TopSky plugin 2.5 beta 8

[Juha Holopainen]

Changes from beta 7:

• AHDG label field no longer displays a direct-to clearance unless it was given using an AHDG related function (i.e. the AHDG menu "Point" option or the AHDG vector). Can be set up to work as before using the settings file.
• Some OCL filtering introduced (OCL ADES must be the same as current ADES to avoid displaying clearance for same callsign's previous flight, settings to filter out flight plans based on ADEP and/or ADES longitude)
• More options for flight plan equipment code handling
• Code added to synchronize area activations and certain other data across EuroScope instances on the same computer
• Airspace Management Window "Master" mode added (but completely untested) - uploads area activations to defined URL. The data can then be used by "Remote" mode users. Both "Master" and "Remote" can be activated at the same time if necessary but as the remote data is only downloaded at 5 minute intervals, changes made by different users should have more than 5 minutes between them to be sure the second one has the changes made by the first one before changing anything.
• SAP warnings only given for conflicts within own sector unless track is assumed, in which case all future conflicts are shown.
• Scaling setting introduced for mouse click areas on the radar screen
• Changes to areas and maps data file syntaxes
• op_text and op_text2 should now by default be editable also by the downstream controller. The required communication works like the RTI and TIP functions so the availability of the feature is equally good or bad. The feature can be inhibited in the settings file.
• QDM line related functions added to radar position symbols in cases where the line endpoint is a track. As the symbols already have mouse functions, the QDM line related functions for the radar position symbols must be done by simultaneously keeping the Alt key pressed.
• Minor changes to the example settings files for the COOPANS setup
• Bug fixes and other changes I've forgotten about...

 

Edited July 2 by Juha Holopainen

[Hannes Altmann (1395737)]

Hello Juha, 

 

we noticed that the route draw distances along the route seem to be wrong:

[Max Kuhla (1157125)]

Present HDG sometimes shows with numbers after several right clicks on AHDG, not a big problem, possibly just a strange bug. The first right click always gives me an H without numbers as intended. Below is a log file of it happening, (SDR82GD), the third (or maybe fourth) time right clicking it showed numbers next to the H.

 

It would be great to have the option to specify showing/hiding the selectable columns in the Airfield Data window as default, TIME ARWY and TXT.

EuroScope20240505.txt

[Juha Holopainen]

20 hours ago, Hannes Altmann (1395737) said:

route draw distances along the route seem to be wrong

This may be an unintended side effect of adjusting the draw order of flight leg labels, I'll check it.

3 hours ago, Max Kuhla (1157125) said:

Present HDG sometimes shows with numbers after several right clicks on AHDG

This may be just you being too quick for EuroScope. The log shows a present heading command at 11:15:56, then a clear AHDG command at 11:15:58, then a present heading command at 11:15:59, a clear AHDG command at 11:16:01 and then a present heading command also at 11:16:01 and another clear AHDG command with the log timestamp still at 11:16:01, followed by a present heading command at 11:16:02. With the commands issued so rapidly my guess is that the data changes were too fast for all of them to be properly processed.

[Max Kuhla (1157125)]

Thanks for the great new version, really enjoying the changed click spots for the QDM!

Two wishes from me:

• MMB on hidden labels should toggle visibility, not just show the label momentarily.
• Making it possible to change aircraft equipment by clicking the respective item in EQCST field (in the Flight plan window) would be splendid!

Again, only how I'm told it works in ESMM. 

 

Actually, a third thing also!

We have had talks in Sweden about how to coordinate clearance/ETD/prior notice through TopSky (on airports where prior coordination is required for departures), maybe through the DEP COORD window would be such a possibility, so that it somehow is shown to the ACC controller when TWR somehow requests a clearance or communicates an ETD.

Edited May 7 by Max Kuhla (1157125)

[Juha Holopainen]

Sorry but I stopped reading when I saw ESMM mentioned 

I don't think I'll be touching EQCST until the FAA codes are a thing of the past. Individual quick look seems to be bugged, I'll sort it out.

[Martin Loxbo (811805)]

On 05/05/2024 at 14:36, Max Kuhla (1157125) said:

Present HDG sometimes shows with numbers after several right clicks on AHDG, not a big problem, possibly just a strange bug. The first right click always gives me an H without numbers as intended. Below is a log file of it happening, (SDR82GD), the third (or maybe fourth) time right clicking it showed numbers next to the H.

I'm seeing some nuisance H in the labels, but not sure if it's "garbage" from the upstream sector or a plugin bug.

[Bostjan Laba (1190497)]

Does this version of TopSky support TrackAudio (ex VectorAudio) websockets for pulling frequency transmission into Euroscope and using that for RDF? Or should I manually add new RDF plugin and set Topsky RDF mode to -1?

Thanks

[Juha Holopainen]

The RDF function only works with AFV. Support for other audio clients may be added in future versions.

[Max Kuhla (1157125)]

The Equip_Use_SUR_Mode_S=0 does not seem to work. Maybe it has to do with that we are also using Equip_UseCodes=0?
 

We have only DAPs showing on aircraft with the appropriate codes, despite those settings being loaded, any ideas?

[Juha Holopainen]

For the DAPs specifically, the plugin considers an aircraft's transponder to be EHS capable if even one of the following is true:

• Equip_UseCodes is 0
• Equip_Use_SUR_Mode_S is 0
• Equip_Use_SUR_Mode_S_EHS is 0
• The FPL indicates EHS capability
• (and a couple of more checks if Equip_UseCodes is either 1 or 2)

To display the DAPs, EuroScope must report a mode S reply from the track (so the plugin knows the track is within mode S coverage) and the transponder must be seen as EHS capable. The mode S reply requirement may be the problem here, EuroScope may not be seeing the aircraft both as mode S capable and within mode S radar coverage.

 

[Max Kuhla (1157125)]

12 minutes ago, Juha Holopainen said:

For the DAPs specifically, the plugin considers an aircraft's transponder to be EHS capable if even one of the following is true:

• Equip_UseCodes is 0
• Equip_Use_SUR_Mode_S is 0
• Equip_Use_SUR_Mode_S_EHS is 0
• The FPL indicates EHS capability
• (and a couple of more checks if Equip_UseCodes is either 1 or 2)

To display the DAPs, EuroScope must report a mode S reply from the track (so the plugin knows the track is within mode S coverage) and the transponder must be seen as EHS capable. The mode S reply requirement may be the problem here, EuroScope may not be seeing the aircraft both as mode S capable and within mode S radar coverage.

 

If changing the equipment code to /L it shows the DAPs.

This has been the situation with all aircraft that I have encountered with this problem, always depending on equipment code no matter the settings as stated above.

[Bence Bozi (1300686)]

Flight leg distance (track control dist) calculates strange numbers since this version. Screentshot with the distance numbers. QDM shows 23.3. - distance shows 146

[Hannes Altmann (1395737)]

At EDDW we get RAM warnings for aircraft that are on the approach, fully established on the LOC (also CA labelled in the CFL menu). The "Divergence_RAM_ADES_Radius" setting is set to default, so either way a warning shouldn't come up on a 10-mile final, right? I can't think of any way to solve this issue as we also haven't noticed this behaviour at any other airports of our FIR. Could you please check if everything is correct with the logic of inhibiting the RAM warning within the 30 NM radius of the aerodrome?

Edited June 9 by Hannes Altmann (1395737)

[Juha Holopainen]

The ADES radius setting is meant to inhibit that, I'll check it, but an approach clearance or the track's position relative to the final approach track is not considered for the alert display. You may also want to check the route prediction when the alert is displayed to see what EuroScope thinks the aircraft should be doing (i.e. why it is seen as being off route) and adjust the ESE file if needed, as the route prediction error may have other side effects as well that are just not as noticeable as the RAM alert.

[Bernardo Reis (1096507)]

I've been noticing this /ASP=/ notation that I've never seen before. What does it mean?

It appears after assigning an ASP value

Edited June 10 by Bernardo Reis (1096507)

[Juha Holopainen]

That's a scratchpad text to indicate to the plugin that a given speed is an "exact speed" type clearance (instead of = you'd see - or + there for the other types). The code reverts the scratchpad to its previous content immediately after sending that information, so in theory you should never see that text there. I've never seen that happen myself so I can't be sure but I guess the second scratchpad change is somehow lost or the two changes are interpreted in the wrong order which leaves the plugin data visible. When this happens, the text can safely be deleted, the plugin does not need it remaining visible.

[Ahti Matilainen (1470273)]

4 hours ago, Juha Holopainen said:

That's a scratchpad text to indicate to the plugin that a given speed is an "exact speed" type clearance (instead of = you'd see - or + there for the other types). The code reverts the scratchpad to its previous content immediately after sending that information, so in theory you should never see that text there. I've never seen that happen myself so I can't be sure but I guess the second scratchpad change is somehow lost or the two changes are interpreted in the wrong order which leaves the plugin data visible. When this happens, the text can safely be deleted, the plugin does not need it remaining visible.

I also have this issue on the latest beta that sometimes the plugin inserts that stuff into the scratchpad but doesn't revert it. Started happening with this beta, in previous ones I sometimes noticed it flash for a split second but it would never get left in the scratchpad like this.

[Gursel Alp (1434943)]

Hello Juha,

I am experiencing an exception on CPDLC that causing plugin to crash.

When using CPDLC, if traffic sends an unsupported message such as "REQ FL420 DUE TO WEATHER", that cause .dll exception and CTD. But before that plugin sends a reply that "MESSAGE NOT SUPPORTED BY THIS ATS UNIT".

I had those CTD several times and just had one with my student and here is the message log with him. He had CTD just after the last Message sent by Pilot. I think PILOTS DISCRETION part caused CTD.

[Jannik Vogel (1432304)]

Hey Juha,

just wondering if you already found a fix for the flight leg distance bug. As this really is the only "major" bug that is preventing us from updating in our controller package, could you consider publishing that fix in a new beta release without publishing any other major updates/features?

Many thanks for your incredible work!

Regards,
Jannik

[Juha Holopainen]

I had a look at the flight leg and made some changes, but haven't gotten around to checking the results. It will be fixed latest in the release version, possibly earlier workload permitting.

The CTDs on the other hand need to be addressed with high priority, but this time of the year it can take up to a couple of weeks.

[Ricardo Sousa (1110850)]

The "Open Extended label (click) / Toggle minimized label (shift+click)" function is causing the "ET COMP_CS" items to not be displayed on the extended label. For example, here I opened the Extended Label through rclicking Callsign (said function):

Here I opened it through the Manual Alert indicator, with the regular Open Extended Label function:

[Ricardo Sousa (1110850)]

Also just a reminder on this, not sure if it was fixed or not somewhere down the line, but it's currently not working

 

[Juha Holopainen]

There is some discussion about the CPDLC logons in the beta 3 thread. The 2.5 betas allow any facility type to have a CPDLC logon defined, and non-FSS/CTR logins will fall back on the four first characters of the login (which usually is an airport identifier) if a specific logon is not found in the data file.

The problem seems to be that EuroScope reports the whole string in the "Voice communication setup" Name column as the login callsign when not online (for example "LPPC_CTR LISBOA CONTROL" instead of "LPPC_CTR"), and this leads to the position not being properly identified. It also reports all non-CTR logins to be FSS, but that gets fixed when online. I'll be trying yet another way of blocking the wrong callsign information, but if unsuccessful, the workaround will be to remove the extra texts from the voice comms settings file.