Utility to <Pause> automatically P3D

[Simicro 247]

Hi mates,

For P3Dv4 I'm looking for a streamlined utility to pause at a specified waypoint, or a specified distance from a waypoint, or after a certain amount of time has elapsed?

I did some search and found:

• Xpause
• IWillBeBack
• Flight Simulator First Officer (FSFO)
• fspauser

Most of them are in the AVSIM Library. Now either they are too old, or not for P3D, or 'bloated' for what I want to do (eg FSFO).

Are you aware of another utility?

Maybe I can learn a script language like AutoHotkey to do it?

[AnkH 2,261]

Some addons offer pausing at TOD. I do not know if those addons are also capable of pausing on any other waypoint. Maybe one of the Lorby Addons is capable of doing this? Out of interest: why do you want to pause the sim automatically at a specific position/time/waypoint?

[Simicro 247]

Thanks for your help Chris. I have already the TOD Pause in my PMDG 777.

Why do I need a utility to pause?

I'm about to fly some polar routes from the USA to Asia. I want to take-off, then set AP and let the plane fly until Greenland is reached, at which moment I would like the sim to pause automatically in the same idea as the auto-pause before the TOD in the PMDG 777 and probably other aircrafts.

After the take-off I will leave my PC for other real-life duties. I want to be in front of my PC during the cruise over Greenland or whatever point of interest. I don't want to use the PMDG Auto-cruise feature (= time acceleration). I don't want to come back to my PC at a precise time. That is why I need to autopause the simulator when the aircraft reaches a waypoint near Greenland.

 

[DChockey08 299]

While this isn't very realistic I can think of a workaround for PMDG birds:

1. Pause the sim after reaching cruise or save/exit.

2. When returning, note the name and location of the waypoint you want to 'teleport' to.

3. In the FMC, note the ETA (which will be in GMT) and estimated fuel remaining at the waypoint (and altitude if using a step climb feature).

4. Using the P3D map feature, 'teleport' to just behind waypoint and modify your heading/altitude to match the flight profile.

5. Once the sim reloads, modify the time in the sim to match the noted ETA (GMT) from the FMC.

6. Go to PMDG options in the FMC and change the fuel to match what was noted earlier.

7. IMPORTANT: go to FMC legs page and hit direct to the waypoint in question which should be right in front of you and execute.

8. Unpause the sim. The aircraft may go into an overspeed condition for a few moments as its going to be thrown off by being hundreds of thousands of pounds lighter all of a sudden and reacting to different winds.

 

Is it perfect? No. Is it realistic? Heck no. Will the 'purists' get triggered just reading this post? Probably.

 

I like flying very real-world long routes in the 777/747 (SFO-HKG, SYD, etc) but also work 12 hour days so this is an easy way for me to get a very long flight done in just a few hours from preflight to shutdown (even with the 8x compression, it would take about an hour more. I simply don't have the time). For those who will ask "why don't you just fly shorter routed instead?" ill answer "because this works." To each their own.

 

Not sure if this will satisfy your needs, but it works for me so I thought I'd throw it out there.

.

 

[AnkH 2,261]

That is why I really love the "jump ahead" feature of the QW 787. The main reason I got this bird and not the PMDG 777 or 747. I also simply do not have time to do a 12h flight in real time. 8x time compression would be fine, but there are reports that the "auto cruise" of PMDG basically only works properly up to 4x. And this is sadly still too much time...

[Simicro 247]

Another guy, Robin, offered this workaround for the PMDG 777:

Quote

Create a RTE 1 with the last cruise waypoint placed before Greenland, followed by a much lower altitude at the next waypoint and no further cruise altitudes until you're final destination. Also, create a RTE 2, now with the actual complete route you want to fly with the correct cruise altitudes from Greenland and beyond.

 

While first flying RTE 1, the T/D will be well before Greenland and the sim will pause (check this in the Legs page during preflight)
When home again, switch to RTE 2 to fly the remainder of the route. Make sure to keep an eye on the legs page to see the FMC is continuing the preferred route.

 

Otherwise, anyone aware of a recent utility?
 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Simicro

[Bob Scott 7,719]

IWillBeBack probably works just fine in P3D...it uses FSUIPC as its interface, so even if not designed for P3D, it's quite likely to work because the FSUIPC interface is standard across sim platforms.

I wrote a (also FSUIPC-based) utility some years ago called QuantumLeap that allows you to reset the acft time and position, which provides an automated way of jumping ahead on long flights.  I think it's still in the AVSIM library.

Regards

[Simicro 247]

Many thanks Bob, you made my day 🙂

'Don't Miss The Flight Moment' aka IWillBeBack.zip (click here) while released in 2002, still does the job in my P3DV4.4. I've just tried. Many thanks to the author Jose Oliveira.