TopSky plugin 2.5 beta 5

[Juha Holopainen]

Changes from beta 4:

• Weather radar image by default displayed as variable density horizontal lines instead of filled areas
• Bug fixes

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Juha Holopainen

[Juha Holopainen]

For users of the Finnish setup, the attached package contains plugin data files and EuroScope settings files compatible with the beta version. Overwrite the existing files with the ones in this package to get the intended behavior (must be repeated every time the sector package is updated as it contains the files compatible with plugin version 2.4).

Some changes from beta 4 to the files in the Plugins folder.

Updated 14 Sep, changes to files in both folders. Not a mandatory update. Areas file updated to include the latest published temporary areas (see the latest AIP SUPs for details and enable AUP activation of areas on the last week of September if you dare...), settings file setup changed to require the same steps as the normal sector file package to use the three different color schemes, i.e. in addition to having different profile files to adjust the colors in EuroScope, also requires copying the color definitions to your local settings file to instruct the plugin to use the different sets based on login callsign. Minor changes to the lists setup (departure and arrival stand column widths increased to display also four-character stands correctly).

 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Juha Holopainen

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

Juha, should we just overwrite the Topsky.dll or with these bug fixes releases you might change something else, like documentation, etc?

[Juha Holopainen]

The documentation is constantly being worked on, so at least parts of it are usually updated with every release. Any changes to the included example setups would be announced in the changes list (which is a general outline of operationally significant items, not an exact listing of every change to the code).

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

CPDLC_PDC_Auto_Startup=-1 causes an error

[Jeppe Seier (1602589)]

For some reason, PDC gives this message, properly the same bug as above?

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

Could it be possible to hide the NRAC item when the NRAC is 1? (except in the ET)

[Harry Sugden (1237658)]

21 hours ago, Jeppe Seier (1602589) said:

For some reason, PDC gives this message, properly the same bug as above?

Yeah I had that for every PDC request yesterday too, so wasn't able to issue any via TopSky

[Juha Holopainen]

On 23/08/2023 at 23:25, Oliver Gruetzmann (961224) said:

CPDLC_PDC_Auto_Startup=-1 causes an error

It does. I'm not sure yet whether I just need to allow the -1 value in the settings code, or if I already tried it, encountered issues and decided against having that option. Hopefully it's just the settings code as it would be a quick fix, but I'll have to go through all steps after that as well to be sure...

On 24/08/2023 at 15:52, Jeppe Seier (1602589) said:

For some reason, PDC gives this message, properly the same bug as above?

No, that message is caused either by "DCL/PDC" not being enabled in the CPDLC Setting Window, or the clearance request being somehow wrongly formatted so that the plugin doesn't recognize it as a clearance request at all. I tried and couldn't come up with a scenario that would result in that outcome for any other reason.

On 24/08/2023 at 20:10, Bernardo Reis (1096507) said:

Could it be possible to hide the NRAC item when the NRAC is 1? (except in the ET)

While this sounds like a feature request, it's actually a bug report, so yes, it will be done.

[Hannes Altmann (1395737)]

Hey Juha, 

 

I noticed this option for the AUP activation: System_UseAUP=1

Unfortunately, this option is not available for manual area activation. Therefore the data is not loaded automatically unless I press the "Remote" button in the TSA window. 

Is there any further setting to have a similar function compared to AUP? If not, would it be possible to implement this kind of setting?

[Matisse VanWezer (1385143)]

18 hours ago, Hannes Altmann (1395737) said:

Hey Juha, 

 

I noticed this option for the AUP activation: System_UseAUP=1

Unfortunately, this option is not available for manual area activation. Therefore the data is not loaded automatically unless I press the "Remote" button in the TSA window. 

Is there any further setting to have a similar function compared to AUP? If not, would it be possible to implement this kind of setting?

I THINK the second to last point might be related

You should(?) be able to activate the areas manually using the AUP function too, if you somehow get the areas into a file on statup.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Matisse VanWezer (1385143)

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

The real system displays a dashed square around the callsign when the airplane is CPDLC capable but not logged on. Since here we are limited to having the callsign inside [ ] what are your thoughts on having the Callsign inside ( ) or : : to represent a CPDLC capable aircraft (not by equipment, but the ones where you can START CPDLC) not logged on?

[Juha Holopainen]

On 27/08/2023 at 20:11, Hannes Altmann (1395737) said:

I noticed this option for the AUP activation: System_UseAUP=1

Unfortunately, this option is not available for manual area activation. Therefore the data is not loaded automatically unless I press the "Remote" button in the TSA window. 

Is there any further setting to have a similar function compared to AUP? If not, would it be possible to implement this kind of setting?

There is no such setting yet. The "remote" activation option is largely untested and as long as it remains so, it will need to be manually activated every time. This is an area where I'd like actual feedback on whether the various documented activation options either work or don't work.

Once I have enough evidence that the code works as expected, I'll evaluate if a setting like that can be added with a reasonable amount of work (as the data can either override or complement the other activation options, it may not be as simple as the other ones)

5 hours ago, Bernardo Reis (1096507) said:

The real system displays a dashed square around the callsign when the airplane is CPDLC capable but not logged on. Since here we are limited to having the callsign inside [ ] what are your thoughts on having the Callsign inside ( ) or : : to represent a CPDLC capable aircraft (not by equipment, but the ones where you can START CPDLC) not logged on?

The dashed frame appears when a logon request has been received but the flight is not yet CPDLC connected. The plugin in the same situation displays the square brackets as blinking.

In the plugin "Start CPDLC" is enabled for all aircraft currently online on the Hoppie network but "force-starting" the connection without a logon request shouldn't be done unless necessary (for example to re-establish CPDLC after a dropped connection without having to ask the pilot to send a new logon request) as not all aircraft on the Hoppie network are capable and willing to use CPDLC, some may only want to use the ACARS features.

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

When a DCL request is received from an aircraft without FPL, the reply is an empty /NE message only

[Alexander Arlow]

Hi Juha,

we got several reports on holding lists opening without the holding being relevant to the position. 

For example: Our GND got a NERDU Holding list when APP sent an aircrat into the NERDU holding. While this is reasonable because NERDU is a LOWW holding fix, it is still not really relevant for GND.
Another example: A flight that departed LOWW was sent into a holding in NUKRO in EDDB. Also in this situation, a holding list was opened but a generic "Holding List" on an APP position. According to the controller, the flight was far outside the visibility range.

I have to check the correct behaviour on our system, but this seems a little too much.

The only settings relevant to holdings in our settings file are:
[code] List_Holding_Points=RTT,ELMEM,BARUG,MASUR,NIGSI,MABOD,PESAT,NERDU,BALAD,GRZ,LNZ,SBG,KFT,FMD,GBG,STO,WGM,INLOX,MATIG,OBEDI,RASTA,VATET,VILAK
[/code]

[Juha Holopainen]

11 hours ago, Oliver Gruetzmann (961224) said:

When a DCL request is received from an aircraft without FPL, the reply is an empty /NE message only

The plugin code that composes the response is being a bit too cautious in cases where no aircraft with that callsign is online, or no flight plan received. I'll adjust the code to at least try to send the intended failure message.

10 hours ago, Alexander Arlow said:

we got several reports on holding lists opening without the holding being relevant to the position

At least the first case appears to be working correctly. I can't comment on the second case with only that information. Using the default settings, in the COOPANS version only aircraft in unconcerned and notified states are not inserted in the holding lists, all other states are. That behavior can be changed using the List_Holding_States setting.

[Stephen Odgaard (811390)]

I recently did a major update of my ES installation.

I seem to remember that under the Tools menu together with CARD there was a Vertical Planning tool. It is not there.

Was this removed or is it placed somewhere else?

/Stephen

Edited September 2, 2023 by Stephen Odgaard (811390)

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

21 hours ago, Stephen Odgaard (811390) said:

I recently did a major update of my ES installation.

I seem to remember that under the Tools menu together with CARD there was a Vertical Planning tool. It is not there.

Was this removed or is it placed somewhere else?

/Stephen

I  believe you are talking about the Vertical Aid Window. You either call it trough the CARD (right click on the callsign) or in the label (maybe it works in lists too) with the action "Open Vertical Aid Window"

[Stephen Odgaard (811390)]

1 hour ago, Bernardo Reis (1096507) said:

I  believe you are talking about the Vertical Aid Window. You either call it trough the CARD (right click on the callsign) or in the label (maybe it works in lists too) with the action "Open Vertical Aid Window"

Thanks Bernardo. Will try next time.

[Konstantin Eierhoff (1483787)]

Hey Juha, in previous versions the ASSR in the DEP-List was shown in warning color, if different from TSSR. With the new version and in this same case the ASSR is shown in information color.

The warning color was a good way to show the controller that a squawk is not set. Because the information color is also used for the predicted traffic and operation rates window in case the traffic is below any threshold, it kinda clashes with a not-set squawk. We use green for example in the predicted traffic and operation rates window, but don't want to use green for a different TSSR than ASSR, because it suggests the squawk is correct, which it isn't.

Is there a possibility to add a setting which allows to choose weather warning or information color is used? At the end it wouldn't be a problem and only a matter of getting used to it, but it would be nice to have the choice to use the warning color.

Cheers!

Edited September 3, 2023 by Konstantin Eierhoff (1483787)

[Juha Holopainen]

Like you say, it's just a matter of getting used to it - in this case the idea that green does not necessarily mean "ok" (in most cases the information color for example is used to signify something that may need your attention). The colors used for the predicted traffic and operation rates windows will actually change in the next version so you can then adjust the information color without affecting those windows, but the color is used in other places as well so be careful with any adjustments.

[Manuel Pick (1465242)]

Hi,
It seems like the List_Holding parameter is ignored in the TopskySettings.txt.
We tried adjusting the position according to the Excel file, but the Holding List still pops up in the default (100,100) position.

It might as well me being stupid but would be great if you could like in to it.

Thanks!

[Hongye Rudi Zhang (1326158)]

Hi, When I use Open CMT Pop-up function, the CMT message was overlay. 

 

And maybe possible to add a Subtype of DCL to match SQ? Some pilots assigned SID himself(within the FP)

Edited September 7, 2023 by Hongye Rudi Zhang (1326158)

[Oliver Gruetzmann (961224)]

Hi,

small cosmetic one: When using "Find" in the Flight Plan window, there is an offset of the text box.

Oliver.

[Konstantin Eierhoff (1483787)]

Hey Juha,

I don't know if I'm missing something, but it seems like the ET STAR tag item doesn't work anymore, the STAR simply doesn't show up. Normal STAR item, ET SID and ET ARWY work though.

ELDAR05 is the STAR in that case.