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Upcoming changes to vPilot, feedback requested


Ross Carlson
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Richard McDonald Woods
Posted
Posted

Hi Ross,

I very much like your detailed proposals. However, just one comment...

 

The whole model matching processes were quite complex to understand, and I struggled to get things working. Since then, I have largely ignored model matching and have put up with the inevitable red Simconnect Error: messages produced.

 

So my comment is around ensuring that the deliverable is as simple and elegant as is possible so that the maximum number of users feel that it is easy-peasy to install and use. Please ensure that each user intervention required is really necessary so that the absolute maximum number of users use vPilot v2.

 

Thanks for your efforts,

Cheers, Richard

You are the music, until the music stops. T.S.Eliot
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Reinhard Brantner
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Posted
However, that database does not include information about where to get each model, or the package that it comes from, so that would have to be added. In many cases that won't be possible. When vPilot scans your installed models, it will post a list of the unknown models to the vPilot server so that I can periodically review that list and add new models to the database. For those, I won't always know where you got the model. So, the database would only be able to contain download URLs for the popular packages like WoAI, MyTraffic, etc. It might still be useful to show a list of unmatched aircraft and whether or not there is a match in one or more of those popular packages, but I don't know if it would be worth doing since the database would be somewhat incomplete. I'll think about it, though.

Hi,

 

As you provide rulesets for the popular AI packages already, my idea was just to scan those rulesets for a matching aircraft and providing a hint, that in the AI package of XXX is a suitable aircraft available. So no need for a specific download link.

 

Rgds

Reinhard

MfG / Kind Regards

 

Reinhard Brantner, AUA668

"With A Smile In The Sky"

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Matthew Cook 1315950
Posted
Posted

Hey

 

Another thing for the server would be the use of 2 letter call signs as well as 3 letter call signs eg QFA and QF, UAL and UA, BAW and BA. A common problem i have is when pilots connect with these call signs, and Vpilot cant find a model because of that so you either get a A321 or a error.

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Drew Romanovych 1255089
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Hey Ross, Loving vpilot and being on Vatsim finally! any word on when 2.0 is coming out?

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Ross Carlson
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Hey Ross, Loving vpilot and being on Vatsim finally! any word on when 2.0 is coming out?

 

No idea really, it'll be a while still.

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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Ryan Parry
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Could you explain how the scanning and model matching works a little better in regards to a custom rule set having precedent over the scanned one? Are you saying it will create one no matter what, but try to pull matching from the custom set first and then the scanned set? If so, could you include an option to turn that off completely, please? I don't want vPilot scanning my system, that's one of the things I hated about FSINN. I really enjoy the current method of model matching and I have spent a tremendous amount of time incorporating an insane amount of detail into my ruleset, I really don't want any interference with that. I see where this could be beneficial to some though, so I think an option to disable it would be smart.

Ryan Parry - 965346

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www.pilotcentral.org | www.oakartcc.org

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Ross Carlson
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Could you explain how the scanning and model matching works a little better in regards to a custom rule set having precedent over the scanned one? Are you saying it will create one no matter what, but try to pull matching from the custom set first and then the scanned set?

 

That's right, if you have custom rule sets loaded, vPilot will look for a match in your custom rules first, before looking at the rules that it generated as a result of scanning your installed models.

 

If so, could you include an option to turn that off completely, please? I don't want vPilot scanning my system, that's one of the things I hated about FSINN.

 

Why did you hate that feature? I can't say for sure since I never used FSInn, but I suspect you'll find that vPilot's scanning of your models is very unobtrusive and infrequent. The scan only happens in one of three circomestances:

 

1) You run vPilot 2.0 for the first time.

2) vPilot detects new folders in your SimObjects paths. (Meaning new models have been installed.)

3) You trigger it manually, such as if you want to use a different simulator on the same machine.

 

I really enjoy the current method of model matching and I have spent a tremendous amount of time incorporating an insane amount of detail into my ruleset, I really don't want any interference with that.

 

Since the custom rules will take precedence, nothing will change for you. All the time you've invested creating custom rules will continue to pay off with version 2.

 

I see where this could be beneficial to some though, so I think an option to disable it would be smart.

 

It's too early to tell, of course, but I suspect you are in a minority in this regard. Most users just want model matching to be automatic. That's why I'm making this change to begin with. I must resist the temptation to add features that are only helpful for a small number of users ... that path leads to bloatware and/or confusing user interfaces.

 

That being said, disabling the automatic rule generation would be pretty simple, code-wise, and very low-impact, UI-wise (just a checkbox in the settings) so it wouldn't be a big deal. However, you're basing your request for disabling the scanning on your negative experience with FSInn, so my inclination would be to determine whether or not you would have the same dislike for this feature in vPilot as you did for FSInn. So if you could elaborate on what you hated about FSInn, that would be very helpful.

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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Ryan Parry
Posted
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Thanks Ross!

 

My issue with FSINN was every time I started it up I had to sit and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, while it scanned everything. This issue was sort of solved by buying an SSD, however anybody still using a HDD is going to sit and wait a while. If I installed a new aircraft I had to put a file in the aircrafts folder telling FSINN to ignore that aircraft, otherwise it would try to use it as an AI model. Trust me, having an NGX AI model on final to KLAX is a bad idea In addition, there was some program you had to run that made a bunch of changes to the registry in order for it to work properly.

 

I guess it does all boil down to how your version of this works in comparison. If the scan is quick, unobtrusive, and doesn't try to stick a payware aircraft as an AI model, it might not even be a big deal.

Ryan Parry - 965346

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www.pilotcentral.org | www.oakartcc.org

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Ross Carlson
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Yeah, it'll be much different with vPilot. As I mentioned above, it'll only do the scan when something changes, like after you install a new aircraft or a new AI traffic package.

 

How long would you say it took for FSInn to run the scan, after you switched to an SSD?

 

On my current test system, which is a mid-line i7 on an SSD, it takes about 5 seconds to scan all my models, and I have about 7,000 models installed. (A few thousand WoAI, and a few thousand from MyTraffic6, plus the P3D default models.)

 

Regarding using complex add-on aircraft for model matching, that shouldn't be a problem because vPilot will only use a model if it either a) knows about the model from the model matching database (and complex models won't be in that database) or b) it can determine the type code and airline code by reading the "atc_model" and "atc_parking_codes" fields from the aircraft.cfg file, and match the values against a list of known type codes and airline codes. When I look at the PMDG models, they do not include an entry in their aircraft.cfg files for atc_parking_codes, so vPilot won't be able to use them anyway.

 

I think I'll still need to have a way for users to exclude certain models from being used for matching, to ensure that you can prevent a complex add-on from being used in case the add-on author does include valid atc_model and atc_parking_codes values. I'm thinking vPilot could show you a list of all the folders it found, and you can uncheck the ones you know you don't want to be used for matching. This will only need to be done once, of course, and updated if you add new models.

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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Ryan Parry
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Well, it would depend. If I installed a single livery, it would pick up the change in maybe 15 or so seconds max, but if I installed new aircraft with new liveries it would take significantly longer. Really, it would scan pretty quickly, it was when it identified a change that it slowed down and became a problem for me. I think that had to do with the fact that it was changing around the entries it made in the registry. Even though I had the file telling FSINN to ignore an aircraft, that only prevented it from being used, not being scanned and added to the registry.

Ryan Parry - 965346

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www.pilotcentral.org | www.oakartcc.org

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Ross Carlson
Posted
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Okay, thanks. Sounds like vPilot will be much different, and much less obtrusive. Let me know if you want to test out 2.0 when it's ready for testing.

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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  • 2 months later...
Jon Story 1357003
Posted
Posted

If I could make a suggestion:

 

It would be nice to have a better description of what model matching is and how it works. Even if there was just a link from the settings page to a tutorial or guide of some description to give an idea of what it is and how to set it up.

 

I took one look at it and went "Okay, I have no idea what this even is" - I get that it tries to match models, but I'm clueless on how to acquire the models or where to put them and what to do from that point, while vPilot seems to [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ume you already know exactly what to do.

 

Even if the guide isn't comprehensive, it could at least be a starting point - the point I'm making is that a link to it from the software would be nice

 

For example the FAQ states:

 

Q: What's the number one issue people have with vPilot so far?

A: Failure to read the docomeentation and the vPilot Tips, Tricks, FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide, especially the sections on model matching!

 

True, and I'd say that was my number one issue too... but I had no idea where to find the FAQ etc

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  • 3 months later...
Christopher Flett 1349312
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Posted

Can you please include CTAF Unicom chat capability like fscopilot/fsinn has. Us Aussie pilots who fly in Uncontrolled VFR airspace 95% of the time would like this feature in the much more stable VPilot.

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Ernesto Alvarez 818262
Posted
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FSINN has features that are not supported by the network currently, the voice unicom being one

 

Ross has submitted a proposal to the VATSIM BOD for approval, if that happens, he has said in the past that he will add it. he wont add features though that the network doesnt support

 

the FSINN team added that feature because FSINN was not a VATSIM only client, other networks also used it which did have their own voice features

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Christopher Flett 1349312
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Just don't understand why Vatsim doesnt support this when ctaf comms is used around the world in uncontrolled airspace.

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Bradley Grafelman
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Just don't understand why Vatsim doesnt support this when ctaf comms is used around the world in uncontrolled airspace.

Probably because they cater to everyone - including those who can't or won't use voice comms.

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Ernesto Alvarez 818262
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Just don't understand why Vatsim doesnt support this when ctaf comms is used around the world in uncontrolled airspace.

 

viewtopic.php?f=84&t=38243

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  • 1 month later...
david lomas
Posted
Posted

hi ross

could you tell me when this update will be available for download

i am useing v pilot at the moment .and it sounds like it will be pretty good

thanks for listening

david lomas (1088674)(qva)

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Ross Carlson
Posted
Posted
could you tell me when this update will be available for download

 

It will be available 5 months ago.

 

viewtopic.php?f=132&t=70966

Developer: vPilot, VRC, vSTARS, vERAM, VAT-Spy

Senior Controller, Boston Virtual ARTCC

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