vessel reference, route waypoints and schedule, then compile the project into a traffic BGL and place it in an active scenery folder. Our boat-route compiler and workflow covers that process. Keep the editable source project outside the simulator so you can revise schedules without trying to reverse-engineer the compiled BGL.