Beta testers needed for new Toolbar app

[Michal Haris]

I also fly in VR and for me this is not about whether to use pen&paper or not: the pen&paper is just a good practice which I'd like to keep because I also fly in real-world and plus there are often other things to note down not just the next controller's frequency. Switching to Reverb G2 headset which is not only great for its resolution of the cockpit instruments but is also light-weight and can be easily lifted up briefly to use notepad. What spoils my experience is checking vpilot/browser window to find out whether a controller has come online in the sector i'm flying. I also like to plan my route and I tried to capture all frequencies I'd need for a given flight(rounding to nearest 25KHz) which I can then monitor but his only works for the airports because area control sectors do not follow real-world sectorisation nor use strictly the same/expected frequencies: this toolbar would therfore solve my biggest issue with VATSIM + VR experience.

[John Pool]

To echo what Mr. Haris said above, I also fly exclusively in VR (as well as a lot of IFR single pilot IRL)... 

In VR it is incredibly helpful to have the ability to easily tune a frequency from a tool bar app/plugin like this. Furthermore, the ability to see messages that come in (like pings when you enter airspace while on UNICOM) would be amazingly helpful with MSFS. In fact, I haven't been able to fly on the network with MSFS due to a lack of such a tool. I revert back to xplane and the xPilot plugin for flying online (which I do every other night for the most part). 

To summarize - the ability to see online controllers/ATIS,  one-click-tune frequencies, and view messages and notifications would make it possible to fly on the network in VR with MSFS. 

I would love to test out anything that is in development, if you are looking for early testers who use VR. Thank you so much for coming up with this!

Edited June 1, 2022 at 07:20 PM by John Pool

[Matisse VanWezer]

It's certainly possible for Euroscope users if someone figures out a plugin in which each controller sends the next controller's frequency data for their aircraft to some server. That would already give you your next frequency.

In Topsky I even have a list for sectors you'll pass after your next sector. If they can overlap and/or chain data from multiple controllers together you can look even further into the future. 

While you are at it, you might as well also pass the state of the controller. Controllers can see if other controllers are closing but this data is not shared with the pilots. It was confirmed to me by Juha that plugins can read this state.

Edited June 1, 2022 at 08:11 PM by Matisse VanWezer

[Richard Asberg]

Another exclusive VR flyer here with thousands of hours on Vatsim and the announcement of this tool really made my day 🙂 !!

After a quick scan through the comments, it looks like you currently don't have any use for more testers but if you do, I would be happy to try it out and provide you with my feedback 👍

Edited June 3, 2022 at 09:50 AM by Richard Asberg

[Craig Farrell]

This is awesome!  I was working on something similar, so I'd love to try this.. maybe I can stop banging my head against the wall with this stuff.

The one part that is missing from what I've seen (mostly from VR users) is the ability for direct messages to be seen from within VR.  That is what I'm working on (as well as listing online controllers and their frequencies, which is what you are already doing.. and a scratchpad of sorts).

Edited June 3, 2022 at 03:41 PM by Craig Farrell

[Richard Asberg]

Haven't had the chance to try this one out yet but I do agree it would be very handy being able to read text messages from ATC in VR.

[Bill Padley]

GREAT news...
Where do we grab the App David? ...

would love to test , and yes if we can also get the direct messages as Craig mentioned he is working on  that would be totally amazing for us VR users (as we have been discussing on the VR Forum ) 
basically what XPilot already has in X Plane ... 🙂

Bill P

[David Black]

The messages feature is definately something I need to look at. I have a specific architectural strategy of ensuring the MSFS app environment is a lightweight as possible to maintain framerates, hence why the heavy lifting regards data feeds is via a small server with the presentation layer handled in the toolbar app.

The server is a compiled set of python scripts that collate data from a number of feeds, structure, sort and format them then serve via HTTP to an iframe in the MSFS toolbar app.  The server can talk to simconnect and is therefore (hoepfully) sim agnostic 

One route is for the server subscribe to vPilot messages, any help with doing this using python would be appreciated (DM me)

 

[Volders Rudi]

I' loocking forward for this app because i only fly in vr and when a new controller come online you can't see it.

Except if you fly the A 320 with the e-pad where you can see the controllers online.

[Bill Alicea]

Nice app, would love to test it out too

[Tobias Schmidt]

Hi David,

for the past three years i've only been flying in VR. Unfortunately, there is no reasonable way in MSFS to do this, so I've only been boringly flying offline for a long time.

I would be so happy to test your tool, so that I can finally fly in VATSIM again.

Tobias

[Andrew McHalpine]

Even as someone who doesn't use VR, this is a fabulous idea. To have all of this information at your fingertips without having to switch to vPilot or Vatspy is really nice. I do use a notepad for jotting freqs and instructions or other info, I think something like this can only be beneficial. And since I fly some G1000 equipped planes but don't have any radio hardware, not having to fiddle with knobs for tuning radios would be really nice also. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

[Andrew Lilley]

I’d like to test the beta in VR if possible. If you’re interested in feedback on the UI, let me know. (I’m a UX designer with an aero and sim background).

[Michael Kunz]

Hi David,

I‘m a real world airline pilot and I love flying MSFS2020 in VR. Having a tool in VR providing infos which controller are online and there freq. would be very helpful.

I think it‘s not the question if a pilot is experienced or not. If I fly „uncontrolled“ having UNICOM active and enter an controlled area it doesn‘t matter if I‘m experienced or not, from where may I get the proper freq. without leaving VR? Thats the moment, a tool like yours is needed.

I would love it to help as tester!

From where may i get/download your tool?

Regards Michael

[Michael Kunz]

Please provide me a link to load your VR Vpilot Tool.

[David Black]

Please note we have found an issue with the Fenix A320 - if you're testing using this aircraft then please be aware that the combination of the the aircraft and the VSR server may cause a CTD.

If you have tested with this aircraft with no issues, then pleae let me know via the discord 

(thanks to Tobias for extensive testing)

 

/dB

 

[David Black]

All,

Exciting news

thanks to fantastic work from Craig Farrell in developing a vPilot plug-in, we now have a connection between the front end and VATSIM direct messages  via vPilot

Early days but the proof of concept works with clickable frequencies too - more to come

[Ross Carlson]

Excellent ... let me know if there's anything missing from the plugin API.

[Andrew Brown]

Hi,  I have thousands of hours on Vatsim and would be happy to beta test this new software.  Since moving to MSFS2020 I exclusively fly in VR ( Varjo Areo) and there is currently no elegant way to interact with Vatsim.  I use a IVAO-VATSIM Map in VR. This is a map is to see VATSIM traffic and controllers from within the simulator. . https://www.flightsimulator.me/simulators/flight-simulator/panels/73-mapa-de-ivao-vatsim-para-flight-simulator

Your solution looks perfect. I can please send  me the discord link?

Regards,

Andrew

 

 

[David Black]

On 6/8/2022 at 9:44 AM, David Black said:

All,

Exciting news

thanks to fantastic work from Craig Farrell in developing a vPilot plug-in, we now have a connection between the front end and VATSIM direct messages  via vPilot

Early days but the proof of concept works with clickable frequencies too - more to come

quick updated screenshot on the messaging interface. Craig has done an amazing job and we now have two message types and icons on show here,  at the top is a radio message on a frequency (in this case Unicom)  , and the yellow messages are from a private message chat with Tom at EGCC_GND - you can click through to the full message and details - i am likely going to make the radio message a bit  lighter, but have chosen yellow for the direct message as this stands out

[David Schultz]

I was just searching around for a plugin like this.  THe PMDG 737 is amazing i just hate how it doesn't have the EFB with vatsim ez switching like the FBW A320 has.  Hate having to take my eye off the window / instruments to struggle with the radio dials. especially during takeoff/landings.

[Andrew Brown]

7 hours ago, David Black said:

quick updated screenshot on the messaging interface. Craig has done an amazing job and we now have two message types and icons on show here,  at the top is a radio message on a frequency (in this case Unicom)  , and the yellow messages are from a private message chat with Tom at EGCC_GND - you can click through to the full message and details - i am likely going to make the radio message a bit  lighter, but have chosen yellow for the direct message as this stands out

David,  Has this been incorporated in the latest available build?

Cheer,

Andrew

[David Black]

1 hour ago, Andrew Brown said:

David,  Has this been incorporated in the latest available build?

Cheer,

Andrew

Andrew

not yet, we need to test it for a while before releasing for wider testing. Hopefully in next  7-10 days.

thanks

[Michael Kunz]

47 minutes ago, David Black said:

Andrew

not yet, we need to test it for a while before releasing for wider testing. Hopefully in next  7-10 days.

thanks

we hope for a quick release 👍

[David Black]

Pre departure clearances : As the forthcoming messaging function receivesVATSIM private messages ( its read only). Is there a possibility & need to send a PDC request to a controller too? I realise this is implemented in most larger sim aircraft such as the A320, but would it help the Vatsim community to have this in all aircraft? I’d need to see how much info we could get from both VS and simconnect as to how much pre-fill of a form is possible. Also any pointers to the PDC protocol in terms of what attributes are sent from aircraft to ATC would be helpful. Thoughts?