TopSky plugin 2.2.1 beta 13

[Juha Holopainen]

Beta 13 is available (attached)

Main changes from beta 12:

• Bug fixes to Maps data file loading (shouldn't complain about multiple ACTIVE lines anymore)
• Bug fix to DSQ code (prevents a CTD so either use this version or don't use DSQ)
• Change to how disconnected tracks' data is saved, now re-applying/assuming works at least in my test setup
• Route draw toggle code adjusted
• Plugin update check URL changed (in all older versions the update check will start failing at some point in August as the previous URL will stop working)

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Juha Holopainen

[Jan Doehring (1356262)]

Thanks for another great update, Juha!

 

22 hours ago, Juha Holopainen said:

Route draw toggle code adjusted

Can you maybe elaborate a little bit on what this means for us? I recall that you mentioned something about the refreshing of the radar  and the route disappearing?

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

11 hours ago, Jan Doehring said:

Thanks for another great update, Juha!

 

Can you maybe elaborate a little bit on what this means for us? I recall that you mentioned something about the refreshing of the radar  and the route disappearing?

My guess would be this:

 

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

Hi,

I'm currently seeing some strange behaviour. I recently switched back to Easy Vatsim Mode in Euroscope and since this point I see conflicts in the CARD Window originating from aircraft still on the ground (this is MUC52T and CFLGMK, both sitting on the ground at EDMM).

I didn't touch the MTCD settings in this regard, so I'd expect that there won't be any alert within 20 NM of departure and destination airport. "Assume Aircraft on the ground as stand by" is selected in ES.

Second alert (EZS and SWR) is between two aircraft still on the ground in LSZH.

Later on, all these aircraft were on the ground:

Is this a bug in Topsky or some setting on my end?

Oliver

Edited July 11, 2020 by Oliver Gruetzmann

[Juha Holopainen]

@Jan Doehring The flight leg timer for tracks without a displayed track label is now refreshed based on a specific list tag item for that flight being visible in any list. By default it’s refreshing the timer whenever the “list callsign” item for that flight is shown, but there’s a setting that can be adjusted if your lists do not contain that tag item for some reason.

@Oliver Gruetzmann Based on the information so far on the MTCD issue I do not see a bug. An alert within the defined dep and arr distances would be a bug but the picture doesn’t show the departure airport area. Tracks still within the dep inhibit distance are not inhibited from MTCD processing, it’s just that the first point down the route where a conflict should be displayed is on the edge of the dep inhibit area. Whether a track is eligible for MTCD processing while still on the ground depends on many things and apparently in your case changing to easy mode made a difference.

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

On 15/07/2020 at 13:21, Juha Holopainen said:

@Jan Doehring The flight leg timer for tracks without a displayed track label is now refreshed based on a specific list tag item for that flight being visible in any list. By default it’s refreshing the timer whenever the “list callsign” item for that flight is shown, but there’s a setting that can be adjusted if your lists do not contain that tag item for some reason.

@Oliver Gruetzmann Based on the information so far on the MTCD issue I do not see a bug. An alert within the defined dep and arr distances would be a bug but the picture doesn’t show the departure airport area. Tracks still within the dep inhibit distance are not inhibited from MTCD processing, it’s just that the first point down the route where a conflict should be displayed is on the edge of the dep inhibit area. Whether a track is eligible for MTCD processing while still on the ground depends on many things and apparently in your case changing to easy mode made a difference.

Any chance to get a filter for aicraft sitting at the gate? I've had some situations where the whole display was filled with "conflicts" somewhere (LOWI, LSZH, EDDM) and not usable at all.

Wish I could use pro mode, but with many neigbours not using it, some assigning code 1000 to roughly every plane, regardless of the equipment code... It's simply not possible to control sectors with heavy traffic load if the neighbours don't simulate the same way.

[Juha Holopainen]

On 17/07/2020 at 21:21, Oliver Gruetzmann said:

Any chance to get a filter for aicraft sitting at the gate? I've had some situations where the whole display was filled with "conflicts" somewhere (LOWI, LSZH, EDDM) and not usable at all.

Wish I could use pro mode, but with many neigbours not using it, some assigning code 1000 to roughly every plane, regardless of the equipment code... It's simply not possible to control sectors with heavy traffic load if the neighbours don't simulate the same way.

A filter that does something like that is possible, and will probably be added at some point but likely not in the next release as the plan is to publish the release version as soon as people stop finding bugs in the beta.

Have you (your VACC, that is) ever tried to find out why the 1000 code gets assigned too much? It may just be some sort of a plugin or EuroScope configuration issue which might be easily solved. Failing to assign a proper discrete code on the other hand is probably a training issue which is more difficult to fix in the short term, but maybe worth a chat between the respective staffs anyway.

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

On 19/07/2020 at 13:49, Juha Holopainen said:

Have you (your VACC, that is) ever tried to find out why the 1000 code gets assigned too much? It may just be some sort of a plugin or EuroScope configuration issue which might be easily solved. Failing to assign a proper discrete code on the other hand is probably a training issue which is more difficult to fix in the short term, but maybe worth a chat between the respective staffs anyway.

I don't think so, but I don't see any good argument against this. After all, Vatsim does not support mode S and we are still using the ancient equipment codes the FAA allows for domestic flights, which don't tell anything about mode S capability. Other FIRs, I totally understand what they are doing. Every IFR flight (with very few exceptions) in the European SES airspace is required to carry a mode S transponder, so in our direction of flight, it is code 1000. On the grounds, it's sometimes hard to keep track of who got a code 1000 assigned and who just had it set with EuroScope silently accepting it, showing 1000 as ASSR (which happens with the option "accept pilot squawk" set to on). Simply happens, especially when it gets crowded on the Apron.

I really don't see any good way out of it, except for Vatsim implementing ICAO style flight plans an putting out guidelines about mode S. And I don't really see this as a training issue, as long as we don't have a network wide solution. It's simply getting too much currently to deal with the current mode S situation in a busy sector

 

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

Found (most likely) a bug in the route plotting via lists:

Works for me in the departure list, also in the other lists if the aircraft are filtered by a level filter.

For aircraft visible to me, I cannot toggle the display via a list item, only from the label. I've got this confirmed by another controller, but maybe someone else can also check this. Try to toggle the route draw from a list for a visible aircraft. If it doesn't work, filter via a topsky level filter and try again.

Also seems to work for simulated targets outside the own vis range.

[Marvin Juzwiak (1422009)]

On 09/07/2020 at 16:45, Juha Holopainen said:

Bug fixes to Maps data file loading (shouldn't complain about multiple ACTIVE lines anymore)

Plugin status outputs this:

Consequently, delegated sectors depending on runway configuration are not showing up automatically anymore.

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

3 hours ago, Marvin Juzwiak said:

Plugin status outputs this:

Consequently, delegated sectors depending on runway configuration are not showing up automatically anymore.

Maps with ACTIVE line automatically go to the AUTO folder and shouldn't have a FOLDER entry.

[Marvin Juzwiak (1422009)]

31 minutes ago, Oliver Gruetzmann said:

Maps with ACTIVE line automatically go to the AUTO folder and shouldn't have a FOLDER entry.

Most of the entries with one or more ACTIVE lines in our files is connected to a folder (as seen below). Simply deleting the FOLDER line fixes it, thanks for the clarification.
   

[Juha Holopainen]

On 25/07/2020 at 20:12, Oliver Gruetzmann said:

Found (most likely) a bug in the route plotting via lists:

Works for me in the departure list, also in the other lists if the aircraft are filtered by a level filter.

For aircraft visible to me, I cannot toggle the display via a list item, only from the label. I've got this confirmed by another controller, but maybe someone else can also check this. Try to toggle the route draw from a list for a visible aircraft. If it doesn't work, filter via a topsky level filter and try again.

Also seems to work for simulated targets outside the own vis range.

At least I have no issues with displaying flight legs from list items. Like the one displayed from the track label, it will be removed once the mouse cursor leaves the flight's list row if the track label is visible. A separate function that doesn't automatically remove the flight leg from display in that case will be available on the next version.