Someone please tell me there's an alternative way to read back ATC comms, other than having to use the mouse to click in the ATC box. I've found the option to assign a button/key to bring up the ATC box (instead of the return key) but curiously, nothing for the ATC acknowledgements themselves.

I guess it's not possible then...

At this point it does not look like it is possible.

 

http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=64662

Thanks for the link to my own thread! I had hoped to widen the knowledge base here :rolleyes:

The state of the current ATC in XP10 could be called alpha or pre-alpha, and that would be being rather kind.

Let's call it a "place-holder" for a future ATC functionality.

 

As far as I am aware it is on LR's to-do list for the v10 run, but they're a small team and it will take time.

Personally I have a few payware aircraft to keep me busy until they get around to it, so it's really just a matter of patience.

^_^

Thanks deetee, I take your points.

 

Mike

 

As far as I am aware it is on LR's to-do list for the v10 run, but they're a small team and it will take time.

 

Don't count on it based on Austin's comments on the AVSIM Teamspeak conference!!!

If the ATC window options and previous comms could be referenced via a dataref, a plugin could be made that would listen to your voice commands and choose the option in the menu that best represents what was said. This was something I was trying to do with FSX/P3D by using a text recognizer to see the ATC window, turn that into text, then work based on the options, but it was too slow and unsuccessful. I could apply the same idea to XPX if the options were extracted to a dataref. The biggest issue with the ATC at that point would be how simplistic and basic it is compared to how it should be.

 

In FSX, you can hit a button to show the ATC window, then options 1-0. By hitting a number, you could control the commands sent to ATC. XP has no such simple selection method, but can be worked around by using the show window, option up/down, select option commands in XPX. It's clunky, but would work.

The XP10 SDK should be able to accomplish this, but if I were to hazard a guess (assuming LR survives the Uniloc legal battle) ATC will not be in v10.x and more like v11.x -- there is A LOT involved in doing ATC correctly. Given LR's limited resources, it might be good to just provide/enhance the necessary methods to allow for IPC (Inter-processing communication) and then let a 3rd party developer/team go to town on developing the ATC (for a price of course).

The XP10 SDK should be able to accomplish this, but if I were to hazard a guess (assuming LR survives the Uniloc legal battle) ATC will not be in v10.x and more like v11.x -- there is A LOT involved in doing ATC correctly. Given LR's limited resources, it might be good to just provide/enhance the necessary methods to allow for IPC (Inter-processing communication) and then let a 3rd party developer/team go to town on developing the ATC (for a price of course).

 

My wallet is out and ready.....

Hell, the ability to generate AI flights and interact with them via an external program would be a great leap forward.

 

Imagine a program that would load aircraft appropriately into the sim (no 747's at an airport with 5000' runways) with access for as many AI aircraft as you could want, you can interact with it and it will give you realistic commands as well as issue appropriate commands to the AI it generates as well as give basic commands for steering and control (tell an aircraft to climb and maintain an altitude at a certain feet per minute, turn to a heading). As long as XP gave the basic ability to spawn an aircraft and subsequently issue commands that the basic AI will respond to, the foundation would be laid for someone else to do the hard part for LR and spawn a market for anyone willing to take on the challenge.

I hope an addon ATC, like ProATC/X, can be made for XP10. I believe it would be much better than anything within the program.

Another issue that should be considered is the AI aircraft themselves. AFAIK (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong), the AI uses the same flyable aircraft, which eats rather large chunks of memory. One of the great things about FSX AI is that all you need is a lightweight external visual model and basic airfile, which keeps the demand on resources low. Could such a thing work in X-Plane?

Another issue that should be considered is the AI aircraft themselves. AFAIK (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong), the AI uses the same flyable aircraft, which eats rather large chunks of memory. One of the great things about FSX AI is that all you need is a lightweight external visual model and basic airfile, which keeps the demand on resources low. Could such a thing work in X-Plane?

 

Already done. :smile: Go to www.x-plane.org file library (registration required) and search for "XPFW AI PACK", there are several packs of the most common airliners, they're lightweight models especially made to use as AI. They've been made by MortenM (one of the developers of IXEG 737).

 

Marco

Already done. :smile: Go to www.x-plane.org file library (registration required) and search for "XPFW AI PACK", there are several packs of the most common airliners, they're lightweight models especially made to use as AI. They've been made by MortenM (one of the developers of IXEG 737).

 

Marco

 

That's good to hear! I'm still hesitant to run AI, though. The aircraft themselves were just part of the reason. The other is loading up at 1S0 in Puyallup, WA and seeing a 747 attempting to taxi. :lol: I'm fine without it for now, really. I guess this is one FSX hold-over sticking point for me. Turning it off is a no-brainer, though, and it's not so important to me that I spend one iota of time or energy to I rail against the current implementation of AI/ATC. Would I like to see improvements? Of course. Is it a dealbreaker? Nope. ^_^