Auto-Pilot settings

[Experimentational]

A few Technical Questions - I hope this is the correct forum for this:

Does anyone know - Who is responsible for setting the auto-pilot (is it some kind of techician)?
Is the setting-up of the Auto-Pilot dependant on the forecasted weather plan and/or the proposed traffic plan, at the outset of a journey?
Does Auto-Pilot "read" the traffic around the craft via satellite or via some other type of object?

Many thanks in advance.

[dusk2dawn]

The pilot(s) operate the autopilot(s).

A degree of strategic planning may be used in the set-up when the aircraft is equipped with a programmable Flight Management Computer.

Information about the surrounding traffic may be read of a TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) but is not fed into autopilot.

Now, please use
Spectators Balcony (Spotters Corner) - PPRuNe Forums (http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner-52/)
for your next question.

[SFCC]

dusk2dawn has summed up reasonably but is slightly incorrect about the TCAS/Autopilot functionality.
Granted, it is a fairly recent (2009) concept, but Airbus now have EASA approved Autopilot flown TCAS capability in their newer aeroplanes.

I'm not being pedantic, as I think other manufacturers will soon follow suit.