JoinFS multiplayer

[karlh 3]

Hi Peter,

 

I don't see a problem with having a user defined 'extra' folder as you suggest. However, my understanding is that any aircraft scanned, from any FSX folder, will still not be 'seen' by FSX unless it is in the Airplane or Rotorcraft folder under SimObjects. So I don't really understand the reason for having an extra folder unless the idea is to be able to move an aircraft from the extra folder to the Airplanes or Rotorcraft folder without having to do a JoinFS rescan for substitution purposes.

 

Al

 

In my case, the traffic program I have uses its own folder to store its models. I also keep AI aircraft in a separate folder from the main AIRCRAFT folder. That more just personal housekeeping. Pointing P3D back to FSX allows me to use the FSX airplanes without having to "install" them into P3D. Sometimes that doesn't work well with a certain model. Those aircraft go into a folder that FSX "sees" but P3D doesn't.

 

Those just a couple of examples of why aircraft exist outside of the regular AIRCRAFT and ROTORCRAFT folders.

[ark 1,290]

In my case, the traffic program I have uses its own folder to store its models. I also keep AI aircraft in a separate folder from the main AIRCRAFT folder. That more just personal housekeeping. Pointing P3D back to FSX allows me to use the FSX airplanes without having to "install" them into P3D. Sometimes that doesn't work well with a certain model. Those aircraft go into a folder that FSX "sees" but P3D doesn't.

 

Those just a couple of examples of why aircraft exist outside of the regular AIRCRAFT and ROTORCRAFT folders.

Karl,

 

Interesting, but not sure I fully understand. When you say " Those aircraft go into a folder that FSX "sees" but P3D doesn't", does that mean you have aircraft outside the FSX Airplanes or Rotorcraft folders that you can fly in FSX if you wanted to? Just to clarify, what I mean by FSX 'seeing' an aircraft, is that FSX will not have to create a substitution for it in JoinFS if someone else is flying it.

 

I certainly see reasons for having 'extra'  aircraft folders -- for example, I have a Hanger folder under SimObjects with aircraft I am not using and don't want to show up in the FSX aircraft selection screen. However, those aircraft will not be 'seen' by FSX in the JointFS environment, so there is no reason for JoinFS to scan them -- I will still have to make a substitution if someone else if flying one of them.

 

So I'm not questioning the need for extra aircraft folders, but rather the utility of having JoinFS scan them. It is confusing to have aircraft in the substitution list that won't work as substitutes because FSX can't 'see' them after the substitution is made.

 

Thx,

Al

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

I'm not sure if this has been addressed or even if it's JoinFS's remit, but...Two of us were trying out, him in P3D me in FSX. I could see him fine, he could not see me. I then thought 'I wonder if it's because I'm in a custom paint'. I went to change aircraft(Wow! You can't do that in multiplayer) when I came back in a default paint he could see me! Brilliant. The only trouble was FSX did not take kindly to the swap and stated throwing my plane all over the place, to the point where I had to leave!

I appreciate we didn't do the scan and that would sort itself out. But could there be a link between JoinFS and FSX not liking changing aircraft?

[karlh 3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I don't want to get too far from Peter's topic in his thread. I started another thread regarding this. [ http://www.avsim.com/index.php?app=forums&module=post&section=post&do=new_post&f=195 ]

[ark 1,290]

I'm not sure if this has been addressed or even if it's JoinFS's remit, but...Two of us were trying out, him in P3D me in FSX. I could see him fine, he could not see me. I then thought 'I wonder if it's because I'm in a custom paint'. I went to change aircraft(Wow! You can't do that in multiplayer) when I came back in a default paint he could see me! Brilliant. The only trouble was FSX did not take kindly to the swap and stated throwing my plane all over the place, to the point where I had to leave!

I appreciate we didn't do the scan and that would sort itself out. But could there be a link between JoinFS and FSX not liking changing aircraft?

As I understand it, in the case you describe the 'normal' JoinFS procedure would be for the pilot who couldn't see you because of your custom paint to be the one to make a substitution to something he could see -- to something he had in his FSX Simobjects Airplane or Rotorcarft folder. 

 

However, I tried to duplicate what you described between two computers I have -- one in FSX and the other in FSX-SE -- but didn't experience any strange a/c behavior.

 

Al

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

Thanks for trying. On reflection, it could well have been an A2A/Simconnect thang. I was in a Spitfire...

[ark 1,290]

Hi Al,

 

I gather that other aircraft outside of those two folders are still useful and required for substitution. Is this still a going to be a problem? I known it finds a lot more objects. Is it that it makes it difficult to find the model you want because the categories contain too many entries.

 

I think I may need to show a separate window where you can select which folders under SimObjects you wish to scan for. It could default to the two you mention, but then allows you to add the extra folders?

 

Peter

Peter,

I have learned that aircraft in a user defined folder under Simobjects will in fact be 'seen' by FSX as long as an appropriate line pointing to that folder is added into the FSX.cfg file. So your idea above for a separate window would be useful in that case.

Al

[zk-bob 1]

Tom and I had a play today, with 1.0.3, great fun. We tried a mixture of aircraft, the default were faultlessly identified and showed to both of us. We were flying on Dan's IP on one of his expensive and spare computers. 

 

We did discover that we needed to do the substitution accurately, or no go. On one of the tests, I had no choice but to make Tom's Douglas jet fighter that I don't have, into a C172. No other substitute would work. 

 

Doing the initial setup correctly is now vital. you MUST do the "scan"  routine, or when you try the FOLLOW function, you end up of the coast of West Africa, at 0.0.0 Long x 0.0.0 Lat. Surrounded by sharks and seagulls.  Yes, we found this out the hard way. 

 

We tried out the "Weather" feature, that worked too well, it also took time of day, and season, putting me in the dark mid winter. 

 

All in all, Clever guy!!   lots of fun. I am sure that this will also become our groups default multiplayer. 

 

Requests to Peter....   Can we have the find/follow assigned to key strokes? I can then assign THEM to FSUIPC. 

 

 

B

[Peter Memmott 9]

Hi Bob, glad you had some success with 1.0.3. I was just looking at the zero location on Follow. I think I know why it is doing that. It will also do it if you follow any AI traffic at the moment. Needs a little work.

 

The folders that get scanned have changed for the new version so I wonder if that is actually messing up your existing model matching. I'll see if I can handle that situation in a more friendly way.

 

Re: Keystroke. Good idea, that would be useful.

 

Thanks,

Peter

[mike stryczek 23]

Peter
Congratulations on the revolutionary multiplayer connection software.
msFlights.net, simulation community has conducted capacity test off Your software with very promising results.

I am a part of this community which is nondiscriminatory and inclusive.
I connect to Internet via communal Wi-Fi .
In consequence my Internet connection is not very reliable and it's quality changes.
In small groups of people (2 - 5) I have great experience and even with my limited connection Your software performs flawlessly with only occasional disconnect .
Unfortunately in capacity test conducted buy msFlights.net (13-15 participants) I observed lots of disconnects and other anomalies (Aircraft of other people flipping around and moving in strange directions).
I wonder if Your software could include frequency of updates option allowing people with limited connection participate in multiplayer activities.

Many years ago there was a FSD based software for multiplayer connection called FSinn, it is still used today with great success, as it has very advanced adjustments.
It is quite outdated with jumpy and jittery aircraft movement, opposite of Your amazing smoothness in continuity, but it had adjustable direct IP option.

 

I wonder if something similar could be adopted for unreliable Internet connection.

One more time, thank you for your efforts and if I can help in anyway, let me know.
HL

mike

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

I don't know if it's possible but although you can see labels you only get to see altitude and distance. It would be nice to be able to see names. Can that be done? :smile:

[Peter Memmott 9]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks very much. I've heard about the 22 pilot stress test. That's a really good test at this stage and to be honest, I'm actually quite relieved that it went relatively okay. The thing that surprises me somewhat is that I have yet to do some of the critical network optimizations, which will reduce the number of packets significantly. And the dynamic routing also needs some improvements to avoid flooding any one machine. That might explain the disconnects you saw. You are right, having an option for low-bandwidth connections would help. Although I may try for some automated throttling instead, or as well as. I'm going to be working on these network optimizations as a priority for the next few versions. I'd like to get it as stable as possible, I think that's important.

 

Hi Ron,

 

Might be tricky that one. I might be able to reuse one of the existing labels that cycles around in FSX. I'll take a look.

 

Best regards,
Peter

[Robert455 15]

Here was my view of that MSFlights.net multiplayer flight. For me it really went pretty well but I suspect it is because my connection was fairly solid. There was some flipping around, stuttering, and even some sliding occasionally. Also some disconnects. But not too bad as you can see...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVV6FeWssxs

[karlh 3]

And the next cool thing about JoinFS. Three of us using the Avatar mode in P3D were able to be in the same aircraft. It wasn't perfect. Only the original owner of the aircraft could fly but it was still cool. Wonder how many we can cram into a Cessna?

Our test group flight on Saturday went well with one exception. The link I provided to the voice program we use, Discord, was evidently broken. I have scheduled a second one for this Saturday the 22nd. We almost got to 20 with just our members. Perhaps if some others came by we could get to 40.

 

For more information:

 

http://msflights.net/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=1734

 

(Sorry I know it's late for the European folks)

[zk-bob 1]

More work for Peter!!!

 

During todays very successful flight, lasting 5 hours!!!!!   we were flying C208B Caravans. Default critturs to minimize substitution for a few new guys to JFS.  at one stage we had 8 pilots and smooooooooth flying. 

 

For some time, there have been modified Garmin GPS500s that have a Radar capability and show aircraft as yellow icons. Can you implement that in JFS?  

It seems that certain stand alone radars already work, I will ask around and report back as to which ones these are.

 

Can you include a routine if the executable to check for an already running instance of JFS and then stop the second instance actually running? This happened today, and the second instance  took JFS out and killed it. 

 

Thank you.

B