TopSky plugin 2.5 beta 1

[Juha Holopainen]

Changes from version 2.5:

• See the version history document in the package for a list of the biggest changes...
• Some of the changes users should note are:
  • In the COOPANS setup, all filters except CJI now hide all track components, nothing remains visible (but as before, concerned traffic will not be filtered)
  • In the COOPANS setup, the RTI and TIP functions have changed a bit. The coordinated values are now displayed in the respective label items instead of a dedicated label item usually found on the top row of the label. In the non-COOPANS setup the behavior is the same as before.
  • The Waypoint menu has changed a bit. By default it no longer displays the EuroScope menu to select the point but draws its own point list instead. This allows for better CPDLC functionality but the downside is that setting a direct-to clearance WILL NOT start a coordination with the next controller. The user must know which points would require a coordination, and then right-click a point or use the "Probe" function from the menu. Both actions will open the EuroScope menu to start the coordination.

The most visible changes are to the "plugin type B"/"COOPANS" version, so users of that setup may want to have a closer look at the manuals (as there are now so many changes between the two setups, the whole controller manual set is now split into two to make it easier to read. Sorry, just easier, not any shorter...)

The package contains the plugin dll, some generic data files, cursor files and sounds. The developer part of the documentation contains example sets of track labels and lists that can be used as-is or as a starting point for local customisation. As some setup is required, for most users it's best to wait until a ready-to-use setup is available for their area.

A note to developers: The "Setup" setting is no longer available. If your setup used it, the settings file needs to be adjusted to contain the relevant settings. For reference, the previously available setups and the settings lines that would now have the same effect are listed below (the values of the settings may not represent the currently correct ones):

Spoiler

Setup=DK
========================
Setup_COOPANS=1

Airspace_AOR_Airports=EK
Airspace_AOR_Positions=EK
Airspace_ASSR_StartCode=7301
Airspace_ASSR_EndCode=7377
Airspace_ASSR_APL_StartCode=7301
Airspace_ASSR_APL_EndCode=7377
Airspace_C_Flag=EK,ESGG,ESMS
Airspace_C_No_Flag=EKRN
Airspace_P_Flag=EKCH,ESGG
Airspace_NOTAM_Add=EKDK
Airspace_SIGMET_Areas=EDWW,EGPX,EGTT,EHAA,EKDK,ENOS,ENSV,ESAA

APW_Buffer_Lat_SepLevel=19500

HTTP_SIGMET_Page_Prefix=6443

SAP_Buffer_Lat_SepLevel=19500

STCA_UseCFL=0
STCA_Sep_Lat_SepLevel=19500

WXR_Zoom=4
WXR_Latitude=56
WXR_Latitude_Max=63
WXR_Latitude_Min=51
WXR_Longitude=9
WXR_Longitude_Max=20
WXR_Longitude_Min=-2

Setup=EE
========================
Airspace_AOR_Airports=EE
Airspace_AOR_Positions=EE
Airspace_ASSR_StartCode=6161
Airspace_ASSR_EndCode=6177
Airspace_ASSR_APL_StartCode=6161
Airspace_ASSR_APL_EndCode=6177
Airspace_C_Flag=EETN,EETU,EFHK
Airspace_NOTAM_Add=EETT
Airspace_SIGMET_Areas=EETT,EFIN,ESAA,EVRR,ULLL

HTTP_SIGMET_Page_Prefix=6443,6450

Label_DAPs_Prefix=*
Label_Extended_MaxChars=55
Label_GS_Prefix=•

WXR_Zoom=4
WXR_Latitude=59
WXR_Latitude_Max=64
WXR_Latitude_Min=53.5
WXR_Longitude=24
WXR_Longitude_Max=34
WXR_Longitude_Min=15

Setup=FI
========================
Airspace_AOR_Airports=EF
Airspace_AOR_Positions=EF
Airspace_ASSR_StartCode=6501
Airspace_ASSR_EndCode=6577
Airspace_ASSR_APL_StartCode=6501
Airspace_ASSR_APL_EndCode=6577
Airspace_C_Flag=EF,EEEI,EETN
Airspace_NOTAM_Add=EFIN
Airspace_SIGMET_Areas=EETT,EFIN,ENBD,ESAA,ULLL

HTTP_SIGMET_Page_Prefix=6443,6450

Label_DAPs_Prefix=*
Label_Extended_MaxChars=55
Label_GS_Prefix=•

WXR_Latitude=64
WXR_Latitude_Max=74
WXR_Latitude_Min=55
WXR_Longitude=25
WXR_Longitude_Max=40
WXR_Longitude_Min=10

Setup=SE
========================
Setup_COOPANS=1

Airspace_AOR_Airports=ES
Airspace_AOR_Positions=ES
Airspace_ASSR_StartCode=6001
Airspace_ASSR_EndCode=6077
Airspace_ASSR_APL_StartCode=6001
Airspace_ASSR_APL_EndCode=6077
Airspace_C_Flag=ES,EKCH,EKRN
Airspace_P_Flag=EKCH,ESGG,ESGJ,ESKN,ESKS,ESMS,ESMT,ESNN,ESNQ,ESNU,ESNZ,ESOK,ESPA,ESSA,ESSB,ESSD,ESSV,ESTA
Airspace_NOTAM_Add=ESAA
Airspace_SIGMET_Areas=EDWW,EETT,EFIN,EKDK,ENBD,ENOS,EPWW,ESAA,EVRR,EYVL,UMKK

APW_Buffer_Lat_SepLevel=19500

HTTP_SIGMET_Page_Prefix=6443,6450

SAP_Buffer_Lat_SepLevel=19500

STCA_UseCFL=0
STCA_Sep_Lat_SepLevel=19500

WXR_Latitude=63.5
WXR_Latitude_Max=73
WXR_Latitude_Min=51
WXR_Longitude=15
WXR_Longitude_Max=32
WXR_Longitude_Min=2
 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Juha Holopainen

[Jakob Arne Bronstad (1000634)]

- Holding list does not appear when setting a plane in hold.

- Upper Winds(/Forecast QNH) Window Crashes ES 

[Conor O'Brien]

When configuring approach line spacing in the Settings file;

example:
RwyAppLines_Length=5
RwyAppLines_Markers=4
RwyAppLines_MarkerSpacing=5,

the selected arrival runway approach line does not change.

The selected arrival runway approach line only changes when I go into RWY Line display -> ARR RWL DISPLAY -> off -> select NM on the RWY -> then put ARR RWL Display back to NM. Then the selected arrival runway approach line changes to what I have configured in the settings file.

Could this be a bug?

Edit: The default approach line spacing is set in KM even when RwyAppLines_Auto=1 is included in the settings file. To change it to NM I have to do the above.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Conor O'Brien

[Erik Wachters (815026)]

Something wrong in the CFL window text placement I think.

The VAW is not populated when selecting an aircraft.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Erik Wachters (815026)

[Juha Holopainen]

19 hours ago, Jakob Arne Bronstad (1000634) said:

- Holding list does not appear when setting a plane in hold.

- Upper Winds(/Forecast QNH) Window Crashes ES 

1) The holding list has a wrong internal window id so the drawing code never draws it. Will be fixed.

2) It doesn't do that on my setup so I'll need a bit more background information. Does it crash when trying to open it, later when doing something with it, or later when not doing anything specific with that window? At that time what is the connection type (direct to VATSIM, proxy, log playback, sweatbox)? By any chance is there a crash dump available?

15 hours ago, Conor O'Brien said:

The selected arrival runway approach line only changes when I go into RWY Line display -> ARR RWL DISPLAY -> off -> select NM on the RWY -> then put ARR RWL Display back to NM. Then the selected arrival runway approach line changes to what I have configured in the settings file.

Could this be a bug?

Edit: The default approach line spacing is set in KM even when RwyAppLines_Auto=1 is included in the settings file. To change it to NM I have to do the above.

Will be fixed.

8 hours ago, Erik Wachters (815026) said:

Something wrong in the CFL window text placement I think.

The VAW is not populated when selecting an aircraft.

1) I think so too

2) This is working as intended, the manual is still a bit behind. The window no longer follows the ASEL selection but keeps displaying the aircraft that invoked the window. 

[Jakob Arne Bronstad (1000634)]

2 hours ago, Juha Holopainen said:

It doesn't do that on my setup so I'll need a bit more background information. Does it crash when trying to open it, later when doing something with it, or later when not doing anything specific with that window? At that time what is the connection type (direct to VATSIM, proxy, log playback, sweatbox)? By any chance is there a crash dump available?

I think it works now.

 

 

QNH/TL window text placement is not aligned.

[Conor O'Brien]

When "CA" is selected in the CFL. the CFL and XFL disappear from the detailed tag and are no longer selectable, this doesn't happen when "VA" is selected.

[Erik Wachters (815026)]

3 hours ago, Juha Holopainen said:

2) This is working as intended, the manual is still a bit behind. The window no longer follows the ASEL selection but keeps displaying the aircraft that invoked the window. 

I really hate this in the real system too.....
Any chance you can add a setting parameter to keep it working like in v2.4.0? please?

[Juha Holopainen]

12 hours ago, Jakob Arne Bronstad (1000634) said:

I think it works now.

QNH/TL window text placement is not aligned.

1) As I haven't fixed anything, I'd still like to find out what caused your crash, so any information you have might be useful so I could possibly fix it before it happens again. If there's a crash dump in the EuroScope program folder for example (EuroScope_crash_.dmp)...

2) I'll set the window straight

11 hours ago, Conor O'Brien said:

When "CA" is selected in the CFL. the CFL and XFL disappear from the detailed tag and are no longer selectable, this doesn't happen when "VA" is selected.

It seems the tag items get a bit confused there, thinking the aircraft was given a CAT3 clearance (you can see it in the corresponding list tag item), but the result for the label tag items is that nothing is displayed.

11 hours ago, Erik Wachters (815026) said:

I really hate this in the real system too.....
Any chance you can add a setting parameter to keep it working like in v2.4.0? please?

I actually prefer it this way, needing a specific action to change the displayed flight, and as you need to do something to "ASEL" an aircraft anyway (usually click or move the label), it's not unreasonably more complicated to click a specific label item when you want to influence the VAW display as well. If you can convince Thales to change the behavior, I may have to reconsider...

[Jannik Vogel (1432304)]

Hi Juha,

the clickspot to remove a QDM between two radar tracks is extremly narrow and now even harder to find since the distance is display at the end of the QDM now. Could you please increase the clickspot in the next version?^^

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

Hello Juha,

Would it be possible to open the Radar Menu by double-clicking RMB in the ASD within an offline defined maximum time frame?

[Juha Holopainen]

I'd rather not increase the size as it would increase the odds that you click it accidentally. Instead, just use the line endpoints as there you have an exact spot to aim for.

[Juha Holopainen]

Right-doubleclicking being the EuroScope standard action to re-center the display, no, that won't happen.

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

On 05/06/2023 at 20:24, Jakob Arne Bronstad (1000634) said:

- Upper Winds(/Forecast QNH) Window Crashes ES 

I've had the same crash.

The only defined settings were:

HTTP_GRIB_Latitude_Max=45
HTTP_GRIB_Latitude_Min=30
HTTP_GRIB_Longitude_Max=-20
HTTP_GRIB_Longitude_Min=-5

There was no crash dump from Euroscope...

[Juha Holopainen]

1 hour ago, Bernardo Reis (1096507) said:

There was no crash dump from Euroscope...

Not even at %localappdata%\CrashDumps ? If not, then:

On 06/06/2023 at 18:10, Juha Holopainen said:

I'll need a bit more background information. Does it crash when trying to open it, later when doing something with it, or later when not doing anything specific with that window? At that time what is the connection type (direct to VATSIM, proxy, log playback, sweatbox)?

Your settings there by the way request the wind/temp data between 30N and 45N from 005W eastbound all the way to 020W. That's probably not what you were looking for. In most cases Longitude_Max should be greater than Longitude_Min, but the plugin does allow the other way around as well to request areas covering for example the Pacific.

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

Nop, I don't even got such folder.

 

Anyway, I corrected the setting and the problem persists.

From my testing, it opens the window and then Euroscope crashes. Connection doesn't seem to matter because from logged off to logged on to sweatbox the behaviour is the same.

 

Unrelated: Do you recommend a buffer zone for the FPCAs or those can be the FIR limits?

Edited June 7, 2023 by Bernardo Reis (1096507)

[Juha Holopainen]

I did find one scenario that would result in a crash when opening the window when offline. Beta 2 has a fix to that, but I'm not sure if it will affect the outcome in the other connection possibilities.

In addition to that, beta 2 should have fixes - or at least improvements - to the other reported issues as well. If not, just report them again.

I don't have a recommendation regarding the size of the FPCAs, it all depends on the operational needs, i.e. where you want conflicts to be looked for. The only recommendation is that should you choose to utilize them, their shapes should contain as few coordinates as possible. Otherwise the added calculations required to find out which FPCA contains a specified point will consume more CPU time than sticking to the default worldwide coverage. Naturally if you require more than one set of FPCA parameters, setting up FPCAs is the only way to accomplish that.