Hi Kevin,
“Autopilotâ€, as used in Extremes, is often miss-interpreted to mean something that is switched on to hold the ship on a constant heading. It is not.
The autopilot in SSE is nearly the same thing as AI—AI ships do not follow tracks as they did in SS2008, but find their way to a single goal while avoiding land, shallow water, and other obstacles. A player ship running under autopilot is, effectively, an AI ship moving toward a predefined goal.
As vin_sun’s reference points out, that goal, or series of goals, is established in the full-screen chart. There are certain restrictions concerning engaging the autopilot under conditions where it might be dangerous. You cannot remain in autopilot mode if you leave the full-screen chart.
It is possible to ride an AI ship under autopilot as a passenger—I once posted an example that allows you to ride Cutter under autopilot (AI) from near the Isle of Wight up to Southampton. It is done by boarding a Player ship and then having the player ship converted to an AI ship with a single goal at Southampton.
The Mission Editor Notes explain how to do that.
Regards,
Marty