P2A: request for new facilities for cockpit use

[Pete Dowson 558]

I have a full B738 cockpit, and have P3D4 scenery on a 220 degree FOV curved screen using 3 projectors.

For ATC I currently use ProATC/X (and previously Radar Contact), and I am reasonalby happy with it.

But both of those programs are very much menu-oriented, using assigned keypresses only. I have in the past tried to use one of those programs which can recognise speed and provide a keypress in return, but these are really not good when the menus are not always the same. They cannot be without making the menus extremely large to cope with all circumstances having unique selection.

I keep reading good things about Pilot2ATC and studying the documentation it seems to do pretty much everything I would expect of it.  (Actually, like ProATC/X, it does too much for me - flight planning! ;-) -- I use PFPX and TopCat).

But it won't be easy to use from within a cockpit shell. I do have some things in the cockpit which are less than realistic, like a couple of touch-screens used for simulator-oriented options and actions (as opposed to aircraft cockpit-oriented), and one tiny screen on which I display the menus so current selections are known. But there is really no space for a screen large enough to accommodate Pilot2ATC itself.

Like my other (previous) ATC programs, I would be using Pilot2ATC on a networked PC, which has the headsets (pilot and copilot) connected, as well as the overhead speakers (and there is an extra output for a jump seat headset, currently not connected). There's an overhead switch to direct the sound to headset or overhead (the headsets are the single ear type and suit use for mike only if preferred).

But it will be difficult to use it (maybe not impossible, once I'm a dab hand no doubt) without being able to see any of the Pilot2ATC screen.

I would be setting up the flight plan and making the connect to the Sim before getting into the cockpit, so that part is no problem. It is just from requesting Clearance and onwards that I'd like to be able to do certain things and see certain things without having to pause the sim and getting out.

So, I wonder if you could consider these enhancements, some if not all of which I am sure would be of interest to others like me:

1. An assignable keyboard shortcut for "SayIt" (I think others have been asking for this already)

2. An assignable keyboard shortcut for the "?" button, to bring up the Grammar text screen, but with the currently tuned controller assumed rather than have to select it.

3. A text file produced containing the Grammar screen text, so I can read it and display it on my in-cockpit menu screen.

4. A maintained text file for the speech Window, which would be my default scrolling display on my in-cockpit menu window.

The colours can't be easily encoded in a plain text file, but perhaps they can be differentiated by, say, an * at the start.

With these additions I'm sure I will find Pilot2ATC the best option for proper speech-riented cockpit ATC. What do you think?

Oh, there is one other I'm not sure of -- the transponder "ident" action. From a quick read I think you have a screen button for this, is that right? I do have an ident button on my transponder. Shouldn't there be an assignable keyboard shortcut for that? Or don't you really ask for or use Ident?

Thanks for reading this, I look forward to your response.

Regards

Pete

 

 

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 875]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your interest in Pilot2ATC.

Sounds like quite a setup you have!

Managing the multiple sound inputs and outputs could be a challenge, but as long as the PC running P2A sees it as a single sound Input and single sound Output, that should work. 

On your specific requests:

1. I read this to be a keyboard shortcut to have P2A speak the SayIt phrase.  This is done, but mis-labeled as ""SayIt speech Assistant Hot Key".  This will be fixed in the next update.

2. This will be implemented in the next update.  Also, in your cockpit setup, where would you envision this being displayed?

3. I'm having trouble visualizing this one.  Currently you can print all the Grammar Help text to a printer or PDF file from the Grammar Help window.  This sounds like something more targeted. 

4. I think I understand this one and I'm pretty sure it could be done. 

P2A no longer has a built-in Transponder Ident button and does not currently use the Ident function, so that would not be an issue.

Running P2A on a Windows Tablet or a small touch-screen monitor would be something I would recommend over all these changes.  The UI is built with that in mind with pop-up keyboards where needed and many users are doing just that.  Enhancing the UI to work better in a cockpit shell is certainly something I'd be interested in getting feedback on.

If you could display the minimized view of the main window or the SayIt Plus window on one of your existing touch-screen windows, then #3 and #4 would be dealt with.  And, adding a couple of Hot Keys is something that could be done relatively easily.

If you use the built-in Copilot feature, the tactile and verbal interaction during a flight is minimal.  There are quite a few users who set up and file their flight plan and then minimize the screen for the entire flight.  On a typical IFR flight, you can get by with just 7 simple phrases with the Copilot taking care of all read-backs, frequency changes and initial contacts.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Dave

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Dave-Pilot2ATC
Had to edit #1 and #2.

[Pete Dowson 558]

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

Managing the multiple sound inputs and outputs could be a challenge, but as long as the PC running P2A sees it as a single sound Input and single sound Output, that should work.

Yes, it is all working as it is. It is only one output and one input. The switching of the output it done by a program I wrote which uses a virtual sound device and copies the sound onwards to one or the other. There's a slight delay but it works well. And the mikes go through a professional cockpit audio module which provides both pilot to pilot sound (from when I used the external noise-elimination types of heavy headsets), and input to the PC via an AV to USB adapter. I've had all that set up for several years.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

1. I read this to be a keyboard shortcut to have P2A speak the SayIt phrase.  This is done, but mis-labeled as ""SayIt speech Assistant Hot Key".  This will be fixed in the next update.

Sounds good.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

2. This will be implemented in the next update.  Also, in your cockpit setup, where would you envision this being displayed?

See #3. It would be on a small screen in the cockpit, the same one i used for ATC menus before. It's on a separate Wideclient PC, and it is driven by a Lua plug-in which reads the text file (via a shared folder) and formats it / scrolls it as needed. I use the same technique to display weather data from Active Sky, including wind layers.

Before P3D4 I used it also for GSX and ProATC/X menus, diverted from the FS/P3D screen by intercepting the SimConnect decodes, but currently this isn't possible with P3D4. I'm working on L-M to get such facilities built in, and meanwhile using another program i wrote to move the SimConnect windows to a viewable position on the far left of my curved screen where I can read them and where they don't interfere so much with the main viewing direction. Not ideal, just a temporary measure.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

3. I'm having trouble visualizing this one.  Currently you can print all the Grammar Help text to a printer or PDF file from the Grammar Help window.  This sounds like something more targeted. 

That might be possible manually by selecting it and using right-click 'copy', then pasting into Notepad and printing. I don't know. And not all text windows are amenable to that.

No, I would just like the full output to also be (freshly) written to an ordinary text file. Use a fixed name each time overwriting the last one. My plug-in would just pick it up, format it format it for my screen and allow me to scroll as needed.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

4. I think I understand this one and I'm pretty sure it could be done. 

Well, that's really the same as #3 except that the file is cumulative -- i.e. written with the + option rather than overwriting. My plug-in would treat it in the same way, but with automatic scrolling to shown the last lines unless manually scrolled back.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

Running P2A on a Windows Tablet or a small touch-screen monitor would be something I would recommend over all these changes.

I really don't have room for another screen. I do have one I use for FS-FlightControl, which I find indispensible. But the menu screen is far too small.

I already use iPads. There's a mount on both left and right window bases, much like in real Boeing airliners these days. But they are used for charts, and of course they are not Windows tablets but IOS.

49 minutes ago, Dave-Pilot2ATC said:

If you use the built-in Copilot feature, the tactile and verbal interaction during a flight is minimal. 

That sort of spoils the point a little for me. And sometimes I have a real copilot (or I am the copilot in that case, more usually), and he (or I) need(s) to keep busy! I am really trying to work towards full realism.

But I note your recommendations. And understand if the output of the text to a file is not an easy thing for you to implement. After all, I don't know what software packages you use in producing your software.

Thanks for the fast and constructive reply!

Pete

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Pete Dowson