Model Matching within P3D is a huge issue right now

[Rhys Worlock]

Okay so since the fall of FLAI earlier this year there has been a huge impact on the pilots that use it and like myself have completed a full reinstall of my windows and hadn't backed FLAI up. This has caused quite a lot of issues regarding people not seeing any aircraft on the ground or in the air and i think its getting a little beyond that there is no simple solution for this yet. It has been months and all topics in this sub forum regarding model matching issues have just been left to rot essentially. I think its a bit of a joke that there has been no factual update from Vatsim or any other third party company on what the next steps are and how that effects the pilots. I've spoken to handful of people who have essentially "given up" on Vatsim as their only flight simulator is P3D and model matching is just impossible. I had a go at using AIGOCI but after much effort it doesn't want to play ball and many many models are left as white A320s. The last update us users had regarding model matching was a few weeks after the initial fall of FLAI.

So we ask again, what are the next steps? Are we expecting something from Vatsim directly? Are we just gonna wait around until someone develops something? My personal opinion is that Vatsim should develop a fully working model matching system as we are working with modern technology and shouldn't require all of this nonsense just to see the aircraft around you (Which is why you fly online multiplayer anyway =))

 

Yours sincerely, 

The Invisible Aircraft

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Every time you say "VATSIM should" -- to whom are you referring exactly?

When you say "Are we just gonna wait around until someone develops something?" -- what alternative is there?

To answer both questions: perhaps consider spearheading the project yourself.  FLAi wasn't created by "VATSIM" -- it was created by a group of individuals who decided to step up.  If not someone else, why not you?

[Rhys Worlock]

 

8 minutes ago, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Every time you say "VATSIM should" -- to whom are you referring exactly?

When you say "Are we just gonna wait around until someone develops something?" -- what alternative is there?

To answer both questions: perhaps consider spearheading the project yourself.  FLAi wasn't created by "VATSIM" -- it was created by a group of individuals who decided to step up.  If not someone else, why not you?

1.  I’m referring to the development team of Vatsim of develop the platform to what it is today. They have created an outstanding radio system, controller client, controller files and pilot clients. I wouldn’t be referring to the marketing team? 

2.  It’d be a great move if someone, either a third party company or Vatsim themselves would release an update for us, just to keep us in the loop and feel like this topic isn’t progressing.

3.  Simple answer to the question is I’m not a developer, I’m simply an avid user of Vatsim and feel that this topic needs to be discussed more to ensure it’s know that model matching needs to improved/produced. I have neither the time or technical ability to create a programme like that.
 

Edited August 3, 2021 at 10:15 PM by rhys worlock

[Don Desfosse]

1.  Not to speak for the VPWEB, but the VATSIM development team works on back end things, like our databases, websites, etc.  All of your client examples (AFV, controller clients and files, and pilot clients) were developed by members/teams of members and given freely to VATSIM.  VATSIM, the community, develops them and shares them with the community.  VATSIM, the community, is definitely hoping that someone will step forward and lead a team to assemble and/or create a solution for P3D users.

2.  As described above, VATSIM, the organization, does not develop client software.  VATSIM, the organization, attempted to have conversations with a group of developers that were not willing to deliver what we had asked for, which was a one-to-one replacement for FLAi, which they had put the kibosh on.  And no one, yet, from VATSIM, the community has stepped forward to investigate and offer a solution for our community.  So, yes, the topic is not progressing.

3.  We can only hope that someone in our community does.

[Rhys Worlock]

34 minutes ago, Don Desfosse said:

1.  Not to speak for the VPWEB, but the VATSIM development team works on back end things, like our databases, websites, etc.  All of your client examples (AFV, controller clients and files, and pilot clients) were developed by members/teams of members and given freely to VATSIM.  VATSIM, the community, develops them and shares them with the community.  VATSIM, the community, is definitely hoping that someone will step forward and lead a team to assemble and/or create a solution for P3D users.

2.  As described above, VATSIM, the organization, does not develop client software.  VATSIM, the organization, attempted to have conversations with a group of developers that were not willing to deliver what we had asked for, which was a one-to-one replacement for FLAi, which they had put the kibosh on.  And no one, yet, from VATSIM, the community has stepped forward to investigate and offer a solution for our community.  So, yes, the topic is not progressing.

3.  We can only hope that someone in our community does.

Okay great! Thanks you for the information here Don. It’s definitely a gap in the market for a developer to dive into and hopefully soon. It would be a great feature for Vatsim to come with model matching to simplify things but as you described this isn’t possible and I appreciate that. Cheers for the update!

[William Teale]

Just a thought for "someone in the community": It seems clear in hindsight that any model matching library would need the files to be licensed permissively, such as under a CC-BY-NC-SA license or similar. The current arrangement of owners retroactively retracting permission to distribute their work is disappointing, but is also something that should be avoided in any future work with an appropriate license which grants rights in perpetuity.