Hello Community!

So I got myself the QW787 and directly missed GSX/SimBrief Integration FSLabs has to offer - so I have spent most of my time developing for instead of flying the Plane  🙄

Since that might be of interest for other Users, I've published it on GitHub - you can get it there along with a (hopefully) extensive Readme!

If this Toolset is of interest to you, can be answered easily by yourself:
- Wished that you could just get the planned Fuel and Weights from your SimBrief OFP automatically by calling the GSX Services? Without any Payload Dialog or Dispatch Page / Dispatcher involved?
- Wished that the Plane was actually & progressively refueled and (De-)Boarded when GSX is active? (Not refueling and boarding an already loaded Plane - really seeing the GW rise and fall as the Passengers - are entering/leaving Plane and the Containers are loaded/unloaded)
- Wished that the Ground- and Cabin-Crew would just take care of the Doors, instead you "leaving" the Cockpit to open/close all that Doors?
- Wished the Jetway/GPU would just automatically be called / removed, the Chocks being set / removed and External Power connected / disconnected?

So if the Answer is 'yes' to any of these Questions and you have a registered Version of FSUIPC: go and try it out!
The only thing it does not / can not do is loading the FlightPlan into the FMS 😉

There are two Releases / Zip-Archives to choose from:
- If you're not using "PilotsDeck" -> download the QualityWings2GSX.zip File. It contains everything needed for the Automation/Integration to work.
- If you are using my StreamDeck Plugin and want to use the StreamDeck Profiles I've published in the PilotsDeck Repository -> download the QualityWings2GSX-PilotsDeck.zip File (they included the Profiles and needed Files).

If should have any Questions, Problems or Suggestions (after reading the Readme) - feel free to contact me! 🙂 

Wow this looks epic!

Can I ask if something similar can be done for the pmdg 777 please

9 hours ago, Falconfly said:

Wow this looks epic!

Thanks to you and everyone else for the positive Reactions! 🙂
It shows that the work to bring it in a public-available and -usable Form was not in vain.

 

9 hours ago, Falconfly said:

Can I ask if something similar can be done for the pmdg 777 please

Do you mean like the GSX/SimBrief Integration and Automation? That may be possible or just impossible ... but on what I read in the GSX Forums, it seems that PMDG actively does not want to integrate with GSX. With the QW it is just that it wasn't not prioritized. FSDT seems very open - they have added Chock support for the 787 in under one day. 👍
Also the Refueling / Loading is only possible because the QW uses the default Payload and Fuel Stations (and therefore Offsets to read/write) and the Automation because they offer Lvars to read/write the Doors, Chocks and Power available Status. If PMDG does not allow any of this Information to be read or written externally, it is not possible. I originally even wanted to load the SimBrief Route and Flight-Data in the FMS/CDU of the 787 - but I've found no way because of documented Lvars that should exist, don't exist (at least for me).
Don't have any PMDG so I don't know and can only speculate - seems strange to me that a big name and perceived high-quality Developer like PMDG does not offer GSX or SimBrief Integration - is that really the case!? 😮 (I mean they are not cheap! If I would spent FSLabs-amount of Money I would expect exactly these Features to be just there and working!)

But if someone or PMDG donates the 777 to me, I'll surely would look into that 🤣
 

If you mean a PilotsDeck Profile: That surely can be done! I've had looked around during the Development of the StreamDeck Plugin on Information what other Plane-Developers offer to manipulate Controls and read their State. What I have understood for PMDG was, that they have plenty of Offsets to read from and plenty of Control-/Event-Codes to manipulate Buttons & Switches. So basically exactly what is needed to create PilotsDeck-Actions with that! Although that has do be done by someone else 😉 
From my experiencing: It can't get harder than as with FSLabs to create a PilotsDeck Profile, so everyone else should be more easy 🙄
So if you need help creating a PilotsDeck Profile for the 777, like I wrote in the PilotsDeck Thread: feel free to contact me!

 

Edited February 6, 20224 yr by Fragtality

1 hour ago, Fragtality said:

Also the Refueling / Loading is only possible because the QW uses the default Payload and Fuel Stations (and therefore Offsets to read/write) and the Automation because they offer Lvars to read/write the Doors, Chocks and Power available Status. If PMDG does not allow any of this Information to be read or written externally, it is not possible. I originally even wanted to load the SimBrief Route and Flight-Data in the FMS/CDU of the 787 - but I've found no way because of documented Lvars that should exist, don't exist (at least for me).

PMDG has a nicely documented SDK. Loading fuel is a little more complex since you're sending key commands to the FMC, but quite doable.

Cheers!

Thank you for this. I’ll be checking it out. @Fragtality does your PilotsDeck plug-in strictly for the Elegato hardware or can it be used with iOS app on an iPad?

21 minutes ago, Luke said:

PMDG has a nicely documented SDK. Loading fuel is a little more complex since you're sending key commands to the FMC, but quite doable.

Cheers!

Sure they have a nicely documented SDK! 🙂 (If we talk about "value for price" PMDG is far ahead of FSLabs in that field, imho)
But I only did find Information through Goo... for reading Switch States and manipulating that. Nothing about really changing the Planes Fuel or Weight directly - can someone share me a copy? ^^ 

Sending key commands wouldn't be a Problem (if Control Codes for the FMC exist and they are named consistently) - I do that all other the Place with FSLabs 😉 
The Challenge is to simulate the (progressive) Fuel-Process correctly! And that is something FSDT and the Airplane-Developer have in their Hands ... whether an external Program (like I did) or the Plane itself is loading its Fuel (like FSL), it is a "Custom Fuel System" to GSX. It has to be able to detect if the Fuel is rising (and stops rising) and the Plane has to react if the Hose is connected or not. If whatever PMDG is doing there is not reacting to GSX and is not visible for GSX, there would be no way of doing something similar.

If you mean something like "you can enter the planned Fuel in the FMC and it will be instantly loaded" - that is exactly something I don't like and wanted to improve for QW787. I have no joy on waiting for an already filled Plane to be refueled 😅

 

13 minutes ago, Samaritano said:

Thank you for this. I’ll be checking it out. @Fragtality does your PilotsDeck plug-in strictly for the Elegato hardware or can it be used with iOS app on an iPad?

You mean "Stream Deck Mobile"?
I honestly never tested it (need my iPad for the FSL EFB^^)! But from the looks of it, it is "just" another StreamDeck connected to the Software. So either it works directly or could be implemented. Try and give me Feedback! 🙂 

35 minutes ago, Fragtality said:

But I only did find Information through Goo... for reading Switch States and manipulating that. Nothing about really changing the Planes Fuel or Weight directly - can someone share me a copy? ^^  Sending key commands wouldn't be a Problem (if Control Codes for the FMC exist and they are named consistently) - I do that all other the Place with FSLabs 😉  The Challenge is to simulate the (progressive) Fuel-Process correctly! And that is something FSDT and the Airplane-Developer have in their Hands ... whether an external Program (like I did) or the Plane itself is loading its Fuel (like FSL), it is a "Custom Fuel System" to GSX. It has to be able to detect if the Fuel is rising (and stops rising) and the Plane has to react if the Hose is connected or not. If whatever PMDG is doing there is not reacting to GSX and is not visible for GSX, there would be no way of doing something similar.

To adjust fuel and payload, you've got to send key/button commands to the FMC. It takes a bit (and unfortunately is different on each PMDG bird, even between the NGX and NGXu 😕 ). I don't think the NGX or 777 can do what you want (progressive loading), but I suspect the NGXu might. They've added some ground service capabilities that weren't in the NGX.

My main use case is loading fuel and payload from the data my ACARS client gives me and the SDK works fine for that.

Cheers!

Hi @Fragtality,

 

Thanks so much for doing this, really appreciate your hard work.  A question: if I don't use Simbrief (using PFPX) would this still work?

 

Thanks,

Daniel

1 hour ago, Daniel Baker said:

Thanks so much for doing this, really appreciate your hard work.  A question: if I don't use Simbrief (using PFPX) would this still work?

You're welcome 🙂 

I'd suggest you take a look at the Readme 😉 
There is the Option for an offline OFP. It is a small xml File the basic Information the Binary would need. But you have to edit that File manually. Airline, Flightnumber, Origin and Destination don't really matter - they are only there to check if this OFP is "new". Change the Units, Passenger and Bag Weight to what you use in PFPX. Enter the Fuelweight and Pax and Bag count and you're good to go. Make sure the File is renamed to ofp.xml 😉 
Also, it isn't necessary to edit this File before the Tool/Sim is started. It will be read when the 787's Battery comes on, or 5 Minutes after Deboarding.

The Scripts for the Automations (Doors, Chocks, Power, ...) work regardless of Flightplanner used (if the Binary is used)! They react to GSX Requests and trigger the Services depending on the current State the Flight / GSX is in.

@Samaritano

I had a look at the StreamDeck SDK and my Plugin Code: As of the SDK the Mobile is just another "type" of Deck. So instead of being 0 (SD) or 2 (XL) it is 3 then.
The only place where this should matter in the Plugin is when an Action appears and the Image needs to be loaded. And that basically goes like "If it is a XL, load the 144px/@2x Image for anything else load the 72px Image." 
So I don't see any Problems why the Mobile should not work.

The SDK does not state if the "Buttons" of the Mobile uses 144px or 72px. So the only Thing that may happen, if the Mobile uses 144px, that the Images/the Visuals are not as "crisp" as they could be. If that should be the case I could do a special Build for which loads the 144px Images for the Mobile to see if that helps anything!

Hey Fragility,

I just finished a 747-8 cargo profile. It should have everything one needs for a normal flight or at the very least  a great starting point for someone who wants to go further. The PMDG planes can map almost everything, but I thought I should probably also fly the plane sometime😀.  As I don't really have a method of distributing it to the community for anyone that might be interested, I was thinking if possible I could send it to you. You could check it out and if everything is to your satisfaction you can make it available on your GitHub page. Either way let me know.

Again thanks for this awsome tool.

@Ado198

That's an great Idea, lets get that onto Github! 😃

@Fragtality

First of all THANK YOU for this great work. I have installed it and it´s running great.

I have one single issue. 

When starting a flight with the QW at a gate, and started it with a custom panel setting (called AT APU to start the plane running at APU instead of GPU or ColdDark) the following happens.

- Start a flight at a gate

- Plane is at the gate and running at APU

- Parking brake is released (Button is set to my TCA sidestick)

- Call GSX, Info message shows I have to set the chocks

- Open Aircraft CFG Panel to set the chocks

- I call GSX do all the stuff till I want to remove the chucks

- I want to set my parking brake - ISSUE: It will ALWAYS flip back to "released" and I can´t set it anymore

Have you any idea where to look to be able to set my Parking brake again?

This is only the case with your GSX Automation and not with any other (addon) plane

I have not installed the PilotDeck (haven´t one)

GSX Automation is running at starting a flight "automode"

This is what I find in the FSUIPC.ini (I have no QW787 FSUIPC profile in use)

[Programs]
RunIf1=READY,KILL,J:\P3D Addons\QualityWings2GSX\QualityWings2GSX.exe

[LuaFiles]
1=GSX_AUTO
2=QW787_SYNC

[Auto]
1=Lua GSX_AUTO
2=Lua QW787_SYNC

I hint would be much appreciated 😉 

Regards

Marcus (LM Beta Tester)

 

Edited February 9, 20224 yr by mpo910

Hello Marcus!

Did not test with a Panel State other than "Coldanddark" to be honest. But it shouldn't make difference imho.

4 hours ago, mpo910 said:

- Call GSX, Info message shows I have to set the chocks

- Open Aircraft CFG Panel to set the chocks

- I call GSX do all the stuff till I want to remove the chucks

Keep in mind that this whole GSX Integration is designed in such a way that the manual set / removal of the Chocks is not necessary anymore (when "syncChocksAndPower" is set to true). When the Option is set it will always override the Chocks (and External Power available)! (GPU/Jetway connected => Set, GPU/Jetway disconnected => remove)
But this can be overridden when you set the Towing Power to On. As long this Button is On, the Script won't touch the Chocks and External Power. I use that myself in the QW_INIT Function from the QW_AUTO Script (to "boot up" the Airplane from ColdAndDark). Because there I need to set the Chocks in disconnected State to get GSX going  😉 
 

4 hours ago, mpo910 said:

I want to set my parking brake - ISSUE: It will ALWAYS flip back to "released" and I can´t set it anymore

Do you have the "syncBrake" Feature activated? 
When activated, it does toggle the Parking Brake if it is not "in synch" with the Joystick Button. This effectively overrides every other Method of controlling the Parking Brake, the Joystick-Button is the "master".
When you say TCA you mean the Airbus-Edition Throttle-Quatrant Addon? That's exactly what I've tested with (and which I'm using), it should definitively work with that (as long you configured the correct Joystick-Number and Button!). This "syncBrake" Feature is specifically designed for the Parking Brake Button Logic there: if it is in On-Position, the Button is continuously pressed. If you set this to a Button which does not have that kind of Logic, this would "work as expected"! Since the Button is not pressed, the Parking Brake is set to released.
There is no real override here ... but for Testing you could try if you can control the Brake when you switch the Battery and Towing Power to off.

If you don't have the "syncBrake" Feature activated, I'm somewhat out of Ideas! 😕 There's only one Place in the Script which controls the Brake and it will only do it when syncBrake is true.

 

4 hours ago, mpo910 said:

This is only the case with your GSX Automation and not with any other (addon) plane

Yeah as it should be, if the QW787_SYNC Script is only loaded for the QW, as you did 😅
The syncBrake Feature is Plane-specific Behavior. Since the QW787 releases the Parking Brake when the Toe-Brakes are used. (Or is this correctly modeled Boeing-Logic?^^)

 

4 hours ago, mpo910 said:

GSX Automation is running at starting a flight "automode"

What do you mean with that? This state does not exist 😅
It should start in 0/Refuel ^^

Edited February 9, 20224 yr by Fragtality

3 hours ago, Fragtality said:

Keep in mind that this whole GSX Integration is designed in such a way that the manual set / removal of the Chocks is not necessary anymore (when "syncChocksAndPower" is set to true). When the Option is set it will always override the Chocks (and External Power available)! (GPU/Jetway connected => Set, GPU/Jetway disconnected => remove)

I should correct myself a little: Yes it does override the Chocks and External Power, but only once after the each (connected/disconnected) State Change (GSX_AUTO_CONNECTED 0->1 or 1->0)!
Just wondered myself why my Script wasn't overriding the Chocks ... 😅