New ATC and Airport Operations Application Testing

[fclaass 11]

Hi Federico,

This tool is of course the best for single runway use airports. So I am testing it there.  LPPT, EGKK and LSGG.

The one thing I don't understand is that take-off aircraft are still waiting for the landing aircraft to actually vacate the runway, even if I have  Roll then takeoff enabled.  I would expect when the landing aircraft is at roll-out speed, the take-off aircraft should start lining up. But it waits until the aircraft is completely off the runway. 

These are my settings

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' ?>
<Parameters>
    <Airport>
    <ICAO>LPPT</ICAO>
    <ActiveTakeOffRunway>
        <Runway>R03</Runway>
    </ActiveTakeOffRunway>
    <ActiveLandingRunway>
        <Runway>R03</Runway>
    </ActiveLandingRunway>
    </Airport>
    <enableFastTakeOffs>1</EnableFastTakeOffs>
    <enableRollthenTakeOff>0</enableRollthenTakeOff>
    <allowTakeOffDistance>7000</AllowTakeOffDistance>
    <taxiSpeedLimiter>35</TaxiSpeedLimiter>
    <nonBlockingUserAircraft>1</nonBlockingUserAircraft>
    <minCrossingRny>2000</minCrossingRny>
    <isGUIVisible>1</isGUIVisible>
    <deployEarlyFlaps>0</deployEarlyFlaps>
</Parameters>

 

[fs1 295]

Try  <enableRollthenTakeOff>1</enableRollthenTakeOff>

Let me know? Thanks!

[fclaass 11]

I'm trying right now, but it still waits until the other aircraft has fully vacated the runway, before lining up

[pmemery 4]

Hello Frederico,

I have tested both ATCAPI and AIFlow/AIGround all together. Deactivating some functions in AIGround as indicated by Roland it works pretty well so I am hopeful that you guys can come up with a single AI tool that would change everything and offer us a realistic AI world.

If I may I have two remarks:

- the AI taxi speed limiter within ATCAPI does not seem to change the speed in a way it should do. In other words I do not see a significant change whether I put 20 or 35 knots. Is it me or did I miss something here ? A AI taxi speed control is really needed here.

- by default all  AI aircraft are trying to exit the runway by all means, making U turns on the runway or taking a runway entrance instead of a runway exit, etc.. I recall a function (Roland perhaps ?) where the AI aircraft could not take an exit that is more than 90° from the runway thus limiting the above behaviour. Is it something that you guys could implement perhaps ? 

Thanks !

 

[d.tsakiris 417]

2 hours ago, pmemery said:

Deactivating some functions in AIGround as indicated by Roland

Could you share your AIGround configuration? That would be great - thanks in advance

[pmemery 4]

Dimitrios,

Here it is:

AIPUSHBACKHOLDTIME=20
AIEXTENDEDPUSHBACK=1
//AINOCONTROLCHECK=0
//AITAXISEPARATIONDISTANCE=200.0
//AIADVANCEDINCURSIONDETECTION=0
//AITAXILOCALDISTANCE=5.0
//AIMONITORRADIUS=55556
AILANDINGBRAKINGSCALAR=1.0 //start with 15.0 if using AILANDINGTARGETTIME
AILANDINGTARGETTIME=0
//AILANDINGBRAKINGGAIN=3.0
//AITAKEOFFTHRUSTDERATESCALAR=1.0 //start with 15.0 is using AITAKEOFFTARGETTIME
//AITAKEOFFTARGETTIME=0
//AITAKEOFFTHRUSTDERATEGAIN=3.0
AIPLANESPOTTINGONLY=1
//INSIMMESSAGELEVEL=2
//STARTMINIMIZED=1
INIPERIODICUPDATE=1

The two parameters to be modified are

AILANDINGBRAKINGSCALAR=1.0 //start with 15.0 if using AILANDINGTARGETTIME
AILANDINGTARGETTIME=0

so that there is no interference with ATCAPI (as per Roland recommendations)

[fs1 295]

9 hours ago, pmemery said:

If I may I have two remarks:

- the AI taxi speed limiter within ATCAPI does not seem to change the speed in a way it should do. In other words I do not see a significant change whether I put 20 or 35 knots. Is it me or did I miss something here ? A AI taxi speed control is really needed here.

- by default all  AI aircraft are trying to exit the runway by all means, making U turns on the runway or taking a runway entrance instead of a runway exit, etc.. I recall a function (Roland perhaps ?) where the AI aircraft could not take an exit that is more than 90° from the runway thus limiting the above behaviour. Is it something that you guys could implement perhaps ?

 

Thanks. I will check the taxi speed and verify it is working.

Regarding the exit runway, it is based on an algortithm based on several variables. I will check if possible.

Edited December 2, 2020 by fs1

[d.tsakiris 417]

17 hours ago, pmemery said:

Dimitrios,

Here it is:

Great, thanks!

Edited December 3, 2020 by d.tsakiris

[DChockey08 299]

Hey @fs1

A couple of thoughts after using this for a few weeks (apologies if some of these have been said in the last few days, I haven't been following the thread). I have been flying a lot out of KSFO and I think this may help because it's a pretty complicated runway-config setup to get right. 

 

1. It's pretty easy to edit the XML file while in the middle of a flight and then hit the "reload XML" button from the GUI. Works like a charm. I'll put my departure airport when loading up the sim, then check ActiveSky with the winds when I'm relatively close to TOD and set the XML with the arrival airport. Easy, peasy. 

 

2. A problem I have is that I use default ATC and it does not seem like the application gives me the same runway as the AI, and rather gives me the default runway that FS would give me if not running the app. 

Example: At KSFO, the default runway config in my sim under calm winds is to use 10R/10L for takeoffs and 19L/19R for departures (which is obviously not real world). So if winds are calm and I use the app to set 18L and 28R for landings, AI's will land on those runways but still instruct me to land on 10R/10L. Seems to still think those are "active". Wonder if there's a way for ATC to give me the same runway as AI. 

 

3. Again at KSFO, 1R is usually the main takeoff runway under normal wind. With some heavy international aircraft using 28L because of the additional length. So, 90% of the aircraft use 1R as to not interfere with landings, and only the aircraft that are too heavy to takeoff on 1R taxi to 28L. 

This is something I was actually able to replicate in the sim by shortening runway 1R so that anything heavier than a 757 needs to use 28L. There is a sort of internal runway length limit in P3D based on the empty_weight setting of the aircraft in the CFG file vs the length of the runway in the ADE. It's explained on FSDevelopper. It seems that this app does not take that into account. It would be great if that feature could be added. Right now setting both 28L and 1R for takeoff seems to make it a random split. Yesterday I was an A380 takeoff on 1R while an ERJ-170 went to 28L. Weird. 

 

I'll let you know if I think of anything else. 

[fs1 295]

Thanks for the feedback @DChockey08. New build coming within the next 2-3 days with new features.

[Capt. PERO 47]

Awesome tool! If you guys are using SIMstarter NG P3D it would be possible to create a little plugin that reads the DEP/ARR ICAO from the P3D Flightplan and create the ATCAPI config file based on this. @fs1 if that's for interest - let me know.

[fs1 295]

I have updated this new tool to include several airports simultaneously to the config file. Fix log below:

- Added support for several airports. Each airport is grouped in the <Airport></Airport> tag

- Fixed runway probabilities assignments

- Now you can provide probabilities to each Runway. See example below on KJFK, R04R for take off (<Probability>0.7</Probability>). The  <Probability> tag is optional, if you dont included, each Runway will be assigned equal probabilities (see KLGA second airport, has no probabilities)

- Fixed Taxi Speed Limiter. It will *only* apply to the AIs vacating the runway. Default speed after reverse & braking is set to 20kts. This will help AI vacate faster the runway (it is capped to 35kts if not AI may missed the exit). I can work on a general Taxi Speed change if you feel it is a good feature.

- Optimization of non-blocking algorithm while taxiing.

The flaps seems to be fixed, if someone want to give it a try I appreciate it reporting back.

Link to download:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8drsngge4qxml9l/ATCAPI v1.0.0.2.zip?dl=0

Example of Config File:

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' ?>
<Parameters>
	<Airport>
	<ICAO>KJFK</ICAO>
	<ActiveTakeOffRunway>
		<Runway>R13R</Runway>
		<Probability>0.1</Probability>
	</ActiveTakeOffRunway>
	<ActiveTakeOffRunway>
		<Runway>R04R</Runway>
		<Probability>0.7</Probability>
	</ActiveTakeOffRunway>
	<ActiveTakeOffRunway>
		<Runway>R04L</Runway>
		<Probability>0.2</Probability>
	</ActiveTakeOffRunway>
	<ActiveLandingRunway>
		<Runway>R04L</Runway>
		<ApproachName>KRSTL</ApproachName>
		<ApproachType>ILS</ApproachType>
		<Probability>0.7</Probability>
	</ActiveLandingRunway>
	<ActiveLandingRunway>
		<Runway>R04R</Runway>
		<Probability>0.2</Probability>
	</ActiveLandingRunway>
	<ActiveLandingRunway>
		<Runway>R13R</Runway>
		<Probability>0.1</Probability>
	</ActiveLandingRunway>
	</Airport>
	<Airport>
	<ICAO>KLGA</ICAO>
	<ActiveTakeOffRunway>
		<Runway>R13</Runway>
	</ActiveTakeOffRunway>
	<ActiveLandingRunway>
		<Runway>R22</Runway>
	</ActiveLandingRunway>
	</Airport>
	<enableFastTakeOffs>1</EnableFastTakeOffs>
	<allowTakeOffDistance>4000</AllowTakeOffDistance>
	<taxiSpeedLimiter>30</TaxiSpeedLimiter>
	<enableRollthenTakeOff>1</enableRollthenTakeOff>
	<minCrossingRny>2000</minCrossingRny>
	<isGUIVisible>1</isGUIVisible>

</Parameters>

 

**In the works**.

Short Term:

- Be able to set rules tied to simvars to assign active runways (such as wind, ICAO codes, etc)

- A GUI instead of an XML for better handling

- SID and STARs. ATC Holds

Longer term:

- Spacing algorithm while AIs are in the air.

So Testers who want to start testing NEW builds please PM me.

Thanks!

Edited December 8, 2020 by fs1

[pmemery 4]

sounds great Frederico ! Let us try and report

[Wolkenschreck 269]

On 12/8/2020 at 12:56 PM, fs1 said:

The flaps seems to be fixed, if someone want to give it a try I appreciate it reporting back.

Hi Federico,

Thank you for the update. Still need to properly test it but so far I can say that the flaps do unfortunately not work yet. Some models deploy full flaps for takeoff (FAIB) and others deploy spoilers and reversers (FSPXAI). However, most models come with a custom xml configurations for flap deployment anyway. So, not sure if this feature is required at all.

Best,
Christoph

[fs1 295]

36 minutes ago, Wolkenschreck said:

Hi Federico,

Thank you for the update. Still need to properly test it but so far I can say that the flaps do unfortunately not work yet. Some models deploy full flaps for takeoff (FAIB) and others deploy spoilers and reversers (FSPXAI). However, most models come with a custom xml configurations for flap deployment anyway. So, not sure if this feature is required at all.

Best,
Christoph

Thanks Christoph, I will take out this option/feature in next build. Thanks!

Edited December 9, 2020 by fs1