Swift - Pilot client progress

[Thomas Drewing]

* Mac OSX server for nightly builds and patch testing (I have one atm, but its very slow and dodgy)

* Windows server for nightly builds and patch testing

* Mac OSX developers (I try my best on this platform, but I have a hard time)

* Server admins with knowledge in gerrit, Jira, Jenkins, Phabricator etc.

 

But you guys still consider Linux?

Because this client is the only silver lining for Linux users to get x-plane 10 64-bit eventually working with VATSIM.

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Yes, sure.

 

Its only because I have an own linux server - in general most of the servers are linux roots. Windows/Mac servers are much more rare. Hence the question.

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Roland,

Isn't it about time that you changed your signature text to read Swift Technical Manager to more accurately describe your work rate

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Oh, thanks for the hint. I had to change it in so many places now and completely forgot about this one. Is changed. We are working on the banners btw

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Roland,

Looking forward to the banners.

[Sascha Steingrobe 880415]

Hey Richard,

 

I am working on the banner but we will decide first in the team which one will be the official. So it will take some time.

Regards.

[Colin Schoen]

I guess Apple liked the name Swift too .

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Sascha,

I feel that a mixture of 'Swift' and 'aircraft' should produce a symbol which is like a swooping swift with aircraft-like characteristics

Let the artists loose.

Cheers, Richard

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Again a month is over and its time to add a new update. There is a lot going on at the moment, so I concentrate on the most interesting parts (90 % of the work is not really interesting to announce):

 

Some of you have already seen the latest completed features live in Vienna:

* Voice room user names (see who is connected in your voice room - name, id, callsign).

* Several improvements to the FSX plugin (gear animation/logic, text messages, render traffic on ground properly)

* Loading of changed/prefiled flightplans from network

* Big GUI refactoring towards more single components which can be replaced/changed

* Several performance improvements to run the GUI more smooth

 

Features in progress:

* Linux input implementation

* Joystick support

* Adding more sound notifications

* Upgrade to latest C++ standards

* Refactoring of Core components to accept input from several sources (GUI, simulator, etc).

 

One special note:

* FS9 plugin has been started and is currently in testing phase. Up to now everything looks good, traffic is added and controlled as expected. There is some weird behavior which needs be investigated (aircrafts jumping at higher speeds), but I'm optimistic this can be fixed.

 

Still a lot to do in terms of

* Model matching

* GUI improvements.

* Aircraft synchronization (flaps, lights, etc.)

[Richard Asberg]

Thanks for the update!

 

I might have asked this before but will you be able to send the ATC sound to more than one audio device at the same time?

 

Most of the times you'll probably like to have the audio output to your headset but sometimes it's great if you also can have the audio output to your loud speakers as well or as in my case a secondary wireless headset I wear during cruise when I'm not in front of the computer. Or better yet, have the audio output to all 3 sound devices

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Most of the times you'll probably like to have the audio output to your headset but sometimes it's great if you also can have the audio output to your loud speakers as well or as in my case a secondary wireless headset I wear during cruise when I'm not in front of the computer. Or better yet, have the audio output to all 3 sound devices

 

The underlying voice library supports this use case so it shouldn't be a problem. I say intentionally shouldn't be, because we are not yet using it in our bindings, but I also see this as a important feature (it was requested already alot).

[Richard Asberg]

Most of the times you'll probably like to have the audio output to your headset but sometimes it's great if you also can have the audio output to your loud speakers as well or as in my case a secondary wireless headset I wear during cruise when I'm not in front of the computer. Or better yet, have the audio output to all 3 sound devices

 

The underlying voice library supports this use case so it shouldn't be a problem. I say intentionally shouldn't be, because we are not yet using it in our bindings, but I also see this as a important feature (it was requested already alot).

 

Great to hear you guys are already considering this functionality!

[Richard Bowcott 934080]

Been a while since an update on swift, what's the latest guys,

Cheers

Riche

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

The latest update is under preparation. Will be posted beginning of next week.

[Mathew Sutcliffe]

This will be the final progress update posted to this forum. But do not fear! This is only because all of our future progress updates will be posted on our shiny new blog at swift-project.org! Go there now and read our inaugural/introductory message to the community.

 

Here are the highlights from the changelog since last time:

• Registered a domain and set up a basic blog.
  
• Brought X-Plane support up to par with FSX.
  
• Still making progress on FS9.
  
• Improved the quality of voice audio.
  
• Display a list of nearby airports.
  
• Making progress on synchronization of gear, flaps, lights etc. We want to be compatible with other clients, so this involves reaching agreement with other developers.
  
• Subsystems are still being continually refactored as our understanding of needs and abilities changes. This is a force multiplier, as each bit of refactoring reduces the time it takes to implement subsequent features, and stops us getting bogged down in complexity.

[Richard Asberg]

Thanks for the update, will check out the new blog!

[Patrick Clausnitzer 108488]

Good morning.

 

This looks very interesting and promising!

 

As an X-Plane user i have two questions.

What CSL is to be used?

Can wd use the CSL updater from the RU CSL project?

Is it now possible that other aircraft don't float a few feet in the air when they should be on ground?

And one more...

Is there a kind of transponder imementation which switches sqwk mode automatically when lifting of and when landing?

 

Kind Rgds , PC

[Mathew Sutcliffe]

Good questions, Patrick.

 

Our code is able to load planes in the current CSL format (used by XSquawkBox) and "nextgen CSL" format (used by PilotEdge). We don't yet know where we are going to get baseline models from, we need to seek copyright approval, but users can install any CSLs they can get their hands on.

 

We definitely want to solve the floating/tunnelling aircraft while taxiing problem, and we think we can.

 

An optional automatic mode C when airborne is a good idea IMO, and we will probably add this at some point.

 

It's open source so after the release it will always possible for anyone with a bit of programming knowledge to add new features.

[John Wiesenfeld]

I fear it is only vain hope that

a bit of programming knowledge

would refer to FORTRAN 66 and BASIC.

 

Many thanks again to those with the actual knowledge for sharing it with the rest of us.

 

John

[Andrzej Borysewicz]

Hello Mathew,

 

Not until recently I have run on the Swift website and this forum.

 

I love your project and I am very excited to try it when it is ready for testing or use.

 

It would be great to have an alternative to the only plug-in that enables X-Plane users to fly on VATSIM.

 

It is not to criticize the XSB plug-in, I have it working fine but as I said having a good quality "competitor" would definitely benefit X-Plane community.

 

Thank you for your time and efforts.

 

I will be monitoring the progress.

 

I am sure you already have enough beta testers but in case you do not, I would be more than happy to become one.

 

Thank you again, I am very excited to see the working product.

 

Cheers, AJ

[Semir Gebran]

please, implement an idle check ( monitor the mouse or ask a simple math question every now and then, this goes for vpilot as well ) those out of cockpit pilots are really flocking in lately

[Mathew Sutcliffe]

Hi Semir, thankyou for your suggestion. I think this is a request best made through the Board of Governors who can look at all such concerns raised across the network and [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ess all the possibile solutions, including requesting that client teams implement a feature like the one you describe. I think it would be a mistake for a client team to unilaterally implement a feature like this without a proper consultation from the BoG who look after the whole network.

 

If you would like to ask them to look into this, you can directly contact the VP Supervision and/or VP Conflict Resolution, their email addresses are on the VATSIM website and they don't bite, or alternatively you can raise your concerns in your vACC/ARTCC/Division to be forwarded up the chain of responsibility.

 

When we are closer to being ready, we would be happy to discuss with them how such a feature might work.

[Danny Rice]

Are you still working on an interface with P3D?

 

Danny

[William Sequeira 1192651]

Also interested in P3D and how well that is coming along. Seems more and more people are moving like I did and going only P3D and don't even have FSX installed.

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Hey there,

 

since we have full support for FSX, I would expect also P3D to work initially. They both use SimConnect as API, which basically means, we can use 99.9 % of the source for both sims. It is maybe the case that P3D has a more advanced SimConnect interface, which is more stable or has additional features.

 

The current status is, that we haven't tested P3D yet, but I don't expect any issues when we will do it the first time. In the worst case, we have to fix some minor problems.