Mixing P3D traffic with Voxatc traffic?

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

Nope, but there are a lot of RL American Airlines flights at KMIA. What does the Airport View (offline) look like for KMIA when you look at it in AI Companion? If there's a lot of flights from many airlines then it almost seems like VOXATC is running out of some resource, like memory. That's impossible for a 64 bit app, but there could be some odd bug.

You could also activate VOXATC detailed logging in the Advanced Options utility and then check the logfiles for any hints.

I hate to suggest this, but you also might want to turn on SimConnect logging, run the sim and send the SimConnect log output to a file. Maybe there's a bunch of errors. How to do it:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/how-to-generate-simconnect-traces.346865/

Which leads me to also ask which versions of SimConnect are installed on your computer? I think that VOXATC has it's own SimConnect client and doesn't rely on the ones in the P3d4 redist subfolder, but you never know. And while I'm at it, which version of FSUIPC5 are you running? VOXATC uses both SimConnect and FSUIPC5. I think the free version of FSUIPC5 works with VOXATC, but I have the payware version, so I don't really know. Maybe someone else can answer that.

[racer0796 0]

On 7/4/2019 at 4:13 PM, mikelockwood said:

Hi Jab,

I’ve only just discovered this post in my search for answers to the lack of VOX AI traffic so apologies for extending this even further.

i was very interested in your discovery of the 4 lines that you tested in the VASettings XML file. They weren’t present in mine so I added them myself. Unfortunately they made no difference. For convenience I just put them at the top of the list but I was wondering if they need to be placed in a certain position?

Just to elaborate on that, I do have some traffic, for example at my home airport EGKK I get 40 to 50% with p3d AI set at zero and VOX at 100%, but if I try KMIA for example there is nothing. 

I started using P3D V4 earlier this year and installed all my WOAI traffic from my old FSX.  As far as I can recall the AI volume was excellent other than the fact that a lot of the models weren’t suitable for V4. I was so glad when AIG developed their OCI. I thought that this was a dream come true. I’ve installed everything that they have available so far so I’m not short of airlines. If I use P3D AI traffic at 100% then I get plenty of traffic everywhere including KMIA. You are right what you say not understanding how VOX reads the bgl’s. it’s a mystery to me too, surely the indexer should read the files exactly how P3D does but obviously it doesn’t.

I have been using UT Live but I miss the interaction that VOX gives. I was wondering whether to uninstall UT altogether in case that messes with the indexer in some way? I was also wondering if VOX needs an update? If you look at the VOX updates in VOX NEWS the first mention of V4 was 31st July 2018 with the last update being 3rd October 2018. We’re now up to V 4.5 with P3D so nothing’s changed for 9 months. I’m sure you know that VOX is not one of best developers for keeping us advised on progress.

Anyway, I hope that you may be able to offer me some suggestions or any further progress that you have made yourself.

Many thanks,

Mike

 

Hi Mike,       I just read the above in more detail, and can tell you this isn't just a P3d issue !

I run Fsx se and can tell you I don't see traffic at the majority of US airports., not just Miami !!

I too have plenty at Gatwick, and most major UK airports......As a consequence I've given up with any virtual flying in the US,   because I've run out of ideas ........  

I use Just flight traffic 2005, and have also used Traffic 360 , along with AI Flight Planner.    The problem with the latter is, that although it will place my own traffic flight plans with the default sliders up , it WILL NOT  with sliders set at zero , and vox at ANY percentage .....  Please see my originnal on this and other as linked and referenced recently by Jay  (jabloom)

[mikelockwood 3]

Racer,

It’s good to know that I’m not alone in this. I’m in the process of implementing Jay’s last post to find out if anything shows up by keeping a log but my time has been limited the past few days. Keep following this post and hopefully some light will be shed.

Mike

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

You guys should compare setups. It obviously has nothing to do with the base sim itself. It must be a conflict between VOX and some other add-on.

[mikelockwood 3]

Weird things are happening!!!

Jay, I did what you suggested. Firstly I activated the VOX error log. Secondly, I clicked on the link that you gave me and then tracked down my simconnect.ini file. I placed a copy of it in C;\Users\Mike\Documents\Prepar3d V4 Files. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to do with it after that so I just left it there. I started the sim, went to KMIA as usual, started VOX, no traffic as usual, made a log. In FSUIPC5 I enabled logging ( have the paid version btw). I decided to try another airport, so I tried KSFO where there is also zero traffic. Much to my surprise, the airport suddenly filled with AI when I started VOX!!!! Ok, so now I went to KMCO which is another airport that I definitely know has never had AI and wow!! now it has!! I tried KLAX which has always had AI with VOX and that was still working as well. Went back to KMIA still zero traffic. I made a VOX log of KMIA and KSFO. I've attached them and I hope that they will make sense to you. There are definitely issues there, but my knowledge is limited in understanding these logs. One thing that I did notice in both logs was this message :- "Exception while initializing Asti : Could not load file or assembly 'file:///C:\Program Files\Internal Workings\VoxATC P3D 4\AstiInt.dll' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified."  I searched my entire drive to see if this file was present anywhere but it wasn't.

So now I wondered, is the presence of the simconnect.ini file in Documents causing this? So I removed it and re-started P3D. All the AI traffic is still there without this file being present. Sooo to recap, I enabled VOX logging, placed a simconnect.ini file in Documents and enabled logging in FSUIP5. That's it. I'm puzzled but happy. Obviously I still need to do further tests and run a few test flights from A to B but this how things stand at this moment in time.

In answer to your other question. I checked in my Control Panel at installed programs and this is what I have installed:-

Sim Connect V 10.0.60905.0 dated 3rd Feb 19

Sim Connect V 10.0.61242.0 dated 3rd Feb 19

Sim Connect V 10.0.61259.0 dated 30th Jan 19

Mike

 

[mikelockwood 3]

Ooopps! forgot the files 😐

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fo3xkm5rbmufj3q/KMIAerror.log?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/shg4ssb66hpfzb9/KSFOerror.log?dl=0

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

I'll take a look at the files later today.  That "Asti" exception can be ignored. It is a dynamic link library that to my knowledge,  is no longer used in VOXATC 7. If you Google the DLL name, you'll see that other VOXATC users have also reported that the DLL is not included in the installer.

[mikelockwood 3]

Ok Jay, did some Googling. So Asti is irrelevant. Thanks for looking at files later.

Mike

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

I took a look at both files. There are fatal error messages in each, but I am wondering if it has something to do with your flightplans. VOXATC works without  loading a flightplan at uncontrolled airports. It doesn't seem to like doing so at controlled airports, where  one should file either a VFR flightplan or preferably a IFR flightplan before enabling VOXATC. I have no idea whether this behavior is either a bug or a feature. Also, VOXATC flightplans can't contain either typos or items (waypoints, navaids, etc.) missing from the sim's navigation database. More often than not, this condition stems from having a flightplan based on the most recent AIRAC, but the sim's version is outdated. Most VOXATC users also have a subscription to fsaerodata, as that assures a unified navigation database that is up to date. VOXATC only keeps its approaches up to date to the latest AIRAC. Herve' Sors also provides a partial update to the sim's navigation database that is donationware.

Let me think about this some more, but It seems like something is interfering with the way that VOXATC is using the SimConnect channel. There isn't anything too interesting in the VOXATC logfiles, which is a good thing. Here's another explanation as to how to generate a SimConnect trace log:

https://forum.simflight.com/topic/45074-fsx-help-logging-simconnect/

It's for FSX, but it works the same in P3d4.

4 hours ago, mikelockwood said:

Ok Jay, did some Googling. So Asti is irrelevant. Thanks for looking at files later.

I'm guessing that the Asti reference is to Voice over IP capabilities, which are not supported in VOXATC 7.

[mikelockwood 3]

Thanks for the additional info on sim-connect. I had set it up ok but after reading Pete's post I realised that the logs were in the Modules folder, so they were there all the time.

Regarding flight plans, I do understand what you mean about VOX preferring a plan. But I seem to be getting the problem at KMIA with or without a plan. Anyway, I started another plan and still got no AI traffic. I've attached the VOX log and Sim connect log for you to study.

You gave me food for thought regarding AIRAC cycles. MY flight simming has been a bit sporadic this year and when I checked I was still using AIRAC cycle 19/02 but for some reason had also installed Herve' Sors cycle 19/06. Could this be it? I thought, the navigation data base being out of sync? So yesterday I installed AIRAC 19/08 from Navigraph and 19/08 from Herve' Sors. I ran the indexer again and today tried the flight plan as mentioned above, but still no AI at KMIA. I'm wondering if this is just an airport specific problem now. There could be other airports not working properly, but without spending hours testing batches of them I can't be certain. In fact, we still don't know why the other airports like KSFOKMCO have decided to work.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8e0fvnqc79ixswc/FSUIPC5.log?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8nwkqprf35jdbd/KMIA2error.log?dl=0

Thanks once again Jay for the time and effort that you have spent on this.

Mike

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

The first first file is an FSUIPC5 logfile. The Simconnect logfile  (and location) should match the file name that you used in SimConnect.ini file.

[mikelockwood 3]

Hope I've got this right. I have attached copy of Simconnect entry in Documents folder and resultant log from my Modules folder.

Update - AI traffic still erratic, KSFO still has traffic but KMCO now gone from plenty to minimal (6 aircraft at 100% VOX slider. Not an airport specific problem.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y2btm9zpv2cm8kv/FSUIPC5.ini?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fnb1c6s8xffpbrc/SimConnect.ini?dl=0

Regards Mike

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

LOL, Mike, I think you're not making much progress. You now posted a copy of Pete Dowson's  example SimConnect.ini, not your SimConnect logfile.

Besides, this line in SimConnect.ini:

file=path to P3DV4\Modules\SimConnect%01u.Log

is an example. It's supposed to point to the actual location of the your logfile, like:

 

file=D:\Prepar3d V4\Modules\SimConnect%01u.Log

or

file=D:\temp\MySCfile.log

This is why I initially hesitated to suggest running a SimConnect trace.

[mikelockwood 3]

😳 Groan, dying of embarrassment here.

Not near computer at moment. But I’ll look later and try again!

Mike

[mikelockwood 3]

There you go! Easy when you know how😁

I blame the recent heatwave in London without air conditioning 😋

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8e0fvnqc79ixswc/FSUIPC5.log?dl=0

All I've done is load flight plan and enable VOX, that's it. no flying.

Mike