Squawk Box & PIC On VATSIM...how to see others, and be

[ACA857]

Ok, here goes...Go to www.vatsim.net and get Sbox v2.3b4 (if you don't have it already) and then get/install:http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/seang1/csl/CSL2k2Beta1.ziphttp://homepages.paradise.net.nz/seang1/csl/CSL_ICAO.zip- The csl_icao.csv file is simply a database of aircraft you can select so that OTHERS can see YOU as a particular aircraft of your choice. This database feeds the list of aircraft available to you when you file a flight plan on SBox. It in NO way affects what you can see others as. - How you see others is ONLY a matter of what aircraft you have in your /FS2k2/Aircraft folder as this is where SBox looks for the textures to display. If you don't have a CSL sub-folder in your Aircraft folder, all other aircraft in view will be displayed as the aircraft you are currently using..."I see me as myself"...that's why. 0000000000000000 For VIP2 users ONLY: ]If you already have VIP2 textures, you will need to add the lines for VIP aircraft to the CSL database (CSL_ICAO.csv) so that you may choose to be seen as a VIP aircraft. All standard CSL aircraft use a "~" before the airaft type in the database, VIP does not use the ~. You must include the VIP aircraft information in your CSL_ICAO.csv file. Others will see you as a VIP aircraft ONLY if they ALSO have the VIP textures installed. If they don't, they will see you as their own aircraft, exactly as we are seeing in the recent pictures posted by Vulcan. 000000000000000- The CSL_ICAO.csv database in no way affects OTHER aircraft YOU see on VATSIM, ONLY how OTHERS see YOU. You are in effect 'telling' SBox how to represent you in the VATSIM world through the aircraft available to "be seen as" in the CSL_ICAO.csv file.------------"For PIC on VATSIM events as well as all large events, please select default CSL aircraft in Squawkbox when you file your flight plans. Using custom aircraft textures available through VIP2 or Virtual Airline custom CSL modifications will result in everyone without those textures seeing you as their own aircraft texture. A "not found" texture is very demanding on system resources and results in severely diminished frame rates. Please respect the other pilot's situation and use a default Squawkbox texture on your flight plan for all PIC on VATSIM events. (this will be resolved with the release of the next version of squawkbox but we have to live with it for now)."------------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIn order to see other aircraft in the VATSIM world as they 'should' appear, and for others to see you as you have selected / wish to be seen as...1. Each party MUST have the same aircraft in their FS2k2/Aircraft/CSL folder. (or FSIDC folder if using VIP) The /Aircraft folder files are what directly affects how YOU see OTHER aircraft. If the same aircraft is not in your local folder, you will see yourself as SBox defaults to your current aircraft selection to portray other aircraft it can't find in your local folders.2. Each party must select (BEFORE connecting to SBox) the correct aircraft they wish to be seen as. If I am flying a Canadian Airlines 767, I make that 'known' to SBox when filing a flight plan by choosing a CDN767 in the pull down menu.3. As long as "Other" pilots have told SBox to be presented as specific aircraft you ALSO have in your local FS2k2/Aircraft/CSL/Aircraft.cfg, then -and only then- will you see them as they 'wish' to be seen.4. Many people (like Vulcan) do not have VIP textures installed in their FS2k2/Aircraft folder. When I tell Sbox I want to be seen as a VIP767, Vulcan's Aircraft folder does not contain the VIP767 (FSIDC folder), so he can ONLY see me as his own aircraft (it's a default situation/fall back for SBox to go to whatever aircraft you are using on your local PC to be displayed as OTHER aircraft in the session it does not "recognize" on your local PC).5. Users who have not installed any of the CSL library files will NOT be seen by others correctly. Again, SBox defaults to whatever YOU are using for aircraft it does not 'recognize' on your local PC...you will see them as your own aircraft, KILLING your frame rates.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx As a further example, the CSL library does not contain an Air Canada 767. I will choose the closest aircraft and airline to it so I can be 'seen' as something resembling an Air Canada 767 to others. In this case, the Candian Airlines 767 is the closest CSL has to offer. When I file a SBox/VATSIM flight plan, I will choose the CDN767 in the aircraft selection pull down menu. This will allow other pilots to see me as a CSL-Canadian Airlines 767, as long as they using the CSL Library files.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI hope I have made things somewhat clearer. It all came together for me when I finally understood that FS2k2 uses Aircraft.cfg files to recognize aircraft. Take a look at the Aircraft.cfg file in the CSL folder and it will all come together in your head, turning "huh?" into "ahhh!". The recent "Beta" release from CSL is an update to those CSL textures referenced by the CSL-Aircraft.cfg to give you flaps, lights, and gear on most basic CSL aircraft.Happy flying.Rob. Rob.

[ACA857]

Bump

[Mats_J]

Rob,A very informative post indeed! :-)The CSL-system is truly intriguing (sp?) Maybe we should add that if you run FS2k2 you should download SquawkBox 2.3b5. I don't think it will work with 2.3b4 on FS2k2.If you run SB on a second computer linked via WideFS it however doesn't matter which version you use. Either 2.3b4 or 5 works fine.Regards

[Vulcan]

>Either 2.3b4 or 5 works fine.

[Vulcan]

Rob,Many thanks for the new thread.I was reading the original posts and checking what I had installed because I was sure I had the CSL and VIP files, even if they were the version 1.5 ones and V2.I can confirm that I have the CSL & FSIDC folders and I seem to remember that when running 2PCs you need to change the aircraft.csl file to 'aircraft.cfg', which is the case.What I have not had chance to check yet is whether I have a merged CSL_ICAO.csv file (VIP & CSL) or only one or t'other.I will re-read your post when I am more awake :-) and do some more checking and also be more alert to other a/c next time I am on line.Rgds PS I think one of things a lot of us do is connect to Vatsim and then send the FP, missing out the 'send FP before connecting' step and thus screwing up the a/c visual model.

[Mats_J]

Affirmative on the 2.3b5 on 2nd PC.Just checked mine and I've been running 2.3b5 on two different auxiliary systems for the last year.I remember having some gigantic trouble when first installing SB and CSL (Both on a single and a dual system.) But this setup has worked flawlessly for me!Regards

[Mats_J]

>missing out the 'send FP before connecting' step and thus screwing >up the a/c visual model.Hey VulcanThis is something I haven't heard or seen anything about. Can you please fill me in on this. I and others with me I think have experienced occasional problems with the "Me, myself and I" problem. Is this a reason. That we didn't file the F/P before connecting?Regards

[Vulcan]

Hi Mats,Thanks for the confirmation re build 5, will remember to advise 'newbies' to get that build.Re the filing the F/P before connecting, see point 2 in Rob's post above.I had seen it mentioned in one of the ng's but thought it only applied if you had previously filed your F/P on the main vatsim web site.So it looks like you start SB, squwak standby, then file your F/P, THEN connect to vatsim and of course you will then have to resend your F/P.Roll on SB3 and the new controller s/w :-)

[Guest MB327]

"So it looks like you start SB, squwak standby, then file your F/P, THEN connect to vatsim and of course you will then have to resend your F/P." <---EXACTLY

[Guest MB327]

Good Job Mate, I think you covered just about everything we have been talking about over the last few months.I had also mentioned the "Virtual Airline Customized CSL" files in the other thread. Just remember everyone, no matter how much care you take to have your aircraft folder up to date with all of the textures, there are a lot of VAs out there that can wreck your day with customized models that no-one else has. And there is nothing you can do about it.When the new version of Squawkbox comes out, it will handle all of this much better. You will be able to tell Squawkbox how to model aircraft that are not in your aircraft folder. You will be able to select a default presentation for "not found" aircraft or even have it use some internal logic to find a best match based on either aircraft type or carrier. But that is down the road and this is now. Read and heed to get the best out of your on-line experiance.Thanks Rob for pulling all of that together. You might want to copy and paste it now over to the Squawkbox Forum.

[Guest]

Excellent stuff, thank you Rob. Now I can see both, the CSL and VIP selectable aircrafts. the VIPs one are followed by a double "/" correct?Sorry I couldn

[Guest ilh]

Why doesn't someone release a CSL_ICAO.csv file that contains all the commonly used aircraft such as AAL767, ACA767, basically whatever people are "broadcasting" these days. Even if I don't have all the custom textures, this file would map them onto the default textures.If you are seeing yourself all over an airport, is there an easy way to find out, perhaps with ServInfo, what the others have said they are?Lee Hetherington (KBED)

[Vulcan]

>is there an easy way to find out, perhaps with ServInfo, what the others have said they are?