Vox ATC demo installed but not showing in aircraft

[Andayle 47]

Hi all,

 

I have downloaded the VOXATC demo and was hoping to try it out this evening.  I have it installed and it shows in my start menu.  I have also run the indexer and selected both the NGXU and my Aerosoft airbuses in the panel config program.  However when I launch P3D I get no notification to allow a new addon like the manual says I should.  

 

I have checked both the Gauges folder and the panels for the above aircraft and everything looks good.  I just can't seem to get anything to show whilst in the cockpit.  Maybe i'm doing something wrong?  I'm using simbrief for the flightplan, loading P3D and selecting the aircraft and the airport,  letting the sim load and once i'm in the cockpit i'm loading the flightplan from simbrief into the flightsim.  I've tried assigning yoke buttons both on my yoke and throttle.  Also tried the default keys pre set with VOXATC and also tried changing them but nothing.

 

Any Ideas?

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

2 hours ago, Andayle said:

However when I launch P3D I get no notification to allow a new addon like the manual says I should.  

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but VOXATC is a gauge window, which means that once in an active flight, you have to open it in the Vehicle Menu, else the window will not show up.

[Andayle 47]

I managed to get it working okay just by rebooting the PC.

 

I've done a couple of flights now and really like a lot of what it does.  One thing that bugs me and possibly be a deal breaker is that it doesn't read the weather at the destination very well if at all.  Also it doesn't appear to assign a runway when assigning the STAR.  It's a shame it doesnt read from a weather file or from the internet like some others ATC programs do.  

 

I'll keep trying and see if I can figure out some of the oddities.

[vadriver 247]

Dean

• As best i know Voxatc, it reads its arrival weather from the sim about 30nm from the destination. That weather has only been read by the sim shortly before at 60nm, no matter what the source.

Yes, other atc addons will download metars earlier (up to an hour earlier) but they don't inject it into the sim at all. You then can have a change of metar / weather closer to the destination.

The net result is that with any atc addon the "touchdown" weather in the sim will be the same.

• Star assignment by voxatc is based on a read of destination sim weather at the time of departure ..... which obviously can be that slighly more problematic, though its ability to redirect to another runway from a "wrong star" with vectors is in my opinion "the best".

Fortunately, Voxatc's AI control is first class in also directing AI that same way.

As an alternative, if you wish, you can also review the TAF beforehand & adjust you afcad to suit so that the most likely star / opproach are assigned, perhaps with an acceptable downwind (ie it minimises the risk of a runway change in light & variable / strong xwinds varying to a tailwind component.

[DrumsArt 270]

5 hours ago, Andayle said:

I managed to get it working okay just by rebooting the PC.

 

I've done a couple of flights now and really like a lot of what it does.  One thing that bugs me and possibly be a deal breaker is that it doesn't read the weather at the destination very well if at all.  Also it doesn't appear to assign a runway when assigning the STAR.  It's a shame it doesnt read from a weather file or from the internet like some others ATC programs do.  

 

I'll keep trying and see if I can figure out some of the oddities.

When you have loaded your flight, wait a moment before launching Vox (while Activ Sky or other weather program is injected into the simu).

After that, launch VoxAtc. By listening to the Atis (in case you have one) you will have the runway in use. In the worst case if Vox gives you another runway during the taxi, you always have the possibility to ask for the runway of your choice using the "0" key.
Please note that when there are for example 2 parallel runways, Vox assigns one for departures and the other for arrivals (great feature).

Richard.

[vadriver 247]

2 hours ago, DrumsArt said:

Vox assigns one for departures and the other for arrivals (great feature).

indeed ..... a great feature as is all of its AI / User Control from its AI program.

it's the only "2 in 1" ATC addon I know (worth the buy just for the AI/ Runway (xings included) / Taxi controller).

[DrumsArt 270]

33 minutes ago, vadriver said:

indeed ..... a great feature as is all of its AI / User Control from its AI program.

it's the only "2 in 1" ATC addon I know (worth the buy just for the AI/ Runway (xings included) / Taxi controller).

I agree, not to mention the approach/vector in mountainous regions. Great geature too!

Richard

[Andayle 47]

Thank you all for the great insight and suggestions.

 

I really do love the AI injection too.  There is a lot to like about what Vox ATC does compared to the competition.  I guess the fact an approach can change mid flight is actually far more realistic than I was thinking.  It adds a new challenge to the flight rather than programming the FMC and following it all the way down to touch down.

 

Going to do a few more flights over the next few days and make my mind up.  To be fair i'm already leaning towards a purchase after reading these coments.  It does have a few quirks but the realism it brings just in the AI injection and interaction is far superior to others.

 

DrumsArt,  You mention is great at vectoring during a mountainous area, this is something that others fall flat on if not following a star.  Where does Vox get its elevation data to allow for the vectoring?  Others do attempt it but really do get it wrong so many times.  

[DrumsArt 270]

1 hour ago, Andayle said:

Thank you all for the great insight and suggestions.

 

"I really do love the AI injection too.  There is a lot to like about what Vox ATC does compared to the competition.  I guess the fact an approach can change mid flight is actually far more realistic than I was thinking.  It adds a new challenge to the flight rather than programming the FMC and following it all the way down to touch down."

Yep, that's what I like, too. Not knowing in advance what the approach will be.

 

"Going to do a few more flights over the next few days and make my mind up.  To be fair i'm already leaning towards a purchase after reading these coments.  It does have a few quirks but the realism it brings just in the AI injection and interaction is far superior to others."

Yes, some glitches sometimes, but overall it's working well. One important thing too. You can launch Vox at any time, anywhere during the flight, and it will find these "babies"...😁 Very handy when you're reloading a saved flight.

"DrumsArt,  You mention is great at vectoring during a mountainous area, this is something that others fall flat on if not following a star.  Where does Vox get its elevation data to allow for the vectoring?  Others do attempt it but really do get it wrong so many times."

I think it takes the minimum allowed altitudes, probably from a database like Navigraph or equivalent.

There may be a small inconvenience if you fly low in GA. For example, Vox sometimes will make you go up or down along the terrain. To avoid this it is better to plan a slightly higher flight altitude from the start. With experience you will understand what I mean...

"I really do love the AI injection too.  There is a lot to like about what Vox ATC does compared to the competition.  I guess the fact an approach can change mid flight is actually far more realistic than I was thinking.  It adds a new challenge to the flight rather than programming the FMC and following it all the way down to touch down."

-Yep, that's what I like, too. Not knowing in advance what the approach will be.

"Going to do a few more flights over the next few days and make my mind up.  To be fair i'm already leaning towards a purchase after reading these coments.  It does have a few quirks but the realism it brings just in the AI injection and interaction is far superior to others."

-Yes, some glitches sometimes, but overall it's working well. One important thing too. You can launch Vox at any time, anywhere during the flight, and it will find these "babies"...😁 Very handy when you're reloading a saved flight.

"DrumsArt,  You mention is great at vectoring during a mountainous area, this is something that others fall flat on if not following a star.  Where does Vox get its elevation data to allow for the vectoring?  Others do attempt it but really do get it wrong so many times."

-I think it takes the minimum security allowed altitudes, probably from a database like Navigraph or equivalent.

There may be a small inconvenience if you fly low in GA. For example, Vox sometimes will make you go up or down along the terrain. To avoid this it is better to plan a slightly higher flight altitude from the start. With experience you will understand what I mean...

Richard

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

27 minutes ago, DrumsArt said:

I think it takes the minimum security allowed altitudes, probably from a database like Navigraph or equivalent.

My guess is that it uses the online SRTM global elevation database.

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/usgs-eros-archive-digital-elevation-shuttle-radar-topography-mission-srtm-1-arc?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

There are two entries in the VOXATC settings file:

    <TerrainDataServiceName Value="ElevationDataSharp" />
    <TerrainServiceEnabled Value="TRUE" />

that VOXATC uses to access the SRTM data. There are probably a few more settings, which might allow the user to store and use SRTM elevation data locally, but they aren't documented anywhere that I can tell.

[vadriver 247]

3 hours ago, Andayle said:

an approach can change mid flight is actually far more realistic

Dean / Team

indeed it is, but the probability can be "predicted" by reviewing the TAF's.

i do hope that some day soon though, voxatc will know arrival weather just before TOD & not as late as currently & select more likely stars to assign and minimise even further the chance of a runway change, despite voxatc's skill to adequately vector one to that revised runway.

it seems possible that any atc addon could read AS's historic metar data (ahead of sim time) to do that. it would then be more real as that's what in essence met & atc do as they revise arrivals to suit expected changes in the near term.

23 hours ago, vadriver said:

As an alternative, if you wish, you can also review the TAF beforehand & adjust you afcad to suit so that the most likely star / opproach are assigned, perhaps with an acceptable downwind (ie it minimises the risk of a runway change in light & variable / strong xwinds varying to a tailwind component.

my ideas / practice of tweaking afcads to suit works a treat with vox (& only vox) because it "respects closed runways / allows downwind ops". i'd prefer not to but it's my only way to be as real as one can make it.

bottom line ...... a change of runway should not happen as late as 30nm (< 10mins to touchdown). 

 

[Andayle 47]

I've now completed a couple more flights and I really like it so far.  I have one issue left that I can't seem to solve.  The volume slider in windows 10 volume mixer for VOXATC keeps resetting itself to 50% which makes the voices very quiet.  If I slide the slider to 100% it will stay there until a voice is played then the slider resets itself back to 50%

I have do nothing ticked in the options in windows sound settings to stop it lowering volumes itself.  I have the volumes turned up foe the voices in the VOX setup itself.  I just can't seem to figure this last issue out.  It's the only program that seems to have this issue nothing else is affected.

[vadriver 247]

2 hours ago, Andayle said:

If I slide the slider to 100% it will stay there until a voice is played then the slider resets itself back to 50%

dean

some background .... sound mixer.

my little tweak is to adjust the level of other (my aircraft) sounds to suit the voxatc level.

[Andayle 47]

Thank you for the info John,  I have adjusted the levels and am now quite happy with the results.  My next quest is getting a decent set of AI.  I've never bee that bothered about AI before but VOX makes it worth it as the traffic is controlled reasonably realistic.

 

I was looking at the live AI program but after some searching it seems it needs quite a bit of fiddling to get working with VOXATC.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

44 minutes ago, Andayle said:

was looking at the live AI program but after some searching it seems it needs quite a bit of fiddling to get working with VOXATC.

Go to Alpha India Group website and download the AIG Flight Manager. It's freeware and it will automatically install models, paints and flightplans for every airline in the world. Nothing else comes close and AIG works great with VOXATC.